Preachers of all religions (in Telugu we can call them pravachana kartAs) think and talk arrogantly. It would have, perhaps, been "let go type" in private conversations. While speaking on TV channels, meetings attended by thousands of spectators, speakers whether of political or religious or some other genre, have to think twice before making generalisations and crackling boastful statements. Here is one such example. A Reverable Preceptor title holder (pUjya AcArya पूज्य आचार्य बिरुदांकित పూజ్య ఆచార్య బిరుదాంకితుడు) , we do not know who gave him that title, I had the misfortune of listening to on the SVBC channel when he was preaching Bhagavad Gita, that brahma vidya (The art / education of spirituality) is not as simple as reading Chandamama magazine. This preacher seems to be thinking that Chandamama was an ordinary magazine. Such fallacious observations are really untenable. The I do not know where the pUjya AchArya got his wisdom and brahma vidya. Wearing ochre robes (काषाय रंगीन कपडे కాషాయ వస్త్రాలు) and special vermillon-sandalwood marks on forehead (मुखालंकार ముఖాలంకారాలు అంటే బొట్లు, నామాలు) alone does not make a wiseman. Packing of a product and quality of the inner contents are two different things.
Chandamama magazine may contain some stories of fantasy intended to ignite interest in children. But that does not mean, it does not contain anything which provokes their thoughts, raise their levels of comparison and evaluation, discrimination, diligence. Children reading fantasies in Chandamama might have realised in later years that they read only imaginary-dreamlike fantasies, and they were not intended to be real.
Chandamama, and through it we all of us who grew up during the years between 1947 (its establishment) and 2008 (its cessation of publication), had received several years of dedicated service and valuable contributions from authors such as Late Kodavatikanti Kutumba Rao, Vasundhara, and drawing services of artists like Vaddadi Papaiah, Chitra, Sankar, perhaps Bapu, and others. Many stories presented by them contain episodes, scenes and incidents which enlarge and enlighten the discriminative abilities of not only adolescents, but also adults including those who have completed a thousand moons.
During the approx. 60 years of its publication, Chandamama had more than 720 monthly issues. Every issue contained BhetALa katha. (Story of Legendary King Vikramarka and the King of Spirits BhetALa). The questions posed by BhETALa to VikramArka were really incisive and some them were hardnuts to crack like Rubrik's Cubes (probably harder than the cubes).
Whenever I find time, I shall try to present some of the great vignettes from Chandamama and prove how foolish are our discourse-makers who think that they alone are superior virtuous and wise persons, because they wear ochre robes on their body and vermillon-sandalwood-ash-chalk marks on their forehead.
As a sample, I furnish below some verses from the feature called "amaravANi (Voice of Sanskrit)" from the Chandamama issue of January 1970. These verses glorify the greatness of education when compared to regal splendor and wealth.
విద్వత్త్వంచ నృపత్వంచ నైవ తుల్యం కదాచన,
స్వదేశే పూజ్యతే రాజా, విద్వాన్ సర్వత్రపూజ్యతే.
विद्वत त्वंच नृपत्वंच नैव तुल्यं कदाचन,
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा, विद्वान सर्वत्र पूज्यते.
vidvat tvam cha nrupatvam ca naiva tulyam kadAcana,
svadESE pUjyatE rAjA, vidvAn sarvatra pUjyatE.
Scholarity and royalty can never be compared. A king is respected in his own country. A scholar is honored and respected all over the world.
సుఖార్ధీ త్యజతే విద్యాం, విద్యార్ధీ త్యజతే సుఖం,
సుఖార్ధినః కుతో విద్యా, విద్యార్ధినః కుతో సుఖం.
सूखार्धी त्यजते विद्यां, विद्यार्धी त्यजते सुखं,
सुखार्धिनः कुतो विद्या, विद्यार्धिनः कुतो सुखं।
sukhArdhI tyajatE vidyAm, vidyArdhI tyajatE sukham,
sukhArdhinaha kutO vidyA, vidyArdhinaha kutO sukham.
A person prefers comforts and luxuries will forego learning. A person who longs for education, will forego not only comforts and luxuries, but also even necessities. Where will a comfort-seeker get knowledge and wisdom? Where will a knowledge-seeker get comforts?
పుస్తకేషుచ యా విద్యా పర హస్తేచే యత్ ధ్ధనం
సమయేతు పరిప్రాప్తే నసా విద్యా, న తత్ ధనం.
पुस्तकेषुच या विद्या पर हस्ते चे यत् धनं
समयेतु परिप्राप्ते न सा विद्या, न तत् धनं.
pustakEshuchu yA vidyA para hastE cEt yat dhanam
samayEt pariprAptE na sA vidyA, na tat dhanam.
Education and learning in books, our money in the hands of others, will not be available to us when they are actually needed bys us. Hence, that education is not education. That money is not real money.
జ్ఞాతిభిర్ వంచ్యతే నైవ, చోరేణాపి ననీయతే,
దానేన నక్షయం యాతిః విద్యా రత్నం మహాధనం.
ज्ञाति भिर वंच्यते नैव, चोरेणापि न नीयते,
दानेन न क्षयं यातिः, विद्या रत्नं महा धनं।
gnAti bhir vanchyatE naiva, cOrENApi na nIyatE
dAnEna na kshayam yAtih, vidyA ratnam mahA dhanam.
Education is like great treasure. Cognates and Collates (Consanguineous relatives who may claim share in our inheritance) cannot deceive us and snatch it away from us. Nor can thieves can steal. When bestowed on others, the treasure of education does not diminish (instead it renews itself in memory). The gem of education is our greatest treasure.
English gist has been added by me.
ybrao-a-donkey's humble views. I shall not insist that you agree with me. वैबीराव एक गधे के विनम्र वचन. आप मुझ से सहमत होने के निर्बंध नहीं है। వైబీరావు గాడిద వినమ్ర అభిప్రాయాలు. నాతో ఏకీభవించమని మిమ్ములను వత్తిడి చేయను
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा, विद्वान सर्वत्र पूज्यते. svadESE pUjyatE rAjA, vidvAn sarvatra pUjyatE. స్వదేశే పూజ్యతే రాజా, విద్వాన్ సర్వత్రపూజ్యతే.: Even Kings are respected outside their kingdom. For example, see how Narendra Modi is receiving adulation in U.S.A., to which he is now on a Prime Ministerial visit? Today's Heads of State and Heads of Government are honored in alien lands, not because of their scholarity, but because of their purchasing power. For example, just before visiting USA, Mr. Narendra Modi issued a purchase order to buy Boing aircraft from USA. This would have greatly delighted not only that Aircraft making monster, but also the outgoing President of USA Mr. Barac Obama, and the prospective candidates contesting the US Presidency such as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Mr. Narendra Modi has a peculiar knack of with-holding things, till an opportune moment of using it as a tool for self-aggrandizement and self-glorification. (Recall, Mr. Narendra Modi's visit to France, on which occasion he placed some order for purchase of French aircraft.). He seems to used exactly the same strategies and techniques to make Messrs. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, and Mr. Mohan Bhagwat to believe that he was indispensible. At least the first three of them might have learnt their lessons.
sukhArdhinaha kutO vidyA, vidyArdhinaha kutO sukham. Where is the comfort for the person who seeks education? : We should ask this question to those who bought / buy at education at Doon Schools, Indian Schools of Businesses,, Cambridge & Oxford and Harvard & Stanfords, Trinity Colleges etc. etc.
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ఘోరమైన విమర్శలకు కూడ స్వాగతం, జవాబులు ఇవ్వబడతాయి. Harsh Criticism is also welcome.