Morning Circus

The schools have started again and the traffic is all over the place. It has once again gotten busy in the mornings. Like at mine, the Morning hustle-bustle similar to a circus must have begun at several homes. It’s quite a sight in the mornings to see half-asleep kids being hurried into the buses as early as 6.30 AM. Will it not be better to start elemenatary school a bit later, say at 8.30? I wonder. More kids will then eat a healthier breakfast. 
One day, amidst all the morning circus, my little one  asked – Mama, Why shouldn’t I be a bird or a butterfly? I wouldn't have to go to school. I will be so free, so happy! I wouldn’t have to wake up so early.

This is indeed a serious question especailly as it was asked by a 5 year old at 5.45 in the morning. Hence I gave it some thought. I want to tell my little one:

Aridhu aridhu manidarai pirathal aridhu,

adhaninum aridhu goon, kurudu, sevidu pedu neengi, pirathal aridhu,

nyanamum kalviyum nayathal aridhu,  dhanamum dhanamum seivadharidhu.

The above means – “To be born a human is most venerable;  even more revered is to be born as a human without goon (hump on the back), blindness, deafness or sickness. This is because humans have the freewill to seek knowledge, to learn and to have the ability to do dhanam (charity/help others)”

There is a also nice saying with similar intent in the 3^rd chapter of Bhagvadh Gita:

mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi

sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā

nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā

yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ

The above is one of the most important verses on Karma Yoga, which is based on 5 principles :

1)  Adhyatma Cetasa – Humans have the ability to choose and pursue spiritual goals.They can choose: To take a bigger perspective of life and to be peaceful. To know the difference between Atma and Anatma, Nithya and Anithya. To think and prioritise things such as service to mankind over the daily run of the mill in life, and to choose spiritual happiness over materialistic happiness.

Often misconstrued is the meaning of ‘To be peaceful’. This does not mean one has to renounce all actions and becomes a saint. Infact the scriptures laud the people who are active in the world, yet practice Karmayoga. Karma means ‘Action’ and yoga means ’Attitude’. Thus doing the right action with the right attitude is the gist of the 2 words given above.

2)  Mayi sarvani karmani – Right action is a huge subject – what does right action mean? there are several chapters that talk about this subject in the scriptures. The simplest definition is to do things that will not prick our conscience – i.e. to do actions that will not disturb our peace and does not become the reason to wake up at night. It is said that even a thief knows that stealing is a wrong deed. He hears the inner voice, however quashes it. Do not quash your inner voice, listen and act rightfully. And dedicate these actions to God.

3)  Nirāśīr – is to be free from hankering for the rewards of the actions. This means to do actions ‘with’ happiness rather than ‘for’ happiness, and to let go of worrying (about results). Worrying is not a deliberate action – it is a sign of not being in control. Again do not confuse with Planning – Planning is a good thing –  we should plan for right actions and for rightful goals. Mahatma Gandhi had rightful goals, so did Mother Terasa. Having a goal and planning for it is a good thing,  but worrying is not a good thing. 

4)  Nirmamo – in simple terms means to be humble. Humility is the greatest virtue and nirmamah means to be without a sense of Ego.To denounce the ‘I did it!’ attitude on getting success and to look at things in a humble and understanding manner.

5)  Vigata-jvaraḥ – To perform without a sense of grief.  This has a slightly deeper connotation. To have a equanimous  and balanced attitude towards deeds. To have a 'Work is worship' attitude and to love the work one has to do. In spite of the work not being in line with one’s Swabava (liking). In case you do the work you love, you are double blessed, otherwise love the work you do.

It is said that these principles will help us understand why it is better off being a human than a bird.

I want to tell my little one all of the above. However, I realise the timing may not be right. Hence I pack his school bag and hurry him into the bus. As the bus drives away and his gleamng eyes go past me, I ponder what Gandhiji said.

"The best way to find you is to lose yourself in the service of others", said the Mahatma.

This note is for all the moms and dads who do the Morning Circus!

Adieu

Incredible Teens

When I was a teenager, the best display at my school science exhibition was that of a wind turbine model. Now a days Teens do amazing things - they have built working models of cars, planes, created bio-plastic from banana peels, written hundreds of mobile apps etc. Their access to information, ideas, images and sounds is unimaginably huge and is without any precedent.

Yet it appears, Teens are doing 2 things simultaneously - they are growing up way too fast on one hand and on another they are not growing up at all. The tween to teen transition seems to equally tough on the parent and the Teen. The sweet child who would cuddle on my arms and hang around family members is undergoing changes both cognitively and behaviourally. There are several changes that a parent of a Teen can list - for example the increase in bbming, texting, surfing and calling friends is equally compensated by his/her decreased communication with family members.

I think the point here is that we, the people around the Teen (as parents, teachers, neighbours, friends) do not change our behavior towards them. This is because Teens still depend a great deal on family and friend in spite of their assertion for independence. Though they appear to have become less caring and less communicative, we should strive to understand them and talk to them as much as possible. Often, the reason for their angst is imprudent and is of miniscule significance in the vast landscape of life that beckons them ahead. Yet these small issues appear as larger than life problems in front of them. It will be easier if we acknowledge the concern as they visualize it (and not to write it off with our experience), listen and provide guidance in a manner their mind can make sense of it. The crux obviously is to talk and to gain their confidence.

Neurologists say the assertion and moodiness of teenagers is apparently due to their developing brain cells which are slightly out of sync. "The brakes become functional somewhat later than the accelerator" - Apparently the limbic system (the emotional seat of the brain) develops faster than the prefrontal cortex (rational seat) and the brain can be out of sync for up to 5 years during the teen years.

As a parent, teacher or friend - the cognizance that the tough exterior a Teen portrays is a wrap over a very vulnerable, sensitive inner self may help us provide the right support. Towards building a strong sense of self confidence and righteousness in the Teen as they transform into becoming future citizens of the world.

There is an interesting connect with Vedanta on the above subject - comforting the distressed and the "student" in particular has been acknowledged as one of the Panchamaha Yagnas (5 Selfless Services) in Vedanta. Perhaps the plight of a Teen/ Student has not changed much over the course of 5000 years!

The 5 Yagnas (Selfless services) are as follows.

1.    Bhoota-Yagna - This is the service to the plants, trees, birds, animals, insects and the environment by and large. Watering trees, providing food to birds and animals and being kind to them is a noble service recognized as a maha (great) Yagna (service).

2.    Manusha-Yagna - Service to humanity and society is a great service and is the only way to distribute happiness and wealth to others. It is said that one should spend a part of his earnings  in charity and social service. Service to the poor and needy, comforting distressed people and students have a special reference here.

3.    Brahma-Yagna - Learning scriptures, understanding and practicing the stated and teaching others.

4.    Pitr-Yagna -  Prayers to parents, forefathers and ancestors as they are the reasons for a person's existence. Taking good care of parents and elders has a special reference here.

5.    Deva-Yagna - Any form of worship for inner purification, could be meditation, praying etc.

It is said that by performing the Panchamaha Yagnas (5 Selfless Services) every day, we will develop kindness, hatred/selfishness will vanish and the egoistic heart will soften and we will have a wider perspective of life.

 Cheers 

Action

The power of the choice of the common man became evident when a brand new kid in the bloc rallied against veteran bureaucrats and politicians and formed a government recently. This has re-kindled hopes in a billion people over the despondency created by scams, scandals, rising prices and corruption. Desperate to have a change & as a drowning man clutches a straw - people have univocally voted for change. The power of democracy resonates even after one and half centuries and reminds us of Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg words.
 

Much as voting is an action that a person has to exercise to see change, it does not guarantee the result he or she wishes for.

A famous couplet from the Geetha deals with actions and results.
 

Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana

Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhur: matey Sangostva Akarmani

The first quarter says A person has the choice of doing action - he has freewill - he can choose one action over other. This is the reason why people act differently in similar situations.

"Phaleshou adhikara kada chana Maam" - However, he or she does not have a choice on the results.
 

Though the verse is quite popular, this is supposedly the most misinterpreted verse.


There is a friend of mine who talks about this whenever he does not get the desired result - this is fate or this is god's will or there is a predetermined outcome - so why perform action?

I vote for a party - and when the results are announced and the party I voted for wins – I feel elated, I say "see, my vote mattered". What if the party did not win? -
here as well, my vote mattered, but there were other factors that mattered as well. Results are decided by my action but not by my action alone.

 

People had assembled for a Geetha class on a rainy evening. Just as the teacher started teaching the meaning of the above verse, there was an electricity failure and the microphone stopped working. When the power came back after a few minutes, the teacher said: "The desired action today is to take the Geetha class - so I have done my bit which is to come to the class. However I wouldn’t have taken the class if many of you had decided not to attend the class (due to the rain). Had you all come and had I not arrived, then too the desired results would not have been produced. Even if all of us attend but if the electricity fails, then too the desired result will not be produced. He continued, “To produce the desired result – your action is important. Your action contributes to the result but is not the sole determinant of the result".

 

 

Having freewill to act also means we act according to dharma. The basis of all beliefs are absolutely identical. The Hasshōdō of Japanese and the astanagamarga of Sanskrit or for that matter of any other belief is exactly the same - right action, right intention, right speech etc. The rituals followed may be different but the principles remain the same.
 

Whatever you do may be small (insignificant), but it is very important that you do it. - Mahatma Gandhi

Society does not go down because of the activities of criminals but because of the inaction of good people.  - Swami Vivekananda

Nidhidhyasanam

Nidhidyasanam is referenced in many areas in Vedanta, the reference here is from the great Brihadaraynaka Upanishad - widely acknowledged as the great forest of knowledge. This Upanishad is acknowledged as one of the major Upanishads and hosts some of the mahavakyas such as aham Brahmasmi, asato mā and pūrṇam adah.

There are 2 ways for gaining spirituality - one is to "know the truth" and the "other is to do "upasana" - Upasana in higher sense is taken as doing meditation.

Any learning happens through steps of hearing (sravanam), comtemplating (mananam) and meditation (nidhidyasanam). The starting phase of knowing the truth is to read the scriptures, and usually as these scriptures are deep in meaning, their meaning is best to be "heard or learnt" from a good teacher.

Shastra do not demand blind belief or acceptance of what is taught. The mode of inquiry, analysis, clarifying doubts and assumptions is  highly encouraged. This is broad what is covered in the mananam phase.

Brihadaraynaka Upanishad (2.4.5) - in this verse, Yajnavalkya tells Maitreyi: “The Self should be seen, heard, reflected on and contemplated upon. By seeing, listening, reflecting, and contemplating, all is known”.

ātmā vā are dṛṣtavyaḥ śrotravyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyo maitreyi
ātmano vā are darśanena śravaṇena matyā vijñānenedaṃ sarvaṃ viditam

Sravanam means listening to the Upanishads, Mananam is reflection on the content, and Nidhidhyasanam refers to the contemplative state which is induced by the verse.

The primary teaching method is a form of indirect implication of verses such as “tat tvam asi” (you are that, Chandogya Upanishad 7.8.7), “aham brahmasmi” (I am Brahmam, Brihadaranyaka 1.4.10) as taken up for study by the teacher.

According to classical Advaita, words have literal meanings (vacyartha) as well as implied meanings (lakṣyartha). The teacher dwells on the verse to draw attention to the secondary implied meaning, which puzzle the student’s mind, thereby stimulating them to negate their individuality and awaken themselves to the actual nature of the pervasive non-dual reality.

This is in contrast to some of the contemporary yoga schools where contemplation is emphasized and textual study is either absent or secondary  (do they teach the comtemplation of  the true meaning of Om/tat tvam asi? Adi Shankarar (8 A.D) says  the truth is clouded by inchoate worldly Karma and can be revealed only by listening and then contemplating the revelations given by the ancient texts). In all Vedic Vidya principles, textual study and contemplation go together.

According to the contemporay Advaiti Swami Dyananda Saraswathi, the reading of the sacred texts during the lectures automatically induces Nidhidhyasana. 

Few golden nuggets from the Brihadaraynaka Upanishad  before closing this blog.

Ōm pūrṇam adah, pūrṇam idam, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate;
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvasisyate.
Ōm Śāntih! Śāntih! Śāntih! 
This invocatory verse from bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad emphasises about the non dual reality as follows  -

That is Full; this is full. From the Full does the Full proceed.
After the coming of the Full from the full, the Full alone remains.
Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!

oṁ asato mā sad gamaya
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya
oṁ śānti śānti śāntiḥ – bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad 1.3.28

Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real,
Lead Us From Darkness To Light,
Lead Us From Death To Immortality,
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace!

 Man and women live in a peculiar situation, the intellect that can exercise the power of discrimination between the true self (and the external - such as attachment to body or wordly affairs) is under the influence of the very external world and gets constantly affected and drawn towards it.

quote the KatoUpanishad here --

Many (humans) are not fortunate to hear about the Truth (Self)
Others who have heard about it, may still not undersatnd it
He/she who speaks about it is gifted
More fortunate are those who contemplate about it
The most blessed is he who is able to Understand it when taught by a good teacher who knows that Brahmam

Having the understanding of truth will help conquer Raga (attachment), Dwesha (several meanings anger, hatred)  and Moha (desire) - thus promoting Internal Peace.

There was a cave which existed for millions of years - The interior of the cave had never ever witnessed a single streak of light.

On this occasion of Diwali, a lamp was lit in the cave. Just like the lamp dispelled darkness of the cave not slowly, but rather instantaneosly - let Sravanam, Mananam and Nishidyasanam  bring happiness and peace to One and All.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. 

Shravanam, Mananam, Nidhidyasanam

Everything looked dwarfed by the mighty Himalayas, The scale of the height was magnanimous, frightening and slightly beyond comprehension. Horses looked like ants and people were almost invisible. The sight of people walking on the frozen Sindhu river was extraordinary. The mighty river even though is more than 300 feet wide, appeared as a white, thin, long and winding shoe-lace.

We had perhaps visited one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Yet  there was a small concern - what should have been capitalised and grown as a major tourism hub appeared sparsely populated during our visit. Some of the stunning places such as the dal lake wore a deserted look. As a matter of fact, we did not spot another boat on the huge 22 sq kms lake. A few shopkeepers and Shikara rowers looked at us curiously and one man complimented us on our courage. A person had a concerned look when he asked if we were journalists, people who had come without a choice i.e. for livelihood purposes.

The glory of the country, the untapped potenial, it's great culture on one hand - and on the other hand the cynicism - 'nothing will change', pot-holes, poverty, corruption and bureaucracy. This is a dichotomy that begs a serious concern. Whilst the world is capitalising on yoga, curry and the brain-power of us, at home we are embrolied in shameless selfish  hoarding scams and being least bothered to look beyond the I.

Had the government departments and the society at large done their jobs right, we would be in a better position in inviting external investment at this juncture.

However pointing issues is one thing , and participating in the resolution is another - The latter is more fruitful and hence it's better to try to fix and contribute at our own levels - without minding how small the fix/contribution will be.

Unnuvatho oru pudi, Uduputho Naangu Mozaham, Ennuvatho 80 Kodi

This means - you cannot eat more than a fist of food, you cannot wear more than 4 feet of clothes, but you aspire for 80 crores?

How Much Land Does a Man Need? is one of the best short stories by Leo Tolstoy. This is about a peasant called Pakhom who could own as much land as he could walk between sunrise and sunset. The condition was that he had to reach the starting point by sunset. The peasant got greedy and covered a large distance of land, however he had walked off too far away from the starting point. He then ran so fast to return to the strating point, that he fell dead exhausted! Tolstoy says - Greed leads to suffering. Pakhom was then buried in a 6 feet grave. Thus Tolstoy answered the question in the title in an ironic manner. 

Let's now check about the title of this blog, Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhidhasanam  which is an extract from the 6th chapter of Chandhogya Upanishad.

Shravanam means to listen/analyse and understand the simple truth - the Truth of detachment- the Truth of being simple and modest, the Truth of not hoarding beyond what is required, the Truth of being useful to the society and humankind. It is further explained that it is best to get to know about this simple (but absolute) truth through a Guru.

There is a small story in the Upanishad to illustrate this point. There was a rich man who lived in Kandhahar (now Afghanistan). Robbers attacked him, robbed him of this possessions, bound his hands, blindfolded him and took him to a faraway 'dense forest' and deserted him. The person shouted for help in all directions. One person who heard the shoutings - resuced him - he untied his hands and removed his blindfold. He then guided him him back to his homeland. The person reached his homeland after asking for the right direction in several villages on his way. This is the literary meaning (Vaatchiyartham). The inner meaning (Latchiyartham) is as follows. The pure Satvam is free flowing, happy and pure. It is bound by one's actions of paap-punya (good-bad deeds) and accordingly gets thrown into a dense forest whcih is analogous to the body. Once in the body, the Sat shouts for help - this represents the fact that we are not happy  inspite having riches and prosperity. There is always a seeking of inner peace. A Guru - (note who is himself not blindfoled and tied) provides the required guidance and leads the person to the understanding of the Truth. The understanding of he Truth will provide the required inner peace.

Mananam is the re-iteration and the following of the Jnana (the understanding) in real life. This understanding is vulnerable and if a person does not re-iterate the undersatnding time and again, there is a chance that he will go back to his dark days. It is said that the enchanting Maaya (refer the previous blog) that engulfs the world has the power to affect/nullify the understanding and hence push the person back to the dark olden days of selfishness, greed etc.

I will write about Nidhisyasanaam in my next blog. This is related to several subjects such as Meditation and hence deserves a separate blog.

The Earth has enough for everybody's need - but not for everybody's greed  said the Mahatma.

Cheers

Maaya

This poem in Sanskrit has a beautiful expression that stands out in Vivekachudamani, the crown jewel of Adi shankara's work on Vedanta. The meaning of this poem is said to be one of the best efforts to describe Maaya, the indescribable. 

Saanapya Sannapya Ubhayatmi Kano

Binnapya Binnapya Ubayatmi Kano

Sangapya Sangapya Ubayatmi Kano

Maha Adbhuta Anirvachar niya Rupa

Maaya is delusion, it is the wonderful world around that gets us engrossed in Arishadvarga — the six passions of mind or enemies of desire, kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride) and matsarya (jealousy), the negative characteristics which prevent human from realizing the Atman (Reality).

Maaya literally means (maa=not, ya=that, “Ya ma samaaya” – that which is not there, that is Maaya.

Maaya is described as most beautiful, indescribable (anirvacharniya), wonderful (maha adbutha) entity.

A funny story to explain the complicated subject - there was a wealthy king who was a terrible miser. Once when walking with his courtiers, he accidently slipped and fell into water. He started drowning and the people around him tried to save him. "Give me your hand", the courtiers shouted. He refused. His clever minister said "Take my hand". He immediately took the minister's hand and was saved. The minister then explained to the courtiers "don't you know our king does not like to give, he only takes? "

The story continues ... and ends with the saying that the moral is " An ignorant man hoards beyond his needs, a good man understands his true needs and shares the rest even when living".

The ignorant King in the above story was affected Maaya. Other people such as Gandhiji and mother Theresa understood the truth beyond the obvious and they offered their lives to the upliftment of others.

Others such as Bill Gates and Narayanmurthy who called it a day and set out to do something more meaningful, probably have also self-reaslised.

Unfortunate that we do not have time or willingness to self-reflect.

Maaya is the grand illusion that can be explained based one of the Mahavaakyas in Upanishads   -  Brahma satyam jagan mithya.

Will explain about this in my next blog,

The key message from the upanishads and Advaita is that of Brahman. Brahman is the word given to express "Oneness" - which is the universal and eternal. It is often mis-quoted as the name of an entity or God or some such thing, but Brahmam is a word that is used to define "oneness" of masnifestations, nothing beyond that.

So If Brahman is One only, without a second, how do we experience the manifold world? The answer from the literature reference is Maaya that "covers" the One and "projects" the Many. These are spoken of as the veiling power (avarnasakti) and the projecting power (vikshepasakti) of Maaya. The ignorant  (ignorance here which is used in a different context, the most intelligent and most learned is ignorant if not self-realised) gets affected and live entwined with it.

 This blog is dedicated to a friend who asked What was Maaya. He was going through "how did I believe this for so many years" syndrome. The short answer was that he was affected by Maaya like the rest of us.

 

Cupboard Fear

Thiruvalluvar glorifies rain as follows:

Kural 12

Thuppaarkkuth Thuppaaya Thuppaakkith Thuppaarkkuth
Thuppaaya Thooum Mazhai

(even a non Tamil speaker can distinguish the rhythm above. All couplets in the Thirukural are only 7 words long,  however each couplet is packed with depth of wisdom).

The meaning is as follows: Rain produces the food and the like for the world, it also serves as food (in the form of water), hence it benefits the world.

In the next couplet, Thiruvallur asks a question

Vinindru Poippin Virineer Viyanulakaththu
Ulnindru Utatrum Pasi?

What is the use of the four oceans circling the land? If the rain ceases to fall, the disease of hunger will stalk the world and torment all the living beings.

It had rained and the weather was perfect for a long walk with a friend and her son.  As the cool breeze was blowing, we treaded on an interesting topic about the friend’s 12 year old’s “cupboard fear”. When my friend wishes her son Goodnight before going to bed, her son would always request “to check if the cupboards were closed”. Though this appeared very innocuous, and we laughed off the cupboard fear, I wished to understand further. What was revealed was rather serious and is the topic of today’s blog with a special appeal to all parents out there.

After a few questions, the friend’s son said matter of factly , “This is because of Maggie, she would lock me in a closed cupboard and I’m still scared of cupboards”.
The reply was surprising, and I almost froze in my steps.

Who was Maggie? My friend recollected that she was the nanny of the day-school where her son spent his afternoons after coming back from school. Maggie picked the child from the school bus and according to my friend, was a good woman, kind and smiling.

 This made me solemn- several questions popping my mind at the same time, How long did he go to the playschool? For a year of so – between 4 and 5 years of age.  Why did she lock the child in the closet? Which cupboard? How many times? Why? And Why First of all is the child remembering about this even after 7 years? And second of all, Will he ever forget the incident? For how many years will this fear stay? Why didn’t the child tell the parents about his? Were there ways for the parent to find out about the ‘kind smiling woman’s action?

What started as a joking conversation had opened a huge can of questions.

Kural 61 states

Perumavatrul Yaamarivadhu Illai Arivarindha
Makkatperu Alla Pira

The greatest blessing of blessings to a person, in this world, is the blessing of a good progeny.

Valluvar  in Kural 67 

Thandhai Makarkaatrum Nandri Avaiyaththu
Mundhi Iruppach Cheyal

This means - The greatest responsibility of a parent is to ensure that the child is brought up in an environment that will make him a great scholar; a person who will be revered by wise men.

Vulnerability of children is oft debated topic – it refers to a child's capacity for self-protection. The human baby as compared to all other comparable species (such as the orangutan), is the most under developed at birth. It is estimated that it would take full 21 months for a human child to have the same neurological and cognitive development of a newborn chimpanzee. The newborns of four- legged animals such as cows and rabbits can move around within a few hours after birth, similar effort for a human baby can be achieved only after 10 to 12 months.

A Stanford univ report states that a newborn child sees the world in gray, black and white, and also can’t see anything that is more than 6 inches away. It seems babies see images upside down and only over time their brains turn the image right up. Documented evidence says children can’t estimate distance of objects from the eye properly. Of particular importance is its applicability such as when a child tries to cross the road –  a child (of even 5 or 6 years)  will perceive vehicles as being  is farther away than reality, because the eye sight is still developing.

The appeal hence is to be vigilant about children, they are equally vulnerable on the mental plane. Within this dynamic, children can be subject to intimidation, fear and emotional manipulation. Working parents find it inevitable to trust children’s safety with other people. Some factors that you may want to consider are age, physical and mental defenselessness of children when considering the environment.

As I and my friend try to track down Maggie at the day care centre (which is now closed) in vain, we hope no other child is subjected to dis-care by another Maggie in any part of the world. And that no other child will develop “cupboard fear”.

There are more insights on this topic, the intention here is to trigger a thought for the safety of children. Ending with a sweet Kural (66) dedicated to parenthood.

Kuzhal Inidhu Yaazhinidhu Enpadham Makkal
Mazhalaichchol Kelaa Thavar

"The pipe is sweet, the lute is sweet," say those who have not heard the music of their infant’s lisping lips.

Adieu