Satya Sai Baba and vAstu

Satya Sai Baba (SSB) passed away yesterday. SSB's doctors made his passage difficult with pacemakers and other life support added on - but his sharIra, whose nature it is to die and decay, had to give way. He was eighty five years old.

With anybody else, 85 can safely be considered a ripe old age. However, with Baba - the center of so much of power and opulence, any age would not be ripe enough.

A family member of Satya Sai Baba lamented that the hospital where he (SSB) was treated had "vAstu doSham"! When I read this statement - I could not make up my mind whether to laugh or to cry.

I do not wish to pontificate here - but merely want to point out the obvious. Our bodies - strong as they may be now - will eventually wither away. That is the nature of life. Whether eighty or hundred or even a hundred and ten years old - no one will live forever. It is quite amazing that this family member of SSB could not get that - in spite of the high philosophy that SSB regularly had in his lectures and speeches.

At these times, it helps to look at our purANas and itihAsa and get a grip on ourselves. Great avatAras like rAma and kRShNa gave up their bodies when it was time. Great personages like bhIShma and dharmarAja passed away too. And so did kings like shivAji and kRshNadevarAya. When they passed away however, they understood their conditions and adjusted. No illustrious personage departed kicking and weeping like a five year old.

In fact the Raghuvamsha has a phrase about this - yogenAnte tanutyajAm ("The kings of the ikShvAku dynasty gave up their bodies with yoga"). They "gave it up".

My lament is that our people are not looking at the stars in our purANic sky. They are looking at the muck and dirt - in the form of vAstu and other sick superstitions. To answer this family member - would SSB have lived forever if they had shifted him to a "vAstu" compliant hospital? Read kisA gotami's story, people!

I sometimes feel that atheism is better than this kind of belief. I read an interesting piece about SSB's and H Narasimhaiah's exchange on Outlook India here.While I do not agree with Outlook's ideology, this piece has an interesting part from the same piece that I would like to quote. [Emphases in the following paragraphs mine]

Now science seems to have been replaced by technology in the public
space. Obviously one can't speak of the values of technology as one
spoke about that of science because there aren't any. Technology is only
about application and consumption and it suits the times well. It is
ideologically neutral. I am tempted to say that as more and more
technology surrounds us, our pre-occupation with dogma and godmen has increased.

With that point to ponder, I conclude this post with my (hopefully unfounded) observation that as a society, we seem to be heading downhill - morally and spiritually - in a high powered fully featured sports car with all cylinders firing.

ಹರಿಗುರುವಿಗೆ ನುಡಿಯ ನಮನ

ಇಂದು ಬೆಳಗ್ಗೆ ಎದ್ದು ವಿಜಯಕರ್ಣಾಟಕ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಣ್ಣಾಡಿಸಿದಾಗ ಒಂದು ಸಖೇದಾಶ್ಚರ್ಯದ ಸಂಗತಿ ಕಾಣಿಸಿತು. ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರು ನಮ್ಮೊಂದಿಗಿಲ್ಲವೆಂಬ ಸುದ್ದಿ. ಗುರುವಾರ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಅವರು ನಿಧನರಾದರೆಂದು ಓದಿ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಬಹಳ ದುಃಖವಾಯ್ತು. ಅದರ ನಡುವೆಯೂ ಅವರ ನಗುಮೊಗ; ಕಾಳಜಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅಕ್ಕರೆಗಳು ನೆನಪಾದವು. ಹರಿಯವರೆಂದರೆ ಹಾಗೆ.

ಶಿಕಾರಿಪುರ ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರೆಂದರೆ ಅಮೇರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪಕಾಲವಾದರೂ ವಾಸಿಸಿದ್ದು ಕನ್ನಡ-ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆಸಕ್ತರಾಗಿದ್ದವರಿಗೆ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಮರೆಯಲಾರದಂಥ, ಮರೆಯಬಾರದಂಥ ಹೆಸರು, ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ. ನನಗಂತೂ ಎಸ್.ಕೆ.ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರೆಂದರೆ - ಸ್ಟಾಕ್-ಟನ್ ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರು ಎಂದು ನೆನಪು ಬರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಅಮೇರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾಗ ಅವರು ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೋರ್ನಿಯಾದ ಸ್ಟಾಕ್-ಟನ್ನಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಟುಂಬಸಮೇತರಾಗಿ ವಾಸಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಈ ಲೇಖನದ ಉದ್ದೇಶ ನಾ ಕಂಡ ಹರಿಯವರನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು. 

ಅವರ ಹೆಸರನ್ನು ಬಹಳೆಡೆ ಕೇಳಿದ್ದರೂ ಮುಖಪರಿಚಯವಾದದ್ದು ೨೦೦೦ ದ ಹ್ಯೂಸ್ಟನ್ನಿನ ವಿಶ್ವಕನ್ನಡಸಮ್ಮೇಳನದಲ್ಲಿ. ಭರ್ಜರಿಯಾದ ಸ್ಮರಣಸಂಚಿಕೆಯ ರೂವಾರಿಗಳು ಹರಿಯವರು. ನಗುಮೊಗದ ತಲ್ಲೀನತೆ ಅವರ ಗುರುತಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಏನೂ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲದ ಪಡ್ಡೆಯ ಹುಡುಗರಾದ ನಮಗೂ "ನನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರ" ಎಂದು ನಗುವಿನೊಂದಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಪರಿಚಯವನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದ್ದರು. ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಹಾಗೆ ಇವರು ಪೂರ್ವಭಾಷಿ. ಕನ್ನಡವೆಂದರೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅಪಾರವಾದ ಒಲವೆಂದು ಆ ಕೆಲವು ಘಳಿಗೆಗಳ ಒಡನಾಟವು ತಿಳಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಅವರು ವೃತ್ತ್ಯಾ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನಿ-ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತ್ಯಾ ಸಾಹಿತಿಗಳು-ಬರಹಗಾರರು.
ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಚಳವಳಿಗಾರರೂ ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಕೈಗೆತ್ತಿಕೊಂಡ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು
ಮುಗಿಸುವ ಹಠ.

ಉತ್ತರ ಕ್ಯಾಲಿಫೋರ್ನಿಯಾ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕೂಟದ ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸ್ಮರಣ-ಸಂಚಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಇವರು ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾಗಿದ್ದರೋ! ಕೂಟದ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ನಡೆದ ನಂತರ ಅದರ ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ಬರೆಯುವುದು ರೂಢಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅಲ್ಪಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕನ್ನಡ ತಿಳಿದ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ಹರಿಯವರು ಹುರಿದುಂಬಿಸಿ ಬರೆಹ ಬರೆಯಿಸಿದ್ದರು - ಅದೂ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ. ಲೇಖನದ ನಂತರ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನಾಡಿ ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾವನ್ನೂ ನೀಡಿದ್ದರು. ತೊದಲುವ ಮಗುವಿನ ನುಡಿಯನ್ನೂ ಅಕ್ಕರೆಯಿಂದ ಆಲಿಸಿ ತಿದ್ದಿ ಕಲಿಸಿ ನಂತರ "ಭೇಷ್ ! ಎಷ್ಟು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ" ಎಂದು ಹೊಗಳುವಂಥವರು ಹರಿಯವರು. ಮುಂದೆ ಒಂದಷ್ಟು ಬರೆದು ಕಳಿಸಿದ್ದೆ - ಅದನ್ನು ಹೊಗಳಿ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಪ್ರಚಾರವನ್ನೂ ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹವನ್ನೂ ನೀಡಿದ್ದರು. ಅಕ್ಷರಮಾತ್ರವನ್ನು ಕಲಿಸಿದವರು ಗುರುಗಳಾದರೆ ನನಗೆ ಹರಿಯವರು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗುರುಗಳು.

ನಂತರ ನನಗೆ ತಿಳಿದದ್ದೇನೆಂದರೆ ಹರಿಯವರು ಬರೆಯುವುದಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಬರೆಯಿಸುವುದು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಇಷ್ಟ ಪಡುತ್ತಾರೆಂಬುದು. ಆದರೆ ಅವರು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಬರೆಯಿಸಿಯೂ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ - ನನ್ನಂಥ ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವು ಮಂದಿಯಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಹರಿಯವರದು ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯ ಬೆಂಬಿಡದ ಪ್ರೀತಿ. ಅವರೇನೂ ಒತ್ತಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವಾದರೂ ನಾವೇ ಬರೆದುಬಿಡೋಣವೆಂಬ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರೀತಿಯನ್ನು ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದುದು ಹರಿಯವರ ಹೆಚ್ಚುಗಾರಿಕೆ. ಯುವಕರನ್ನೂ ನಾಚಿಸುವ ಉತ್ಸಾಹ ಇವರದಾಗಿತ್ತು.

ಬೇ ಏರಿಯಾಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದ ಸಾಹಿತಿಗಳನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಬಲ್ಲವರು ಹರಿಯವರು. ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಾಸಕ್ತರ ಸಮ್ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಸಾಹಿತಿಗಳ ಸನ್ಮಾನ-ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸದೇ ಇರುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವರೂ ಅವರ ಶ್ರೀಮತಿಯವರೂ ಅವಿರತವಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಶ್ರಮಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೇ ಸನಾತನ ಧರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯುಳ್ಳವರಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ಹಿಂದೂ-ಪರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಬೌದ್ದಿಕ-ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಸಾಹಾಯ್ಯವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು.  ಹಲವು ಮದುವೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಇವರೇ ಪುರೋಹಿತರಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಇವರ ಮಂತ್ರಾನುವಾದಗಳ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಾನು ನೋಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಸುಮಾರು ೨೦೦೩/೨೦೦೪ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ಇವರು ಮರಳಿದರೂ ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಅಮೇರಿಕಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ನಂತರ ನಾನೂ ಮರಳಿದೆ. ಅವರ ಅಕ್ಕರೆ ಎಷ್ಟಾಗಿತ್ತೆಂದರೆ ಅವರೇ ನನಗೆ ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಮೈಸೂರಿನಿಂದ ಫೋನಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಹಿರಿಯರು ಕರೆದಿದ್ದರೂ ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಅವರನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಒಮ್ಮೆಯೂ ಹೋಗದ ದುರ್ಬುದ್ಧಿಯ ದೀರ್ಘಸೂತ್ರತೆ ನನ್ನದು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ನೋಡೋಣ, ಇನ್ನೊಮ್ಮೆ ನೋಡೋಣ ವೆಂದು ಮುಂದೂಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದೆ. ಈಗ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ದೈಹಿಕವಾಗಿ ಅವರೇ ನಮ್ಮೊಂದಿಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆ ಯೋಚಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನನಗೆ ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿ - "ನೋಡು, ಮುಂದೂಡುವುದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮ" ಎಂದು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಬೈದರು. ನನ್ನ ಮುಂದೂಡುವಿಕೆಯ ರೋಗವೇ ಅವರನ್ನೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕಣ್ತುಂಬ ನೋಡಿ ಬಾಯ್ತುಂಬ ಮಾತಾಡಿಸುವ ಅವಕಾಶವನ್ನು ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿ ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿತು. ಅದು ನನಗೆ ಒಂದು ಶಿಕ್ಷೆ. ಇರಲಿ - ಇದರಿಂದಲೂ ನನಗೆ ಮರೆಯದ ಪಾಠ ಕಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಹರಿಯವರು.

ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರಲ್ಲಿ ಕೋಪದ ಕಠೋರ-ಹರ ನಮಗೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ವಾತ್ಸಲ್ಯಪೂರ್ಣ-ಹಾಸವೇ
ಅವರ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ನಮಗೆ "ಹರಿ"ಯೇ ಅವರ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡದ್ದು.
ಹರಿಹರೇಶ್ವರರೆಂದು ಹೆಸರಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವರನ್ನು "ಹರಿಯವರು" ಎಂದೇ ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಅದಕ್ಕೇ
ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಈಗ ನಮ್ಮ ಹರಿಯವರು ಹರಿಪದವನ್ನು ಸೇರಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಚಿರಶಾಂತಿಯನ್ನು ಕೋರುತ್ತಾ ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಸದಸ್ಯರಿಗೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಆ ಸರ್ವಶಕ್ತನಾದ ಭಗವಂತನು ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡಲೆಂದು ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥಿಸುತ್ತ ಈ ಲೇಖನವನ್ನು ಶ್ರದ್ಧಾಂಜಲಿಯಾಗಿ ಹರಿಯವರಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.

Callousness to cows - read this and stop drinking milk!

Fight the Good Bull Fight | OPEN Magazine

All of us (barring those lactose intolerant) consume milk and/or milk products. Soy Milk is not yet at that stage where it can replace cow's milk. It is pretty amazing that we get milk in polythene covers or cartons or cans - leading to a numbed sensitivity amongst us regarding the origin of milk. We don't care about where milk comes from and what the poor cows have to go through to give us our morning cup of coffee, tea or milk or ice cream.

India is the land of cows and cow reforms. Yet, we don't seem to think about what cows experience during their lives. Cows give milk only when they are lactating - when they have recently borne a calf. So, in the interests of the millions of milk-guzzlers, cattle are kept pregnant throughout significant parts of their lives - their "cycles" are "optimized" to generate maximum milk. Just replace "cow" with "woman" in the preceding lines and think what a revolting thought that can be. Yes, it is really *that* bad!

To add insult to injury, reproduction is now mainly via artificial insemination robbing cows and bulls of those few moments of conjugal bliss in their lives. What a wretched state we have led them to!

The article (linked at the top of this piece) talks about the "outrageous" national project for mass artificial insemination. It is a well written and informative piece.

Go-rakShaNa vEdike, Vishwa Hindu Parishat, BJP and other self-appointed cow protectors! Wake up!! Fight this injustice to the animal that you worship and use for political mileage!

Why don't well intended corporates/farmers promote milk from humanely treated cows for starters? (If nothing - it is a good business idea. I for one will pay the premium to drink milk from humanely treated cows. I am sure there are several thousands if not millions of people who agree with me.) Till then, I should probably give up milk and curd entirely...

PS: This is for those who believe in karma (pApa and puNya). kartA (the doer), kArayitA (the one who gets it done), preraka (the one who provides the encouragement) and anumodaka (the one who assents to the action) - all have shares in the results of an action - boon or sin. In this case, since milk-drinkers like me (and you) provide preraNa for the cattle farmers to generate more and more milk. In other words the likes of you, gentle reader, and me are responsible for the dire straits of the bovine world. Mankind, as a whole, is suffering the consequences of the accruing bad karma. Now, when a Tsunami looms over the horizon or you're quivering in fear in an earthquake, don't think you weren't responsible....

Groundwater anarchy (via Deccan Herald)

Groundwater anarchy runs deeper across the country (Deccan Herald)

Groundwater depletion is my nightmare. The article expands on it and shows the reality. I don't think this is hype at all. Sample the following chilling observation.

In the urban centres, however, cheaper pumping devices have created
groundwater anarchy. Gurgaon, the bursting suburb of Delhi with 2
million inhabitants, is a case in point wherein unrestricted number of
borewells are consistently depleting groundwater at an average rate of
2 meters per year for the last three years. Lacking authority to ban
further digging of borewells, a helpless Central Ground Water Authority
(CGWA) instead warns that at the present rate the city will have no
groundwater left by 2017.

Can we do anything about this? Is there some kind of activism going on in this area?

All our caste/political battles (pick your favorite concern here) will come to naught when people have nothing to drink.
 

The IPL advertising horror

Rahul Bhattacharya: The advertising horror that is the IPL | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

I love cricket and all its forms including the new - but now old - T20. I like the IPL because of what it could and still can do. Local Indian talent rubbing shoulders with international cricketers. Gilchrist, Vaas and Laxman plotting the downfall of Hayden or Tendulkar. Teams playing the game hard but walking off the field laughing as friends. These are pictures attractive in all their cricketing possibilities.

However, one has to agree with Rahul Bhattacharya, who in the thoughtful post above, laments the horror of advertising that the IPL now is. When do the brands not hit you? A level of imperviousness to all these ads and their messages is inevitable for the sanity of the TV viewer. But how can one bear a constantly operating jackhammer? Subtlety, as Rahul notes, is not something the IPL stands for. In your face ads, the crass brand posturing off every four or six, catch or dismissal, the breaks that are more strategic for the ad vendors than for the teams, all the white cabaret dancers cheerleaders (this is IPL - aren't there any cute Indian girls that can dance?) - all mark IPL for its sheer brash vulgarity.

The following statement (emphasis mine) from Rahul sums it up very well:

The highest possible figure is important because in India money is exciting and a truth.

This is what happens when a people are denied so much. Being told by all and sundry that poverty is the ideal for fifty plus years, people got fed up. The reality of money just is way too attractive for people not to ignore it. Everybody wants money and loves to flaunt it. Gone are those days when people would have liked to be modest. But the then
popular culture had made it cool to be poor and idealistic - the hero would be young, brave and poor while the heroine would be baDe bAp kI bigDi hui beTi - who would then get a lesson on ideals and social equality and ideals would reign in the end. 

Now, the hero and heroine meet in an airport on their way to Switzerland for a vacation. The only thing in their way is their fathers being business competitors. The end of the movie would be a business deal (win-win, of course!).

This change has been drastic- I've seen it in a little less than twenty years. This is thirst for money on steroids. Just like a hungry man ogling a rich food spread - imagine what would happen when he is allowed to eat it. I suppose this will have to settle down. America too has in your face consumerism - but people are used to it. We will get used to it too, hopefully. But when?

IPL is merely one of a million other things that are of the truth, by the truth and for the truth. The truth here - not a truth - being money.