She just loves INDIA!

When Lufthansa started their flights from Bangalore to Frankfurt some eight years ago, it was with three flights a week.  Due to increase in traffic from Bangalore, the airline increased the number of flights to five every week.  I remember vividly that in 2005 we were to fly from Chennai to Frankfurt as there was no flight from Bangalore on the day we were to travel.  The number of flights were increased after our booking but before the actual day of travel on 6th June 2005.  We were, therefore, allowed to fly from Bangalore to Frankfurt directly and avoid the trip via Chennai.  Within a few months, there were daily flights from Bangalore to Frankfurt.  All these flights were with medium sized aircraft and the flights were always full.  In view of the increase in the demand for more seats from Bangalore, the airline now operates a Boeing-747 aircraft, popularly known as "Jumbo Jet".  Despite this the flights are always fully booked and the airline may even consider a second flight from Bangalore!  This is despite the downturn in the world economy and bloodbath on US and Europe stock markets.

The Boeing-747 is no doubt the biggest passenger aircraft in operation now (except a few Airbus A-380 introduced recently) but the space available for the passengers is lesser than in other aircraft.  Remember the "Cattle Class" comment by Shri Shashi Tharoor and the resultant furore.  With the configuration of 3-4-3 seats to accommodate maximum passengers, the person in the middle seat is actually sandwiched between his two co-passengers.  His plight is all the more difficult if the persons on either side are huge enough to not only fill their own seats but also spill over the neighbors seat and the 9-hour long flight could be a real test of endurance.  On the flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore last Sunday I was in such a situation and I was praying for a lean person on my right (aisle) side,  when I took my seat.  My prayers were partly answered as the person who came in search of that seat did not spill over to my seat though occupied her own seat quite fully.  We smiled at each other and kept a dignified silence for the first three hours.  She had a friend traveling with her and sitting on the seat next to her across the aisle.  When lunch was being served, her water cup slipped and a small quantity of water fell on her table.  I handed over paper napkins immediately and the spilled water broke the ice between us.  Thereafter it was a enjoyable exchange of thoughts and experiences for the next six hours.

She was a Danish lady who lives in a place some two hundred miles from Copenhagen and was coming to India to go to Puttaparthy.  She was working in the Denmark customs department and now retired from service.  Her two grown up sons are employed in Denmark.  I asked her whether she was visiting India for the first time or she had been there earlier.  She said she had visited India many times and after a count said that this was her 15th visit to India!  She was fascinated by the cultural diversity of our country and has been visiting various places in India almost every alternate year.  Her first visit was in 1980 to see Taj Mahal and she has visited various places around our country.  She had also traveled to many countries in Europe and America.  But her first preferred destination is India.  "I just love India!", she declared enthusiastically.

I was glad to sit next to someone who has come to our country from Europe for as many as 15 times.  She is not a professional or business traveler but one who comes here to enjoy the cultural diversity of our country and its spiritual lineage.  She did have her share of troubles like a pick pocket once and a missing bag on another trip.  She was not bitter about them and attributed these as hazards of international travel.  One of her visits was a week after "Sunami" hit our east coast and resulted in an enormous damage to property and loss of lives.  Her group was booked in a Hotel in Mahabalipuram and when they went to check-in, they found that the entire ground floor was filled with sand and they were allotted rooms on the first floor .  When her friends were reluctant to check-in, she told them that "Sunami" is not going to visit them again within a week and they should not worry about it!

She described her visit to Mysore at length and even recalled the paintings in the Mysore Palace in detail.  When I asked her about Belur-Halebid temples, she explained about the "Dhwaja Sthamba" (the tall stone pillar, in her words) and various other carvings.  " I  just love the Elephant carvings there", she said.  She also explained in detail her visits to the Hospitals and other institutions run by the Sathya Sai Trust.  "Baba is no more with us, but his memory is there", she said and appeared to have been perfectly in peace with the changes.  She also had fond memories of the "Art of Living" campus.  The discussion moved to the Danish Cows in the Hesaraghatta Indo-Danish Dairy Farm and one of her thrills in India was to see worshiping of Cows.  She was able to recall minute details of her trip to Haridwar and Rishikesh.

As the final descent to Bengaluru International Airport was announced, she enquired about the exchange rate between Danish Kroner, Euro, Dollar and Rupee.  She was happy she had not converted her money into Euro and escaped the loss.  Next moment her sense of humor was back.  "Look at me, I am talking as if I am carrying a fortune with me!", she burst out laughing.

Thank you Dear visitor from Denmark.  May your tribe increase!

Why poverty in words?

Some four decades ago, before the advent of Television era, there used to be a program on All India Radio for teaching Sanskrit.   The program used to start and end with a sloka:

केयूरा न विभूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्वलाः
न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालंकृता मूर्धजाः
वाण्येकासमलं करोति पुरुषं यासंस्कृताधार्यते
क्षीयन्ते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाक् भूषणं भूषणं

Keeyoora na vibushayanti purusham haara na chandrojwalaa
Na snaanam na vilepanam na kusumam naalankrutaa murdhajaa
Vaanyekasamalankaroti purusham yaa samskrutaadharyatee
Ksheeyante khalu bhushanaani satatam vaakbushanam bushanam

Armlets do not decorate a person, neither garlands nor other ornaments, nor taking a bath or smearing with perfumes, nor flowers or attractive hairstyles.  A gift of refined speech alone beautifies a man. All other ornaments lapse or decay with time, only a refined speech stays for ever!

We have to perforce talk and interact with others during our daily life.  It is not possible to lead a civilized life without talking or communicating to others.  All the people with whom we interact do not do so at the same wavelength.  Transaction Analysis stipulates that there are three level of interaction: Parent, Adult and Child.  The best interaction takes place when both persons are dealing with each other at adult to adult level.  There are some people with whom we want to talk and interact.  There are some others whom we try to avoid.  Talking to some people uplifts our spirits.  When we talk with some others, we always end up being upset.  Why this difference?

When confronted with a problem, we think of sharing with somebody with the hope of getting some hints or suggestions to solve the problem.  When it is shared with such a person, the problem may not be solved.  But we get some comfort and direction.  Being firm in speech and action is often mistaken for being harsh and rude.  We all know of someone or the other who is very polite and courteous; yet they are equally firm in their words and dealings.  Their  voice is never raised, yet the firmness is felt and understood.

We know the story of the young astrologer and his Guru.  On completion of his education in the Gurukula, a young student started on the journey of life.  He was very good in his predictions and his fame reached the King.  The King sent for him and showed him his horoscope.  The young man studied the horoscope and told the king;  "I have never seen such a bad horoscope in my life.  Your sons and grandsons will die before you.  Your enemies will take control of your kingdom.  You will get it back only when you are very old".  the King was extremely annoyed and instructed the guards to put him prison.  This matter reached the Guru and he came to see the King.  The king was reluctant to see another astrologer.  But the Minister convinced the King to give him an audience.  Guru studied the same horoscope and exclaimed:  "Oh my dear King, I have never seen such a horoscope all my life.  You are very fortunate.  You will live longer than your sons and grandsons.  Even though your enemies take away your Kingdom, you will be able to fight back and rule your kingdom till your death!".  The king was very happy and wanted to gift something to the Guru.  Guru told him to release his student as he was still to learn some lessons.  Once the student was released from the prison, the Guru took him away and taught him the last lesson:

प्रिय वाक्य प्रदानेन सर्वे तुष्यन्ति जन्तवः 

तस्मात्  तदेव वक्तव्यं वचने का दरिद्रता ? 

priyavakya pradaanena sarve tushyanti jantavaha 

tasmaat tadeva vaktavyam, vachane kaa daridrataa?

All living beings (let alone human beings) are happy with sweet words.  Only such words are to be spoken.  why poverty in words?  What the student and teacher told the King were the content but packaged differently.  Only difference was that they were worded differently.  One version was palatable and the other was not.

Vachane kaa daridrata?

Why poverty in words?

You are LOCKED in!

Locks and keys are a must in today's life.  House keys, Office keys, Car keys or even suitcase keys.  Jammed locks.  Lost keys. Misplaced keys. Wrong keys.  Smart or digital keys.  Someone Else's keys. Or too many keys and keys for which we do not know which is the lock!  We have come a long way from the stories of kingdoms and regimes when there was no need to lock homes.  We not only lock homes and offices now but also double check whether they are locked properly.  We are also on the look out for better and improved version of locks all the time.  Locks themselves may not protect us and our belongings, but the sense of having locked protects our minds.  There are "Burglar Alarms" over and above locking systems.  We were worried about proper locking of homes and offices, in earlier days.   Now we are worried about proper locking as well as proper switching on" or "switching off" of burglar alarms.  Automatic locks create additional problem of being "Locked Out", where the door closes voluntarily or involuntarily locks and shuts us out of our own homes and offices with the keys safely inside the premises!  All of us have such experiences and sometimes they are scary as well.  Like when the gas stove is on or a baby is  inside the house and we are locked out.  Sometimes we are locked in and this may also present its own problems!

Everybody wants "Profits".  No Organization wants to be a loss-making entity.  Loss is a dirty word and nobody wants it.  Yet, loss is a real word that exists in a practical world.  This is true especially of Banking.  Nobody wants a "Black" day but everybody wants Balance sheet that is in black.  More specifically, a Profit and Loss account that is in Black.  Organizations declare proudly that they are back in black, when they earn profits for a period, may be even as short a period as a quarter, after making losses for some time spans.  Even though Profit is the watchword in commercial banking, Profit making was put behind resource (read deposits) mobilization and Priority Sector lending for sometime, in the later years of the last century.  There was a remarkable change in the scenario once the concept of "Non Performing Assets" was introduced and emphasis was laid on "Capital Adequacy Norms" as a result of 1988 Basel Accord.  Profitability became the watchword and everything else moved around it.  Even resource mobilization depended on the capacity and scope for profitable lending.  There was lot of emphasis on turnaround strategies for loss making bank branches.  There were many successful  turnaround stories that were shared among the fellow bankers in meetings and seminars.

One such remarkable story was from a bank branch in Delhi.  Many bank branches concentrated on recovery of bad loans for higher profitability.  But this one branch was turned around on a very different parameter:  Recovery of arrears in locker rent!  A bank branch allows the facility of "Safe Deposit Lockers" to its clients as an allied service.  This is not a core banking service, but a general need of the customers and meeting this requirement also provides some revenues to the bank.  This bank branch in Delhi had a rental arrears of nearly 40 lac rupees, to be recovered from its locker holders.  The branch formed a team of employees to visit the customers door to door, for recovery of such rent in arrears.  When most of the rent in arrears was recovered, the branch automatically came to profit!  It was an excellent case study and recovery of locker rents and renting out all lockers for earning maximum rents is a key agenda for any Branch Manager now.

Bank branches have usually a few hundred lockers.  But big branches often have lockers in thousands and have two or three Managers sitting in the basement locker room to attend exclusively to streams of customers coming in to operate their lockers.  Rows and rows of lockers and checking all nooks and corners before locking the vault for the day is a big exercise.  There was an instance in one Delhi Bank where a mother and a child were locked in a strong room overnight.  On the next morning when the vault was opened they were found unconscious, but luckily responded to treatment and survived the ordeal.  Think of being locked in a dark room for over 16 hours with  no fresh air and no water and toilet facilities.  A 14-month old toddler wandered away from her mother and grandmother last February in Wells Fargo Bank branch in an Atlanta suburb and was trapped for over four hours in a time-locked vault.  When the mother and grandmother were searching for the child, Bank authorities found the child through security cameras and a locksmith was summoned to break open the vault.  Fresh air was pumped in when the breaking process was on and the child was successfully rescued.  The locksmith received a note of thanks from the baby girl, written by the grateful mother.  There are many similar instances of people being locked in due to various reasons.

I was once a victim of being locked-in in the bank.  Fortunately not in the vault, but in the banking hall.  And not due to negligence of someone else and due to my own over zealousness.  This was some thirty years ago and I was naturally more adventurous.  I was working in a very active branch and the branch was developing fast due to the hard work of a dynamic  Branch Manager and a team willing to participate in his efforts.  Being the second in command, I had the responsibilities for internal administration of the branch and follow-up of issues.  When I went to the branch on transfer, some old issues were in cold storage and needed urgent attention.  The branch was on a busy road and had a strong steel sideways shutter which could be locked from inside as well as outside.  I had one set of keys and the Branch manager had the other set.  I was living alone in that place and my quarters was on the lane just behind the branch.  After all the staff members left the branch in the evening, I used to lock the door from inside and work without interruption, usually till 9 PM, and go to my quarters after having dinner in a nearby hotel.  The late working was exclusively devoted to addressing old issues.  One evening I locked myself in and went on working till 9 PM.  When I decided to leave and tried to open the lock from inside, it was jammed and did not open despite repeated efforts.  Telephones at home were rare in those days and more so in such places.  Branch Manager fortunately had a telephone at his residence. I telephoned his house to request him to come and open the lock from outside.  A member of his family answered and informed that he had gone out with his wife.  He was married a few days ago and the newly wed couple were invited  by a friend for a dinner.  I left word for him to call back on his return and continued with my work.  I called again an hour later but he had not yet returned.  Around 11 PM he called me and asked me in a worried tone why I was in the bank that late in the night. I told him the problem and he said he would come immediately.  He came and opened the door from outside in a few minutes.  When I came out of the premises and we locked the branch from outside, I found that his wife also had come with him and waiting anxiously to know what had happened.  Branch Manager introduced me to his wife and  told her that we are often required to work late.  He added that she should not be surprised when he comes home late and he is not the only man working late for the bank!  After this episode, I made a unwritten rule wherever I worked that at least two persons should be there while working late and the office should be closed when the penultimate man leaves.

Another instance that I came across in one of the branches, but not personally involved, takes the cake.  A branch was closed and locked on a Saturday, as six-day banking a week was the norm.  Monday morning the branch was opened and the Manager found that someone, covered with dust all over his body, was coming down the stairs.  Manager thought he was a burglar and took a stick to attack him.  The other person shouted his name and he was found to be a regular staff member.  He was a record-keeper and was working in the second floor records room when the branch was closed.  He realized this late and spent the next forty hours in cleaning the records room and rearranging the stationery!  He was very devoted to his work and some of his actions baffled others, but this was something unbelievable.  When asked why he did not telephone the Manager's residence or some other staff member, he shrugged and said he did not want to waste bank's money on a phone call!  He also said he had sufficient work to do and did not worry about other things!  The branch had a full fledged bathroom, drinking water was available and sofa to sleep and he found his being locked in as an opportunity to rearrange the records.  When asked about food, he said that a for a man who is used for fasting full day on Ekadasi or Shivaratri, a night without food was no issue at all.  Some devotion to duty, this truly was!

Rupee should have been Saved

This is the next generation episode of the story titled  "Two-in-one and One-in-two".  Kodandarama, son of Ramachandra and Sita was growing up under the care of his grandfathers, Dasharatha Rama and Janakirama.  He had invaluable sources at home for imparting lessons in saving and accumulation.  With grandfathers of the caliber of Dasharatha Rama and Janakirama and parents like Ramachandra and Sita, he had every gene for savings and avoiding expenditure itself, let alone wasteful expenditure.  People living in nearby areas were amazed at the level of savings consciousness exhibited by Kodandarama even as a child.   While playing in mud or sand like many kids, he would use minimum quantity of mud or sand and yet derive maximum pleasure.  After he started going to school he would never ask his parents to buy marbles or pencils for him.  He would lure his classmates to play some game or the other with marbles or pencils as wager and win the games to ensure that he always had enough supply of marbles and pencils.

By the time he passed his second year at school at the age of seven and moved to third standard, his classmates were scared of playing with him because of this capacity to win wagers and games.  Even then Kodandarama's remarkable persuasive capacity always triumphed and he would manage to draw his classmates repeatedly into wagers and games.  His exploits reached the Head Master of the school and he decided to teach young Kodandarama a lesson of his life so that his habit of luring classmates to betting would end for ever.  The Head Master took him to his room and had a lengthy session counseling against such a habit.   Young Kodadarama patiently listened to him.  He told the Head Master that he would take the last bet of his life then and there and in case he suffers losses from it, he would quit and would never entertain such a habit thereafter for life.   The Head Master was very happy at his success, looked forward to Kodandarama's failure now and agreed to his condition gladly.  Kodandarama told the Head Master that he would bet five rupees that there was a wound mark on the Head Master's back.  Head Master was surprised at this offer as he knew very well that there was no such mark on his back.  He jumped at the prospect of earning five rupees for no effort and took off his shirt to show his back.  Kodandarama made a cursory inspection, conceded that there was no wound mark and declared that he lost the bet.  He took out a five rupee note from his pocket, kept it on the table and smilingly walked away.  Pleased with his earning but wondering why Kodandarama went smiling, a beaming Head Master was putting on his shirt when another teacher walked in and started laughing.  Head Master was annoyed and asked the teacher why he was laughing.  The teacher told the HM that Kodandarama had bet a rupee each from ten students and five rupees each form two teachers including himself that he would make the HM remove his shirt on that day.  Now that HM had removed his shirt, Kodandarama lost five rupees to HM, but won twenty rupees outside!  The teacher added insult to injury by saying that this would be a good example for the "Profit and Loss" chapter in the arithmetic class for the students.

One day kodandarama's mother gave him a rupee and asked him to bring Ghee (clarified butter) from the shop.  Kodandarama went to the shop and dutifully bought the Ghee.  The shopkeeper put the ghee in a banana leaf bowl (ದೊನ್ನೆ) and handed it to Kodandarama.  He cautioned Kodandarama to be careful as the ghee may spill because the bowl was open at the top.  Kodandarama nodded his understanding the instructions and started his walk back home.  When he was half way home he fell down and all the ghee was spilled.  Kodandarama got up crying and one of his teachers on the street saw this crying boy.  He consoled and comforted Kodandarama.  He told the boy to come home slowly and he would alert his mother and tell her not to scold or beat him for the loss of ghee.  Kodandarama agreed and the teacher walked fast, went and told Kodandarama's mother about the incident.  Instead of fuming at the loss, Sita told the teacher not to worry as her son would not fall for a loss.  Unable to understand the meaning of her comment and cursing himself for indulging in this affair, the teacher went on his way.

Sometime later Kodandarama walked in to the house.  His mother asked him why he fell down.  Kodandarama told her that he saw a ten rupee note lying on the street and wanted to grab it before anyone else saw it.  He also wanted to ensure that his picking up the note should not attract attention of other people on the street.  As a matter of strategy he fell on the note, picked it up and pocketed it, and started crying thereafter to earn sympathy of those nearby.  He handed over the note to his mother.

The mother took the note for safe-keeping and cleaned the traces of mud on the boy's shirt.  She gave him another rupee coin and sent him again to get ghee from the shop.  She reminded him of how fielders take a catch in a cricket match and how they hold the ball pointing upwards even when they dive and slide.  "If only you had dived with the banana leaf bowl pointing skywards, the ghee would have been saved as well.  Another Rupee should have been saved.  Next time you fall, remember thisKodandarama learnt yet another valuable lesson in savings.

Kodandarama is still at school perfecting the art of savings.  If he finds any new method or learns a new lesson in savings, I will definitely let you know. 

Kashmiris and Literature

KASHMIR and Kashmiris have a history of probably over 5000 years. In an age when there were no facilities for documenting events and storing books and writings, defining time is an eternal problem. But there is no denying the fact that Indian literature has a history of over 2000 years and the Epics "Ramaayana" and "Mahabharata" are at least over 2000 years old and well before the period of Jesus Christ. The earliest known western epics of Mesopotamian era, "Epics of Gilgamesh" is believed to be at least 4200 years old, some two millennium before Christ. Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey are believed to be written around 8th Century BC. Western scholars are not willing to accept that Ramayana and Mahabharata are earlier than 5th Century BC. The problem of arriving at a definite period in which such epics were written or evolved is in two dimensions - one due to non-availability of printing or storage facility for such valuable literary works and a reluctance on the part of the writers to record any information about themselves in their works. Nevertheless, proof of Pudding is in eating and the value of these invaluable literary works lies in in their context and content and not in their place and time.

History of Kashmiri literature also suffers from the same problems and it is difficult to pin point the exact evolvement of the tradition. The exposure of our lands to foreign invaders have confounded the problem as many valuable physical assets as well as works of literature were destroyed during such invasions. Sultan Sikandar Butshikan, seventh Muslim ruler and second sultan of Gabari Tajik dynasty especially ordered destruction of all Hindu places of worship and Hindu properties.  All gold and silver images were directed to be melted and the metal converted to coins. Hindus were allowed the option of getting converted to Islam or flee from Kashmir. Many valuable literary works were lost in the process. History is a witness to burning of libraries by invaders who cared little for the treasures of wisdom. We have to trace the history of Kashmiri literature within these limitations.

Kashmiri writers can be classified into four broad categories; Kashmiri Shaivism writers, writers who have recorded Kashmir's history, other prominent writers of old era and modern Kashmiri writers. Vasu Gupta, Abhinava Gupta, Kshemaraja, Utpaladeva, Lalleswari belong to the Kashmiri Saivism writers category. Kalhana, Jonaraja, Shivara and Pragna Bhatta are poets who have recorded the history of Kashmir in their works. Anandavardhana and Bilhana belong to the third category. Among the modren writers are Swami Lakshman Joo Raina and Shyam Lal Sadhu. Prof. Rahaman Rahi is a modern kashmiri poet and first recipient of Bharatiya Janapeeth award for the year 2004.

The above is a broad classification only and a writer may fall in more than one category due to multiple works. 

Anandavardhana is the earliest known Sanskrit poet and philosopher from Kashmir and is said to have lived in 9th century (820AD-890AD). He is the author of the celebrated work "Dhvanyaloka", a work articulating the philosophy of "Aesthetic suggestion". This is a "Aacharya Kruti" (reference/source book) for students of Literature and Alankara. The response of different persons to the same literary work differs. Why is it so? Anandavardhana has answered this varied response of different persons to the same literary work by creating the "Dhwani Theory", which stipulates that "when a poet writes, he creates a resonant field of emotions. To understand poetry, the reader or hearer must be on the same wavelength." It is well known that similar type of seeds sown in different categories of land give different yields.  Why?  The answer lies in the fact that the capacity of different types of land to respond to the same type of seed varies. Even the same piece of land gives different yields when the soil is prepared differently and with variation in the quality and quantity of manure and water provided.  Similarly, the capacity of the reader to receive and respond to a literary work defines the "Aaananda" or "Rasaanubhava" he derives from reading or viewing a literary work. The same reader can reach a higher level of appreciating the work with his own preparation reaching a higher level.  A student studying Kaalidaasa or Shakespeare while in school and reading the same works in old age will derive different "Rasaanubhava", kruti being the same. In this context, Ananda Vardhana has really been a Vardhaka (one who increases) of Aananda or Rasanubhava.

Vasu Gupta said to have lived in the 9th century (860-925 AD) is credited as the founder of "Kashmiri Shaivism".  His followers believe that being a ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, he was directed by the Lord who appeared in his dream to go to a place called "Havan" and there he found a rock on which the "Shiva Sutras" were inscribed. There is a ring of Moses and Ten Commandments to this story. This rock is known as "Shankara Pal" or the Rock of Shiva. Even now his followers offer prayers at this place called "Havan". (If the followers are still allowed to live or go to this place). Vasu Gupta is also said to have written "Spanda Kaarikas" as a commentary on the Shiva Sutras. Some are of the opinion that the "Spanda Kaarikas" are written by a student of Vasu Gupta by name Bhatta Kallata.

Abhinava Gupta is one of India's greatest philosophers and a mystic poet. He was a multi-faceted personality, a poet, dramatist, musician and philosopher and lived during 10th century (950-1020 AD). His Abhinavabharati is a commentary on "Natyashasta" of Bharatamuni, based on which various dance forms and Rangakritis (Dramas etc.) in India are derived.  He is the author of the concepts of Trika (Trinity) and Kaula. Trika concept stipulates that Siva (Supreme Power), Shakti (Creative Energy) and Anu (Spiritual Atom) form the basis of creation. Kaula or Kula describes a Family or Group, something similar to a Gotra. The surname of KAUL sported by many kashmiri Brahmin families appears to have been derived from this Kaula concept. 

Kshemaraja, who lived in 10th century and a disciple of Abhinavagupta has written "Pratyabhignana Hridayam", an expansion of the sutras of Kashmiri Shaivism. Utpaladeva, who also lived in 10th century, is said to be the author of "Shivastotravali"  and "Ishwara Prayabhignana Kaarika", further expanding the vistas of Kashmiri Shaivisam. Bhaskara Bhatta, again a person who lived in 10th century, has written a commentary by name "Shivadristi Vartikka", a commentary on Shivasutras of Vasugupta. Somaananda, believed to be the teacher of Utpaladeva and a contemporary of Bhatta Kallata, has written a devotional poem by name "Shivadristi". 

Kalhana has made invaluable contribution to Literature and History. He was the son of Canpaka (or it should be Champaka ?) who was a minister and served King Harsha of the Lohara dynasty.  Kalhana himself does not appear to have served any King and lived in 12th century. His "Raajatarangini" is a invaluable book detailing the history of Kashmir and Kalhana is among the greatest historical poets of our country. The book is in eight parts and is the first available recorded chronological history of Kashmir. 

Bilhana is a poet who is a source of various stories and multiple interpretations.  He is said to have hailed from Madhya Pradesh and migrated to Kashmir. He was assigned to educate and tutor a princess by name Yamini Purnatilaka, daughter of King Madanabhirama. A young poet, he ended up reading love lyrics to her, was caught and jailed. Not knowing what will happen to him and expecting a death sentence, he wrote a 50 lines love song by name "Chorapanchashika".  One story is with a happy ending and says that moved by his love and his talent for poetry, the King gave his daughter to him in marriage!  He later migrated to Gujarat and finally ended up in Karnataka.  His "Vikramaankadevacharita" is a 18 canto epic written in praise of the life and achievements of his patron, Chalukya King Vikramaaditya VI.

Jonaraaja of 15th century continued the tradition of Kalhana and is another noted historian from Kashmir. He wrote "Dwitiya Rajatarangini", the second Rajatarangini.  He vividly describes the decline of the Hindu Ruling Dynasty and the uprising of the Muslim rulers in the valley.  Shivara, another poet of the same period is also said to have added to the writings on the history of Kashmir. Pragna Bhatta of 16th century continued the traditions of Kshemendra, Jonaraja and Shivara. His "Raajavali Pataaka" continues the history of Kashmir till Moghal Emperor Akbar, to the end of 16th century. 

Lalleswari (1320-1392 AD) is a noted poetess of Kashmir. She was a Kashmiri Shivite and was aslo considered a Sufi saint. She is one of the earliest composers in Kashmiri and her verses are also known as Lalla, Lal Ded or Lal Arifa. She set a trend for writings in the form of Vatsun or Vakhs. There are many stories about her encounters with Sufi saints. She is believed to have lived near Srinagar and after an unhappy early marriage moved out and became a disciple of shivite Guru Siddha Srikanta. Her story bears a remarkable resemblance to Akka Mahadevi of Karnataka who lived in 12th century. Lalleswari's Vakhs are also very similar to Akka Mahadevi's Vachanas. Vakhs also means "Speech" or Vachana. One of her vachanas and its English translation is as under:

Yi Yi karum suy artsun,

Yi rasini vichorum thi mantar,

Yihay lagamo dhahas partsun,

Suy Parasivun tanthar.

Its English translation:

Whatever work I did became worship of the Lord,

Whatever word I uttered became a prayer,

Whatever this body of mine experienced became the saadhana of Shiva Tantra,

Illuminating my path to Paramashiva!

Compare this with the essence of Advaita of Aadi Shankaracharya:

अत्मात्वं गिरिजापतिः  परिजनाः प्राणाः शरीरं गृहं

पूजा ते विषयोपभोग रचना निद्रा समाधि स्थितिः 

संचारः पदयोः प्रादक्षिण नमस्कृतिः  स्तोत्राणि सर्वागिरः 

यद्यत  कर्म करोमि तत्तधखिलं शम्भो तवाराधनम्

Aatma twam Girijapatihi parijanaah praanah shareeram gruham

pooja te vishyopabhoga rachana nidraa samadhi stitihi

Sancaarah padayooho pradakshina namaskrutihi stotraani sarvagirah

Yadyat karma karomi tattadhakhilam shambhio tavaaradhanam

He Aatman! you are the Lord Shiva himself, My (panch or five) pranas are voluntary servants, this body is the temple,

whatever comforts given to the body is your pooja, my sleeping is penance or samaadhi,

walking around is pradakshina namaskara, whatever is spoken is your prayer,

whatever I do, Oh my Lord, is your worship.

Among the modern writers of Kashmir Swami Lakshman Joo Raina (1907-1991) and Shyama Lal Sadhu are known for their contribution to Kashmiri and English literature.  Swami Lakshman Joo Raina is known as Lal Sahib, meaning Friend of God, is a revered personality and has translated a number of  Sanskrit and Kashmiri books to Hindi and English. Shyam Lal Sadhu. Professor of English, wrote in Kashmiri and English. His collection of stories "Folk Tales from Kashmir" are famous and well received by readers in India and abroad. His book in Kashmiri Vutsa Prang has received an award from UNESCO. Prof Rahama Rahi is a well known modern Kashmiri Poet and  the first Kashmiri poet to receive Bharatiya Jnanapeeth award for his writings in Kashmiri language, for the year 2004.

The above is a summary of the major contributors to Literature from Kashmir. There are many other writers and it is not possible to recall all their contribution in this small space. Posterity will remember the contribution of all these scholars and writers with due gratitude and affection they richly deserve.

Change the rules, silly!

Indian Cricket Team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a Socrates like philosopher yesterday.  The same media which hailed him as an ice-cool leader till recently has now started finding an extreme "Inertia" in his leadership.  His strategy or lack of it in the present series between India and Australia has been attacked left, right and center.  And yet the unperturbed Dhoni gave a wonderful solution to arrest the free fall of the Indian team. "Getting a parachute will help (laughs). By parachute, I mean good performance in all the three departments - batting, bowling and fielding. It's something we need to address as quickly as possible. In recent times while playing abroad, we have found it a bit difficult to bowl the opposition out and also failed to consistently put runs on the board", he said.  I remember my mother's proverb; a housewife once said: "If only I had Til I would have made chigali, but I do not have Gud".  Chigali is a sweet made using only two ingredients, Til and Gud.  She did not have either, just like runs on the board and opposition's wickets, the only two things required to win a cricket match, which Dhoni does not have too.

Dhoni cannot be criticised for not giving answer to the point.  In fact, he should be credited for being very practical.  He has suggested a Parachute, not a light air (Hydrogen or Helium) balloon which can lift the team.  He is himself probably convinced that such a balloon may not be useful in the present circumstances!  Fall cannot be averted; what best can be done is to make the fall slow and secure.  As the famous advertisement said:  "Zor ka dhakka, Dheere se lage!", he believes fall may not be averted.  He has said something about batting, bowling and fielding only; he has not said anything about the fourth dimension - on field behavior.  What about Kohli and company?  It is well known that Australian players, fans there and their media believe in getting under their opponents skin.  They prick you and instigate you; their players themselves stay just within the limits of penal action.  For Australians it is a fourth generation perfected art, after all.   Remember Douglas Jardine, former England capain and himself the inventor of "Bodyline" bowling attack to control Don Bradman, once played and missed a ball.  An Australian fielder in the slips sledged him by saying "Oh, you lucky bastard!".  At the end of the day Jardine went to the Australian dressing room to complain about the sledging.  Vic Richardson, vice-captain then, heard him and went inside the dressing room with him and asked his team members nonchalantly, "Which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?".  Vic Richardson was the grandfather (mother's father) of the Chappell brothers and that art has been perfected over the generations now.  Also remember that Greg Chappell, the captain asked his younger brother and player Trevor Chappell to bowl underarm delivery to deny runs to a batsman and win a match.  Greg was a coach and got away but Kohli, the player,  crudely imitated Greg Chappell and got fined.   Should not our boys and veterans be taught the same art and if necessary by hiring past masters of the same Australian sledging team by paying some million dollars?   Or by making the Australian IPL players give compulsory lessons to Indian players in controlled sledging as part of their contract to play in IPL?

This is the same media which was baying for the heads of Ponting and Hussy ten days ago.  They failed for long and would have faded into history but for our injured bowling attack.  No, no, I am not referring to injured bowlers, but the injured attack itself.  Ravichandran Ashwin with single digit test matches behind him became the spokesman of the team on strategies and strengths even before his first lesson, that the best of the bowlers have to sometimes concede over hundred runs without a single wicket in a long test matches, was learnt.  Media had lessons for Ponting to learn from Dravid and Tendulkar and Hussey to draw inspiration from them ten days ago.  Two defeats and now Tendulkar and Dravid have to learn from the same Ponting and Hussey?

These are the perils of taking a game too far.  And of converting a game to a trade and business.  Four or five decades ago we watched the cat and mouse game called test cricket and 200 runs a day was never complained of.  Today ten dot balls cannot be tolerated.  We traveled  300 miles by overnight train in an unreserved compartment just to see how G R Viswanath moved into the line of the ball and let it go past him to the wicketkeeper in the last fraction of the second, let alone see his square drive hitting the boundary ropes even before the bowler and fielders realised what was happening.  He had no helmet or arm guard and yet was never hit by Lillee, Thomson, Roberts or Holder.   I mean Vanburn Holder, who was one of the finest old ball fast bowlers and not Michael Holding who came a year or two later. An attacking stroke was as much appreciated as a defensive stroke when Bill Lawry squeezed the ball to submission and jammed it between the ground and the bat, never letting it travel for more than a yard or two.  Or Ian Chappel and Doug Walters dancing on the pitch to Prasanna and Bedi's flighted deliveries.  It was a game played by  amateur gentlemen (barring some who were not gentle) and watched by amateur spectators and reported by amateur media, and of course, no television.

Two decades ago all members of our family were meeting in a common place to celebrate festivals and functions.  Lunch had to be served in at least two batches.  Many members of the family would say they would like to sit in the second batch.   Many spots in the first batch would lie vacant and filling them was a real task and members had to be coaxed to complete the line.  I would jocularly suggest starting service with the second batch straightaway.  Someone recently wrote that Indians should start overseas series with the second test match to avoid losing the first test match, reminding me of starting serving food with second batch.  All of us can come forward with some suggestions to improve the performance of our team in Australia, before it goes further down under.  Here are some of them.

• Opposition team batting should be restricted to 50 overs whereas our team bats just like in a test match.
• As we have "Creaking terminators", as Rahul Dravid said in his famous Bradman Oration, in our ranks and running between the wickets is not as free as in the case of youngsters, they should be credited with one run if the ball passes close in fielder and two runs if it goes beyond 30 yard circle.  For the opposition there should be no change in the rules.
• For all Indian players above thirty five years old (hereinafter called senior most players), fifty runs should be considered as a century, twenty five as fifty and scores below twenty five should be doubled.
• If the senior most players get their fingers or palm to the ball while fielding, it should be treated as a clean catch even if they drop the ball.
• Seniormost players will be declared out only when they are out third time in an innings.
• DRS will be accepted only when the decision is in favour of Indian team.  

This is only the beginning.  I know many more suggestions, some even better than these, will come up shortly.  Let the BCCI use all its powers, money and muscle, to implement them. Because it does not believe in the laws of nature that old will make way for new and that it is better to lose with younger players than continue with players whose reflexes have long back deserted them.

Even with these words, it is still a game and I would not be surprised if the veterans click together for one last time and win one or two matches.  But the danger is that the selection committee will continue to hope for the same miracle, forever thereafter.

Two- in-One and One-in-Two

Stories are stories.  But there are different types of stories.  In other words, they can be classified into different types.  Some are educative stories.  Some are seductive stories.  Some are moral stories.  Some are real life stories.  Some others are funny stories.  Some are suspense filled stories.  Lessons from some stories are better carried over to actual life.  Some other stories  are better forgotten once they are heard or read.  Some stories are meant to make fun of others or someone you do not like.  The same story may be classified into different categorizes by different people.  How classification is made may also depend on the person classifying them.  Well, someone may say why classify them at all.  They are also correct, in their own way.

A writer I knew of translated a novel from Russian language to Kannada.  He also wrote a stage play on the same theme.  The Russian novel was set in the background of 18th century Russia.  The names of the characters and the places mentioned there were naturally from Russia.  The translator gave local names to enable the viewers to follow the play easily.  He also set the background of his version in the contemporary local society of his area.  When the book was going for print I asked him the reason for changing the names and places.  He mentioned that there have to be some names for persons and places and he gave those names as it came to his mind at the time of writing.  He had no objection if someone else wanted to substitute them with the names of his area or time because it would not change the essence of the play.  After explaining  the reasons for change to me he also included it in his "Prologue" to the play.  So also with the present story.  It is a story made up by somebody several years ago to make fun of misers.  I have enjoyed it as a child when it was told to me by my father.   Children have enjoyed it when I told the story to them over the years.  Chances are that you may also like it.  If you want to change the names I have no complaints.

Dasharatha Rama lived with his wife and son in a village near Mandya.  His son Ramachandra grew up in due course and his mother kept on reminding Dasharatha Rama to find a suitable bride for him.  Like all wives do when something is to be done by the husband.  Partly because it is their habit and partly because unless they keep on reminding, husbands would not do it.  Finally he decided to go to Mysore and find a suitable girl.  Date of the journey was also fixed.  His wife was very excited to see her husband finally ready to act.  Or because she succeeded in pushing him into action.  She got up before sunrise and prepared two rotis (a type of flat bread) for his journey.  She also packed some pickles to go with the rotis.  The rotis were put in a bag and she gave him the bag and a brass vessel with a handle to carry water.  Instead of being happy for his wife's caring nature, Dasharatha Rama expressed his displeasure for her making two rotis and the resultant excess use of flour, when one roti would have been enough.  After all, he would stay with someone in Mysore and they would definitely feed him.  He did not want to leave the second roti at home for the fear of his wife giving it away to someone else.  Grudgingly he carried both the rotis and started on his mission.  He did not believe in spending money on bus fare.  He calculated the distance and decided to cover the distance of 30 miles by walk in about eight hours.  He started well before sunrise and reached the banks of river Kaveri, distance of nearly twenty miles,  by afternoon.

He stopped by the river for freshening up and have his lunch.  When he got into the river, he saw a person very similar to him just a few feet away.  He resisted the temptation of talking to him immediately to avoid the unpleasant situation of having to share the lunch.  He calmly walked back to his side of the river and took out the lunch bag.  He ate half roti and drank a vessel full water.   He was pleased with himself on the saving he had made.  He rested below a tree and watched the person on the other side of the river.  The other person took out one roti form his bag.   The roti was prepared in a frying pan and was shaped like a large cup.  He filled the roti with water, ran his fingers in the water and drank that water.  He took out a piece of cloth which he had carried, dried the roti with it and packed it back.  He had eaten (or drank) roti-water and saved the full roti.  He drank some more water from the river being follow-up water as it was free.  Dasharatha Ram was astounded at the saving this man had made.  He saved a full roti as against his savings of just half roti!  He crossed over the river immediately and met the other man.

He was Janaki Rama from a village near Mysore.  He was going in search of a groom for his grown up daughter Sita.  Both were happy as they met each other.  They walked to the village near Mysore so that Dasharatha Rama could see the girl and finalise the alliance.  They reached Janaki Rama's house late in the evening.  When Sita'sroti in the afternoon.  Next morning Janaki Rama took Dasharatha Rama to nearby Chamundi Hills.  Before leaving to climb the 1000 step hill, Sita's mother again asked for lunch plans.  Janaki Rama curtly told her, "Make Two-in-one and One-in-two".  Dasharatha Rama did not understand anything but felt that his host has ordered a feast in his honour.

Though Dasharatha Rama did not understand the code, Janaki Rama's wife understood it perfectly  as she had lived with her husband long enough to understand him.  When the two returned from the hill fully tired, 1000 steps up and 100 steps down plus walk to and fro, she delayed serving lunch till five in the evening.  She had bought a leafy vegetable (Dantina soppu) and prepared a a dry curry (Palya) from its leaf and wet curry (Huli) from its stem pieces.  This was the One-in two.  Since the food was served at five in the evening, it was lunch as well as supper.  It was Two-in-one.  Thus she had saved one vegetable on one side and a full meal on the other side.  She had also saved money to be spent on payment to the Doctor for treatment of unlikely indigestion.  Savings galore!

The alliance was duly fixed and the marriage was performed in due course.  No need to say that the marriage was also in the backdrop of multiple savings.  Both parties vied with each other in displaying their saving skills.  There were many lessons for the spendthrifts and unwise.  In the end two persons were extremely happy.  Dasharata Rama was happy because Sita would bring with her to his household, the exceptional saving skills of her father.  Sita's mother was happy because a daughter who was brought up on roti-water culture would be able to eat at least half-roti lunch for the rest of her life.

Ramachandra and Sita had a son in due course and named him Kodanda Rama.  Kodanda Rama grew up to be even wiser than his parents and grandparents.  But his story is reserved for another day.