English translation of Panchtantra (the five ways). As of now, I am not able to read Sanskrit but translation suffices for the time being. :-)
Also I am not a literary scholar so can live with the imperfections and deviations from the original Sanskrit text that must be there due to limitations of the modern language. I also learnt that many Sanskrit terms have no equivalent in any of the modern languages like French, Gernam, English and Persian. To me that indicates that the translations will always remain imperfect from most of the Indian languages that derive from Sanskrit.
About the book, it is a collection of five sets of stories known to have been taught to sons of a king by his priest promising him that his sons will be able to follow the stories to survive the real world and if not, he may give up his name!
Just started to read so no major opinions but yes, the author has said that no other literary work has ever used such a plot and style to teach wisdom to the real world through stories that are mostly based on animals as characters.
One thing however I noticed that the translator has translated the names of characters literally, so you get names of kings as Powerful-Fighter and his clergymen named Increase and Thought etc. That sound tasteless whereas original name might be having some relevance to the nature of the character.
Well, some day I hope to read the original Sanskrit script as well. The language that has the most ancient and valuable literary work ever produced.
I go into the bed with Arthur W. Ryder's Panchtantra today. Good night.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Power shortage's impact on Punjab's progress
Lack of power. I mean the ACUTE lack of power and exceedingly high prices of power in Punjab are pushing everything towards a devastating situation. I will discuss impact on Industry, Education, Information Technology and Agriculture here.
I am into IT, had tough time coping with power cuts when I was studying, have friends from manufacturing industry and I belong to traditional Punjab. So I can relate to many problems that Punjabis are facing due to power shortage.
Please do justify the post by providing your frank opinions.
Industry:
Already fighting the inflation, rise in fuel prices, industrialists are forced to use Gensets which are far more costlier than electricity (which is again getting costly). Government forces the industrialists to reduce working hours in peak demand season while they have to pay the same price to labor and employees. Economy of production is also lost due to lesser productive hours. All these conditions lead to non profitable business, less paid (and unhappy) labor, unstable businesses and tough competition from the neighbor states and imports.
Education:
Although much much profitable venture, there is no direct impact except the students belonging to lesser privileged families who cannot afford/have alternative energy sources. In the hard-to-live months of summer and post-rains humid period, the lack comfort of even a fan poses enough distraction that the level of concentration goes down considerably. This especially applies to the students of higher education and the ones preparing for competitive examinations.
During the night hours, either students don't get enough sleep or enough time to do late study or enough distractions due to power failures that it is enough to impact the students from Punjab gearing up for National competitive exams.
Given the high number of daily hours of power cuts, the above facts cannot be deemed inconclusive at all.
Information Technology:
IT no doubt survives on power! The online systems and development tasks, services and international collaboration all depend on the devices/equipment that needs 100% power supply.
Lack of power gives Punjabi IT industry a major cost-challenge. Moreover, IT has very small share in India, let alone Punjab. Most of the IT business flows in from international arenas. Lack of continuous power leads to poorer service as compared to the competing industry in other states.
A teleconference ending in the middle of a management meeting due to a power failure is not going to impress the international community at all. Leading to what? Lack of confidence and interest on the IT industry.
On the contrary, indirectly, use of backup equipment and alternative power sources impacts the IT industry much in the same way as other industries discussed above.
Its a well known fact that IT industry has not moved further northwards than Chandigarh due to this (infrastructure is another issue but not to be discussed here) reason. Anyone needs more explanations why IT Park, Mohali cannot pick up much big names in IT?
Agriculture:
Bread and butter of more than 75% of Punjab.
It is not that electricity is free for them that means there is enough of it for them. One water pump needs enough power to run the home equipment for around 5-10 households!
So if there are few of them around the place, enough power is needed to keep them running. Also, most of the time, the tube-wells are shared among various fields and households as well. The schedule of watering the crops are dependent on season and amount of rainfall. Also, various crops have varying demands. This causes a tight schedule for irrigation. The schedule also depends on the combination of crop needs, weather and number of fields and households sharing the tube-well.
Farmer community has been wailing for the power, even if paid, but at least it should be provided. When it is free, there is no accountability for anything. Neither the production, nor the consumption.
Realization:
Or is it?
Time to wake up for the govt? I think it has passed already!
Now that they have come up with the wonderful power plant projects to be completed in 2013. Advertising their ninth-stitch in full page newspaper advertisements. These plants are not to be completed in coming couple of years if we be optimistic. And the power they will generate will barely be enough to sustain the energy needs at that time.
How about the energy needs for five or say ten years later? Still no plans!
And the cherry on the cake is that they always come up with funny ideas to save electricity. For instance, shut down shopping malls earlier, open govt offices for shorter hours, shut down industries earlier (see above for repercussions of this), even compromise citizens' safety by shutting the street lights earlier at some places.
Why don't they just ask us to shut down all the electrical equipment and stop earning, studying, progressing, enjoying and live in caves? Seems like we will end up like this one day!
Till the fan turns, I sleep. Or I sleep at the office!
Good Night.
I am into IT, had tough time coping with power cuts when I was studying, have friends from manufacturing industry and I belong to traditional Punjab. So I can relate to many problems that Punjabis are facing due to power shortage.
Please do justify the post by providing your frank opinions.
Industry:
Already fighting the inflation, rise in fuel prices, industrialists are forced to use Gensets which are far more costlier than electricity (which is again getting costly). Government forces the industrialists to reduce working hours in peak demand season while they have to pay the same price to labor and employees. Economy of production is also lost due to lesser productive hours. All these conditions lead to non profitable business, less paid (and unhappy) labor, unstable businesses and tough competition from the neighbor states and imports.
Education:
Although much much profitable venture, there is no direct impact except the students belonging to lesser privileged families who cannot afford/have alternative energy sources. In the hard-to-live months of summer and post-rains humid period, the lack comfort of even a fan poses enough distraction that the level of concentration goes down considerably. This especially applies to the students of higher education and the ones preparing for competitive examinations.
During the night hours, either students don't get enough sleep or enough time to do late study or enough distractions due to power failures that it is enough to impact the students from Punjab gearing up for National competitive exams.
Given the high number of daily hours of power cuts, the above facts cannot be deemed inconclusive at all.
Information Technology:
IT no doubt survives on power! The online systems and development tasks, services and international collaboration all depend on the devices/equipment that needs 100% power supply.
Lack of power gives Punjabi IT industry a major cost-challenge. Moreover, IT has very small share in India, let alone Punjab. Most of the IT business flows in from international arenas. Lack of continuous power leads to poorer service as compared to the competing industry in other states.
A teleconference ending in the middle of a management meeting due to a power failure is not going to impress the international community at all. Leading to what? Lack of confidence and interest on the IT industry.
On the contrary, indirectly, use of backup equipment and alternative power sources impacts the IT industry much in the same way as other industries discussed above.
Its a well known fact that IT industry has not moved further northwards than Chandigarh due to this (infrastructure is another issue but not to be discussed here) reason. Anyone needs more explanations why IT Park, Mohali cannot pick up much big names in IT?
Agriculture:
Bread and butter of more than 75% of Punjab.
It is not that electricity is free for them that means there is enough of it for them. One water pump needs enough power to run the home equipment for around 5-10 households!
So if there are few of them around the place, enough power is needed to keep them running. Also, most of the time, the tube-wells are shared among various fields and households as well. The schedule of watering the crops are dependent on season and amount of rainfall. Also, various crops have varying demands. This causes a tight schedule for irrigation. The schedule also depends on the combination of crop needs, weather and number of fields and households sharing the tube-well.
Farmer community has been wailing for the power, even if paid, but at least it should be provided. When it is free, there is no accountability for anything. Neither the production, nor the consumption.
Realization:
Or is it?
Time to wake up for the govt? I think it has passed already!
Now that they have come up with the wonderful power plant projects to be completed in 2013. Advertising their ninth-stitch in full page newspaper advertisements. These plants are not to be completed in coming couple of years if we be optimistic. And the power they will generate will barely be enough to sustain the energy needs at that time.
How about the energy needs for five or say ten years later? Still no plans!
And the cherry on the cake is that they always come up with funny ideas to save electricity. For instance, shut down shopping malls earlier, open govt offices for shorter hours, shut down industries earlier (see above for repercussions of this), even compromise citizens' safety by shutting the street lights earlier at some places.
Why don't they just ask us to shut down all the electrical equipment and stop earning, studying, progressing, enjoying and live in caves? Seems like we will end up like this one day!
Till the fan turns, I sleep. Or I sleep at the office!
Good Night.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Stretching out
There are few kind of reliefs. Although an attempt to classify these so very subjective experiences will be akin to painting on water. Still I hope that you will relate to a good chunk of what is to follow.
So, lets talk of a short term relief that you get from say, a piece of chocolate or a massage or a session at the gym, or a crazy night out or a ride on a joy ride or speeding your bike up to the last breath or fixing something quickly at work to demonstrate your technological might and earn a silent applause and so on. Lasting a few minutes and to be forgotten the next day.
The long term relief that you get after you conquer a major obstacle in your life or an achievement that marks you as a star in the circle where you matter the most or a sense of contentment that one might feel after living much of his/her life successfully. Success, again being a pretty subjective experience but the relief experienced by the sense of being one running in your veins is equally simulating. Examples? Haven't you sometimes, sitting silently away from the day and the world, introspected about how you have built your career or about the hard work and effort that you have been putting in to keep those relationships close to you that way or how you have been, by persistence and perseverance, able to bring your children up to be good citizens (or maybe rich ones :-) )? Although I am writing about these, I am still to experience these long term reliefs or lets, analogically, call them contentment.
But the relief that I am talking about here is another sort of relief that lasts for a few weeks or a few days. The relief that you get after completing a self-assigned project. The relief of having the privilege to rest for a while and recharge yourself by living at a slower pace than what you were living at for last few weeks. The relief as if your exams were just over!
I just spilled that!
Yes these were these exams combined with juggling of other chores at the office and at home that have been keeping me on my toes and keeping my battery low all these past few weeks. Moreover some other expectations that have been a reason for anxiety have unfolded in favorable manner. So pretty rightfully, I am now feeling relieved and simply stretching out for now before the next spell of hard work comes down to let me test my limits yet again.
For now, I am off to 'stretch out' on my mattress! You too follow suit :-)
Good Night
So, lets talk of a short term relief that you get from say, a piece of chocolate or a massage or a session at the gym, or a crazy night out or a ride on a joy ride or speeding your bike up to the last breath or fixing something quickly at work to demonstrate your technological might and earn a silent applause and so on. Lasting a few minutes and to be forgotten the next day.
The long term relief that you get after you conquer a major obstacle in your life or an achievement that marks you as a star in the circle where you matter the most or a sense of contentment that one might feel after living much of his/her life successfully. Success, again being a pretty subjective experience but the relief experienced by the sense of being one running in your veins is equally simulating. Examples? Haven't you sometimes, sitting silently away from the day and the world, introspected about how you have built your career or about the hard work and effort that you have been putting in to keep those relationships close to you that way or how you have been, by persistence and perseverance, able to bring your children up to be good citizens (or maybe rich ones :-) )? Although I am writing about these, I am still to experience these long term reliefs or lets, analogically, call them contentment.
But the relief that I am talking about here is another sort of relief that lasts for a few weeks or a few days. The relief that you get after completing a self-assigned project. The relief of having the privilege to rest for a while and recharge yourself by living at a slower pace than what you were living at for last few weeks. The relief as if your exams were just over!
I just spilled that!
Yes these were these exams combined with juggling of other chores at the office and at home that have been keeping me on my toes and keeping my battery low all these past few weeks. Moreover some other expectations that have been a reason for anxiety have unfolded in favorable manner. So pretty rightfully, I am now feeling relieved and simply stretching out for now before the next spell of hard work comes down to let me test my limits yet again.
For now, I am off to 'stretch out' on my mattress! You too follow suit :-)
Good Night
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sinful day
Almost a month!
Finally, though, I am again able to share a moment with...! With whom? Lets say, "To whomsoever it ever may concern" :-)
So finally, I am again able to share a few moments with whomsoever it may concern with. One thing though, as I started writing today, it was supposed to be an account of my Friday's sins. But as I got the first few words, my eyes caught the glimpse of tiny clock in the notification area of my pc. It's 12:02. And AM. So the day I was living in just a few moments ago is now history! See, the day just ended in a jiffy, so had the month! I have no regret as I have lived the day well and pretty much (sin) fully.
Starting with a busy day at office where we missed some deadlines and trying to cope with it (sins I said. Remember?), then again not giving the well deserved share of thought and time to my today's PG examination and flying off from the office to examination center in mid-day and ending the day with pool and a sinful two doses of coke and few bits of fiery Manchurian, I think the way I spend the day justified the title. The pool part was what I enjoyed though.
Don't tell anyone that I did not (fully) enjoy the revered hangout of sector 17-The Down Under @ HM2
Well, when you live at lightening speed, you are bound to make some boo-boos, slip a little and sleep a little more :-) More on lightening speed later.
Sleep is the next thing on my mind now so that my weekend won't. be low on battery, apart from the heap of documents that I have to get my bed rid of before I am able to jump into it. :-)
While I do the cleaning, you continue your dreaming,
-Good night.
Finally, though, I am again able to share a moment with...! With whom? Lets say, "To whomsoever it ever may concern" :-)
So finally, I am again able to share a few moments with whomsoever it may concern with. One thing though, as I started writing today, it was supposed to be an account of my Friday's sins. But as I got the first few words, my eyes caught the glimpse of tiny clock in the notification area of my pc. It's 12:02. And AM. So the day I was living in just a few moments ago is now history! See, the day just ended in a jiffy, so had the month! I have no regret as I have lived the day well and pretty much (sin) fully.
Starting with a busy day at office where we missed some deadlines and trying to cope with it (sins I said. Remember?), then again not giving the well deserved share of thought and time to my today's PG examination and flying off from the office to examination center in mid-day and ending the day with pool and a sinful two doses of coke and few bits of fiery Manchurian, I think the way I spend the day justified the title. The pool part was what I enjoyed though.
Don't tell anyone that I did not (fully) enjoy the revered hangout of sector 17-The Down Under @ HM2
Well, when you live at lightening speed, you are bound to make some boo-boos, slip a little and sleep a little more :-) More on lightening speed later.
Sleep is the next thing on my mind now so that my weekend won't. be low on battery, apart from the heap of documents that I have to get my bed rid of before I am able to jump into it. :-)
While I do the cleaning, you continue your dreaming,
-Good night.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Blogging blackouts!
Quoting from here:
"Blogging blackouts are the periods of time where some unknown force keeps you away from blogging. These stretches of time find you allergic to the keyboard particularly updating your blog.You suddenly don’t have much to say, this temporary liking of yours for real-life interaction outweighs the desire to write and eventually while online you keep busy yourself elsewhere in social media or news. They come to you in small unannounced fits; even you are unaware they are about to occur. Has is it ever happened to you?"
A loud resounding 'Yes' is what I would say to that. If you have been blogging ever, you will definitely relate to the above.
The last couple of weeks (maybe a month) have been a Blogging Blackout for me. But unlike as said in the quote above, it was not for no reason. There were apparently many reasons. Mostly concerning my personal life and changes around it that kept me wondering and thinking that I did not had enough energy left to come up to my PC and punch something on to this online diary of mine.
It is not that all those things that happened around me in the past few days were stressful and damaging in any way and that I was going through a tough time managing my affairs. Rather it was a period akin to living through all the events of a life in a very short time. Certain good and certain not-so-welcome events happened around me so quickly that I was left behind in an effort to understand what all was going on, reflections of which I have expressed here and here.
But now it seems that the turbulence has settled down, or has at least begun to and here I am again, attending to one of my my favorite places on the web.
So? See ya again soon!
"Blogging blackouts are the periods of time where some unknown force keeps you away from blogging. These stretches of time find you allergic to the keyboard particularly updating your blog.You suddenly don’t have much to say, this temporary liking of yours for real-life interaction outweighs the desire to write and eventually while online you keep busy yourself elsewhere in social media or news. They come to you in small unannounced fits; even you are unaware they are about to occur. Has is it ever happened to you?"
A loud resounding 'Yes' is what I would say to that. If you have been blogging ever, you will definitely relate to the above.
The last couple of weeks (maybe a month) have been a Blogging Blackout for me. But unlike as said in the quote above, it was not for no reason. There were apparently many reasons. Mostly concerning my personal life and changes around it that kept me wondering and thinking that I did not had enough energy left to come up to my PC and punch something on to this online diary of mine.
It is not that all those things that happened around me in the past few days were stressful and damaging in any way and that I was going through a tough time managing my affairs. Rather it was a period akin to living through all the events of a life in a very short time. Certain good and certain not-so-welcome events happened around me so quickly that I was left behind in an effort to understand what all was going on, reflections of which I have expressed here and here.
But now it seems that the turbulence has settled down, or has at least begun to and here I am again, attending to one of my my favorite places on the web.
So? See ya again soon!
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