A R R O G A N C E, EGO, HUMILITY and kalidasa

 A R R O G A N C E*

After travelling long through a forest, *Kalidasa reached a village. He felt very thirsty and looked around for water.*

He saw an old woman drawing water from a well.

He went up to her and asked her for water. *She agreed to give him water, but asked him to first introduce himself,*

WHO ARE YOU  ?

 "Introduce yourself.” 

Now Kalidasa, who was a renowned and revered scholar of his time, thought that *an ordinary and old village woman was not worthy of knowing who great Kalidasa was.*

So he said, 

*I am a traveller*

But the old lady replied, “No, *you cannot be a traveller.* In this world there are only 2 travellers – *the Sun and the Moon. Both Rise and Set every day and keep travelling perpetually.*

WHO ARE YOU  ?

Thirsty Kalidasa said, *“Alright then, treat me as a guest.”*

Old lady promptly replied, *“No you cannot be a guest,* son. 

In this world there are *only 2 guests – Youth and Wealth … both are temporary and do not stay even if you plead with them a million times, and hence can only they be called as guests.”*

WHO ARE YOU  ?

Thirsty but now quite intrigued with the profoundness of this old lady, Kalidasa said, *“I am a TOLERANT Person, mother* 

Now the old lady replied, *“You don’t quite look tolerant,* young man. 

In this world *only 2 truly know the meaning of Tolerance* 

*Bhoomi (Earth) and Tree*. How much ever you stamp the earth or throw stones at the tree (for the fruits), both continue to nurture us.”

So, 

WHO ARE YOU  ?

With unquenched thirst, Kalidasa was increasingly becoming irritable. He said, *“Fine then, consider me a Stubborn Person* 

The lady smiled and said, *“No my child, you are not that stubborn.*

There are only 2 truly stubborn personalities *our nails and our hair. We keep cutting them non-stop, but they continue to grow.”*

So

WHO ARE YOU  ?

Kalidasa had been patient so far, but now in anger he said, *“Alright, I am a Fool”.* 

Now the lady gave a wide smile and said, *“There are only 2 kinds of fools* in this world 

*A King who rules without having any capability or knowledge & a Minister* who is a sycophant to such a King and lavishes praises on such a useless king.”

WHO ARE YOU  ?

Kalidasa realised that *he had been outsmarted by an old illiterate village woman.*

 In complete awe and humility, he fell at the feet of the lady, saying,

*“O mother! How ignorant I was to think that I know myself.*

I am ashamed of myself. Pardon my ignorance.

Show mercy, and grant me water, I beg of you.

When he touched her feet and then got up,

 Whom did he see?...

*Mata Saraswati the Goddess of Learning and Wisdom.*    

She said, “Kalidasa, you are wise. *But only if you know yourself do you become a true Manushya (human being).* 

Your *EGO* has overshadowed your achievements. 

You are *educated, but you are also given to arrogance*. 

Hence, I had to come to guide you.

The mark of a true human being is *not his knowledge, but his humility.* 

_*Your Intellect*_

_*Your Education is of...*_

_*NO USE IF IT...*_

_*ONLY FEEDS YOUR*_

 _*E   G  O.*_

Humility is a life term attitude

Humility is neither a mere terminology nor a virtue to be vindicated by any individual, but a life term attitude.(1)


It does not come through false modesty or humility posturing or socio​-moral instruction but this too come about by merely acknowledging, observing, accepting facts ( before jumping to pet opinions, evaluations, ideological extrapolations, doctrinaire justifications, confirmation bias strengthening interpretations to suit some or all of the above) from various frames of references ( or as many as possible) and scales of observations.(2)


In this specific case, it means, comparatively limited number of nations playing the game, lesser number of viewers, political interference and involvement in every domain ( that yields popularity and pelf), natural pessimistic disposition of mass opinion molders to oppose anything that generates large scale oriented huge profits.


1) That's why definition or statement with axiomatic certitudes eludes what we mean by terms like Reality, Faith and Truth because everything in life, or to be precise life itself on the whole, is an unmapped atlas which gets its maps based on our choices, beliefs, actions, reactions, thoughts, attitudes and understanding and so on.


It is in our hands to make each one of these continents as great and as good as possible.



विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।

पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥

vidyA dadAti vinayaM, vinayAdyAti pAtratAM |
pAtratvAddhanamApnoti, dhanAddharmaMtataH sukhaM || 5 ||


(true/complete) knowledge gives discipline[humility], from discipline [humility] comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, from wealth (one does) good deeds, from that (comes) joy.



Life mostly is lived and perceived in the Time and  ​Space conundrum but many aspects or parts of life happen beyond these two. That's why sometimes when things happen in a jiffy and when the human mind is not even given options of dealing with it in Time and Space, physical lives just end as it happened recently to the Malaysian aircraft passengers or as it happens during big natural calamities like earth quakes etc

2) True and real ​p​erception has more to do with involvement and sensitivity with total intensity and intense totality. I have many examples for this in real life experience and from our Itihasas, Puranas and history. Let me avoid the examples and get into the question of perception.


a) Our tool of perception the brain is a very delicate, susceptible but extremely capable instrument. However, in normal modes of our perception, we are often subject to certain errors of perception basically because our brain’s bio chemistry itself has a propensity to get conditioned and use those conditioning as tool of perception or very often presume assumptions as perceptions. These are known as classical and inevitable errors of perception. For example if you are sitting inside a train in a station waiting t o proceed on a journey and the train alongside starts to move, you automatically feel for a moment as if your train is moving. Whereas if you were sitting inside the station master’s room and see the same phenomenon then you won’t feel so , because then, you would not be expecting to move. So your expectation created the conditioning of your brain and you assumed as if you were moving, the feeling is almost real. It happens to all normal human beings. So in a way all perception is conditioned and intentional.[ a detailed account of this is available in COLIN WLSON’S excellent book ‘NEW EXISTENTIALISM’ ]

 b] It is not often our perception but the scale of observation and frames of reference which create the phenomenon. The scale of observation depends on man; it is he who creates it. In nature, different scales of observation do not exist. There is only one immense, harmonious phenomenon on a scale which, in general, escapes man. The structure of man's brain necessitates dividing into arbitrary compartments and cutting up into isolated pieces. With the aid of several instruments science creates more phantasmagoria: "on our scale of human observation, as pointed out before, the edge of a razor-blade is a continuous line. On the microscopic scale, it is a broken but solid line. On the chemical scale we have atoms of iron and carbon. On the sub-atomic scale we have electrons in perpetual motion which travel at the rate of several thousand miles per second. All these phenomena are in reality the manifestations of the same basic phenomenon, the motions of the electrons. The only difference which exists between them is the scale of observation" [Human Destiny, Lecomte du Nuoy- a marvelous book that everyone must read – 

No one can be a master at everything

Can anyone ever claim comprehensive comprehension with clarity on any issue considering that there are multiple possible factors to be considered with many frames of references, all of which in turn get churned up in the cauldrons of concomitant contextual relevance and the interactions of inherent attributes of the issues, events or things evaluated along with the kirn-staff or churning stick of individual's interpretation based on his or her attitude and perspective.

I sometimes wonder on what basis  mortal human beings use such terms like always ( probably a convenient synonym for in 'most circumstances presumably'); how come a temporary life span and limitations of knowledge talk of ' absolute' ( probably indicating most likely according to the narrator); everything ( probably the range of things one construes to be complete) and so on.

Here I am sharing just some parts of the preface and introduction to a wonderful book which I read after reading a very scathing review of it by another scholar.

Human intellect can churn, scrutinize, evaluate, criticize and keep on drilling deeper or mentally go on scratching like it does to an itching sensation physically.

Life in its entirety is part of evolution

Life in its entirety is part of evolution

Life in its entirety in general is a mere train in the grand unending and unknown track of evolution.

Human beings unfortunately lack the humility to accept this because of their conscious awareness, acquired knowledge, all these stored in memory and their propensity to control and dominate everything and everyone.

There is nothing either permanent or absolute or perfect to something as temporal or mortal as human life- as one among the many species- more so to individual human beings.

Everything is either intended or unintended manifestation in the process called evolution.

Life is lively and is always in motion and evolution operates with its own dynamics to effect changes constantly.

So, it is difficult to grab any of them but we can grasp and understand the dynamics of both through various methods and the loads of existing literature and documents available in various subjects.

Therefore, life in all its wonder has to be enjoyed and lived and evolution in its entire splendor has to be experienced as an inevitable metamorphosis.

That’s why even any definition with axiomatic certitudes eludes what we mean by terms like Reality, Faith and Truth because everything in life, or to be precise life itself on the whole, is an unmapped atlas which gets its maps based on our choices, beliefs, actions, reactions, thoughts, attitudes and understanding and so on.

It is in our hands to make each one of these continents as great and as good as possible.

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।

पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥

vidyA dadAti vinayaM, vinayAdyAti pAtratAM |
pAtratvAddhanamApnoti, dhanAddharmaMtataH sukhaM || 5 ||

(true/complete) knowledge gives discipline[humility], from discipline [humility] comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, from wealth (one does) good deeds, from that (comes) joy.

Life mostly is lived and perceived in the Time and  ​Space conundrum but happens beyond these two. That's why sometimes when things happen in a jiffy when the human mind is not even given options of dealing with it in Time and Space, physical lives just end as it happened recently to the Malaysian aircraft passengers or as it happens during big natural calamities like earth quakes etc

Any deliverance be it delightful events or damage and destruction does not depend on anyone's belief system, faith, intellectual capacity, logical perception etc.

Everything happens not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic.

Events happen that's all not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic.

Persons behave in very nice ways as well as nasty and inhumane ways not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic.

It does not mean that we must sit passively and witness everything happening around us or everyone acting the way they want in any helpless manner cocooned in our fatalistic attitude but we can and are empowered to always use our freewill to deal with all these events and persons in wherever we can. 

Growth of life is led by a staircase made of the horizontal and vertical planes of fate and freewill.

So, accepting the dictates of evolution with humility is inevitable and preferable.   

Humility, tolerance, humanitarianism and wisdom

Humility, tolerance, humanitarianism and wisdom

Here in India more frequently we indulge, interfere or are indifferent rather than involving with humanitarian concerns.

We suffer from two extremes of unloving criticism and uncritical love.

Greater than anything else is the attitude of humility, tolerance and real wisdom evolving from them.

We need to evolve many behavior patterns to make life better on planet Earth [ which itself is a wrong word used for something which has more than 70 per cent water] which  has unfortunately been divided by the atlas of national boundaries and spoiled by excessive dominance of human species.

However, evolution fortunately has ensured in all spheres and in all its manifestations that variety has been held in tact which human beings unfortunately have misunderstood as differences.

No one is either big or pig. All are morsels of biochemical organism infused with energy and interrelated in many ways than individual human brains can understand or have bothered to understand.

Love for any language, art, culture, tradition, religion etc need not necessarily lead to either identity veneration or vilification.

It is not what language we speak, what tradition we follow, what culture we love that matter.

What ultimately matters is how we treat others? How we treat other species? How compassionate are we? How humanitarian are we?  

But I feel while everyone has every right to feel euphoric about something close to their emotions, heart and mind it also must ensure to imbibe a spontaneous or subconscious or studiously developed sense of humility and tolerance towards others and what others are trying to say and wanting to say with all sense of humor and subtle sarcasm.

These alone can bring many of us out of both egocentric and ethnocentric whirlpools of self deceptions and complexes [either superior or inferior]

There could be multiple versions of wisdom in various forms imparted through myriad scriptures and religious practices.

But real universal wisdom in my humble opinion may be like this whether sanctioned or sanctified by either social mores or religious morality.

Wisdom is the work shop where works of evolutionary trends and experiences of everyone in it emerge to express wisely the essence of everything to enlighten everyone;

A wisdom which prioritizes living in the present context and along with practicing certain time tested values which have relevance in present context but with global perspective to bequeath a livable planet, a lovable society with lovely infrastructures and improved living conditions;

A wisdom that evaluates everything and everyone with contextual relevance and based on the inherent attributes or merits of what or who is being evaluated without extrapolating any  presumptions, opinions, judgments, perceptions, expectations, ideologies, doctrines, identity based ideology and so on;

A wisdom which is willing to make minor adjustments, small compromises, spontaneous cooperation to create compatible and conducive atmosphere with humility devoid of any egocentric pride;

A wisdom with the realization and a perspective that must be aware that life is a constant process of learning of the multiple dimensions of many things and the various dynamics of those dimensions involving the constant interaction and interrelationship with everyone and everything.

A wisdom that is willing to accommodate multiple methods or means of life with some overall tolerant attitude embedded on humanitarian concerns towards all human life and environmental or natural concern towards all other species.

A wisdom that gets its clarity of understanding through a churning process that takes into consideration several aspects from the practical to the philosophical to the all fantasies of the mind.

Humility

Human beings’ unwillingness and uneasiness to have humility why?

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2016/04/humility-lessons-from-banyan-tree.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2016/03/correct-values-vs-bad-chemistry.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/04/faiths-and-human-soul.html

Humility lessons from banyan tree

Real humility, not false modesty masquerading as humility, at heart is the greatest strength because it enables one to respect, to listen and to learn without inhibitions.

Besides, it enables one to adjust according to the situation.

In nature everything is so well balanced and that is the reason the banyan tree which shelters many rodents, birds, insects and give shade to a large area and also does not suck up the water table by spreading horizontally its root unlike eucalyptus tree-whose roots go vertically down and spoil the water table one of the reasons why even Ooty and Kodaikanal have water problem-

At the same time banyan tree does not let plant grow beneath it because it is aware if and when it falls down smaller plants and trees may collapse.

http://grafittisplash.blogspot.in/2007/12/lessons-from-banyan-tree.html

https://soundarya.wordpress.com/about/the-banyan-tree-by-rabindranath-tagore/

Rabindranath Tagore says, “ To study a banyan tree

You not only must know

Its main stem in its own soil

But also trace the growth

Of its greatness in the further soil

For then you can know the true nature of its vitality.

The civilization of India , like the banyan tree, has shed its beneficent shade away from its own birthplace. India can live and grow by spreading abroad – not the political India, but the spiritual one.”

The Indian Diaspora: Dynamics of Migration

 edited by N. Jayaram, Yogesh Atal

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Dxlv5MFgEAEC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=To+study+a+banyan+tree+by+Rabindranath+Tagore&source=bl&ots=6IxwAYwdTf&sig=otd7pHYpkJ7PZog3_o7Cje9665U&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhh5Ddy5_KAhXBao4KHa0YBL8Q6AEIOTAF#v=onepage&q=To%20study%20a%20banyan%20tree%20by%20Rabindranath%20Tagore&f=false

Correct Values Vs Bad Chemistry.

Hats off to you Manjul Bhargava.  Correct  Values Vs Bad Chemistry.

The main mantra is we can neither deny nor defy the importance of anything or anyone.

Life is too vast and complex with some mysteries still unexplained and unraveled.

Life in short is an unsolved jigsaw puzzle with several pieces constantly evolving to fit in appropriate slots.

The process involves constant churning , continuous learning and adjustment.

To quote JK, “There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education.

The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning”.

This holds true almost in all spheres of life.

Media which prefers and projects selectively some controversies to the front page, as expected pushed to some inner page corner a very candid interview of a person with great clarity and simple and straight forward observations.

I wish all to read his interview which rightly infects us with positive vibration amid a world of mourning philosophers, unloving critics, fault finding fanatics.

More than anything else it reflects good attitude, concomitant perspective leading to better perception and proper evaluation.

This is real education with correct synergistic vibrations of inner response to external events.

Need to study gamut of education, at least look at its various dimensions, utilities, relevance, contributions to humanity etc and which inevitable various options/methods/means of learning conferences are one such important event  which can throw up lot of positives.

Good education must not to allow verbal labels to distort proper observation and unbiased understanding.

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।

पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥

vidyA dadAti vinayaM, vinayAdyAti pAtratAM |
pAtratvAddhanamApnoti, dhanAddharmaM tataH sukhaM || 5 ||

(true/complete) knowledge gives discipline[humility], from discipline [humility] comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, from wealth (one does) good deeds, from that (comes) joy.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Need-focus-on-science-Manjul/articleshow/50476403.cms

Humility and Grace

The connect between grace and humility. Not desperation or demand.

Human beings’ unwillingness and uneasiness to have humility 

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/04/faiths-and-human-soul.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2014/08/fate-freewill-and-humility.html

Grace as explained and experienced by some enlightened souls

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2012/09/gods-grace-enlightenment-and-guru.html

http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/yoga-meditation/history-of-yoga/how-grace-works/

Faiths and Human soul

1. The problem with human beings unlike other species is that we are consciously aware and we can also collect, store and retrieve data and reuse them. This faculty along with our intellectual thinking and reasoning powers hamper us from having humility to accept the mere fact that there are many unknown as well as unknowable elements to life as a whole and even in our individual lives.

2. We either act or react according to what we want, what we can and what we are destined to. At different times either one of these three predominates i.e. what we want, we can we are destined to do.

3. In our unwillingness to accept these brash realities we have been either helped through apparitions to certain realized souls, intuitive visions, inspirations, or in some cases imagined and invented many devices and in some cases developed well defined justifications as well, all leading to various types of conditioning and belief systems very well encapsulated in attractive models and brands, because human beings can easily understand them rather than face a brash reality /stark truth lashing them harshly. Then we cover ourselves with some identity as it gives us a sense of security, comfort, convenience etc.

4.  I am attaching some lengthy materials in these links but these would give an idea about the whole gamut of feelings and faiths that binds human hearts and how there are many institutions that misuse those feelings and faith.

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/02/identity-crisis.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2014/12/relationships.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/02/religion-great-brand.html

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2015/01/religion-its-evolution-origin-and.html

New Year with a New Realization of Reality –this one is too long but has lot of very interesting materials that I took almost a month to write it

http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2013/12/new-year-with-new-realization-of-reality.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/189819608/New-Year-With-a-New-Realization-of-Reality1011

5. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2012/09/gods-grace-enlightenment-and-guru.html

6. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2013/03/god-business.html

7. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2013/01/understanding-of-god-neale-donald-walsch.html

8. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2011/01/do-we-need-god-brokers.html

9. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.in/2012/09/godsdevasvedas-what-are-they-or-what.html

10. “Everything changes as you move through three stages of awareness:-
first, that beliefs are the result of conditions;
second, that beliefs are the cause of conditions;
and third, that beliefs are themselves conditions.”
― Eric Micha'el Leventhal

Fate, Freewill and Humility

Whether it is being in echo chamber or being alert like a Gecko without ever blinking. A.K. Bhattacharya has well expressed simple fact and  inevitable truth below in the book review but what intervention that anyone seeks is determined again by many factors like culture, divinely predetermined disposition of the inner self otherwise called natural attribute, indoctrinated or carefully nurtured  attitudes of reactions and all these leading to ensuing actions. 

For example imagine the plight of all non Shias in Iraq in the past two months, whatever has been happening is defying all logic, rationality etc and even the option or luxury of sanely choosing any intervention is not available. So very often the intensity of the crisis and inevitability of circumstances determine our recognizing, resorting to and respecting intervention along with again the unwillingness of human beings to be humble enough to accept that there are plenty of things that happen / can happen which are beyond the ken of human intellect, knowledge, understanding, logic, science, and all other known resources that we are used to and are comfortable employing to counter difficulties.  

All human beings may be unwilling to be humble but resort to all sorts of remedies in times of extreme crisis which are either belief based, ethnocentric culture oriented, traditionally tested and tried, faith oriented etc sometimes much against their long held convictions too because survival counts above everything else for all human beings except those with suicidal tendencies.

​

Life mostly is lived and perceived in the Time and  ​Space conundrum but happens beyond these two. That's why sometimes when things happen in a jiffy when the human mind is not even given options of dealing with it in Time and Space, physical lives just end as it happened recently to the Malaysian aircraft passengers or as it happens during big natural calamities like earth quakes etc

Any deliverance be it delightful events or damage and destruction does not depend on anyone's belief system, faith, intellectual capacity, logical perception etc. Everything happens not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic. Events happen that's all not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic. Persons behave in very nice ways as well as nasty and inhumane ways not necessarily as definable by any belief system or logic. It does not mean that we must sit passively and witness everything happening around us or everyone acting the way they want in any helpless manner cocooned in our fatalistic attitude but we can and are empowered to always use our freewill to deal with all these events and persons in wherever we can. 

Growth of life is led by a staircase made of the horizontal and vertical planes of fate and freewill.

http://jeevatma.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/not-so-curious/


AUGUST 8, 2014 BY ANANTHA NAGESWARAN

Not so curious

A.K. Bhattacharya of  ‘Business Standard’ has reviewed a book written by Shri. V. Krishnamurthy, former Chairman of BHEL, Maruti and SAIL, etc. The book may not have anything new and it may be the case that Mr. VK’s close connections to Mrs. Indira Gandhi and then her sons, etc. helped him. But, it is interesting to note that Shri. VK has mentioned twice how his religious beliefs helped him come out of tight situations.

What is difficult to understand is Mr. AKB’s observation in the end about the ‘curious explanation’ of the author’s religious beliefs helping to rehabilitate him. What is so curious about that?

In difficulties, all people run into the limits of both rationality and their abilities. They seek some intervention. In India, most people seek divine intervention. In fact, limits of reason and ability are always evident except that we do not have the ability nor the humility to accept that.

What is reinforced – yet again – is the not-so-curious case of some members of the Indian English-speaking public not being in touch with India. No wonder the rest of India does not take them seriously as much as they themselves do. That is why they are way out of touch with their election forecasts, predictions, analysis and advice. They remain in their own cocoon.

No. Make that ‘echo chamber’. They live in their own ‘echo chamber’. It is noisy and it is a nuisance but they hardly matter to the lives of rest of us.

RAAMA AND PANDAVAS- A LESSON IN HUMILITY

Management lessons from Ramayana & Mahabharata
It is the order of the day to look for ‘management lessons’ in any thing , be it “Bhagawath Geetha’ , “Ramayana’ or ‘Maha Bharata’. An attempt here to take a few tips for management from ‘Rama

yana’ and ‘Maha Bharata’. View, enjoy and learning part, we leave it to you!

In the Great Epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, war ends not with celebration of victory but with transmission of knowledge. In the Ramayana, Ravana lies mortally wounded on the battlefield, when Rama turns to his brother Lakshmana, and says, “While Ravana was a brute, he was also a great scholar. Go to him quickly and request him to share whatever knowledge he can.” The obedient Lakshmana rushes to Ravana’s side and whispers in his ears, “Demon King, all your life you have taken not given. Now the noble Rama gives you an opportunity to mend your ways. Share your vast wisdom. Do not let it die with you. For that you will be blessed.” Ravana responds by simply turning away. An angry Lakshmana goes back to Rama and says: “He is as arrogant as he always was, too proud to share anything.” Rama looks at his brother and asks him softly, “Where did you stand while asking him for knowledge?” “Next to his head so that I hear what he had to say clearly” Rama smiles, places his bow on the ground and walks to where Ravana lies. Lakshmana watches in astonishment as his brother kneels at Ravana’s feet. With palms joined, with extreme humility, Rama says, “Lord of Lanka, you abducted my wife, a terrible crime for which I have been forced to punish you. Now, you are no more my enemy. I see you now as you are known across the world, as the wise son of Rishi Vishrava. I bow to you and request you to share your wisdom with me. Please do that for if you die without doing so, all your wisdom will be lost forever to the world.” To Lakshmana’s surprise, Ravana opens his eyes and raises his arms to salute Rama, “If only I had more time as your teacher than as your enemy. Standing at my feet as a student should, you are a worthy recipient of my knowledge. I have very little time so I cannot share much but let me tell you one important lesson I have learnt in my life. Things that are bad for you seduce you easily; you run towards them impatiently. But things that are good for you, fail to attract you. You shun them creatively, finding excuses to justify your procrastination. That is why I was impatient to abduct Sita but procrastinated in meeting you. This is the wisdom of my life, dear Rama. My last words I give to you.” With these words, Ravana dies.


There’s similar knowledge transmission after the Mahabharata war gets over. The Kauravas are all dead. As the victorious Pandavas are about to assume control of Hastinapura, Lord Krishna advises them to talk to Bhisma Pitamaha, their grand uncle, who lies mortally wounded on the battlefield. As a result of a divine blessing, death would elude him for some more time. “Make him talk until his last breath. Ask him questions. He has a lot to tell,” says Krishna. Sure enough, when prompted, the dying Bhisma spends hours discussing various topics: history, geography, politics, economics, management, war, ethics, morality, astronomy, metaphysics and spirituality. Bhisma’s discourse is detailed in the Shanti Parva (discussions on Peace) and Anushasana Parva (discussions on Discipline) that makes up a quarter of the Mahabharata. After listening to their grand uncle, the Pandavas have a better understanding of the world, and this makes them better rulers.



Rama asked Ravana for his wisdom before his death. The Pandavas listened to a lengthy discourse from Bhisma as he lay dying on the battlefield. In the context of commercial organizations, this is Knowledge Management. Both these stories draw attention to the value of knowledge. In triumph, it is easy to claim material possessions of the defeated, but it is not easy to claim their knowledge. Knowledge does not outlive death. It is lost forever with the death of the knowledgeable. Every day, people leave organizations, taking their knowledge with them – knowledge which they acquired because they were part of the organization. They take with them knowledge of clients, markets, business processes, tricks of trade, etc. These may not be confidential information or patented information, but it is information that gives an organization its cutting edge. Over the past decade, a whole new business process known as Knowledge Management has evolved that seeks to harness, store, transmit this knowledge. Every CEO agrees that it is a valuable business process, that investment in it is critical. Policies have been made, people have been hired and systems have been deployed. Unfortunately, for all the initial enthusiasm, implementation has been lacking. Often because they are like Sahadeva, the youngest Pandava. In the Mahabharata, he is described as an expert in many predictive sciences such as astrology, palmistry and face reading. But he is also cursed in a manner that if he ever gave information voluntarily, his head will split and he would die instantaneously. That is why he is silent throughout the epic. He knows every fortune and misfortune that his family will go through, but he can never use his knowledge to forewarn them. When Dharmaraja Yudhishtira finally learns of his brother’s prowess he is furious: “Why did you not tell me all that you knew?” All he gets in response is Sahadeva’s silence. Most employees in an organization are Sahadevas (by choice). They are dumb when it comes to sharing knowledge. Knowledge Management is leadership driven. Only a Rama can do it, not a Laskhman . He must first believe in it. We must respect the fact that everyone in the organization, even those who we do not particularly like, are repositories of great wisdom – not only knowledge of things that work but also knowledge of things that do not work. We must make conscious efforts to capture as much of it as possible. Take a step back. Check if you are creatively shunning this rather tedious matter of Knowledge Management. If you are, then remember that Ramayan and Mahabharata were written at a time when civilization had just set in, probably six or seven thousand years ago and even then our saints and sages knew what will take India forward: Knowledge Management. It will be a pity if we do not take advantage of lessons imparted by these immortal epics. The advanced western world makes full use of these lessons, unfortunately we still don’t. We consider Ramayana and Mahabharata as religious books, which they are NOT just religious.

The riches belong to nobody, certainly not to our family' -- Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma

The riches belong to nobody, certainly not to our family' -- Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma

'The riches belong to nobody, certainly not to our family' -- Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma

Padma Rao Sundarji, Hindustan Times
Email Author
July 09, 2011
First Published: 19:49 IST(9/7/2011)
Last Updated: 18:25 IST(11/7/2011)

'The riches belong to nobody, certainly not to our family'

The head of a former royal family renounced any personal claim to billions of dollars' worth of ancient treasure discovered in a temple in Thiruvanantharam, the kingdom his ancestors once ruled. Padma Rao Sundarji speaks to Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma, the former King of Tranvancore.

PRS: What is your family's connection with the Padmanabhaswamy temple?
Varma: We are the Cheras, one of the four erstwhile royal families of South India and have a long and dynastic family tree. By 1750 Travancore had become rich and big. So my ancestor, the then king, made a unique spiritual and historical contribution. He decided to surrender all his riches to the temple - Padmanabhaswamy is also our family deity. He said our family would look after that wealth, the temple and the kingdom forever. But he did want the ego that comes with possessing it. He was influenced by Emperor Ashoka's catharsis in the killing fields of Kalinga. So he declared our family to be Padmanabha's 'dasas', devotees. A servant can resign his job, but a dasa can do so only when he dies.

PRS: You are one of the wealthiest families in India and yet, you live in a spartan way, unlike many other ex-royals. Why?
Varma: I have to go back a bit in time, to explain why. Everybody thinks that we Indians first rose against British colonial rule in 1857. Wrong. In 1741, Travancore was the only Asian power to defeat the Dutch when they arrived here. After the battle, all the Dutch soldiers kneeled before my ancestors. One Dutchman, Benedictus Eustachius, even joined our army. We called him the Great Kapitan. Later, I learned that he was [US president] Franklin Roosevelt's ancestor when the latter's grandson came to look at our historical records.

Then in 1839, almost two decades before the mutiny, we rose against the British. Our punishment was severe. They disbanded our police and army of 50,000, transferred our capital to Kollam, dumped two British regiments on us, and ordered us to pay for their upkeep. Thomas Munroe named himself Diwan of Travancore. When our spirit still did not flag, they brought in missionaries. But we did not get gobbled up by Western thought. We travel abroad occasionally, but it has not affected or changed our simple way of life. Why am I telling you this? So that you get an idea of how much our life has revolved around our faith, despite so many outside influences and kept us going.

PRS: How do you feel about what is happening around the temple right now - its cellars being opened up, your donations being discussed around the world, the criticism, the furore?
Varma: Sorry, I cannot comment on what is happening there - the matter is sub-judice. But this much I will say. I have no problem with the inventory and additional security being provided by the state to the temple. But please don't remove those objects from the temple. They belong to nobody, certainly not to our family. They belong to god and our law permits that. All these debates swirling around the riches is unfortunate. That's all I can say - I have to listen to my doctor, lawyer and auditor. Our family has been donating objects to the temple for centuries. As chief patron of the temple, I go there every day. If I miss a day, I am fined Rs 166.35 - an old Travancore tradition.

PRS: But you cannot deny that such wealth could be put to better use for the poor.
Varma: We Indians are more educated now. But this reaction to donations inside a temple is anything but progressive. We are slowly losing our Indian identity. Money has become everything. But I am not surprised. I would rather be philosophical than disillusioned because I can't change the world.

PRS: Then there is the rationalist argument that this is blind faith.
Varma: Please think of England's Henry VIII in the late 1500s. He had two passions. Wives and money. So he pillaged churches. Finally, he ran into a problem because he wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. The church refused, because she was a zealous Spanish Catholic. His cardinal advised him to invent his own church. So he did that - just to get a divorce. Is that rational?
It is rather difficult to explain our faith to the new world where people have none anymore. When selfishness grows, everything you do seems right, and everything others do seems wrong. It's all about what do I get, not about what do I do. I like the memory of my trip to a game reserve South Africa. After seeing many wild animals, I asked the guide which was the most rapacious and fearsome. He showed me a mirror.

PRS: What is your source of income? What does your family live off ?
Varma: We have travel and hotel businesses. I am chairman of a former British company that exports various items from Kerala - but no, not pepper to Buckingham Palace, as reported. We also run seven trusts. We spend R5-8 lakh a year on education, health and housing for the poor. We pay good salaries. And the family itself contributes money every month. No government has acknowledged our work but that is all right. We do it because we want to do it.

PRS: Gold statues studded with rubies and diamonds, saphhires, gold coins of the Napoleonic era and the East India Company. Is all that true?
Varma: I have never been inside those cellars. Our philosophy has always been not to look at such objects and get tempted. But of course I know what is inside them.

PRS: Are the younger members of your family angrier than you about the heated public debate?
Varma: I am the most hot-blooded in this family but on this matter, we all feel the same. I was a soldier - a colonel for 15 years in the Madras Regiment. I would like to ask those criticizing us for donating these objects: why are they bothered about what someone else has done? What are they doing in the name of faith themselves ? Why the hot gossip over a donation to God?

PRS: At 90, you don't even use a walking stick. What is your daily routine ?
Varma: We have all been brought up very strictly and frugally. My day starts at 4 am with yoga. I only drink milk, I am a vegetarian and a teetotaler. I read the Vedas everyday. I go the temple for a ten-minute private audience with the deity every morning. After that, I indulge in one of my hobbies - "media surgery." I read the newspapers and clip articles over breakfast. I have a collection of the past 30 years. I will give those to the Trust because my children may not be interested. People come to meet me, they invite me to inaugurate functions. I speak extempore. I go from vertical to horizontal for about 20 minutes in the afternoon. I am in bed by 945. I have always slept well. Since there is nothing on my conscience, sleep comes swiftly.

PRS: Are you now thinking of insuring those treasures, now that the whole world is talking about them, or are they already insured ?
Varma: (laughs) I am least worried that they will be stolen. If that happens, then it was the Lord's will.

PRS: Among your ancestors were famous Carnatic musician Swati Thirunal and painter Raja Ravi Varma. What are your passions?
Varma: Those two ancestors gave music and art divinity and humanity respectively. That continues. I love art. I once saw a piece of exquisite china in Venice. It was a girl on a swing with the sand looking worn just where her feet touched the ground each time. It cost 100 pounds, I could only afford 40, as foreign exchange was limited those days. So I went away. The dealer called me back and gave it to me. He said he could tell that I was not one of those who ordered 200 pieces of one kind, that I valued minute details.

PRS: Kerala has been a Communist bastion for more than 50 years. Don't you find it peculiar that people here still flurry around you, they respect you, they still call you Your Highness.
Varma: Yes, that is quite amazing because I am a simple man, I don't expect it at all. At religious gatherings in Haridwar where one of my two gurus lives, I always sit in the last row and am always dressed like this - mundu and bush-shirt. People who don't know me come looking for the Raja of the South. When I raise my hand, they don't believe me.

PRS: How wealthy is your family, compared to the other - and internationally more famous - royals of Rajasthan and elsewhere?
Varma: That is a mere technicality and has never been relevant to me. But I'll tell you a story which will give you an idea. There used to be a British gun salute for the princely states of India: 21, the highest for the richest ruler, 11 for the poorest. When Tranvancore refused to contribute soldiers to the British Army in World War I, our slipped from 21 to 19.

PRS: Who is your heir?
Varma: We have a matriarchal system of inheritance. I have a daughter and a son but it is my sister's son who will be king after me. I remember a European lady visiting us. I explained this complicated law of succession to her. When she went back, she told her friends that she had not understood a word, but only knew that whatever it was, it was good for women. Kerala is slowly turning patriarchal again. That is not good. Overall in our country, we treat women as second-class citizens. When you look at a man, you are looking at a human being, when you look at a woman, you are looking at a family.

PRS: What is the feeling you get, when you spend those ten minutes at the Padmanabha shrine ? The daily communion between ruler and master, as you put it ?
Varma: Gooseflesh. Everything is surrendered. It is a great, elating feeling. My hair stands on end with joy. Each and every time.

(Padma Rao Sundarji is South Asia bureau chief of Der Spiegel)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/719270.aspx