A Mantra for Akshaya Tritiya

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The 13s this year are quite interesting:

• On March 13, it was the tithi birthday of the Master.
• Today, on May 13, it's Akshaya Tritiya, one of the four important dates in the Hindu calendar.

It was on this tithi in 1990 (April 27) that Swananda Ashrama in South Bangalore was inaugurated.

They would have had a nice function there today.  Couldn't attend the same, but was rewarded by the beautiful sight of three Garuda (Brahminy Kite) last morning.

Third Garuda

Devotees of Swananda feel that seeing a Garuda is the same as getting His darshan:

Swananda in our Stairwell

~~~*-*~@~

On April 13, 2004, a mysterious thing happened, which comes to mind on various 13s.  Around the end of March that year, i ran into Yerramsetti at the MahaGanapati temple in Whitefield and he proposed that i start chanting a mantra to Ganesh Guruji.  Since there didn't seem any issue in doing that, i started the same during the start of the puja.  Within a couple of weeks, we got a solid windfall.

So, on this auspicious day, i would like to share this mantra, in various languages:

ಕನ್ನಡ

ಓಂ ಏಕದಂತಾಯ ವಿದ್ಮಹೇ
ವಕ್ರತುಂಡಾಯ ಧೀಮಹಿ
ತನ್ನೋ ದಂತಿಃ ಪ್ರಚೋದಯಾತ್

ಓಂ ಶ್ಟೀಂ ಕ್ರೀಂ ಕ್ಲಂ ಕ್ಲಂ ಕಂ ಗಣಪತಯೆ ನಮಃ
ಕಂ ಗಣಪತಯೆ ವರ ವರದ ಗುರು ಗುರು ಸ್ವಾಹ

ಹಂ, ಸಾಂ, ದಂ, ನಂ, ಯಂ, ರಂ, ಹಂ,
ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ,
ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ,
ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ, ಶ್ಟೀಂ,
ಗಣಪತಯೆ ನಮಃ

தமிழ்

ஓம் ஏகதந்தாய வித்மஹே
வக்ரதுண்டாய தீமஹி
தந்நோ தந்திஃ ப்ரசோதயாத்

ஓம் ஸ்திம் க்ரீம் க்லம் க்லம் கம் கணபதயே நமஃ
கம் கணபதயே வர வரத குரு குரு ஸ்வாஹ

ஹம், ஸம், தம், நம், யம், ரம், ஹம்,
ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம்,
ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம்,
ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம், ஸ்திம்,
கணபதயே நமஃ

తెలుగు

ఓం ఏకదంతాయ విద్మహే
వక్రతుండాయ ధీమహి
తన్నో దంతిః ప్రచోదయాత్

ఓం శ్టీం క్రీం క్లం క్లం కం గణపతయె నమః
కం గణపతయె వర వరద గురు గురు స్వాహ

హం, సాం, దం, నం, యం, రం, హం,
శ్టీం, శ్టీం, శ్టీం,
శ్టీం, శ్టీం, శ్టీం,
శ్టీం, శ్టీం, శ్టీం,
గణపతయె నమః

हिन्दि

ऒं ऎकदंताय विद्महॆ
वक्रतुंडाय धीमहि
तन्नॊ दंतिः प्रचॊदयात

ऒं श्टीं क्रीं क्लं क्लं कं गणपतये नमः
कं गणपतये वर वरद गुरु गुरु स्वाह

हं, सां, दं, नं, यं, रं, हं,
श्टीं, श्टीं, श्टीं,
श्टीं, श्टीं, श्टीं,
श्टीं, श्टीं, श्टीं,
गणपतये नमः

Baraha compatible

OM EkadaMtAya vidmahE
vakratuMDAya dhImahi
tannO daMtiH pracOdayAt

OM STIM krIM klaM klaM kaM gaNapataye namaH
kaM gaNapataye vara varada guru guru swAha
(offer prasad here)

haM, sAM, daM, naM, yaM, raM, haM,
STIM, STIM, STIM,
STIM, STIM, STIM,
STIM, STIM, STIM,
gaNapataye namaH

You can use Google Transliterate to convert the Baraha compatible text above into the script of your choice.

You can download the audio as well.

MahaGanapati in Whitefield

PriSMatic

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxPSMu

This post is dedicated to PSM, a friend in spirit

The guru provides the guri.
—Ramana Sadguru

Had an early start to the Saturday as LV and PSM landed up early in the morning; PSM on his way back home, with a flight at 11:30.

Chatted for a while in the backyard, after which we relocated to the dining table for the breaker, with LV taking my place :-)

It's always nice to see these guys, both have hardly changed since the Mrs. AVN College days.

We talked a bit of Arunachala Ramana, starting sort of with the above quote.  One of the unusual things about Ramana is His proficiency with Telugu.  As a kid in Tiruchuli, he had a neighbor who spoke in Telugu with him.  Later on, it became useful so much so that Prof. GV Subbaramayya reminisces in Face to Face with Sri Ramana Maharshi:

My first visit to Sri Ramanasramam was in June 1933. In the previous December I had suffered bereavement when my two-year-old son died suddenly. I had been reading the works of Sri Ramana and was struck with wonder at the style of Telugu Upadesa Saaram, which in its simplicity, felicity and classic finish could equal that of the greatest Telugu poet Tikkana. I had felt convinced that a Tamilian who could compose such Telugu verse must be divinely inspired, and I wanted to see Him.

~~~*-*~@~

There's an inspiring photo of Ramana as soon as you step into His Samadhi Mandir at Tiruvannamalai:

Inspirational Photo of Ramana Sadguru

One of the devotees had an unusual XP there when he saw Ramana in 3D!

PSM had a similar XP of Paramahansa Yogananda, where during a meditation session, he saw the face of PY in 3D.  IMHO, these are the things that keep one going on this path.

Swami Vijnanananda says: (from WYSIWYG)

| The test of a true vision is this: It leaves a lasting spiritual impression on the mind that generates awareness and bliss.

~~~*-*~@~

The question, of course, is whether the Guru has to come in human form. There's an amusing incident on this: (from Guru Tvam)

One day we brought up the question of guruship and asked, "Is it necessary for spiritual attainment to have a guru?” The Maharshi ordered a certain treatise to be read, in which it was stated that as in all physical and intellectual training a teacher is sought, so in matters spiritual the same principle holds good.” "And", he added, "it is hard for a man to arrive at the goal without the aid of such a one." I turned to him and said, "But you had no guru." A rustle of shocked horror ran through the hall. But the Maharshi was not in the least disturbed by my thoughtless remark. On the contrary, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.Then he threw back his head and gave a joyous whole-hearted laugh. It endeared me to him as nothing else could. A saint who can turn the laugh against himself is a saint indeed!

~~~*-*~@~

Soon, it was time for PSM to leave.  LV and i hung around for a while.  Later we caught up with Naren who gave fundas on how to make that great last dosa and patent it, but that's another story.

Mahindra Reva E2O

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxMRE2O

As usual, one of the members of our progressive community got this beaut:

First Mahindra Reva E2O in Palm Meadows

The word Reva means Leaping One and is a name of the River Mother (Narmada), though in this case, looks like the EV was named after the wife of the MD, Chetan Maini.

~~~*-*~@~

Arun Katiyar wrote a nice article mid-February:

Mahindra Reva E2O | A moment in the sun
...
On 30 January the first E2O car rolled out of the Mahindra Reva plant in Bangalore. It marked a significant change in the 120-year-old DNA of the auto industry. The E2O comes with its own solar-charging system. Once you buy the car, you don’t need to pay for fuel; the only cost involved will be in replacing the batteries every few years, based on usage and recharging patterns.

~~~*-*~@~

Phani, my youngest bro, was benchmarking the car against others and sent me this TED video by Shai Agassi of Better Place:

Shai Agassi: A new ecosystem for electric cars

with that amusing observation by Carlos Ghosn:

"A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish."

Mr. Agassi argues that the cost of the battery should be kept out of that of the EV.

Here's a Running cost and feature comparison of Mahindra e2o vs Hyundai i10 automatic vs Chevrolet Beat diesel.

~~~*-*~@~

Here's some quick numbo jumbo on the car:

All three parts of it add up to 5s; like so:

• Mahindra = 23
• Reva = 14
• E2O = 14

so that the overall name (Mahindra Reva E2O) add up to 51:

Mercury representing 5 and the Sun representing 1 come side by side. So people having names in this number will be extremely alert persons. Just like sunlight which spreads everywhere, they will become famous. They will earn name and wealth through business or profession. They always think about earning more money and draw some plan or other. Their health and mental strength raise the quality of their life. They face constant opposition. They should develop the attitude of give and take. This number is harmful only to those born on 3, 12, 21, 30.
...
Famous 51s: Elizabeth Taylor, Mikhail Gorbachev

Though this is a pretty good number, my choice is to use Mahindra E2O so that we get 37, which is a very good number:

People having names in this number struggle in their early life, but will reach a high position later on. Their speech, dress, and mannerisms are attractive. They will draw plans beyond their capacity. However, they will succeed because they have many true friends. They will get income from various sources. They are interested in arts, architecture, and oratory. They always have undiminishing luck. Many people will be waiting to have an interview with them. If their date of birth does not agree with this number, then the good effects will be felt less. They will get involved in unnecessary matters and suffer. Generally, people having names in this number lead a prosperous life. It is really a desirable number. However, these people may have to face some failures after the age of 50. But they will begin their efforts once again and succeed.
...
Famous 37s: Brahmachaitanya, Michael Caine, Michael Dell, Sunil Gavaskar, Julia Roberts.

Both names have a similar balance (5s adding up), but the 37 is more suited for leadership in the EV field.  However, if the Mahindra folks want a quiet workhorse that does what it claims to and then some, the 51 is better.

AVR

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxAVRep

This is a continuation of Health Curveball - Healing SAS.

Last Tuesday (April 30), we got an appointment with Dr. Devi Shetty of Narayana Hrudayalaya.  You don't to have pay extra, you just have to wait longer.

However, he wasn't available that day, which gave us some time to finish some pending work before meeting him.

A sweet lady called Asha, in the Executive OPD, asked us to come at 11 AM the next day.  Thankfully, we didn't go there in a tizzy.  We were led to a waiting lounge, which had a couple of families.

There was a very long wait.  The good doc was expected "any time".  But we couldn't really hold it against him: he was busy saving lives!

We finished our lunch; the normally vacant café was teeming with folks.  After washing off the meal with some coffee, we plucked berries from the trees all around.

Call it cherry picking berries, not Chery my Berry ;-)

We came back to the waiting lounge and there was more time to kill.

The waiting folks sort of started getting familiar, and one Bengali/Bangladeshi dude asked the coordinator when Dr. Shetty would be available; he was waiting from ~10 AM.  Then he made a comment: "It's impossible to understand the nod of South Indians".  WiFi countered that with: "At least, down South, folks respond"!

After the Bengali/Bangladeshi went in, we were told that it was our turn.  It was ~4:30 PM.  After some more waiting, we went in.

It was a very spacious room, if you can call it that.  Dr. Shetty was in one corner, with the CD of the angio playing on a 32" LCD TV next to him.  He was in his surgeon garb and very charming.

He had a quick look and said that it was better to get cracking and finish off the AVR (Aortic Valve Replacement).  That was a similar conclusion i was coming to, considering that it was a sort of a one-way ticket and there was no chance of it getting any better.

With the high gradient, the heart was exerting itself so much more to get the requisite pressure beyond the AV.  He opened up a 3D model heart to make it simple for us.  Due to my young (!) age, the tissue valve can't be used for replacement and one had to go for a metallic valve.

In between, he put a very reassuring hand on my forearm.

He was just a week away from his 60th birthday (on May 8) and    i wished him in advance.  Am still kicking myself for not taking a photo of him, but this is a very similar image:

image source

All that pain of waiting dissolved after that quick meeting.  Quite similar to seeing the Emperor at Tirumala, whose chants (Om Venkatesaya Namaha) were going on in the background, all through our discussion.  He asked us to take it further with Dr. PV Rao.

We couldn't meet Dr. Rao that evening, but his sec'y, who gave us his card.  Dr. Rao's on Gmail and, from that, saw his YouTube channel.  He seemed to be a follower of Arunachala Ramana.

We went leisurely after lunch the third day (Thursday, 2nd May) but Dr. Rao was tied up in an operation.  We could meet him around 3:15 PM, in his 3rd floor cabin.

image source

Wanted to avoid the 6s this month, as the compound adds up to an 8.  So i said: "We want to avoid the op'n on any of the 6s", adding that great funda of Sea Sands: "it's like, అడిగి కొట్టించుకోవడం" (ask to get screwed).  He was amused by that.

Around that time, i looked up and saw this painting of Ramana Sadguru.  Haven't seen anything like that before; a Google Search didn't reveal anything similar, it was a "gnarled" version of what you normally see.

Dr. Rao said that there was a 1 in 5 chance of just cleaning up the AV and making it as good as old.  However, they still had to open up the heart and then make the call.

The mechanical valve comes with its own set of issues:

However, current mechanical heart valves all require lifelong treatment with anticoagulants (blood thinners), e.g. warfarin, which requires monthly blood tests to monitor.

Call that warfaring with warfarin.

While leaving, saw another large photo of Ramana, which was facing the doc.  Had a very quick peek, but it looked like:

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Thanks to the Ramana connection, all my apprehensions dissolved on meeting Dr. PV Rao.  Feel that i am in very safe hands.

~~~*-*~@~

As the day of the Big O approaches, i find that it's one thing to say and yet another to do :-)

Good test for my idea of:

Spirituality = Philosophy in Action

Two sources of apprehension:

• Whether my vertiginous migraine starts acting up on the op. table.  The VerMig is very much like the "kick" in Inception.
• Whether i will remember all my passwords post surgery :-)

~~~*-*~@~

For what it's worth (can't understand it fully), here's a reading mid-February from my psychic friend:

I finally have some quiet time to get a decent email back to you. I have felt/seen your chakras waiting most patiently and this time they're not alone. There's a man I see who says he is your "uncle", but this might be a term used in a symbolic way as the face I saw was Sri Ramana Maharshi.

He watches over you and he's smiling. He touched one hand to his forehead, the centre j roughly third eye area. Then he sat down, cross legged. I asked him if there's anything he wants me to tell you. He held out a stick, in both hands he's holding it out about shoulder height. It's shorter than a walking stick, maybe a metre in length and it looks like wood bound on one end with string or cord, pale raw cotton coloured cord. It's for you.

He puts words in my head one by one and I typed them that way. He "said":

"Tell him that his days are numbered like the stars, every one is there for a purpose and to glorify the many faces of the Creator. Nothing is by chance, not death or destruction. Your illness is a part of your journey. It will leave you when that journey is done and only then. No medication can alter this path for you. Do not be afraid."
Then he smiled and sat back. I asked about the "journey is done" and got told that this means a life lesson, not necessarily that you'll be ill till you die, but that you'll be ill until this lesson, this "journey" had been accomplished. He nodded slowly, smiling.

Patol Babu, Film Star

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxPatol

This post is dedicated to Sammy San

Last March, while watching The Lives of Others with Sammy, the ending got to me:

As Wiesler purchases the book, the sales clerk asks if he wants it gift-wrapped, and Wiesler responds, "No, it's for me."

Sammy said that was why folks made movies. Never know where and how it's going to affect people down the line.  Just like the spiritual gurus :-)

Even those with the bit parts were so good (Itsy bitsy, but super-duper).

Sammy later on talked of Patol Babu, Film Star, one of the short stories of Satyajit Ray where:

An actor, once popular, has to come on for a very bit part, running into the hero and uttering just an "Oh!" But he remembers his acting guru that drama and movies were collective efforts and that he had to satisfy the role, however miniscule it might be. And he does just that and, having satisfied the role, goes away without bothering to accept the payment.

Reminds me of PSM's great observation that when we satisfy the job, we might get job satisfaction!

~~~*-*~@~

Last May, there was a reference to this in the Cinema Century Special Issue of Outlook:

Dance In The Glade
…
I found myself re-reading Ray’s short story, Patol Babu, Film Star, about a middle-aged guy, quite the amateur thespian in his youth, who becomes wildly excited to be offered a walk-on part in a movie. All he has to do is bump into the leading man in the street and say the single word: "Oh!" And so, as he waits around for his scene, he frantically starts thinking about he can endow this monosyllable with meaning. This is a lovely, gentle, funny story, building up to something quite different from the embarrassing catastrophe I had been expecting. It’s a reminder of the energy, sophistication, and sheer enjoyment to be had from Ray, and Indian pictures generally.

~~~*-*~@~

image source

Very nice to see that Dibakar Banerjee chose to make this as part of Bombay Talkies, with the best possible actor essaying the role of Patol Babu: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the chameleon.

Have been very impressed with whatever little i have seen of  Mr. Siddiqui:

• the no-nonsense investigator in Kahaani
• the guy with the limp in more places than one in Talaash
• the nonchalant killer in Gangs of Wasseypur.

Dibakar Banerjee explains why he chose him for Patol Babu:

'There isn't any Dibakar Banerjee kind of film'

This is the first time you are working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. How was the experience?
To be honest, the experience was almost spiritual. It is fascinating to watch him work. He completely loses himself and immerses himself into the film and the character that he is playing and has nothing to do with the outside world. He becomes the character that he is playing.

What made you cast him?
I always wanted to work with Nawazuddin, prior to his starry days. I would so often see him in these small roles and think I have to work with this guy. There had been several times when I couldn't even tell that the it was the same guy playing all these small different characters in various films, because he would transform himself so brilliantly. I would think that each of these characters are being played by different people. But when I did my research, I discovered that it was the same guy and I immediately wanted to work with him. So my willingness to work with Nawazuddin has nothing to do with his Gangs Of Wasseypur fame.

Steinbeck said that The place draws the name; i would extend it and say that the role draws the actor.

Why i Love Bangaloreans

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxBlore

Went in to have a cooler at Sreeraj Lassi Bar in Jayanagar and saw this guy. Had a feeling that i had seen him before, but he wasn't the one that i was sort of interfacing with at MaarsIndia. He turned out to be a more recent contact at the dinner of KK, a mutual friend.

Couldn't remember his name, but i mollified him by recalling his birthday ;-)

Dr. Jithu outside Sreeraj Lassi Bar, Jayanagar

We chatted up for a while. Turned out that we had another mutual friend (VR) at Infosys, with whom he did a far-out trip, literally.

A bike journey from Santiago, Chile to Tierra del Fuego, with its southernmost harbor, Ushuaia!  They could see Antarctica from TdF.

He's a 1000cc bike in Bangalore, so the trip was par for the course for him. Though the winds at 80+ kmph (mph?) were something that they had to struggle with.

This is one more of the many things that i love about Bangaloreans. Well-read, well-traveled, but humble. You see the same things in Rahul Dravid.

From Water collects only in the Valley:

| "I've visited Bangalore many times", [Amitav] Ghosh continues. "The streets are more crowded now. Bangaloreans are very humble. At one of my book readings, a man standing at the back row came up to me and introduced himself as Nandan Nilekani", he recalls, as the prawns with curry leaves is served.

Attention! If you're changing your number on WhatsApp

Qk.ly: http://bit.ly/bsxWhatNum

This applies only if you're changing your mobile number, for any reason, but not if you're a believer in that old !dea ad about a mobile number being your unique ID.

Though WhatsApp the wonder app is designed for switching your mobile (upgrading to a new phone? Just plonk in your SIM card, reinstall WhatsApp, and you're good to go with all your connections on WhatsApp), it doesn't seem to be that hot if you're changing your mobile number.

As a recent article quoted: (thanks to VSS)

| If you change your number and someone else takes it after a few months, all your contacts/messages are accessible by the next person who installs WhatsApp on the same phone number unless the account was deleted manually. I got a new phone number and can access the previous owner's contacts/messages (using my smartphone!) This is ridiculous!

So if you're on a number that might change (due to your posting in a foreign country or whatever), don't forget to delete your account, when you're surrendering the number.

To delete your WhatsApp account on the Android, do the following: (source)

• Open WhatsApp.
• Press the [Menu Button] > Settings > Account > [Delete My Account].
• Enter your phone number in the full international format and tap [Delete My Account].

WhatsApp Account Deletion on the Android

This will: (source)

• Delete your account from WhatsApp.
• Delete you from your friends' Select contact lists.
• Delete you from all WhatsApp groups.
• Erase your message history on your phone.
• Delete your WhatsApp service payment information.

Here's the account deletion process for:

• BlackBerry
• iPhone
• Nokia
• Windows Phone.