Ureka..Ureka

I had sent an article to www.kendasampige.com, a kannada portal, three months ago and had started to forget about it. The article was on the layman's understanding of Buddha's philosophy of life, death and how we should face both of them without attaching special emotions. I expected the article to be published on Buddha Poornima but somehow it didnt happen so. At last here it is! Published exactly after a month of my daughter's birth.

Am I emotional? Read it for yourself.

http://kendasampige.com/article.php?id=3663

ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ

ಜೀವ ಉಳಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ಉಸಿರನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೊಡು
ಉಸಿರುಗಟ್ಟಿಸುವ ಸುಳಿಗಾಳಿಯಿಂದೆನ್ನ ರಕ್ಷಿಸು;
ಬಾಯಾರಿಕೆ ತೀರುವಷ್ಟು ನೀರನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೊಡು
ಮನುಕುಲವ ಮುಳುಗಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಳಯದಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸು;
ಹೊಟ್ಟೆಪಾಡಿಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದಷ್ಟು ದುಡ್ಡನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೊಡು
ಆತ್ಮವ ಕೊಲ್ಲುವ ಸಿರಿಸಂಪತ್ತುಗಳಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸು.

[ತೆಲುಗು ಮೂಲ: ಜಲಾಡಿ ರತ್ನ ಸುಧೀರ್]

ಡಿಮ್ಯಾಂಡ್

ಆಕಾಶದಲ್ಲಿ

ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಆಡಲು ಬಿಡಿ

ಪಾರಿವಾಳದಂತೆ ಹಾರಬೇಕು

ನನ್ನನ್ನು ತಡೆಯಬೇಡಿ.

ತಾರೆಗಳನ್ನು

ಎಣಿಸಲು ಬಿಡಿ

ನನ್ನ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ

ಲಕ್ಷಗಟ್ಟಲೆ ಗುಡಿಸಲುಗಳು

ಕತ್ತಲಲ್ಲಿವೆ -

ಸಾಕಾಗಬಹುದೇನೋ

ಲೆಕ್ಕ ಹಾಕಲು ಬಿಡಿ.

ಬೆಳದಿಂಗಳೆಂದರೆ ನನಗೂ ಇಷ್ಟ

ಚಂದಮಾಮನನ್ನು

ಮುದ್ದಾಡುವಾಸೆ.

ಚಂದ್ರಮಂಡಲ ಉಳ್ಳವರ ಸ್ವತ್ತಾಗಬಾರದು.

ನನ್ನನ್ನೂ ಹೋಗಲು ಬಿಡಿ.

ಸೂರ್ಯನನ್ನು

ನನ್ನ ಮನೆಯೊಳಗೆ

ಮನದೊಳಗೆ

ಮೈಯೊಳಗೆ ಕರೆಯುವೆನು.

ಕ್ರೂರ ಮೃಗಗಳು ಅಡ್ಡನಿಂತಿವೆ

ಆಯುಧಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಡಿ

ಕೊಚ್ಚಿ ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು

ಸೂರ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಾಗತ ಕೋರುವೆ.

[ತೆಲುಗು ಮೂಲ: ಸಿ. ಹೆಚ್. ಮಧು. ]

In a new flow.

I was, I am and I will always be a Navodayan because in Navodaya our destiny was [is being]shaped. But many a times I felt that the recorded version of the Navodaya Prayer "Hum Navayug ki nayee bharati" sent by the Navodaya Vidayalaya Samithi was not-so rich in quality. I know Navodayas have a pool of talent and on a given day they would prove to the world that they are second to none; but it took such a long time for us to listen to an improvised version of the prayer.

I am extremely happy that JNV Trivendrum has taken steps to infuse freshness to both vocal and instrumental parts of the prayer.

While thanking all the students, teachers and the Principal of JNV Trivandrum for bringing out the new rendition of the ever so melodious Navodaya prayer, let us listen to the sweet prayer that still beats in the cores of our hearts.

Click the link and enjoy.

http://www.navodayatrivandrum.gov.in/homepage2/Web/Navodaya%20Prayer.mp3

In false spirit of the game!!

The one-day international match between India and Srilanka at Dambulla on 16th August 2010 revealed that amongst true gentlemen of the game, there are, and there ever will be 'uneducated' players. I use the word 'uneducated' deliberately and carefully because, the men involved in the foul-play are hard-core literates, captian Kumara Sangakkara being a law student and Suraj Randiv is a student of Rahula college, Matara but they have failed to exhibit what they have learnt as cricketers and human beings.

With the scores level, Sehwag on 99 and India needing one to win, Randiv deliberately overshot the crease by more than a foot and Sehwag managed to hit the ball for a six. Unfortunately, it did not count as the no-ball’s contribution of one meant India had won the match.

Despite hitting a six, Sehwag was stranded not out at 99.

The conspiracy hatched by Sangakkara and Randiv is very clear. The stump microphone is said to have recorded Kumar Sangakkara advising Randiv, “Remember, if he scores he gets a 100!”

Mission accomplished.

What is worse is, Sangakkara certified in the press conference that Randiv didn't bowl a no-ball deliberately. That's double standards.

Srilankans had done the same to Saurav Ganguly when Malinga bowled a wide to give four runs leaving Ganguly stranded at 98. It has happened to Sachin Tendulkar too in a match. Courtesy, Malinga again.

Still worse; Prasad Kariyawasam, the Srilankan High Commissioner in a interview aired on CNN-IBN made all efforts to shield the act of Randiv and eventually failed in doing so.

Now that both Randiv and the Srilankan Cricket Board have apologized, the problem seems to have been resolved. But, the scar left by the wound on the finest fabric of Cricket would never fade away.

Classics not to be missed

My students keep asking me to suggest them few books to read. The only thing I do at that particular point of time is to keep quiet, for I don't really know what their tastes are. If insisted, in order to escape I would ask them to read some Telugu or Kannada poems, stories, novels etc. I know they wont be convinced with that not-so-serious suggestion. On one occasion, my inguinity was suspected and I felt I should retaliate. I went on listing some of the finest books of the world that every book lover ought to read. See, if my list is of some use to you too. Do suggest if I missed out any.

1. The Ramayana - Valmiki
2. The Mahabharata - Ved Vyas
3. Abhignana Shakuntalam - Kalidas
4. Aesope's Fables - Aesope
5. The poetics - Aristotle
6. The Bible - Various authors
7. Alice' s adventures in wonderland - Lewis Carroll
8. The canterbury tales - Chaucer
9. Don Quixote - Cerventes
10. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
11. Tale of two cities - Charles Dickens
12. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
13. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Canon Doyle
14. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - Edward Fitzerald
15. The Diary of a young girl - Anne Frank
16. Mother - Maxim Gorkey
17. The return of the native - Thomas Hardy
18. The Iliad - Homer
19. The Odyssey - Homer
20. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
21. The Alchemist - Ben Johnson
22. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
23. The outsider - Albert Camus
24. Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
25. The Trial - Franz Kafka
26. The jungle books - Rudyard Kipling
27. Sons and lovers - D. H. Lawrence
28. Paradise Lost/ Paradise Regained - John Milton
29. Gone with the wind - Margeret Mitchell
30. Utopia - Thomas Moore
31. Animal Farm - George Orwell
32. The Republic - Plato
33. All is well that ends well - Shakespeare
34. As you like it - Shakespeare
35. Hamlet - Shakespeare
36. Julius Caesar - Shakespeare
37. King Lear - Shakespeare
38. Romeo and Juliet -Shakespeare
39. Man and Superman - George Bernard Shaw
40. Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
41. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
42. War and peace - Tolstoy
43. The adventures of Tom sawyer - Mark Twain
44. The adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
45. Arabian night's entertainement - Unknown
46. Around the world in 80 days - Jules Verne
47. The Aeneid - Virgil
48. Ben Hur - Lew Wallace
49. The time machine - H. G. Wells
50. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach
51. To kill a mocking bird - Harper Lee
52. The Godfather - Mario Puzo
53. Things fall apart - Chinua Ache

Thats all I remember for now... Do let me know if you have read something worthwhile.

15 ఆగస్టు నాడే స్వాతంత్ర్యం ఎందుకు వచ్చినట్లు?

ఆగస్టు 15 నాడు మనకు స్వాతంత్ర్యం సిద్ధించింది. నిజానికి 9 ఆగస్టు నాడే ఆ శుభకార్యం జరుగాల్సింది. కానీ అలా జరుగలేదు. దాని వెనుక ఒక నేపధ్యము ఉంది. మనకు స్వాతంత్ర్యాన్ని ఆగస్టు 9 నాడే యివ్వాలని మన నాయకులు పట్టు బట్టారు. ఎందుకంటే ఆగస్టు 9 ఒక పవిత్రమైన దినం. అదే రోజున మహాత్మా గాంధీ "Do or Die" అన్న నినాదాన్ని ఇచ్చాడు. అదే విధంగా ఆగస్టు 9 వ తేది నాడే విప్లవకారులు పవిత్రముగా భావించే "విప్లవ దినము" కూడా. అయితే భారతీయులకు 9 వ తేది నాడు కాక 15 వ తేది నాడే స్వాతంత్ర్యం ఇవ్వాలని లార్డ్ మౌంట్ బ్యాటన్ నిర్ణయించాడు.


కారణం....!?


ఆగస్టు 15 వ తేది నాడు లార్డ్ మౌంట్ బ్యాటన్ మరియు ఎడ్వినా దంపతుల వివాహ మహోత్సవ దినము. 1930 ఆగస్టు 15 నాడు వైవాహిక జీవితములోకి అడుగు పెట్టిన మౌంట్ బ్యాటన్ ఆ దినాన్ని చారిత్రాత్మక దినముగా మార్చాలనుకున్నాడు. దాని కొరకే ఆగస్టు 15 నాడు స్వాతంత్ర్యాన్ని యివ్వాలని పట్టు బడ్డాడు.



ఒక వేళ పండిత్ నెహ్రూ గారు మౌంట్ బ్యాటన్ పట్టిన పట్టును సమర్థించకుండా, 9 వ తేదినాడే స్వాతంత్ర్యం కావాలని కోరుకుంటే మాతృ దేశ దాస్య శృంఖలాల ఛేదనకై రుధిర తర్పణ చేసిన విప్లవకారుల పాలిట మరియు సకల భారతీయుల పాలిట చిరస్మరణీయమైన దినముగా మిగిలేది ఆ దినము.

ఐతే....

పండిత్ నెహ్రూ గారు లార్డ్ మౌంట్ బ్యాటన్ మరియు ఎడ్వినా దంపతుల కోరికపై నీళ్ళు చల్లలేదు. ఫలితము ఆగస్టు 9 వ తేది నాడు కాకుండా 15 వ తేది నాడు మనకు స్వాతంత్ర్యము సిద్ధించింది.