Corona - No panic, no superstition - Be responsible

While the whole world is gripped by the Corona fear, I have in front of me, four news items of harmful ignorance and superstition.  Well, there could be hundred such cases, and these four represent them:

1. Four youth who had recently traveled from Dubai to India have refused to go through Corona tests for religious reasons.
2. Some "Gaumootra Party" it seems - It seems a lot of people hailing from even far off places have participated in the 'party' organized by some radical cow-urine promoting organization, and found their mental elation by drinking mugs of Gaumootra, 'worshiping' Corona Virus , and shouting slogans "Corona, saanth ho jao"  Some of the organizers claim that Gaumootra is a sure-shot anecdote for Corona Virus; and they even assure a guaranteed remedy for whoever attacked by the virus.
3. A Mullah from Iran has 'discovered' that some essential oils applied up the anus will eliminate Corona, and has urged the people to do so
4. A doctor who firmly believes in, and only in, protests, has called upon the people to come out in torrents and protest against the government's decision to close the schools, colleges, functions etc in the wake of Corona threat

Well, we saw the four faces of ignorance. While both those who are for and who are against those 'schools' have shared these news items and and are enjoying admiring/trolling the same, our TRP-hungry, disaster-desparate TV channels are busy revving up deathly music, terming Corona as "the agent of death", "the death knell" etc, even as the virus has just made its entry into India and has not even killed ten people.  And the government is just coughing into the ears of everybody who try to make phone call, and has been successful creating a huge aversion about the Corona message, rather than the corona itself.  Suppose you want to call somebody urgently, but they are not picking up the call.  If you make ten failed call, you will hear this half a minute coughing sermon every time, making it around 10 minutes of wasted time.  How can anybody remain cool and composed with this?

And even amidst this chaos, hundreds of scientists across the country and across the world, are burning the mid-night oil in order to find an anecdote for the virus; thousands of doctors, and nurses are risking their lives attending the patients; scores of government personnel and health workers are struggling in airports and public places to bring about/implement suitable administrative measures contain the spread. 

Should the efforts of all these saviours not go waste, it is our sole responsibility to cooperate with them by showing a little more maturity, by avoiding all this chaos.  Cracking jokes about CoronaVirus is one thing, spreading rumors and superstition in another.  The first one keeps the mind light and healthy, but the second one will corrupt the mind and lead to disastrous behavior.

It's the right time to stay home and spend some quality time with the family, avoiding going out, especially the areas suspected with infection.  Home-entertainment and home-food can at least strengthen the family bond to an extent.  Well, if somebody is forced to go to work, you can't help - just wear a mask and exercise due care and caution.  Let's not flock the medical shops for masks.  It is not difficult to make a mask at home with clean and sterilized cloth.  After all, the mask will not protect you from corona to a great extent.  When somebody coughs and sneezes the droplets will get ejected from the nose/mouth and can travel wide and far.  Mask contains that force of ejection and to that extent it slows down the spread.  Likewise, it may (not stop but) restrict a free entry into your nose/mouth for the virus already in the air.  To this extent the mask will slow down the spread.

Expert help is of utmost importance, avoid self medication.  Yes, it is a traditionally known fact that medicinal things like tulsi (basil), ginger, pepper, garlic, guduchi/amritavalli (tinospora cordifolia), neem, papaya leaves do strengthen the body immunity in general, and the strengthened immunity may enhance your ability to fight Corona, to some extent.  But this is just a general guess, no lab-tests have till now confirmed that these are effective in fighting the Virus.  Of course, we won't lose anything by using these herbs/medicines from the point of view of general immunity - why, for many ailments the traditional household medicine have proved to be a sure-shot anecdote.  So there is no harm in using this but let there not be a false sense of safety, that we are safe from Corona just because we are using this.  Let's not neglect the timely diagnosis and treatment protocols.

There is an elaborate protocol already published by the government and other concerned organizations, to be followed in order to avoid/manage the infection.  It is enough if we follow them scrupulously.  DO NOT trust any 'solutions' coming from unauthorized sources.  Please remember, those who advise drinking cow-urine or applying some oil into the anus are neither doctors nor even ayurvedic/Unani experts.  Yes, there is a traditional belief that the 'gaumootra and gaumaya' (cow urine and dung) act as a disinfectant, but they are all for for general use, not for a bodily use.  Even the religious rituals like 'panchagavya' prescribe just a drop or two of gaumootra - I have never ever come across any scriptural/medical prescription prescribing to drink mugs of cow-urine.  Even if some scripture says that, it can not be trusted unless proven by lab-tests (While people dole out loads of unsolicited pseudo scientific explanation for the purly belief-based rituals like shikha (tuft) and the yajnopaveeta (sacred thread), namaskara (prostration) etc, it fails me to understand they expect you to 'trust' cow-urine as a medicine and drink mugs of it). As long as they are not inhuman, the religious beliefs and practices are always respectable, but they must remain in the level of beliefs (It is even my belief that certain beliefs work miracles sometimes).  But it is important that the others should not be jeopardized by your belief.  It's okay if you offer some sayings against Corona Virus to Tirupati Balaji, make some offerings to a local demigod, or distribute sugar in a dargah, or offer prayers in a church.  That is your belief, and we respect it, and wish you the best.  But if you say you won't do anything other than this, then, well, it is your fate - remain locked indoors as long as your beliefs protect you - don't come out and spread the fruits of your 'beliefs' to the others.  If you feel you are absolutely safe from Corona just because you have drunk a liter of gaumutra, or you have applied some special oil up the anus, then take our bow, and don't come out of your cage at all  🙏🙏🙏

[Click here for the Kannada version of this article]

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Vandemataram - Sri Aurobindo and myself

Earlier I had translated the famous song Vande Mataram into Kannada - you can see it here.  Now in the backdrop of discussions about the National Anthem, this song has sprung back into discussion.  My good friend Sri Sharat Bhat Seraje has put together and analyzed five translations (both Kannada and English) of this song.  I am pleasantly surprised to see even my translation featuring among the translations of the likes of Sri Shikaripura Harihara and Sri Aurobindo.  Among these translations, the translation by Sri Aurobindo drew my attention for many reasons.  Following is the translation of Sri Aurobindo:

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

(Original:
वन्दे मातरम्

सुजलां सुफलाम्
मलयज शीतलाम्
सस्यश्यामलां मातरम्
वन्दे मातरम्

शुभ्रज्योत्स्नापुलकितयामिनीम्
फुल्लकुसुमितध्रुमदलशोभिनीम्
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्
सुखदां वरदां मातरम्

vande mAtaram

sujalAM suPalAm
malayaja SItalAm
sasyaSyAmalAM mAtaram
vande mAtaram

SuBrajyotsnApulakitayAminIm
PullakusumitadhrumadalaSoBinIm
suhAsinIM sumadhura BAShiNIm
suKadAM varadAM mAtaram

vande mAtaram)

Presenting this Sri Seraje explains it as a re-creation inspired by the original, reminding us of Keats and Shelly.  I guess this is the most apt explanation.  Though this piece is beautiful in its own right as an independent poem, I feel it fails as a translation, on many counts.  It but surprises me that the likes of Aurobindo could translate the word "sasyaSyAmalAM (सस्यश्यामलां)" as "dark fields"!  It is true that the word श्यम means dark, but that word acquires different hues of meanings and moods when used with different things and colours.  Moreover, there is no indication of the word "field" in the phrase "sasyaSyAmalAM (सस्यश्यामलां)" - What is green can be fields, can be gardens and can be forests as well.  That the poet intents to convey is "thick green" but even that translation does not touch the mood of the original.  the right translation in this context should be "lush green".  Though there is no mention of the word green in the original, there is a mention of vegetation (सस्य - sasya).  That gives the sense of green, and it must essentially be brought in the translation.

Likewise, the original depicts the words जल, फल, मलयजसीतल, सस्यश्यामल etc as the lively dimensions of the mother.  But in Aurobindo's translation these have become lifeless physical things like hurrying streams, orchard gleams, winds of delight, dark fields etc.  But this is not what is intended by the poet originally. Moreover, the prefix "सु" has a world of meanings about it in Sanskrit.  It is difficult to get a word with the same scope of meanings in English.  Well, you can use the word "good" but that has lost much of its sense due to over-usage.  So use of the adjective "good" gives but a bland translation which does not tell anything much.  So, instead of aiming at covering the whole spectrum of meanings for "सु" the translator has to contend himself by choosing one meaning that aptly depicts the 'goodness in the thing in question.  Here Sri Aurobindo has translated the prefix "सु" as hurrying in respect of water, and gleam in respect of fruit.  But neither the flow is the measure of 'goodness in water nor is the gleam in fruits.  For water it is the taste and for the fruit it is the freshness and sweetness that measures its 'goodness.  Likewise, there is a unique place for a mountain breeze among the breezes.  You can get a cool breeze from over the sea also, and it brings you delight as well. But that is not exactly describe the hilly breeze.  So it is very important to mention the "mountain breeze" in the translation - the translation "cool with winds of delights" does not bring the cool fragrance of the mountain breeze.

And we can see the other parts of the translations as well.  He translates the verse "शुभ्रज्योत्स्नापुलकितयामिनि (SuBrajyotsnApulakitayAmini - the one with nights tingled by bright moonlight)" as "Glory of moonlight dreams, over thy branches and lordly streams"   It just does not touch the original anywhere.  And फुल्लकुसुमितध्रुमदलशोभिनि (PullakusumitadhrumadalaSoBini) becomes a drab "Clad in blossoming trees".  And instead of taking a simple translation of "One with a sweet smile" for the word सुहासिनि (suhAsini), he translates it as "Laughing low and sweet"  In the first place, there is a world of difference between a smile and a laugh.  Laughing low can be a suppressed laughter (signifying sarcasm) at the best.  And Laughing low and sweet can not become anything but a cunning smile.  Same is the case with  सुमधुर भाषिणि (sumadhura BAShiNi).  Instead of contending with "sweet words" he translates it as "speaker sweet and low".  It is obvious that the translator has throughout been after the rhyming words like streams-gleams, delight-might, dreams-streams, trees-ease, sweet-feet, low-bow.  But the price that he had to pay for these rhymes is very big - it is nothing less than the very essence of the poem!   


As Mr. Seraje rightly puts, it can be called at the most a poem inspired by the original, but It is difficult to term it as a translation.

It is not very simple to translate from one language to another.  Many a times word to word translation becomes a nonsensical translation.  Likewise a translation of just the mood can become a sheer escapism.  A good translator chooses to tread between these two extremes - he strives hard to catch the strains of the original meaning, mood, feeling, the music of words, and their rhythm etc.  In doing so, many a times he resorts to word to word translation, sometimes the translation of the mood as well.  But he is always aware that he would be destroying the translation if he goes after one extreme.  The translation takes a beating the moment he dozes off for a moment.

Thinking on the same lines, I also tried a translation.  I can't say I have scrupulously followed the principles of translation that I myself depicted above.  I am sure this translation if full of all the drawbacks that are inevitable in a translation - I am aware that the brevity of the original has taken a beating here as well, and the rhymes are not exact rhymes and they are not religiously observed also.  I have tried to follow them as much as possible, and where it means compromising with the mood of the original, I have given the rhymes a slip.  I only hope that I have tried the best to bring the translation as near to the original as possible.  I am not, in any sense claiming any comparison, let alone superiority over Sri Aurobindo's translation above.  As I mentioned, it is just another translation that sprung up while thinking about the above.

To thee I bow, O mother

Rich with sweet streams, fruits so fresh,
And cool with fragrant mountain breeze,
And green, O mother, so rich and lush
To thee I bow, O mother

O thou, with nights tingled by moonlight bright

Adorned with woods blooming,
With those soft smiles and words so sweet,
Comforting with bounties

To thee I bow, O mother

Click here for the Kannada version of the above article.

A 'rub' with an India-Born-American-'Pardesi'

(This has no relation with the scores of Indians who have built their own respectable lives in US or elsewhere in the world and living a dignified life - some of whom are my good friends; this is about an Indian soul that sold itself to America and wishes that the unsold 'Indian' souls did not exist)

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Place: The dining hall of a decent Indian hotel

Occasion: A luncheon hosted by Pardesi

Audience: 8-10 strong group of friends and relatives, with myself honored with the fortune of sitting next to the host :o

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Pardesi: You have been abroad sometimes?

Self: Yes, a few times , , a couple of times to and a few times to country...

Pardesi: Oh okay. So you have visited all... kind of... 'laid back' countries, 'easy' countries... eh?

Self: hahha... hmm

Pardesi: Have you been to Germany?

Self: No

Pardesi: Germany is very tough country. Equally tough is America. They are workaholic. They work from morning 8 till evening 8.

Self: Is it? But I heard they usually start early like 8-830 and close by 5-530?

Pardesi: (with an emphasis) No no no no... you are mistaken. They may appear to close by 5 but they actually continue working :o

Self: Is it? hmm

Pardesi: And in America they are very particular about time, you know? 10o Clock means 10o clock only.

Self: O, yes, I know. I always appreciate it...

Pardesi: Really? But here in your India, 10 may become 11, 12, 1 or even 2.

Self: Sometimes, yes, we do skip, but much depends.

Pardesi: No, it's always. You must have heard about IST (Indian Standard Time)... HA HA HA HA HAAA...

Self: (smile)

Pardesi: Many of my Indian relatives are settled abroad, I always prefer to meet them in America or some European country, rather than in India, you know? It's always convenient to meet them there than here.

Self: Hmm... (after a long pause) Which is your native?

Pardesi: I was... er... born and brought up here in a place called Hubli, but I studied for sometime in a place called Mysore and then in Bangalore before I went to Mumbai on my first assignment and then to Delhi before I flew to England and then to America.

Self: Oh, that's nice. Then you must be speaking Kannada at home.

Pardesi: (with a straight face), hmm, rarely, a little, broken, you know? But we speak a lot of Marathi, Gujarati, and even Hindi at home - when we feel bored with English that is.

Self: Where do you live in America

Pardesi:

Self: Hmm.. I have many good friends around there. Must be having a good Kannada community there right?

Pardesi: Hmm... we have a good South Indian community, but we don't discriminate between Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and all. We all celebrate Onam as well as Pongal.

Self: You must have attended that famous Kannada convention... AKKA

Pardesi: Yeah, I have heard about that, but have not been there

Self: Hmm.. (long silence)

Pardesi: You know? There's a big myth even among Americans, that Indian guys are very intelligent, genius etc... But I have never bought that, you know?

Self: Is it?

Pardesi: I asked a few Indian professors also here in America "Is it true?"

Self:...

Pardesi: They said no, that's an absolute nonsense. Where is the originality in India? No significant inventions, no significant contribution to science and technology, no significant discovery, nothing. They are just using and supporting what the West invented. They are in demand just because of cheap labor. Now that also they are losing out to China etc.

Self: That may be true as far as IT-BT is concerned, but India is not all about IT-BT...

Pardesi: (Little agitated) What else? What else, you tell me. But for IT-BT who would even look up to India?

Self: Hmm... (long silence). You are also in IT?

Pardesi: No no no... (Proudly) I am a scientist.

Self: Oh, is it?... Then, who does the inventions for you there?

Pardesi: What? (quickly recovering), Well, not all Indians are like that. There are exceptions, you know?

Self: hmm (smile and long silence)

Pardesi: You know what? Americans are always straight forward in their outlook and talks. They don't like round about talks. But Indians are never like that. They just beat around the bush - never speak out openly.

Self: Hmm... sometimes that helps, you know?

Pardesi: How?

Self: Certain things can't be told straight on the face, especially to our own brethren :)

Conversation broke, as the lunch was served - A long, silent and filling one.

Adi Shankaracharya vis a vis Buddhist religion - a historic perspective

It is very widely felt that Sri Shankaracharya was instrumental in driving the Buddhism out of India. We need to see if this is entirely true or how much.

Buddhism which came into existence by 6th century BC continued to rise even after the demise of Buddha. It saw its peak during the regime of Mauryas, especially Asoka (4-3rd century BC) during which period the Buddhism was all pervasive in India and even a political power to reckon with. Soon after Mauryas, probably the religion started fading out very slowly. Chinese travelers like Fa-Hien (early 5th century AD), Xuanzang (early 6th century AD) note with concern that Buddhism was on a sharp decline in many parts of India. Shankaracharya's came much later, that is 9th century AD.

By the time of Sri Adi Shankara, the Buddhism in India was no more than another a major community and just a theoretical opponent for the Sanathana Dharma. It was no more a big political or religious power to reckon with. It was already on its way out, not because of Shankara, but due to many other politico-religious and economic reasons (and it had more reasons stored in the future in the form of various invasions).

By the time of Shankara, India was in the shape of a religiously looted house, from the point of view of Sanathana Dharma. Buddhism had lost its sheen and had already become highly devoid of all the great ideals taught by the Buddha. 1500 years of its reign in India had certainly created a deep impact on Indian psyche (both in positive and negative ways). But since Buddhism was no more a religion of power now, the Buddhists were helpless, powerless and by and large disillusioned. On the other hand, the followers of Sanatana Dharma had long forgotten the noble way shown by the Upanishats and had confined themselves scrupulously and stubbornly to the ritualistic parts of the Vedic scripture.  Those who did not like this but still not embraced the Buddhism had a kind of appreciation towards Buddhism, at least in principle, due to many of its appealing principles like non-violence, no-sacrifice etc. Many sects like Vaishnavaites had already abandoned Vedic sacrifice etc and adopted a life of non-violence and vegetarian life style. Thus the mass, (Buddhist and Sanathani mass all alike) had lost belief in their respective religions.  The Sanathana Dharma was crumbling under its own weight.  This was the situation that needed a leader who could revive Sanathana Dharma from the clutches of ritualistic approach and show the people the noble path of divine knowledge.

This was the socio-religious scene when Shankara stepped into picture. He had a big task of harmonizing the Hindu scriptural preaching with the moral conscience of the masses. Buddha's principles and teachings appeared quite appealing, including those that deal with fallacy of world, the cycle of karma, trap of desires, the principle of live and let live etc. It seems even Shankara was quite impressed with these principles, why not? They are universally appealing. But there was a problem.  Buddha squarely rejected the supreme authority of the Vedas.  On the other hand, Sri Shankara’s belief and conviction about the Sanathana dharma, and its eternal goodness was firm. He firmly believed even the Vedic scriptures (upon which the Sanathana Dharma relies) ultimately taught those very principles. He believed that this noble vision was only covered behind the thick veil of mundane rituals.  To reform this would mean a bitter debate with the Sanathanis who stuck to their guns.  This is where he had the challenge - of treading on the tight rope - of bringing about the reforms within the framework of Sanathana Dharma and its religious scriptures, the Vedas. This was a fine-balancing act. If you take a stand that Vedas were the ultimate authority, you would be upholding all that is told by the Vedas, even the so called "inhuman practices" prescribed by the Vedas; On the other hand, if you take a stand that the Vedas should be followed except where the practices are evil ones, it means you are not accepting the ultimate authority of Vedas (which was exactly the stand taken by Buddha) it will be a philosophy "outside" the framework of Sanathana Dharma).  So a politically, diplomatically and philosophically correct and acceptable middle path was very much necessary.

Upanishats (also called Vedanta, as they are usually found to be the last of four classes of Vedic literature, i.e., Samhita, Brahmanas, Aranyakas & Upanishats) are a form of philosophical sublimation of the rest of the Vedas. They deal with the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of life such as Atma, Brahma etc rather than ritualistic codes and duties. Hence this part of Vedas is called "Jnyana Kanda". The rest of Vedas that deal with the worldly and ritualistic aspects of life are called "Karma Kanda". Many Vedic schools consider the Karma Kanda itself as the Veda proper, and they consider the Upanishats as only an abstraction and sublimation of the Vedas. Those who pursue the "Karma Kanda" are known as "Poorva Meemamsakas". For them it is only the Veda proper (i.e., Karma Kanda) is the ultimate authority, not the Upanishats. On the other hand there are others who consider only the Upanishats i.e., "Jnyana Kanda" as the ultimate authority. It is said when you enter the realm of supreme knowledge as preached by the Upanishads, the "lower level" ritualistic preachings become meaningless ("atra vedaH avedaa bhavanti"). This is the school of "Uttar Miasma". For them Upanishats are the only pramanas, not the rest of the Vedas. 

Shankaracharya identified himself with this "Uttara Miasma" for three reasons:

• One, after all, the meaning of all the rituals and all pursuits is ultimately the self realization which comes from the ultimate knowledge of the world and the Brahman. Once you have the knowledge you will realize the futility of all rituals, karmas, and life struggles; you will realize just how unreal the world is, and how you are nothing but an illusory image of the Brahman itself. This, he perceived, to be the view of the Upanishats. 
• Two, with this you will be doing away with the Karma Kanda, or at least do not consider it as an authority. Thereby all the "evil Vedic practices" like animal-sacrifice etc (which the Bouddhism had always been criticising) will stop even in Sanathana Dharma also (thereby making it as appealing as the Bouddha dharma that was in vogue).
• Three, this reform will be well within the frame-work of Vedic scriptures (for Vedanta/Upanishats is nothing but a sublimation of the Vedas proper). It is significant to note that so called "advita" as we call it today was not the name given to it by Shankaracharya. He rightly calls his philosophy as "oupanishada darshana" (the darshana according to Upanishats - since he upheld the supremacy of Upanishats).

Then, who were Shankaracharya's main opponents? Not Buddhists, but the Sanathana Dharmis who still had faith in "Karma Kanda" i.e., the "Veda proper". Naturally Shankara had a lot of debates with the doyens of Poorva Mimamsa and other schools like Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya etc, apart from the already fading Bouddhas. Since Buddhism was never against Sanathana Dharma except in respect of meaning-less rituals etc, this new model of Shankaracharya which by and large resembled the Buddhist model of denial of world and karma, and yet "within the framework of Vedas" really appealed to people and scholars alike. This was the reason why Shankara was able to take the Indian philosophic arena by storm with his novel philosophy. He had as big an impact as the Buddhism itself and eventually filled the political and philosophical vacuum created by the exit of Buddhism in India.

A Sale Note

When Satya called me two days back to announce that he was planning to sell off his library, I thought for a moment that he was joking. So I replied him coolly "fine, tell me your quote, I shall buy it". It was usual for us to chit-chat this way when we met casually. Whenever the talk turns to routine financial difficulties, he would say "Manju, take my library and give me two thousand bucks" I would say "that is too much".

I was lost in thoughts. After a brief pause he told, "No Manju, I am serious". Really? Having lost his younger brother just a few days back, I remembered he was not in a mindset to joke. Then was he really going to sell off his library? I could not believe it. Had this not been a joke, it was not Satya then! I had seen him from my childhood; I grew watching him build his library - book by book.

A small boy with cinema drama and literature filled in his heart and soul, he had left for Bangalore with a big dream in his eyes. True to his dreams, he grew quite a bit as an artist, if not in terms of social/economic standards. He formed his own artistic and cultural life, working with the likes of C.G.Krishnaswamy of Ranganirantara, B V Karantha etc. Popularly known as "Katlu Satya" in amateur theatrical circles, he authored many plays like "baavi", "daambaru bandaddu" etc that won him many accolades from the public and experts alike. He made a good name as a theater artist and a director as well.

The kind of care-free and simplest of simple life-style that he had developed for himself was a matter of envy for us. Like cinema and stage, books was his another passion. While we all resorted to TV, Cinema for our entertainment needs, Satya frequented the book stalls to beat the boredom. Wherever there was a book exhibition or sale in the city, Satya should visit the same; should buy at least 5-6 books; did not matter if it was first hand-second hand or costly-cheap. If the book was valuable, it should be brought home. There was the kind of engrossment in his shopping for books, one that one would find in a boy who shops for his toys. Book purchase was not just for show off. As soon as the book came home he should sit and finish reading it in next two three days. Since most of the books was bought at book fairs, being new and costly, it had turned out to be a very costly affair. Every hundred rupees that he saved would serve to buy a book, he thought. Best part of savings/earnings went go into books. Thus the library, rather than just a library, was an extension of his very personality. He had developed the kind of affinity with each book in his 2500 strong collection that he was able to tell with an impeccable exactness, which book was where, what the content was and where it was torn, when and why. It was a matter of pride to exhibit his collection. After all, it was an owner's pride, really.

Should somebody decide to sell such a prized possession, the situation must be really serious. Though I did not ask this personal question, it was quite evident that he had been through this decision-making nightmare for past two months before finally deciding to sell off his sole "property". Of course this could be a temporary phase, that would pass over with a little endurance, but this (parting with his possession) would be something permanent and should not happen for any reason; for his book collection was an inseparable part of his personality; not something that could be sold to meet some worldly demands. I thought hard if something could be done to save his possession. But the mess was too big for any of his well wishers/friends to resolve. Even the sales proceeds of this library would only meet the most urgent part of the total demand. There seemed no other way than selling the library off.

While I was lost in these thoughts, Satya interrupted: "Manju I know it pains you; I know that you can't afford a library at this point of time, but all I am asking you is to write about it. I am sure there are people out there as crazy as myself; our current task is just to find and establish a connection with them. Since you have interests similar to mine, I am sure there could be such lots in your friend-circle"

I felt so too.

Well, now down to business. He expects the library - with around 2500 books spanning from archaic literature to modern ones, western to eastern, and drawing from a wide spectrum of poetry, poetics, drama, history, spirituality, science, arts, theater etc - to fetch him at least Rs.2 Lakhs (an average of Rs.80 per book). Any book lover knows that the intrinsic value of a book is far more than its face value, especially if it is a collection. It is the value of the "collection" that is more than the sum total of value of individual books. And it is the Library as a whole that is put up for sale, not individual books. Any single individual or group of individuals can buy the library, but the condition is, the library should be bought as a whole. Else, he feels, it does not even serve his financial needs, and moreover it is painful to watch the personal library cannibalized and disappearing into oblivion. Added to this, the hope is that the buyer of his library would look after the library intact.

Here are some snaps of his book collection. http://picasaweb.google.co.in/ksmanjunatha/SatyaLibrary#

Those interested can contact Mr. Satyanarayana directly; visit him and his library at Bangalore personally. His mobile number is + 91 94487 03864

While the decision itself is painful, I personally wish that its execution is less painful; for it is not just the question of buying/selling a library but the question of ones faith in a value. If it harms ones belief that one can live by himself without any materialistic dimensions, our tonnes of writing and ages of dreaming about a non-materialistic and simple life-style is a waste.

History of Mysore Palace, rediscovered by Tourism

Last week I was in Hyderabad on some official work. Returning home, I found in the Hyderabad Airport, the displays of AP tourism about various places of tourist interest. One eye catcher was the historic Mysore Palace. Eye catcher, not because it was Mysore palace, not because it was historic, or not even because it was splendid. The AP tourism had made a path breaking discovery in the history of Mysore palace.

It belonged to Tipu Sultan !!! (See the photo)

This "historical monument" was silently catching the eyes of whoever cared to see - especially of tourists (many of whom would be foreign tourists who would return home with memories of India, of our ignorance, and of our audacity to exhibit our ignorance).

Here is the text of my email to the AP department of tourism:

Dear Sir,

Please see the attached photos of one of your displays at Hyderabad Airport taken on 25th April 2008. This is the picture of the world famous Mysore Palace. But shockingly enough, the caption reads "Tipu Sultan's Palace, Mysore"!!!

I had dropped a complaint in the airport complaint/suggession kiosk, but no response till now. For your information, here is a small piece of details about the said palace:

The construction of this palace was started in 1897 to replace the old palace which was destroyed due to fire.

The regent of Mysore at the time, Queen Kempananjammanni Vanivilasa Sannidhana, commissioned a British architect, Henry Irwin, to build yet another palace in its place. The construction was completed in 1912.

Not that the above piece of history may interest you, but this is just to insist that you please stand corrected and immediately remove or correct the display before many more visitors laugh at us.

The tourism department which is supposed to guide and enlighten the tourists about our rich cultural heritage, forgets (or ignores) the history of just 95 years, is a matter of shame, more so when it is displayed in such a bold manner in front of the whole world !!!

Regards,
Manjunatha.K.S

The email id of AP tourism is info@aptourism.in, if you want to send a mailer - just a small hope that it may open the eyes of those who are (ir)responsible, and warn them against blabbering just whatever comes to their mind about our national heritage.

PS: If you know a better email id, please share it with me.