Don’t Buy Gold!

A leading jeweller has published today six full-page ads in a major daily paper with circulation in several states, urging buyers to grab the attractive discounts it offers.That’s a very expensive ad, but don’t bother; the gold-buyers are paying for it!

Are you buying gold today? Astrologers pronounce that this Akshaya Tritiya is very special. But do you recall any Akshaya Tritiya in recent years which did NOT have rare planetary conjunctions propitious for purchase of gold, jewels, and property. Unsurprisingly, an astrologer claims that such special planetary conjunctions are occurring on Akshaya Tritiya this year after 17 years, and the next such auspicious alignment would occur only after 27 years; and therefore, purchase of gold, property, etc. would be highly beneficial – for the buyer as well as the seller, it may be safely presumed.  

Akshaya Tritiya

Akshaya Tritiya (April 30, 2025) is a very auspicious tithi in the Hindu calendar. As per the scriptures, on this day Vishnu took the Parashuram avatar, Tretaya Yug commenced, Ganga descended on earth, Surya gifted Akshaya Patra to Yudhisthir, Veda Vyasa commenced composition of the Mahabharata, and at Dwaraka Sudama met Krishna who instantaneously removed his poverty.

On this day, many people buy gold believing that wealth acquired on this auspicious day would never decay, dwindle, or diminish. Everlasting wealth, prosperity, and happiness guaranteed!

Does it really work that way? Yes, of course! But you don’t need astrology for that prediction; simple arithmetic confirms it. If you bought 1 gram of gold on every Akshaya Tritiya for the last 25 years, your gold stock would have increased year on year. How much gold would you have now? Just add up X, Y & Z, where X is your opening stock, Y is 25 gm, and Z is additional gold that you or your spouse might have bought intermittently. If you bought 10 gm every year, add a zero to the figure at Y. See, how easy it is to predict the future correctly!

Are you happy with your present stock of gold? How do you compare with others? Well, the per capita ownership of gold in India is estimated to be 20 to 30 gm, one of the highest in the world. Judge for yourself.

Gold Glitters, But...

Gold glitters, but does it guarantee happiness? How much gold will make you happy? If you own one kilo of gold and acquire half-a-kilo more, does your happiness increase by fifty percent?

Of course, you can do a lot with gold; sleep on a golden four-poster bed, use golden cutlery for royal dining, install an ‘America’[i] in your wash-room. 

India can do more amazing things - run a gold thread around the Earth - only 608 tonnes needed for a 1 mm thick girdle. How about paving 1 km of road, 3 m wide, with a 1 mm thick layer of gold, for which only 58 tonnes of gold would suffice? It could be named Swarna Path to commemorate the Swarnim Kaal currently under way. But why just a kilometre, our gold holding could build 482 km of Golden Road. A little nod to ED can take it to 500 km. Just imagine, what a top tourist attraction that would be!

Do you know: Indians own about 25000 to 28000 tonnes of gold, and buy 700-800 tonnes every year!

But this scripture-sanctioned cultural practice is problematic. It accentuates and aggravates inequality. Who buys gold year on year? Families who have investible surplus accumulate gold and other assets, and get richer. The poor who never buy gold, and the lower middle-class which seldom buys gold remain where they were – gold-less, gold-deprived, and gold-starved. The gap between the rich and the poor increases.

My prayers to Goddess Lakshmi to bless every gold-deprived family with a gift of at least 10 gm of 24-carat gold this Akshaya Tritiya.

Spread Happiness

How about spreading a little happiness instead of buying gold? How about feeding hungry children?

Consider this:

Estimated number of malnourished children under 5 years in India: Stunted : 42–46 million (35.5%) , Wasted : 23–25 mn (19.3%), Underweight: 38-42 mn (32.1%).

“India is the malnutrition capital of the world, with much more stunting and wasting than much poorer countries in Asia and especially Africa.” (Abhijit Banerjee, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics)

In the biggest wedding extravaganza of the world - more than 2500 dishes were reportedly served in the Grand Feast - held last year in India, the amount spent was 4200 crs or more as per a conservative estimate. That amount would have sufficed to feed 420 cr children for a day (GoI rate for mid-day meal for school children is about 10 rupees a meal), or 2 cr children for a year (220 school-days). Ministers, business tycoons, CEOs of global MNCs and Indian companies attended the gala wedding to bless the couple. It is hoped that the ministers and industry/business chiefs paid for the travel expenses from their own pocket, and not from tax-payers’ or investors’ money.

Must practise before you preach, I told myself, and made a humble donation of 4500 rupees to Akshayapatra.org[ii] to provide mid-day meals to three children for a year. How much gold could I’ve bought instead? Less than 0.5 gm!

A pinch of Atta, 3 Rotis & 4 Sakore 

Which of the following charitable acts earns the maximum punya, do you think?

Every morning a little before sunrise, a lady comes to gather flowers for her puja; but as soon as she enters the park she is welcomed and ushered in with whoops of joy by the three stray dogs who own the park. She admonishes them to be patient, maintain a respectful distance, sits down on a bench, opens her little bag, and offers a roti to each, the frailest being served first. No fighting, and no snatching, please behave since I’ve given one to each, she counsels. Once they’ve eaten, she begins to pluck flowers.

Another lady in another park takes out a little kagaz ki pudiya, bends down near an ant-hole and draws little circles of atta and sugar, as mindfully as making a rangoli. Then, she goes on her way.

Summer is already unbearable at Bhopal, the hot winds from Rajasthan desert have arrived. The other day, he saw a dead pigeon on the road. Back at home, he placed on the rooftop four sakore (small earthen utensils for drinking water for birds) which he cleans and fills every day.

Gold for YOU!

Not by plundering,

Disembowelling the Earth,

But by gathering atom by atom,

Gold-dust simmering in the air,

Seen only by alert, prayerful eyes;

Crafted to resplendent jewellery,

These precious words are

For connoisseur, client, customer,

YOU, Dear Reader!

On Sharing Wealth & Prosperity

Sanskrit Verse:

धनं तु भूतिहेतुः स्यात् न केवलं धारणे।

दानेन च विशेषेण तस्मात् संचितमर्पयेत्॥

Meaning:

Wealth should be a means for prosperity, not merely for hoarding. Especially through charity, one must share what has been accumulated.

From Hitopadesha:

यं ददाति स धन्यः स जीवति।

Meaning: He who gives is blessed; he truly lives.

Moral from the Jataka Commentary:

न हि सो वित्तकामो यो धनं निधापेति —

संविभागी धनं करॆ, एषो वित्तस्स संयमो।

Meaning

He is not a true lover of wealth who hoards it; one who shares his wealth — he alone is a true master of riches.

Postscript

Did you buy Gold?

Did you ignore my free advice and bought gold on Akshaya Tritiya? Sad to inform you, in just two days you’ve lost 3.12% of your investment since price of 24-carat gold- 10 gm which was 96331 on Apr 30 has dropped to 93325 on May 2.

Gold Sales Plummet

'Akshaya Tritiya Gold Sales Said to have Fallen by 7 Tonnes,' reports Economic Times, 01/05/2025.

Please don't blame this blogger for that since 99.99% of gold-buyers didn't read my blog! Further, it is notable that while volume sales are down by 30% vis-a-vis last year, there is an increase of 15-20% in value terms. Thus, people have spent more money than last year to buy gold!

  

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[i] Italian sculptor Cattelan’s ‘America’: https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/maurizio-cattelan-america

 

[ii] I am not a member of ISKCON or Akshaya Patra (NGO), but had once visited the latter’s Bhilai unit which cooked and distributed hygienic meals to school-children. I liked what I saw, and made a small contribution. Which charity to support is your call. 

 

Lesson Made Easy!

The dance teacher had a busy schedule and could fit in only brief, sporadic sessions for his new student who was a clumsy dancer, a poor learner, and seldom completed his homework which comprised practising twenty rounds of each new dance move he had been taught.

Each session began with the student performing the steps he had learned in the previous sessions, and the exasperated teacher admonishing him for the poor progress; after which the teacher taught new steps.

Now, do this dance, the teacher asked, after performing a 30-second move.

The pupil’s performance was clumsy as usual, and the unsurprised Master hectored, ‘Be attentive. I’ll demonstrate one last time for you. Repeat it ten times.’

The obedient student did what he was ordered to do, doing a little better each time, but not good enough to satisfy the stern, demanding teacher.

Teacher: How can you be so dumb? Why is it so difficult to do a basic move? It’s really very simple. Just bring your chunmun forward, then take it back fast. Repeat. Like this!

Dance Teacher, just promoted to KG II, was teaching his grandpa the pelvic thrust, so ubiquitous in hot Bollywood dance numbers; a move he had recently learned at the Dance School he attends twice a week after school, homework, and before evening tuition!

***

 

Bharhut: Early Indian Art & Sculpture

You may never have visited Bharhut or even heard of it. Where is Bharhut and why am I writing about it?

Bharhut is a small village about 20 kilometres from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, where I had worked and lived for two years long ago during which I had once gone up the little hillock to find a signage which said it was a protected monument under the ASI. An ancient Buddhist stupa in ruins with a few stone fragments and broken bricks scattered around. There was no security guard since no tourists ever went there.

Then, I knew little about the significance of Bharhut in Indian and Buddhist art and sculpture. Browsing the Indian Museum, Kolkata’s portal the other day, I spotted the virtual Bharhut Gallery  and took a fascinating tour.

Bharhut: Significance

The Bharhut Stupa, built around the time of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE and later expanded during the Shunga period, holds a seminal place in the history of Buddhist art and sculpture in India; and its relics—particularly the railing panels and gateways—offer one of the earliest and most detailed visual records of Buddhist themes.

Bharhut is especially notable for its extensive use of narrative reliefs that illustrate Jataka tales, episodes from the Buddha’s life, and scenes from Buddhist cosmology. These panels depict stories in a continuous narrative style, helping even illiterate devotees visually engage with Buddhist teachings.

The art of Bharhut follows the aniconic tradition, where the Buddha is not shown in human form but symbolically—through a footprint (Buddha pada), empty throne, or Bodhi tree. This reflects the early doctrinal hesitance to anthropomorphize the Buddha.

Bharhut set the foundation for later Buddhist art centres like Sanchi, Amaravati, and Gandhara. Its themes, iconography, and storytelling techniques continued to inspire Buddhist sculpture across Asia, from Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia.

‘Early Indian classical art passes slowly, but surely, from Bharhut through Bodh Gaya to Sanchi.’ (Remains of Bharhut Stupa In The Indian Museum, 2006-Arabinda Ghosh)

Bharhut Gallery: Indian Museum, Kolkata

Bharhut Gallery displays the red sandstone remnants of the stupa which were transported to Calcutta and re-created there by Alexander Cunningham , who excavated the site in 1874.

Considered the ‘Father of Indian archaeology,’ Cunningham was the 1st Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, established in 1861. He had begun excavation at Sanchi in 1851. His book The Stupa of Bharhut (1879) is available at archive.org.

The architectural remains comprise railings and the only surviving Eastern Gateway or Torana, sculptures of Jataka tales, stories of Lord Buddha’s life, numerous animal and geometric motifs, and several demigods – Yaksha and Yakshi figurines.

Bharhut rail East Gateway, on the spot of excavation. 

Source: Ideals of Indian Art (1912) by E.B. Havell

Recovered carvings at Bharhut before removal from the site,

Photographs taken Cunningham’s assistant David Joseph Beglar in 1874

Mriga Jataka: Source: Indian Museum, Kolkata; reproduced in The Art of India by Stella Kramrisch

Link for Bharhut Gallery: https://indianmuseumkolkata.org/gallery/bharhut-gallery/

Mahakapi Jataka Medallion

The Mahakapi Jataka medallion in sandstone relief, a relic from the Bharhut Stupa, is a significant example of early Buddhist narrative art.

In the Mahakapi Jataka tale (Jataka No. 407), Bodhisatta, in a previous life as a great monkey king, leads a troop of eighty thousand monkeys residing near the Ganga who feast upon the delicious fruits of a mango tree as huge as a mountain. One day, a mango falls into the river and reaches the king of Varanasi, who, upon tasting it, craves for more. He discovers the tree and orders his archers to kill the monkeys. To save his troop, the monkey king forms a bridge with his own body across the river, allowing the monkeys to escape. However, a treacherous monkey (an earlier incarnation of the wicked Devadatta) climbs onto a high branch and jumps on his back, fatally injuring him. Witnessing this act of self-sacrifice, the king is moved, puts the monkey king on his own bed and tends to his injuries.

"Noble monkey, you made yourself a bridge for all the other monkeys to pass over to safety. What are you to them, and what are they to you?" the king asked.

The monkey explained, "Great king, I guard the herd. I am their lord and chief….

Because I could save them, I have no fear of death. Like a righteous king, I could guarantee the happiness of those over whom I used to reign. Sire, understand this truth! If you wish to be a righteous ruler, the happiness of your kingdom, your cities, and your people must be dear to you. It must be dearer than life itself."

("Jataka Tales of the Buddha: Part III", retold by Ken & Visakha Kawasaki.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/kawasaki/bl142.html)

Mahakapi Jataka Medallion: 

By Biswarup Ganguly - Detail of, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62327589

After teaching the king in this way, the monkey king died. He was given a royal funeral. The king built a shrine at the monkey's burial place, and made offerings of incense and flowers. He had the skull inlaid with gold..

For the rest of his life the king revered the skull as a relic, offering incense and garlands.

Bharhut Relics

Relics are the body parts (tooth, nail, hair, etc.) of Buddha or his chief disciples interred in stupas across India and the world, and held by the Buddhists as most sacred objects of worship. Sanchi stupa contains the relics of two prominent disciples of the Buddha – Sāriputta and Mahā-Moggallāna.

Temple of Tooth at Kandy, Sri Lanka, where the relic is believed to be the left canine of the Buddha has been temporarily opened for the first time since 2009, drawing a large number of devotees.  

Some Buddhists speculate that the Jagannath Temple, Puri was built upon the ruins of an ancient Buddhist stupa, and the ‘brahma padartha (object)’ inside the daru vigraha (wooden idol) is a Buddha relic. Hindus believe the ‘brahma’ to be Lord Krishna’s navel which fire could not burn.

Cunningham’s excavations did not reveal any such relic at Bharhut. If there was one, it might have been pilfered or lost during the centuries after abandonment of the stupa.

Where are the architectural pieces - the only Bharhut relics that remain? A quick search revealed that most of these relics are in the Indian Museum, Kolkata; a more detailed search produced fascinating results.

Out of 374 parts which have been located, most are in India - in Indian Museum, Kolkata, Allahabad Museum, Tulsi Sangrahalaya (Ramvan, Satna), and in 8 villages of Satna; and 19 parts are in 10 museums around the world at Berkley, Boston, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Virginia, Washington DC, Berlin, Pasadena, and London.

(Bharhut: A Reassessment by Jason D Hawkes, source: academia.edu)

A vindication of the significance of Bharhut stupa in Buddhist art and sculpture!

A Sanskrit Subhashita thus laments the ruthlessness of Time, the great destroyer, who does not spare even avatars of Vishnu:

रघुपते क्व गतोत्तरकोशलः?
यदुपते क्व गता मथुरापुरि?

Transliteration:
Raghupate kva gata uttarakośalaḥ?
Yadupate kva gatā Mathurā-purī?

Translation:
“O Lord of the Raghus, where is now the kingdom of Uttarakoshala?
O Lord of the Yadus, where is now the city of Mathura?”

 

We may possibly wonder:

O Shakyamuni, where is now the great Bharhut stupa?

And where is the magnificent stupa of Amaravati?

Or, say in Sanskrit:

शाक्यमुनि कुत्र इदानीं महाभारहुत स्तूपः।

अमरावतीं च भव्यं स्तूपं कुत्र अस्ति ?

***

A few excerpts

The Stupa of Bharhut

A few excerpts from Alexander Cunningham’s book “The Stupa of Bharhut: A Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous Sculptures Illustrative of Buddhist Legend and History in the Third Century B.C.”

Link for the book:

https://archive.org/details/stupaofbharhutbu00cunn/page/n4/mode/1up

Relic casket?

“The present village of Bharhut, which contains upwards of 200 houses, is built entirely of the bricks taken from the Stupa. The removal of bricks continued down to a late date, and I was told that a small box (dibiya) was found in the middle of the brick mound, and made over to the Raja of Nagod. This must have been a Relic casket ; but my further inquiries were met by persistent ignorance, both as to its contents and as to whether it was still in the possession of the Raja….”

Sculptures gifted by Raja of Nagod

“At my request the whole of the sculptures were liberally presented to Government by the Raja of Nagod, in whose territory Bharhut stands, and I am happy to say that they have arrived safely in Calcutta,…”

Cunningham's No to British Museum

“In his letter already quoted Professor Childers (London) expressed a “ hope that the “ sculptures may find their way to the India Office [in London] instead of being “ consigned to the peaceful oblivion of an Indian Museum.” In this hope I should most cordially agree were I not afraid that they might be consigned to the still more oblivious vaults of the British Museum, where some 10 years ago I discovered no less than seven Indian inscriptions in the full enjoyment of undisturbed repose, unseen, uncared for, and unknown.”

A washerman’s plank!

“…all the neighbouring villages within a circuit of 10 miles were carefully explored for portions of the missing sculptures. This search was rewarded with the discovery of two pillars of a second or outer railing of which portions had already been found in situ at Bharhut.   The bas-relief of the Indra Shala-guha, or “ Indra’s Cave Hall,” was then discovered at Batanmara, and the missing half of the famous Chhadanta Jataka at Pataora, 7 miles distant, degraded to the ignoble position of a washerman’s plank.”

Note: Para Headings by this blogger.

The Art of India Through the Ages by Stella Kramrisch

"In the five hundred years beginning with the second century B.C., narrative reliefs carved in stone are one of Buddhism's contributions to Indian sculpture. Although never shown before the late first century A.D., the Buddha inspired legends, symbols, actions and stories. In Barhut these have the simplicity of factual statements, in Sanchi, the exuberance of pageants and the form of idylls. But it was in the ... teeming compositions in Amaravati... (T)he limbs of the figures are those of dancers who reach out into the void. They bend over their mortal youth. At no other moment has Indian sculpture been so acutely sensitive."

***

 

Mesmerizing Mona Lisa

On Apr 15, World Art Day, I saw Mona Lisa* - the world's most discussed, most written about, and most famous painting at The Louvre, even though Tuesday is the weekly holiday for the museum - possibly the world’s most visited museum with about nine million visitors a year. How did I manage that? No prizes for guessing. I enjoyed a virtual tour at zero-cost! Seated at a cosy chair in my study room, I spent an hour or more up close with 12 Masterpieces at the museum’s portal.[i] To continue my immersive experience, I visited the museum through Google Arts and Culture[ii], to check what more this portal offered. Most renowned museums of the world now offer virtual tours and online exhibitions.

In 2005, I had seen Mona Lisa at The Louvre. Visitors appreciate the iconic painting from behind the barricade about twenty feet from the wall which is set up for a good reason; Mona Lisa had been stolen in 1911! A sizeable crowd of visitors, several much taller than me, had already gathered in front, and I had to peer through the shifting torsos and shoulders to catch fleeting glimpses of Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile. I saw Leonardo da Vinci’s classic painting, but did I really see her?

(Credit: The Louvre Portal)

A visit to a world-famous museum is always overwhelming and a bit unsettling. You are suddenly reminded that life is too short with not enough time to enjoy all the good things in the world. You must quickly decide which exhibits to skip, which ones to see, and how much time to assign to which. Not unlike a grand, royal feast serving choicest cuisines of the world where you may eat all you can but must exit in an hour or earlier.

I recall having spent about two hours at the museum after waiting for an hour and a half for entry. Which masterpieces did I see then? Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, I remember. Btw, the more famous Medici Venus, among about 5000 artworks seized by Napoleon’s troops, had to be returned to Italy under the Treaty of Vienna after Napoleon’s defeat at the Waterloo; and is now at Uffizi Gallery, Florence (Link: https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/medici-venus).

But I remember none of the other masterpieces listed by the museum in its virtual tour; not even The Winged Victory of Samothrace – the goddess Nike, the messenger of victory (yes, the footwear brand is named after the goddess!); Psyche revived by Cupid’s Kiss, or Michelangelo’s Slaves! Wasn’t my visit in the category of value-for money, photo-stop group-tour packages entitling the tourists to boast ‘been there, seen that?’

Those who are passionate about Art may draw up a detailed plan for their museum visits; but even they must skip most of the exhibits on display. The Louvre displays about 35000 exhibits in 400 rooms over an area of 72000 square metres; and an average visitor spends one to three hours in the museum. Should a visitor choose to visit every exhibit in the museum, how long would it take? At one minute per piece, it would take about 79 days to see everything, assuming 8-hour days, excluding the time to walk through 400 rooms at different levels.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, USA) has over 2 million exhibits;  to see every exhibit it would take more than 11 years. State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia) has over 3 million exhibits.   It would take more than 17 years to see it all.

So, which museums are in your bucket list? How about the Indian Museum, Kolkata - established in 1814, and Asia-Pacific’s oldest and largest museum with about 2.5 million exhibits? If you’re visiting Amritsar, I recommend the Partition Museum; and at Bhopal the Tribal Museum.

I have a modest goal: to embark upon a virtual tour of top 10 museums in the world and see at least 10 masterpieces in each. That's not much; but dipping a toe in the ocean of art and sculpture is better, I suppose, than not venturing near the ocean at all!

Mona Lisa & India’s Nuclear Programme

Believe it or not, Mona Lisa had a little role in India’s nuclear programme.

India was getting ready to test a nuclear weapon for which  PMO was holding top-secret meetings with only a handful of senior officials. Naresh Chandra, senior Adviser in PMO, suggested to P.C Narasimha Rao, PM in mid-1994 that the Air Force be brought on board and the Defence Secretary be briefed.

“Cautious to a fault, Rao gave the go-ahead for Chandra to meet Defence Secretary K. A. Nambiar-but not in India. He suggested they meet in Paris…

Chandra and Nambiar decided to meet at the art gallery at the Louvre. When Nambiar arrived at the world's largest art museum, he found Chandra pacing up and down restlessly…

One could only imagine the two men, the serious, poker-faced, low profile, South Indian Nambiar, and the tall and portly Chandra standing in front of the portrait of the Mona Lisa, admiring her enigmatic smile, while Chandra briefed the defence secretary on the latest developments in India's nuclear programme. It was inconceivable that any surveillance agency would have picked up their lip movements!”

(Source: How Prime Ministers Decide by Neerja Chowdhury; pg. 361)

***

* Excerpt from The Louvre’s brief description of the painting:

“Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci

The painting’s special appeal lies in its technical excellence, the sitter’s famous smile, the fantasy background landscape and the sfumato technique that envelops the figure in a misty haze.

In 1966, this famous and fragile masterpiece was moved to the Louvre’s largest room – the Salle des États – where it is conserved in the best possible conditions, protected inside a temperature and humidity-controlled glass case.”

***

Postscript

Mona Lisa Song

An esteemed reader shared the following link for the Mona Lisa song by Nat King Cole which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1950, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1992:

https://youtu.be/NIDX18Xl16s?si=_So7pWZFmKMASmnt

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[i] Link for the 12 masterpieces:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/visitor-trails/the-louvre-s-masterpieces/a-superstar-facing-a-crowd-of-132

 

[ii] Google Arts & Culture offers virtual tours and high-resolution images from over 2,000 museums worldwide. It enables one to explore exhibitions, view artworks up close, and even take 360-degree tours of museum interior.

Link: https://artsandculture.google.com/

 

 

Hanuman’s Multilingualism

The politics over language is currently raging with the central government insisting on a pan-India 3-language policy, and a Southern state swearing by a 2-language formula.

How was the linguistic diversity during the Ramayana period, and how did people manage to communicate? Sanskrit was used by the few learned, but the commoners spoke in diverse vernacular languages.

What languages did Hanuman speak? What was his mother tongue? It depends on Hanuman’s place of birth about which there are rival claims – Nashik, Thirumala Hills, Hampi, and others. Kishkindha, the kingdom of Bali and Sugriva where Hanuman served is believed to be Hampi, Karnataka.

Hanuman had a boon which enabled him to assume any shape at will. It may be inferred that he was multilingual with competence in all languages and dialects spoken in Bharata-varsha.

Valmiki highlights Hanuman’s multilingualism and his great skill in the use of language suitable for the occasion.

(Hanuman Conversing, Tamilnadu, 11th Century; 

Source: metmuseum.org)

Valmiki introduces Hanuman in Kiskindhakanda. Sugriva, defeated by Bali and hiding in Rishyamuka mountains, sends Hanuman as his emissary to seek Rama’s help. Hanuman assumes the form of a mendicant and addresses Rama and Lakshmana with a fine and respectful speech after which Rama tells his brother:

नानृग्वेदविनीतस्य नायजुर्वेदधारिणः ।

नासामवेदविदुषः शक्यमेवं विभाषितुम् ॥ २८ ॥

(Kiskindhakanda -Canto III)[i]

‘The way (this emissary) has spoken is not possible for one who has not mastered Rgveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda.’

It is evident that Hanuman had spoken in elegant, flawless Sanskrit.

Later, Hanuman reaches Lanka and spots the distressed Sita in Ashok-van. Before addressing Sita, he speculates about the appropriate language for the occasion.

Sundarakanda: Canto XXX

यदि वाचं प्रदास्यामि द्विजातिरिव संस्कृताम्।

रावणं मन्यमाना मां सीता भीता भविष्यति ॥ १८ ॥

'If I speak in Sanskrit like a brahmana, Sītā will get frightened thinking me to be Ravana.’

Ravana was a brahman, and a reputed scholar. He, too, had the ability to assume any form at will.

अवश्यमेव वक्तव्यं मानुषं वाक्यमर्थवत्।

मया सान्त्वयितुं शक्या नान्यथेयमनिन्दिता ॥ १९॥

‘Only by using the language of the common people may I succeed in consoling this irreproachable lady.’

What language did Hanuman use to address Sita? Was it Maithili, Sita’s mother tongue; or Avadhi, Rama’s mother tongue?

Valmiki does not specify. But it is beyond doubt that Hanuman was multilingual.

May Lord Hanuman bless all on Hanuman Jayanti!  

***

Postscript

Ancient India was Multilingual

Valmiki composed Ramayana in Sanskrit, the language of the elites and the learned; but the epic acknowledges a multilingual subcontinent.

Sheldon Pollock in The Language of the Gods in the World of Men quotes from Bhoja’s Sarasvatikanthabharana which mentions six languages – Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, Paishachi, Shauraseni, and Magadhi - each with six varieties.

“Heavenly speech ["Sanskrit"] is worthy to hear, the best Prakrit is mellifluous by nature, Apabhramsha is lovely, Paishachi can be used to compose enchanting literature; the language of the people who dwell in Mathura ["Shauraseni"] and that of the people of Magadha are appealing to the clever. He who can compose in them all is the most successful, the very king, of poets.”

---

[i] Ramayana quotes are from Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana (Gita Press, Gorakhpur)

Big Bull-y in China Shop

Date: April 10, 2025. Venue: Nehru Gardens, New Delhi. Time: 7.30 am. Two veteran economists – retired academics and former economic advisers to the government, sadly no longer invited to TV debates – had finished morning walk, but were not too keen to return home where spouse would remind about To-Do-List for the day - get the AC serviced, call the plumber to fix the leaking faucet, seek appointment with orthopaedic, etc. They sat down on a bench to discuss the state of the world and the country. Today’s discussion was about Trump tariffs and how the world and India may deal with this catastrophe. To retaliate or to reconcile was the question. As usual, they had strong opinions, animated discussion, and passionately disagreed with each other.

E 1: Trump and Modi are chums, that’s why India got away with only 26 per cent, a mere slap on the wrist. Look how he has mauled China?

E 2: Our exports are doomed. No way can the exporters take a 26 per cent tariff. Friend’s dagger thrust may kill.

‘India should be pragmatic. It must negotiate with US and eliminate or substantially reduce tariff on most of its exports. PM is on the right path.’

‘India should retaliate like China, Canada, and EU. We must protect our self-interest. We can’t ruin our economy to MAGA. We must MIGA.’

‘This is no TV debate, so why don’t we stop screaming and present our point of view dispassionately?’

Another morning walker, doing his stretches nearby, joined in the conversation.

‘Permit me to say so, gentlemen. Both of you seem erudite, but are wrong.’

‘Who are you, Sir? An economist? Do you have a Ph.D. from Harvard or LSE?’

‘No. That’s why I think differently.’

‘What’s your valuable recommendation, or may I say magic solution, to save the global economy and ours?’

‘It’s really simple. India should follow the Gandhian way, and inspire the world to follow suit.’

‘Drink goat milk, practice brahmacharya, truth and non-violence?’

‘Save your witticisms, Sir. In such a situation, Gandhi would have launched a peaceful, non-cooperation movement. Remember the boycott of British clothes during our Freedom Struggle? That’s what all Indians and the people of RoW should do.’

‘How is it possible to non-cooperate with No. 1 economy of the world? It’d be ruinous, the medicine more lethal than the disease.’

‘No, it won’t. It’s as simple as ABC.’

‘Pray, enlighten us further.’

‘A for Arms. Boycott US defence exports. RoW which imported $ 318.7 billion arms and defence equipment in 2024 may agree on an armistice for a year, maintain status-quo in all border disputes, and buy no defence equipment from US.’

‘What’s the source of your data, Sir?’

‘Statista, who else? Let me proceed further.

A for Apple. Stop buying that expensive toy, Chinese and South Korean smartphones have all those features and are way cheaper. Security concern is a bogey raised by the US.

A for Alphabet (or G for Google, if you prefer), A for Amazon, A for Almonds (why not use Kashmiri almonds instead?).

B for BYD. RoW should buy electric cars from BYD, not Tesla. Buy Airbus, not Boeing. Boycott Harley-Davidson, too.

C for Coca cola (and Pepsi, too). Boycott American beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Indian now produces excellent whiskeys and wines in additional to traditional soothing drinks – sikanji, jal-jeera, aam-pana, haldi-dooth, etc.

Just imagine, RoW abstains from consuming Pepsi or Coca Cola only for a day. Of their daily sales of about 6 billion servings of beverages, 4.6 billion servings would remain unsold choking their stores and outlets. The shockwaves would travel to Harrison, New York – Hq. of PepsiCo, and to Atlanta – Hq. of Coca Cola; and therefrom to White House, and to Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida. How about that Swift Messaging system?’

‘Well, we get the point.’

‘No, I’m not done yet. E for Education. More than a million foreign students, mostly from India and China, contributed $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported 378000 jobs in 2023-24. RoW should boycott American colleges and universities.’

F for Facebook (and WhatsApp).

H for Hollywood, N for Netflix. RoW should stop spending money on entertainment offered by US since the country no longer amuses non-Americans!

K for KFC; M for Mineral Oils including crude oil (US export in 2023 - $348 billion), M for Mondelez; P for Pepsi, S for Starbucks (We got filter kaapi, Suleimani chai, adrak-kali mirch chai and many others).

T for Tourism. RoW stops holidaying in the US.’

‘Please stop. Your argument is convincing, but unimplementable. How can countries and consumers be persuaded to launch a non-cooperation movement?’

‘A bull in a china shop can cause much havoc; amply demonstrated by Trump Tariff which has shaken the world, and broken the fine architecture of rule-based global trade developed over several decades. It’s no longer a trade war between two economic giants – US and China; it affects every country and all people in the world. Rest of the World (RoW) is now the china shop, and must collaborate to rein in the bull, and call the Big Bully’s bluff.

Source: ET- 8 Apr 2025-'DONZILLA Crushes Markets'

US has issued an ultimatum. During the 90-day reprieve, RoW must kowtow, seek forgiveness from the Lord and Master of all he surveys, and sign the bilateral trade agreements to MAGA.

Hence, the time to act is now. People of India must show the way. For the next three months, they should boycott all American products. Begin small and symbolic by shunning Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Starbucks, McDonald, KFC, and others. RoW would follow suit. The Big Bully would get the message. He’s not the sun around which RoW, the vassal planets must revolve.’

‘Time to go home, Sir. Thanks for your radical ideas and inspiring speech. Btw, did you propose de-monetisation to the PM?’

***

Postscript

Trump Tariffs on non-humans

Trump has imposed tariffs on two uninhabited islands – Heard & McDonald!

Apr 11, 2025:

China limits Hollywood Films (Economic Times).

China lets Yuan slide to support economy (Economic Times).

Cost of iPhone in US: Made in China - $2000; Made in India - $1200; Made in USA - $2500?

Apr 12, 2025:

China imposes 125% tariff on US goods in retaliation to Trump’s tariff of 134% on Chinese goods.

 

 

Pragmatic Prayer

Pragmatic Prayer

Vishnu Sahasranama[i], composed by Veda Vyasa, and included in Anushashana Parva of Mahabharata, comprising the 1000 names of Lord Vishnu, is a popular hymn read, recited and heard[ii] by the Hindus. The hymn is presented as a conversation between Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, and his grandfather, Bhishma, the family patriarch. Yudhishthira solicits Bhishma to guide him about the best way to attain dharma.

The last part of the hymn has an interesting feature. The reading, recitation, or hearing of the 1000 names involves commitment of time by the devout. Those who can assign the required time are blessed, but those who cannot find as much time need not despair. The hymn provides a pragmatic solution for such devotees.

पार्वत्युवाच ---

केनोपायेन लघुना विष्णोर्नामसहस्रकम् ।

पठ्यते पण्डितैर्नित्यं श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं प्रभो ॥ २६॥

Parvati asks Lord Shiva:

KenopAyena laghunAm VishnurnAmasahasrakam

Pathyate panditAh nityam shrotumichhAmyaham Prabhu.

Meaning:

O Lord, please enlighten me about a short and sweet, pragmatic version of the 1000 names of Lord Vishnu by which the wise may offer their daily prayers.

ईश्वर उवाच ---

श्रीरामरामरामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे । (रामरामेति रामेति)

सहस्रनामतत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥ २७॥

Ishvara uvacha (Thus spoke Lord Shiva):

Sri RAma RAma RAmeti Rame RAme manorame,

SahasranAma tattulyam RAma nAma varAnane.

Meaning:

O Dear Parvati, the simple japa or recitation of the delightful and wondrous name of Rama is equivalent to the 1000 names (of Vishnu).

Why did Shiva suggest the name of Rama, and not the name of any other avatar of Vishnu like Krishna, Nrusingha or Vamana? Maybe, Shiva recalled that Rama had built a temple for him and worshipped him at Rameshwaram before proceeding for Lanka to fight the big war. The other avatars had not built any temple for Shiva!

Also, ‘Rama’ is easy on the tongue, a simple word constituted by two and a half letters, and the simplest of the 1K names of Vishnu. That is why Narada had counselled Ratnakar, the bandit and murderer to recite the name of Rama. Ratnakar, a hardened criminal, and a great sinner, could not utter the word Rama, so twisted was his tongue, and so convoluted his thoughts. Narada asked him to say marA, meaning died. That was easy for Ratnakar. As advised by Narada, he sat under a banyan tree, closed his eyes, and kept chanting ‘marAmarAmarA’ for so long that termites built a mound covering his entire body despite which he kept at his recitation. Vishnu had no problem in deciphering that a sincere devotee was chanting Rama nama, the name of Rama, his avatar, and transformed the sinner to a sage. Valmiki, literally the one who was born out of a termite mound, composed the epic, Ramayana.

Some scholars call it accidental grace, and cite another familiar example. Ajamila[iii] was a die-hard sinner who deserved to rot in hell. On the eve of his death, Yama’s terrible guards, the Yama-dootas arrived with a noose to drag Ajamila to hell. Terrified upon seeing the fearful, unwelcome visitors, Ajamila called out for Narayana, his son. Readily, the guards of Vishnu (Vishnu-doots) arrived to chase away the Yama-doots, and transport Ajamila to heaven, for he had obtained virtue and wiped away all his sins by inadvertently uttering the name of Narayana, one of the names of Vishnu. Accidental grace!

How about an ordinary devotee? What is she supposed to do? Who to worship- one of the Pancha Devas, the five principal deities - Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Ganesha and Surya - or all of them; or one or more of the 33 koti (categories of) devatas? After selecting the preferred deity, the devotee may decide which stotra, stuti or mantra for that deity she should recite daily - the simplest and shortest mantra, panchakam, ashtakam, ashtottarashatanama or the sahasranama?

She is spoilt for choice. Not easy to decide. There are at least 40 sahasranamas for various deities, and several ashtottara shatanamas (108 Names) of assorted deities. Shatanamastotrasangrah, a publication of Gita Press, Gorakhpur, lists 43 such names.

The devotee must discharge her worldly duties while also offering prayers to the deities. For this, too, a pragmatic solution is offered. If the devotee is too busy to spare the time for a seated-at-peace recitation or shravana of the stutis of various deities at home or in a temple; she may recite concise, abridged versions of epics and stotras. Bija mantras and ekashloki versions are routinely used by such devotees. The gods receive the prayers, and the devotee is freed from guilt and anxiety.

There are ekashlokis for Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Gita, Durga, and others. The devotee may recite her preferred Bija mantra or ekashloki which can be performed without assigning a lot of time for that.  

However, the ultimate solution is offered at the very beginning of Vishnusahasranama which is:

यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण जन्मसंसारबन्धनात् ।

विमुच्यते नमस्तस्मै विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ॥ ६॥

Yasya smArana mAtrena janmasansAra bandhanAt,

Vimuchyate namastasmei Vishnave PrabhaVishnave.

Meaning: I bow to Lord Vishnu, the mere remembrance of whose name releases the devotee from the bondage of birth and the samsara, the world.

Thus, each devotee is free to take the route that most suits her. She can read, recite, or hear the 1K names of the Lord; but if pressed for time, she may meditate in silence upon the Lord. To each according to her shraddha, or inclination.

***

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[i] Garuda purana has a different version of Vishnusahasranama which lists 1008 names of Vishnu. It is a presented as a conversation between Hari and Rudra:

रुद्र उवाच ।

संसारसागराद्घोरान्मुच्यते किं जपन्प्रभो ।

नरस्तन्मे परं जप्यं कथय त्वं जनार्दन ॥ १॥

हरिरुवाच ।

परेश्वरं परं ब्रह्म परमात्मानमव्ययम् ।

विष्णुं नामसहस्रेण स्तुवन्मुक्तो भवेन्नरः ॥ २॥

यत्पवित्रं परं जप्यं कथयामि वृषध्वज ! ।

श‍ृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा सर्वपापविनाशनम् ॥ ३॥

[ii] Link for M.S.Subbulakshmi’s amazing chanting of Vishnusahasranamam:

https://youtu.be/0tubv1OKDjg?si=xIk-q454Qd73D8ZR

[iii] Mr. Willy Singh, a friend provided reference to the story of Ajaamal in Guru Granth Sahib Ji:

Bhagat Maalaa ~ Part IV - The Story of Ajaamal | SikhNet

Authors who mention Bhagat Ajaamal in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji:
Bhagat Naam Dev Ji, Ang 345, 874
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Ang 632, 830, 901, 1008
Bhagat Kabeer Ji, Ang 692
Guru Raam Daas Ji, Ang 981, 995
Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Ang 999, 1192
Bhagat Ravidass Ji, Ang 1124

 ***