The Walnut Tree

The Walnut Tree

In that coastal south Indian village our snacks and nuts were modest. In the evenings during idle leisure hours (we) children had access to only coconut, peanuts, puffed rice, or peas. That was before the prepackaged Haldiram, Ammas, or Lays chips showed up in the Indian markets. Some times even peanuts were a luxury! On occasion mother would give us a piece of jaggery, raisins, or popped rice. Or, even a ripe banana from our own kitchen garden. Come to think of it, our banana garden was just adjacent to the kitchen window. The large leaves would provide a cool shade to shield us from the sharp afternoon sun rays. I think the Mahatma (Mohandas Gandhi) used to favor peanuts as a snack. In small doses peanuts do no harm but when combined with a small piece of jaggery it works wonders – there would be no adverse side effects. Also it boosts the energy levels for children and adults alike. Little pieces of jaggery will quickly elevate the blood sugar and this is very useful for diabetic patients in small amounts. On long walks, trekking, or athletic sport events peanut brittle is a good source of nutrition.

I did not come to know about walnuts for most of my school and college days. But in Delhi I came to appreciate arts and humanities, a subject far removed from my specialization. Though we were mostly confined to technology and applied sciences, in the hostel we got good exposure to neighboring humanities friends. Also the JNU campus was right next door.  In those days our humanities department students started a poetry periodical (Avant-garde). Through my (poetry) submissions I got acquainted with a Kashmiri graduate student in the English Department. Once he brought a 30 lbs. sack of walnuts from his hilly garden estate. Thus sitting in his room I enjoyed freshly cracked walnuts while discussing poetry, aesthetics, and literature – across a red glowing electric heater.

But you wouldn’t know a tree like almond or walnut without touching it in the outdoors nature. In an earlier post I narrated my boyhood experiences with primitive gardening and the joy of growing an almond tree from seed. 

I get to see the nutritional benefits of walnuts first hand by observing the physically active playful squirrels in our garden and the adjoining backyard woods.  According to traditional sources (ex: Materia Medica) the nuts generate heat in the body. Walnut removes excess water from the body. It gives energy and strengthens heart and stomach. The nuts also promote male virility. Some other beneficial effects are: memory improvement, longevity, and physical vigor for the elderly. The nuts when taken with raisins (dried grapes) impart energy to the body. The antidotes for its adverse side effects are sour pomegranate, lime juice, and salt.

Here in the northeast USA we see these (wild) walnut trees majestically growing in the forests, wild areas, roadside, and even in backyards. The foliage turns bright yellow (bronze) in the autumn but the walnuts still hold on to the twigs and branches. Then our tailed rodentia (bushy tailed squirrels) get into briskly action and shake things down from above. We notice plenty of half eaten, discarded, and some barely bitten walnuts with the green outer covering on the floor during the windy fall season. The little children-like squirrels will do every trick to hide the nuts in our flowerpots, garden, overhead gutters, and in the bushes. Later in the spring and summer they wearily hunt down for every nut. Some times they succeed and some times they fail. But in the process they help the walnut trees sprout and spread all around. Walking near these thirty feet tall trees is soothing to the mind; the rustle of the overhead leaves coupled with the squirrels’ nut munching is an activity I cannot miss on my long walks in the woods. 

I forgot to mention the medicinal uses of walnuts for healthy teeth. Ayurvedic tooth powders (ex: Vajradanti) contain walnuts in their formulae. Walnut leaves and tender twigs are useful for brushing. They help in keeping dental cavities in check and the gums in healthy tight condition. Copyright 2023 by the author   

 

Toes, Toenails, and Fingernails

Toes, Toenails, and Fingernails

Though hands and feet are not directly related, I want to touch on some problems of the extremities - finger and toe problems. Many of us experience occasionally a rare fingernail (subcutaneous) abscess, in-grown toenail, or deformed toes. The last malady is also known as “hammer toe”.  Now, first about the finger nail abscess. Either due to accident or carelessness we may pull the corner of a fingernail. Thus without our awareness the nail and the surrounding parts (cuticle, the underneath surface (nail matrix), the nail surroundings) are disturbed. As a reaction to the injury, the fingertip and all the nearby areas become swollen and red. It becomes extremely painful calling for urgent attention. If pus (decayed white cells, etc.) forms under the nail then it needs some surgical intervention. In the village we used to see people going around with a tightly wrapped lemon (or lime) around the injured fingernail. This type of poultice works in most cases; it offers the required compression to aid in the healing. Alternatively, many grandmothers used to put a paste of flour mixed with Castor oil. The flour paste is warmed on a skillet and the warm soft paste is tightly applied to the fingertip. Some would also use a paste of turmeric and lime [Ca(OH)2] with good results. The well-known Mehndi leaf paste (Lawsonia inermis, Gorinta) is also very helpful for preserving the health of nails. Such home remedies are also good in preventing nail fungus. 

Once I too got into this painful predicament solely due to my own carelessness. While nail biting is mostly harmless, still it can lead to injury to the cuticle (nail corners). So, it happened once. It all started as minor pain, then redness all around, and finally the whole thing blew up into a nasty abscess filled with pus (paronychia). After exhausting all the home remedies I had to rush to the urgent care. The male nurse (compounder in the village) took care of it with a sharp scalpel, local anesthesia, and topical freezing. The earthly body gives difficulties even to personalities like Sri Ganapathi Muni. Thus once Kavya-kantha Ganapathi Muni wanted to write a major work on Indrani in Sanskrit verse; he vowed to complete the entire poetical exercise within two weeks. Sri Ramana encouraged him to do likewise as pledged. And then suddenly in the middle the poet extraordinaire developed abscess on one of his fingers that too on the right hand. Everything thing came to a standstill until an Ayurvedic doctor came up the hill (Arunachalam) and did the surgery right in time. 

In the village as kids we often wandered and walked miles without footwear. Like other school going children I too used to get bruises on feet and toes. Mother and sister would wash the wound and apply some turmeric paste. Often I used to get severe itching during monsoon season in the toes due to skin allergies. Due to constant falling and getting hit with rough stones on the road I too got a deformed toe. Luckily due to youthful suppleness, yoga, and vigorous physical activity the toe regained its normal state. Then many of us in the vast Indian small towns and villages had primitive schoolrooms. We studied the handicrafts (ex: weaving, yarn pulling) and music sitting on the tiled, concrete plastered, or even mud covered bare floors. Inevitably we ended up with warts on the little toes and ankles. Such hard knocks on the body remind me the passage of time and the limited resources of a bygone era. 

Recently while moving bookshelves I had an accident. We had to shuffle all the furniture, move stuff to different floors (levels), and bring back the shelves against gravity. It was not easy moving stuff across three floors. Some times one wants to be utterly self sufficient and determined to do things without outside help. If you hire outside help then you have to synchronize and submit to external schedules and dictates. Any way, these days getting any handyman here in the US is almost impossible. People are waiting for months to get one appliance installed; money or no money this is the reality in many places. So, while moving the heavy bookshelf (ourselves) I got my (right) big toe banged. Due to pressed wood some bookshelves weigh almost 50 – 70 lbs. At first I did not notice the splintered toenail and the profuse bleeding. But the white socks could not hide the oozing blood much longer. A cut or bruise on skin is no big deal; at the worst it would involve some stiches and a scar. But toenail is a delicate situation – healing slowly it may lead to deformed toenail, in-grown nail, underneath blood clot, or even fungus.

(Adapted from Gray's Anatomy)

Thus I got into a pickle (as they say here), all due to sheer accident. A quick tight bandage stopped the bleeding but not the pain. Also, I had to keep the big toe dry during showers using a plastic bag. A word of caution about cuts/bruises on toes for elders: Many elders may be on blood thinners and that will make things complicated. Compounding this is the uncontrolled blood glucose (Type II Diabetes). One of our dear relatives got into serious problems when her toe got injured due to walking with flip-flops (barefoot) in the village. Only prolonged dressing (bandage) with powerful antibiotics saved her toe from losing (amputated).  

In this case bleeding returned when the (constricting) bandage was released. So, I had to bear the aching wound without antibiotic cream for two days. Luckily the toe healed naturally without further complications. A doctor’s visit gave a tetanus shot in the arm. Initially I worried about distorted toenail, fungus, etc. unnecessarily. In modern manufacturing plants usually people are advised to wear a steel toe boot to prevent such accidents. I keep a homemade remedy (Dr. Elchuri’s Ayurvedic herbal oil) ready for cuticle and nail problems. And the herbal oil really helped in this case. Copyright 2023 by the author

Meaning and Import of "sthirata nahi" Song

Translating this classic song into English is not easy. I’ve to search and look around for the right word to communicate correctly what the great composer meant exactly. Foremost I humbly bow to my guru and parents. I offer heaps of tree Jasmine (Millingtonia hortensis) flowers at their feet.

O (hapless) mind! How can you get steadiness? There is no way out of distractions. There is no peace. (No easy way out to get peace in life.) 

1. In the mundane world, we humans will come across three principal sources of despair or anxiety. We cannot easily get over them or avoid them, however best we may try. They’ll singe and sear our hearts. These are: a) afflictions (problems) related to the physical (i.e., biological) corporeal body. b) Problems due to the five (earth, fire, wind, water, and sky) material elements. c) Problems that are caused by fate (karma), curse, or an act of ‘devata’. So, the accumulated pain caused by these three types of “burning fire” is limitless like an ocean. If by mistake we let ourselves (or forced into) into this ocean, then there is no chance for tranquility. In such situations the mind cannot stay alert and be steady; like a lamp in stormy wind it waves and flickers violently. Further what happens if we add two more elements like pride and ego? Now it is impossible for the mind to get any peace or be steady with courage in such terrible situation. Instances like losing a tooth or getting stuck in a tornado/cyclone do happen in real life. Similarly getting involved in crippling road accidents or drowning in fast moving streams is also a fact of life. 

2. Objects enter into our consciousness through sound, touch, form (shape), taste, and smell (olfactory sense). Such objects (or things) wrap around human consciousness (mind) like powerful ropes or (unbreakable) shackles. O mind, how can such people with entanglements have any tranquility? In such circumstances, how can the mind be calm and steady to focus on prayer, meditation, or any worthwhile endeavor?

What is unnatural or perverse wisdom (cleverness)? Mistaking what is real to be false and believing some thing inherently unreal as real – that is indeed strange; the composer is gently hinting us the core problem. Identifying oneself with the physical body and not recognizing the ‘self’ as the real ‘oneself’ – that is the major blunder in our thinking. We also refer the ‘core self’ as ‘atma’. So, with such distorted thinking, how can we ever have any peace in life? How can the mind find any grip and steadiness in its pursuit? How can it focus?

3. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra’s Swami’s guru was (is) Sri Parama Sivendra Saraswati (1539 – 1586 A.D.). The last stanza says thus: For those who discard (eschew) the yogic path of Paramahamsa Sivendra Swami, there is no respite in life here on the earth. However great they may be, the earthly carnal pleasures (borne out of the senses) are fleeting; there is no permanence to them. We have such powerful stories like Pururuva and Urvasi. Or, consider the story of Ahalya (wife of king Pradyumna) and Indra (from Yoga Vasistham as expounded by Sri Shanmukha Sarma). So, if one is entrapped in such transient pleasures there will not be peace. O mind, be watchful for such missteps and dangerous slippery path. In that path, O mind, you’ll not find peace or steadiness. Listen to the guru’s (here it refers to the afore mentioned esteemed Sri Sivendra Swami of Kanchi Mutt) gentle advice in these difficult complex matters.  (The complete lyrics were given in the previous post here) Copyright 2023 by the author

 

Lyrics of "sthirata nahi nahire" Song

(It is superfluous to say that this is a composition of Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Swamy. Earlier I've given here several of his exquisite Sanskrit compositions. Alas, the times are unsettling now all across the world. This song may give peace and steadiness to a wavering, doubting mind. We will look into its profound meaning and import for the sadhaka. This great saint, nay an avadhuta bestowed these great lyrics for our benefit, out of pure compassion. The southern India (particularly the erstwhile composite Telugu and Tamil lands) is blessed to have given birth to such extraordinary humans. Here is a student who excelled the teacher, the guru. Dr. Balamuralikrishna's rendition link: https://youtu.be/EjqBDMc2cAs Dr. Balamuralikrishna's voice )

ధనాసరీ రాగః   ఆది తాళము 

స్ధిరతా నహి నహిరే - మానస

స్థిరతా సహి సహిరే

1. తాపత్రయ సాగర మగ్నానాం

దర్పాహంకార విలగ్నానామ్ ‌||స్థిరతా||

2. విషయపాశ వేష్టిత చిత్తానాం

విపరీతజ్ఞాన విమత్తానామ్ ‌||స్థిరతా||

3. పరమహంసయోగ  విరుద్ధానాం

బహు చఞ్చలతర సుఖ సిద్ధానామ్‌ ||స్థిరతా||

स्थिरता नहि नहिरे - मानस 

1. तापत्रय सागर मग्नानां 

दर्पाहन्कार विलग्नानां 

2. विषय पाश वेष्टित चित्तानां 

विपरीत ज्ञान विमत्तानां 

3. परमहंस योग विरुद्धानां 

बहु चन्चलतर सुख सिद्धानां 

sthirataa nahi nahirae - maanasa

sthirataa sahi sahirae

1. taanatrayasaagara magnaanaaM

darpaahaMkaara vilagnaanaam^|| sthirataa||

2. vishayapaaSa vaeshTita chittaanaaM

vipareetaj~naana vimattaanaam^|| sthirataa||

3. paramahaMsayOgi viruddhaanaaM

bahu cha~nchalatara sukha siddhaanaam^|| sthirataa||

Copyright 2023 by the author

 

Modern Interpreters of Hindu Philosophy

Modern Interpreters of Hindu Faith

It is indeed a great privilege to write about the untiring advocates of the Hindu faith. Many a time an honest sincere interpreter of Sanatana Dharma will get only heaps of scorn or brickbats. It is a thankless job – assiduously going through thousands of pages of Sanskrit original texts and assimilating their true meaning and purport. A select few will gain the insight into these texts through the grace of a (the) Guru or Devi (Sri-Mata). Then one has to synthesize all the diverse canonical texts, the Puranas, Brahma-Sutras, Upanishads, the three epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Srimad-Bhagavatam) and countless commentaries. It is verily an impossible task and endless journey – not achievable in a lifetime. Often a lonely pursuit and if one is lucky, one at least encounters the Guru or (to put metaphorically) the light at the end of a tunnel! 

The Telugu land (particularly Andhra Pradesh) has over the centuries produced a number of first-rate original preceptors (including the Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna). We do not know why this piece of land (dirt) has produced exceptional music composers, Hindu philosophers, and saints. One cannot assert that it is due to any inherent goodness on the part of its inhabitants; perhaps Kanaka Durga and Balaji showered their choicest grace on this populace as an answer to their incessant daily prayers and to alleviate their mundane suffering. Who would have guessed Sri Ganapathi Muni, Trilinga Swamy, Sripada Srivallabha, and even J. Krishnamurti would be born in the same province (or geographical land mass)?

Now, I want to introduce Swami Medhananda-puri and Sri Shanmukha Sarma to the wider world. They are already known through the modern Internet, YouTube, and lots of video clips. I cannot really add anything to their well-established repute or credentials.

Sri Medhananda-puri is well versed in all the four languages: Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, and English.  He is associated with the Kailash Ashram and gives discourses at the Bahamas retreat also. I am especially touched by his Telugu translation of the Kanakadhara Stotram. His discourses on Brahma-Sutras bring out the essence in all its purity and glory. So are his diligent elucidations of the Upanishads (ex: Mandukya) with line-by-line explanation and additional commentary. For the Hindi audiences as well as the Telugu populace the teacher is an invaluable gift. We should not be cavalierly carried away or get exulted by a few English-speaking Swamis or books in this area (of Brahma-vidya). The reason is simple: For many Sanskrit textual words there are no equivalents in English, ex: dharma, mukti, moksha, karma, Eswara, murti, etc. Usually a glossary is appended hurriedly to provide a rough idea to the non-vernacular, non-Sanskrit (foreign/Indian) reader. In addition to this rough translation we have the augmented noise (white noise) of wrong interpretation; incorrect interpretation also occurs when the proponent (expounder) has deep prejudices. Often the interpreter is not even aware of his (her) blinds or in-built biases. We find even in scientific fields there are individuals who hold irrational (erroneous) beliefs (ex: Shockley, Crick) – now what to speak of “Brahman”? Earlier times we had Sri Ramana, Sri Paramacharya, and many other acharyas who came to our rescue; they patiently showed us the validity of our Sastras and interpreted our scriptures like Gita in simple words. Paramacharya always blessed his audience and showed the way, coming down to the layperson’s level. Today we are extremely lucky to have several original interpreters of Hindu scriptures in the Telugu land. One would hope all the Telugu people take advantage of this unique historical opportunity. 

For the aspirant in this exploration there are a number of hurdles: Finding the right text, correct translation, and explanations. Then one has to self-study with patience. Still numerous doubts and troubles crop up in the path. Where would the enquirer turn to for help? Luckily the Kanchi Kamakoti site has some of the finest “Benediction Discourses” by Paramacharya. There we come across valuable advice and guidance. Sri Ramana (maharishi) reiterates many times thus: “Here, in this context and matter, what we have to do is this. Normally we accumulate knowledge and skills. But here we ‘dis-cover’; we remove the set of layered beliefs. Like peeling away the onion layers. The effulgent self needs no support, needs no further explanation or elaboration. So, all the books, scriptures, and commentaries merely give us a partial map to (towards) the truth. At one point even Sri Ramana agreed all this amounts to burdensome baggage – which eventually gets discarded (unloaded) on the way. So, one need not get discouraged by sheer ignorance or lack of scholarship!

Sri Shanmukha Sarma brings wit and acerbic humor to his discourses. But his respect, love, and care for the audience is boundless. Why would anyone travel thousands of miles and give extended discourses in USA? Why? Why would anyone miss the creature comforts and homely meals? All for imparting the essence of Bhagavad-Gita slokas? Sri Shanmukha Sarma is a devout Lalita devotee and an extraordinary lyrical poet. His songs on Siva are marvelous and they melt anyone who can fully understand Sanskrit and Telugu phrases. There are nine ways to pay our devotion to Narayana. One of the easiest methods is to patiently listen to the narration of Ramayana or Srimad-Bhagavatam. And then slowly meditate on the subtle message and meaning therein. In this present day we are lucky to have such extraordinary scholarly exponents in our midst. Many of the routine doubts get evaporated like the foggy curtain upon the first ray of sun! Sri Shanmukha Sarma can be called as the “great synthesizer” of Hindu thought. A thought, rather an insight so original, so ancient, so liberating, and so profound – it is worth meditating outside time. (Copyright 2023 by the author) 

"Sama gana lole" Song

Ragam: Hindolam

Talam: Rupaka

saamagaana lOlae salalita guNa dhyaanae aMba 

sOmabiMba vadanae nisseema mahima charaNae 

saamaja mRdu gadanae kaama daana nipuNae 

kOmalaaM(LaaM)gi kaamaeSvara vaamabhaaga sadanae 

naama (raama) bhajita saadhu jana paapakooTa madanae 

taamasaadi guNa kalpita taapatraya Samanae 

daevadayaa rasa poorita daama kamala nayanae   

साम गान लोले सललित गुण ध्याने अम्ब 

सोमबिम्ब वदने निस्सीम महिमा चरणे 

सामज मृदु गदने काम दान निपुणे 

कोमलङ्गि कामेश्वर वामभाग सदने 

नामभजित साधु जन पाप कूट मदने 

तामसादि गुण कल्पित तापत्रय शमने 

देवदया रस पूरित दाम कमल नयने   

సామగాన లోలే సలలిత గుణ ధ్యానే అంబ 

సోమబింబ వదనే నిస్సీమ మహిమ చరణే 

సామజ మృదు గదనే కామ దాన నిపుణే 

కోమలాం(ళాం)గి కామేశ్వర వామభాగ సదనే 

నామ (రామ) భజిత సాధు జన పాపకూట మదనే 

తామసాది గుణ కల్పిత తాపత్రయ శమనే 

దేవదయా రస పూరిత దామ కమల నయనే 

(I give the lyrics in Telugu and Sanskrit for the benefit of north and south Indian music fans. The transliteration (generated by Lekhini) in English will be of help to the modern person not fully conversant with the Indian languages. Sri G. N. Balasubramaniam was a musician's musician. He was a great composer too and his poetic genius shows up in his creations. I learnt this song from Smt. M. L. Vasantakumari, one of his brilliant disciples. If my memory is correct I remember one interesting fascinating fact about MLV - she rarely rehearsed songs before the public performances.

The reader can understand the meaning if she knows a bit of Sanskrit. For in-depth exploration one can seek the help of Sri Lalita Sahasranamam and its excellent commentaries. I'll give the audio links in a later update. Copyright 2023 by the author)

  

"ne pogada kunte" A Tyagaraja Kirtana

రాగం: దేశ్యాది తోడి 

తాళం :  ఝంప

నే పొగడ కుంటే నీ కేమి కొదవో? (వూ)

నీ మనసు తెలిసె గదరా ఓ రామ (శ్రీ రామ)

ప్రాపుగల శుక సనక ప్రహ్లాద నారద

పరమేశ రుద్రాది భక్తులర్చింపగ

భుజియింప బెట్ట సతి, బుధులు సామాజికులు 

భజియింప సోదరులు పవన సూను(డు)  -

డజ (అజ) బిడౌజాది సురలాప్తు లైనారు; నీ 

రజ నాయన శ్రీ త్యాగరాజానుత! బాలుడగు (నే)

raagaM: daeSyaadi tODi 

taaLaM :  jhaMpa

nae pogaDa kuMTae nee kaemi kodavO? (voo)

nee manasu telise gadaraa O raama (Sree raama)

praapugala Suka sanaka prahlaada naarada

paramaeSa rudraadi bhaktularchiMpaga

bhujiyiMpa beTTa sati, budhulu saamaajikulu 

bhajiyiMpa sOdarulu pavana soonu(Du)  -

Daja (aja) biDaujaadi suralaaptu lainaaru; nee 

raja naayana Sree tyaagaraajaanuta! baaluDagu (nae)

(I came to know about this kirtana from a cassette. Must have bought it either in Andhra Pradesh or in US. Dr. Balamuralikrishna gave a flawless rendition of every phrase. Here the composer is directly asking Sri Rama thus: "What do you lose if I don't praise You? Do you miss or lack anything due to my omission (of act)? You know very well the facts. The sages like Suka, Sanaka, Prahlada, Narada, etc., they all are extolling you. And Siva and Rudras are there too in the gathering." The next stanza becomes a bit complex to decipher, but we will explore the details later. Finally Tyagaraja says - "I am just a little boy compared to all other devotees". So, Rama, please disregard my faults. If I cannot attend to You, if I cannot sing and praise Your qualities - it's alright. There are thousands of celestials and sages who constantly sing melodious songs on You. I am just an insignificant entity in that august company!)