Vritti Dharma - Professionalism

This is a not-so-popular story from the epic Mahabharatha

   There was a great sage called Kapila, he was  meditating for many years in search of eternal truth.  By doing so,  he had acquired very great power.  One day while he was sitting below a tree,  a bird drops.  He becomes angry and stares at the bird.  Bird gets burnt completely.  He releases his power and starts feeling arrogant.  During those days, for sages like Kapila it was normal practice to  beg for food

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    The same day,  he goes to a nearby village and starts begging.  The lady in the house comes out says to wait since she is busy.  She goes back to her daily chores and serving her husband.  Sage keeps waiting, normally these sages are supposed to wait for a duration equal to time taken for milking a cow, but he continues to wait for a long time.  After finishing all her work the lady returns apologizing.   Sage becomes angry and starts staring at her.  Lady says, I am not a bird to be burnt.  Sage is surprised that  how this lady knows what happened in Jungle.  He releases his mistakes and starts asking the lady about what she knows about Dharma.  She says, she is not very learned and she only knows Pathivratha Dharma, where she has to serve her family with at most care and devotion.  She also suggests him to go to  a nearby town, Mithila, where there is a Butcher who can teach Dharma and also can show the path to eternal truth.  

   Now this sage is completely amused and immediately starts to Mithila.  Receiving him in his small shop, the Butcher, asks whether he was sent by that Pathivrata lady, and he says he needs time to respond to his queries, as he has to finish his work.  Sage waits.  After finishing his professional duty , Butcher turns to the Sage.  He says, he is also not a great learned man and only  practices which he calls as Vritthi dharma.  He says he kills animals for selling to make his living.  He earns only what is needed to run his family.  He also says he treats all his customers same whether someone praises him or not. The  sage shows interest to see the Almighty.  This Butcher takes him to his home and shows his parents and says, they are his God.   Kapila realizes the truth.  He had quit his parents and family in search of Eternal Truth. 

He releases  Vritti Dharma - Professionalism is what each defines and there is nothing universal.  Any who excels his own defined profession is near to God

Source: Preaching during annual SMSS meet, Thiruchendur

Use and Throw Culture

    There is quite bit of awareness about preserving environment. There is also message of using alternate to plastic bags. I want to add few more to this. I call this as 'use and throw' culture - in most of public functions - the water is served in plastic tumbler, sweet served in plastic containers. Many more items, as much as possible small plastic cups are used.. I have seen this even in Hotels also. It has become easy, avoids cleaning and reusing old-styled steel/metallic containers. Similarly, I have forgotten when last I purchased/used a refill to a pen. It is always new pen. Shaving blades /razors are 'use & throw' Grocery items are packed in colorful plastic -( now it is package more important than product it self !); There are small sachets of shampoo, pan parag kind of items, many more - which is very handy - but once opened, the cover has to be thrown. Many beverages/drinks are in tetra pack containers. Tissue papers/paper towels are part of life now.

   All in all we are generating lot of 'waste'; Roads/picnic spots it is full of used material. Alright, some of us who are so-called civilized don't throw them out But it has to disposed some where may be collection and finally taken out dumped in some place. Normally these are in outskirts of metros. In any case, whether somebody throws in the road and arranges to take out of the city - it is waste that has to be cleared off. I am aware there is recycling / attempt to use them better. But main problem is, there is more and more production & consumption. Sachet of shampoo, or Coffee, Ghee - all low cost items are new.

   There are few things we can do as well . Avoiding plastic bags or even re-using them is always easy. We can avoid small packets and purchase bigger quantity. Similarly, Tissue papers / towels can be avoided by using hand keys. Shaving Blades there are certainly alternates – razor + cartridges which can be reused. Plastic tumbler, container consumption can be certainly avoided. Labor is cheap in India. It also generates work for ladies who can be hired easily. I was thinking about all these while attending a function yesterday. Host was a wealthy family ; there were many small gifts given to children ; all packed in very attractive decorative packing; similarly even bagina items like bangles,coconuts had very attractive packing. Appreciate their taste. But what this is doing is generating waste. Simply avoidable.. 

ಹಂಡೆ - The Pot Boiler

I was explaining this to my son - so thought of reminding you all of these. It is Hande the "POT boiler" (I would apply for copyrights for coining this word) For most of us, my generation, it is nothing new - but we can inform this to children. So this piece is not for you- but for your children !

All the houses had Hande, a pot made out of bronze or brass. it used to be housed in a cube-like cement structure in the corner of bathrooms, with a front opening for loading of firewood and a long pipe called chimney to flush out the smoke generated. There used to be firewood depots. Depending on consumption, mostly once in a month, we used to go and get fire wood in a cycle or there used be a metallic push cart; There used to be lot of types of firewood like Sarve soude, according to quality we used to pay.. Measurement was one 'Mana' - one Mana is equivalent of 10 Kgs. after this, we also used to procure cow dung cakes - berani ( another word for copyright ); this had to be purchased from Cowsheds which were all around the place. Then there used to be Kerosene sold in a bullock carts having two drums filled with fuel - there used to be tap and one used to measure litre or for a 'can' full; These sime enne gaadi used to come in the street. So every day evening - Firewood used to be dumped along with Berani; morning put little kerosine and burn it. there used to be oodu koluve - a flute like cylinder to puff oxygen to the fire burning. In the rainy season, when wood was not so dried up - smoke used to be all over bath room; sometimes all over the house. We also used coconut shells - which burns very fast. But onceit burnt - it used to serve for a family and always left over leading to a common proverb - ootakke mundhe; neerige hindhe. 

Next step was boiler - a cylinder with electric rod. needed to have water above electric rod so that it would not get ruined - most of the next generation know about this so nothing more to mention.

RuNa ( Debt )

Scene -1

Place : Our Rented House near Swagath Theater, Jayanagar 4th Block

Date and time : June 22nd 1988; around 9:30 AM

Dad is getting ready to go to office.  He removes hishalf-exposing  Panche and changes over to a Pant. Ready to move.  Slowly Ramachandra Rao approaches him.  RR is a paper vendor, aged around 45, his main earning is from selling periodicals through young boys he had hired.  We all know why he has come.  He wants some favor from my Dad’s office.   I can overhear what they are talking.  As usual dad is in denial mode and RR is almost begging.   Even though it is not late, he pretends to rush  and leaves home.  RR looks on helplessly.   Mom offers him a cuppa half-heartedly which he denies.  He too climbs on  to his cycle and peddles away.     My Dad works for PWD, as a first division Clerk.  I know from his friends and colleagues, he is very influencial.. their ‘Sahebru’ the chief Engineer does whatever my dad says.  This was known to all. I know . Either my wish for a hero cycle or my mom’s advice to do favors and get ‘something’  are unable to change his stand.  Instead he boasts of how his Chief Engineer simply signs wherever he shows.  Mom and I grumble that he doesn’t know how to live in this practical world.  Obviously I am attached to my mom, who wanted desperately to live in our own shelter and my father’s meager income  allows us only to be in a small rented house.  With two growing  children, his salary is just sufficient to meet two ends.  As in the last stage of teenage, I too am confused about supporting my  idealistic Dad or my  caring mom who wants be like anyone else

Scene-2

Place: My own house in Padmanabhanagar, Banashankari

Date and Time: June 22nd 2013 ; around 7:30 AM

I am unfolding my chair to sit in the Balcony ; to  sip a cup of coffee with my morning newspaper is heaven for me; I glance through the pages, the  usual news – so many died, so many murdered.  One eye-catching headline  - train  derails near Ranipet,  killing 5 .    Roopa is putting Rangoli in front of the house.   Adarsh is reading aloud his Sanskrit slokas ; Aditi slowly opening the  toothpaste tube -  Roopa is shouting to me ‘ri… some one has come to visit you “ Surprised that even  after 17 years of marriage she cannot identify ‘someone’,  I come down – a frail figure –an   old man – hard to identify, yes --I remember him as our Paper vendor – RR. – he has obviously grown  old ;  may be 75 years  -I invite him inside and offer a chair.  He looks all around house from his chair – I sense his admiration;  He asks for my Dad – without any expression or feeling – I say both my  parents have been dead for long.  Ask him how did he find my house – he mumbles ; cannot understand  him fully – nod my head as if I am listening carefully.  It hardsly matters to me.  One thing I clearly recognize is his  cotton shoulder bag.  It is as old as him .  My wife half-heartedly offers a cuppa, which he refuses.  He can sense my restlessness; he says that he is not looking for any favor now.  His son is very well settled, and my dad did him a  favour – he praises him – he didn’t  take any ‘Gift’ – He says that he owes– RuNa to me– so please accept this – he gives his torn bag to me and slowly walks out.  Without looking what it is inside the bag, I climb upstairs  to continue my reading.. This train derailment is working in the background of my mind.  I start reading details – it is nothing very interesting -  5 people killed and turn to page 3 for details ; I turn the page; page 3 has photos – my eyebrows  move up – I shout – Roopa ,come  at once!  She comes slowly – I show her this page – Does this man shown in the photo look like the person who visited us a few mins  back! -  she confirms – now both of us are shocked – they have given the names – Yes, it is Ramachandra Rao… I check out when this accident happened, – it was yesterday evening.,  Now I run down – what is that ‘gift’ in the bag he left behind? I open the Zip and look into it – All bones, skulls!  I wonder what sort of a gift this is!.  My wife says – it is what  a dead person can  gift!!  Anyway he cleared off his RuNa