On board Air Force One

On 21st September 2011, we had the experience of being on board what was once an Air Force One.

If the President of the United States of America flies on an Air Force Jet, the plane is called Air Force One. Technically, Air Force One is the call sign of any US Air Force aircraft carrying the President. In practice, however, Air force One is used to refer to an aircraft designed and used for the exclusive use of the President. Presently there are two such highly customised Boeing-747-200Bs which carry the tail codes of 28000 and 29000.

Air Force One air crafts are maintained and operated by the President's Airlift Group which is a part of White House Military Office.  The Group was founded in 1944 by the then President Franklin D Roosevelt. The first President to fly a jet air craft was John F Kennedy, on a Boeing 707.  The air crafts have been upgraded from time to time and the present Boeing-747-200 in use (there are two of them now)  are one of the most recognized symbols of US Presidency.  The air crafts are emblazoned with the words "United States of America", the American flag and the seal of the President of United States.  The air crafts are capable of refueling in mid air and have unlimited range. The hardened on board electronics are devised to protect against any electromagnetic pulse. The advanced secure communication equipment allow the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in case of emergencies. 

These aircraft have 4000 square foot of  floor space at three levels and comprise of an extensive suite for the President, a large office, conference room and a medical suite that can function as an operating room with a doctor available on board the air craft.  Two food preparation galleys that can feed 100 people at a time are available on the aircraft.  The accommodation also includes quarters for senior advisers of the President, Secret Service Officers, traveling press representatives and guests.  Cargo planes carrying required materials generally fly ahead of Air Force One to provide the necessary services in remote areas.

Air crafts which served as Air force One earlier have been kept on display at National Museum of the United States Air force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.  One air craft, a Boeing 707 with code SAM 26,000 which served former Presidents John F Kennedy to Bill Clinton, from 1959 to 1996,  is on loan to the Museum of Flight, Seattle.  It has been kept in the air park and is at display at Museum of Flight at King County International Airport, Boeing field, Seattle, WA.  This was the aircraft we visited and spent a few minutes in it.

The Museum of Flight is itself a private non-profit Air and Space Museum and established in 1965. It is about an hours drive from downtown Seattle.  A part of the first Boeing factory by name "Red Barn" factory forms a part of the Museum.  The museum contains rare specimen of air craft developed and used over the years till the specimen of Boeing 747 and The Concorde. Students of Aerospace science and general public find the museum very attractive and  a visit is a rewarding experience.  Development of air crafts from the time of Wright brothers, their usage in World Wars I and II, later developments etc. are displayed over a huge area.  Developments from use of Wood to Aluminum and other metals is graphically displayed.  Rare specimen of aircraft from other countries are also kept on display. In the air park across the museum bigger aircraft are kept for view.  Among them is the first flight worthy Boeing 747 by name City of Everett which first flew in February 1969, a British Airways Concorde 214 and the Boeing 707 Air Force One.

Visitors to the museum are given an arm band for identification and are taken through guided tours around the museum. Visitors are also free to go round the museum on their own. There are specimen air crafts for children in which they can sit and enjoy simulated ride. On going across the road on the sky bridge, visitors are allowed to enter and see the air craft parked in the air park. We were allowed entry into Air Force One through the rear door and could see the seating for Senior Officials, Meeting Room, Secretariat, other facilities and the President's Chair and Table. This was the place Presidents John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson, Richard Nixon and others sat while traveling on the aircraft.  We could also see the safe for keeping documents on flight and the cockpit of the aircraft. It was a thrilling experience for us. 

President was not on board, the air craft did not take off or land. But we did have the pleasure of being on board of what was once an Air Force One and the office in the air of several illustrious presidents for over two decades. A memory we cherish for a long time to come.

It is a pleasure to work with those........

Perry Mason stories have thrilled millions of readers the world over for decades. There are claims that the series is the most widely read in history. The TV serial series on Perry Mason's case are still popular and being shown even today. Only regret is that the characters of Perry mason, Della Street and Paul Drake are nowhere near the description we get in the books themselves. The actors have acted quite well in the episodes, we have to concede. These stories have fascinated generations of readers. In each and every case, somewhere in the many pages of suspense and intrigue, there is always a peculiar principle of law. There are also some truths of life and some analysis of human behavior by a trained mind. No surprise, E S Gardner's "Court of last resort" could establish innocence of many convicts. "The case of the Howling Dog"was made a movie as early as in 1934.

Among the many cases is one by name "Case of the Mythical Monkeys".  Mason suggests in the courtroom for matching the finger print of a witness, Mrs Joseph Manly, with one found in the scene of the crime to solve the murder mystery. Lt. Arthur Tragg is in the witness chair, being cross examined by Perry Mason in the court of Judge Arvis Bagby.  Mrs Manly, sitting in the court room starts running away from the court. At this point, I quote from the book:

Lt. Arthur Tragg half arose, then settled back in his chair.

"Aren't you going to follow that woman and bring her back?" Judge Bagby demanded indignantly of Lt. Tragg.

"Not right away,"  Tragg said, with a slow drawl.  
"and may I ask why not?"

"Well, it's like she said,"  Lt. Tragg observed, "the fingerprints in the cabin proves she was lying, but that's all. But her flight is evidence that the district attorney can use in case against her when he's trying her for murder.  So if she is foolish enough to resort to flight, I'll give her a good start before I catch her."

Slowly the look of annoyance on Judge Bagby's face was replaced by a smile. "It is always a pleasure to watch a really efficient officer at work,"he said.

We meet dozens of people at work every day. Some give us a sense of calm of security and comfort when they handle our issues. We feel we are in safe hands. But many leave us with goose bumps. Some grasp our requirements pretty fast and some others drive us crazy. Some are efficiency personified while some others are down right incompetent. We have often recall "Peter's Principle"and understand that we are dealing with incompetent officials. Officials who can quote ten rules to tell you why your job cannot be done. But the same job is done ten times by another official, and well within the same rules.

If we go to a school and ask young kids "What is apple?",  they are more likely to say that it is a company founded by Steve Jobs. "Apple is a fruit" could be the second best answer. Steve Jobs was a man who knew his job. He was more than that. He was a visionary. His dreams were not for himself, but for a generation of people. 56 years is not an age to die. He looked more and more frail in the last few years.  But the vision appeared to become stronger each day. "For those of us lucky enough to work with Steve, it was an insanely great honour..........." said Bill Gates in his tribute. "Had the pleasure of working for him and knowing him. he was our Edison"said actor-writer-director Albert Brooks.

"Design is just not what it looks like and feels like Design is how it works." are his famous words. And his products at apple worked.  Long after similar products bought elsewhere stopped working. Many of us did not know him personally. We did not have the pleasure of working with him. But we did have the pleasure of working with the products he pioneered.  It was a pleasure to work with him for thousands. It was and still is a pleasure to work with the products of Apple for millions.

 As Judge Bagby said in the "Case of Mythical Monkeys , it is always indeed a pleasure to watch an efficient officer at work.  It is indeed a pleasure to work with  those who know their jobs.  Especially for those, who do not know theirs, we may as well add.

Buy ten, Take all free!

Every one has to shop. Even the Yogi on top of Himalayas now requires toothpaste. For some people shopping is a necessary evil and they do not like it.  Some do it as a sacred duty.  Some people like shopping. Some people like to keep on shopping.  They wait for an opportunity to shop.  If there is no opportunity, they create one and if possible, many. For some Music is life. For some others, their work itself is life.  For many people, shopping is life.

All of us have to buy some thing or the other. Each and very day of our life. Shopping begins with the beginnings of life. Yes, but it was two or three decades ago. When a baby was born some decades ago, Hospital staff would give a list of items to be purchased from the Medical shop.  Starting from baby soap and feeding bottle to sanitary napkins. But now it starts even before life begins.  Nowadays "would be parents" are given the list of items to be brought with the expectant mother when she comes to the Hospital with the first signs of pains.  She will be taken inside the hospital  only if the basket or baskets have all the necessary items as per the list. No need to rush to the shop when the baby is born. Have the items ready so that you enjoy watching the baby's face without shopping worries.  Use your credit card to pay and postpone payment worries for some time.  Enjoy your happy moment here and now. It may not last long as the bills will start arriving shortly.  Good philosophy.

Everybody is willing to talk about birth. Nobody likes to talk of death.  But unfortunately, laws of nature stipulates that every birth has a matching death. Like double entry book keeping.  Only the time interval taken to match the two is different for different persons.  And shopping is linked to death as well.  Though shopping begins before life begins, shopping ends after life ends. In that respect, shopping is bigger than life itself. Somebody kicks the bucket, as the saying goes.  Life ends.  But there is shopping required after the death also. There is a very old joke about an Accountant of a company. His Managing Director had the habit of charging all expenses to the company's accounts. His hair cut charges would go as maintenance and upkeep charges. Like that. Not just him, many people do it but may not admit it. This accountant knew how to account for all those personal expenses by giving an appropriate "Accounting Head" in the books of accounts. Managing Director's mother died. Many expenses were incurred. The accountant kept a perfect account of the expenses. Only even his well trained (!) head could not find an appropriate head of account. He was constrained to ask his MD himself for a solution. MD was in deep thought for a moment. Accountant thought that the MD was thinking of his revered mother. But MD was actually thinking of a solution to the problem. He finally advised the Accountant to debit the amounts spent to "Packing and Forwarding" expenses. Very appropriately. The last advertisement I saw on TV was about an old man shopping happily for a coffin for own use. He was shown as having died very happily after selecting a beautiful box.  Died happily at the thought of lying happily for ever in that beautiful coffin.

The only type of cloth available when I was a young boy was "Controlled cloth".  There was even a shop by name "Control Cloth Show Room", near Minerva circle in Bangalore. Now neither Minerva theater is there nor the shop.  Finlay Mill one line border dhotis were the best then. Now You get all shades of Dhotis, in rainbow colours. shopping has evolved over the years. but faster than evolution of man himself.  Shopping is an art as well as science now. We often see some youngsters coming up with beautiful items. And they bought them at very cheap rates. They have an uncanny eye for the tasteful item and at bargain prices. They have mastered the art of shopping scientifically. From the "Corner Shop" we have moved over to "Air Conditioned Shopping Malls'', where one can shop till falling down with fatigue, only to buy a refreshing drink and resume shopping. 

"Innovation and Marketing are the watch words of businesses" said the Marketing Guru, Peter Drucker.  Marketing has now reached fantastic levels.  Levels never reached before. And still soaring.  "Buy two, take one free" is a old adage.  "Buy two, take two free" has no takers. It should be at least "Buy one, take two free".  "Buy and Save" boards beckon us. When you buy, you only spend, I used to think. Not any longer. When I see people buying some things I ask then what use they have for the item.  It may be useful some day, they reply.  Make hay while the Sun shines. Keep it for the rainy day.  Even if the rainy day never comes.

 

Marketing agencies and manufacturers have many schemes.  Discount sales. Clearance sales. Winter sales. Summer sales.  Product launch sales. Inaugural sales. Winding up sales. But discount coupon sales takes the cake. How about "Buy ten, take all free"?.  Is it possible?, one may ask.  I myself used to ask.   Until yesterday.  Not today. 

There is a TV programme on a channel called TLC. Title of the program is "Extreme Couponing".  We are familiar with the reduction of bill against coupons. But this takes the cake. Coupons are available in newspapers. They are available on on-line sites. People collect them. Collect them by collecting newspapers. Collect them by visiting on-line web sites.  Visiting door to door and collecting coupons and news papers.  Even searching in garbage cans. By taking family members and friends for assistance. Then arranging the coupons as per various classifications.  Visiting the shops and malls the moment they open for the business. Carefully selecting the items as per availability of coupons.  From tooth brush to fruit juice. From cleaning material to body lotions. From paper napkins to toilet papers.  Finally when the cash register breaks down, having a re-billing. Amounts of bill to be paid in hundreds of dollars for several cart load of items. Then coupons are taken out. When they are all accounted for, final amount to paid is one or two dollars or only few cents. In one case it was even NIL.  In one case it was two dollars and forty cents, but the buyer got a five dollar voucher!  Which means take all free and I further give you two dollars and sixty cents. Buy so many things, give coupons and then take everything free! Then arrange these items at home in shelves, garages, rooms and everywhere. There are people who have collected toilet paper to last for decades. Fruit juices to last for five years.  By paying nothing.

But things are not simple. These people spend hours and hours for collecting coupons, cutting them, arranging them, calculating the amounts, making lists, going to the shops or malls, choosing items, getting them billed, carry them home, arrange them and protect them.  Hats off to them. Many of them support other members of the family and help others in need as well. Informal Coupon exchanges for exchanging coupons also exist.  Hard work truly but when you see the quantity of items procured, it is rewarding indeed.

Once, when I was in service, Big boss wanted all Managers and staff members to come and work on a Sunday, to complete audit of the annual Balance Sheet. As usual, the task of conveying the unpleasant message was given to me.  I told everyone. Some of them asked whether there is any escape from coming on a holiday.  I told them indeed there was one. What is it, every one asked.  I told them that they need not go home that day to avoid coming on the next morning.  I had used humour at the wrong time and place.  Next morning only Big Boss and me were there in the office.  Both Big Boss and Auditors were unhappy. When the Boss asked the others on Monday, every body said they thought I was joking.  Needless to say every one escaped as I was known for making things appear funny.  That day I ended up as the funny object.

I am not joking now.  Buy ten or more, and take all free.  If you do not believe me, you can see the program yourself!

The Question is wrong

This happened when I was appearing at the SSLC (10th standard) examination. Our High School was in a good location and had large number of rooms and other infrastructure facilities were also available. Classes from VIII standard to X standard were conducted in the school and each class had at least four sections of about 50 students each. That made for nearly six hundred students. About 150 to 200 students would sit for this examination from our school. Many of the High Schools in the villages had 10 or 12 students taking the examination and the biggest school had about 50 students. Being a taluk headquarters and better connected by roads, it was an ideal place to act as a center for conducting the examination.

We often hear about the demand for seats to merit candidates. The voice for such a demand emanates from the Urban and educated sections. Because the rural and uneducated sections do not have much voice in making the demands. No doubt rural areas are politically important and strong and throw up a large number of representatives. But the representatives once elected mostly remain in the cities and the basic requirements of the villages is still inadequate. Students and women suffer more than others. Even today students in some rural areas are made to sit on the floor to write the examinations because the schools do not have required number of desks! Students from villages have to travel by bus or walk two or three miles before reaching the examination center. Many of them may not even have a breakfast when they arrive at the center. Some may say it is good because they do not fall asleep due to full stomachs. Once the examination starts all are equal. Questions papers and method of valuation are the same. Where is the level playing field?

Our school being the examination center for students of many nearby village schools cast an extra responsibility on our school authorities. Question paper bundles would arrive from the district headquarters a week before commencement of the examination and kept in the Locker room of the local bank. Head Master of the school was the Examination Superintendent and had to bring the bundles of question papers each day for the next day's subjects and keep in a room with door locked and sealed in the presence of two other officials and opened the next day in their presence. Two other senior teachers of the taluk were assigned as Assistant Superintendents to support him and run the system. Each day was a tense day for these officials as bundles have to be opened and arranged room wise and subject wise, answer papers bundled, sealed and dispatched  and everything had to go like clock work.

I was a student of Mathematics. The system at that time was that every student had to study Mathematics for 100 marks paper and this paper was called General Mathematics. Students had an option to take either Science or Arts as Optional subjects. Among the optional science subjects was another paper of Mathematics of 100 marks. In other words, arts students were to write one paper of Mathematics for 100 marks and Science students had to write two papers of Mathematics for 100 marks each. One common paper of General Mathematics and one paper of Optional Mathematics. Art students used to have subjects like History, Geography and Political Science. Naturally Optional Mathematics had a higher syllabus content and tougher than the General Mathematics paper.

There was and still is a general consensus that students taking up Optional Mathematics were or are more intelligent than arts students. Nothing can be farther from truth. During the course of our lives we have all experienced that much of what is learnt in school is useless for many of us. I was a student of Chemistry in college and ended up as a Bank Manager, fighting with Accountancy and Banking Law and had to study these subjects outside formal education. Many arts students did very well in their life and brilliant mathematics students often had to work as their employees! 

On the day of Optional Mathematics paper I went to school as usual and the examination started at 10 AM. It was a paper for 3 hours. After receiving the question paper and reading it, I found that one question for four marks was wrong. I told the hall Supervisor that the question was wrong and that I want to talk to my Mathematics teacher - the one who taught "Anything multiplied by Zero is Zero". He was one of the Assistant Superintendent  for the examination and was a busy man. Student from any other school could not have the privilege of calling his teacher. The Hall Supervisor sent words for calling the teacher. I kept reminding him every half an hour. Around 12 noon the teacher, now Assistant Superintendent , came almost running and asked me what the problem was. I showed him the question and told him it is wrong. He saw the question for a few seconds and told me it is correct and advised me to think calmly and answer. I started arguing with him but left hurriedly to attend to other work after again advising me to think calmly and answer. I did not have the maturity at that time to understand that he was an Assistant Superintendent and discharging a different role and also that we were in an examination hall. I could not answer the question and left after completing the paper except that question.

When I came out of the hall he was waiting for me and took me aside. He asked me to read the question. The question was : "A bird flies at 60 miles an hour while flying with the wind and 20 miles an hour while flying against the wind. What is the speed at which it is flying?". What is the principle on which it is based, he asked. I told him it was based on Simultaneous equations. How, he asked.   x+y = 60 and x-y = 20, I replied. Then what is the speed at which the bird was flying, he asked.  40 miles per hour, I answered. Where is the question wrong, he asked.  They have not taken the weight of the bird into account, I said. Why is it required?, he asked. I did not have an answer. I had used super intelligence and brought an extraneous issue into the question. In the bargain lost 4 marks!

Over the years I have realised that we commit the same silly mistake many times in our real life as well.  Many questions that confront us in daily life are actually correct. We know the answers too. Often the correct answers. Instead of answering the questions in a simple way that we already know, we complicate the question by bringing in irrelevant issues. And allow the question to become tougher and more demanding. Thus we fail to answer the questions and in the bargain lose peace of mind also! 

Ahead of us or behind us?

Saint Kanakadaasa is a famous Kannada poet, philosopher and social reformer. He was a Shepherd chieftain, king of a small province and after a bitter battle with his enemies gave up his post and spent rest of his life in total devotion to the Lord.  He lived during the 16th century and was a contemporary of Saint Purandaradasa, who has composed several thousand kritis (compositions) and revered as the founder of the present Karnatic style of music.  Saint Thyagaraja, who lived after Saint Purandaradaasa and Kanakadaasa's time further enriched the Karnatic style of music. Contribution of these great men to music and literature cannot be described in words and deserves to be written in golden letters.

Legend has it that when Kanakadaasa was badly wounded in the war and about to die, Lord Balaji appeared in his dream state and brought to him to life subject to the condition that he would give up his state and become a Bhakta (devotee) of the Lord.  Kanakadaasa spent his later years in total devotion. He was with Saint Vyasaraja, Raajaguru of Sri Krishnadevaraaya, the Vijayanagar King. Towards the later part of his life, he traveled all over South India including Tirupathi, Udupi and many other places. He has composed several hundred Devaranaamas (songs in the praise of the Lord) as well as songs with social reform as the goal. His major works are Mohana Tarangini, Hari Bhakti Saara, Rama Dhanya Charitre and Nala Charitre. His works have great literary value and long lasting impact on the society. He himself faced severe persecution from a section of the society but overcame the difficulties with his patience and perseverance. Some of his compositions are in the form of riddles and known as "Kanaka's Mandige", the word Mandige meaning a sweet dish cooked on a hot earthen pot (like tandoori rotis made in the hot oven).  The item is difficult to prepare but very tasty to eat. Some of Kanakadaaasa's writings are difficult to comprehend and require deep knowledge of mythology and philosophy to solve and understand them.  Some of his other writings are in very simple language and can be understood by one and all as well.  His Rama Dhanya Charitre needs a special mention and is the story of an imaginary conflict between two corns, Ragi and Paddy, and their dispute solved by Srirama. The story is symbolic of class struggle of those times and upholds the dignity of labour and the philosophy that the working class is the real backbone of the society and not the elite class.

Legends have it that once Lord Thimmappa (Balaji of Tirupathi) told Kanaka in his dream to come over to Thirupathi. Balaji appeared in the dream of the Dharmadarshi (person in-charge of the temple affairs) that one of his greatest devotees is coming to have his Darshan and he should be received with respect and proper arrangements be made for his stay. Balaji is known as the Lord of the Seven Hills (Saptagirivaasa in sanskrit and Edukundalavaada in Telugu) and in those days one had to climb the hills on foot to reach the main temple on the top of the hills. There is a practice of receiving VIPs in Tirupati by symbolically presenting the keys to the temple. The temple keys (or their replica) are carried in a palanquin with full honour. Dharmadarshi and his associates were coming down the hill with the palanquin of temple keys and enquiring with people going up the hill as to whether anyone has seen the Saint Kanakadaasa climbing the hill.  Kankadaasa lived a simple life and was climbing the hill with his Ekanaada (one stringed musical instrument) and singing songs in the praise of the Lord.  In the middle of the hill Dharmadarshi was enquiring with all devotes climbing the hills whether they saw Saint  Kanakadaasa. Since he kept a low profile, nobody knew him.  Dharmadarshi asked Kanaka himself whether he saw Kanakadaasa climbing the hill. Kanakadaasa replied in the affirmative. Dharmaadhikari asked him where he was.  Kanaka replied; "Ahead of those who are behind him and Behind those who are ahead of him".  Dharmadarshi could not understand the deep meaning of Kanaka's words and felt he was a mad fellow and went further down the hill in search of the saint. Unable to find him he came back and went home. Kanaka himself climbed the hill, could not find any food and accommodation and slept in some corner of the temple.

In the night Lord Balaji appeared in the dream of the Dharmadarshi and admonished him for ignoring his commands. Dharmadarshi was told that the person who answered him in a riddle was himself Saint Kanakadaasa. Woken up after the dream,  Dharmadarshi and his assistants searched the Saint in the middle of the night, apologised to him and thereafter made suitable arrangements for his stay and darshan of the Lord. The saint lived in Tirupati for some time and made many compositions in the praise of Lord Balaji.

What Saint Kanakadaasa said was an example of his philosophical outlook. It was relativity explained much before Issac Newton, nearly a century before. As the Saint said, we are all younger to those who are older than us and older than those who are younger to us;  We are the followers of our leaders and leaders of our followers and marching on the journey of life Ahead of those behind us and Behind those who are ahead of us.

Maarjaala Nyaya and Markata Nyaya

We saw Leaders and Followers. We saw Elders and Youngsters. Both are relative. Just like relatives. A close relative may be kept far far away. A distant relative may be a closest friend. What about those Ahead of us and are Behind us? There is a saying that there is no tallest tree in the world. Technically there should be one and I was shown one such tree in Redwood National Park in California. But when you actually start the search you will always find a bigger tree. 

In philosophy, there are many arguments about the relation between Bhakta (Soul or Devotee) and Bhagavanta (The Lord or God whatever). In fact philosophy probably only means argument, as it is based purely on Logic. If argument is removed from Philosophy nothing will be left. Bhaktas are divided into two categories. They have to be divided, because we believe in divide and rule. To understand the two categories of Bhaktas, we have to understand Maarjaala Nyaya and Markata Nyaya.

What is so special about these Nyayas? Maarjaala is the Sanskrit word for Cat. Markata in Sanskrit means Monkey. Translated it becomes Cat Nyaya and Monkey Nyaya. To understand this, we have to observe how cats and Monkeys handle their little ones. When you closely observe the difference between Cats handling kittens and Monkeys handling baby monkeys (I am told there is no better word for baby monkeys!). Though both appear to be the same, the difference is very clear when closely observed.

Whenever a cat moves around with the kittens, it carries the young ones in its mouth. We know cats have sharp canines and any rough handling will result in serious injury to the frail kittens. A little carelessness in holding the kitten firmly will result in dropping the kitten to the ground, especially when the mother cats jump around. But the mother cat does take care of this. Holds the kitten firmly enough in the mouth so that they do not fall down and at the same time hold gently enough so that the kittens are not injured. Best example for firm and gentle at the same time. Automobile manuals refer to the brake this way. The brake should allow full and free movement of the wheel, but the braking effect should start at the slightest touch of the brake pedal! Kittens have no responsibility at all. Mother cat assumes all the responsibility. This is Maarjaala nyaya.

When the mother monkey carries around baby monkeys, the baby monkey has to hold firmly to the belly of mother monkey. Mother monkey keeps moving and jumping around trees as if it is alone. If the baby monkey does not hold firmly, it will fall down and get seriously injured. Entire responsibility is of the Baby Monkey and mother has no responsibility.  This Markata nyaya.

The Bhaktas or souls are also divided into these two categories. First category comprises of those bhaktas whose entire responsibility is taken up by the Bhagavanta, the lord himself.  They have achieved such a level of Saadhana that the Lord does not want to miss them!  He assumes full responsibility for the souls and is at their beck and call. They are Maarjaala Nyayi bhaktas. All other souls are running behind the Lord  to please him and be with him. Pleasing the Lord is their responsibility and if they fail, they fall. These are Markata Nyayi bhaktas.


There are two famous Beluru in India.  Newer one is near Calcutta and is the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission. The original famous Belur is about 37 kms from Hassan and 233 kms from Bangalore. The old name for Belur was Veelapuri. Velapuri and Dorasamudra (now called Halebeedu which is 16 kms from Belur) were the capital cities of the Hoysala Kings. Belur's Channa Keshava temple and Halebid's Hoysaleswara-Shantaleswara temples are nearly 900 years old and are fine examples of Hoysala architecture. Anybody visiting Karnataka and Bangalore should not miss these temples. These temples have made Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana and his Queen Shantala Devi immortal. Beauty of these temple carvings cannot be expressed in words and they are to be seen to be believed. Both places can be visited from Bangalore in one day and there are regular daily tours by Karnataka Tourism and private operators.

There is a street next to the Channa Keshava temple in Belur, called Vaikhunta Daasa street. One saint by name Vaikhunta Dasa (Dasa means servant of the Lord) lived here in the 16th century. He was a contemporary of Saint Purandara Dasa and Saint Kanaka Dasa who lived in the golden period of Vijayanagar empire and King Krishnadevaraya.


Saint Kanakadaasa, one of the foremost writer, composer and social reformer of Karnataka came to Belur once wanting to have darshan of Lord Channa Keshava (meaning handsome Vishnu). He also wanted to see Saint Vaikhuntadaasa. It was nearly midnight when he arrived in Belur. He reached Vaikhuntadasa's house and being unwilling to wake up Vaikhuntadasa, slept outside the main door of the house. Early in the morning Vaikhuntadasa opened the door and found Saint Kanakadasa sleeping near the door. He felt very sad and asked Kanakadasa why he did not wake him up in the night. Kanakadasa said he did not want to disturb the sleeping Vaikhuntadasa. Vaikhuntadasa told Kanakadasa: "What have you done Sir? You are a Maarjalanyayi. I am only a Markatanyayi You are far ahead of me in Saadhana. Your sleeping outside my door will make the Lord go further away from me!". Saint Kanakadaasa is said to have comforted Saint Vaikhuntadasa with kind words and stayed with him for many days, accepting his hospitality.

If we start as Markata Nyayi now, one day we may reach the level of Maarjala Nyayi some day.

Elder or Younger?

Once I attended an interview for promotion from Manager to Senior Manager level. The four member interview committee was headed by a General Manager of the Bank. A highly respected man, he was known for his sharp reactions and witty repartee. Any answer to his question would result in a further question, a question drawn from the previous answer. Either way he would catch you. A good person at heart, but he would enjoy cat and mouse game during discussions.

After all other members of the interview board were done with me General Manager looked at me and smiled. Calm before the storm. I was ready for the attack. Questions and answers went like this:

"Mr Murthy, Tell me why I should promote you?"
"I will work well and strive to achieve Organisational goals"
"That in any case you are already doing"
"Then it will be a reward for earlier hard work"

"Can you lead a team?
"Yes Sir, I can certainly lead a team"
"How do we know?"
"I am a Manager. I am already leading a team. My record shows it"
"Are you a good leader or good follower?"

The attack had shifted. He knew I was a Trade Union leader. I had to be careful in my answer.


"I am a good leader of my followers and a good follower of my leaders"
"I will ask your leader when I go to Delhi" Reference was to our big leader in Delhi.
"Please do ask him, Sir. He will confirm this"

He smiled broadly. My interview was over. For the record, I was promoted.

*****

I had another person at home who asked lot of questions. My little daughter. Many questions on many things. Like all children. She would fire a question drawn from the previous answer. Like the General Manager. He had a question about Leaders and Followers. She had a similar question.  About elders and youngsters.

Once she told something impolite to my younger brother, her uncle. I admonished her and told her that she should not talk to elders like that. She asked me: "Is Chikkappa an elder?". I replied yes, not realising the implications. A few days later my younger brother said something impolite to our uncle. I admonished him and told him that a youngster should not speak to elders like that. Little one was watching us. She had a question for me: "Other day you told me Chikkappa was elder. Today you said he is younger. Which is correct?  Is he elder or younger?".  I was stumped. It took me a long while to explain to her that young and old is a relative term. There is a maxim taught to trainers and teachers. If you cannot convince a trainee or a student, confuse him.  Probably she was confused at that age and kept quiet.

But not for long. She kept on asking "When I will become elder?".  Probably she was tired of being young. Probably she felt that we were keeping many things from her on the pretext that she was young. In those days, during functions, especially marriages, there was a practice of giving Taamboola to elders and plantain to youngsters after the main event. Taamboola packet generally used to contain a coconut. During the transition years, a girl would get  a coconut packet when she went in a Saree or a plantain if she went in a frock. A boy would get coconut packet if he was wearing a pant and plantain when wearing a half pant. Whether they were elder or younger was decided by the judgement of the person distributing the taamboola. I told her, in answer to her question, that she can consider herself as an elder when she gets a coconut taamboola in a marriage function. I hoped that the question will be postponed for a long time.

After some years, one day when I returned from the Bank, I saw her very excited and waiting for me. She had been to a marriage function and she was given a coconut taamboola! Well, now she was to be considered  an  elder by taamboola yardstick.

Yes, like I was a good leader of my followers and a good follower of my leaders, she was elder to all those younger to her and younger than all those who were elder to her.

*****

As with every other rule there is an exception to this rule as well. In a conference of all Rishis one elderly Rishi was sitting with his young disciple. Another Rishi entered the place. All Rishis younger to him got up and paid their respects. Guru of this shishya continued to sit as he was elder than the incoming Rishi. After sometime sage Markandeya entered the place. Though Markandeya was only 16 year old and still a boy, everyone including this guru got up and paid their respects. The shishya was surprised and asked the guru why it was so. Guru replied: "Age alone is not an indication of seniority. The measure of Rishis is the amount of time spent in meditation and penance about the Lord. Sage Markandeya has spent all his years for the Lord and with the Lord. None of us can match him in this though all of us were born many years before him. Hence all of us stood up and paid our respects. We may be elder to him by age but are actually much junior to him in Saadhana".

*****

Is the same not true of us? Should not our being elder or younger decided based on the utility and usefulness of the years lived by us?