Krishna/Sudama

This is a myth, retold !

Our very own playboy, Lord Krishna (LK) had a nice friend by the name of Sudama. But as we all know, LK was the boss, and as happens in most cases the boss climbs up, or rather moves to greener pastures( definite pun intended !), and friends are kind of forgotten.

Now, Sudama bumps into LK during some gathering and LK apologizes profusely for his misconduct and laziness in maintaining contact.

Since LK is a god, he decides to make up for his high handedness, by offering his friend a boon.

The poor village boy Sudama, in all his simplicity, steeped in tradition says” Oh lord, grant me that I am in never in want of food or water”.

So be it!! Or rather तथास्तु :)

Now there is a catch, there always is. (Read on गुरुदेव .... read on…)

This Sudama was once traveling through a desert, (yeah food and water are scarce!), and suddenly feels thirsty. Some neuron on his head fires up, and he remembers his boon from LK. No sooner the thought crossed his mind; he could discern a camel with a rider somewhere in his line of sight, closing the gap very quickly.

A Bishnoi tribesman, (not sure if that’s the correct tribe), dressed in traditional splendor waves out to him and gets off the camel.

Both exchange stares……..some friendly……….. some steely....but both curious

The tribesman, seeing Sudama’s parched, dry face and frugal outlook and offers him some dates and water.

But Sudama, with his choti is a Brahmin, how could he have it from a person of an inferior tribe??

No, No, there has to be a mistake I am sure LK would have not intended this, this is just some coincidence, thinks Sudama.

He shakes his head in negative, the tribesman presses again and again but Sudama is adamant in his refusal (remember he is steeped in tradition).

Suddenly ……the camel, the pitcher of water, and the tribesman vanish.

Sudama realizes that this was a the real thing and he cries out” Oh lord, what is this happening”

In enter, LK.......... instant appearance.

Sudama, “Oh lord that was a difficult test you put me through, you know I am a Brahmin and the are some dos and don’ts for me”

LK says,” I thought you were a wise man, Sudama. You wished there be no wanting of food and water ever in your life, so I persuaded Lord Brahma (LB) to give you the elixir, of life – Amrit.LB was reluctant to offer this gift to a mortal but I told you were a good man……. a wise man. He agreed but he wanted to test your wisdom, and so he came in the form of a tribesman”

“Alas my dear friend, you failed. Your understanding of the scriptures is shallow and superficial. You misunderstood the boon you asked me”.

Sudama sat dazed, kind of realizing his folly.

LK looks at him pityingly and then vanishes.

Sudama trudges on, hungry, thirsty …but just about a tad bit wiser.

It is often said that everybody ends up with what (and sometimes better) they want in life.

However it is not in the way they want it. As in the above case our dear own Sudama got what he wanted or rather better than what he wanted, however he was not wise or capable enough to spot the way it came to him.

For anything, that is bestowed upon, too soon or too late, causes disaster………. and success, fame and money(not necessarily in that order)… too soon or too late…… are the biggest reasons for disaster in life.

Good for you Sirjee !!

Sir finally got it!!

One of the few great people, I met at B-school met salvation at last. It is uncanny as to how he landed up in a profile that was almost tailor made for his likes and skills.

I had a chance call with him while updating about my status at Bangalore and his happiness was contagious. For a minute I shelved under the rug (or rather beside the railway track, which incidentally is near my place!!), all my worries and immediate concerns.

Happiness is indeed best when shared, (Christopher Mc Candlass), and a corollary to it, sorrow/pain is a solitary activity.

Now, a little about this guy, an absolute genius. He however ended up in a place that did not quite do justice to his intelligence, or to use modern colloquialism a shit hole, shoveling shit.

He says, “I had almost resigned myself to this place, and then I saw you fighting to get out, and I thought why not I too try it, and see now ended up with more than offer, and all are better than this one, I kind of owe it to you pal"

I said, so you are also a little mad now huh !!

"Not mad, but rather I am not ready to compromise at least on the work part of my life"

Good for you sirjee !

It pays to fight, for the reward is unique each time. Familiarity breeds comfort and that in turn gives rise to complacency, which in turn gives an impetus to inherent laziness in every one.

I have heard a lot about my antics""You are 25, how long will you skip jobs, remember a rolling stone gathers no moss, it is time you start planning ahead”

Career planning is an oxymoron; best things in life are a function of serendipity. 

Now I am not implying that you spend life like Ivan the lazy, sitting wide open mouthed under a cherry tree waiting for the cherry to fall in your mouth. Rather I am just saying that opportunities, by definition are un-modeled, they just arise as a complex function of life, surroundings and friends.

It is useful to have a general idea of what you end up doing but do not end up in a iron straight jacket, or rather with an ostrich mentality with head inside the ground as a fantasy to not see the imminent attack, or an opportunity.

 I have never ever compromised on my liking, I tried once and it just did not work out. Money is a statistic, with a very low diminishing marginal utility, function. Out of 24 hrs in .a day( I am not taking into account the leap year part of it), close to 70% you end up doing something to fulfill your cardinal desires. If you don’t like it, then it is akin to murdering your soul, your existence.


There are so many compromises we end up making, but compromising, 70% of your life, well statistically significant isn’t it?

I believed I could find solace in splurging, but that did not work. In fact, I felt even shittier.

Murder my soul to earn money and try to spend it to compensate for murder, ahhh...that is like a gang rape on your existence, post death( necrophilia, argh, what a morbid thought indeed)


You can see those people who have done that for a long time, you can see it in their shoulders, and more importantly their eyes, the resigned acceptance of futility of existence. (Btw Bangalore is full of them!!)

Banglore Times!

This city is weird , it seems like people from all across India are here.You cant spot on person and say bang on................... that this guy is a local...............he is the Bangalorean equivalent of the Marathi manoos.

You would have trouble doing that.

Some things that strikes you the minute you enter in Bangalore

1. Volvo Buses - Red/blue, shiny and expensive( the maximum ticket fare I paid was 50 for a one way 40 minute trip) , but leisurely
2. Advertisements Galore - sample"PG available , 24 hrs uninterrupted supply of water, electricity broadband..blah blah blah..."( who needs 24 hrs of all that ??! a couple of hours would be fine, I guess !!) - A note most of them are matchboxes some small some big, but matchboxes essentially ,  a hazard to good living.
   
3. Auto Guys = Linguists , they can talk in any language, Hindi, English Tamil , in fact one guy told me that if they did not do that they would lose customers.
4. Shave Puri & Chow Chow Bath - I haven't mustered the courage to try either of them
5. Dug roads and half completed BMTC pillars - I just mentioned it because it is one factor akin to Delhi
6. Traffic Jams are passe, here there are traffic nightmares, my boss in fact warned me to not get a place far off from the unit.
7. There are 2 Bangalore's , ( Yeah the adaption of the binary dissection of India , as in 2 India's) 

Take a Snap !

I just remembered this.

I had the chance of chatting with my nursery teacher back home. A quarter century and she ……is still not bored of A for apple and B for ball.

Her memory belies her age, she remembers with astonishing clarity me, and places my family at the first glance.

I am surprised, so I ask her" how can you still recognize me after 25 odd years”.

She smiles and says "Just like that".

I am not about to be satisfied with that, so I press on. She does not reply, immediately.

Staring into space she says something rather very thought provoking

She says , "I have been with kids for most of my life. I have observed that by the time a kid comes to nursery his future life has been decided. I can say at a glance who is going to be what; in life, success vs. failure, right vs. wrong. It is akin to an X- Ray that has already been taken, or a photo snapped, only the developing part remains. And there is not a frightful lot that can be done on developing a photo/X-Ray"

This is intriguing, so I also want to learn, and of course I want to know about my X-Ray/Photo too !

I ask madam,

She sidesteps deftly, and replies" You ask me how I could recognize you, tell me do you remember the name of your KG teacher, or for that matter even mine"

Of course I do!!

Then so do I……… Srikant …………Remember you………….Its mutual and causal.

Aree tell me more madams…. my photo, and ……my negative am I right/ wrong …….ding or dong?!!

She says , "Ever so impatient, but now I see something in your eyes"

What…is “something”??

Twinkling eyes…….. Peer at me……but no verbal response. I got it that that is the end of discussion.

Nearing 60, with wit as sharp as a razor and memory to give mine a run for its youth, I realized that she won’t say anything more. I shook her hands and in a rare gesture touched her feet too and recited my traditional introduction.

Her scaly hands touch my head lightly and she says, very softly “All the best beta …be happy”

Btw any of you remember your nursery school teacher’s name??

That piece of information could possibly explain your development (photos part) now, and if you figure a connection please let me know too.