Nth Moment Experience

Suppose we had cannibals among us and let us say they go hunting,  how would life be?   What will happen to us?   Put yourself in place of a deer chased by a cheetah or a zebra chased by a tiger or a mouse chased by a cat.  Every second is life or death for you.  All that you would do is run as fast as you could to escape from the eyes of your predator because you are fighting to be alive every second.
That nth moment is precious than the Kohinoor diamond.  That is when you realize how important life is.  Let us suppose you survive that experience without being eaten, who all would you thank for keeping you alive? 

You probably would say "Thank God!".   Whom are you thanking?  Who is God here?   There are few questions to be answered here

Are you thanking your legs for running as fast as it could?
Are you thanking your hands for coordinating with the legs?
Are you thanking your eyes for choosing the right escape path?
Are you thanking your brain for getting you the right direction and thoughts?
Are you thanking your heart for not getting arrested?
Or may be
Are you thanking the predator for being slower than you?

Well, it is logical and human to ponder for a second and find answers to these questions.  You probably would say ALL OF THE ABOVE may be because that is the most appropriate way of putting it together and easy too.   Thank all but thank your enemy for sparing you which is most important.   I believe this is the the most appropriate way to experience "God" for without his mercy,  you probably would have met your creator in the heaven that nth moment.

May be the most appropriate way of THANKING would be something like this

Thank you God for giving enough power to my legs
Thank you God for making my legs coordinate with my hands
Thank you God for letting my eyes see the appropriate escape path
Thank you God for letting my brain think swiftly to push me in the right direction
Thank you God for keeping my heart beating

and here comes the best one

Thank you God for slowing my predator, my enemy and my best friend for sparing me that Nth Moment.

I have experienced God!

Review : Ranga Bhavan Marriage Hall, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli

I am writing this review about this marriage hall as I did not find any appropriate web site to do so. 
I hope this review would be useful before taking a decision.

I did Upanayanam for my son on March 4th, 2018 so information here is as fresh as it could be without any prejudice.

Advantages

• The hall is on the Ammamandapam Road and is easily reachable.
• All buses from Srirangam to Trichy stop here (The name of the stop itself is Ranga Bavan)
• Both the main hall (can seat about 600) and the dining hall (can seat about 1000) are very spacious.
• The best part is that the dining hall is at the ground level as the main hall which means it is easily accessible by senior citizens
• The watchman and the manager (Mrs. Dhanalakshmi) are extremely helpful and would do anything out of their way to serve the guest.
• They have a guest house about 200 meters away which is a 2-floor building with a 4 rooms and 2 big halls and enough toilets (but this is separately charged, about Rs 7000/- per day) 
• The venue has around 11 rooms (4 of them are a/c rooms,  another 4 are near the dining area to be used only by the caterers)
• Cost is pretty reasonable - I paid 45,000 Rupees for 1 day.
• There are many hotels nearby for a comfortable stay.   
• Ranganathaswamy Temple is about 1.5 kms.
• They have gas burners and enough utensils

Disadvantages

• The building is very old (conducted in 1953) and wears a old deserted look.   Do not expect anything posh here.
• The toilets are very unclean which means you have to follow up multiple times to get it cleaned.  Make sure that you let them do acid cleaning.  
• The bridge and bridge groom rooms have a/c attached but is too small to be used.  
• Too many mosquitoes near the bridge and groom's rooms.  Make sure that you have stock of enough mosquitoes repellents to sleep peacefully.
• The owner of the marriage hall talks to you gently as if he would take care of everything on the earth but doesn't even care to inspect the place during the function.  He leaves the whole thing to the supervisor.   But he is available all the time over phone to take instructions and act on it.
•  The dining hall was not clean when we checked-in especially the floor was not washed.  We had to follow up multiple times to get it done, but it was just half done and we gave up.
• The stairs to the first floor is extremely steep that even youngsters will find it difficult to use.   So, we ended up not using the rooms on the first floor.
• The common toilets in the first floor are very unclean.
• The common toilets in the ground floor are unclean too.
• The venue is used as a tourist home for tourists mostly from North India.   The tourists stay there for a day on their pilgrimage visit to Srirangam and make the place very very unclean, especially the toilets.   So, it becomes difficult for them to maintain the place.  If your function is on the very next day after the tourist visit,  you life could be miserable before the venue gets cleaned (expect it to be half-cleaned)
•  The dining hall's room has asbestos sheet which radiates heat extremely.   Trichy being extremely hot almost 200 out of 365 days the dining hall is literally unusable.  Your guests will have to bear the scorching heat while having food!
• There is no parking facility. 
• The place may not be very safe.  They do not have any security guard.  They have a old watchman who stays in the venue who could barely walk.   They lock the front gate but do not lock the back gates.
• The place is actually very vulnerable to theft.   

Rating : 

Location :           **** 
Cost :                  ****
Amenities :         ***

Friendly Staff :   ***

Safety :               **
Cleanliness :       **

If you are too crunched on budget and have to do a 1-day show, then go for it.   For serious functions like marriages which spans close to two days,  I would not recommend this Mandapam.



 

Creating an Unleashing Mind

Someone asked me a question that made me write this article.

What is deeper than the ocean?
What is higher than the sky?
What is faster than the fastest jet?

After thinking through, I was spot on to say "The Human Mind" and my answer was well-received. If we look back having spent many years doing so many things, one thing that most of us would agree is that we hardly unleashed anything. We learnt and gained knowledge in many areas, but did we really unleash any of those is a big question mark. Please ask your friends, your colleagues and relatives; I am sure you would agree with me.
Most of the time we learn things superficially out of compulsion or we just happen to hop onto it. Even the best of the best minds would not have unleashed to the extent required and may not be qualified to be called the Subject Matter Expert (SME).

So, what is "Unleashing" ?
Sudhir Choudhary also called Sudhir Kumar Gautam, is a fan of the Indian cricket team and Sachin Tendulkar. He is widely recognized for attending every home match the Indian team has played since 2003. For some overseas tours, he also collects funds from the cricket loving public. He is usually seen with his body painted in the national colours of India, waving the national flag in the live telecast of the matches. You ask him any question about Sachin Tendulkar, his life or his game, you would get an instant answer. Even Sachin probably might have forgotten many things. Well, at hindsight, one could call this person "A crazy Sachin fan". I would say "Sudhir has UNLEASHED Sachin". He has devoted his life in unleashing every aspect of the cricketing maestro and he is respected for what he has done. That is the power of unleashing.

If you unleash, you get the power of

1. knowing the intricate details
2. becoming creative
3. becoming confident
4. getting recognized

It is like one stop shop for training the mind to become powerful.

If you are a parent having a child studying in grade 6+, it is very important to motivate your child to unleash because it is the right age to 'unleash' these powers. Help your child identify a subject that he/she is interested and help him/her unleash it. It could be the stupidest thing, but you are making your child powerful which is the greatest gift you could give.

If you are a lead/manager, help your subordinate unleash. Give them the required confidence and motivate them to unleash anything that they show interest at. They will bless you for your lifetime as it is the greatest investment; "The investment of knowledge and the game of mind-power" that you are making on them.

So, start unleashing today......

Can't Blame Our Education System Any More...

My son is going to write his 12th standard CBSE board exam this March.  While I was going through the time table today,  I was bewildered to see some of the elite subjects  CBSE offers.   Like....

DANCE –KATHAK 
DANCE-BHARATNATYAM
DANCE –ODISSI
DANCE-KATHKALI
OFFICE COMMUNICATION 
INFORMATION STORAGE & RETRIVAL 
INTEGRATED TRANSPORT OPERATION 
FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS 
TRAVEL AGENCY & TOUR OPERATIONS BUSINESS (NSQF)
SALESMANSHIP-II 
CAPITAL MARKET OPERATIONS 
BANKING-II
AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION – III
OPTICS –II
RADIOGRAPHY-I GENERAL 
ELECTRICAL MACHINE
CLINICAL BIO-CHEMISTRY (MLT)
CHILD HEALTH NURSING 
GARMENT CONSTRUCTION –II
TRADITIONAL INDIAN TEXTILE
BUSINESS STUDIES 
BASIC HORTICULTURE-II
BEAUTY & HAIR -II
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNICATION DEVICES
FIRST AID & EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
CLINICAL BIO-CHEMISTRY & MICROBIOLOGY-II
MICROBIOLOGY (MLT)
HEALTH CENTRE MANAGEMENT
OPTHALMIC TECHNIQUES-II
RADIOGRAPHY-II (SPECIAL INVESTIGATION  IMAGING 
RADIOGRAPHY)
DATABASE MANAGEMENT APPLICATION (NSQF)
RETAIL SERVICES-II(NSQF)-
LOGISTICE OPERATION & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT –II 
BUSINESS
OPERATION & ADMINISTRATION –II 
LABORATORY MEDICINES (CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
HEMATOLOGY & HISTOPATHOLOGY –II (MLT)
APPLIED PHYSICS 
FOOD & BEVERAGE COST & CONTROL 
FLORICULTURE 
COST ACCOUNTING 
BIOLOGY OPTHALMIC-II
RADIATION  PHYSICS 
INFORMATICS PRACTICES
COMPUTER SCIENCE
ADVANCED FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS
OLERICULTURE - II
INSURANCE –II
BASIC PATTERN DEVELOPMENT
BAKERY-II
HOLISTIC HEALTH –II
SECURITY(NSQF)
ENGINEERING GRAPHICS
HERITAGE CRAFTS
HUMAN RIGHTS & GENDER STUDIES
LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MARKETING- II
TEXTILE CHEMICAL PROCESSING
WEB APPLICATION – II (NSQF)
KNOWLEDGE TRADITIONS & PRACTICE OF INDIA
LEGAL STUDIES
GRAPHIC DESIGN
HEALTH EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC
RELATIONS & PUBLIC HEALTH
THE CREATIVE & COMMERCIAL PROCESS IN MASS MEDIA-II
PRINTED TEXTILE
TYPOGRAPHY & COMPUTER APPLICATION(ENG.)
POLITICAL SCIENCE
LABORATORY MEDICINE-II
RETAIL OPERATIONS-II(NSQF)
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING-II
TAXATION-II
DERIVATIVE MARKET OPERATIONS
AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION-IV
LIBRARY SYSTEMS & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
TROUBLE SHOOTING & MAINTENANCE OF
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
PAINTING 
GRAPHICS
SCULPTURE 
APPLIED ARTS-COMMERCIAL ARTS
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
CONFECTIONERY
THEATRE STUDIES
TANGKHUL
MUSIC KARANATAKA (VOCAL)
MUSIC KARANATAKA INSTRUMENTAL (MELODIC)
MUSIC HINDUSTANI VOCAL
MUSIC HINDUSTANI INSTRUMENTAL MELODIC
MUSIC HINDUSTANI INSTRUMENTAL PERCUSSION 
MASS MEDIA STUDIES
AUTO ENGINEERING-II(NSQF)
MULTIMEDIA & WEB TECHNOLOGY
AUTOSHOP REPAIR & PRACTICE-II NSQF
FABRIC STUDY
PHILOSOPHY
ENTERPRENEURSHIP
OFFICE PROCEDURE & PRACTICES
BASIC CONCEPT OF HEALTH AND DISEASE AND
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
FOOD SERVICE-II
GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY
MIDWIFERY
TYPOGRAPHY & COMPUTER APPLICATION


It has got everything that a person wants to do after 12th standard.  This means if we could understand our children's area of interest and guide them appropriately, there is no need to fall in prey to engineering, medical and science subjects only.   CBSE has so much to offer at higher level secondary level.  Just that it is not recognized by us.  We probably aren't making the necessary attempt to embrace the opportunity. 

It is time we do that. 

Simple But Effective Experiment (CocoMeter)

All of us use coconut oil, don't we?.

During winter, when I get up early in the morning to get ready, one thing that many of us would have done is to heat the hardened coconut oil.  Till about last year, I was doing this every single winter morning from the beginning of November till about Feb mid. 

This year, we are close to end of November.  The coconut oil is semi-liquid.  It is freely flowing into my hands.  Winter has not set in yet completely which it should have by now.  The meteorological department has indicated that Bangalore/Hosur is experiencing a high temperature close to 32 Deg Centigrade for the first time in many many years. 

This experiment with zero cost indicates the effects of global warming due to unethical human practices imposed on mother planet.

The Joy Of A Scientist

I have been in the scientific industry for more than 50 years.
I have taken part in many scientific events, projects, explorations and technology development.
I would like to share the most memorable incident that touched my mind.


Agni is a high-speed missile that is capable of traveling 15-times faster than the speed of the sound.
The front-portion of rocket that carries the missile would be at 4000 Degrees Kelvin temperature.
In order to comprehend that high temperature, we developed a material  made of a carbon-carbon composite material that is light and able to sustain high thermal stresses of re-entry, in a variety of trajectories.

After the successful test launch of Agni-II,  we used the same light material to prepare Calipers for children affected by Polio.  The regular calipers weighs about 4 kgs and children find it very difficult to move with it.
Using the carbon carbon material mixed with composite material, we made calipers weighing just 400 gms (1/10th of the actual weight).

Children wearing the new light-weight calipers were extremely delighted.  They started walking and even jumping easily.  Their mothers were in full of tears seeing their children's joyful movements.  What an event was it.  It is the most astounding event of my life.   I see this is as the most memorable and greatest scientific event in my life. 

Narrated by
Dr.  A.P.J Abdul Kalam
(former President Of India and an extra-ordinary statesman)

Mahatma Gandhi Showed Us the Path for next 10,000 years! - TACTICAL NON-VIOLENCE

A great Tamil poet, Kaniyan Poongundranaar said 3000 years back

 யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர் ;
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா ;
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன ;
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே ; வாழ்தல்
இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே; முனிவின்,
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே; ‘மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ, ஆனாது
கல்பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லற் பேர்யாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல, ஆருயிர்
முறைவழிப் படூஉம்’ என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே;
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.

எட்டுத்தொகை நூல்களில் ஒன்றாகிய
புறநானூறு. 192 - பாடியவர்: கணியன் பூங்குன்றன்

Translation :

All are our place; every one is our relatives,
Bad & Good does not come from others,
Similarly pain & relief as well, Death is not new at all, we neither Feel proud to live, nor Feel distress to end, like the Water fall from sky as stone after lightening Thunder, though clean and colourless, after touching.   The earth takes the colour and quality of the place of fall, And run with river, Our life also takes shape depending upon circumstances And these facts realized & understood by the learned elders, And hence we don't flatter privileged and more than that We don't snuff the disadvantaged!

He said 3000 years back which is so relevant today too.  

Mahatma Gandhi resonated the same thing in India by virtue of his independence movement by using the extreme powerful weapon - the "Non-violence"  weapon.
If you read historical facts behind the Indian independence struggle and movement,  you would realize that there were many freedom fighters in the past who vanished unsuccessfully fighting the mighty British empire using their violent methods.  It is Mahatma Gandhi who taught the world the way to tactically use non-violence.   What is astonishing is the way he went about strategically planning and executing it tactfully.   Those strategies and the tactics are relevant for the next 10,000 years.

As Arun Gandhi (Mahatma's Gandhi's gandson), rightly pointed out in an interview;  We have become very reactive to conflict management.   We allow conflicts to continue till they become crisis and then we struggle to resolve crisis.   Mostly we use brute force to resolve a crisis because once it become a crisis, it becomes very difficult to find a solution. 

Let me give you another example.   Just before the second world war, Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter a Adolf Hitler where he stated the following

"IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT YOU ARE TODAY THE ONE PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO CAN PREVENT THE WAR WHICH MAY REDUCE HUMANITY TO SAVAGE STATE.  MUST YOU PAY THAT PRICE FOR AN OBJECT HOWEVER WORTHY IT MAY APPEAR TO YOU TO BE?  WILL YOU LISTEN TO THE APPEAL OF ONE WHO HAS DELIBERATELY SHUNNED THE METHOD OF WAR NOT WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS"
         --- Gandhi To Hitler

I don't know if that letter really was translated to German and reached Hitler's hands, but I can tell you for sure that had Hitler read it and followed it,  Germany would not have attacked Poland, the allies would not have attacked Germany and the whole world war could have been avoided.  That exactly what I meant is "Proactive conflict resolution".  It is unfortunate to note that after many many years, we are still reactive and waiting for the crisis to show its ugly face.

Take Israel and Palestine as another example,  both nations fight against each other using violence.  As long as they use violence, they are not going to reach any where.  Israel is seen as advanced and greatly developed nation.   But, they are still unable to solve the crisis.  Why?: -  just because they continue to use arms and ammunition against Palestine and Palestine is retaliating AND THE CRISIS CONTINUES.


I suggest that the leaders of different countries review the Gandhian Strategy today and carve out relevant methods to handle and curb terrorism.  I feel we are in the brink of World War III.  We need to act quickly to save the earth and humanity.

Non-violence which is the way of life needs to followed and preserved by all. 

Understanding India and Making A Foreigner Understand India

I saw this cool video where an non-Indian is watching a scene from "Namastey London" where Akshay Kumar gives a fitting reply to an abusing Britisher.  

A must for all Indians and Non-Indians to get a glimpse of what India is all about.   See how the guy reacts to the video.   You would love it and finally you would love your Mother Land - India.  

So, if you have anyone talking ill about India, show them this video. 


-Jai Hind

Cricket and Bhagavat Gita

There is an interesting analogy between Cricket and Bhagavat Gita.

A player comes to to field with a bat to play.   Another player is ready to bowl.   Both face each other professionally.  So far so good, nothing wrong about this because this is one-to-one and is justified.    Why are ten players surrounding one player?   Why did they come?   Its simple.  To get rid of the batsman.   You may call this decently in cricketing terms as "Fielding".   There is an important life lesson to be understood here

"There are 10 harmful eyes waiting to be-little you and they are around you.  So, you better watch them out carefully and be aware of them"

Continuing our analogy, 

We have 10 players, a batsman and a bowler which is great,  but why did 10,000 people assemble there?   What are they doing here ?  Just shouting 4s, 6s, OUTs and having fun.  The batsman who is in the limelight is celebrated and criticized back-n-forth.   Nevertheless, the best batsmen make merry by scoring a century without giving too much importance to these.    Another important life lesson to be understood here

"Life is all about criticisms and celebrations when there are ups and downs.  Do not loose focus on your primary goals"

Continuing our analogy,

While the match is in progress, suddenly the crowd shouts "OUT OUT OUT"  while the batsman is actually not out.   He knows that he is not out, but restlessly waits for the umpire's decision while the crowd continues to shout being unaware of what really happened.   The umpire (The Single Strong Man!) is in a responsible position to take the right decision and unleash the truth without getting carried away by the crowd.   If the umpire takes the right decision (NOT OUT in this case),   all ten thousand voices are silenced by one solitary signal.  There is an interesting analogy here.

"One Truth is more powerful than one thousand Lies"

Mahatma Gandhi showed us the path to truth and wisdom while he was taking over the mighty British empire.  Thousands of people followed him to the path towards success. 
Another interesting quote here...

"Truth Always Triumphs"

This is an eternal philosophy.

Continuing with our analog,

We talked about the batsman, we talked about the bowler, we talked about ten thousand people all waiting to get rid of the batsman.   Well, the fact is we don't need any of these to get rid of the batsman,  the co-batsman (or the runner up) is good enough to get rid of him.   How?   If the other batsman makes mistakes while running between the wickets, there is every possibility that the batsman would get out.  We have seen great batsmen getting out without scoring runs due to the mistakes by the co-batsman.   So what does that teach us in life?  

It is not always that our foes who are against us, sometimes our own people whom we trust may go against us.   

or  in other words

There aren't permanent foes and friends in life.   Life oscillates between friends and foes.

Finally, if one carefully notices the game of cricket, one would realize that every ball bowled is with an intention to out the batsman.   Attitude, focus and skill of the batsman turns the ball of failure to the ball of success.  If we understand this, we also can realize that

When the world throws balls at us with malicious intents,  play them with good attitude and sane intentions that would help convert them to century making balls.  Nobody can defeat you as long you are in the right path with good intention.   This is the secret behind successful life.

Do not worry about failures,  because they are the pathway to success.    


Life is all about doing our duty (Karma), playing through our strengths, helping and being happy.


-Jai Hind

(Translated from a Tamil speech rendered by Solvendar Suki Sivam)






 

Padma Vibhushan To Dr. Shanta

Government Of India recently conferred Padma awards on different people who have played significant role in their areas over many many years.  While there have been controversies on people selected for the award, here is one awardee who needs no justification at all.  

Dr. V. Shanta, Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, has been conferred with Padma Vibhushan which is the second highest civilian award in our country. 
 

Coming in the family of Noble Laureate, Sir C.V Raman and S. Chandrashekar,  Dr. Shanta dedicated her life treating cancer patients for the last 60 years with care and compassion.   She is a very down to earth person and easily approachable.

This is probably an excellent example of who should be given a Padma award!   

Here is a short film on one of her achievements

Proud to be an Indian!


Jai Hind!

Young Colors Of India

I created this on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day of India depicting colors of Indian Children - different culture, different tradition, but one goal - "TO MAKE INDIA THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON THE PLANET".

Proud to be an Indian

-Jai Hind

The Power And Greatness Of Gayathri Mantra

He who stops chanting Gayathri Mantra for 3 generations seizes to be a Brahmin.  He cannot enter Brahmanism thereafter. That is the power and richness of Gayathri Mantra.   Gayathri Mantra is like a spark which should not be ignored.  A spark is not useful by itself, but gets immense power when it becomes a fire.  At the time of Brahmopadesa during Upanayanam, the Brahmin boy (Vatu) is bestowed with this spark by narrating the Gayathri Mantra into his ears by the Guru.  Through this narration, the spark enters the mind of the Vatu and remains there for ever.  It the duty of the Vatu to keep the spark ignited at all times.  That is done by reciting the Gayathri Mantra regularly.  In order to realize the power of this mantra, the feeble spark has to become fire and then a mighty flame.  This is possible by chanting Gayathri Mantra many many times.  

The Gayathri Mantra purifies our mind and the inner soul.  It is our responsibility to keep the mind clean and fresh.  In order to keep the body and mind pure, it is important to completely eliminate junk food.   The power of Gayathri Mantra could be realized only when the magical mantra resides in a purified non-contaminated mind.  Once you have started chanting Gayathri Mantra, it is important to stop eating junk food and outside food. 

"Sahasra Paramadevi Shatha Madhya Dasavara", means -  It is extremely auspicious to chant this mantra 1000 times (1008 precisely),  it is good to chant 100 times (108 precisely) and it is wise to chat atleast 10.  There is a difference between auspicious, good and wise.  Do chant 100 to 1000 times on Sundays and other holidays if you do not have time during the weekdays. 

Trikala Sandhya Vandhanam is a must for all Brahmins.  Chanting 10 Gayathri Mantra each time will enable you to chant 30 times daily.   Prathah Sandhya at dawn is the time when life is rising.   The mind is peaceful during that time. Sayam Sandhya (Dusk) is the time when we have completed our day job.  The mind is relaxed during this time too.   Madhyanmigam (noon) is the time when the position of the sun is at the center (on top of our head).  If you notice carefully, our mind is relaxed during this time too.  So, chanting Gayathri Mantra during these three periods gives the maximum benefit to our inner soul.

The Gayathri Mantra unifies the power of all Veda Mantras.  It gives the power to other Mantras too.  If it is not chanted,  there is no point in chanting other Veda Mantras.  We have heard about hypnotism in this material world.  Through hypnotism the mind is manipulated and controlled.  One who hypnotizes gains absolute control over other's mind.  Gayathri Mantra is the tool to hypnotize your mind in order to attain Moksha or Mukthi.  It is self-hypnotism.  It enables you to control your anger and greed from this materialistic world and helps you attain the real Moksha.  The more you blow this spark, the more bigger it becomes which gives better enlightenment.  When the fire becomes a mighty flame,  it becomes very difficult to diffuse it.  That is the time you attain Moksha.

In Sandhyavandanam, Argyam and Gayathri are the most important ones.  The importance of Argyapradhanam is described during the Kurukshetra war.   It is said that during war time, due to lack of water, the soldiers did Argyapradhanam using sand.   Such is the importance of Argyam.   So, while performing Trikala Sandhyavandanam, it is very important to perform Argyapradanam and Gayathri Mantram.  It is the karma of every Brahman. 

Kanchi Mahaswami describes the importance of Gayathri Mantra in a beautiful way.  When someone is affected by fever which is an indication of a problem in our body, it is important to take medicine to get cured.  Similarly, when we are born in this materialistic world, we are engulfed with another form of fever, the fever of greed and ego.  The only medicine prescribed for this fever is Gayathri Mantra.  It takes long time for us to get rid of the fever of greed and ego.  That is why one should continue to chant Gayathri Mantra for ever.

While other Mantras might need regular practice and hard work to understand, Gayathri Mantra is fairly easy and needs no physical exercise to practice.  It has been made easy for everyone to practice at ease.  All you need is little water for Argyapradanam.   Gayathri Matru Roopaya - The Vedas depict Gayathri in form of mother.  We would not have been what we are without our Mother.  She is the most merciful and most lovable for all of us.  Gayathri Mantra is given similar status equal to our mother. 

-Translated by Krishnan, Hosur

Winning And Being Successful

Winning and being successful are not one and the same.   The difference may not even be subtle.   Winning could be a short-term achievement, but being successful might need more than one wins with a mark of difference.

Today, I heard that the country's badminton pride, Sania Nehwal gifted her silver medal winning racquet to Modiji.  While I see no negative intent in she doing this and we should be proud of her achievements as a fellow citizen,  there is a key learning for high achievers here.

Winning and being successful are two different things.  You may win competitions through hard work, regular practice and devotion.  You may even see big and momentary successes.  If you want to create a legacy around you,  you need to do something different.   It has to be noticeable.  It has to be different.  So different that it creates visibility.

If that visibility can create a future that is secure even after you stop winning or stumble, you probably have created a mark for yourself.

India Has Lost Her Son - A People's President - Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam

 

I don't have the age and maturity to appreciate Kalamji.    I had the rare opportunity to see him in person when he visited a school near Hosur, Tamilnadu.  

The man who envisioned a developed India in 2020 is no more.   He orbited the sun 84 times and then reached heaven.   Our country has lost the most beloved president of all times.  So, how can I describe Dr. Kalam.  The following would be minimal to describe him

Great human-being
Great Statesman
Beloved friend
Excellent Leader
Great philosopher
Eminent Scientist
Down-to-earth person
Highly respected
Extremely hardworking
Loved by All
Excellent Orator
Postive Thinker
Writer
Poet
Social Reformer
Highly knowledgeable
Very skilled
Passionate
Above religion and politics
Very humorous
Highly spiritual
Very Strong
Affectionate
Visionary


I was listening to his interview he gave at Wharton School of management.  According to him any leader should demonstrate 6 traits

1.  A leader must have "Vision"
2.  A leader must be able to travel in an unexplored path
3.  A leader must know how to manage and own failures 
4.  A leader must have courage to take decisions
5.  A leader should have nobility in management and be transparent
6.  A leader should demonstrate Integrity

Dr. Kalam believed in youth power.  He had a dream.   Dream to see our country flourish,  dream to see our children prosper, dream to see technological and social advancement.   A dream where every citizen in this country could leave peacefully with love.

Jai Hind!

-Krishnan
 

IMPORTANCE OF GOAL SETTING

The following instrument would be very useful for goal settings.  It could be given to anybody who would like to set some SMART goals in life and identify methods to accomplish them.

GOAL SETTING

My goals for the year (Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, Time bound)

 

It is important that I achieve these goals because:

                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                      

Steps I need to take to achieve my goals:

1

2

                                                                                                                                          

The skills I need to be successful in the process:

 

                                                                                                                                          

How will I know when I have achieved success:

                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                      

The quote or person who inspires me to stay motivated:

                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                      

Costly KSRTC and BMTC - Down Down Bangalore!

I boarded a Volvo A/C Bus from Thiruvanmiyur Jayanthi to Kannagi Salai (near Triplicane).   For a distance of about 10 kms,  I was charged Rs 15/-.   For the same distance between Madivala to CV Raman Nagar in Bangalore, by a similar Volvo Bus,  they charge Rs 70/-.   The quality of the bus is same.   That is 5 times more in Bangalore than Chennai.   KSRTC and BMTC are minting money and cheating people.   This is none less than robbery.   The IT people in Bangalore could afford to pay that much but this is affecting non-IT  people.    The government has to reduce this imbalance.   I like the Chennai-model here.   Will the BMTC authorities take action and do something about it ?

Blog-A-Second

I feel completely disengaged and dejected today.   I hope writing this blog would take off some of the hard feelings and mental stress in my mind.  It happened last year to me when my manager called me to give me the bad news.   I was expecting a promotion and I hoped it would happen, but for the bad news that was opened up in front of me.   I felt horrible, broken, down and dis-engaged that day.   I was unable to talk to my own family members that evening.   I remember the saying, "If your mind is filled with commotion, then talk it over to someone whom you trust and feel close to your heart,  that commotion would reduce, it would de-stress you a bit".   That is when I decided to blog my feelings.   The blog came to me as my trusted companion and I could vent out all my feelings, share my opinion - good or bad.   You can read that blog here https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140729180255-239933340-your-career-development-is-in-your-hands?trk=prof-post

NOTION INK CAIN 2 - pros and cons

A quick view...

Firstly, I am extremely delighted to see an ALL-INDIAN-MADE windows 8.1-based ultra tablet.
I bought it via snapdeal some 2-weeks back.   I have started using it extensively at home and office  (well, my company is talking loud about BYOD, so thought I would try more rather than talking,  so far no concerns raised by my manager atleast ;-)

Some major positives about this desi-gadget

+Very light-weight indeed.  Just weighs 650 gms and goes pretty easy on my back giving no strain to my 40+ year old spinal cord.

+Windows 8.1 is a nice OS to put (although it is not touch-friendly and Microsoft has many miles to go before they make their OS touch-friendly).   But the good thing is that it just boots up in few seconds.   So, I don't have to wait for those many boring minutes for the system to boot up.

+The qwerty chirpy magnetic keyboard is a major plus.   It become a complete laptop with it.

+It is a 10.1 inch pad offering 1280x800 pixels of resolution max.   It would have been nice if they had done 1280x900 which is a minimal standard resolution for high-resolution graphics.   But for a business user, visually it is not bad at all.  I can read my documents and mails pretty easily.

+Taking the screen pad off the keyboard and putting it back is a child's play.   It just goes and sits pretty nicely on the keyboard with a magnetic pull.

+The capacitive-touch is very adaptable to your fingers and responds instantly.

+It offers a plethora of secondary interfaces - you can refer to their technical spec. from their website http://notionink.com/.

+The wireless mouse that comes with the pack is a nice offering.   The quality of the mouse is good.

+I was thrilled to get a 500GB Samsung USB hard disk free of cost with the whole bundle that costs close to 20k INR.  

+The battery is great.  It stays awake for close to 8 hrs straight provided you are not subjecting the device to high intensity CPU operations.

+The 2 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory is sufficient for any business user.     Windows 8.1 comfortably sits there and you have sufficient free RAM space for your regular activity.   The additional 64 GB memory card slot is a wonderful addition.   That way you don't have to clutter your C:  drive with all data.

+The handwriting recognizer is just great.   I just can write with my finger and it recognizes it instantly and promptly.  Very handy while traveling.

...... and now comes the big thing...

+Being Windows 8.1, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 10.   At the time of writing this blog, I am upgrading to Windows 10.   I hope I am taking the right decision to move.   My next blog will be about my experience of using this device with Windows 10.

Some drawbacks....that should be talked about  (Nobody is perfect in this world!)

-The keyboard leaves some easily-seen inprint traces on the screen which irritatingly disturbs your view.   Although they have given a screen guard,  you often have to change it and you do not get the exact size in the market.  So,  you have to buy a generic size screen gaurd and cut it to suite the size.   Somewhat unfriendly in my perspective.     As a workaround, I keep a plastic cover between the screen and the keyboard while closing - I hope I will always remember to do so,  if not, I would leave more keyb imprints on the screen.   It becomes very very difficult over a period of time.   The screen guard could have been of better quality.   I even doubt the quality of the screen here.   I guess, somewhere the company had to cut corners to bring down the cost and they sacrifised the quality of the screen which IMHO was not the right decision.

-Using the keyboard while in motion (say in a train or car) is a pain on my neck.   Athough it sits nicely on the angled bracket cover,  it just shakes because it has no hinges to hold it.   You will have to hold it with one hand while  you just can't type with the other hand.   I lost the purpose of buying this pad due to this inconvenience.

-You would see some lags with high resolution games.    This one is not ideal for gaming.   It is good for business use.

So far so good, I hope the service would be good if I start hitting problems.   Anyway, with this price tag, this is a nice alternative to those costly tabs and laps.   You may go for it  BUT take care of the screen - it is pretty nasty with impressions which you just can't erase once caught.

-Krishnan

Lily Camera - selfie redefined

Just now read about.

https://www.lily.camera/

The camera that follows you.

It is amazing to see how technology can work for you.   If this is going to the the way it is shown in the video, then I would probably call it SEFIE-REDEFINED.

Drink Plenty Of Water - Live A Healthy LIfe

Whatever you eat doesn't matter.   Drink plenty of water immediately after you eat.   It would mix with the chemical secretion inside the stomach and dissolve them leaving no room for unnecessary fat to accumulate.   If you do not drink water, then the fat out of the consumed food gets deposited.