Ideas & Views

A friend once said "its an unfair world". Another told the same after an unfortunate incident that happened to her. It tickled some thought flow in that direction. Where is fairness and justice? First why are we talking today about justice or the lack of it in the world More today than before? Have you observed this? Because we have assumed, through the conditioning of our minds from childhood, that there must be justice and fairness in the world, that the good prevails over the bad ultimately. We have our own definitions of each noun and adjectives, agreed?! We expect justice immediately with no respect for time. Lets go back in time and analyze this idea in Hindu mythology. All due respects to the Hindu Gods and belief system as I am also a part of it. (I had to add this last line after a reader's comments). During Thretha yuga, Ramayana's time frame, the killing of Vali by SriRama from behind a rock is a case of injustice, at least looking at the plain incident ...

Have uploaded some more carnatic songs (apart from what is hosted here) for listening at esnips website. The links are below. Especially, check out V.S.Narasimhan's carnatic songs set to violin in western quartet. Bombay Jayashri: http://www.esnips.com/web/aarthisbombayjayashri RanjaniGayatri: http://www.esnips.com/web/aarthisranjanigayatri Others: http://www.esnips.com/web/OtherCarnatic

Initially, I was captivated by Smt. Aruna Sairam after hearing her Ksetra-Srirangam album. (one reason is that Srirangam is my native and am raised in srivaishnavite culture). Not totally, because her chanting of pasurams in that album was quite intimidating to my ears. She should have sung the pasurams instead of chanting pasurams like that. Pasurams are never chanted like that. Chathumurai solrathu is different. Pasurams could be chanted in what is called a Sandhai . But not like Odhuvar style as Aruna has done in Ksetra-Srirangam album. After listening to some other songs of hers in Youtube, esp her Vittala Vittala repetition in all her Abhangs, I lost some apetite for her music. I got the illusion that she attracts audiene by compromising standards. But, when I listened to this, I got stunned and stumped. The pasuram followed by Kurai Ondrum Illai touched me very emotionally. I donno if anyone has experienced this before. You are visiting the Temple after many years and perumal...

Manickkam Katti Lullaby ------------------- ---------- Tears rolled down as I listened to this "Manickam Katti", totally giving in to my emotions shamelessly. My recent loss has to be cried over and over. I was too moved to control my tears. I needed to release my disappointment as tears, felt absolutely relieved after wiping them. No one can render a lullaby to this extent. How can whatever you felt be described. It can only be felt, allowing the emotions conveyed to be soaked in every nerve and vein. Divine tranquilizer and Goddess Jayashri ! Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA Tillana -------- It is as if her guru Lalgudi Sir composed it only for her to sing it. What a guru! Cudn't write anything. Just listen to this one in Raga Yamankalyani, composed by Sri. Lalgudi Jayaraman. Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA Kannamma ----------------- When I heard this new album 'Kannamma' of ...

A dying man's diary of childhood dreams and how to live. Read it again with no negative connotations. I read the column on Wall Street Journal (paper edition, not online) by the journalist who attended Randy's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon and who had co-authored this book with Randy's narration. That made me curious to want to read the book. Randy sounded very similar to my personality, a person with a balance of optimism and realism, focused and slightly geeky! (Pardon me if I sounded presumptuous, that's not the idea) Hence I could give it a normal reading, not allowing the words and incidences to move me. Except at one point , I did feel this. Life after having lost my father in my early twenties is tough enough. Growing up without even a concept of Father is going to be miserable for Randy's one year old daughter. My sincere prayers for the family of Randy. Not the kind that cud take too much preachy stuff, few pieces of advice that I wud definitely carry ...

Been listening to all of RG's albums released thru Rajalakshmi Audio recently. I almost nagged a friend of mine who visited India to buy their albums especially. I am using my accident and disability leave time to listen to them day and night. What can be said about this duo! On the first hearing, it made me drop things from my hand, stop from doing everything else, wide open my eyes towards my music system, and gape in awe. Their sweet honey dew melody and razor sharp synchronization were what struck me first. Then as I listened more and more, their care in planning the concert, their maintaining individual space and creativity during raga alapana and kalpanaswaras deserved notice and respect. How much ever synchronization is achieved in sangathis and mudivus , that much space is also present for each's display of vocal capabilities and imagination. Ranjani's sounded to be a base voice with the right amount of tonal variations and Gayatri's slightly shrille...

Old man and his God & Wise and Otherwise: Sudha Murty, who is Mrs. Narayana Murty, is also the Chairman of Infosys Foundation, the charity wing of the mega software firm. The two books she has authored are a collection of narrations from real life experiences of Sudhaji. She comes across a wide spectrum of people during her numerous field trips. Field work refers to the trips she makes to remote rural villages including tribal regions deep inside Karnataka forests when she ventures to make sure the Foundation's funds reach the right person for the right reason. Her contemplations and reflections observed during these and other day-to-day social activities in Bangalore has turned into two touching volumes of valuable reading. Few of her encounters and lessons learned were very elevating to the mundane mind. Thanks to Sudhaji for taking time to write her invaluable experiences in a simple and lucid style.