Rex's Ruminations

Fantabulous to traverse this very bridge that's a favorite of Rhea & mine. Serene beauty with fog :)

2011-11-21T08:03:00.001-05:00

Taken at Covered Bridge Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/fantabulous-to-traverse-this-very-bridge-that at RandZoom.

As wax melts down, the flame goes up!

2011-11-19T15:02:00.001-05:00

Taken at St Francis De Sales Catholic Church Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/as-wax-melts-down-the-flame-goes-up at RandZoom.

"India dirtiest & filthiest country", says Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh

2011-11-14T18:54:00.001-05:00

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh today described India as the “dirtiest and filthiest” country in the world where people with mobile phones go out to answer the “call of nature”.

“In one area in which India can claim success in the social sector is education. We can’t say the same thing in health, we can’t say the same thing in nutrition, we certainly can’t say the same thing in sanitation because we do remain the dirtiest and filthiest country,” he said.

He said around 65 per cent of rural houses had been provided with toilets but didn’t use them. “Today, if you go to many parts of India, you have women with a mobile phone going out to answer the call of nature. I mean it is paradoxical,” the minister, who also holds charge of sanitation, said at an event here.

via telegraphindia.com

I do not know why Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh used such harsh words to make a point. A healthy topic of sanitation is now going to be lost amidst the din of controversial remarks. Why do responsible persons use extreme superlatives, when soft-spoken words can accomplish better results? And why single out women? These remarks are insensitive, brash, and regrettable.

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/india-dirtiest-filthiest-country-says-rural-d at RandZoom.

No alternative to nuclear energy: APJ Abdul Kalam - The Times of India

2011-11-14T18:42:00.001-05:00

"He, however, made it clear that there is no option before India but to go out to produce nuclear power because it is the cleanest and greenest form of energy."

"The plant is completely modern and safe. I can vouch for that. India is a power hungry nation and 2000 megawatt of power would be produced at the Tamil Nadu plant. We need it".

"We have no option but to switch to alternative sources of energy,like solar energy, nuclear energy and bio energy" Kalam added.

via timesofindia.indiatimes.com

1. I am unable to understand how the superlatives like "cleanest" and "greenest" form of Energy can be attributed to Nuclear Energy, ignoring the 800-lb gorilla of recycling nuclear waste.

2. However noble a person Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is, still, nuclear safety and Energy Policy are issues that need to be redressed by a neutral Nuclear Energy Regulatory Authority. Till date, India does not have one and a fledgling bill is before the Indian Parliament.

3. I agree, nuclear as one amongst the other alternative sources of energy like solar, biomass, wind, etc. However, to tout nuclear as "cleanest" and "greenest" is ersatz at best.

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/no-alternative-to-nuclear-energy-apj-abdul-ka at RandZoom.

Eyes see what they wish to see. Tis light that I choose to see amidst darkness.

2011-11-12T17:58:00.001-05:00

Taken at Monastery of the Holy Spirit Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/eyes-see-what-they-wish-to-see-tis-light-that at RandZoom.

Imbued in thoughts at work, out on a short stroll; mesmerizing,withering foliage outside. Thank God for nature!

2011-11-08T12:30:00.001-05:00

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/imbued-in-thoughts-at-work-out-on-a-short-str at RandZoom.

History wasn't made by ‘can't doers': Kalam via @The_Hindu

2011-11-07T23:29:00.001-05:00

If the great Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I had believed for a moment that his monumental structure would be brought down in an earthquake, would we have got the magnificent Brihadeeswara Temple?
Or, if Homi Bhabha had decided that radiation is too harmful for citizens, would the country be running a safe and successful atomic power programme for the last 40 years, producing 4,700 megawatt of nuclear power?

via thehindu.com

Hyperbole and rhetoric. Sad. Even the Bhopal victims cannot buy these arguments. Nuclear-safety is a very important topic when a country is ready to formulate its Energy policy investing billions of dollars and millions of lives. India does not even have a neutral Nuclear Regulatory Authority as USA or other developed nations.

Instead of rhetoric, why can't science and technology engage in a meaningful discourse?

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/history-wasnt-made-by-cant-doers-kalam-via-th at RandZoom.

Fukushima-like accident can be avoided at Kudankulam: APJ Kalam via @The_Hindu

2011-11-07T23:13:00.001-05:00

On Germany's decision to give up nuclear power by 2022, he said it was a power surplus developed nation, which could afford to lose a few plants. “More importantly, Germany has completely exhausted its nuclear resources. Thus, nuclear energy never fits into their goal of energy independence.

via thehindu.com

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has been dismissive of the tough decision Germany had to take in wake of the Fukushima accident by implying it as a Hobson's choice. Truth is not as Manichean as he states. With this tough decision to curtail its nuclear fleet, Germany will be compelled to rely on fossil-fuels, which will make its aggressive goals to cut down Greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020, very tough. To Germans that is more of a discomfiting problem than operating their nuclear fleet. Yet, Germany took this hard decision in wake of Fukushima. Global decisions on important matters such as nuclear-safety are taken after significant evaluation of those countries' necessities and often reasons are not as simplistic as the sound-bytes are.

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/fukushima-like-accident-can-be-avoided-at-kud at RandZoom.

Added my comments to @The_Hindu on Dr.APJ's Op-Ed on Kudankulam Nuclear Project crisis

2011-11-07T10:26:00.001-05:00

I have profound respect for former President Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam. However, I am concerned the way he bulldozes concerns by pushing arguments for nuclear energy by merely saying how much Energy it can bring. Sure, none of those villagers, who are protesting are going to oppose the notion of brining in additional 1,000 mW generation per day from each reactor in Kudankulam. They are genuinely concerned about safety and their future. This is now a concern in other developed nations too. Some of the parallels drawn by Mr. APJ to dismiss those concerns are ersatz at best and not helping to dispel doubts in the minds of those people who are on a fast to scrap the project.

What I also found too condescending and deeply regrettable was the feedback from some readers. A majority of them think as though those villagers, who are worried about their future are gullible masses, who know nothing! Many are advising that Tamil translations of the article be provided to them. That's the elitist view that is going to precisely turn those people off.

As Engineers and Scientists, I feel we are not good at Public-Relations. To understand the public's concern and to treat them with utmost respect, by dispelling wrongful notions with abject scientific truths, while remaining brutally honest to our neutral elements of Science, is our calling. When we wear elitist hats, we just turn those people off. We really need to work hard at conveying scientific truths to the general population, without being seen as having a hidden agenda.

That is easier said than accomplished. But, there lies an opportunity that is larger than generating power through nuclear energy!

Within the prescribed limit, I have dropped by $0.02 in the comments section in The Hindu.

"As an Energy Consultant,I am a cautious supporter of Nuclear Energy. While Dr.Kalam's article is edifying, it is disconcerting for several reasons:

1. He is obsessed with economic prosperity while flippant about real nuclear threats.

2. He chastises fearmongering with images of mushroom-clouds of the A-Bomb, while he fearmongers by insinuating foreign nations trying to subjugate India's energy ascendancy! Truth is nations like France & US are eager to earn India's huge nuclear-pie!

3. His cavalier attitude to nuclear safety is evident by equating a realistic threat of a cataclysmic nuclear event with his conjured folklore of first-flight accidents!

4. His deafening silence on terrorist-threats on nuclear plants is chilling, when India is on the seismic belt of terrorism.

5. Equating Japan's ER system to India's is an overstretch.

6. He's stoic on India's huge population density.

7. His dismissive attitude implies he thinks those who have concerns are Luddites.He is not right."

Here is the Op-Ed: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article2601471.ece

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, please understand that a power-starved state of Tamil Nadu and its populace crave for power to get out of the draconian power-cuts that have become the norm. So, they too support efforts to add more nuclear power generation methods to the overall mix. However, please don't tout that alone to floccinaucinihilipilificate their valid concerns!

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/added-my-comments-to-thehindu-on-drapjs-op-ed at RandZoom.

Why would @WSJ / @IndiaRealTime presume Sivakasi to be in China?

2011-11-06T18:27:00.002-05:00

Freudian slip? That is what I initially thought, when The Wall Street Journal's slideshow on Diwali had packs of firecrackers from Sivakasi displayed with a caption that said those crackers were from China. Which is what made me think: What makes @WSJ and @IndiaRealTime to think Sivakasi, a southern town of the State of Tamil Nadu in India, renowned for its firecracker and matchsticks industry, somehow belong to China?

All that glitters need not be gold, the same way as all that bursts and crackles need not be from China!

Here is Sivakasi in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivakasi

Picture Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal (slideshow)

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/why-would-wsj-indiarealtime-presume-sivakasi at RandZoom.

Just got latest @TIME issue.Replace "America" w/ any other country.Equally true situation.

2011-11-05T14:56:00.002-04:00

Not just America, but, any other country in the planet is equally undergoing turmoil, including BRIC. True America has problems, but, does media need to be this negative and sensational in framing headlines and cover-page, in discomfiting a fearful public all the more?

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/just-got-latest-time-issuereplace-america-w-a at RandZoom.

A Friday Fortune Cookie that is right!

2011-11-04T22:08:00.002-04:00

Taken at Curry Curry

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/a-friday-fortune-cookie-that-is-right at RandZoom.

All Souls' Day--Remembering a Friend at Rest in Coimbatore from Atlanta!

2011-11-03T00:19:00.000-04:00

It has been 15 years, since I was able to observe All Souls' Day in a cemetery, as I used to in India. Here in the USA it's all pretty sanitized and within the church, with lighting of the candles and reading of the names of the loved-ones, who are no more.

Naturally, I was lost in thoughts at the bilingual Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle in Smyrna, Georgia.

I am not sure how All Souls' Day is celebrated in India these days.

But, my memories around the Sungam Cemetery in Coimbatore are one filled with crowds, cleaned-up and white-washed cemeteries with crucifixes festooned with garlands, flowers and other decorations besides candles and perfume-sticks. Some may not have visited the cemeteries for aeons, only, to be lost as to where their loved-ones' resting place even existed. Ouch!

Lots of people of all ages will be there. At 6 PM, the concelebrated High Mass by the Bishop of Coimbatore with his Vicar General and Diocesan priests will commence. Most of the time, it rains. I don't understand the connection, though :).

I miss all of that, especially, notwithstanding the turbulent IInd Vatican Council's defenestration of Latin, the only last vestige of those glorious days is the "Libera Me" song sung in Traditional Latin as a Gregorian Chant. The then Bishop of Coimbatore, Late Dr. M. Ambrose, had a uniquely cut-out voice to lead his congregation with this Latin Chant. Something very powerful about this song is that it will move anybody to tears, especially the portion where it goes "judicare saeculum per ignem" and "quando coeli movendi sunt et terra".

In India, we were never taught Latin and it is as alien as Greek! Thankfully, my Father knew a bit of Latin and so he used to sing it and I used to love him for singing this song only the Bishop, a few priests, and a few elders knew how to sing it in Latin by heart. Good old days!

At least up until November 2nd, 1996, they used to sing this at the end of the mass in Coimbatore. Hope they continue these days as well.

In India, people aren't too sensitive about going to cemeteries. For me, it wasn't a big deal as my maternal grandmother was laid to rest there and this place was just a stone's-throwaway from my school.

Since 1st grade, I remember going to pray at my grandmom's cemetery all alone, besides the once-a-year ritual of November 2nd, when there will be lots of crowd. Abutting this cemetery is the Nirmala College for Women, where I remember girls' giggling and calling other girls to show a small boy walking all alone with a candle :)

I never knew why that was a big deal. I had my own fears -- fears of snakes, but, not of souls at Sungam Cemetery.

Whenever I go to Coimbatore, I make it a point to visit many of my relatives, friends, teachers, priests and nuns laid to rest, besides my maternal grandmother.

Last time I was there, I spent some calm time before my classmate and friend, who died 21 years ago in a freakish choking accident at dinner-time, when we all were busy preparing for our 10th grade exams.

Had he been alive, I have no doubt, he would have been a Nobel Prize front-runner in Science. No, this is not Eulogy. People, who knew this prodigy would vouch for what am saying.

I remembered him today at Mass. This snap taken in April 2010, of his Cemetery in Sungam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, in a way, connects me to all those memories of 10,000 miles afar and 15 years ago.

"Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis"!

RIP.

Originally blogged by me at http://randzoom.posterous.com/all-souls-day-remembering-a-friend-at-rest-in at RandZoom.

Maxim # 33: காப்பது விரதம் -- A Fast's objective is to save.

2011-10-24T00:00:00.003-04:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 33: காப்பது விரதம் (kAA-p-puh-thu vi-ra-tham)

Translation: A Fast's objective is to save.

Rumination: "காப்பது" means "that which has to be saved" and "விரதம்" is "fasting." Basically, Auvaiyaar explains fasting by stipulating its objective to be one of safeguarding or saving. Traditional litterateurs have interpreted this to suggest that Auvaiyaar prefers abstention or vegetarianism. While, that may be the case, I take the liberty to ruminate differently. The word "காப்பது" itself can be split as "காப்பு" (protection) + "அது" (that is) -- meaning, the objective of any fasting should be one of safeguarding or protecting one's own impulses. That protection or shackles thereof is fasting, per Auvaiyaar. This musing to me is personally more fulfilling than the traditional translations. When one attempts to "save" animals from slaughter by refraining to eat meat, that is fasting. Say, if one "safeguards" from one's own anger and controls the proclivity to slander or gossip by adopting a "silent fasting," the focus is turned to the objective than the object of the fasting itself. In other words, safeguarding or saving animals, refraining from vices, impulses and other proclivities, must be the objective of any fasting to attain temperance, moderation, and self-control. It is not about whether one refrained from eating meat, but, whether one had the objective of saving something for the fast to attain a higher goal, that transcends the noble act of fasting itself.

Quotes: "Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues." -- Joseph Hall.

World Mental Health Day - October 10th

2011-10-10T03:18:00.002-04:00

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day as per World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations (UN). Whatever I genuinely felt at the outset on this day, I have redacted here in the Orange Wall Peace Project blog, which is a yeoman initiative to foster sustainable peace amidst strife and struggle.

My piece is titled: World Mental Health Day -- Bane of Parental Child Abductions. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/mQOJ70

An Ancient Chera King's Incarceration - 4th of July

2011-07-04T23:58:00.000-04:00

I did not get to read Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis" until late in life. It is a poignant rumination of the abject humiliation and suffering of a human-being under (wrongful) incarceration. On 4th of July, when we in America celebrate the Independence Day for the liberties we have inherited, it may be paradoxical to ruminate about life behind incarceration of a defeated, humiliated Tamil Chera King of the Sangam Age.

In High School, our Tamil teacher taught the Sangam-era poem from Purananuru (புறநானூறு), wherein the Chera King Cheramaan Kanaikkaal Irumborai (சேரமான் கணைக்கால் இரும்பொறை) is defeated by the Chozha King Chozhan Senganaan (சோழன் செங்கணான்) and kept under incarceration at the Kudavaasal (குடவாசல்) Prison in Thiruvarur District.

At the prison, the Chera King feels thirsty and asks for water. The prison-guard at sentry not only ignores him, but humiliates him with his indifference. This abject humiliation makes the Chera King turn down his own earlier request for a glass of water. He sings his own eulogy and in essence takes his own life on his own terms at his own time, thereby denying even that opportunity to his opponent to further humiliate him in prison. Here is that song:

குழவி இறப்பினும், ஊன்தடி பிறப்பினும்,
ஆள் அன்று என்று வாளின் தப்பார்
தொடர்ப்படு ஞமலியின் இடர்ப்படுத்து இரீஇய
கேளல் கேளிர் வேளாண் சிறுபதம்,
மதுகை இன்றி, வயிற்றுத் தீத் தணியத்,
தாம் இரந்து உண்ணும் அளவை
ஈன்ம ரோ, இவ் உலகத் தானே?

While many litterateurs tout this song for the bravery exhibited in the battlefields of the ancient Tamils, I personally feel that this is a wonderful, moving poem of an individual craving for justice against personal humiliation within the darkest recesses of a prison.

Every time I come across flippancy and a cavalier attitude meted out to an individual in violation of his or her human dignity, this song automatically comes to my mind.

Insouciance, humiliation, and abusive behavior need not be exhibited by the sentry-guard alone as embodied in this poem. It could be perpetrated by the very forces that are supposed to protect and foster individual liberty, besides upholding rule-of-law.

When we read in newspapers about negligent engineers, errant judges, scheming lawyers, corrupt cops, devious doctors, etc., we are often reminded of the old Latin adage: corruptio optimi pessima. Corruption of the best has the worst consequences. That theme is brought to the fore wonderfully by National Poet Subramanya Bharathi (சுப்பிரமணிய பாரதி) in these lines:

படித்தவன் சூதும் வாதும் பண்ணினால்
போவான் போவான்! ஐயோவென்று போவான்!


If only the Chera King had access to what I have here: A precious bottle of water!

I will continue to blog on Aathichoodi (ஆத்திச்சூடி)

2011-06-30T09:25:00.000-04:00

Many friends ask why I stopped blogging on ஆத்திச்சூடி (Aathichoodi). It is time I admit the true reason. I regularly blogged until "கடிவது மற" and then stopped it. Because, the next maxim was "காப்பது விரதம்". It is about Veganism and refrain from eating non-vegetarian dishes, as a mark of love and respect to animals. Tamil literature is replete with hortatory edicts regarding "புலால் உண்ணாமை" (veganism). Although I am not a pure vegetarian and I do have a proclivity towards it, the truth is I do like some non-vegetarian dishes too. I do savor my liking for chicken, lamb, and fish. Therefore, it will be sheer hypocrisy for me to ruminate on a maxim that I hardly cannot keep up with. It does not matter, how well I can try to follow what is being preached in the other maxims, but, how can I ruminate on this maxim, when I am already far from what is being preached? Yet, I think, I am now at a point to move forward. It is a learning exercise anyways.

As in Latin, they say, "Discere docendo." To learn is to teach. I learn more about Aathichoodi, when I blog. So, will I do hereafter, notwithstanding the fact that I am not a pure vegetarian :-).

Thank you for all your private emails.

An iPhone App for Aathichoodi (ஆத்திச்சூடி)

2011-06-26T10:59:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine -- Mr. G Devarajan -- introduced via Internet, is doing yeoman service with iPhone Apps and Podcasts dedicated to children. When he approached me to translate Sangam Poetess Auvaiyar's (ஔவையார்) child-literature of "Aathichoodi" (ஆத்திச்சூடி), I readily agreed.

Needless to say this App has been on my iPhone for sometime now. I enthusiastically recommend the same for the Tamil Diaspora. Here it is on Apple iTunes.

I hope and wish Mr. Devarajan will consider extending the meanings to other works of Auvaiyaar like நல்வழி, மூதுரை, etc., which currently do not have meanings. If approached, I will certainly start to translate/workout the meanings for them too.

Personally, the indelible effects of these child-literary works on me are profound. யாம் பெற்ற இன்பம், பெருக இவ்வையகம்.

Liars, Lies, and Perjury - Sivavaakiyar's Song

2011-06-25T11:48:00.004-04:00

These days, rationalists and the hoi-polloi, view certain institutions and edifices with deep distrust. Religion and Law comes to my mind immediately. In of itself, neither religion nor law is bad, but, one notices the intense repulsiveness and skepticism that is palpable when conversations turn towards these touchy topics because of the modern-day scandals, lies, and perjuries that tend to overshadow them. After all, people like Gandhi, Tolstoy, and Tagore were all Thinkers with deep religious convictions aimed towards their endless search towards Eternal Truth. Their punctilio lay in truth and Truth.

So, what is wrong?

Personally, I think, when a person is willfully perjuring, lying, and fooling before the rightful representatives of the society as in a court of law or before the sacred courts of human conscience, then such a person is not only endangering his or her own self, but, thoroughly demolishes the fundamental edifices of social-order. Regardless of the individual stature or the games played by such charlatans -- be it before the courts of law or public-opinion -- such institutions that act on behalf of the last, average citizen, who has no clout, power, or money to stand against the thraldom of lies, should in and on his behalf act to eschew perjury at all costs.

Every single lie of perjury has a profound consequence that affects some other individuals, families, or societies in inexplicable ways.

That's what I ruminated when I came across this wonderful song by an ancient Tamil Sithhar Sivavaakiyar.

What is amazing about this song is its rhythmic pattern ("சந்தம்") and its intense language constructs chastising false-prophets, pranksters, charlatans and lying hypocrites.

Those, who care for truth and Truth will love this ancient poem.

"ஞானிஞானி யென்றுரைத்த நாய்கள் கோடிகோடியே

வானிலாத மழைநாளென்ற வாதிகோடி கோடியே
தானிலான சாகரத்தின் தன்மைகாணா மூடர்கள்
மூனிலாமற் கோடிகோடி முன்னறிந்த தென்பரே."

My Interpretation:

"Many were those dogs that anointed themselves as Enlightened.
Many were those charlatans that promised rainy downpours on cloudless days.
Those ignorant that never experienced the endless oceans of Wisdom too were many,

who with shameless indolence claimed they knew the Truth even before It existed!"

Not only is this song so intense for its choice of words, but, it has a wonderful dose of sarcasm and wry humor throughout.

In retrospect I wish I had a formal training in Tamil language. Or at least, had the opportunity to learn it as a First Language.

Yet, thanks to all my Tamil teachers at School, paramount amongst them being my Mom & Dad, who taught me in the greatest of all schools: Home.

For the Litigious, a Kamban's Perspective

2011-06-24T23:50:00.004-04:00

Like many, I am a big fan of Kavichakravarthi ("Emperor of Poems") Kamban's Ramayanam. A rich language, Tamil, under the hands of Kamban is an assured feast for anybody, anywhere, anytime.

As the Indian Economy grows at a healthy pace, social turmoil grows as well. Wealth and so does greed grows. An overburdened judiciary is further burdened with numerous lawsuits, some genuine, most frivolous by the litigious-minded.

Recently, I came across the news of the Head of a leading corporate law-firm in India being ordered to be investigated for criminal extortion by a Delhi Court. One of the main plaints was that he was engaging in "proxy-litigation" to force a builder to kowtow to his demands that includes making huge payments as settlement. As quid pro quo, this Head offered the carrot of withdrawing the cases he foisted against the builder. This builder, though, immediately preferred a plaint and the matter is now sub judice.

Every society had to undergo a "churning" as it grows from an agrarian based economy to a modern Industrial economy. Honorable Justice Markandey Katju of the Supreme Court of India used to harp on this theme repeatedly. As a result, some of these entities may indulge in frivolous lawsuits that make them feel in control, while intimidating and crushing the liberties of the individuals and organizations they go after.

This is where a poetic verse from Kamba Ramayanam, caught my attention. It is a very simple, yet, profound verse that Law Schools in India can probably teach their future Corporate Lawyers, who seem to hardly acknowledge the actual "roots" of the ancient Indian society, its ethos and charism. Unfortunately, these thoughts are often considered to be passé and are side-stepped in an unfettered quest for hegemony using the noble tools of litigious power, accented only by the greed of Rupees, Dollars, and Euros earned. Talk to them, they will say, "we are like that only!".

"யாரொடும்பகை கொள்ளலன் என்றபின்
போரொடுங்கும் புகழொடுங் காது"

This verse from Kamban exhorts, "When you desist from enmity against anybody ('யாரொடும்பகை கொள்ளலன்'), it stanches conflict, not your fame ('போரொடுங்கும் புகழொடுங் காது')."

In other words, a little humility and shedding bellicose attitudes will go a long way to enhance the prestige and image of even litigious-minded people.

Ultimately, it's not how many buildings that were bulldozed to ground that counts, rather, how many bridges that were built.

Victory and Pyrrhic Victory are entirely two different things. And so is War and War of Attrition.

Kamban could not have said it better!

At Church, St. Paul and Thirumular (திருமூலர்)

2011-02-20T19:30:00.159-05:00

The exchange of Namaste or Vanakkam (வணக்கம்) in Indian culture, first and foremost, acknowledges the human-dignity and divinity that is impregnated within every human-being one runs into. Naturally, one says Namaste with folded arms, an act that befits worship.

Today, a Hindu Saint occupied my mind, when St. Paul's Epistle was read at Church. The 1st verse from: 1 Cor 3:16: ("Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"), literally brought this Tamil, Hindu, Shaivite Saint -- Thirumular -- into my mind.

Thirumular's magnum opus is "Thirumanthiram" (திருமந்திரம்), which comprises 3,000 verses. Although a Hindu mystic, his works can appeal to anybody - believers and non-believers alike. This is the verse that brought him into my thoughts:

படமாடக் கோயில் பகவற்கு ஒன்று ஈயில்

நடமாடும் கோயில் நம்பர்க்கு அஃது ஆகா

நடமாடும் கோயில் நம்பர்க்கு ஒன்று ஈயில்

படமாடக் கோயில் பகவற்கு அஃது ஆமே.

Pronunciation:

padamAAdak kOyil pagavaRkku onRu EEyil

nadamAAdum kOyil nambarkku aGdhu AAgAA

nadamAAdum kOyil nambarkku onRu EEyil

padamAAdak kOyil pagavaRkku aGdhu AAmAY.

My own translation (which may not be perfect :-)):

Charity done to a God housed in a Temple,

Does nothing to the ordinary person, who is an ambulatory temple of God.

If, charity is done to that ordinary person, who is a temple of God,

That equates to extending it to the God housed in the Temple.

The core-point is "நடமாடும் கோயில்" -- ambulatory temple -- which connotes the person. Precisely, what St. Paul says too.

I ran into this verse, when I was 12 years old. The beauty of the verse lies not just in the point being conveyed, but, in the aesthetics of rhyming words juxtaposed to each other, thereby moving the same words to slightly different positions communicates an entirely different meaning that is very profound. Besides, it makes it very easy to memorize.

Needless to say, to internalize as well.

Thirumanthiram is a cornucopia of mystical ideas that can challenge theists and atheists together. Besides, it helps me understand my own faith better.

For a Friend...

2011-02-18T23:24:00.001-05:00

It was not a good day. One of my friends lost 5 members of his family in a tragic car-accident in India, after they were on their way back home after completing pujas (prayers) at the temple. The only solace is the miraculous escape of my friend's little daughter. If it is this painful, I can only empathize how it will be for the family. Some of what my Tamil teachers taught during school days at Carmel Garden, especially in நிலையாமை (Fleeting nature of life) and யாக்கை நிலையாமை (impermanency of bodily life) kept flashing through my mind in these three Kurals.

நெருந லுளனொருவன் இன்றில்லை என்னும்
பெருமை யுடைத்திவ் வுலகு                      (336)

And this:

நாளென ஒன்றுபோற் காட்டி உயிர்ஈரும்
வாளது உணர்வார்ப் பெறின்.                      (334)

And then this:

உறங்கு வதுபோலுஞ் சாக்காடு உறங்கி
விழிப்பது போலும் பிறப்பு.                         (339)

In June 2010, The New York Times carried a full-fledged article on increasing road-accidents in India. Just a fortnight ago, we received news that one of our friends' brother was lost to a tragic car-accident, at the outskirts of Coimbatore. Hope the insouciant powers-that-be work towards safety on the roads.

Otherwise, the Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporations can display these Kurals inside their buses instead of the other quotidian Kurals on display.

My prayers and thoughts are with my friend and his family.

Supreme Court Bench's Exhortations That Reminded Me of a புறநானூறு song

2011-01-29T01:06:00.001-05:00

A few days ago, the Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju had exhorted lawyers to advice litigants about mediation and negotiation as pathways to resolving disputes instead of protracted litigation. He even cited Mahatma Gandhi's musings from his autobiography "My Experiments with Truth". While the learned Judge's hortatory obiter is laudable and definitely worthy of consideration, I am ambivalent on this sensitive topic. Nonetheless, I was strongly reminded of the Sangam Poem in புறநானூறு and will blog about it tomorrow.

Adding Fuel to the Fire

2011-01-27T18:39:00.001-05:00

Saw this: http://bit.ly/gb7xU8 and began to ruminate a Thirukkural (திருக்குறள்.) India's Judicial backlog of over 30-Million cases is an eyesore within and outside Indian legal-circles. When new laws are framed without proper safeguards to protect innocents, more fuel is added to the inferno of legal pileups. Even Thiruvalluvar had in his Kural stated, "குணம் நாடி, குற்றமும் நாடி.." whereby he underscored the need to investigate benevolent and malevolent acts to prescribe the cure. When laws are framed to overlook the "offense", more offenses are perpetrated. And perjuring before a court of law with false accusations is the supreme offense. Until India handles this malaise as is in the Western Democracies, more innocents will be punished, more cases will pileup, more people will be alienated with never-ending case time-line. Justice will hardly be served. Vigilante-Justice (கட்டப் பஞ்சாயத்து) will take over. It already has. Look at the rising criminal statistics in India.

A Poem That Came to Mind

2010-01-08T22:03:00.010-05:00

Today, I witnessed an instance of riding a high horse. That rekindled a verse from this 2,000-year old Tamil poem from "Purananuru" (புறநானூறு) -- especially the concluding lines. Professor George Hart and Hank Heifetz's wonderful translation of Poet Kaniyan Poongunranar's (கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார்) was available in the net over here.

While the starting lines are very famous amongst Tamils -- "Every city is your city; Everyone is your kin" (யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர்), it's a mystery to me as to why the final lines aren't. It's neatly translated as "and so we are not amazed at those who are great and even less do we despise the weak." Try translating that from "ஆகலின், மாட்சியின் பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே; சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே".

I bought this tome from India (Penguin India) a few years ago. And am still amazed how such a work could have even be attempted by non-native Tamil researchers.

Maxim # 32: கடிவது மற -- Refrain from harsh words.

2005-02-23T22:16:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 32: கடிவது மற (ka-di-va-thu ma-Ra)

Translation: Refrain from harsh words.

Rumination: "கடிவது" means "using harsh words and "மற" means "forget." So this maxim exhorts one to refrain from using harsh words. Auvaiyar's exhortation to "forget" underscores the pragmatism behind this habit which has crept into our everyday lives. We feel momentarily powerful when we substitute dysphemism for euphemism. However, harsh words always leave an indelible scar on us, our relationships, and our opponents. Very often we realize much later in life that we could have exercised restraint. Using harsh words proves the vulnerability within us. The fear within us and our impotence often explodes as harsh words on others. Refraining from harsh words will be a big favor not to others, but to us primarily. We all have that as our weapon to wreak a surprise attack on basically anybody and it is this propensity that Auvaiyar wants to ablate once and for all. It is difficult, but then it can be an exercise worth considering. We must not forget to forget using harsh words and that is an uphill task.

Quotes: " Try in thine own experience, each; that ye speak not for one whole day unkindly of any; that ye say not a harsh word to any, about any; and see what [such] a day would bring to you…" -- Edgar Cayce Reading.

Maxim # 31: அனந்த லாடேல் -- Never indulge in sloth.

2005-02-16T21:14:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 31: அனந்த லாடேல் (an-uhn-dhal AA-dEl)

Translation: Never indulge in sloth.

Rumination: "அனந்தல்" means "sleep" and "ஆடேல்" means "never indulge." So this maxim means that one must never indulge in oversleeping or slothfulness. Our bodies need rest, certainly not slothfulness. It is funny to run into people whose only goal is to secure a sinecure for their career. Once smitten by this bug of sloth, a person's productivity plummets down so rapidly that it will be very difficult to restore it back. There are families, which have been torn apart because of one of the partners indulging in excessive sloth. It is a kind of latent addiction too. Rust formed on iron, if unremoved will ultimately eat into it completely. One has to consistently look in retrospection over one's life to see if sloth has crept into the inner annals. Procrastination is the harbinger of the setting in of slothfulness. Therefore, the only way to cut back on sloth is to sense and nix procrastination from all spheres of one's activities. Attempts must be made to keep one's mind healthy with more activities, if one finds extra time to spare each day. Research has proven that those who are consistently challenging themselves with mental exercises during and well beyond mid-age slash down the risks of being afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia.

Quotes:

"You must avoid sloth, that wicked siren." -- Horace, 65-8 B.C., Ancient Greek Poet.

"Thou seest how sloth wastes the sluggish body, as water is corrupted, until it moves." -- Ovid, 43-17 B.C., Ancient Roman Poet.

Maxim # 30: அறனை மறவேல் -- Never forget virtue.

2005-02-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 30: அறனை மறவேல் (aRa-nai ma-Ra-vEl)

Translation: Never forget virtue.

Rumination: "அறன்" means "virtue" and "மறவேல்" means "never forget." So it is "never forget virtue." In the very first maxim we were exhorted to "desire to perform virtue." Now it is time to be reminded of not having to forget the virtue earned. In a generic sense, virtue is an exemplification of attaining perfection in almost any sphere by a person. Virtue can be intellectual, moral, religious, human, cultural so on and so forth. To many attainment of virtue is a destination, its growth gets stunted. It is never as a life-long journey. Aphasia then sets in and the person is no more able to even focus on the virtue he wants to attain. Opposite of virtue is the vice. Though it may give temporary respite, it has the power to prevail over virtue. How many of us have seen otherwise good people having been addicted to pornography, lewd and lascivious lust of sexual addiction, alcohol, drugs, gambling etc? Any amount of flame can be extinguished by water, thanks to its innate nature. Similar is vice, capable of always prevailing over virtue. That is the reason, one has to always be mindful of attaining virtues. A person focused on virtues cannot be distracted by vices. Hinduism asserts virtue to be the fundamental constituent of the Law of Dharma. Many other religions do too.

Quotes: "Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." -- Lord Buddha, 563 -483 B.C.

Maxim # 29: இளமையில் கல் -- Learn at a younger age.

2005-02-11T19:47:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 29: இளமையில் கல் (ila-mai-yil kal)

Translation: Learn at a younger age.

Rumination:This only makes sense, isn't it? "இளமையில்" means "at a younger age" and "கல்" is a double entendre that means "learn" in this context. "கல்" must not be interpreted to its other well-known meaning of "stone." So, better interpret it as "learn at a younger age" to something as ridiculous as "suffer from kidney stones at a younger age." I inquired my friend at work about how his two-year old kid was faring. He was at Cloud Nine to recall how alacritous the toddler is picking up Russian and English alphabets, numerals, etc. He also drew my attention to research studies that suggest that children's brain is distinctly different in composition and activity to that of the elders. Learning at a younger age is indispensable as studies show that the overall personality of a human-being is almost well established by the age of 5. Kids need interaction to learn at such a tender age. In the recent times, parents have cutback their interactions with kids due to invasion of TV into their bed-rooms, where TV performs the function of a baby-sitter to young kids. As the saying goes, "make hay while the sun shines," a kid has to be inculcated with positive attitude towards learning so that apart from co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, the kid can start learning from its own failings, trials, falls, etc. Rather than pandering to rear a mammothrept it would behoove well to rear a self-made person out of that kid.

Quotes: " When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it." -- Mark Twain.

Maxim # 28: அழகலா தன செயேல் -- Never perform unproductive tasks.

2005-02-10T05:27:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 28: அழகலா தன செயேல் (azha-gu alAA-dha-na se-yEl)

Translation: Never perform acts that aren't beautiful.

Intended Translation: Never perform unproductive tasks.

Rumination:In this maxim, "அழகு" means "beauty" and "அலாதன" means "that which is not" and "செயேல்" means "never do." Therefore, it literally means, "never perform acts that aren't beautiful." "Beauty" in this maxim is an allegory to imply productivity of a task. Duality of nature, people, incidents etc. always surprise me. Even a flame needs its counterpart in darkness to reveal its own beauty. Only in the midst of the ugly, one gets to appreciate beauty. So, there is no point in exhorting anybody to just do "beautiful acts." Rather, how about, "do not do things that are not beautiful." Recently I came across a friend who had established a very successful career that would have made octogenarians envy. Within 5 years after graduation, this person had ascended the pecking order all the way from that of an entry-level worker to that of a working-partner. Whenever I run into different personalities like these I get into this Socratesian mode to question what is it that impels these persons to be so charged up? A dumb observation would then be, they were lucky. I honestly do not think so, as it only denigrates the success of the person. If it were to be luck, why aren't others lucky? I hear you say, well others weren't lucky enough to be lucky. Sorry, I am an existentialist when it comes to these questions. Auvaiyar's maxim attempts to answer this question. Sagacious people do not trade their energies on useless tasks. They have their priorities right and run towards their finishing lines with the finesse of an athlete. When a person expends his energies on negative tasks, it ultimately comes home to roost. Successful persons, then teach us that they were primarily successful not because they knew how to perform productive tasks, but more so in identifying, deflecting and avoiding the unproductive tasks.

Quotes: "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labor." -- Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 27: வஞ்சகம் பேசேல் -- Refrain from malicious speech.

2005-02-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 27: வஞ்சகம் பேசேல் (van-jug-am pE-sEl)

Translation: Refrain from malicious speech.

Rumination: In this maxim, "வஞ்சகம்" means "malice" and "பேசேல்" means "never talk." Therefore a person must not indulge in malicious talk. This point has been repeatedly reinforced by our ancestors for ages. Malicious talk may have a few curious onlookers at the outset, but soon sets one's own house in fire. In the darkest abyss of one's spite, hatred, and ignominy the seed of malice germinates. It may start first as an insinuation, then on repetitious utterances gains notoriety as a credible notion and finally finishes the opponent of his rightful share to equality and freedom to reputation. It is interesting though, that a person who starts this game is ultimately caught into this thraldom because one cannot expect grapes from thorn-bushes. Anybody who speaks malice commits an act that is malum in se (evil in itself). Initially the person might feel happy that somebody else's house is under fire, but alas, those fires then engulf his own peace of mind to ultimately ruin his soul. As such Auvaiyar makes a strong case to refrain from malicious talk.

Quotes: "And the tongue is a fire. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue -- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. This ought not to be so." -- James 3:6-10, The Holy Bible (RSV).

Maxim # 26: இலவம் பஞ்சிற்றுயில் -- Sleep in silk-cotton mattresses.

2005-02-08T18:28:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 26: இலவம் பஞ்சிற்றுயில் (ila-vam pan-jil thu-yil)

Translation: Sleep in silk-cotton mattresses.

Rumination: This maxim has to be split rightly in order to derive sense out of it: "இலவம் பஞ்சில்" means "silk cotton variety" and "துயில்" means "sleep." Auvaiyar is not a marketing person for silk-cotton variety. Rather, her exhortation has to do with the quality of sleep itself. Studies show that very many people suffer from health issues because of sleep related disorders. Modern society has even started to treat sleeping time as unproductive time. Doctors suggest a minimum of 8 hours sleep each day for a human body to function properly. Preparations for competitive examinations, as well as parents' over ambitious nature are all undermining the essence of sleep in kids. The only way to stay invigorated each day and charged up to do the best at our work and studies then is to have a wonderful sleep each night, every night.

Quotes: "My mind is not a bed to be made and re-made." -- James Agate, 1877-1947, British drama critic and novelist. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 25: அரவ மாட்டேல் -- Never take risks for machoism.

2005-02-07T06:27:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 25: அரவ மாட்டேல் (ara-vum AA-tAyl)

Translation: Never take risks for machoism.

Rumination: I just laughed over this, but, was also taken back by the deep Philosophical meaning imbedded behind it. "அரவம்" means "snake," and "ஆட்டேல்" means "never flaunt." Tamil movies are replete with scenes of an effeminate hero handling a serpent by accident, only to turn the whole audience respond with a raucous laughter. Children have a tendency to just handle any object that attracts their attention. Despite being admonished, they evince keen interest in precisely doing what they are told not to. They are inquisitive and such activities boosts their self-esteem, and ultimately aids in their maturity process. However, Auvaiyar doesn't despise any of that. Calculated risks are worth taking, but not all risks are worth taking. Why would somebody flaunt a snake? It is not an act of macho, but moribund. Ipso facto, a snake never harms a human-being unless provoked. A sagacious act of transmogrifying an enemy into a friend is much better than provocation to war. Look no further than the Iraqi crisis for a case in point. We need snake-charmers not snake-flaunters lest we be bitten by those snakes! Auvaiyar's maxim must not be misinterpreted to shun taking risks, rather it has a subtle humor in it to demand prudence in all the risks one takes. Be prudent even as you take risks, can be another novel interpretation of this maxim.

Quotes: "Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences." -- Susan B. Anthony.

Maxim # 24: இயல்பலா தனசெயேல் -- Never perform deeds that are opposed to Natural Law.

2005-02-06T06:27:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 24: இயல்பலா தனசெயேல் (iyal-bu alAA-dha-na se-yEl)

Translation: Never perform deeds that are opposed to Natural Law.

Rumination: This maxim reflects the zeitgeist of Auvaiyar's times. My respect for Hinduism is very profound for its celebration of nature. Our ancestors were people who adored and lived in accordance with nature. Naturally Auvaiyar stresses the need for one to not be an iconoclast to keep burying the very foundations of nature. True, all tradition need not be universal truth and every tradition craves for reformation, which always comes in the form of a revolution. Caste is one such evil that prevailed and still prevails for centuries. Even the Christian world, which had treated slavery to be natural for aeons, nixed it out of their annals as an effete, unnatural blemish degrading the dignity of mankind, in the modern times. This maxim has to be split as follows to make sense out of it: "இயல்பு" means "natural," "அலாதன," means "that which is apart," and "செயேல்" means "never do." Therefore, it is literally translated as "never do things that are against nature." Take the example of Leo Tolstoy who considered military might as inherently flawed against Natural Law. Or consider Bapu Mahatma Gandhi, who took to Satyagraha in order to protest the British laws that were inherently flawed and stacked against Natural Law. These are great men who challenged ordinary men and women to question their consciences whenever they had to subscribe to man-made law that was intrinsically opposed to natural law. However, these are days where vulgar activism makes a mockery of the very concept of Satyagraha, non-violence, and non-cooperation. It is against these tendencies that Auvaiyar gives this caution: never do activistic foofaraws just so you get publicity to elevate yourself to a celebrity status. In other words, don't be flamboyantly chimerical. Just be natural. I mean, your own natural self.

Quotes: "It is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilized society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together." -- James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), 31 March 1772. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 23: மண்பறித் துண்ணேல் -- You shall not covet.

2005-02-05T06:26:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 23: மண்பறித் துண்ணேல் (mun-pa-Ri-thu un-nEl)

Translation: Never extort others' lands to feed yourself.

Intended Translation: You shall not covet.

Rumination: This maxim echoes the final of Ten Commandments -- You shall not covet. "மண்" means "land," "பறித்து," means "extort," and "உண்ணேல்" means "you shall never eat." Therefore, it is literally translated as "never extort others' lands to feed yourself." One need not be a 'Vasool Raaja' to covet and extort others. Covetousness then is buried deep in our day to day affairs, without us realizing it. The next time you have time to spare, please visit any Family Court to see how married spouses bitterly fight it out. Most of them fight not to save, but to lose (This statement is deep in its Philosophical connotation that I leave it to your interpretation.) They try to outsmart each other by literally ripping off the other party under the garb of equitable rights. The state enshrines Family Laws to make sure that a divorce does not incapacitate either of the spouse by enacting them. However high-earning spouses are merely treated as ATM machines to milch whatever one can under the guise of equitable rights and thus marriage and divorce have become leading industries that breed greed. Whether marriage is one about hearts, minds, or souls, it is very pertinent to note that divorces are all about avarice, greed, and inconsolable obsession about money! One can extend this simple illustration to many abuses perpetrated under the garb of equitable justice. Under the garb of global competition, we even justify the outrage of extortion being perpetrated under covert means. Countries extort poor nations under unfair global policies; companies extort clients and customers under unfair trade practices; people extort others through henchmen, lawyers, and hitmen. Covetousness is mean; call it under whatever sacrosanct right that prompts your justification. It inherently shows the moral poverty existing within a person. And guess what? No amount of the coveted substance can offer a sense of contentment to the covetous person. There lies the person's curse for all eternity. Auvaiyar's maxim clearly exhorts today's children to be instilled of the value of being contented and resigned to self, without transgressing into other person's possessions.

Quotes: "Thou shall not covet, but tradition approves all forms of competition." -- Arthur Hugh Cloud, 1819-1861, English Poet. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 22: பருவத்தே பயிர்செய் -- Make hay while the sun shines.

2005-02-04T06:26:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 22: பருவத்தே பயிர்செய் (pa-ru-va-thE pa-yir sey)

Translation: Plant the seedlings at the right season.

Intended Translation: Make hay while sun shines.

Rumination: This maxim reminds me of the sagic advice given by my friend, guru, and philosopher, Dr. Lt. A. I. Edinbarough at PSG Tech, who used to very often tell us, "Imagine an object caught in the midst of an eddy. Even though it is incapable of ascending up the air on its own, the very fact that it is in the midst of an eddy lends itself to transcend to greater heights. In life, we all need to seize the opportunity of landing ourselves right into the epicenter of such eddies. Success, then lies in doing things at the appropriate time, than in capable of doing things at anytime." I don't even know if my guru still recollects this, but yet I do. Anyways, the crux of the maxim lies in identifying opportunities and doing things at the right moment without procrastination. "பருவத்தே" means "at the right season," and "பயிர்" means "crop," and "செய்" means "sow." Therefore, the maxim exhorts one to "sow the appropriate crop at the appropriate season." In English we have proverbs such as "make hay while the sun shines," "strike the rod when it is hot," and "a stitch in time saves nine." I love the Latin Maxim, which is commonly used in everyday English: carpe diem -- seize the day. One has to literally seize the day in order to stay focused in his career and personal chores, which is not an ordinary thing in this highly competitive world. It is refreshing to see Auvaiyar using an allegory that is only too familiar to the Tamils of yesteryears, whose main occupation was farming. In fact, the recent spate of suicides in Andhra Pradesh was partly related to the agrarian crisis of poor planning on the part of the farmers who sowed the costly crops at a time when the international market for those harvested crops were plummeting down. In any case, we need to be prudent in identifying the right moment as well as be alacritous in utilizing the same to the fullest extent for our betterment.

Quotes: "Carpe diem." (Seize the day!)

Maxim # 21: நன்றி மறவேல் -- Always be grateful.

2005-02-03T04:25:00.001-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 21: நன்றி மறவேல் (nun-Ri ma-Ra-vAyl)

Translation: Never forget to be grateful.

Intended Translation: Always be grateful.

Rumination: This is pretty easy to understand as well. "நன்றி" means "gratitude," and "மறவேல்" means "never forget." It is good to forget certain things in life, but certainly not the acts of unconditional love, kindness, and benevolence extended to us. Being grateful of those favors extended is primarily for our good than to those to whom it was extended. If one turns ungrateful, that person is soon engulfed with hubris thereby denying all rightful contributions to his or her own personal growth. A sense of holistic belonging to a society with social responsibility towards others is completely forgotten. If we are grateful to the favors we have received, we will be impelled on our own to help others. That is why one must never forget to be grateful to all the blessings received. It is in this sense of reaching out to others that Auvaiyar lays stress on not forgetting our own gratefulness to others from whom we might have received numerous blessings for aeons.

Quotes: "One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer." -- G.E Lessing, 1729-1781, German dramatist and critic. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 20: தந்தை தாய்ப் பேண் -- Safeguard your Father and Mother.

2005-02-02T07:25:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 20: தந்தை தாய்ப் பேண் (thun-thai thAAi pAyn)

Translation: Safeguard your Father and Mother.

Rumination: This one is pretty self explanatory. "தந்தை" refers to Dad, "தாய்" to Mom, and "பேண்" to "protect" or "safeguard." The Book of Tora common to three major faiths of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has its fifth commandment as, "Thou shalt honor thy father and mother." Indian culture celebrates the ladder of perfection as a route that starts with one's mother, father, teacher and finally to the Eternal One who encompasses all the rest. However, the journey starts with one's mother and father. It amazes me that Auvaiyar is not exhorting subservience in a child to its parents. Rather, she shoulders a responsibility on the kid to "safeguard" or "protect" its parents. It is obvious that she is talking in clairvoyant terms with lots of hope in the young kids. These days, the value, honor, and respect to human life is being undermined in every way. Geriatric parents are considered to be an abominal excess awaiting good riddance. Career and personal ambitions allow no wiggling room to even consider the welfare of one's parents in any decision-making. I have noticed with pain as to how the geriatrics are lampooned, cursed, abused and even physically assaulted in India. Sudden spurt in hospices and homes for the aged are a fitting denouement to the crass indifference of modern day youths. Many tend to compare old-aged parents to that of kids. Sure, the former signifies the crepuscular twilight of the dusk and the latter the refreshing rays of dawn in the wonderful horizon of humanity. He who loves his kids, yet not his parents, seems to deceive himself. Because every morning ends with an evening. As my favorite lines of John Donne goes, "Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Quotes:

"I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her only lament was: ‘My son did this to me.’ I begged her: You must forgive your son. In a moment of madness, when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him. It took me a long time to make her say: ‘I forgive my son.’ Just before she died in my arms, she was able to say that with a real forgiveness. She was not concerned that she was dying. The breaking of the heart was that her son did not want her. This is something you and I can understand."-- Blessed Mother Teresa.

"It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start. " -- Blessed Mother Teresa.

Maxim # 19: இணக்கமறிந் திணங்கு -- Probe the congeniality before befriending a person.

2005-02-01T06:24:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 19: இணக்கமறிந் திணங்கு (e-nak-kam aRi-ndhu e-nan-gu)

Translation: Probe the congeniality before befriending a person.

Rumination: The maxim must be read by splitting the words as follows: "இணக்கம் அறிந்து இணங்கு." The terms "இணக்கம் " means "congeniality," "அறிந்து" means "after probing," and "இணங்கு" means "befriend." Therefore one has to befriend a person only after that person's congeniliaty is well probed. My greatest asset lays in the camaraderie I enjoy with my friends. Each friend of mine is a crowning jewel in the diadem of my success. In contemporary language we talk about "matching of wavelengths." That is precisely what Auvaiyar lays down as a criterion to not just friendship, but to any relationship. In retrospect, I know where I had overlooked the wisdom behind this maxim when entering into what should have been a life long relationship as enshrined by our faith and culture of our times. Almost every society -- be it the West or the East -- is rampant with divorces, judicial separations, and annulments primarily because of the absence of congeniality and bonhomie in the persons entering into a relationship. Probing such a quality in each other is quintessential before consummating a relationship. In fact Thiruvalluvar wonderfully puts it in his Kural 510 -- "தேரான் தெளிவும் தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும் தீரா இடும்பை தரும்," i.e., "Gaining a person without probing as well as suspecting a person after gaining always result in endless misery." Notice the stress given to "probing" on all these counts, before electing to have the person in a relationship. The secret to success of any relationship involving two people is pretty simple: just be as best friends to each other. And that can happen only when the probity, congeniality, and bonhomie of the other person is thoroughly probed before accepting into one's life.

Quotes: When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily. A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter. He that has found one has found a treasure. There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend, and no scales can measure his excellence. A faithful friend is an elixir of life. -- Holy Bible, Ecclesiasticus 6:7,14-16 (RSV)

Maxim # 18: இடம்பட வீடெடேல் -- Build a house without encroachment.

2005-01-31T04:47:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 18: இடம்பட வீடெடேல் (e-dum-pa-duh vEE-de-dAyl)

Translation: Build a house without encroachment.

Rumination: The term "இடம்பட" means "without encroaching on extra space" and "வீடெடேல்" means "never erect a house." Therefore this maxim lays down moderation as a fundamental criterion while erecting houses. At least in India, I have observed the tendency to use every available inch of space that inevitably enroaches upon a neighbor's property. Many disputes have risen thereof, often resulting in vigilante justice or as law suits in the already overburdened courts. Building a house with less floor-space to provide additional room for gardening is not an attractive proposition anymore. Population explosion has made it almost impossible to afford independent housing in India. However, states like Kerala offer hope. Although the population density is pretty high, Keralites tend to appreciate nature and have an innate predilection to grow trees within their compounds. They do not use every inch of floor space to erect their houses. Apart from exhorting moderation, this maxim also implies the indirect physical and mental health benefits arising out of building a simple house without encroaching every available inch of space.

Quotes: For a man's house is his castle, and each man's home is his safest refuge -- Edward Coke.

Maxim # 17: ஞயம்பட உரை -- Speak words that beget happiness

2005-01-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 17: ஞயம்பட உரை (gna-yam-pa-da ur-ai)

Translation: Speak words that beget happiness.

Rumination: The term "ஞயம்பட" means "begetting happiness" and "உரை" means "speak." According to Auvaiyar, the ultimate objective of any speech must lie in bringing happiness to those who hear it. In fact, Tiruvalluvar's Kural 100, quoted in my blog accurately captures the concept. There are both good and bad things to talk about. Any time one is overly obsessed with either one of those, his speech becomes not only predictable and monotonous, but also tepid and cloying. And when the subject matter is overly concerned about the negative things, it becomes distressing and tortuous. Therefore cherry-picking a topic for conversation is in itself an art. Moreover, one doesn't need the company of doom's-day sayers. We all need people around us with whom we can have conversations and then feel as though those were the best moments of our lifetime. In other words, the pursuit of any speech or conversation must ultimately lie in begetting happiness in the other person. Even friendly admonishments may acquire a new sense of meaning, if this objective is kept in the radar-scope of any conversation.

Quotes: Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. -- Napoleon Hill.

Maxim # 16: சனி நீராடு -- Take a special shower on Saturdays.

2005-01-29T04:46:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 16: சனி நீராடு (sa-ni nEE-rAA-du)

Translation: Take a special shower on Saturdays.

Rumination: The term "சனி" means "Saturday" and "நீராடு" means "take bath." Literally, this maxim underscores the importance of taking special bath on Saturdays. For many, special bath may mean an oil-bath or a head-bath. Auvaiyar's penchant for cleanliness is amply evident in this maxim. A good shower not only relieves stress but can also provide ample opportunities for ruminating new ideas. Quality time at the showers is a luxury during weekdays. Hence the maxim's reference to Saturdays. And celebrate the coincidence of today being a Saturday as well.

Quotes: It is the height of luxury to sit in a hot bath and read about little birds. -- Lord Alfred Tennyson.

Maxim # 15: ஙப்போல் வளை -- Be a gregarious person.

2005-01-28T04:45:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 15: ஙப்போல் வளை (nGa-pOl va-lai)

Translation: Be amenable as the alphabet 'ங'.

Intended Translation: Be a gregarious person.

Rumination: The term "ஙப்போல்" refers to "like the alphabet ங" and "வளை" to "amenability." Literally, this maxim asserts what John Donne wrote in his wonderful poem, "No man is an island." In the previous maxim, Auvaiyar exhorted one to not twist facts, whereas in this one she exhorts one to twist one's very self. She wants people to be amenable with one another. By "twisting" she alludes to the innate deficiencies of a human mind that needs to be uprooted. Ego is one such malaise. A person with ego cannot befriend others easily and cannot enjoy their camaraderie. This maxim must not be overstretched to religious brothers and sisters who detach themselves of all earthly chores and settle down for an eremitical lifestyle to seek God and Supreme Knowledge. However it must be applied for the hoi polloi who are tossed in between the frenzy of privacy and the stresses of everyday life that have almost made building rock-solid friendship a thing of the past. Understanding this maxim to lead an active lifestyle of bonhomie will help nourish friendship. In Tamil, the alphabet ''ங" never gets the primacy. No word starts with this alphabet, save this maxim as it is used in an ironic sense. However, its raison détre is to vivify the other alphabets. It is only seen in the company of others. Similarly, one must be gregarious to discover his own self in others.

Quotes:

The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship -- Francis Bacon.

Two are better than one. If one falls, the other will lift up his companion. Woe to the solitary man! For if he should fall, he has no one to lift him up. So also, if two sleep together, they keep each other warm. How can one alone keep warm? -- Holy Bible (RSV), Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11

Maxim # 14: கண்டொன்று சொல்லேல் -- Never twist facts.

2005-01-27T04:44:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 14: கண்டொன்று சொல்லேல் (kuhn-du-on-Ru sol-lEl)

Translation: Never twist facts.

Intended Translation: Never indulge in calumniation.

Rumination: The term "கண்டொன்று" has to be split into two as "கண்டு" and "ஒன்று," meaning things that "you see" and that "contrary to what you see" respectively. "சொல்லேல்" refers to "never speak." Literally, this maxim exhorts one to refrain from committing calumniation and detraction. Hypothetically there must not be any difficulty in speaking exactly what one has seen. Yet, the malice, bias, and self-deception inherent in any human mind decorates, exaggerates, and caparisons factoids as facts. These are days when nations "sex-up" their Intel reports to rush to war. Individuals too often cross the line of Rubicon from simple gossip to systematic character-assassination. It is all possible because of an inherent capability of human mind to be contended with itself about diametrically opposite notions at any given time. And only my favorite George Orwell can talk about it in such a way that it will forever get etched in your minds. And so, do not forget to read George Orwell's In Front of Your Nose.

Quotes: The point is that we are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right. -- George Orwell, 1946.

Maxim # 13: அஃகஞ் சுருக்கேல் -- Never skimp on grains to shortchange others.

2005-01-26T04:44:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 13: அஃகஞ் சுருக்கேல் (ak-kam su-ru-kEl)

Translation: Never skimp on grains to shortchange others.

Intended Translation: Honesty is the best policy.

Rumination:The term "அஃகஞ்" refers to "grains" and "சுருக்கேல்" to "refrain from shortchanging." Literally, this maxim exhorts to avoid skimping on grains to shortchange others. In those days, local economy was sustained with practices that included bartering. One need not be a grocer to trade grains. Hence bartering of grains was ubiquitous. Greedy people shortchanged the buyer by reducing the amount of grains exchanged or sold for a return. In other words, Auvaiyar stresses the importance of being honest in all our affairs and transactions. This maxim can also be applied to modern times where most jobs are sedentary. At the comfort of a high-speed T1 connection, workers can wile away their precious time at work to cyber-loafing. Studies do suggest that there is an increased tendency in workers to malinger in order to run personal errands. These activites result in shortchanging one's employers, customers, and clients. It is very important to apply age-old maxims like this for contemporary contexts because it is the spirit behind the maxim that counts; not literal words.

Quotes: Your honesty is not to be based either on religion or policy. Both your religion and policy must be based on it -- John Ruskin 1819-1900 (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Note: This concludes the first 13 alphabets of Tamil, i.e., from அ to அஃ. They are known as உயிர் எழுத்துக்கள் (Lifeline alphabets).

Maxim # 12: ஒளவியம் பேசேல் - Refrain from words of jealousy.

2005-01-25T05:43:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 12: ஒளவியம் பேசேல் (auv-vi-yum pE-sale)

Translation: Refrain from words of jealousy.

Rumination: The term "ஒளவியம்" refers to "words of jealousy" and "பேசேல்" to "refrain from speaking." So, this maxim exhorts one to refrain from speaking words of jealousy. It arises out of a perverted sense of love over things that pertain to self or outside one's self. Any circumstance that may undermine one's own position sets off a rage of jealousy. The ultimate love for one's own longings now gets perverted and makes one look impoverished in front of others ascent towards glory. Words of spite, anger, and jealousy flow out, rather than plaudits. More than the person who becomes the target of one's jealousy, it often ruins the peace of the very person engulfed by it. One can relate to jealousy at workplace merely because some poor soul feels that it could not withstand the pressures of corporate rat-race. Apart from examining ways to reinvigorate one's own career, jealousy sets off to workplace politiking. Refraining from uttering words of jealousy helps a person to maintain serenity.

Quotes: Though jealousy be produced by love, as ashes are by fire, yet jealousy extinguishes love as ashes smother the flame. -- Marguerite of Angouleme. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 11: ஓதுவ தொழியேல் -- Never cease to learn.

2005-01-24T05:43:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 11: ஓதுவ தொழியேல்(O-dhu-va-thu O-zhi-yAle)

Translation: Never cease to learn.

Rumination: The term "ஓதுவது" refers to "learning" and "ஒழியேல்" to "never cease." So, this maxim exhorts one to keep learning always. Many scholars have translated "ஓதுவது" as reading. However, I interpret that word to connote learning in general of which reading is only a part. President Abraham Lincoln once said, "I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." By this, even he exhorted the fact that learning must be continuous, not even continual. Learning is not confined to reading and listening alone. The very tragedies, travails, and experiences one undergoes in life, have profound educational value. Every person, thing, language, culture or place we run into is our guru that teaches us something that we never knew before. Socrates' exhortation of "an unexamined life is not worth living," enables us to appreciate the power of learning by asking questions. Many think that they are simpletons, if they were to ask questions. Rather, Socratesian wisdom has proven to us the value of learning by asking questions. If we want to learn, the whole world is there as our laboratory for exploration and experimentation. All we need is that encouragement and inquisitiveness of a toddler.

Quotes:

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. -- Henry Ford.

Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, and many opinions. For opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making. -- John Milton.

Maxim # 10: ஒப்புரவு ஒழுகு - Be a cosmopolite.

2005-01-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 10: ஒப்புரவு ஒழுகு (op-pur-avu ozhu-gu)

Translation: Be a cosmopolite.

Intended Translation: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Rumination: The term "ஒப்புரவு" refers to "worldly practices du jour" and "ஒழுகு" to "follow." So, this maxim exhorts one to adapt and acclimate to the worldly practices that are prevalent in one's own locale for the maintenance of social order. The English idiom of, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," succinctly captures this idea. We are 'programmed' human-beings. We tend to see things in our own ways. When placed in a new situation, culture, or a country, a few of us get antsy by being judgmental and carping about it saying that our status quo ante seemed to be much better. Apart from causing physical and mental anguish, such an embitterment also robs the opportunity to learn and benefit from the new situation, culture, or whatever it may be. Auvaiyar stresses the need for raising up a child as a cosmopolite -- one who is at home in every place. In Socrates' words, "a citizen of the world," to be precise.

Quotes:

"I am neither an Athenian nor a Greek; I am a citizen of the world." -- Socrates, circa 469 B.C - 399 B.C.

"I am a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew; for, either I am all of these or I am none of these". -- Mahatma Gandhi.

Maxim # 9: ஐயமிட்டு உண் -- Feed the hungry before enjoying your meal.

2005-01-22T05:40:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 9: ஐயமிட்டு உண் (i-yum-mi-tu un)

Translation: Feed the hungry before enjoying your meal.

Intended Translation: Charity to others is paramount.

Rumination: The term "ஐயமிட்டு" refers to "after alms-giving" and "உண்" to "you shall eat." The sequence of actions is pretty interesting. First comes feeding others, then comes feeding the self. Many of us would have witnessed the giving away of rotten and stale foods to wayside beggars. It will be better for us to throw such foods to the bin than to abuse the human dignity in the other person by granting it as alms. We must not give to others what we ourselves cannot eat and none of us can eat fungi, bacteria infested, rotten and stale foods. That brings us to the crux of this maxim. If we want to feed others, let us do it first, before we set to eat. In that way, we are truly sharing our goodness in charity; not discharging our wastes as charity. "The worst form of violence is poverty," said Mahatma Gandhi. Hunger is like childbirth, we all can talk about its pangs, but can only feel it when we ourselves undergo it. As long as there are millionaires in this world with riches beyond their needs, so long will there be paupers with needs way under their means. Hence hunger and poverty is to stay. Ergo, this maxim again does not contradict the previous one, if taken in the proper context. We cannot be indifferent to the hungry at our doorsteps. Allegorically, hunger in this maxim may also mean about the spiritual hunger of love, care, tenderness, bonhomie, camaraderie and attention in a person who is forlorn. We may even have our closest kith and kin suffering from such hungers. We need to tend to their needs first, before reveling in ours.

Quote: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed—those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending its money alone—it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children." -- President Dwight Eisenhower, at a speech in 1953.

Maxim # 8: ஏற்பது இகழ்ச்சி - Receiving is despicable.

2005-01-21T05:39:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 8: ஏற்பது இகழ்ச்சி (yEr-pa-thu iga-zh-tchi)

Translation: Receiving is despicable.

Rumination: The term "ஏற்பது " refers to "receiving" and "இகழ்ச்சி" to "despicable." Here is a maxim to test our logic, cognition, and contextual propriety. In Maxims 3 and 4, Auvaiyar stresses the importance of "giving," whereas she shuns "receiving" in the current maxim. If viewed under the proper context, the paradox can be eliminated. Many scholars interpret 'receiving' to mean alms. However, 'receiving' implies much more than receiving alms. Just as in Maxim 3 one must not receive beyond one's wants and needs. Auvaiyar's maxim is an admonishment to slothful idlers, who are always trigger-happy to receive help from others. So it is, to all those grafted unscruples, who abuse their official positions for huge bribes, thereby rendering their societies corrupt. When a person receives favors, he is inclined to return in favor something that he would have refrained from had he not received the initial favor. Thus, one becomes imprisoned by his own act of receiving. Also, when an able person politely refuses to receive a favor, that favor can reach to those people who are more in need. A case in point would be India's polite refusal to take help from other foreign nations in wake of Tsunami devastation, as that paved way to help other ravaged nations. Also, India was spared of any obligation to return curry-favors against its conscience in a bitterly divided and war-stricken world.

Quote: It is more blessed to give, than to receive. -- Holy Bible (Acts 20:35).

Maxim # 7: எண், எழுத்து இகழேல் - Never despise Math and Language.

2005-01-20T05:03:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 7: எண், எழுத்து இகழேல் (en, ezhu-thu iga-zh-El)

Translation: Never despise Math and Language.

Intended Translation: Strive harder in Sciences and Arts.

Rumination: The terms, "எண் " and "எழுத்து" refer to "numbers" and "alphabets" respectively, whereas "இகழேல்" refers to "never despise." The keen acumen of our ancestors in the field of Mathematics and Fine Arts always amazes me. Just take the case of Mathematical patterns deeply embedded even in works of literature (e.g. Venpaas, Seyyuls, Kurals, etc.). If the Tamils could have had literary conferences during the Sangam Period dating back to several centuries before Christ, it only speaks of the level of sophistry they had in literature during those times. Numerous temples, palaces, dams and other works of legacy bear a fitting testimony to the love and mastery of arts and sciences by the Tamils. Any culture cannot survive, if the older generation does not pass those values to the newer generations. Hence, Auvaiyar's clairvoyant exhortation makes complete sense to this day. If India is an intellectual superpower and if wanderlust Indians can become modern-day globetrotters, it is all owing to their investment in mastering the rudiments of English language, together with their strides in Science and Technology. Anybody, who would have aced through those competitive examinations would vouchsafe for the noetic widom behind Auvaiyar's maxim. Invariably, a candidate's success in those examinations is dependent upon Math and Verbal. And President George Bush has vowed that his primary goal is to enable every American child read and do Math. I, in the state of Georgia, know that the Georgia lawmakers are striving hard to reform education, after Georgia came last, ranking 50th in the SAT's Verbal and Math scores in the year 2000.

Quote: Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty -- a beauty that is cold and austere, like that of a sculpture. -- Bertrand Russell.

Maxim # 6: ஊக்கமது கைவிடேல் - Never lose hope.

2005-01-19T01:16:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 6: ஊக்கமது கைவிடேல் (OO-kam-athu kai-vi-dEl)

Translation: Never lose hope.

Rumination: The term, "ஊக்கமது," literally refers to "hope" and "கைவிடேல்," to "never lose." So, "never lose hope." It is a pity that there are more suicides than homicides in the United States and am sure it is the case with many other countries. "There is truly one serious philosophical problem and that is suicide," said Albert Camus. Engulfed with hopelessness, a person feels like a fish out of water. But then, even that fish flaps, turns, hopes for a fresh lease of life if it can get back to its waters. Similarly, we all hope for a number of things in our lives. As long as we have hope within us, we tend to be alive. The moment we lose hope, we are already dead -- psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally as well. Situations will test our endurance and hope will keep us afloat. At least that's what stories such as Lance Armstrong's prove to us. Let us then adopt the state motto of South Carolina (my favorite one too) as our own: Dum spiro, spero. (As long as I breathe, so long will I hope.)

Quote: True hope is swift, and flies with shallow's wings. Kings it makes Gods, and meaner creatures kings. -- William Shakespeare.

Maxim # 5: உடையது விளம்பேல் -- Never reveal your possessions.

2005-01-18T06:32:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 5: உடையது விளம்பேல் (uda-yathu vilam-bEl)

Translation: Never reveal your possessions.

Intended Translation: Never wash your dirty laundry in public.

Rumination: The term, "உடையது," literally refers to "your possessions." However, the intended meaning is that it is better to be tightlipped about one's inner personal secrets and issues. Many people derive a false sense of comfort, peace, and closure by imprudently sharing every intimate detail of their life in the open, even when uncalled for. Little do they realize that they have created a Frankenstein out of their own folly. Western societies do have a better notion of privacy and private space and individuals tend to respect that. The term "விளம்பேல்," literally translates to, "be tightlipped." The English idiom of "do not wash your dirty laundry in public," correlates to this Auvaiyar's maxim. Useless talk costs lives, they say. This is the spirit behind this maxim.

Quote: Talk of the Devil and he is bound to appear. -- Old Saying.

Maxim # 4: ஈவது விலக்கேல் -- Never stop giving.

2005-01-17T05:55:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 4: ஈவது விலக்கேல் (EE-vathu vi-lak-kEl)

Translation: Never stop giving.

Rumination: The term, "ஈவது," refers to acts of charity. Our minds are still afresh with the cataclysmic tsunami devastation. Tragedy unfolded; humanity responded. The farthest epicenter of the tsunami quake evoked a response from the closest epicenter of one's own heart. Numerous aid-agencies thankfully acknowledged the record amounts donated for a single tragedy. Such humble acts of generosity reminds us of our closeness to each other. Many who contributed would have experienced that inner peace of partaking in other peoples' sufferings. The sublime nature of charity enriches both the giver and the taker. However, such charitable acts must never cease. More than tsunamis, innocent lives are being lost, every single day, all over the globe, due to poverty, hunger, disease, terrorism, racism, infant mortality, genocides, etc. Such evils can be eighty-sixed only by our sustained giving. In other words, our charitable donations, however small they may be, must never cease. Auvaiyar, precisely asserts that with the term, "விலக்கேல்," that is to say, "never cease."

Note: One can only cease something that is already in motion. Therefore, one can infer that charity is innate in a human heart and those rivulets of mercy that gush forth must never be stopped.

Quote: Charity is good only when it comes as a true sacrifice. Only then the receiver who receives the material gift receives the spiritual gift too. If it is not a sacrifice, but a mere discharge of superfluous excess, it will only irritate those who receive it. -- Leo Tolstoy.

Maxim # 3: இயல்வது கரவேல் - Never hoard that you can afford to give.

2005-01-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 3: இயல்வது கரவேல். (e-yal-vathu kara-vEl)

Translation: Never hoard that you can afford to give.

Intended Translation: Never hoard more than you need.

Rumination: Here Auvaiyar's reasonability comes to the fore. The term, "இயல்வது," refers to the affordability of the donor and she doesn't get uppity in demanding anything more. Hoarding beyond one's affordability constitutes avarice or greed. Avarice is a real vice for a growing child, who perceives every other kid to be a pillager of its own belongings. Certain parents stash all their children's toys when guests with children visit them. Such actions do corrupt the immaculate minds of children. Auvaiyar's advice is clear. Never stash or hoard (கரவேல்) more than what you actually need. Teach the child the art of giving.

Quote: Virtue and charity start at home. If you got to go somewhere else to display it, then it is not a virtue. -- Leo Tolstoy.

Maxim # 2: ஆறுவது சினம் -- Anger simmers down.

2005-01-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 2: ஆறுவது சினம்.( AA-ru-va-thu si-nam)

Translation: Anger simmers down.

Extended Translation: Anger must always be simmered down.

Rumination: Have you ever seen a person impervious to anger? Sorry, I haven't yet. Even Scriptures and Vedas are replete with Gods being roused to anger. I love Auvaiyar's pragmatism when she talks about "simmering down" (ஆறுவது) anger, by which she implies subtly that you cannot totally get rid of anger in this earthly life. Anger will die only when I die. Even the Bible exhorts one to refrain from escalating a situation of anger when it says, "Irascimini et nollite peccare" (Never sin when provoked to anger). Anger is akin to an earthquake. It releases too much of an energy, within too short a time that can hardly be harnessed for the good of humanity. Unbridled anger provokes 'aftershocks' too. A good thing about anger is that it is evanescent as an earthquake. It never lasts for long. However, it is within that evanescence that we can wreak the greatest havoc with our unbridled emotions and power to inflict damage on others. Anger intoxicates a human mind that often results in an irreversible and permanent damage. Great men and women have carved their niches in the history of immortality by positively channelizing their anger over their oppressed societies and cultures. Uncontrolled anger has only given rise to terrorists, criminals, and leaders rushing to unjust wars. Therefore, anger by itself is not a vice; uncontrolled anger is. Therefore, Auvaiyar stresses the aspect of simmering down or subsiding down one's own anger. A literal translation of her maxim asserts the innate quality of anger -- Anger simmers down. Anger is capable of subsidence. The extended meaning behind that maxim is that anger must always be simmered down, i.e, one must work hard to douse one's anger. Ergo, a child must be taught the art of letting it go.

Quote: In times of stress and adversity, it is always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive. -- Lee Iacocca, American businessman.

Maxim # 1: அறம் செய்ய விரும்பு - Desire to perform acts of virtue.

2005-01-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 1: அறம் செய்ய விரும்பு. (aRum sey-yuh virum-bu)

Translation: Desire to perform acts of virtue.

Rumination: Poetess Auvaiyar must have been a brilliant optimist who understood child psychology well. She deems it fit to approach her first maxim on the topic of virtue in a very positive light. By not exhorting the children to disdain from performing acts of vice, she only exemplifies the need to approach them positively. Many parents and elders do have a pessimism when it comes to dealing with children and they must be keen to imbibe this subtlety from Auvaiyar. Also, it is interesting to note that she didn't explicitly say, "desire to earn virtue." Rather, it is clearly implied. She might have thought that whatever little virtue a kid may already have, it would suffice if it is encouraged to perform it. The more you dig the soil, the closer you are to a spring of water. A kid, when encouraged to perform acts of virtue automatically learns to inculcate more virtues.

Quote: The man of superior virtue is not conscious of his virtue, and in this way he really possesses his virtue. The man of inferior virtue never loses sight of his virtue, and in this way he loses his virtue -- Lao Tzu, circa 604 - circa 531 B.C.

தினம் ஒரு ஒளவையாரின் ஆத்திச்சூடி -- Aathichudi - A Maxim A Day.

2005-01-13T19:30:00.001-05:00

Many of my friends had requested me to blog regularly. Due to hectic schedules at work-front, I had to play truant on this one for a long time now. However, on Sunday, January 9th, 2005, while I was at Publix, shopping for my groceries, I got a call from my dear friend Velraja, who with all his inquisitiveness asked me, "Rex, I was playing a Tamil cassette for kids that comprises the moral maxims of our great old Poetess Auvaiyaar, which are rendered as songs. However, I don't understand all those maxims as they are composed and rendered in scholarly Tamil. For example, I do have a confusion as to what ஏற்பது இகழ்ச்சி ('yEr-padhu igazh-chEE') means. In this, what does ஏற்பது ('yEr-padhu') mean?"

The ethical treatise that my friend was referring to was ஆத்திச்சூடி, which is pronounced as 'AA-thi-chOO-di.' It means, "A garland of 'aththi' flowers," probably alluding to the Saivite God of Creation -- Lord Shiva, who use to be caparisoned with this floral garland. Anyway, while we debated and arrived at a consensus on what it means, my brilliant and intelligent friend countered me as to how that maxim contradicts another one in a different place. All of this made me think. After a long time, I felt so good at the level of an intellectual debate we had on a seemingly fleeting and trivial issue. Scholarly Tamil, especially those works that date back to several centuries, always need some probing to understand. Most of those words are seldom used in the contemporary Tamil dialects. Therefore, I decided to start learning at least one maxim a day to understand and share the same with my friends, thereby critically expounding some of these great puranic works of Classical Tamil. I am a mere Tamil aficionado and do not have any scholarly exposure to Tamil. I may be consulting informally with my parents, books, or friends, if I have problems in deciphering the meanings for these maxims. Therefore, should you observe any errors in either my translations or ruminations, kindly do let me know and I will make suitable modifications. Please do jot down your own thoughts and critiques so that it will truly be a learning experience for me.

ஆத்திச்சூடி (AA-thi-chOO-di) comprises 108 single-line maxims. It was composed by the great old Tamil Poetess Auvaiyaar, who belonged to the last Sangam era. Her devotion to Lord Vinayaka (Elephant God) and Lord Muruga (Tamil God) is well known. Her many other works appear in the great epic of Tamils' bravery, namely புறநானூறு ('puruh-nAAn-OOru'), roughly translated as the "Four Hundred Great Anthologies of Tamils' Bravery." Through ஆத்திச்சூடி (AA-thi-chOO-di) maxims (which were part of her 'Ethical Books' collection) she wanted to captivate and inculcate moral and ethical thoughts in the younger minds. 'Catching them young' was her mantra. These maxims are still being taught for the kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade kids in India. However, my audience for this blog is not kids; rather it is their parents. Therefore, I want to present content in a way that would be more appealing to parents so that they can present it in a way pleasing to their kids. I will present one maxim a day for the next 108 days. I want to make it simple and lucid. Therefore, I will blog each entry with four portions.

Original maxim in Tamil (transliteration in parenthesis).
Translation of the Tamil maxim in my own English.
Rumination or discussion on the maxim itself.
A relevant or random quote for the day.

You need to have Unicode support in your browsers and Operating Systems to view Tamil content. The last time, I did something of this sort was my, "Dhinam Oru Kural" (A couplet a day) e-mail service that I started during my days at University of Florida between 1997-1999, through a simple Unix e-mailing PINE program.

Many of my friends are baby-boomers; a few of them are in the family way. On the eve of Tamils' Thanksgiving Feast Day of Pongal, I wish to dedicate this small effort of mine to all my beloved friends and their cute, lovable kids. As a philologist, I specially commend my friend Velraja for inspiring me to take up this work for my own learning, understanding, and sharing. Very many thanks to my dearest buddy Srikanth in Madras, who satiates my Tamil thirst by gifting me some of the rare Tamil books out there in the market. Certainly this exercise is going to be a valuable, healthy 10-minute diversion for me during the next few days.

Wish you all a Happy Pongal. Pongal O Pongal.

Rex S. Arul
Smyrna, Georgia, USA
January 13, 2005.

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - October 14, 2004 - US Ambassador's letter to the Assam Chief Minister.

2004-10-14T06:27:00.000-04:00

US Ambassador to India, Honorable David C. Mulford offers a word of readiness to provide FBI's services to the terrorism inflicted state of Assam directly to the Assam Chief Minister Mr. Tarun Gogoi. Of course he must have made the offer through the Foreign Ministry of the Central Government in New Delhi. Immediately, all hell broke loose with every leading newspaper and magazine making demands that ranged from declaring the Ambassador to be persona non grata to tendering of apologies by the US Government. I honestly did not think that the Ambassador had any mala fide intent, when he made the offer. Hence wrote this letter to The Hindu.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated October 14, 2004.

* * *
Sir, — The U.S. Ambassador, David C. Mulford's direct offer of help to the Assam Chief Minister in providing the services of the FBI to investigate the terrorist attacks was made with bona fide intent. The ambassador's crossing of the diplomatic Rubicon may be a faux pas at best. Spewing scorn on the U.S. for a minor gaffe does not augur well for bilateral relations.

Rex S. Arul,
Smyrna, Georgia

* * *

http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/14/stories/2004101403601004.htm

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - September 30, 2004 - Decried the attack on Nuns of Mother Teresa's Order in Kerala.

2004-09-30T06:10:00.000-04:00

It was not long ago when a Catholic priest introduced a wonderful adage during our offline discussion: "corruptio optimi pessima." It is a powerful adage, which alludes to the corruption of the best being the worst of all. This is true in any set-up. The best friend, when corrupted, turns out to be the most lethal enemy; a spouse, when corrupted, turns out to be the most potent destructor of a marriage; a Justice system, when corrupted, turns out to be the greatest factory of injustice; so on and so forth. When an egalitarian state in Kerala that had so far not been communal, even during the worst of communal riots in other parts of India, shows signs of communal depravity by attacking the nuns of Missionaries of Charity, an order established by Blessed Mother Teresa, what would one do? Is this a sign of road to perdition? That is what made me flash this letter to The Hindu.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated September 30, 2004.

* * *

Sir, — The attack on the nuns of the Missionaries of Charity in the most politically conscious State of Kerala reminds me of the Latin adage corruptio optimi pessima (the corruption of the best is the worst of all). Hope the powers-that-be act swiftly to ameliorate the situation.

Rex S. Arul,
Smyrna, Georgia

* * *

http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/30/stories/2004093003601001.htm

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - August 20, 2004 - Female lynchers must be treated as victims?

2004-08-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

So, these women resort to vigilante justice by lynching the accused, Mr. Akku Yadav, when he comes for an open hearing at a Nagpur Court. Women activists in India, then enacted a farcical charade of the judicial process by not only condoning and justifying a cold-blooded murder, but even went several steps ahead to demand that these women accused be treated as victims. Where on earth can one find such a chutzpah to kill a defenceless human-being (whatever be his personal credentials) and then claim the perpetrators to be victims of the killed victim? I decried such a vigilante justice, which is sadly increasing in India for want of timely reforms in the already overburdened and logjammed criminal justice system.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated August 20, 2004.

* * *

Sir, — The women protesters in Nagpur have blatantly interfered with the judicial process by asking the judicial magistrate to grant bail to the five women accused of lynching Akku Yadav in an open court. Vigilante justice has no place in a democracy. It is sheer chutzpah on the part of women activists to claim that the five women be treated as victims.

Rex S. Arul,
Georgia, U.S.

* * *

http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/20/stories/2004082001481002.htm

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - August 6, 2004 - West Bengal Government executes Chatterjee.

2004-08-06T23:46:00.000-04:00

That I am never a fan of death-penalty is known to many of my friends and relatives. After almost a decade of de facto moratorium on executions, the West Bengal Government got it through to hang Dhananjoy Chatterjee. His impoverished parents and wife (with whom he had hardly stayed for a week before being cast into incarceration forever as a death-row convict) had staged every fast they could to get a clemency for Mr. Chatterjee and they failed. By executing Mr. Chatterjee, the society had only created fresh victims of the convict's family.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated August 6, 2004.

* * *

Sir, — In the name of administering justice to Dhananjoy's victim, we have only heaped injustice on his family.

Rex S. Arul,
Georgia, U.S.

* * *

http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/06/stories/2004080601291001.htm

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - July 17, 2004 - The US need not apologize to George Fernandes.

2004-07-17T23:34:00.000-04:00

So our George Fernandes, on a trip to Washington DC, as the Defense Minister of India was searched just similar to any of us. A big ruckus ensued when this was made public with every Tom, Dick, and Harry demanding an apology from the US Government. First of all, it was an exaggeration that Mr. Fernandes was ever strip-searched. He was merely asked to take his jacket off. Moreover, if there would have been a diplomatic protocol violation, the Foreign Ministry could have taken up the issue within the official channels of the US State Department. Even the Ambassador of India to the United States, who was at that time with Mr. Fernandes did not see any violation of protocol when the latter was searched at the airport in Washington. Moreover, when any citizen flies into another country, he has to subject himself to the laws and statutes of the host country, because he had been granted a visa as a privilege, not as a right. When every air-traveler within the US is forced to undergo this security-check ordeal, it would be childish to demand that our own Mr. Fernandes be treated differently. After all the United States is not a babudom for our politicians to be treated any different than ordinary people.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated July 17, 2004.

* * *

Sir, — The brouhaha over the Fernandes issue is unwarranted. It is naïve to assume that only suspects are strip-searched at U.S. airports. Post-9/11, airport security has been beefed up much to the chagrin of all in the U.S.

Rex S. Arul,

Georgia, U.S.

* * *

http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/17/stories/2004071700511024.htm

Letters to the Editor - The Hindu - July 3, 2004 - Commending the brave school-girls.

2004-07-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

Necessity is the mother of innovation. When your rights to higher education are at stake with the admissions issue being under litigation and the lawyers are at strike, what will you do? Appear pro se to argue your own case before the respected Judge? Well, that is what two brave girls did. The press in Tamilnadu did a good job in adequately publicizing this issue. I, on my part, sent this letter to the editor of The Hindu. Though being the second letter (the first one was published in 1992) to appear on print, this would set-off a chain of other letters to come.

Published in The Hindu, National Edition, dated July 3, 2004.

Sir, — As appearing pro se is not a common practice in the courts, it was apt that the girls got prominent coverage in the media.

Rex S. Arul,
Georgia, U.S.

http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/03/stories/2004070301371005.htm

June 11, 2004 -- A Day to Remember...

2004-06-11T23:44:00.000-04:00

As I received a call from my boss, late this afternoon, I, for a moment thought I was being called on the carpet. However M and C gave me the good news of a great ascent in the pecking order to that of a LSE. I was totally caught by surprise and it only rose to a crescendo when I was told that the Review Committee had decided on a consensus. Love, affection, and bonhomie is always in the air as I started receiving lots of plaudits and was elated and humbled by those pleasantries. I thanked my good Lord as I fully ascribe this feat to His benevolence and His will. Today was a day of dancing for me, personally, even as the nation was mourning over the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan.

During moments of personal success, I always start to ponder more about how others' contributions may have helped me stand where I am and how it may have often been impossible to let such people know how grateful I am for that. The friend who keeps you in his prayers; the loved-ones across the globe who wish you nothing but good; the person in the adjacent cube who would have contributed in busting a leviathan; the boss who would have placed me right on an interesting mission; the secretary who would have lessened my burden with mundane office chores; or even that peer who would have just mustered enough tolerance to put up with me :-) In any case, my success is not mine alone. As a human-being, I belong to this world and am being continuously shaped and chiseled by events and people all around me. While personal responsibility, accountability, integrity, ethics, audacity, punctiliousness, etc., of a person is of paramount importance in determining his success, it is a irrefutable fact, that several unrecognized persons have a definite say in shaping that success, however insignificant their contribution may seem from the exterior. In the process of an ascent towards a pinnacle of personal success, such faceless peoples' contributions serve as a catalyst, for sure. My success is not fulfilled, if I do not personally acknowledge those from whom I learn directly or indirectly through their words spoken and unspoken. And to all of them, I say, "Thanks and God bless."

At Today's Mass -- Musings about the Story of a Prostitute and a Sage

2004-06-10T23:33:00.000-04:00

During today's evening mass, I was enthralled to see my favorite Gospel reading of Matthew 5:20-26, where Jesus lays down some tough guidelines regarding personal morality. Especially, verse 20, "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven," reminded me of this story told by Swami Ramakrishna Pramahansa. This is another case in point to my own conviction of how the Hindu Culture and Spirituality enables me to nourish my own Catholic faith.

There was a hermit who used to meditate under a tree that was opposite to a house that belonged to a prostitute. Whenever, a new customer visited the sinful lady's house, the hermit used to throw a stone to account for it. He had utter contempt for the lady's sinful life and soon the collection of stones constituted a mound. However, the prostitute always used to converse with God asking why she is not able to spend time in a good manner as that hermit who always ponders and meditates upon God!

One fine day, both the prostitute and the hermit died and the prostitute was taken to heaven whereas the hermit was taken to the hell. Irked by the sudden change of fortune, the hermit asked Lord Yama (similar to St. Peter in Catholic stories), "While that prostitute who was always leading an unclean life was taken to heaven, why is this the place that you have reserved for people like me who had always spent our time meditating on God and His works?" To that, Lord Yama said, "While you were supposedly meditating on God, you were merely accounting for that lady's sins; whereas, that lady while in the act of committing the sin of adultery everytime, she was in communion with God asking for pardon and an opportunity to reform her life. Her invocations were much superior in the eyes of God, than your hubris. Hence the change of destinies for each of you. You got what you deserved and she got what she deserved."

President of India Declares Tamil as Classical Language

2004-06-09T21:49:00.000-04:00

The Classical Status of Tamil - The Hindu by S.S. Vasan, Rhodes Scholar, Trinity College, Cambridge, U.K.
Professor George L Hart's (Head, Department of Tamil Studies, University of California, Berkley, CA) Letter to the Government of India in 2000, exhorting a promulgation of Tamil as a Classical Language.

My Musings..

When I was doing my MS Program at the University of Florida (UF), I was called to assist many Korean and Japanese Students in Linguistics, who were trying to pronounce some of the Tamil words for their linguistic phonetic analysis. I was told that their Professor (who is not a Tamil anyways) lauded Tamil as a great, ancient, language with intricate phonetics that can be an apt choice for their research. After they heard me talk and read out loud in Tamil, they shared their interest in knowing more about Tamil by saying, "We really do not understand what you spoke. However, after listening for a while, we do now appreciate that Tamil is one of the most melliflous, euphonic languages phonetically. It is pretty intricate and complex as well and has really inculcated an interest in us to know and learn more about this great language. Unfortunately, we do not have a Tamil Department at UF, do we?" I said, "Unfortunately, not." Well, the situation may well change with the greatest announcement made at the floor of the Indian Parliament, recently. Will this be one of reality or just one of those cherished dreams of mine? Remember the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? "Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to move men." As a meliorist, I am going to redact my views on the subject to show how this dream may well metamorphize to an imminent reality in future.

Nothing in the recent years has made me so happy as this news that the new Congress(I) led United Progressive Alliance has made a decision to promulgate Tamil as a Classical Language, thereby paving the way for fostering further growth and eminence of this great, ancient language. The Gods certainly have a fine sense of humor because this major policy announcement was made at the floor of the Indian Parliament by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, himself being a Tamil.

I sincerely thank the former Tamilnadu Chief Minister and DMK leader, Dr. Kalaignar. M. Karunanidhi, who was chiefly instrumental in realizing his long-cherished dream of declaring Tamil as a classical language. It is ironic that the very same Congress(I) Government, which during the days of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru tried to impose Hindi on the Tamils has atoned for its folly by taking Tamil to its right seat of eminence. The Congress(I) President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh rightly deserve our praise for removing the blot of such an imposition during the 1960s, which literally back-fired when it galvanized the Dravidian aspirations of the Tamils in the then Madras Presidency(now, State of Tamilnadu).

For many of my American friends, I wish to point out that some of the English words that you use in contemporary parlance, say, pariah ('pariah' means drummer -- a social outcast), mullagatawny ('Mallaga Thawny' means Pepper-Water), catamaran ('Kattu Maram' means 'tied logs'), etc. are directly originating from Tamil. Also, Tamil is still a language that is spoken by roughly 70 million people all over the world.

Some of the benefits that will arise out of the latest announcement of elevating Tamil as a Classical Language will be as follows:

More seats of research will be opened for Tamil in various Universities and Centers across India. Many other Universities around the globe will follow suit.

Sanskrit always dominated the Indian scene as a classical language, thereby relegating Tamil to an inferior position, even though Tamil was more ancient than Sanskrit and is richer in its grammatical and literary content. Now, Tamil will achieve its own pride of position in Indian literature, archeology, epigraphy, etc.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) may accept the Classical-Language status for Tamil. If that happens, many other World Universities will follow suit as well.

More Tamil works will get noticed by means of extensive translations and even in original forms in different parts of the world. During the era of the Soviet Union, many Tamil works were published in Moscow and distributed all around the globe, which stopped pretty much after its fall. Now, we can see more of Tamil works being published all around the globe, albeit not too soon, but for sure in future.

As an Engineering Student in India, I had then deposed before a high-level delgation in support of the then Tamilnadu Chief-Minister's aim of having Higher-Technical Education in Tamil. A renewed thrust is very much on the anvil for Scientific Tamil, especially when the Central Government will start funding for Tamil research along the lines of furthering Sanskrit research.

While there is a controversy if the prayers to the Hindu deities be restricted only to Sanskrit, elevation of Tamil to the Classical Language status should encourage those who support Tamil as a suitable language to God as well. In Tirumanthiram (Holy Chant) written by Saint Tirumular ( circa 4th century AD - 6th century AD), he sings thusly:

என்னைநன் றாக இறைவன் படைத்தனன்
தன்னைநன் றாகத் தமிழ்செய்யு மாறே

(The Lord had created me pretty well,
so that I can praise Him well in Tamil).

When that ancient Sithar(Saint) himself had implied that the good Lord preferred being lauded through Tamil, should the puritans be against it? Oh, thanks to the Second Vatican Council (1964) convened by Pope John XXIII, the Catholics made a significant stride in offering their Eucharistic Liturgy in vernacular languages as well, which until then was exclusively done in Latin only. Even today, many Traditional Catholics lament the loss of Latin in their worship, but still the Church and the Catholics have learnt to live with the times. Any time, a language is considered to be Divine, as Latin and Sanskrit is, they often end-up earning a notorious status -- dead language. I only hope that Tamil ushers in this new era with its elevated status as a classical language by finding more acceptance with the Carnatic Music Singers and Priests of the Hindu Temples.

Many foreign nations (Singapore has Tamil as an official-language) may declare Tamil as a Classical Language and if a handful of nations declare so, then United Nations can be approached to declare Tamil as an offical language with its cultural body -- UNESCO -- according Classical-Language status to Tamil, just similar to how it has done so, inter alia , for languages like Arabic, Sanskrit and Persian.

Irrespective of the sudden euphoria around this promulgation of Tamil as a classical language, a little too late by the Government of India, one should not fail to take cognizance of the immense respect it commands at the international arena, where its classical status was never disputed. In Encyclopedia Brittanica - Vol 21, William Benton, Chicago, 1972 pp 647, we find this: "Tamil language is one of the Principal Dravidian languages spoken in South India and perhaps the only example of an ancient classical language which has survived as a spoken language for more than 2500 years with its basic structure almost unchanged." And Professor George L. Hart of University of California at Berkley clearly gives the sockdolager on the subject when he wrote to the Government of India thusly: "Let me state unequivocally that, by any criteria one may choose, Tamil is one of the great classical literatures and traditions of the world. The status of Tamil as one of the great classical languages of the world is something that is patently obvious to anyone who knows the subject. To deny that Tamil is a classical language is to deny a vital and central part of the greatness and richness of Indian culture."

And, from the year I landed in the United States in 1997, I was always moved by the yeoman efforts of non-Tamils at the University of Pennsylvania's Tamil Learning Website. This is a wonderful case in point for the love and affection, Tamil commands from people who are beyond the borders of Tamilnadu and other Tamil speaking countries of Southeast Asia.