Seven Types of Food

What is "Food"? What items constitutes food? What are the different categories of food? What happens if the supply of food stops? Whether food came first or consumers came first? Who creates and controls food? Is there any custodian for food? Are there any ancient texts that dwell on these issues relating to food? These are indeed captivating questions. 

One can discuss on these interesting questions and find answers only if one's stomach is filled with food! Any activity can be carried on by living beings only when the basic need of food is met. Activities are initiated and continued either for procuring food or for preserving it for future. All other comforts follow but primacy is for food and food alone. Hunger is the prime motivating factor for all activities pursued by animals and humans alike. 

The answer to the first question "What is Food?" is answered by the dictionary as "any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth etc." The basic function of food is to sustain life. If the supply of food stops, activity of living beings comes down and finally life itself ceases. What items constitutes food can be answered in many ways. What is food for one may not be food for someone else. There are certain items which are near universal food. Milk is one such item. It is consumed by vast majority of living beings. Cereals and grains, pulses, vegetables and fruits also constitute food for human beings. Food may also be classified as vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Someone may differentiate between geographical areas. North Indian and South Indian Food for example. It may be Indian or Continental. There can be umpteen types of classification itself.

Whether food came first or consumers first is another interesting question. As soon as any living being takes birth or comes into existence, the first requirement is food. Other activities like growth and transformation start only after consumption of food. It is not just first consumption, but continuous consumption thereafter. Consumption stops only when life ceases to exist. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that first food came into existence and then life. Who creates and controls food and who are the custodians? These are also interesting questions but there can be many opinions and answers to them

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Discussion about "Food" can be seen in many ancient Indian texts. In fact one of the many names for the Supreme Lord is "Anna" (अन्न), which means food. In Vishnu Sahasranaama, Verse 105 mentions the names of the Lord as "Annam Annada Eva Cha" (अन्नं अन्नाद एव च). Name number 983 is Annam which means "That which is eaten by living beings, or who eats all living beings". Name number 984 is Annada which means "One who is the eater of the whole world as food". Thus he is Anna as well as Annada. Bhagavadgita also makes reference to food and "Food Cycle" as well.

The word Anna is most commonly used in our parts of the world for "cooked rice". This is a very restricted meaning. The actual meaning of Anna is indeed vast and encompasses everything that is consumed as food. In Upanishads, Anna has much wider connotation and covers all inputs required to sustain life. It is said that the real swaroopa (form) of Anna can be understood by contemplation, and not mere words.

The supply of food never gets exhausted despite being eaten for centuries and ages. How is this possible? It is because desire in the human mind is never exhausted. This basic desire creates the need to grow, find and manage food. This ensures an eternal supply of food. This also justifies the belief that mind is the most important sensory organ. The remaining five, roopa (sight), shabda (hearing), rasa (taste), gandha (smell) and sparsha (touch), are the mere outlets for this main sensory organ. 

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The most exhaustive discussion on Food can be seen in Bruhadaranyaka Upanishad. Bruhat means big or huge. Aranya means forests. A broad translation of the name can be "Secret learnings from the huge forests". Many aspects like creation of the universe, metaphysical, spiritual and psychological matters are dealt in detail in this Upanishad. Chapter I, Section 5, Madhu Kaanda, "Saptaanna Prakarana" of this Upanishad deals exhaustively about Food. Saptanna means seven types of foods. The discussions are rich in content and quality.

The Supreme Lord created Food first and then the living beings. He created seven types of foods. He himself classified them into two groups. The first four are known as "Gross Foods". The next three are "Subtle Foods". Gross foods sustain physical life. Subtle foods are significant for sustaining metaphysical life both at individual and cosmic levels. In addition to creating the seven types of food, the lord also created user groups and custodians as well! Thus each type of food is in the custody of one designated group, but its actual users are in another group. The classification is as under:

Type of food	Users	Custodians
Swaha (स्वाहा)	*Gods	Man
Swadha (स्वधा)	Pitrus (Ancestors)	Children (successors)
Crops	Man	Gods
Milk	Babies	Parents
Body (Kaaya) (काय)	The Lord	Man
Speech (Vaacha) (वाचा)	The Lord	Man
Mind (मनस, Thinking capacity)	The Lord	Man

*The word Gods in the above table denotes "subordinate functionaries of the Supreme Lord", who hold different portfolios for managing the Universe and are different from the Supreme Lord.

Among the gross or solid foods, crops are controlled by the devatas and the foods of the gods (swaha) is in the custody of the man. This is given through Yagnas on one side and rains supporting crops growing on the other. Thus they are inter-dependent. Mutual co-operation will ensure that everything is in order. Liquid food represented by milk meant for infants and growing ones is in the custody of parents. Food (swadha) for the earlier generation (pitrus) is in the custody of the successors or the next generation, their children. This is given through Kavya, by conducting annual ceremonies and periodical offerings to the ancestors. Thus the earlier generation, present generation and future generation are also linked. 

The most interesting part of the Saptaanna Prakarana is in the second group, the Subtle Foods. The three components of the subtle foods are meant for the Supreme Lord himself. Though the Lord created these three for himself, yet he gave the custody of these three items to the man created by him! Then what is expected by the Lord from the man he created? 

The body given by the Lord is to be used for the service of others in his creation. This is the best way to serve the first of the three foods to the Lord. Spoken words should be truthful and bring true happiness to those around us. This is the way to serve the second food to the Lord. Thinking of Universal welfare and devotion to the lord is the third way of offering the subtle food to the Lord. This is how a man can discharge a part of the debt to the creator, though it is believed that the entire debt can never be repaid. The Lord does not need anything and yet he has given these resources to us. That is to test how it is used by us and not for him to derive any benefit out of them. The often used term "Trikarana Shuddhi" (त्रिकरण शुद्धि) is derived from this line of thinking.

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Saptanna Prakarana in Bruhararanyakopanishad is indeed a beautiful plan and quite logical as well. Does it not look like a wonderful modren management plan with resources, custodians and users with checks and balances to ensure harmony and mutual co-existence?

Economics, Politics and Foreign Exchange

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suddenly announced in the late evening of 16th March, 2019 that it will hold a 5 billion dollar 3 years buy/sell swap auction on 26th March, 2019. Students of banking who are just initiated into learning foreign exchange are asking questions as to what is this, why is this happening and what would be its effect on the markets. After all, such actions by the RBI are not that common. The last time this route was used by RBI was six years ago, in 2013. 

Life for human beings was very simple several decades ago. Happenings in far away lands never disturbed our lives. Economics was the exclusive domain of economists. Politics was confined to a handful of rulers or members of the ruling class. Wants were limited. Villages were like self-sufficient units. Life was carried on with whatever is available. Food and shelter were the basic needs.  Even a small hut was taking care of the shelter need. It is not so any longer. Everyday events disturb the equilibrium of our life. Things are fine when we go to bed in the night. Some overnight event in a far away land shakes the equilibrium and a new balance has to be found on the next day. Many things are not in our control. Some of the things are not in the control of even the policy makers. Life has become like an air-filled balloon. If it is pressed at one place, it bulges elsewhere. Economics and Politics affect our daily lives. We cannot escape these influences even if we so desire. 

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Election Commission of India has announced general elections to the 17th Lok Sabha to be held next month. The process takes one and a half months to be completed. Elections are called as the festival of democracy which is indeed true. But elections means campaigning, voting and counting. For the common man, the festival ends with counting. Thereafter it is a long festival for those who are elected for the next five years. It is one day festival for the voter and 4 years 364 days for those who win. Elections also means breaking old friendships and forging new alliances for the politicians. Elections are preceded by high decibel campaigning. Thanks to the efforts of successive Election Commissioners, the sound of the campaigning has somewhat come down. But the heat of campaigning continues to be the same. It can even be said that the heat is going up due to the ever pervasive electronic media. 

Election campaigning means spending a lot of money. The Government and Election Commission spend considerable amounts to handle the process. Candidates and political parties also spend heavily. There is an official limit for the expenditure by a candidate during an election. The limit for an assembly candidate in the last Telangana election was 28 lakh rupees. The Election Commission has fixed a limit of 70 lakh rupees per candidate during the next Lok Sabha elections. However, there is no limit for the expenditure incurred by the political parties. Efforts of the Election Commission to cap this expenditure is resisted by political parties. In a way, these expenditure incurred by the candidates and political parties is welcome to many people. Elections provides temporary employment to workers who indulge in door-to-door campaigning and acting as polling booth agents etc. Lot of money hoarded in black and dark boxes finds its way into the market. Printing presses and transport operators work overtime. Many other allied economic activity also picks up during elections.

The amount of money spent during an election makes astounding numbers indeed. The election to US President and Congress in 2016 cost 6.5 billion US dollars. This is equivalent to 45,500 crore rupees at an exchange rate of 70 rupees per dollar. General elections to Lok Sabha in 2014 was estimated to have cost 35,000 crore rupees. The estimates of expenditure for the next months election is around 50,000 cores (about 7 billion US dollars). PTI reports that Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and Director of The South Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace feels that it may even cross 10 billion US dollars, which would be 70,000 crore rupees. This is more than twice the amount spent by our central government per year on education including technical education. 

Thus there is a need of enhancing the current level of liquidity in the market to meet this staggering requirement of funds. The funds spent thus now will no doubt come back into the pool, but that will be a time lag. That is another problem to be faced later.

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There was a cry about shortage of liquidity in the market during the last few months. It was felt that NBFCs were facing liquidity crisis. Various actions resulted in some of the banks placed on Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) by RBI coming out of the cage and becoming free to lend further. IBC led recovery process has kindled the hopes of banking units returning to better health. The sudden burst of hostility in the borders created tensions in the markets, but the temporary truce has brought cheer to various segments of the markets. Forecasts of formation of a stable government after next elections has been received enthusiastically by the markets, though doubts on this front have not completely vanished. Demand for credit is picking up and there is a demand for higher liquidity for these reasons as well. Year end advance tax payments and other requirements also cry for liquidity support.

To address these concerns, RBI has pumped more than 50,000 crore rupees into the market through Open Market Operations (OMO) during the last two months. OMO is resorted to RBI to pump funds or withdraw funds to and from the market by either buying securities and releasing funds or sucking surplus funds by selling securities.

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There was a hue and cry six months ago about petrol and diesel prices. The all-time high prices called for drastic actions. Hardening international oil prices coupled with weakening of the rupee led this price surge. There were also some peculiar instances of token reduction in taxes on petrol and diesel by some governments. Dollar-rupee rate ran up to 74 rupees per dollar in October, 2018. There were reports about newly wed couple being presented with petrol cans as gifts. Economic astrologers belonging to opposition parties predicted that the day when a dollar would cost 100 rupees was not far off. Changes in the international scene on oil front coupled with increasing foreign investor confidence in Indian markets reversed the trend. On 8th February, 2019 one US dollar cost 71.55 rupees. Two days ago (15th March) it came down to 68.96. Heavy inflows of foreign funds into stock and bond markets pushed up the Sensex to record levels. 

One man's meat is another man's poison, they say. Importers were crying when dollar prices went up to 74 rupees, but exporters were happy. Each dollar of exports was getting them five to six rupees more last October. Indian exporters for many items have to face stiff competition in international markets from exporters of neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordon and others. Government supports these exporters through various schemes like refund of excise and custom duties paid by them (duty drawback) and cash incentives. These incentives are small when compared to a six rupee increase per dollar of export earning. As the dollar rate dipped to sub-70 levels exporters came under pressure. Overall exports contracted during the last quarter for many reasons, exchange rate being one of them. There was an immediate need to protect exports now.

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RBI does not target any particular exchange rate level for the rupee. However, one of its main objectives is to ensure stability in the exchange markets and prevent excessive volatility. The fall in Dollar-Rupee rate from October to now is 7.25%. In the last 5 weeks alone (8th February to 15th March, 2019) it has fallen by 3.76%. 

Higher inflows of Dollars has resulted in excess supply leading to fall in its value. RBI has many concerns and liquidity as well as stability of exchange rates are among them. Further surge in dollar inflows is expected in the coming weeks due to perceived succession by a stable government after elections and softening of cross border tensions. Liquidity is like blood pressure. High blood pressure is dangerous. Low blood pressure is even more dangerous. Same goes for volatility in exchange market price levels. Dollar at 74 rupees was worrisome; same at 68 as well. RBI has to manage both liquidity as well as stability in exchange markets. 

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Can it kill two birds with one stone? The sudden announcement of Dollar-Rupee swap is one such action by the regulator. The swap comprises buying spot dollars and selling three years forward dollars. For a common man, spot means here and now. But in exchange and security markets, due to time difference across the globe as well as other reasons, date of entering into a transaction and actual delivery can be different. What is a swap? A swap is simultaneous purchase and sale of the same item, but for different maturities. Item purchased and sold is the same but delivery dates differ. RBI plans to purchase 5 billion US Dollars now and sell the same three years later. Three years is a long time in the exchange market time line. This swap will result in increasing foreign exchange reserves by 5 billion dollars. At the same time, 35,000 crore rupees will be pumped into the markets to address liquidity concerns. Both these happen immediately.

This action of RBI is expected to stabilise Dollar-Rupee rate around 70 rupees. It will also bring down OMO by 35,000 crore rupees. Hedging costs for foreign investors is expected to come down encouraging further dollar inflows. There may be some costs for the RBI in this process. But the benefits could be considerable. New problems may arise, but new solutions will be found. The cycle marches on....

This combination of politics, economics, domestic and foreign exchange markets is very interesting. Isn't it?

The Many Shades of Love

Online dictionary defines love as "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person" or "a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child or a friend". The word Love is so commonly and frequently used and yet has different meanings at different times and in varying situations. Whatever the context in which the word is used, most of the people understand the meaning of the word in the context it is used. A little study of the word indicates that the word has many meanings in different contexts. The love of a man for a woman or vice versa is different from the love of a mother to a child. The love of a husband for the wife or vice versa is different from the love of a teacher to his pupil or a devotee to the Lord. 

Love is often an intense feeling for someone or something. It can be earthly and confined to the physical attraction. It can be for something for physical objects like a musical instrument or books. It can as well be for something abstract like the love for the Lord. Sometimes its effects can be seen and at other times it can only be felt. Some shades of love can be understood by all. Some other shades require a deeper understanding of the background and some preparation to fathom the depth of the intense feelings of love. 

It is interesting to note that different philosophies deal with the word in detail and mention different types of love. In a sense, love is like colour; it has different shades and takes many forms. While a detailed study of the word can fill a vast canvas and can be a subject for a PhD thesis, there is no harm in considering a limited edition of the study to understand the basic philosophy that denotes the word.

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References to Bible give four kinds of love. They are identified through 4 Greek words, Eros, Storge, Phileo and Agape. They represent the four different faces of love:

Eros originated from the Greek God of love and represents physical or romantic love.  It is more commonly associated with bodily attraction as mentioned with the acts of Cupid (Roman God of Love). Storge refers to the love between mother and child or parents and children, love among family members like brothers and sisters etc. Phileo is wider and denotes love among the people in the same community and emotional bonding between deep friendships. It can also be in the context of philosophy and learning. Agape is considered as the highest form of love, the one between the Lord and mankind or the love of a devotee to the Lord.

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Arabic myth refers to seven shades of love. Each is indicated by an Arabic word and these words are commonly used in Urdu as well. The seven shades and their main qualities are Hub (Attraction), Uns (Infatuation), Ishq (Love), Adiqat (Reverence), Ibadat (Worship), Junoon (Obsession) and Maut (Death). As the meanings of the words indicate, these shades show different levels from physical attraction to highest form of worship. Some sources also mention ten and eleven shades of love.

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What is the interpretation of shades of love in the Indian context? Ancient Indian texts give three basic shades of love. These shades depend upon the comparative relationship between the two personalities involved. An example can be the relationship of a Guru (Mentor) and a Shishya (Disciple or Mentee). There is flow of love from both sides; but their expression and shades differ. Another example is the love between two equals, where the flow on either side is similar. 

Love is not a static concept; it evolves with time. An example of this evolvement over years is the love between a son or daughter and the parents. On the day of birth, the love between the parents and the baby is something that can be really understood by those who have felt it. As the child grows up, the love of the parents takes the shape of love between a guide and the ward. It moves towards one between friends in due course. The trend reverses as the child grows into an adult and the parents grow older. Protectiveness which was one of the expressions of love now gets reversed and the parents receive the protection of their own child, now grown into an adult. The cycle moves on....

The three basic shades of love defined in the ancient Indian texts are:

• Love towards those who are at a higher pedestal takes the shape of reverence. This is identified as Bhakti. (भक्ति - ಭಕ್ತಿ )
• Love towards those who are our equals and the flow is the same in both directions. This is Sneha. ( स्नेह - ಸ್ನೇಹ )
• Love towards those who are younger or dependant on us. This is Krupa - Grace or Favour. (कृपा - ಕೃಪೆ )

The three shades mentioned above are not to be confused to be one of status or superior or inferior stances. It is basically a method of social interaction in a mutually accepted relationship. With advancement in age, knowledge and maturity, movement from one level to the next higher level is a natural progression; it is not something to be shy of or proud as well.

Those in the first level are to behave with benevolence and kindness. Those in the third level are to behave with reverence and deference. In the life's journey all of us will be at one of these levels at sometime or the other!

Does this have any similarity with Transaction Analysis? 

Time Scale or Stock Option?

Things change over time. Generations have been witnessing change in many aspects of life. Advancement in communications has led to sea change in Trade and Commerce just as in any other walk of life. 

Fifty or sixty years ago, one of the major problem confronting youth in independent India as well as in other parts of the world was unemployment. Second World War had destroyed economies of most of the countries in the world. Countries taking direct part in the war suffered worst damage. Even the other countries which did not take part in the war directly suffered as well. Many of the able bodied young men were either killed or wounded in the war, especially in Europe. Agricultural lands became barren due to vagaries of war and no crops being grown for five to six years. End of the war resulted in loss of several jobs as well. Unemployment emerged as a major issue all over the world. Efforts to stimulate the economies and create jobs became the primary goal of administrations throughout the globe.

Governments were the major employment providers in those years. Finding a job in some government wing provided a stable and regular income for workers and their families. Manufacturing industries came in next and provided thousands of jobs. These jobs also offered post-retirement benefits in the form of pension and provident fund benefits. A young man who got a job in a government department or a factory was believed to have settled in life. Parents heaved a sigh of relief. As most of the women folk still remained housewives, girls were not competing for a share in the job market. Lower education level among girls in many countries also contributed to this. Getting a secure job led to immediate marriage. This led to One Life - One Job - One Wife life cycle. Get a job in the 20s, work for another 40 years in the same job and retire first from the job and then from life became the norm.

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Severe competition in the job market ensured that the employer decided what to pay. The candidates seeking employment were happy to get a job first. Total emoluments were far from the issue of reckoning while joining the job. A passenger standing in a bus stop would like to get on the foot board of a crowded bus and get moving. Once on the foot board, he would push his way to find a standing space inside the safety of the bus. Once standing inside the bus, the next goal is to find a two-by-three or three-by-four seat. Once that is secured, window seat would be coveted. This was true of securing jobs as well. May be a temporary job at first, then quasi-permanency and finally a confirmed job. Then the role of trade unions came to bargain for better rights. Employers decided what should be the pay and which are the grades of employees. 

All employees were paid equal salary at a particular level of work. Seniority became an important distinguishing factor now. All employees working at the same job description were paid equally, but there had to be a small distinction between someone who joined that level now and someone else who did the same job for several years. Annual increments and Time Scale ensured that this was taken care of. At a particular level, all employees got the same salary with a small fixed raise each year called increment, which continued for 20 or 25 years known as time scale. Horses and donkeys were paid the same salaries. Even bargaining trade unions were restricted to improvements in increments and time scales. The world thought that an equilibrium was found and things were satisfactory for some time.

Better performing employees had to be rewarded to keep up morale. Promotion from one scale to another fulfilled this need. Employees worked for getting promotions so that they could move from one time scale to another which would ensure a jump in their monthly emoluments. Senior level employees were rewarded with other benefits called Perks. A residential quarters or a motor car were the most common perks. 

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Advancement in technology leading to development of trade and commerce brought in requirement of more skills in job markets. Sales and Marketing needed its own skill sets demands. More adventurous way of life attracted the younger generation. Mass recruitments through announcements and notifications gave way to campus and private recruitments. Higher skill requirements compelled employers for scouting suitable candidates from among the workforce in competitor organisations. Educated and skilled girls flooded the job markets and started competing equally with men. Waiting for annual increments and moving from one time scale to another did not enthuse the younger generation any longer. Recruiting new talent became a primary need for growing companies and industries. Head Hunters made their debut and poaching of employees in competitor entities turned out be an accepted practice. Working in a job continuously became a negative point now. Principle of being settled in life itself became unsettled. If someone did not change the job for five years, questions were raised about the person's capacity to secure a better job. "Did he/she not get any other offers so far?" became a normal question!

Pension and Provident Fund benefits became less important as retirement at a certain age itself lost relevance. Older people started working even after superannuation. Younger people started believing in earning well in the earlier years and spend time to pursue other interests in life in late 40s or early 50s. They believed in building their own portfolio and financial planning. 

As a natural corollary of these developments, employees became aggressive and turned out to be equal partners in job discussions. "What should be the emoluments?" became a point of negotiation between the candidate and the prospective employer. "I give this" and "I need this" led to " We settle for this". Along with other factors and considerations, "Signing Bonus" entered as a tool to compensate a candidate changing the jobs and entering a new position. Annual increments gave way to pay raises and annual bonuses. These bonuses were not a general annual gift to all employees. Instead it became a confidential issue between employer and the employee. Persons working in the same positions in an organisations got different annual emoluments. Time Scales departed because nobody, neither the employer nor the employee, even thought of a 20 or 25 years timeline!

Rewarding good performers had to find a new method since promotions were not enough now to retain the right talents. Managements of large corporates started giving a part of the stake in the ownership of the companies to senior level functionaries. This served twin objectives; rewarding the better performers as well as ensuring loyalty during the period one worked with the organisations. Employee Stock Options (ESO) became a part of the annual pay packet. New employees could now see themselves as millionaires in the ESO mirror. It was not a image in the mirror, many indeed became rich and famous. Some of them started their own companies in due course. "Start Up" became the buzzword in the commercial and financial markets. The era of start ups is indeed now progressing very fast.

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Everyone knows about Amazon. If someone were to ask a school going kid what is Amazon, the answer would be different. It is no longer a major river in South America but a company that delivers a parcel to your house. Many housewives today cannot sleep unless they had at least one parcel delivered by Amazon to their house. It is a big multinational company focusing in e-commerce, cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence and based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is the largest e-commerce market place in the world, both by revenue and market capitalisation.

The growth of Amazon is indeed baffling. The company went public in 1997 and the shares made a debut at $ 18 per share. The company made three stock splits (bonus issues) within 15 months. A 2:1 stock split in June 1998 was followed by another 3:1 in January 1999. One more 2:1 came up in September 1999. A $ 100 investment got 5 shares in public offer. 5 shares became 60 shares within 15 months. The share price crossed $ 2050 on September 2018 making it the second $ 1 trillion company, closely following Apple which crossed $ 1 trillion mark in August 2018. At that point, $ 100 invested in 1997 was valued at $ 1,20,762 giving a return of a whopping 1,20,000% in 20 years! Promoter Jeff Bezos sold $ 1 Billion worth of shares recently and still holds about 16% shares in the company, making him the richest man in the world. Amazon shares have presently faced a dip and still quoted at $ 1,632 today. One year projection for share prices is $ 2,137 and 5-year projection by market analysts is $ 4,313. The graph shown above is the Amazon share price graph over the years.

Amazon is one of the companies known to give stock options to its employees. Let us take a hypothetical case of a young aspirant taking a job in this company today. What should be the option - to take a higher salary in lieu of stock options or settle for stock options and hope for the best? Stock options are a small part of the package at junior levels. From the history of the company, stock option appears great. 

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Is stock option the best in all cases of securing jobs or while changing jobs? One cannot be so sure. How to become a millionaire? This question has a wonderful answer. Start as a billionaire and enter the stock market. You are sure to become a millionaire very fast, is the answer. Thousands have made millions in the stock market. Millions have become paupers at the same time. Stock market investments and trading is not for all. 

Want to try your hand in stock market investing or trading? Investopedia offers "Free Stock Simulator" where one can trade in a virtual environment without fear of loss. After practicing and learning for sometime, and gaining confidence one can venture into real trading in stock markets.

Playing in the share markets is a wonderful pastime. If you succeed in the venture, you become rich and a financial wizard. If you fail, you can become a philosopher!

Send Him Here First

The ongoing Prayagraj Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest religious congregations in the world. The 48-day festival starting form "Makara Sankranthi" day and concluding on 4th March, 2019 attracts over 150 million devotees from all parts of the world. The congregation is not only the biggest but also exceeds the populations of several countries in the world put together. Kumbh Mela is held in four cities (Haridwar, Nashik, Ujjain and Prayagraj) by rotation depending on the celestial position of the planets. The belief is that the heavenly nectar obtained by churning of the milky ocean was being carried in a sacred pitcher, when a few drops fell on earth in these four places. As with many things linked to faith, the enthusiasm of the congregation is seen to be believed.

During the last fortnight I had the occasion to talk to half a dozen friends who happened to attend the Kumbh Mela this year. From their unanimous reports it is found that the arrangements made this year were fantastic and unprecedented. The usually uncontrollable crowds were managed very well and the army of volunteers ensured that cleanliness was maintained to the maximum possible extent. It is reported that the volunteers were moving around with baskets in their hands to remove any unwanted item falling on the ground and move them away to the dust bins. There was also more self-discipline among the congregation and clean environment consciousness was visible all-round the mela areas.

Visitors to Varanasi during this period have also reported that many encroachments around the Kashi Vishwanath Temple have been cleared and the path from the river Ganga to the temple is now smooth and easy. Work is still going on but the effects are already visible. Shape of these temple towns, which were unfortunately known for the filth and foul smell, is indeed changing. One can only hope that this development will find its logical conclusion and cleanliness and godliness will be seen together in future.

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It is common knowledge that River Ganga is highly revered and is referred as Mother Ganga (Ganga Mai) or Ganga ji. Uttarakhand High Court in a judgement last year gave the status of a person to Ganga and Yamuna rivers and decreed that these rivers have the same rights as persons. There are many stories about Ganga river in our vast literature.

It is believed that Ganga was born when King Maha Bali washed the feet of Lord Vamana before granting him three feet of land as promised by the King. When the Lord lifted his leg to cover the entire upper worlds, the edge of his foot finger nail cracked the shell of the universe and Ganga flowed from there. Ganga was held by Lord Shiva on the whiskers of his head and became Gangadhara. Taking a dip in River Ganga is a life long dream of people who live far away from the flow of the river. It is also believed that taking a dip in the holy river burns away accumulated sins and paves the way for heaven.

There is a very interesting story about River Ganga in the "Kartika Masa Mahatme", the month that follows Deepavali festival. There was a very devout person, Gangadas, living on the bank of the River Ganga. He had taken a vow that he will not eat anything on any day unless he visits the river and bathes in it. For years and years he sincerely followed this ritual. His entire life revolved around The great river. Due to some reason, he had to once go to another place away from the river. He tried his best to avoid the trip so that he would not miss his daily bath in the river. But he had to go. He decided that since he could not take bath in the river on those days of travel, he would not accept anything to eat from those who have not taken a dip in the river.

Gangadas followed this rule rigorously for several days. On the way back he had to stay overnight in one of the places. He had heard from people coming to his place to bathe in River Ganga that a person there, one Bhakta Das was running a guest house for pilgrims to stay overnight and rest. He had also arranged to provide them lunch on regular basis. All pilgrims taking that route would stay in the guest house for a day, take rest, have lunch and thereafter resume their journey. The news of service rendered by this persons had spread far and wide and our Gangadas had also heard of him. Gangadas decided to stay in Bhakta Das's guest house for a day and resume his journey.

Bhakta Das came to know from his staff that Gangadas was staying overnight in his place. Next morning Bhakta Das visited Gangadas and told him, "I had heard of your devotion to Mother Ganga. Today I am indeed blessed to see you in person, one who has seen and bathed in Mother Ganga regularly for so long. I request you to be my chief guest at today's prasad ceremony and bless us all". Gangadas was happy and agreed to the proposal. 

After the rituals on the next day when all the traveling guests had assembled to have lunch, Gangadas asked Bhakta Das when he had last visited River Ganga. Bhakta Das was very apologetic and said that he had not seen the River even once in his life as he was unable to move away from his guest house lest it will cause inconvenience to the travellers. His dream remained a dream. Gangadas became very angry and shouted at Bhakta Das. "What? You have not bathed in the Mother River even once? Don't you know that I do not accept food from anyone who has not bathed in the River Ganga? One should not even see your face", he said and walked away without listening to the pleadings of Bhakta Das and others.

Gangadas returned to his place and went to the river next day for his usual bath in the morning. To his surprise he found that he could not see the river and its waters. Others were going to the river but he could not see the river waters. Overcome by deep grief he prayed to the Mother River. After much pleadings he heard a voice which said, "You have insulted a true devotee of the Mother River. Bhakta Das might not have come here, but he has helped thousands over the years to come here and realise their dreams. He has earned much higher blessings due to this than whatever you have earned. By insulting such a person you have forfeited the right to see Mother Ganga".

Gangadas realised his blunder and begged the river to forgive him and pardon his mistake. The voice now said, "If you want to atone for your sins, go back to Bhakta Das. Take over the duty of managing the guest house for sometime and relieve Bhakta Das to come here and realise his life's dream. Send him here first. Once that is done you will regain your eligibility to see the river again".

Needless to say, Gangadas dutifully did the same and atoned for his lapses. Bhakta Das also achieved his long time wish.

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Whatever service is done to serve a noble cause is indeed worth as much as doing the noble deed oneself. Many have said this before. That is what John Milton also meant when he said, "They also serve who only stand and wait".

Who Owns Your Body?

What is your answer if someone were to ask you a question: "Who owns your Body?". We may laugh or frown at the person asking this question. The word "Frown" incidentally means "To contract the (eye) brow, as in displeasure or in deep thought". It also means to look displeased or have an angry look or view with disapproval. It appears that this word is created for answering such questions! What nonsensical question is this, one may wonder. Someone may as well shout: "Of course, I own my body!". But is it really true? What are the answers from different angles such as physical, emotional, legal, logical and spiritual view points? 

Ownership is defined in the dictionary as "The act, state or right of possessing something". It relates to a bundle of rights about use and control over an asset. Is the body an asset or liability? A body that was considered as one's most valuable asset at a young age may itself become a big liability at old age. Efforts at growing the asset at youth turns into a preservation exercise of the liability in later years of one's life. As a child, one is not aware of even the concept of ownership. The realisation of use and control develops as one grows up, until this very realisation is lost due to vagaries of time.

There are many dimensions to answers of this question. The answer may depend on many conditions and situations. Answer may depend on who is asking the question to whom, where and when. The answer for the same body may differ depending on the time when the question is asked. The body of a baby belongs to the mother (or the guardian) as the baby does not yet realise that it has a body and has control over it. In the case of an adult, the assumption is that the person owns his body. In the instance of a slave (though slavery is not legally accepted now, it was in force from time to time in the history of mankind), perhaps the master owns it. 

The answers change drastically when a person loses control over his body either temporarily or permanently. In the case of a bedridden person who does not even be aware of own existence, it is probably the caretaker who owns it. A patient's body lying under anaesthesia on the operation table could be said to belong to the Surgeon operating on it, as the surgeon can do anything he wants with the body subject to reasonable restrictions. The body of a prisoner is in the custody of the jailor as the prisoner is restricted from its usage. As regards the body of a dead person, who owns it? The one who apparently owned the body till death is not present now to claim the body and control over it. Does anyone own it or is it only for the purpose of exercising rights over disposal of the body by cremation or burial? All these are indeed interesting questions that deserve some discussion.

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An interesting case about ownership of the body after death came up before the England and Wales High Court recently (2016) in the case of Anstey V Mundle & Anor. George Henry Carty was born in Jamaica in 1935 and came to England in 1960 to work as a transport engineer. He died on 10th January 2016 in England. Three daughters and a niece claimed rights over the body. Two daughters wanted the body to be buried in England whereas the third daughter and niece wanted it to be taken to Jamaica for burial. The family dispute became a case and came up before Mr Justice Klein. The judgement is a beautiful piece of discussion on the issues of rights over a dead body, process of grieving and disposal of the body. The judgement about rights of disposal over the dead body of George Henry Carty deals with the rights and duties of the personal representatives for disposal of the dead body.

As the dispute between two daughters on one side and the third daughter and niece on the other stretched, George Henry Carty was not laid to rest for 6 weeks. As the judge said, instead of ending the normal process of grieving, it brought further grief and misery in itself to the family. The judge observed that the reasons for dispute were indeed genuine. The daughters who wanted the burial to happen in England wanted it so as Carty never visited Jamaica again after his arrival in England. The other daughter and niece were insistent on the burial in Jamaica as Carty was reported to have expressed a desire to be buried by the side of his mother in Jamaica. After considering the deposition of all witnesses and material available on record, the Judge considered the following aspects before pronouncing his judgement:

• Deceased's wishes.
• Reasonable requirements and wishes of the family who are left behind to grieve.
• Location with which the deceased was most closely connected.
• Disposal of the body with all proper respect and decency, and if possible without delay.

The Judge observed that while a person may be close to his children, that is not always the case. The Judge finally relied on the deposition of a third party, a friend of the deceased who did not have too much closeness with the deceased, and ordered that the burial take place in Jamaica without further delay. He hoped that all the parties concerned will cooperate towards this end and ensure action immediately as the matter was already delayed a lot. He also clarified that his judgement is limited to the disposal of the body only and does not have a bearing on all other issues like rights over the estate of the deceased and validity of a subsisting will made by the deceased etc. The judgement is a beautiful example of a speaking order listing out all details of the case and reasons for the final conclusion. A speaking order is an order that speaks for itself and stands the test of legality, fairness and reasoning. The judgement referred above can be a good guide to decide issues relating to disposing a body in disputed cases with due respect to the deceased person. 

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The case of George Henry Carty reminds us of umpteen instances in our own experience where the disposal of a dead body posed problems. Some of them are:

• Waiting or not waiting for some relative to arrive before disposal of the body.
• Using the dead body as a bargaining chip until demands are met by some authority. 
• Disputes about cremation where the custom of the family is disposal through burial or cremation or vice versa. 
• Conflict about a decision to take a body to the house of a relative from the hospital or place where death occurred is opposed by another are common. There are examples where due to such dispute the body has been moved directly to the burial ground to solve claims and counter claims.
• Who should perform the last rites. Sometimes there are more than one willing to do so while in some cases nobody wants this duty or responsibility.
• Bearing or sharing expenses for the last rites. A most wanted person's body becomes most unwanted during such times.
• Either treating the ceremony as a painful duty or glorifying it to monumental proportions.
• Nature of ceremonies to be performed. Should it be brief or long or should there be no ceremony at all?

When all these are considered, the inescapable conclusion is that problems of life do not end in death. Lucky are those whose bodies are disposed with dignity and without delay and disputes!

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Who owns the human body as per our ancient scriptures? This is an interesting question as well. This question also has many answers, but the most accepted one appears to state that there are five persons who can lay a claim to a human body at different stages. The belief is that after death at the end of previous cycle, the soul travels and floats in space. It then falls on the ground along with a drop of rain and reaches a grain or animal in due course. When a man eats the grain or the animal, the soul enters the father's body. 

1. The soul lives in the father's body for three months, takes the shape of a sperm before entering the mother's body. First claimant is the Father. The importance of father in one's life stems from this.
2. The soul enters the mother's body through the sperm and the person's body takes shape and develops there. For this reason, an inseparable bond develops between the mother and the child. The second claimant is the Mother.  
3. The third claimant is the one responsible for providing food and shelter to the individual. His role is equally important as that of father or mother since he provides the support for sustaining the body. The third claimant is this Master (Swami).
4. The body after death belongs to the fire when it is cremated. For the sacred fire that burns the dead body, it is a piece of dry cocoanut (Kobbari Gitaku in Kannada). Hence the fourth claimant is Agni (Fire). In case of burial, it can be construed as Mother Earth.
5. In case of non-cremation or non-burial for any reason, the body belongs to the dogs and other animals (Naayi-Nari in Kannada). Animals eat such a body like a bread piece. Animals are the fifth claimant, in case the fourth claim is not honoured.

A decent burial or cremation is the desired end to any human being after the life's journey comes to an end. It is an equitable right of the dead and the sacred duty of the living left behind. It should be done with respect and dignity.

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This post has become rather lengthy. But these are indeed the various issues that come up when such topics are dealt with. This is also the precise advantage of a blog post. A similar article sent for publication to a newspaper or magazine would be trimmed to desired size measured in number of words. This exercise of trimming would take out the soul of the piece leaving a fractured body behind. 

Viewed from another angle, as the subject matter is one of life and death, and at the end of a long life, the post is not that long, after-all!