The unforgettable month

This month will ever be remembered by me, for all the happiness and sorrow it brought. It started with the new year celebrations. I was in my aunt's house then, enjoying the party there. There was a children dance programme in their apartment. After that we played housey. And when the clock ticked twelve, we had the new year cake cut. "What a nice way to start the new year", I thought for myself.

Just after a week, came Kirti's birthday. Ramya came up with a secret plot to disguise us all, including the big cake, to surprise her dear friend. Everything went well and we finally ended up eating the whole cake. Later we went to CCD, where the birthday girl turned to a just born girl (:P) and acted childish. Like the kids who do nothing more than what is told, she ordered what we requested and did not order for herself. And later she complained when we were eating, which was very funny :)

After the first week passed, acad work got more prominence. It was not until Saarang that fun had its sumptuous role. The starting ceremony of Saarang was awesome. It was presided by BMK. He amused us with his grand performance. Sometimes it looked like a badinage of musical instruments. Gummadi, Subhashini (good sister) and I went to the starting concert. Slowly many other friends joined us. This was on Day 0 of Saarang.

On day 1, I was very lazy and didn't go for any event. But day 2 was very interesting. I went for pottery workshop and watched dramatics for 3 hours. After that I went for the Shaankar Eshan Loy show on day 3 evening. Those guys really rocked the show. We were dancing, may be it could be called jumping, all the time. I went alone to the show and got scared by the long line for entry. Quickly I found some friend (Rahul) standing midway and I joined him :) After more than half an hour of waiting, I entered the theater. There were hordes of people inside and I was lucky to find Slinky(god), who cleverly reserved seats beforehand. Not to get bored, there was Ramya to fart at times during the show. The show was rocking and it went till 10:30. I got completely exhausted after the show and went back to my room.

On day 4, I got back to my routine life. I enjoyed so much during Saarang. But life cannot have happiness throughout. And hence came the sad day. It was on Republic day (26th Jan). When I was buying a gift for my friend(Subhash), I got a call from my father telling that my granny expired. Like anybody, I tried to forget it. But it's not that trivial :P I slowly got upset and also quarreled with a good friend. I just stayed more than a week with my granny during my winter holidays. It is not so simple to build a relation or to destroy it. I still miss her. She used to be the chatter box, never ending. And I pray that her soul rests in peace.

Vathapi Ganapathim Bhajeham

This is a really great song. I wanted to understand it. Just singing it doesn't make sense. Here goes the lyrics and the meanings of the individual words.

Vathapi Ganapathim Bhajeham

Vaaranaasyam Vara Pradham Sri

Words meaning:

Vathapi - place where Mr Ganesha is born; Ganapathim (trutiya vibhakti in sanskrit) - ganesh ji - our hero; Bhaje+aham - worship , me; Vaara + haasyam - elephant, smiling face; Vara - vows; Pradham - gives (actually "showers"); Sri - symbol used to show token of respect;

Order:

aham vatapi ganapathim bhaje | haasyam vaaram | Sri vara pradam

Bhoothaadhi Samsevitha Charanam

Bhootha Bhautika Prapancha Bharanam

Words meaning:

Bhootha+adhi - elements of nature + others; Samsevitha - together(sam ?) worship(sevita); Charanam - feet; Bhootha - elements; Bhautika -world Prapancha - five ?; Bharanam - pervades;

Order:

bhootadi samsevita charanam | bhautike prapancha bhoota bharanam |

Veetharaaginam Vinutha Yoginam

Vishwakaaranam Vigna Vaaranam

Words meaning:

Veetha - desires; raaginam - transcends; Vinutha - revere; Yoginam - by sages;

Vishwakaaranam - cause of the world; Vigna - obstacles; Vaaranam - obliterate ;

Order:

raaginam veeta | yoginam vinuta | karanam vishwayoho | vignaam vaarana |

Puraa Kumbha Sambhava Munivara Prapoojitham Trikona Madhyagatham

Muraari Pramukhaadhyupaasitham Moolaadhaara Kshetrasthitham

Paraadhi Chathvaari Vaagaathmakam Pranava Swaroopa Vakrathundam

Nirantharam Nithila Chandrakandam Nijavaamakara Vidhrutekshu Dandam

Words meaning:

Puraa -water; Kumbha -pitcher ; Sambhava - born out of; Munivara - sage; Prapoojitham - first worshipped;

Trikona - some magical triangle (no clue what this is); Madhyagatham - stays in the middle; Muraari - Vishnu - the great; Pramukhaadi + upaasitham - important people like him(vishnu)+ meditated;

Moolaadhaara - important deity; Kshetra+sthitham - religious places + stays;

Para+adhi - ragas like Para; Chathvaari - the four; Vaagaa + athmakam - sound + form;

Pranava - some sitting state; Swaroopa - form; Vakrathundam - twisted trunk;

Nirantharam - always; Nithila -bears; Chandra+ gandam - moon + forehead; Nija+vaama+kara - left hand; Vidhruta + ikshu - xxx+sugar; Dandam - stick;

Order:

Puraa kumbha sambhava (agastya) munivara prapoojitam | Trikona madhyagatam | Muraari Pramukha adhi upaasitham | Moolaadhaara Kshetrasthitham | athmakam Para adhi Chathvaari Vaagayoho |Vakra thundam Swaroopa Pranava | Nirantharam Nithila Chandra gandam | Vidhruta ikshu Dandam Nijavaamakare |

Karaambujapaasha Beejaapooram Kalushavidooram Bhoothaakaaram

Haraadhi Guruguha Toshitha Bimbam Hamsadhwani Bhooshitha Herambham

Words meaning:

Kara+ambuja+paasha - hand + lotus + noose; Beejaapooram - goad and fruits; Kalusha+vi dooram -evil + drives away ; Bhoothaakaaram - gigantic, huge form;

Hara+adhi - hara and others; Guruguha - guruguha; Toshitha - adored; Bimbam - face;

Hamsadhwani - hamsadwani raga; Bhooshitha - adorned; Herambham - Vinayaka;

Order: ambuja kare paasham , beejaapooram | Bhoothakaaram kalusham vi dooram | Guruguha hara adhi Toshitha bimbam | bhooshitham hamsadhwanaye Herambham |

Aah, how beautiful the lyrics are. Ganesh ji should fall straight to this flattery :P.

Please listen to this song, if you have access to it. ( You can always ask me if you don't). Also it is in Sanskrit, the easiest language :)

@insti junta: search for "vathapi ganapathim MS" in the lan [size:11.4 Mb].

References:

http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/homepages/shivkuma/music/vatapi.htm

http://nadhasudharasa.blogspot.com/2007/01/vathapi-ganapathim-bhajeham.html

lAvaNya rAma kanulAra jUDav

Really good song. Please listen. If you cannot find the song, you can ask me. I will mail it to you :)

ప. లావణ్య రామ కనులార జూడవే అతి (లా)
प. लावण्य राम कनुलार जूडवे अति (ला)

Split: kanulara chudave Ati lavanya ramuni

Look at the charming and beautiful Rama.

అ. శ్రీ వనితా చిత్త కుముద
శీత-కర శతానన్యజ (లా)
अ. श्री वनिता चित्त कुमुद
शीत-कर श(ता)नन्यज (ला)

Split: sIta kara ! kumuda citta vanitA SrI. SatA ananyaja !

O rama ! you are the one who brings coolness (peace) to this world. You are the lover of Sita. You look more handsome than like hundred love gods.

చ. నీ మనసు నీ సొగసు నీ దినుసు వేరే
తామస మత దైవమేల త్యాగరాజ నుత దివ్య (లా)

च. नी मनसु नी सॊगसु नी दिनुसु वेरे
तामस मत दैव(मे)ल त्यागराज नुत दिव्य (ला)

Split: nI manasu nI sogasu nI dinusu vErE

Ela tAmasa mata daivam ?

divya ! tyAgarAja nuta

O rama ! your mind, your elegance and your style are all different. I need no other tAmasa god(one who is worshiped by tamasa junta). O graceful divine ! One who is followed by tyAgarAja ! Please be graceful to me.

Source: http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.com/2007/09/thyagaraja-kriti-laavanya-rama-raga.html

मम प्रार्थना

हे राम ! मयि दयस्व | मम प्रार्थनाम् शृनु | भवान् विना अस्मिन् लोके अन्धुः एव अहम् | तस्मात् कारणेन मम सह वसेत् | एतानि मम इच्छानि (आंग्ल भाषायां अलिखत् ) | क्रूपया पूरयतु |

• Never let my boastful nature take over. Let me be your humble servant.
• Never let me hurt others by speaking or talking stupidly.
• Give me the strength to work hard, to control my feelings like hate, love, etc.
• Give me good friends and take bad ones away from me.
• Above all, be with me all the time. That's more than anything to me.

O rAjiva lOchana rama ! raghuvara ! sitapathe ! dHaranija manohara ! pavanajapta ! JagamelE paramatma ! dasaratHi ! nisachara vinasakara ! shyamala ! komala ! kOdanda pani ! Sri vasudeva ! naa mOra vinarada ?

nIve nA vibhudani niratamu nI padamulanu nera nammitini. nee vadanu nanu karuninchina ee vela naa cheyi vidavaku ra..deva deva dasaratha nrupanandana , dasamukhadi sakala ripu gana harana.

[ check the previous entry ra ra rajiva lochana for more info ]

Tides of change, a diary note

We all know that the time rolls very quickly . We can't just imagine that a year has just passed by. But to the contrary, the spirit of change slows down and after a few years it dies. We rarely change and as we grow older, we get used to a routine life. I want to fight for the spirit of change and let her live as long as possible. My belief is that we are never perfect and there is always a possibility for us to change.

Now how much change did my yesteryear see ?
Well, those who met me after a long time said that I am completely changed (Except the way I talk half sleeping). Here goes the list of noticeable changes:

• The most important change is that I started working hard from the second half of the last year. This is the outcome of the poor marks which I got during the previous half. I strongly feel that this change has slowly induced the other ones.
• I became more religious. Things that assisted this change are the inspirational talk by Balakrishna prasad, my Humanities prof who taught religious philosophy along with the course and my inclination towards bhakti music. After repeatedly listening to the kirtanas by Tyagaraja, I started understanding them. Now I am a fan of Lord Ram. I also started putting tilak on forehead, just to showoff. I also dye my hands using Mehandi as I like the red coloured hands. They are better than tattoos.
  
• I am talking to people more often :D. Those who know little about me think that I speak rarely. But that's not quite true. Now a days I am just talking to everybody. This might be due to travelling. I always travel alone which forces me to talk to others, especially in trains. Sometimes I will be lucky to have a blabbering co-traveller who goes on and on without noticing others. The fun part of travel is that you can act. You can act like a localite to the auto drivers and tell them the exact names of the places. But then you have to listen to his alien language all the time nodding, as if you are really understand him. Everything goes well until he asks you a question, where you are forced to reveal yourself :). One of the things which I do is to remember the map so that the driver doesn't cheat you. You can also guide him sometimes :P
• I started buying gifts to people. Don't know where this habit came from. But I love to give gifts. I feel so happy to buy a gift. I like anonymous gifts where the sole purpose of gift is fully met. The purpose of a gift is to make others happy. May be next time I will become Santa Claus and give gifts to all kids. I really love this idea :) [ to the left is the doll which I bought for myself as a Christmas gift ]
  
• Other minor changes are openness in talking (I can even say that I like you or I hate you :P), learning from even small mistakes and leadership (I am still learning).
  

I hope everybody fights for their spirit of change and make themselves a good and better human being. Happy new year :D !
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Sorry for writing the new year post more than a week later. I just could not find time.