1052 Weekly News Round-up round-up 18th Feb. 2018 to 24th Feb. 2018

Firstly, I am glad to inform my Readers (if there are any) that I have added a new Search facility in 'Telugu Script' for the nearly 100,000 Sanskrit Verses of Vyasa's Mahabharata, which is a very large compendium of several legends, moral precepts, beliefs, concepts, and what not. Many scholars opine that nothing can be found elsewhere, which cannot be found in Vyasa Mahabharata (also known as Krishna dvaipAyana's Mahabharata or "Jayam". In Telugu language, we have a proverb which says "tinTE gArelE tinAli, vinTE bhAratamE vinAli". Approximate English for this proverb: If we have to eat (if we have a compulsion to eat), we should eat the savoury preparation called 'GArelu" (nearest equivalent South India's vaDai, also called vaDalu in Telugu). But there is subtle difference between the gArelu and vaDai, which I shall cover some other day in some other blog post. If we have to listen, i.e. if there is a compulsion to listen to, we should listen to MahAbhArata. However, Telugu people were more (not now?) accustomed to listening to Telugu Mahabharata translated by the Telugu Poet Trio "nannaya, tikkana and yerrApragaDa" (11th Century to 14th Century A.D.), rather than the Vyasa's Sanskrit Original.

Temple-reading of Telugu Mahabharata itself takes nearly two months. There is a belief in India that, if the Epic Mahabharata is read in Villages (Temple are convenient for the purpose), especially during summer season when the land will be dry, and devoid of crops, and farmers will be idle awaiting arrival of monsoons, that virtuous action/practice will please Gods profusely, and there will be abundant rains that year.

But Telugu Mahabharata is an abridged version in the sense that it has around 10,000 Telugu verses, whereas vyAsa Sanskrit Mahabharata has nearly 115,000 verses. After eliminating counts for very short verses, the net count of verses will come to nearly 100,000/-, most of which are two line stanzas. For those who wish to study Mahabharata in depth, particularly to search historically relevant points, it will be imperative to search in, and study the Vyasa's Mahabharata. Telugu Mahabharata of kavi traam (poet trio nannaya, tikkana, yerrapragada will help in understanding and analysing the numerous facets of Mahabharata.

How to search Telugu words, in the Telugu Script Vyasa Sanskrit Mahabharata provided by you?

Ans: Link: http://ayyo.x10.mx/sanskmahabhartelug.php.

This is a sub-domain I got from a free web-host provider x10hosting.com, with a facility to use php script. The search facility designed by me uses php script, and hence, I am dependent on their server. When you click the above link, you will go to my sub-domain http://ayyo.x10.mx. Sanskmahabhartelug.php is the php script which searches.

Ques: You have given two tags: Bhagiratha, and Hema Malini. How will you explain it?

We all know about Bhagiratha of Valmiki Ramayana as a great sacrificer of his personal comfort, in his effort to bring down-to-earth the Ganga River from Heaven, and liberate his Ancestors. This word 'sacrificer' is in the meaning of 'foregoing sometthing personal, for accomplishing some goal'.

Vocabulary help for the word 'sacrifice'. Source Internet, Googling.

verb: sacrifice; 3rd person present: sacrifices; past tense: sacrificed; past participle: sacrificed; gerund or present participle: sacrificing

1. offer or kill as a religious sacrifice. "the goat was sacrificed at the shrine" synonyms: offer up, immolate, slaughter "an ox and two goats were sacrificed"

2. give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations. "working hard doesn't mean sacrificing your social life"

synonyms: give up, abandon, surrender, forgo, renounce, forfeit, relinquish, resign, abdicate, sign away, yield, cede, waive; prostitute, betray. "he hadn't sacrificed his humanitarian principles"

We shall now see the first meaning of offer/kill as a religious sacrifice. We shall refer vyAsa Sanskrit Mahabharata. Vol. 3 of Vyasa Mahabharata is known as Book of Forests (Vana Parva or AraNya Parva). Context is Panadavas, having lost their Kingdom and Wealth in the hands of Kauravas, were on a 12 years exile to a Forests. During their stay in the Forest, in Vol. 3, Chapter 80 , Sages Narada and Romasa visited Pandavas. They depict to Yudhishthira and his four brothers, about the benefits of Pilgrimages, and bathing in Sacred Rivers (called tIrthams). During their discourses, they have highlighted the Great Deeds of Emperor Bhagiratha, apart from his magnum opus like act of bringing down the River Ganga to Earth. I shall quote two verses from the above Bhagiratha Search Results, from the above Search Screen.

5. యః సహస్రం సహస్రాణాం కన్యా హేమవిభూషితాః।
రాజ్ఞశ్చ రాజపుత్రాంశ్చ బ్రాహ్మణేభ్యో హ్యమన్యత॥ 7-60-4 47066

6. సర్వా రథగతాః కన్యా రథాః సర్వే చతుర్యుజః।
రథేరథే శతం నాగాః సర్వే వై హేమమాలినః॥ 7-60-5 47067

7. సహస్రమశ్వాశ్చైకైకం గజానాం పృష్ఠతోఽన్వయుః। అశ్వేఅశ్వే శతం గావో గవాం పశ్చాదజావికం॥ 7-60-6 47068

8. తేనాక్రాంతా జనౌఘేన దక్షిణా భూయసీర్దదత్। ఉపహ్వరేఽతివ్యథితా తస్యాంకే నిషసాద హ॥ 7-60-7 47069

9. తథా మాగీరథీ గంగా హ్యూర్ధ్వగా హ్యభవత్పురా।
దుహితృత్వం గతా రాజ్ఞః పుత్రత్వమగమత్తదా॥ 7-60-8 47070

10. తాం తు గాథా జగుః ప్రీతా గంధర్వాః సూర్యవర్చసః।
పితృదేవమనుష్యాణాం శృణ్వతాం వల్గువాదినః॥ 7-60-9 47071

11. భగీరథం యజమానమైక్ష్వాకుం భూరిదక్షిణం।
గంగా సముద్రగా దేవీ వవ్రే పితరమీశ్వరం॥ 7-60-10 47072

12. తస్య సేంద్రైః సురగణైర్దేవైర్యజ్ఞః స్వలంకృతః।
సంయక్పరిగృహీతశ్చ శాంతవిఘ్నో నిరామయః॥ 7-60-11 47073

13. యో య ఇచ్ఛేత విప్రో వై యత్రయత్రాత్మనః ప్రియం।
భగీరథస్తదా ప్రీతస్తత్రతత్రాదదద్వశీ॥ 7-60-12 47074

14. నాదేయం బ్రాహ్మణస్యాసీద్యస్య యత్స్యాత్ప్రియం ధనం।
సోఽపి విప్రప్రసాదేన బ్రహ్మలోకం గతో నృపః॥ 7-60-13 47075

There is a need to present the above verses in Vol.7 (Drona Parva), Roman Script, for the benefit of those who cannot read Telugu Script. Unfortunately, in North Indian Edition of the Vyasa Mahabharata, the above verses are in Vol. 12 (Shanti Parva) Book of Peace, Chapter 29. I shall now quote them from Chapter 29.

Santi Parva 029 056 bhagIratham ca rAjAnam mritam SuSruma srinjaya-
yasyEndro vitatE yajJE somam pItvA madotkaTah
asurANAm sahasrANi bahUni surasattamah-
ajayad bAhuvIryENa bhagavAn pAkaSAsanah
yah sahasram sahasrANAm kanyA hEmavibhUshitAh-
IjAno vitatE yajJE dakshiNAm atyakAlayat
sarvA rathagatAh kanyA rathAh sarvE caturyujah-
rathE rathE Satam nAgAh padmino hEmamAlinah
^ sahasram aSvA Ekaikam hastinam prishThato anvayuh-
gavAm sahasram aSvE aSvE sahasram gavy ajAvikam

Santi Parva 029 061 upahvarE nivasato yasyAnkE nishasAda ha-
gangA bhAgIrathI tasmAd urvaSI hy abhavat purA
bhUridakshiNam ikshvAkum yajamAnam bhagIratham-
trilokapathagA gangA duhitritvam upEyushI
sa cEn mamAra srinjaya caturbhadrataras tvayA-
putrAt puNyataraS caiva mA putram anutapyathAh
dilIpam caivailavilam mritam SuSruma srinjaya-
yasya karmANi bhUrINi kathayanti dvijAtayah
imAm vai vasusampannAm vasudhAm vasudhAdhipah-
dadau tasmin mahAyajJE brahmaNEbhyah samAhitah
Santi Parva 029 066 tasyEha yajamAnasya yajJE yajJE purohitah-
sahasram vAraNAn haimAn dakshiNAm atyakAlayat
yasya yajJE mahAn AsId yUpah SrImAn hiraNmayah-
tam dEvAh karma kurvANAh SakrajyEshThA upASrayan
cashAlo yasya sauvarNas tasmin yUpE hiraNmayE-
nanritur dEvagandharvAh shaTsahasrANi saptadhA
avAdayat tatra vINAm madhyE viSvAvasuh svayam-
sarvabhUtAny amanyanta mama vAdayatIty ayam
^ Etad rAjJo dilIpasya rAjAno nAnucakrirE-
yat striyo hEmasampannAh pathi mattAh sma SEratE

English Gist of the above verses, which described Bhagiratha's sacrifice. Translation by Late Kishore Mohan Gangooly.

We hear, O Srinjaya, that king Bhagiratha also died. In one of the sacrifices of that king, intoxicated with the Soma he had drunk, Indra, the adorable chastiser of Paka and the chief of the gods, vanquished, by putting forth the might of his arms, many thousands of Asuras.

King Bhagiratha, in one of the sacrifices he performed, gave away a million of maidens adorned with ornaments of gold. Each of those maidens sat upon a car and unto each car were attached four steeds. With each car were a hundred elephants, all of the foremost breed and decked with chains of gold. Behind each elephant were a thousand steeds, and behind each steed a thousand kine, and behind each cow a thousand goats and sheep.

(The river-goddess) Ganga, named (from before) Bhagirathi, sat upon the lap of this king dwelling near (her stream), and from this incident she came to be called Urvasi.[93] The triple-coursed Ganga had agreed to be the daughter of Bhagiratha of Ikshvaku's race, that monarch ever engaged in the performance of sacrifices with presents in profusion unto the Brahmanas.

When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee in respect of the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son.

Question: Now, what is that you want to drive home?

Ans: What are these millions, billions and trillions? Today, I saw a discussion on a Telugu TV News Channel, I think it is khoj 24x7, in which there were two Lady Participants, one ochre-robed monk, and the jana vignAna vEdika man Shri Gogineni. The Gist of what the Ochre-robed monk looked something like, the monk has a set fo 10 CDs containing Ancient Scriptures of India. HIs contention seemed to be that if the contents of the 12 CDs are read/sung over to a baby in its mother's womb, then the child born will be a genius. India can produce hundreds of Einsteins. One Lady on the Panel said that India has already produced several geniuses (in addition to Arya Bhatta), but they have not received their due recognition. Shri Gogineni seems to have questioned where all those geniuses are/were? He insisted that some of them be named. Another Lady on the Discussion Panel, who seemed to be a Medical Doctor, indicated that in medical research, babies of more than 24 weeks can be sent audio signals and woken up. She seemed to be supporting the idea of reading/singing out Sanskrit verses to the baby in mother's womb, and that the baby can pick up some of the signals. Another knowledgeable person suggested that Scientific Studies should be conducted on the subject. May be of the Double Blind Test type.

The ochre-robed monk advocated that in the West (Europe, North America, probably ANZ), Researchers are researching on just one Sanskrit word, and they are able to get Doctorates with their work. His idea seems that every Sanskrit word has tons of information and data , which can be researched by Western Scholars for obtaining their Doctorates.

The Anchor moderating the discussion suggested that the monk could take up with the Producers of the CDs, to distribute them free of cost, so that scientific experiments can be carried out on two sets of babies, one set of babies listening to the CDs from their womb, and another set of babies not listening to the CDs, and then to check up later who are going to become geniuses, and who are not going to become geniuses.

So far so good, we shall now come back to bhagiratha and hEmA mAlini.

This Hema mAlini is not Bollywood Veteran actor , and Madhura BJP MP, Hema mAlini. The word Hema = gold, mAlini=garland. The damsels who wear gold garlands are hEma mAlini. The Million girls whom bhagIratha gave away are hEmA mAlinis in the sense that they wore gold garlands. Now, you have a million chariots. 4 horses for the million cars, = 4 million horses. Each car is followed by 100 elephants. = 400 million elephants. Elephants too were wearing golden chains/garlands. Behind each elephant there were a thousand steeds (horses ready for riding). 400 million x 1000 = 400 billion horses (if my calculation is not wrong). NOw behind each horse, a 1000 bulls/cows (kine). =400 trillion bulls/cows? Now behind each cow a 1000 goats/sheep.= 400 quadrillion goats and sheep. All these were given to whom? Priests.

I am very fortunate at least about one thing. There were no CDs when I was in my mother's womb. My parents did not cross V Standard in school. Hence, I am very happy that I have become a ybrao-a-donkey, instead of becoming an Einsteine. Who might have, among today's Indians, heard these CDs?

I have already become mad by reading about Rs. 17,000 crore i.e. 170 billion knocked away by Mr. Nirav Mody from Punjab National Bank. through what are known as LOUs (Letters of Credit?

My next post will deal with that.

To come back and continue adding / deleting / modifying, depending on Readers', Media' and Govts' Reactions.

953 Some Musings on Farmer Suicides, Alcohol for Poor, Alcohol for Celebrities

The allegation and observation made by Bachu Kadu alias Shri Omprakash Baba Rao Kadu, Independent MLA from Achalapur, Maharashtra, needs deeper analysis and understanding. Unbiased writing on this subject is difficult, as the current environment is highly vitiated, and yet an attempt is worth trying. To start with: Mentioning names of individuals may be dangerous, especially when negative comments are made. Such unintended errors can land the talkers/writers into libel / defamation litigations. It appears that Shri Omprakash Baba Rao Kadu has withdrawn/modified his comment about Ms. Hema Malini's drinking. It is good, to safeguard his own interest, if we see the experience of Mr. Arun Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, who is facing Rs. 100 million defamation case from Shri Arun Jaitley, India's Finance Minister. Even when a person speaks truth, some times it may be difficult for a person to produce evidence in a court of law to produce what he says / writes. This is because those who indulge in things may not do them by standing before a video camera, or by distributing printed pamphlets. A comment may sometime become dry and 'juiceless' when it is not given by a solid example. Hence, whether lawyers or not, talkers / writers / journalists / film artists have to spend long hours and do a lot of home work of collecting evidence to prove what they say / write, when a need arises.

To start with, here are links for the news links about what Shri Omprakash Baba Rao is reported to have said: Click here to go to http://www.rediff.com/news/report/hema-malini-drinks-daily-maharashtra-mlas-bizarre-take-on-farmer-suicides/20170414.htm.

Kadu made the remark while speaking about farmers' plight at an event in Nanded district of Marathwada.

Congress leader Narayan Rane had recently termed drinking as one of the reasons for farmers' suicide, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had said excessive spending by farmers on son's or daughter's marriage leads to indebtedness in some cases.

Trying to rebut this perception, Kadu said, "75 per cent of MLAs, MPs, journalists drink... even Hema Malini drinks heavily... but have they committed suicide?

"Rs 4 crore were spent on the marriage of Gadkari's son, should we now wait for him to commit suicide?" he said.

As the comment drew sharp reactions, Kadu tried to defend himself. He was talking about Hema Malini's drinking "in films and not in her personal life," he said, speaking to reporters at Osmanabad on Friday.

ybdonkey's personal views which are not intended to be imposed on others

In India, millions of people take film actors and heroines as roll-models, and try to ape their screen life-styles, in real lives of citizens. It is a very dangerous trait. Everyone of us has to help others to get out of this dangerous weakness.

Why seggregate and single out 75% of MLAs, MPs, journalists, and of course Ms. Hema Malini whose habits we do not know / cannot prove? 75% of Indian male adults seem not only to drink alcohol, but also appear to be raising their 'litres / pints / bottle sizes' month by month, and year by year. We are going to enter the 'buckets / tubs / barrels / water tanks' era. By water tanks era, I mean, instead of drinking water which our Governments and Municipalities cannot anyway supply everyday regularly, different types of Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL) can be supplied through pipelines. In this respect, our Governments and Municipalities will not fail, because they have already converted National and State Highways into Municipal and Panchayat Roads, so as to subvert the Supreme Court's Order to close the liquor shops on National and State Highways.

Question: Why alcoholic stars do not commit suicides, and why farmers commit suicides?

Ans: A farmer who makes Rs. 60,000/- per annum by selling his harvests, and gets that small amount in 2 or 3 instalments, and if he spends Rs. 25,000/- per annum, on alcohol, he cannot maintain his family without debts. He will not be left with 'Capital' to invest when the next sowing season comes. Hence, the parameter is: What percentage of his income (not only a farmer, any low income person) a person spends on alcohol will decide. If the percentage is more, the farmer will be surrounded by debtors. If the percentaqg is low, he can borrow from banks and repay them. If the percentage is high, he will not only be indebted to Banks, but also to private money lenders. Private Money Lenders initially lend to farmers on just approaching and asking. But gradually, they tighten the terms. They use filthy language to recover their loans. They insult not only the farmers, but also his family members to such an extent, even by asking the Head of the Family 'Why don't you consume pesticide or hang yourselves, so that we can get compensation from the Government and adjust to our loans? Thus, private usurious money lender is the provocatrr for farmer suicides, while alcoholism (along with many other reasons) contributes to the penury of the farmer.

On the other hand, a film heroine / politician / abc / xyz who makes Rs. 40 million per annum, and spends Rs. 4 lakhs per annum on clubs, pubs and alcohol, he-she will still be left with Rs. 39.6 million. There will be no need to worry, except that some roles may be lost, or some health may be lost. Doesn't the percentage of income spent on alcohol decide, the tendencies to commit suicide? If film stars are to commit suicides, there should be additional contributive causes such as: 1. Losses on film production / distribution 2. Losses on gambling. 3. Losses in other businesses. 4. Vexations with cheating by lovers 5. Other frustrations.

(Example 1: Husband of a film star in Mumbai, who happened to be a film director and producer, committed suicide by jumping from the roof of a building in Mumbai. But for such things, to generate depression, there should be surrounding causes such as financial incapacitation, monetary retardation. Loss of Money-earning capacity can lead to depressions.)

(Example 2: Hindi Star Meena Kumari's suicide. Extract from Wikipedia.org:

"...Meena Kumari portrayed of Pakeezah under Kamal Amrohi's direction became historical piece of document.[14] In her performances, beauty, aristrocracy, tragedy, personality all blended into one. Her role as Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is considered one of the best performances in Indian Cinema. Chhoti Bahu a role dangerously close to Kumari's own tragic life, like the character of Chhoti Bahu, in real life Meena Kumari also became addicted to alcohol.[15] Kumari life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972. ..."

Question: How Lavish Marriages by Rich do not lead to their suicides?

Ans: If Mr. Nitin Gadkari has performed his daughter's marriage spending Rs. 40 million (4 crore), still, such heavy expenditure may not lead to his suicide simply because it depends on: what percentage of his income/wealth he spent on his daughter's marriage? May be hardly 2% or 4%.

Question: How Lavish Marriages by SMALL AND MARGINAL FARMERS INVARIABLY LEAD TO THEIR SUICIDES

If a farmer who gets Rs. 100,000 by selling his crop, and if he spends Rs. 60,000 on his daughter's marriage, how will he subsist the remaining year, till the next crop comes? If he spends the remaining 40,000 on his family maintenance and remaining children's education, the farmer will not have anything to buy seeds, pesticides, inputs for the next crop. Ultimately he will fall into the hands of private money lenders who will force him to commit suicide.

Occupational Hazards of Metropolitan Money Lending Mafias

Private Money Lending mafias in Bombay can threaten debtor film producers/distributor and Mumbai politicians who lose elections, of dire consequences, while reminding them about moneys due. But the Lender mafias will never force them to commit suicides, because Govt. will not pay compensation. Film Producer/defaults defaults, Election-losing politician defaults, are occupational hazards for Money Lending Mafias in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, etc. They seldom come to light.

To continue to add / delete / modify / change substantially keeping in mind Readers views. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.