Maintenance of parents

Indian Parliament recently passed a law providing for three months' imprisonment for those who abandon their parents. Everyone knows how well this will work in reality. Can a Govt. hope to coerce its people into caring for elders? How do Parliamentarians find time to make such legislations at all?

Some twelve hundred years ago, Adi Shankaracharya had also talked about the aged in "Bhaja Govindam."

Yaavadvittopaarjana saktah
Taavannijaparivaaro Raktah
Paschaajeevati Jarjjaradehe
Vaartaam Kopi Na Prichchati Gehe

which translates to "As long as one is fit and able to earn and support one's family, all the kith and kin and dependents attached are affectionate to him, no sooner one becomes old and infirm and one’s earnings cease, no one cares to enquire of his well-being even in one's own home."

Adi Shankaracharya advises that one should not misunderstand and live in illusion that popularity, consideration, affection and even reverence of other human beings is permanent or the very goal of life.


Incidentally, Jamuna Rani, a yesteryear play-back singer was saying today that very few among her generation people in movie business saved something for their old age. A single woman all her life, eloquently put forward a case for saving for one's own old age.

Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya

"Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya" is a golden oldie by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi. It is one of the few songs originally composed in Telugu and later used in a Hindi film. In Telugu, it is "Haayi haayiga amani saage," by Jikki and Ghantasala.

In any case, the online lyrics of this song seem to be just wrong.

This one, this one, and this one all quote the last stanza as

"saaras Raat Man Bhaaye Preeyatama, Kamal-Kamlini Mile
kiran Haar Damke, Jal Mein Chaand Chamke
man Saanand, Aanand Dole"

May be all of them are copies of an original mistake. So I have taken it upon myself to put up the right set of lyrics. "Saaras Raat" should be "saras raas" - romance of swans, and "kiran haar" should be "hiran haar" -- golden garland.

So the lyrics should be
"Saras raas man bhaaye preeyatama, kamal-kamlini mile
Hiran haar damke, jal mein chaand chamke
manasaanand, aanand dole"

అమరావతీ నగర అపురూప శిల్పాలు (Amaravati's unique sculptures)

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I want to visit Amaravati. Amaravati was the capital of Satavahana kings and is famous for Buddhist architecture. Amaravati now also reminds me of Shyam Benegal's tele-series (Amaravati ki kahaniyan).

Just like in the lines from Andhra Pradesh's state song (మాతెలుగు తల్లికి మల్లెపూదండా maa-telugu-talliki-malle-poodanda), Andhra's cultural fervour is reverberating in my head.

"మా చెవుల రింగుమని మారు మ్రోగే దాక (maa chevulu rringu-mani mrogeedaaka)
నీ ఆటలే ఆడుతాం (nee aaTalee aaDutaam)
నీ పాటలే పాడుతాం" (nee paaTalee paaDutaam)

Maybe using the phrase "Andhra's culture" is no longer politically correct. After all, Telangana and Rayalaseema might get offended. In a funny take on Telangana struggle, this blogger here suggests, renaming Andhra Pradesh as Telangana itself, as Telugu was earlier called Telangu. And it seems to make logical sense to call the state speaking Telugu as Telangana. There would be no bifurcation or trifurcation then! He titled his post, మాతెలుగు తల్లికి ముళ్ళపూదండా (maa-telugu-talliki-muLLa-poodanda)!!

On another note, I didn't know who had written AP's state song. Apparently it was Sankarambadi Sundaraachari.

Who is happy?

Rohinton Mistry in "A Fine Balance" talks of how there is a fine balance in everone's life. A balance which tilts neither on the side of euphoria nor despondency for too long. One of his characters - a lower middle class tailor - ends up castrated, becomes a beggar, but retains a fine balance of happiness in life.

Graeme Wheeler, MD of World Bank, had asked some rural women part of Self Help Groups in Andhra Pradesh what they needed for betterment of their lives. They replied that they had everything! If these women subjectively feel happy, then what is the WB trying to acheive? Is the underlying assumption that no one can be happy unless they have modern amenities of life?

Recently, a good friend forwarded this link. It's a talk on happiness by Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert. He says our beliefs about what makes us happy are often wrong. He presents the results of his intriguing research.

And when I talk of happiness, I cannot but bring in Art of Living. In my experience, Art of Living addresses happiness of our lives in myriad ways and gives a holistic philosophy of life and happiness, uncovering new dimensions hitherto only heard of but not experienced.