Wednesday, March 18, 2015
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அந்த விவசாயி குட்டி யானையின் உணவுகளைப் பற்றி யானை வளர்க்கும் தனது நண்பர் ஒருவரிடம் கேட்டு அறிந்து கொண்டு வருகிறார், பிறகு அந்த யானையை அவர்களே வளர்ப்பது என்று முடிவு செய்கிறார்கள், அந்த யானையின் கண்களில் அவ்வப்போது வழியும் கண்ணீரை அந்தக் குழந்தைகள் துடைக்கிறார்கள், அந்தக் குட்டி யானையும் அவர்களோடு அன்போடு பழகத் துவங்குகிறது, கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக அந்த யானையின் கண்களில் கண்ணீர் வருவது நிறுத்தப்படுகிறது, யானைகள் அழுகுமா என்பது பற்றி எனக்குத் தெரியாது, ஆனால், அந்தக் குட்டி யானையின் சின்னக் கண்களில் கண்ணீர் தேங்கி நிற்பதைப் பார்க்கையில் யானைகள் மனிதர்களைப் போலவே அன்பில் கட்டுண்டு கிடப்பதை என்னால் உணர முடிந்தது. அந்தக் குழந்தைகள் இருவரும் அந்த யானையோடு பொழுதெல்லாம் விளையாடுகிறார்கள், அவர்கள் ஒரு மலைச்சரிவான கிராமத்தில் வசிக்கிறார்கள், அவர்களின் வீடு வைக்கோல் வைத்து வேயப்பட்ட பசுமை நிறைந்த ஒரு சரிவில் இருக்கிறது, அந்தச் சரிவில் யானை எந்தச் சிக்கலும் இல்லாமல் ஏறி விடுகிறது, குழந்தைகளுக்கு சரிவில் ஏறுவது சிரமமாக இருக்கிறது, பெரியவள், சின்னப் பெண்ணை யானையின் வாலைப் பிடித்துக் கொண்டு ஏறுமாறு சொல்கிறாள், அந்த யானைக்குட்டி தனது தும்பிக்கையை நீட்டி அந்தக் குட்டிப் பெண்ணை அழைக்கிறது, பிறகு மெல்ல தனது தும்பிக்கையைச் சுழற்றி அவளை அலாக்காகத் தூக்கி சமதளத்தில் விடுகிறது.
சின்னக் குழந்தை ஒரு முறை காய்ச்சலில் படுத்து விடுகிறாள், அந்த வீட்டின் தாய் அவளுக்கு பத்துப் போட்டு, சில கஷாய மருந்துகளைக் கொடுக்கிறாள், அப்போது அந்த யானை குறுக்கும் மறுக்குமாக நடந்து திரிகிறது, தனது தாயைப் பிரிந்தது போலவே அதன் கண்களில் கண்ணீர் தேங்கி நிற்கிறது, உலகின் அத்தனை திரைப்படங்களிலும் காணக் கிடைக்காத ஒரு விதமான கடும் நெருக்கடியை அந்தக் காட்சி வழங்கியது, உடைந்து என் கண்களில் இருந்து கண்ணீர்த் துளிகள் பெருக்கெடுக்கின்றன, நான் ஒரு சிறு குழந்தையைப் போலவே அன்று அழுதேன், அவள் குணமான பின்பு அவளை அழைத்துக் கொண்டு அந்த யானை காட்டுக்குள் செல்கிறது, சுற்றிக் காட்டுகிறது, அந்தச் சின்னப் பெண்ணும் அப்போது வளர்ந்து கொஞ்சம் பெரியவளாகிறாள், யானை இந்தக் குழந்தைகள் இருவரையும் சுமந்து கொண்டு இந்தோனேஷியா மலைச் சரிவுகளில் சுற்றித் திரிகிறது. மலைக் காடுகள், தெளிந்த நீரால் நிரம்பி ஓடும் ஆறு வீட்டுக்கருகில் பாய்ந்து ஓடுவது, மேகங்கள் அந்த வீட்டின் வைக்கோல் கூரைகளை உரசிக் கொண்டு திரிவது என்று ஒரு அற்புதமான சூழல் நிலவும் அந்த நிலப்பரப்பில் இயற்கையோடு ஒட்டி உறவாடும் அந்தக் குடும்பம், அந்த யானையையும் சேர்த்துக் கொண்ட பிறகு இன்னும் அழகான குடும்பமாக காட்சியாக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும்.
அப்போது ஒரு இளம் காட்டு இலாகா அதிகாரி இவர்களின் வீட்டுக்கு வருகிறான், யானையைப் பார்க்க வேண்டும் என்று வருகிற அவனது கண்களில் கொஞ்சம் கனிவு இருப்பதை அவன் அந்த யானையை வருடிக் கொடுப்பதில் இருந்து கண்டு கொள்ள முடிகிறது, மூத்த பெண்ணுக்கும் அந்த இளம் அதிகாரிக்கும் இடையில் ஒரு சிறு புன்னகை மலர்கிறது, அந்தப் புன்னகையின் வெளிச்சத்தில் யானையின் நிழல் படிகிறது, இந்தக் குழந்தைகள் இருவரும் அந்த யானையின் மீது கொண்டிருக்கும் அன்பைக் கண்டு வியக்கிறான் அந்த இளம் அதிகாரி, அவனும் கூட அந்த யானையை நேசிக்கத் துவங்குகிறான், மூத்த பெண்ணின் மீது காதல் கொள்கிறான் அந்த இளம் இந்தோனேஷியா வாலிபன், பிறிதொரு நாளில் அந்த இளம் அதிகாரி தன்னுடைய குடும்பத்தினரோடு விவசாயியின் வீட்டுக்கு வருகிறான், வழக்கமான சடங்குகள் உடன் கூடிய ஒரு பெண் பார்க்கும் நிகழ்வாக அந்தக் காட்சி இருக்கிறது, அந்த நிகழ்வில் யானையும் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டு இருக்கிறது, சின்னப் பெண் அந்த யானையை வந்திருப்பவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் அறிமுகம் செய்கிறாள், அவர்களை வரவேற்பது போல அந்த யானை துதிக் கையைத் தூக்கிப் பிளிர்கிறது. படம் முடிகிறது.
மனித வாழ்க்கையில் உறவுகளின் தாக்கம், உயிர் வாழ்க்கையின் சமன்பாடுகள், இயற்கையின் அழகு, இயற்கையோடு இணைந்த வாழ்க்கையில் இருக்கும் அளப்பரிய மகிழ்ச்சி, ஒரு தந்தையின் கடமைகள், அவனது மனநிலை, குழந்தைகளின் மனநிலை, காதல், இயற்கை அரண்களின் மீதான அரசுகளின் அலட்சியப் போக்கு என்று எளிமையாகச் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கும் அந்தப் படத்தைப் பார்த்து முடித்த கையோடு (கண்ணோடு) இந்தியத் தொலைக்காட்சிகளில் முதன் முறையான ஒரு தமிழ்த் திரைப்படம் கண்ணில் பட்டு அந்தப் படத்தின் வலிமையை வேறு இன்னும் தனியாக உணர்த்தியது துணைக் கதை.
யானைகளுக்கு மதம் பிடிக்குமே தவிர மதங்களைப் பிடிக்காது, ஆயினும் நாம் அவற்றுக்கு பட்டையும் நாமமும் சார்த்தி அவற்றைத் தெருக்களில் பிச்சை எடுக்க வைக்கிறோம், யானைகள் எந்த உயிர்களையும் தொல்லை செய்வதில்லை, தங்கள் குடும்பங்களோடு அவை அமைதியான வாழ்க்கையை விரும்புகின்றன, யானைகள் தங்கள் நிலங்களைப் பறித்துக் கொண்டு வாழ்வாதாரத்தை ஏளனம் செய்யும் மனிதர்களை, என்னை மன்னித்ததைப் போலவே மன்னித்து விடுகின்றன. அவற்றிடம் இருந்து நாம் கற்றுக் கொள்ள உயரிய பண்புகள் பல இருக்கிறது. யானைகளை நான் நேசிக்கிறேன், யானைகளை எப்போதேனும் தெருவில் அல்லது கோவில்களில் பார்த்தால் அவற்றுக்கு நான் காசு கொடுப்பதில்லை, பழங்களை மட்டுமே வாங்கி அவற்றுக்குக் கொடுக்கிறேன், தலையை ஆட்டியபடி அவை அந்தப் பழங்களை ருசிப்பதை அளவற்ற மகிழ்வோடு எப்போதும் ரசிக்கிறேன், அவற்றின் அருகில் சென்று அவற்றை வருடிக் கொடுப்பதில் ஒரு இனம் புரியாத நெகிழ்ச்சியை நான் இப்போதும் உணர்கிறேன். அவற்றின் மீது அந்த இந்தோனேஷியக் குறும்படத்தில் வரும் குழந்தைகளைப் போலவே ஏறிச் சவாரி செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று ஏங்குகிறேன், அப்படி ஒரு வாழ்க்கை எனக்குக் கிடைக்காத குறையை அந்தத் திரைப்படம் எப்போதும் நிறைவு செய்யும், அந்தத் திரைப்படத்தில் வரும் சின்னக் குழந்தை யானைக்குக் கட்டி விடும் மணியின் ஓசை என் செவிப்பறைகளில் இருந்து எதிரொலித்து இந்தப் பேரண்டமெங்கும் வழிந்து ஓடிக் கொண்டே இருக்கும்.
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD NURSERY RHYME
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To fetch her poor dog a bone,
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the bakers
To buy him some bread,
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertakers
To buy him a coffin,
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe,
But when she came back
He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the fruiterers
To buy him some fruit,
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailors
To buy him a coat,
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the hatters
To buy him a hat,
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barbers
To buy him a wig,
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the cobblers
To buy him some shoes,
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow.
The dame said, "Your servant."
The dog said, "Bow-wow."
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Went to the cupboard,
To fetch her poor dog a bone,
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the bakers
To buy him some bread,
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertakers
To buy him a coffin,
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe,
But when she came back
He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the fruiterers
To buy him some fruit,
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailors
To buy him a coat,
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the hatters
To buy him a hat,
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barbers
To buy him a wig,
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the cobblers
To buy him some shoes,
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow.
The dame said, "Your servant."
The dog said, "Bow-wow."
Endometriosis Symptoms of Endometriosis – Treatment What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which fragments of the lining of the uterus (endometrium) spread to other tissues, such as the wall of the uterus, the ovaries, the peritoneum, or the bowel. The causes of the disease are unknown, but its inci-dence is higher in white women and in women who defer pregnancy. The fragments are benign, but may cause complications if they lodge in a critical location, leading to an organ dysfunction.
Symptoms of Endometriosis
In most of the cases there are no definite symptoms, and the condition is found only during a surgical operation for some other disorder.
When present, symptoms of Endometriosis include heavy periods, often more frequent than usual, accompanied by pain (dysmenorrhea); pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia); sometimes infertility; and sometimes pain on defecation during a period.
The abnormally placed fragments of endometrium pass through the same monthly cycle as does the normal endometrium; they swell before a period and then bleed.
Because there is no outlet for the blood, cysts form. These occasionally rupture, causing severe abdominal pain.
The symptoms of Endometriosis usually disappear during pregnancy, which may cure the condition, and after menopause.
Endometriosis treatment
In mild cases, painkilling drugs may lessen the symptoms.
Rarely, the fragments of endometrium can be found and removed surgically.
All of the symptoms are relieved by artificially inducing menopause by irradiation or surgical removal of the ovaries, so that the uterus and the abnormal tissue cease to be stimulated by ovarian hormones. The hormone pills used for contraception may also help, and these work without sterilizing the patient. A woman with the symptoms should consult a gynecologist.
Gastrotrich
Ive been struggling to capture a decent image of a gastrotrich for quite a while, but this afternoon this obliging example (Chaetonotus sp., I think) paused just long enough in my field of view for me to record it. Gastrotrichs are miniature aquatic equivalents of the roadrunner, always on the move - although in this case propelled by a layer of beating cilia on their underside (gastrotrich means hairy stomach) rather than legs. This one seemed to be feeding. That circular mouth, surrounded by a ring of tiny teeth, and the muscular pharynx that it leads to ingest just about anything that the animal collides with and thats small enough to enter the gap. The outer covering of cuticular spines give this gastrotrich a fearsome appearence and if you are smaller that it is (i.e. less than about a quarter of a millimetre) the sight of one of these high-speed hunters hurtling towards you must be a nightmare - not that pond life suffers from nightmares; sorry, lapsed into anthropomorphism there. Been watching too many horror movies.
This specimen came from the edge of a Phragmites reed swarm, amongst the rotting debris in shallow water - a favourite habitat for gastrotrichs. You can see here how agile they are, capable of turning in their own length through 180 degrees. Those two appendages on the tail are adhesive organs. Gastrotrichs do sometimes rest and when they do they glue themselves to something convenient with adhesive secreted from the tips of those appendages. When they are ready to go again they secrete a releasing agent - that, and the glue, which both work under water, must be very interesting substances.
CLASSIFICATION OF ENZYMES
 |
| Enzymes |
Enzymes:
Enzymes can be defined as the reaction catalysts of biological systems produced by living cells and are capable of catalyzing chemical reactions. Naturally enzymes are macromolecules having molecular masses ranging into millions. Two exceptional properties of enzymes are their extraordinary specificity — each enzyme catalyzes only one reaction or one group of closely related reactions — and their amazing efficiency — they may speed up reactions by factors of up to 1020. Each enzyme molecule possesses a region known as the active site and the substrate binds itself with this active site. Enzymes are either pure proteins or contain proteins as essential components and in addition require non-proteincomponents which are also essential for their activity. The protein component of the enzyme is called apoenzyme and the non-protein component is called the co-factor or co-enzyme. The co-factorsinclude inorganic ions and complex organic or metallo-organic molecules. Important inorganic co-factors along with their respective enzymes include Fe2+ (chrome oxidase) Ze2+(carbonic anhydrase) and Mg2+ (glucose 6- phosphatase), etc. Many enzymes contain vitamins as their co-factors, for example; nicotinamide adenine dinucleotidecontains nicotinamide vitamin and thiamine pyrophosphatase contains vitamin B1.
Suffix-"ase" is added to the name of the substrate on which the enzyme acts while naming the enzymes, for example, urease, sucrase, cellulase are the enzymes, which act upon the substrates urea, sucrose and cellulose respectively.
Classification of Enzyme:
Enzymes are classified into six main types by the commission on enzyme, appointed by the International Union of Bio-Chemistry (IUB).
Oxidorednctases:
These are the enzymes which catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions. Common examples are oxidase, dehydrogenase and peroxydase.
Transferases:
These enzymes bring about an exchange of functional group such as phosphate or acyl between two compounds, for example; phospho-transferases, etc.
Hydrolases:
These are the enzymes which catalyze hydrolysis. They include proteasescalled protelytic enzymes.
Lyases:
These are those enzymes which break and form double bonds. They catalyze the addition of ammonia, water or carbon dioxide to double bonds or removalof these to form double bonds, for example phospho-glyceromutases.
Isomerases:
These enzymes catalyze the transfer of groups within molecules to yield isomeric forms of the substrate. An example is the conversion of fumaric acid to maleic acid in the presence offumarase enzyme.
Ligases:
These enzymes are those enzymes which link two molecules together by breaking the high-energy bonds, for example; acetyl—S—COH, a carboxylase and succinic thiokinase.
PERSPECTIVES ON PINK FLOYD BEST ROCK BAND IN HISTORY
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As I checked the rankings of "the best rock bands in history" from random websites,I did find some gracious complements about Floyd.I have a separate page assigned for posts on Pink Floyd.I have read almost on all topics I could think of about them - The music,the musicians and their ideology.I cant really think of anything horrible they have written.For example - I hated You Could Be Mine from Guns N Roses and I did not like Radio from The Corrs. Despite being a band on experimental,progressive and psychedelic forms of rock,they managed to do it - have one of the largest fan bases of any band in the world!I dont need to say it again that how much I love and LOVE Pink Floyd.I love their music,I love their lyrics,I love their tunes,I love their instrumentals and most importantly - I LOVE THE MUSICIANS. In a post written before,I probably had said I like Roger Waters and David Gilmour more.I was wrong.Its just like one of my friend says "Next to impossible to sort favourites out of Pink Floyd!"They have sold more than 250 million records worldwide.
I originally used to be a David Gilmour fan imagining the real music was brought out by him.I was wrong on that.Without Waters,the band would have lacked all those concepts I simply adore.Moreover he is a frank speaker,even more than Gilmour and though being involved with any political organisation,I have seen left ideals in him,more than in Gilmour who is a leftist.I loved the way Roger spoke about Margaret Thatcher,The Falklands War,Palestine and George W. Bush; no musician on earth would have got guts like that.Richard Wright is great,he seems quite and introvert to me.And thats a big similarity! I like introvert people,they often have a certain depth in them.And he played great,he was a great pianist/keyboardist.And imagine Pink Floyd without drums! It would have been something like - The Catholic Choir instead of Floyd (Note that though I do not support the Catholics except for Catholic Marxists and am not offending any particular religious sect.I dont have any interest in any religious group dwelling on this planet but I am a bit angry about idiots such as Mikhail Gorbachev,Pope John Paul II - yes you heard me right and their behaviour with the newly born band Pink Floyd) THIS POST IS TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
Read more »
As I checked the rankings of "the best rock bands in history" from random websites,I did find some gracious complements about Floyd.I have a separate page assigned for posts on Pink Floyd.I have read almost on all topics I could think of about them - The music,the musicians and their ideology.I cant really think of anything horrible they have written.For example - I hated You Could Be Mine from Guns N Roses and I did not like Radio from The Corrs. Despite being a band on experimental,progressive and psychedelic forms of rock,they managed to do it - have one of the largest fan bases of any band in the world!I dont need to say it again that how much I love and LOVE Pink Floyd.I love their music,I love their lyrics,I love their tunes,I love their instrumentals and most importantly - I LOVE THE MUSICIANS. In a post written before,I probably had said I like Roger Waters and David Gilmour more.I was wrong.Its just like one of my friend says "Next to impossible to sort favourites out of Pink Floyd!"They have sold more than 250 million records worldwide.
I originally used to be a David Gilmour fan imagining the real music was brought out by him.I was wrong on that.Without Waters,the band would have lacked all those concepts I simply adore.Moreover he is a frank speaker,even more than Gilmour and though being involved with any political organisation,I have seen left ideals in him,more than in Gilmour who is a leftist.I loved the way Roger spoke about Margaret Thatcher,The Falklands War,Palestine and George W. Bush; no musician on earth would have got guts like that.Richard Wright is great,he seems quite and introvert to me.And thats a big similarity! I like introvert people,they often have a certain depth in them.And he played great,he was a great pianist/keyboardist.And imagine Pink Floyd without drums! It would have been something like - The Catholic Choir instead of Floyd (Note that though I do not support the Catholics except for Catholic Marxists and am not offending any particular religious sect.I dont have any interest in any religious group dwelling on this planet but I am a bit angry about idiots such as Mikhail Gorbachev,Pope John Paul II - yes you heard me right and their behaviour with the newly born band Pink Floyd) THIS POST IS TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SHIVARATHRI
Shivarathri is a very auspicious day for all. It is the fourteenth day of the
lunar fortnight when the moon is waning and the sun is in the sign of Aquarius.
The festival is, however, related to the moon rather than the sun. That is the
reason why it is called Shivarathri, the night of Shiva. Unlike other nights,
this particular night is the night of consecration, of dedication, of
illumination.
The mind is intimately associated with the moon. Chandra, the deity of the moon,
is the presiding deity of the mind. He loses one sixteenth of his brilliance
every day after the full moon day and continues waning until on this night he is
left with just one sixteenth of his power. The waned moon may be taken to stand
for the mind with all its wild fancies and waywardness reduced after it has been
conquered by spiritual discipline. On this night there is just a minute part
more to be conquered and that can be done by keeping vigil and dwelling on the
glory of God. The vigil that is prescribed is symbolic of the eternal vigil one
has to observe, while the rite of fasting is symbolic of divesting the senses of
the pleasures for which they crave. The nightlong devotional singing is
significant of the life-long consciousness of the Divine Presence that every one
should cultivate. The rites and vows laid down for Shivarathri being absent on
other nights of the year, their observance on this day comes as a reminder that
they are useful.
There are three types of men: the multi-centered, the uni-centered, and the
non-centered. The first group, who allow their senses, mind, and intelligence to
wander where they will, is a very populous group. So also is the third group,
which comprises people who flit from one object to another, hop around from one
thing to another in listless flippancy. For earning the concentration and
single-centeredness characteristic of the second group, the festival of
Shivarathri is very propitious. The devotional singing and the ceaseless flow of
the recital of the name of God and reflection on the name of God on this
occasion help in the attainment of single-centeredness.
You must realize that devotional singing, reflection on the name of God, and
offerings at the lotus feet are not for pleasing or propitiating God, but for
our own spiritual progress. Frequently, people flatter the rich and the powerful
-- especially when they are in their employment or are beholden to them for some
precious help -- in order to induce them to shower gifts on them. But God does
not shower grace on people because they sing His praises. Nor does He come down
upon them because they do not deify Him. Recitation of the Divine attributes
only enables us to dwell on elevating ideals and approximate ourselves more and
more to the Divinity that is our nature. We become what we contemplate. By
constant thought an ideal gets imprinted on our heart. When we fix our thoughts
on the evil that others do, our mind gets polluted by the evil. When, on the
contrary, we fix our mind on the virtues or well being of others, our mind is
cleansed of wrong and entertains only good thoughts. No evil thought can
penetrate the mind of a person wholly given to love and compassion. The thoughts
we indulge in shape our nature; along with others, they affect us too. For
example, when a flash is released to photograph someone, his face is lit; but
so, too, to a certain extent, is the face of the photographer. When a municipal
truck full of refuse passes by, you are affected by the bad smell even though
you may be standing afar. Similarly, a thought may be momentary, it may be
trivial, yet its effect on the mind cannot be avoided. It was because the
ancient sages knew this important truth that they declared, "He who knows
Brahman (God) becomes Brahman." The only way to become Brahman is to be ever
immersed in contemplation of Brahman. With a lump of salt on ones tongue, how
can any one relish the sweetness of honey or fruits? With a lump of candy on the
tongue, how can the taste of salt and savory be known? Immerse your mind in good
thoughts and the world will be good; soak it in bad thoughts and the world will
be bad for you. So, recollect only good; do, think, and plan only good; speak
and act only good. Then as a result you will approximate God, the source of all
good. This is the message of Shivarathri.
According to numerology, the first three syllables of the word Shivarathri --
si, va, and ra -- connote the numbers five, four, and two and the fourth
syllable, thri, means three. Five, four and two make one whole, one composite
picture of the eleven rudras. Rudra means the one who makes man weep. The eleven
rudras are: the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, and the
mind. These, by leading him astray in pursuit of trivial and transitory
pleasures, ruin him and make him weep. But the God within, if it is sought and
relied upon, sheds its rays on the eleven and makes them meaningful partners in
the progress of man towards self-realization. The rays from the God within
illumine the intelligence, the illumined intelligence alerts the mind, and the
alerted mind gets control of the senses, making the path clear for the person to
proceed through knowledge to wisdom.
Another significance of Shivarathri is this: Shiva, or the Eternal Absolute
Person, in His desire to attract the world of matter, engages Himself in the
thandava, the cosmic dance. The dance is a Divine plan to attract the material
creation, For all Divine miracles like those of Rama (He who pleases and
delights) and Krishna (He who attracts) are for drawing people to the Divine
presence for the purpose of correcting or cleansing them, or for confirming
their faith and then leading them on to the discipline of service so that they
may merge in ecstasy, in the source of all ecstasy -- a miracle resulting in
sublimation, leading to service to society and finally conferring
self-realization. The cosmic dance is so fast that fire emanates from Shivas
body because of the heat generated by activity. In order to cool Shiva and
comfort him, Paravathi, his consort, places the Ganges on his head, makes the
crescent moon rest amidst the coils of his hair, applies cold sandalwood paste
all over his body, winds round the joints of his hands and feet cold-blooded
snakes, and finally, being herself the daughter of the Himalayas (the mountains
with eternal snow), she sits on his lap and becomes a part of him. At this Shiva
rises, and both the soul and the world of matter dance together to the immense
delight of the Gods and of all creation. This happens, according to the Puranas,
on the Shivarathri day.
The significance of this myth lies in the secret taught by it of pleasing the
Lord and winning His grace. What a pity that a day of such sanctifying
significance is being celebrated through a routine of meaningless and even
harmful pastimes. Since a vigil is laid down, some people spend the night
witnessing a series of films or in playing cards. Can a person rolling in bed
because he does not get sleep claim that he is observing the vow of vigil? Can a
stork standing on one foot on the bank of a stream to pick up a fish and gulp it
claim that it is practicing meditation? Can a person who refuses to eat his
lunch because he has had a quarrel with his wife claim that he is observing a
fast? There are no short cuts or tricks possible on the spiritual path.
Shivarathri is celebrated in all Shiva temples. Srisailam is a particularly
famous temple of Shiva. There is a fine story told about this festival at
Srisailam. At the foot of the Srisailam range of hills there is a village where
a boy of nine years named Bala Ramanna attended primary school. He learned from
his friends at school that their sisters and brothers-in-law were coming to
their homes to attend the Shivarathri celebrations on the Srisailam Hills.
Ramanna went home and wanted his mother to send his sister and brother-in-law to
the festival also. His mother told him that he had no sister and, therefore, no
brother-in-law. But he would not listen. He said he must have a sister and a
brother-in-law like his friends. So his mother, just to quiet him, said, "You
have a sister and a brother-in-law, but they are in the temple on the Srisailam.
Their names are Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna." She gave him the names by which
Shiva and His consort are known -- Bhramaramba meaning Bee and Mallikarjuna
meaning the White Jasmine. These names are very apt, because the consort draws
inspiration, instruction, and wisdom from the Lord even as the bee draws its
sustenance from the jasmine flowers.
When he was told that his sister was in the temple on the Srisailam, Ramanna
insisted that he would go and invite his sister and brother-in-law to come home
and stay there for some time. He wanted to take some presents for them, but his
mother said that they were far too rich and that younger members of the family
should not present anything to the elders. The mother sent her son with a
neighbor who was going to the temple to see the festival. She gave the neighbor
money so that he could get presents for the boy.
Ramanna hastened up the hill and rushed into the temple crying,
"Sister...brother-in-law," and fell at the feet of the idol of Bhramaramba. He
held the idol in embrace and began dragging it, wanting it to accompany him. He
clasped the idol of Mallikarjuna and would not leave it. At last the priests in
the temple drove him away as a mad boy.
Then in despair, he climbed a high rock and threatened to jump from that height
unless his sister and her husband came with him. Just then he heard a loud voice
from the temple, "Brother-inlaw! Ramanna! Dont jump! We are coming with you..."
and soon Lord Shiva and His consort presented themselves before him and
accompanied him to his cottage in the valley below. The mother and son were so
overwhelmed with Divine bliss that they merged in the Divine Phenomenon and were
seen no more. This story has added to the sanctity of the shrine of Bhramaramba
and Mallikarjuna at Srisailam.
Children in those days and elders too had innocent minds, simple hearts, and
high ideals. Nowadays cynicism and disbelief have become rampant. There is a
wave of negligence and sloth sweeping over our people. For one word uttered they
ascribe ten meanings to it and not one of them is correct. When a subject is
mentioned, they start a series of arguments and counter-arguments, and in the
dust that is raised the truth is ignored. Their lives are largely artificial and
their ideals shallow, so Divinity is beyond their reach.
Bala Ramanna had unadulterated faith, so he was able to dedicate his pure self
to the Lord and reach the goal. You must always exalt low things to a higher
level by infusing them with higher meaning. Ramanna believed the stone image to
be God; he did not bring God down to the level of a stone image. You may worship
a picture as God, but you should not assume God is a picture. Wood, stone, or
mud may be assumed to be Divine, but Divinity should not be limited to wood,
stone or mud.
Have high ideals. Strive to elevate yourselves. Make for the highest goal, God.
Whatever the obstacle or opposition, do not be disheartened. Give up the animal
in you, stabilize yourselves in human virtues and proceed boldly towards the
achievements of Divinity. Do not waver; do not go today to devotion, tomorrow to
sensual gratification, and the day after again to devotion. When everything is
successful you are all for devotion; when something goes wrong, you are filled
with despair; when discipline is enforced, you start holding back; and when love
is showered, you come first. This dual attitude must be given up.
The very Divine principle which seekers strive to visualize by means of years of
asceticism and renunciation is before you, here and now; realize the good
fortune you are endowed with. I have this day, the holy day of Shivarathri,
granted pardon for all the errors you have fallen into knowingly or unknowingly
up to this time. Have auspicious thoughts, speak auspicious words, and do
auspicious deeds. And as a result of this, attain the embodiment of
auspiciousness, Shiva Himself.
lunar fortnight when the moon is waning and the sun is in the sign of Aquarius.
The festival is, however, related to the moon rather than the sun. That is the
reason why it is called Shivarathri, the night of Shiva. Unlike other nights,
this particular night is the night of consecration, of dedication, of
illumination.
The mind is intimately associated with the moon. Chandra, the deity of the moon,
is the presiding deity of the mind. He loses one sixteenth of his brilliance
every day after the full moon day and continues waning until on this night he is
left with just one sixteenth of his power. The waned moon may be taken to stand
for the mind with all its wild fancies and waywardness reduced after it has been
conquered by spiritual discipline. On this night there is just a minute part
more to be conquered and that can be done by keeping vigil and dwelling on the
glory of God. The vigil that is prescribed is symbolic of the eternal vigil one
has to observe, while the rite of fasting is symbolic of divesting the senses of
the pleasures for which they crave. The nightlong devotional singing is
significant of the life-long consciousness of the Divine Presence that every one
should cultivate. The rites and vows laid down for Shivarathri being absent on
other nights of the year, their observance on this day comes as a reminder that
they are useful.
There are three types of men: the multi-centered, the uni-centered, and the
non-centered. The first group, who allow their senses, mind, and intelligence to
wander where they will, is a very populous group. So also is the third group,
which comprises people who flit from one object to another, hop around from one
thing to another in listless flippancy. For earning the concentration and
single-centeredness characteristic of the second group, the festival of
Shivarathri is very propitious. The devotional singing and the ceaseless flow of
the recital of the name of God and reflection on the name of God on this
occasion help in the attainment of single-centeredness.
You must realize that devotional singing, reflection on the name of God, and
offerings at the lotus feet are not for pleasing or propitiating God, but for
our own spiritual progress. Frequently, people flatter the rich and the powerful
-- especially when they are in their employment or are beholden to them for some
precious help -- in order to induce them to shower gifts on them. But God does
not shower grace on people because they sing His praises. Nor does He come down
upon them because they do not deify Him. Recitation of the Divine attributes
only enables us to dwell on elevating ideals and approximate ourselves more and
more to the Divinity that is our nature. We become what we contemplate. By
constant thought an ideal gets imprinted on our heart. When we fix our thoughts
on the evil that others do, our mind gets polluted by the evil. When, on the
contrary, we fix our mind on the virtues or well being of others, our mind is
cleansed of wrong and entertains only good thoughts. No evil thought can
penetrate the mind of a person wholly given to love and compassion. The thoughts
we indulge in shape our nature; along with others, they affect us too. For
example, when a flash is released to photograph someone, his face is lit; but
so, too, to a certain extent, is the face of the photographer. When a municipal
truck full of refuse passes by, you are affected by the bad smell even though
you may be standing afar. Similarly, a thought may be momentary, it may be
trivial, yet its effect on the mind cannot be avoided. It was because the
ancient sages knew this important truth that they declared, "He who knows
Brahman (God) becomes Brahman." The only way to become Brahman is to be ever
immersed in contemplation of Brahman. With a lump of salt on ones tongue, how
can any one relish the sweetness of honey or fruits? With a lump of candy on the
tongue, how can the taste of salt and savory be known? Immerse your mind in good
thoughts and the world will be good; soak it in bad thoughts and the world will
be bad for you. So, recollect only good; do, think, and plan only good; speak
and act only good. Then as a result you will approximate God, the source of all
good. This is the message of Shivarathri.
According to numerology, the first three syllables of the word Shivarathri --
si, va, and ra -- connote the numbers five, four, and two and the fourth
syllable, thri, means three. Five, four and two make one whole, one composite
picture of the eleven rudras. Rudra means the one who makes man weep. The eleven
rudras are: the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, and the
mind. These, by leading him astray in pursuit of trivial and transitory
pleasures, ruin him and make him weep. But the God within, if it is sought and
relied upon, sheds its rays on the eleven and makes them meaningful partners in
the progress of man towards self-realization. The rays from the God within
illumine the intelligence, the illumined intelligence alerts the mind, and the
alerted mind gets control of the senses, making the path clear for the person to
proceed through knowledge to wisdom.
Another significance of Shivarathri is this: Shiva, or the Eternal Absolute
Person, in His desire to attract the world of matter, engages Himself in the
thandava, the cosmic dance. The dance is a Divine plan to attract the material
creation, For all Divine miracles like those of Rama (He who pleases and
delights) and Krishna (He who attracts) are for drawing people to the Divine
presence for the purpose of correcting or cleansing them, or for confirming
their faith and then leading them on to the discipline of service so that they
may merge in ecstasy, in the source of all ecstasy -- a miracle resulting in
sublimation, leading to service to society and finally conferring
self-realization. The cosmic dance is so fast that fire emanates from Shivas
body because of the heat generated by activity. In order to cool Shiva and
comfort him, Paravathi, his consort, places the Ganges on his head, makes the
crescent moon rest amidst the coils of his hair, applies cold sandalwood paste
all over his body, winds round the joints of his hands and feet cold-blooded
snakes, and finally, being herself the daughter of the Himalayas (the mountains
with eternal snow), she sits on his lap and becomes a part of him. At this Shiva
rises, and both the soul and the world of matter dance together to the immense
delight of the Gods and of all creation. This happens, according to the Puranas,
on the Shivarathri day.
The significance of this myth lies in the secret taught by it of pleasing the
Lord and winning His grace. What a pity that a day of such sanctifying
significance is being celebrated through a routine of meaningless and even
harmful pastimes. Since a vigil is laid down, some people spend the night
witnessing a series of films or in playing cards. Can a person rolling in bed
because he does not get sleep claim that he is observing the vow of vigil? Can a
stork standing on one foot on the bank of a stream to pick up a fish and gulp it
claim that it is practicing meditation? Can a person who refuses to eat his
lunch because he has had a quarrel with his wife claim that he is observing a
fast? There are no short cuts or tricks possible on the spiritual path.
Shivarathri is celebrated in all Shiva temples. Srisailam is a particularly
famous temple of Shiva. There is a fine story told about this festival at
Srisailam. At the foot of the Srisailam range of hills there is a village where
a boy of nine years named Bala Ramanna attended primary school. He learned from
his friends at school that their sisters and brothers-in-law were coming to
their homes to attend the Shivarathri celebrations on the Srisailam Hills.
Ramanna went home and wanted his mother to send his sister and brother-in-law to
the festival also. His mother told him that he had no sister and, therefore, no
brother-in-law. But he would not listen. He said he must have a sister and a
brother-in-law like his friends. So his mother, just to quiet him, said, "You
have a sister and a brother-in-law, but they are in the temple on the Srisailam.
Their names are Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna." She gave him the names by which
Shiva and His consort are known -- Bhramaramba meaning Bee and Mallikarjuna
meaning the White Jasmine. These names are very apt, because the consort draws
inspiration, instruction, and wisdom from the Lord even as the bee draws its
sustenance from the jasmine flowers.
When he was told that his sister was in the temple on the Srisailam, Ramanna
insisted that he would go and invite his sister and brother-in-law to come home
and stay there for some time. He wanted to take some presents for them, but his
mother said that they were far too rich and that younger members of the family
should not present anything to the elders. The mother sent her son with a
neighbor who was going to the temple to see the festival. She gave the neighbor
money so that he could get presents for the boy.
Ramanna hastened up the hill and rushed into the temple crying,
"Sister...brother-in-law," and fell at the feet of the idol of Bhramaramba. He
held the idol in embrace and began dragging it, wanting it to accompany him. He
clasped the idol of Mallikarjuna and would not leave it. At last the priests in
the temple drove him away as a mad boy.
Then in despair, he climbed a high rock and threatened to jump from that height
unless his sister and her husband came with him. Just then he heard a loud voice
from the temple, "Brother-inlaw! Ramanna! Dont jump! We are coming with you..."
and soon Lord Shiva and His consort presented themselves before him and
accompanied him to his cottage in the valley below. The mother and son were so
overwhelmed with Divine bliss that they merged in the Divine Phenomenon and were
seen no more. This story has added to the sanctity of the shrine of Bhramaramba
and Mallikarjuna at Srisailam.
Children in those days and elders too had innocent minds, simple hearts, and
high ideals. Nowadays cynicism and disbelief have become rampant. There is a
wave of negligence and sloth sweeping over our people. For one word uttered they
ascribe ten meanings to it and not one of them is correct. When a subject is
mentioned, they start a series of arguments and counter-arguments, and in the
dust that is raised the truth is ignored. Their lives are largely artificial and
their ideals shallow, so Divinity is beyond their reach.
Bala Ramanna had unadulterated faith, so he was able to dedicate his pure self
to the Lord and reach the goal. You must always exalt low things to a higher
level by infusing them with higher meaning. Ramanna believed the stone image to
be God; he did not bring God down to the level of a stone image. You may worship
a picture as God, but you should not assume God is a picture. Wood, stone, or
mud may be assumed to be Divine, but Divinity should not be limited to wood,
stone or mud.
Have high ideals. Strive to elevate yourselves. Make for the highest goal, God.
Whatever the obstacle or opposition, do not be disheartened. Give up the animal
in you, stabilize yourselves in human virtues and proceed boldly towards the
achievements of Divinity. Do not waver; do not go today to devotion, tomorrow to
sensual gratification, and the day after again to devotion. When everything is
successful you are all for devotion; when something goes wrong, you are filled
with despair; when discipline is enforced, you start holding back; and when love
is showered, you come first. This dual attitude must be given up.
The very Divine principle which seekers strive to visualize by means of years of
asceticism and renunciation is before you, here and now; realize the good
fortune you are endowed with. I have this day, the holy day of Shivarathri,
granted pardon for all the errors you have fallen into knowingly or unknowingly
up to this time. Have auspicious thoughts, speak auspicious words, and do
auspicious deeds. And as a result of this, attain the embodiment of
auspiciousness, Shiva Himself.
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