Crow Vs parrot.

A clarion call to quit India was made from the ramparts of the ,capital city,recently.

I hail from a region that was rife with such calls till power was tasted at the centre. This enriched not only the coffers of those who stood in the forefront of such movements but also filtered down to benefit the masses.

When, even a vote of a single MP can determine the fate of the govt at the centre , often compared to the nail biting finishes of odi's, it makes sense to stick on .

Deserting the ship , would in all probability end in being neatly trapped by our neighbours.They may clothe and feed more efficiently than us.

But ,I 'd rather be a crow , fly around freely ,cawing raucously and foraging ravenously than be a petite parrot , listless and fettered for life!

Time.

Philosophers , poets , scholars and ordinary people have saluted 'Time ' down the ages

Bhartrihari an king of first century BC ,India ,renounced his kingdom after getting tired and sick of material and worldly pleasures and became a ascetic and spent several years till his end in deep meditation , on the banks of river Ganga ,at Haridwar. A bathing ghat built in his memory by his brother, the famous ruler Vikramaditya is still in existence!
'
Bhathrihari has condensed his thoughts in Sanskrit in 'Vairagya sataka' or the path to renunciation.He has saluted 'Time' in this work in the following manner.

Those beautiful cities,
Those mighty monarchs,

Those powerful nobles,

Those learned assemblies,

Those women with faces shining like the moon,

Those proud princes,

And those who sang their praises,

They have all been carried away by the torrid torrents
of Time !

Even their memories have been swept away!

My salutations therefore is to Time, who works all these!

He further says----

In a dwelling once there were many , now only one, where there was one , there were later many and then again one!In such a way day and night are dashed hither and thither by Kala[time] ,as if they were pieces of dice and play with men on chess board of this world,as if they were chess coins.

He chides----

Cease 'o' my mind wandering restlessly.

That which has been decreed by fate cannot be warded off. Think not of past or worry about the future, take delight only in those matters of present which come to thee and are gone without sought!
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor of 2 nd century AD . He was a stoic philosopher, who gave vent to his thoughts, in Greek , in a treatise known as 'The Meditations.'

He says---

Hippocrates after curing many diseases ,himself fell sick and died. The Chaldaci---astrologers, foretold the deaths of many and then fate caught them to . Alexander , Pompeii and Cesar , after so often completely destroying whole cities and in battle cutting to piece's 10, ooo's of cavalry and infantry, themselves too at last departed from life.Heraclitus[astronomer]after so many speculations on conflagration of the universe , was filled with water internally and died smeared all over by mud. Philosophers like Socrates and so on , after endless discussions on death and immortality , themselves died!

How many tyrants who have used their power over men's lives with terrible insolence as if they were immortals , how many grand cities , are entirely dead and buried.One burying the other and he himself buried soon after!

How ephemeral human beings are . What was yesterday a little mucus , tomorrow will be mummy or ashes!

Look at the immensity of time behind you and the time which is before you .

The past is over, it is no more yours.The future is also not yours.It is only the present that is yours. Death takes only your present . The present , that, short period of time is same for all . So what is the difference between him who lives 3 days or 3 generations?

Pass then through this little space of time conformably with nature, giving yourself willingly to fate and end the journey in content.

[source--Internet and Rajaji's 'Athma sindhanai']

Edge of the sword.

The wise poet Sri Bhartrihari says

There is one god either Vishnu or Siva .

There is one friend either a king or a ascetic.

There is one dwelling either in town or in the country.

There is one spouse handsome or ugly!

He asks and answers

1.What is the greatest loss?

Failure to perform one's duty.

2.What is wealth?

Knowledge.

3. Where is peace found?

In truth and righteousness.

4.What is the greatest advantage?

The society of the good.

5.What is the greatest disadvantage?

The society of the wicked.

He praises action in the following manner:

Actions carried in much haste are like arrows piercing the heart.When the wise begin their action
they look carefully to the end of them ,so that they may be free from successive births.

If the sun is tired of his journey why does'nt he stand still?A good man keeps his words and is ever active taking the celestial's constant work as a example.

Finally I will wind up the Neethi satakas or wise sayings with Bhartrihari's following observation on the character of the good.

Private generosity, ungrudging hospitality to strangers, abstinence from speaking in public about one's good deeds, openly proclaiming the benefits received from others, humility in prosperity and respect for one's fellow beings are the sacred doctrines taught by the good , though adherence to it may be difficult as the attempt to stand on edge of the sword!

Edge of the sword...........

Bharthrihari's views , ' liberality' in the following manner:


The sun opens up the lotuses.The moon brightens the beds of water lilies. The clouds pour rain unasked !

In like manner people who are naturally liberal are continuously occupied in bestowing benefits on fellow creatures!

Ornaments:

The most precious ornament a man may posses is the courtesy of a nobleman,gentle speech of a hero and the calmness of knowledgeable scholars !

The most precious ornament of the wealthy is ,to the act of giving it to worthy people!

The most precious ornament of the ascetic is the abstinence from wrath!

The most precious ornament of Prince's is mercy

And of judges -freedom from corruption!

Edge of the sword -----

Bharthrihari the ancient grammarian and poet has made the following observations regarding
'Behaviour'.

The laws relating to behaviour are difficult to learn and can hardly be mastered even by an ascetic!

The man who wishes to be respectfully silent is looked upon as dumb!

The man who talks agreeably as too forward!

if a man stands near at hand ,he may be regarded as troublesome!

And if stands ,far off , people will call him cold hearted!

The patient man may be branded as timid!

And the impetuous man as ill bred!

wise?

How wise and sagacious the tortoise and the chameleon looks.Their drowsy and heavy lidded eyes are limpid pools of wisdom.

But the chameleon often changes its colours and the tortoise often withdraws into its shell

Messengers.

The scalding heat of summer months have given way to milder temperatures. With intermittent drizzles every other day , the Ac's have been switched off ,as the entire city of Chennai ,is air cooled from above.

An weather to rival that of any higher reaches. But forces are at work ,non stop to prevent me from enjoying this unbelievable weather.

If I sit in the balcony with a newspaper or a mag or a book to enjoy and relax in a little open space,can I ? No! From their hiding places the eternal pests, those tiny creatures so easy to squash ,find the most unreachable places [back] to draw their daily rations and go at it in glee,making me squirm , twist and turn in impossible yogic postures , that would do my guru Dhirendra Bramhachari [late] proud!

After some hard walking ,when I drop down on those glazed tiled benches in the park ,that are so inviting, to regain my breath, a huge school of piranha's , those little beasts , hiding in the grass ,start picking my feet and ankles in a orgy of feasting,making me execute dancing steps , I have long since forgotten.

Once twilight falls no place in the house is free from these devils . With their acute night vision and carnivorous appetite and hunting skills honed to perfection , they keep me on my toes. My hands clap thunderously , hurting only myself, my aim thwarted by their easy evasion , a survival technique handed down by their ancestors from generations to generations as old as mine!

I can't read nor can I see TV nor sleep in peace . The fogging operations, a deterrent of sort, undertaken assiduously a few years back by the corporation have become virtually non existent.

Yamadhuthars need not bestir themselves to transport me to the nether worlds . These tiny man eaters , manning every nook and corner ,will do it swiftly and with great elan!