R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
Organization: Special Frontier Force-Establishment No. 22-Vikas Regiment
PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI – A FLAME THAT GOT EXTINGUISHED
THE BATTLE OF WORDS – GETTING KILLED IS DIVINE
THE BATTLE OF WORDS – MAN vs WOMAN
If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, the exchange of words could escalate into open warfare. Women while initiating conversation with men begin in the mode of interrogation. Women tend to open up with a sharp question. Some questions that are often asked are; Who are you?, What have you been doing?, Where have you been?, and What else? When questioned by a female partner, men tend to give straight, and short answers. Women never get impressed by brief and matter of fact statements. While men try to use a specific word to project a specific image associated with that word, women are adept in interpreting that word using an alternate image. Women’s zeal to prolong the conversation is often motivated by a desire to probe the man further. When the grilling begins, man relents, starts using words of endearment with his responses to defuse the situation and to take cover. Once the Battle of Words begins, women tend to remain focussed on the battle as long as they have the ammunition. Women ignore all words of endearment used by the men as they view it as a distraction and fear that they may not be able to accomplish their mission of winning the Battle of Words. The inhabitants of Venus would not stop until a total victory is firmly grasped. Man, specially the Most Auspicious One, not only is willing to accept a defeat but also lovingly chooses to get killed in the duel of words. Getting killed is Divine when the Battle of Words involves your female life partner.
THE BATTLE OF WORDS BETWEEN THE “FIRST COUPLE”
Parvati : Kastvam? = Who are You?
Shiva: Shuli = The one with “TRIDENT”, the bearer of a Spear.
Parvati: Mrugaya bheshajam = ( Go and ) Find medicine.
Parvati pays no attention to the tradition that allows men to identify themselves by the personal weapon they carry. Lord Vishnu is often identified as “CHAKRI” for He uses “Sudarshan Chakra” as His personal weapon. People who worship Lord Shiva recognize Him as the bearer of “TRISHULA” or “TRIDENT”, a Spear. Parvati ignores the image attached to the word “Shuli” and uses an alternate meaning attached to the word “Shuli”. The word “Shula” is a disease entity which is characterized by stomach ache. She interprets “Shuli” as a person with a disease entity called “Shula” and hence She very mockingly suggests to Lord Shiva to go and find some medicine for His stomach ache.
Shiva: Priye + Aham + Neela KantaH = My Most Beloved, I am the One with Dark Blue Neck.
Lord Shiva ignores Parvati’s mocking suggestion to find medicine, and very politely responds with the word “Neela KantaH” which is often used to describe Him. As per the legend, Lord Shiva had protected the world from being consumed by a dangerous poisonous gas called “Hala Hala” and had safely retained it in His throat and the deadly poison had imparted a dark blue color to His throat and contributed to His name and He is very popularly known as “Neela KantaH”.
Parvati: Kekaam + Yekaam + Kuru = ( You ) Shout loudly (with Your “CROWING” voice) once.
Parvati not only avoids identifying Lord Shiva as “Neelkanth” but also She challenges Him to give a demonstration of His voice. Birds are very often identified by their unique bird calls or songs. The Indian Blue Peacock utters a long mournful scream . Parvati is unwilling to look at Lord Shiva’s throat and identify Him as “Neela KantaH” and She challenges Him to verify His identity through a demonstration of the quality of the sound that comes from His throat.
Shiva: Pasupati = The Lord of all four legged creatures; the Lord of all living entities.
Lord Shiva is not provoked by Parvati’s suggestion to give a demonstration of His voice by giving a loud call. He very politely gives Her a different answer and identifies Himself as the Lord of all creatures and He rides a Bull known as “Nandi”.
Parvati : Naiva + drushtey + vishaaney = ( I am ) Not able to see the Horns.
Parvati makes a literal interpretation of the word “Pasupati” which means a bull and responds to Lord Shiva with a bit of sarcasm commenting that She is not able to find the Horns, a very characteristic feature of a bull.
Shiva: O’ + Mugdha (y) + Sathanur = O’ Sweet faced One, I am “Immovable”.
Lord Shiva is very patient, does not argue about the meaning of the word “Pasupati,” and tactfully changes the subject and speaks of His Personal Quality with which people identify Him. He is famously known for His Steadfastness and the word “Sthanu” signifies this personality trait and character. He also demonstrates no signs of irritation in His manner of speech and He very carefully chooses His words and responds to Parvati with a compliment about Her beautiful face which is full of charm and youthful exuberance.
Parvati: Na + vadati + taruH = A ‘tree’ cannot speak ! ( How could a ‘tree’ talk ? )
Parvati shows no interest in evaluating Lord Shiva’s character and steadfastness and interprets the word “Sthanu” in a very simple manner and further comments that if the description of “Sthanu” is correct; She will not expect to hear any words as the trees are not endowed with the faculty of speech.
Shiva: Jeevitesa + Shivaya = ( I am ) the Life Partner of Parvati.
Lord Shiva uses His final and ultimate weapon in this Battle of Words. The word ” SHIVA” also relates to “Parvati”. By claiming that He is the Life Partner of Parvati, Lord Shiva intends to charm Her with His words and yet the same time give an appropriate response to Her question of “KASTVAM” with which She has initiated this Battle of Words.
Parvati: Gachha + Atavyaam = Run to the forest.
The alternate meaning of the word “Shiva” is Jackal. Parvati who is fully focussed upon winning the Battle of Words is not in a mood to succumb to the magic of Lord Shiva’s endearing words. Parvati amply demonstrates Her adeptness in interpreting words as per the circumstances of the Battle. Jackals are very timid animals. They simply run away when they are challenged by voice. Parvati taunts Lord Shiva and tells Him to run to the forest for He has called Himself a Jackal by using the word “Shiva” to describe His Identity.
Iti Hatha Vachah paatu va Chandra ChuudaH = The Lord whose hair locks are adorned by the Crescent-shaped Moon, who is thus killed in the Battle of Words may protect me.
The Lord has chosen not to win the Battle of Words. Ordinary mortals should not even attempt to succeed in such a Battle of Words. Following the Lord’s example, the men of Mars must choose to get killed in a Battle of Words granting victory to the women of Venus.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970.
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The Phantoms of Chittagong – A story from the Chittagong Hill Tracts
LEE FALK’S PHANTOM:
Leon Harrison Gross, popularly known as Lee Falk had created the comic strip superhero ‘The Phantom, The Ghost Who Walks’. The story of Phantom was initially set in the deep woods of Bengal of India. Later, the setting of the story moved to the jungles of the fictional African country of Bangalla. In that story, the true nature of Phantom is only known to the PYGMY tribe, the natives of the forest.
THE PHANTOMS OF CHITTAGONG: THE FIFTH ARMY IN BANGLADESH
Allied Publishers of India had published this book on April 1, 1985. The author of this Phantom fiction is Major General(Retd)Sujan Singh Uban. He had commanded the Special Frontier Force in the rank of Inspector General. In his story, General Uban narrated the military exploits of the Special Frontier Force during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. General Uban was deputed to carry out a hazardous operation in Chittagong Hill Tracts. His force was airlifted to the northeast corner of India and had reached the border of Mizoram State and had proceeded on foot to accomplish its mission. The force had operated independently in the most difficult terrain of Chittagong Hill Tracts.
For the success of this operation, General Uban was awarded the medal for distinguished service of exceptional order known as ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’ ( PVSM). Just like the ‘bush people’ of the forests of Bangalla know the true nature of PHANTOM, the native forest dwellers of the Chittagong Hill Tracts described as ‘CHAKMA’ know the true nature of the Phantoms, the ‘Fifth Army’ in Bangladesh. The Chakmas have eyes that can see. They had silently witnessed the movements of the Fifth Army. General Uban may not have contacted these denizens of the forests. He may have no clue as to what the Chakma might have seen. In the execution of General Urban’s military plan some of the Phantoms, gallant members of the Fifth Army sacrificed their lives. General Uban was not present when the real heroes were cremated or buried. Apart from myself, I presume that the Chakma might have seen where the ‘Phantoms of Chittagong’ were buried.
THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY:
General Uban in his book did not describe the full story about his military expedition to Bangladesh. He did not describe the Medical Evacuation Plan for his operation.
In the history of the Indian Army Medical Corps, a unique chapter was added in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts. It would be my privilege to narrate that historical moment. General Uban may not be aware of the fact that I had actually marched into enemy territory without my personal weapon to defend myself.
General Uban was not aware of the ‘SERMON’ delivered by Lieutenant Colonel B K Narayan, my South Column Unit Commander in Kaptai. On Friday, December 17, 1971 morning, the religious worship service for Bangla Muslims of Kaptai was conducted by Colonel Narayan, a non-Muslim. I shared this story at my blog post titled ‘A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh’.
A Sermon in Kaptai, Bangladesh Ops 1971-72. A personal tribute to Colonel B K Narayan, Islamic Scholar who served in Olive Green Uniform. The Imam of Friday Prayer in Kaptai on December 17, 1971: Glorious Quran, Surah VIII, SPOILS OF WAR, Verse 01: “And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah.Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower.”
General Uban was not aware of the use of Telugu language in military radio communications during a crucial phase of our Unit’s encounter with the enemy. Our enemy was not in a position to comprehend a South Indian language like Telugu. Myself and Colonel Narayan took advantage of the language barriers and had openly communicated in Telugu language. The enemy might have intercepted and listened to our radio conversations but did not decipher our messages. During 1971 War, for brief moments, the airwaves in Chittagong Hill tracts had carried words spoken in Telugu.
General Uban is entitled to take credit for his military plan. However, the real credit goes to the person who had executed the plan on the ground. Lieutenant General T S Oberoi, PVSM, VrC who was the General Officer Commanding – in – Chief at Headquarters Southern Command, Pune during 1982-85 should get the real credit. I knew General Oberoi. In 1971, he was a Brigadier. While I was heading to Kumbhigram airfield, he had personally seen me off in the early morning hours at Sarsawa airfield. He delayed the departure of the aircraft. He insisted that the men must be served a hot breakfast before boarding the plane. I remember him for his sense of devotion to the men he had commanded. He displayed this devotion in his actions and the manner in which the military plan was executed on the ground. Rajiv Gandhi. the Prime Minister of India had simply overlooked his merit and had denied him the opportunity to serve the nation as the Chief of Army Staff. I had also served under General K S Sundarji at the First Armoured Division. In my blog post titled ‘Living Under The Shadow – A Prescription For Death’ dated June 22, 2009, I wrote that I could not perform the simple task of medical evacuation when I was called to attend upon his ailing wife. Whereas while serving under the Command of Brigadier Oberoi, in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts, I had written a new Chapter in the History Books of the Indian Army Medical Corps. Based upon that story, I ask the Government of India to award me the Gallantry Award Vir Chakra that was recommended but not presented. A gallantry award is not the equivalent of winning a lottery ticket. The award is only a recognition of a past event that had taken place. History cannot be rewritten. Apart from the Citation recommending me for this decoration, my Annual Confidential Report for the year 1971, Colonel Iqbal Singh’s Remarks on my application for Direct Permanent Commission – AMC Examination held in 1972 are part of the documents archived at Ministry of Defence, New Delhi. My actions in Chittagong Hill Tracts were witnessed by Bangla Muslim refugees who had accompanied us and more interestingly by a young Chakma man who had silently observed me while I cared and comforted the battle casualties. I am happy to narrate this Untold Story. Kindly view my Blog Post:
I want to express my sense of appreciation and give my warmest regards to Mr. Siddique Ahmed who served at Karnaphuli Complex at Chandraghona near Kaptai and had joined our Unit during the execution of Operation Eagle. I thank him for sharing his comments on this post.
R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Service Number: MS-8466, Rank: CAPTAIN, Branch: Army Medical Corps/Short Service Regular Commission,
Designation: Medical Officer, South Column Operation Eagle, 1971-72,
Organization: Headquarters Establishment No. 22 C/O 56 APO.
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MRITYUNJAYA-THE VICTORY OVER DEATH
The ancient Vedic Book of Rig Veda, in a hymn known as Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, expresses a very unique idea or concept about conquering death. Man is a mortal being. Just like a fully ripened fruit falls off from a tree, a man ripe in age, even when not afflicted by any disease or sickness, would encounter natural physical death.
The hymn suggests that a man can become ‘immortal’ and could conquer physical death by simply severing his psychological attachment to his own life. This act of cutting attachments to free oneself to secure victory over physical death is compared to the act of harvesting Cucumbers.
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ABOUT BHAVANAJAGAT
Welcome to Bhavanajagat and I invite you to read my page ‘About Bhavanajagat’ and get introduced to my ideas and thoughts which also describe my Indian Identity.”I am Consciousness, therefore I am” is my proposition to examine the status of man in nature, to understand human condition, to explain human existence, and to derive further truths. My physical condition in the material world may not describe my true identity. In the Indian Tradition, we are encouraged to think of Identity in relationship to an unchanging ‘Ultimate Reality’. At the same time, every idea, and thought that were expressed in the Land of India are firmly associated with the physical geography of the Land. I currently live in Ann Arbor, Michigan and when I look up towards the sky and find the Sun, I recognize the Sun as Vyomanatha and as one who traverses across ‘Vindhya Veedhi’, a path that traverses the Vindhya Mountains of India.When I see the Huron River that flows through the City of Ann Arbor, it instantly reminds me of the rivers such as Godavari, and Ganga that flow across the Land of India. Kindly share your ideas and thoughts in the spirit of Rig Vedic statement which reflects the idea of receiving noble thoughts from all directions. Please use the Hyperlink to view the page; ‘ABOUT BHAVANAJAGAT’.
https://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/about
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S. Class of April, 1970.
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A PRAYER TO GANESHA
- Decorated Indian elephant. The Zoomorphic form of Lord Ganesha is derived from the face of Asiatic/Indian Elephant. It provides a very interesting concept about finding Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the performance of human actions by simply meditating upon this face which gives the mental composure and removes obstacles in performing actions. Photo Credit:Faraz Usmani, Said&Done’s Photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/faraz27989/315075930/
Sri Vakra Tunda Mahaa kaaya,
Koti Surya Sama Prabhaa,
Nir vighnam Kuru me Deva,
Subha karyeshu Sarvada.
I seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha in all of my actions that intend to promote my well-being or help in promoting the well-being of others.
While reflecting upon Lord Ganesha it is important to understand the ‘zoomorphic’ form represented in Indian Culture. He is popularly known as the God with Elephant’s head. There are two species of elephants. Elephas maximus is native to India and Southeastern Asia. Loxodonta africana, the second elephant species is known as the African elephant. The ears of the Indian elephant are considerably smaller than those of the African elephant which has large ears with a flatter head.Indian elephants are extensively used as ceremonial animals and are also widely drafted for a variety of purposes. African elephant is never used as a ceremonial animal and used as a draft animal to a very small extent. Lord Ganesha cannot be portrayed with the head of an African elephant. He cannot be depicted with two tusks. He has one tusk and it could only resemble the tusk of an Indian elephant. The long, flexible snout known as ‘trunk’ of Ganesha must always show a bend in its curvature and is never depicted straight and hence the hymn identifies Him as “VAKRA TUNDA”. Some European artists who had no clue about the differences between the two elephant species had depicted Lord Ganesha with the head of an African elephant. The Lord is connected to the Land of India and only the Indian elephant has the honor to represent His zoomorphic form.
Please also read the related blog post titled ‘ A prayer to Lord Ganesha for success with humility’
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S., Class of April, 1970
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Living under the Shadow – The Shadow of Almighty
Sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, the family of Daisy Flowers, need full Sun to grow well and to bloom. Sunflower plants do not thrive if planted under the shade or shadow of large plants or trees. The human existence is conditioned and it thrives when the man lives under the shadow of Almighty even when the man enjoys the Life under the Sun.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The Old Testament, Psalms, Psalm 91:1
The Book of Psalms further states:
“I will say of the LORD. He is my refuge and my fortress:
My God: in Him I will trust.”
Psalm 1, verse 3 gives the hope and the promise for seeking trust in God:
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
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Defining Indian Identity – Life under the Shadow
Sunflowers cannot bloom and thrive well when under shade or shadow. Whereas the Indian tradition teaches that a woman requires the shadow or shade of protection during her entire life time.
Shadow gives us protection or shelter from external danger. In India, women before their marriage live under the shadow of their fathers. After marriage, women are expected to live under the shadow of their husbands. And if the woman loses her husband, she lives under the shelter and protection of her son. Indian tradition demands that a married woman should be subjected to live under the shadow of influence or domination or protection provided by her husband. Very often, women love to bask under the glory of the position, the status, and the power wielded by their husbands. But, living under shadow should not endanger the very existence of the individual who is seeking the protection. Indian traditions stood in the way of the Battle for Life in an unfortunate story which I witnessed in 1978. Kindly read about the Battle of Life vs Death, the blog post is titled “Living Under the Shadow – A Prescription for Death.”
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Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam
- Adi Shankaracharya – Instructs us to seek the Mercy, the Compassion, and the grace of Lord Govinda to get to the Shore, to complete a Journey known as ‘Samsara’.
Human existence faces challenges from several directions. The nature of man’s existence is conditioned and man has no alternative other than that of seeking the protection of LORD God. The sweet name of Govinda is the ultimate refuge when man is checkmated and has no way to escape from dangers threatening his life.
Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam,
Govindam bhaje muuda matey,
Sampraapte sannihitey kaaley,
Nahi, Nahi rakshate ‘Du krun kariney’.
Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,
Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,
M.B.B.S. Class of April, 1970.
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The Law of Individuality
A colony of genetically identical E. coli bacteria is actually a mob of individuals.
Understanding Individuality:
Dr. Michael Elowitz, Physicist at California Institute of Technology has conducted experiments on colonies of genetically identical (clones) E. coli bacteria under identical conditions and discovered that they behave in different ways.
The key to understanding E. coli’s fingerprints is to recognize that the bacteria are not simple machines. Unlike wires and transistors, E. coli’s molecules are floppy, twitchy and unpredictable. In an electronic device, like a computer or a radio, electrons stream in a steady flow through the machine’s circuits, but the molecules in E. coli jostle and wander. When E. coli begins using a gene to make a protein, it does not produce a smoothly increasing supply. It spurts out the proteins in fits and starts. One clone may produce half a dozen copies of a protein in an hour, while a clone right next to it produces none.
Michael Elowitz, a physicist at Caltech, put these bursts on display in an elegant experiment. He and his colleagues incited E. coli to produce its proteins for feeding on lactose. Dr. Elowitz and his colleagues added extra genes to the bacteria so that when they made lactose-digesting proteins, they also released light.
The bacteria, Dr. Elowitz found, did not produce a uniform glow. They flickered, sometimes brightly, sometimes dimly. And when Dr. Elowitz took a snapshot of the colony, it was not a uniform sea of light. Some microbes were dark at that moment while others shone at full strength.
At the very least, E. coli’s individuality should be a warning to those who would put human nature down to any sort of simple genetic determinism. Living things are more than just programs run by genetic software. Even in minuscule microbes, the same genes and the same genetic network can lead to different fates.
The bacteria have fingerprints of their own and even when they share the same genome, they could still be identified as individuals.
The Law of Individuality:
I propose the Law of Individuality which governs all the living entities. Either with the same and identical genome or with different genomes, all living organisms have no choice other than that of living as ‘Individuals’. The genes and the genetic codes function in accordance with the Law of Individuality. While the genetic structural organization is the same, there is functional variability due to factors over which the organism has no control. I describe Individuality as a Trade Mark. It is the characteristic of a biological entity. Genes and the genetic codes are the tools that an organism uses to express its Individuality. Each organism assembles its own kind of protein molecules to define its identity and to defend its existence in the natural world. The concept of Biological Individual and Individuality has to be always defined in the context of the Individual’s relationship with its own Body, Social Group, Society, Time, and the Environment in which the Individual finds the reality of its own Existence.
