Cho is perfectly right when he often repeats that by saying DMK is a family, Karunanidhi means just one family that is his family. All is out in the open today with MK's charges against Marans and the latter's counter offensive. It was all hearsay but now it is official. It is the money that was the reason for the split. MK and his family were given 'just 100 crores (one billion rupees)' for offloading their shares in Sun whereas they were worth several billions. And Marans say that it was under MK's suggestion that this was done. Again the opinion poll that infuriated the mob was creating divisions in the family, as per MK. And how brazenly he defends the killing of 'innocent' people in Murasoli office by the mob? No remorse whatsoever? Hey Ram, agreed that politics is the last refuge of scounderals but is it also the last refuge of remorseless murderers? Nepotism is the byword of MK now (and for that matter for the past few decades). He wants to run the party for his family. And the poor buggars in the name of party workers are striving to keep the family flag up and running. If you look at the other side, it is the Sasikala and family which provides the alternative (JJ will only be a head). Is it that even God cannot save this state?

There was a beautiful article by the Crusader P Sainath in the Hindu of 20th Nov 2008, about how the Big Oil and Big Auto of US are taking the taxpayer to ransom. He explained in detail how the auto industry and oil industry systematically destroyed public transport and converted electric traction to oil based traction. Just to sell their cars, they created a dream of every one owns a car. And today, ozone layer is getting punctured. The Iraq war, he says, very aptly, would not have happened, if the national product of Iraq was asparagus instead of oil. He also laments that the public health care was similarly systematically destroyed by the Big Pharma. Unfortunately, we in India want to emulate that model and do not want to improve the public transport model. Health care is becoming costlier and costlier and out of the reach of some 200 million, though India is touted as a medical tourism hub. Canada is a very good example of how public health care is much cheaper and within the reach of everybody. Sainath ends his article by inviting us all to the Jurassic Park of Autos and Ideas because these metal lizards are compared to the ‘Terrible Lizards’ that existed once. But unlike those creatures which were neither terrible nor lizards, who did not engineer their own destruction or the earth’s, these metal lizards are very much taking the globe towards extinction. This article is a must read. As an aside, he talks of the bail out plan to banks being misused for declaring bonus to bank CEOs. He also cites how their favourite PM Dr Singh was shouted down by the media for suggesting limits to CEO salaries. All in all, it all points out to unsustainable development of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. For a long time, I believe that Indian system of development was always based on sustainability and cyclic symbolized by the Trimurtis of creation, protection and disposal in a harmless way. Probably the Indians of the early days, knowingly did not explore much on crude and its derivatives knowing well its ill effects.

I have a lot of faith in humanity. It gets reinforced every now and then by some insignificant events. I was sitting in the airport watching the TV. It was NDTV. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind requesting me to change the channel to Sun TV. A woman was not able to reach the button and so requested me. She wanted to see Mahabharat which would be telecast at that time. When I turned to see who it was, I got the shock of my life. It was a burqa clad Muslim women. I was emotionally shaken but my faith in humanity increased. It is not that all Muslims are terrorists or hate other religions. The common Muslim is still an Indian enjoying the Indian culture, mythology and even gods. Long live Bharat Mahaan!!!!

News is that L K Advani, Indian opposition leader considers it a shame that a nun was raped in Orissa and so many churches were attacked over different places in India. In Tamil, there is a proverb - pinch the child and then rock the cradle to silence the crying child. The whole orgy was orchestrated by the Bajrang Dal on the premise that Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati who opposed conversions was killed by Christians, which turned out to be untrue as the Maosits claimed that they killed the Swami. Now having been exposed this way, the BJP is trying to wriggle out by declaring it a shame. Is it the first time?

One of the biggest misunderstood and most mauled concept in Hindu Dharma is the concept of four divisions of the society called Varnashrama. The society is divided into Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The most maligned Manu did not create them on the basis of birth, one born of a Brahmin father does not necessarily become a Brahmin and so also one born of a Shudra parent is not forbidden from becoming a Brahmana. The degeneration of this happened over the centuries when the zealots and bigots perpetuated the division by birth. That is why I said it is the most mauled system. Let us see what Purusha suktam says:
Braahmanosya mukham aaseet
Baahu raajanya krutah
Ooru tadasya yad vaishyah
Padbhyam shoodro ajaayata

The Purusha or the supreme Lord has Brahmin or the learned as His face, kshatriya or warriors as His shoulders, vaishya or the merchant as His thighs and shoodra or the servant as His legs. The cynical may still say that shoodras are denigrated as His legs but my answer to them is that if they consider being legs as so inferior, let them chop them off and see what it feels. Every part described here is equally important and one cannot live comfortably without any of these. That apart, the early Vedas divided them according to their aptitude, nature and actions. This is to ensure that there are no square pegs in round holes. Each job should be done by the person with the right aptitude. Do we select a scientist for a sales man’s job or select a coward for a warrior’s post? Don’t we adopt different selection criteria for different jobs? These were as simple as that. Krishna tells these lucidly in two places, first in verse 13 of chapter 4 and then in verses 41 to 44 in Chapter 18. In Chapter 4, He says,

Chaatur varnyam maya srushtam GUNAH KARMA vibhaagashah
Tasya kartaaram api maam vidya kartaaram avyayam

Meaning ‘I created 4 divisions on the basis of aptitude and actions’. The basis is aptitude and actions.

Later in Chapter 18, He says

Braahmana Kshatriya Vishaam Shoodraanaam cha parantapa
Karmaani pravi bhaktaani swabhaava prabhavair gunaih

Shamo damas tapah shaucham kshantir aarjavam eva cha
Gnana vignaanam aastikyam brahma karma SWABHAAVAJAM

Dairyam tejo dhritir daakshyam yuddhe chaapya palaayanam
Daanam eeshwara bhaavascha kshaatram karma SWABHAAVAJAM

Krishi gowrakshya vaanijyam vaishya karma SWABHAAVAJAM
Paricharyaatmakam karma shoodrasyaapi SWABHAAVAJAM

No one can be clearer and no one can be more misunderstood even after this. Let us see how He divides people according to their innate nature (SWABHAAVAM)

Brahmins – equanimous, self-controlled, austere, clean, patient, honest, knowledgeable and experienced, faithful in God

Kshatriyaas – heroic, vigorous, firm, dexterous, steadfast in battle, charitable, leading in nature

Vaishyaas – involved in agriculture, cow herd and trade

Shoodras – serving others

Does He anywhere here say that it is birth which determines your Varna? The degeneration of this system into a casteist society and further in institutionalizing the superiority of Brahmins over other three, kshatriya over the other two and vaishya over shoodra is the cause of all evils afflicting the Indian society. How many can claim to be brahmanas under this definition? In my view, only the Swami Chandrasekhara Saraswati of Kaanchi can claim to be so. The most graceful person can consider most of us as traders as we trade our knowledge for money.

The 21st verse in Chapter 16 says
'Trividham narakas Yedam dwaaram naashanam aatmanh
kaamah krodhah tatha lobhah tasmad edad tryam tyajet'

The three doors to hell are attachment, greediness and anger. So enjoins upon Arjuna and all of us to do away with these three. In Chapter 2 he says that attachment leads to greediness which in turn to anger ultimately to destruction. Here he forbids all the three factors. The assertion is very emphatic

One of the best verses is the ninth in the ninth chapter, patram pushpam phalam toyam, yo may bhaktya prayachhati, tad aham bhaktyupahrudryam, ashnaami prayataatmanah, bring anything to me , a leaf, flower, fruit or even water but bring with utmost devotion, I accept it. Bible talks about the widow's mite and every other religion must have a similar one. But the principle is it is not ostentation or orthodoxy that brings you nearer to God but only the devotion, true identification of oneself with all other beings and thereby with Him, that takes one to God. Pundits may argue that only Bhakti Yoga out of the four yogas, namely, Gnana, Karma, Raja and Bhakti yogas, Krishna himself has identified Bhakti as the route to Him. But that is a useless argument. The insistence is on devotion, whatever path one might take. The next verse proves this. Yat karoshi, yad ashnaashi, yajjuhoshi dadaasi yad, yat tapasyasi kaunteya tad kurushvamadarpanam- whatever you do, eat, offer in sacrifice, give in charity or penance you do, offer them unto Me. These two verses if it is understood by the followers of Hinduism, there should not be any ostentation, any claim of superiority of one's faith or any clash ultimately.

Again on the topic of hypocracy. US President George W Bush is exhorting all nations at the UN to fight terrorism tooth and nail. two facets of hypocracy:
1. Bush was almost closing down UN a few years back by not releasing funds but now waxing eloquent on the efficacy of UN because Russia is challenging him
2. Terrorism of the Al Quaida kinds was promoted by US and now that it is hitting back like the Bhasmasura in Hindu Mythology or the demon in Dr Faust story, he wants others to fight terrorism. While India is bleeding for decades because of Pak terrorists, US was turning a hostile face and pumping more and more weapons into Pak. Now its own F16s are arraigned against its forces on the Afghan border.

Hypocracy 2: SEC Chairman, Treasury Secretary and FED RESERVE Chief are all vouching before the senate committee that the tax payer is hooked and they want to do something to stop the banking system to collapse. And when the banks were going to the edge by floating so many 'innovative instruments', where were these people. Turning a blind eye and allowing the shareholders and the executives to profiteer? Why don't they adopt the successful Swedish model adopted 17 years ago in the same situation where the government acquired the assets of these banks at a discount thereby penalising the shareholders rather than the tax payer?

Indian bureacrats and the Reserve Bank officials must be having a chuckle because their control over the finance institutions was frowned by the same people as too much of control. Now they are nationalising these banks and controlling them, a model adopted by India as far back as 1969. Social control of banks was legitimised then itself. Is anybody in the west learning?

Bush started with a disaster - 9/11 and he is ending with a disaster - financial system collapse. And to think that Americans reelected him resoundingly?????

God save the US - let good senses prevail and let them elect a good President.

It is not that Bhagavad Gita is just a compendium of philosophical thoughts. Just like any other philosopher whose intention is to reach people, Vyaasa uses lots of imagery and beautiful poetic language to explain the concepts. Some of them are given here.

Before going to the similes and metaphors, let us consider this beautiful construct. In Chapter 2 verse 5, Arjuna says that by killing the teachers, the wealth he gets will be tainted with blood. (Hatva artha kaamaastu Gurun nihaiva, bhunjeeya bhogan rudira pratigdhan). Compare this with Macbeth’s lament ‘All the perfumes of Arabia will not remove this stain’ after killing his king. The difference is that Arjuna was able to visualize it before committing the killings.

The most quoted and chanted verse about the soul discarding this body just like a dilapidated cloth and taking on new robes is one of the best similes. ‘Vaasaansi jeernaani yatha vihaaya, navaani grihnaani naroparaani, tatha shareeraani vihaaya jeernaani, anyaani sanyaati navaani dehi’ – verse 22 chapter 2

Another simile much used in philosophy is the tortoise. Krishna says the man with steadfast mind and perfect knowledge reaches that state by withdrawing all the senses like a tortoise ‘Yadaa samharate chaayam koormongoniva sarvashah, indriyaanin indriyaartebhyah tasya pragnaa pratisthitah’ Verse 58 chapter 2

A very beautiful simile is the ocean remaining unperturbed even though all the rivers are pouring water into it. Similarly one who remains unperturbed while approaching all the sense objects achieves peace ‘ aapooryamanam achala pratitham samudram eva api mukhaa dravanti, tadvat kaamaan yam pravashanti sarve sa shaatim aapnoti na kaama kaami’ – verse 70 Chapter 2

While talking about lust which is the root cause of all disturbances of the mind, Krishna gives three beautiful examples of a superior object being covered and masked by an inferior object
1. The fire engulfed by smoke (dhoomenavriyatovahnih)
2. A mirror covered by dust (yata darsho malena cha)
3. An embryo covered by the placenta (yatolpena vrito garbhah)

The beauty of these examples is that they all talk of very superior/useful things like fire, baby or a mirror but covered by very useless objects with a telling effect on the concept which He propounds (Verse 38 chapter 3)

The poet in Vyaasa sometimes comes out very prominently. He combines a simile and a metaphor in just one verse 37 of Chapter 4. He says just like fire turns all the fuel into ashes, the fire of knowledge turns all action into ashes. ‘Yathaidhamsi samitoni bhasma sat kuruteh Arjuna, gnanagnih sarva karmaani bhasmasat kurute tatha’

Another very famous simile is the lotus leaf in water. In verse 10 of Chapter 5, He says ‘Brahmanyaadaaya karmaani sangam tyaktva karoti yah, lipyate na sa paapena, padma patram ivaambhasaa’ meaning ‘He who shakes off all attachment and offers everything to God, him is not touched by the sins of the action just as water does not wet the lotus leaves though they live verily in it’.

One more place where the poet Vyaasa takes recourse to poetic language is in verse 3 of chapter 6. Swami Parthasarathy beautifully interprets this as Krishna’s way of driving home a point to a warrior. Arjuna will understand the language of mounting a horse easily and so He says ‘ Aarurooksho munair yogam karma kaaranam uchyate, yogaaroodhasya tasyaiva, shamah kaaranam uchyate’ meaning ‘To the contemplating soul who desires to ride the heights of karma yoga, disinterested action is called the first stepping stone; for the same man when he is mounted on the horse of yoga absence of all worldly thought is said to be the way to blessedness’

‘Yataa deepo nivaatastho na ingathe sopama smiritah, yogino yata chittasya, yunjato yogam aatmanah’ ‘Just as a lamp does not flicker in a windless environment, so does the mind of the yogi who has fixed his mind on the Yogaatma’ – verse 19 chapter 6. This simile of a lamp is windless environment is again used in many philosophical discussions

Can there be a better and more effective comparison of the uncontrollable mind to the wind in verse 34 of Chapter 6 ‘Vaayoriva sudushkarm’?

In Chapter 7, verse 7, He gives another beautiful simile, 'evrything existing is tied to Me just like beads to a string' - 'mayi sarvam idam protam sootrey mani gana iva'. The beads cannot remain stable if the string is broken and so also every entity in this Universe is kept in its place by Him.

Probably Chapter 8 is a rare chapter where I could not find one simile or metaphor, Krishna (or Vyaasa) must have become too philosophical to indulge in any frivolities.

In chapter 9, verse 9, a grand example of the air being contained within the space illustrates how all created things reside within Him. Yataakaasha sthito nityam vaayuh sarvatrago mahaan, tathaa sarvani bhootani matshaanityupadaarayah

Chapter 10 and 11 are showing Vyaasa at his best in poetry. In a truly literateur's manner, he brings in all the best in the world and tell them to be direct manifestation of Krishna, in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 is a typical Spielberg scene, of grandeur, images of humongous proportions et al.

In chapter 11, there are two very beautiful descriptions of how the beings are flowing into the gory mouth of death, just like a river flowing into the sea and just like moths fly into the flame. Two very beautiful comparisons that will definitely please any one of literary pursuit. Yada nadeenam bahavembu vegaah samudram evaapi mukha dhravanti, tada tavaami nara loka veerah, vishanti vaktraani abhi vijwalanti. Yadaa pradiptam jwalanam patangaah, vishanti naashaaya samruddha vegah, tadaiva naashaaya vishanti lokaas tavaapi naashaaya samruddha vegah.

In Chapter 12, Vyaasa displays a deep penchant for building up a step by step methodology starting from the most complicated, coming down to the easiest and ultimately concluding that the simplest is the most effective. This he has done in other places also but before looking at them, let us see this which is very elaborate. Five verses are involved.

Mayyeva mana aadatsva mayi buddhim niveshayah
Nivasishyasi mayyeva ata oordhvam na samshayah

Atha chittam samaadhaatum na shakroshi mayi sthiram
Abhyaasa yogena tato maam ichhaaptum dhananjaya

Abhyaaset asamarthisi mat karma paramo bhava
Madartham api karmaani kurvan siddhim avapsyasi

Athaitabyasaktoshi kartum adhyogam aashritah
Sarva karma phala tyaagam tatah kuru yataatmavaan

Shreyo hi gnanam abhyaasat gyaanat dhyaanam visishyate
Dhyaanat karma phala tyaagam tyaagat shantir anantaram

Krishna says, ‘Arjuna, concentrate upon me, fix your mind on me and you will reside with me’.
‘If you are unable to fix your mind upon me, try abhyaasa yoga – practice of the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness by remembering me constantly’.
‘If even that is not possible, dedicate yourself to the duties of me’.
‘Lastly even if that is not possible, don’t worry, do everything with a sense of dispassion and renounce the results unto me’.

These are the step by step techniques. Remember that He is addressing people of various levels of the state of the mind.

And in the concluding para of this discussion, He declares, ‘the knowledge of uniting the individual and Ultimate Consciousness (second technique) is better than the first, third is better than the second but the fourth, karma phala tyaagam, is the best of all’.

Having enjoyed this, let me put down the other places where I enjoyed Krishna’s arguing prowess.

In chapter 2, He discusses the consequences of desire. He says, ‘When you concentrate on wordly things, you develop an attachment, from the attachment, a desire to possess them arises and from the desire arises anger, either to protect it or for not possessing it, anger results in delusion of mind and deluded mind is the cause of all devastation’.

Dhyaayate vishayaan pumsah sangasteshoopajaayate
Sangaat sanjaayate kaamah kaamat krodhobhijaayate

Krodhat bhavati sammohah, sammohaat smriti vibhramah
Smriti vibhramashaat buddhi naashah buddhi naashaat pranashyati

Again in Chapter 3, he analyses how performing one’s duties of in a renounced manner results in rain and welfare of everybody. He declares, ‘Beings survive because of food and food is generated by rain, rain is created by the yagnas, but the yagnas are the result of perfoming one’s karma, these karmas are prescribed by Vedas and Vedas have their origin in the Supreme Being, so devote everything into That Supreme’.

That was a little digression from my main thread of listing out the similes and metaphors. In chapter 13, two more grand pictures are painted. Just as the space is not tainted by the air it contains, the Supreme Being is not tainted by all the beings it contains. And in the next verse, He compares the Sun lighting the universe eternally, the Supreme Being (Kshetragna) gives life to every being.

Tataa sarva gatam sowkshamyat aakaasham na upalipyate
Sarvatraavasthito dehay tathatmaa na upalipyate

Yatha prakaasha yatyekah krtsnam lokam imam ravih
Kshetram kshetree tatha krtsnam prakaashayati tat param

The deepest philosophy comes in chapter 15 Purushotama Yoga when Krishna gives the example of an inverted tree.

The universe (or human body) may be compared to an eternal tree that has its origin (or root) in the Supreme Being and its branches below in the cosmos. The Vedic hymns are the leaves of this tree. One who understands this tree is a knower of the Vedas.

Oordhvam moolam adhah shakham aswattam praahuravyayam
Chhandansi yasya parnaani yastam veda sa veda vit

I would suggest interested readers to take up some guru’s explanation depending on his/her inclination like Sankara, Ramanujam, Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Parthasarathi and read it because I consider myself to be too ignorant to explain this.

A superb illustration of how beings take their vasanas or desires (in the form of the six senses) to the next birth is given by comparing it to the air which takes the smell from the flowers wherever it goes. Verse 8 of chapter 15

Shareeram yad avaapnodi yaccapyutkraamateeshwarah
Gruheetwaitaani sanyaati vaayur gandhaani vaasayat

Next in my opinion of the strongest of Krishna’s assertions is the one he does in Chapter 6 Dhyaana Yoga when he says ‘ Uddharet aatman aatmaanam na aatmaanam avasaadayet, aatmaiva hi aatmano bandhuh, aatmaiva ripuh aatmanah’ which gets translated as ‘The soul shall be elevated to a higher pedestal (by means of liberating from the desires) and kept at the elevated level, one’s soul is its own friend and the enemy too’. There is no better way of reaching heaven which in Bhagavad Gita’s term is verily in the present life. Milton says exactly the same when he assets that mind can make a hell out of heaven and heaven out of hell. All enlightened souls have not gone in search of others for enlightenment. May be saints like Vivekananda were very aggressive in asking everybody whether they had seen God and if so, could they show Him to him. But ultimately, the realization was by one’s own effort. And the most beautiful part of this assertion is that our own soul it its enemy meaning that we should not blame any outside world for all the travails we undergo. They are the reactions to the actions we perform. The world transacts exactly in the way we transact with the world.

Krishna continues saying that the controlled mind is the best of friends for one and uncontrolled mind is the worst of enemies when he says, ‘Bandhur aatmaat manas tasya, yenaatmaivaatmana jitah, anaat manas tu shatrutve vartetaatmaiva shatru vat’. He gives some more practical ways of doing it in the ensuing verses.

If only we practice controlling the mind, and do not allow it to waver, we can achieve greatness in our own lives and above all realize heaven in this life. Any takers?