Brilliant, Down to Earth people – A dying Species

22 Mar

Recently I had an email debate in our building Yahoo Group with a very intelligent person – who stuck to his point even when he knew he was on the wrong track.  And I asked myself where does this behavior come from ?  One thing led to the other and here I am trying to present a new theory in the form of a simple grid to try and position people

Over 2000 years back the Greek physician Hippocrates (460–370 BC) incorporated the four temperaments – Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic & Phlegmatic into his medical theories. Since then these have formed the basis of many psychometric & behavioral testing methods. (Source – Wikipedia) This is indeed complex and difficult to understand.

Lets look back –  over the years we would have interacted or been influenced by thousands of people – famous personalities, teachers, friends, office colleagues, managers, team members , all the people you have interviewed for potential jobs , a shopkeeper , a Pizza delivery boy…….. And I ask myself is there a simple and easy grid that can be created, to plot the behaviors of all these people, something that is effective & simple. Something that does not require a degree in Psychology to understand.  Here is a simple grid that I propose – let me know if this appeals to you.

First let me ask you two simple questions

a)   Would you like your Child to be Brilliant or Dumb?

b)   Would you like your Child to be Arrogant or a Simple Down to Earth person?

The answer is obvious. So I guess the same thing applies for everyone you interact with. Using this simple principle I have created a grid called the B.D.A.D template. A visual speaks more effectively than words so I am enclosing the grid with samples of few people who fit in beautifully into the four different quadrants.

BA Final copy

The BA Type (Brilliant Arrogant) 

The name is self explanatory. These guys are world beaters. They are best in class. Many are Brilliant bordering on eccentricity. They Know it – and thats where the arrogance comes from. They are probably less than 0.1% of the global population – brilliant & hardworking they are a deadly combination. They are high achievers and are almost always right with their logic – but on that rare occasion when they are wrong they do not accept it and stick to their guns. They come from the best of colleges & universities what they missed out was a simple sentence that can be so powerful – “Sorry I was wrong” ! In India the IIT/IIM ‘s generates many of this type of personalities.

The BD Type (Brilliant – Down To Earth) 

The world would be a much better place if we had more of these people. Everyone loves these guys. They are Brilliant & Simple. Their class speaks for themselves. They are so talented that they shine & sparkle. Sadly this is a tribe that is continuing to diminish in numbers – call it the curse of Kaliyug. Its great to have these people as your manager or your team members – it just makes your job a breeze , thankfully I am in that spot these days.

The AD Type (Arrogant & Dumb ) –  This is a deadly combination . A dangerous type and you want to stay away from these people by a mile. They are loud, thick-skinned, and inconsistent. Some are also wily and that makes them a deadly and miserable specimen of humanity. You will see them all over the place – the guy in office taking credit for work he has not done, the cricketer who knows he has friends in BCCI, the kid whose father is a big shot “babu” ……… Some of them have done very well in their careers – one even went on to become the President of the US !!!  I may be biased here but I feel that in India this specimen is found in higher density North of the Narmada, specifically in and around the NCR region.

And finally the type thats probably 80% of the world population , The Dumb – Down to Earth (DD) Type

This is the common man, Not sure if this is the group that Justice Katju was referring when he said that 90% of Indians are dumb. These guys don’t have a public view and tend to get swayed easily. These people love to be in groups and follow the voice of a leader. They are simple, down to earth people, not harmless in any way. They are just the quiet silent mass.

So are there just 4 types? Like in any grid there are shades of traits of these four characteristics in every individual. With this Grid its easy to create a scale where 10 = Most Brilliant, 1 = Big Dumbo  & again 10 = Most Down to Earth and 1 = Most Arrogant

So a B10D10 = Best profile of someone who is extremely Brilliant & Rooted to the ground. Thats a dream profile. We all need to work hard to get there or maybe its just in the genes.

The other end of the spectrum is B1D1 = Someone who is extremely Dumb & Arrogant. In-between these extremes you have all the different permutations & combinations where we can fit almost everyone we know.

So the next time you need to hire a person – you can send a detailed JD to your HR manager but top it with a ” I want a B5 D5 guy” –  because that may best explain the cultural fitment you need for your team.

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Wealth Managers – do they really grow your wealth ?

14 Mar

18 Months back my wealth manager sold me a financial instrument. It was a structured product from Deutsche Bank and was linked to the growth of the Stock Index. While there was no written commitment I was assured of returns that would be much higher than a bank FD – lots of upside , no downside – I was promised. Last month I got my money back – but not a paise in gain. Input 10 Lacs – Output 10 Lacs.  During the 18 month period the Nifty did go up  – Deutshe Bank made money , Axis Bank made money , my wealth manager made her incentive – and I was left looking like a sucker. (If I had put this money in a  FD I would have made ~ 1.5 Lacs in Pre Tax profit)

Nifty.jpeg

Ever wondered how Banks / Wealth Managers make money. What funds the fancy offices and hefty bonuses ? They have no manufacturing , IP , Code, product  to sell ? Why is it that they promise a lot but never commit even 1 % more than a bank FD ?

The harsh truth is they  make money out of you. Insurance policies , Complicated Structured products , the stock market itself – are all designed smartly to ensure that the retail investor is attracted but very soon left high & dry. The head of  Wealth Management of a large bank  told me that 90% of retail investors lose money in the Market. After 20 years of stock market investing I tend to agree with him – whether in the US or in India you gain big & lose big but Nett Nett if you do not have tremendous discipline its difficult to make money in the stock market.

So the next question is where do you invest ? How do you beat inflation ?  India’s gross domestic savings rate has increased near-steadily over the Five-Year Plans and is among the highest in the world ( Nearly 35%) . The recent savings rate of the country is comparable to Indonesia, Thailand and Korea but much lower than that of China, Malaysia and Singapore. (Consumer states like the US and the UK had their savings rate as low as 11% levels in 2009, while the rate is 17% for France and 21.4% for Germany. Among emerging economies, Brazil had a low savings rate at 16.5%.)

Lets look at simple FD – its easy to understand , easily available in every branch , has high liquidity. If you see the table below for people in the 30% Tax Bracket your FD interest rate does not help you beat Inflation !

Interest

Talking of Tax – most of us think we pay 30 % Tax – but we pay a lot more. There is service tax on everything you buy , add education Cess , Metro Cess and inflated prices on Petrol – we probably end up paying 10 – 15 % on everything we buy – so our actual Tax Liability is much higher than 30%.

Real Estate has got expensive. 10 years back  when you bought a new flat you paid Registration on the undivided share of land only. Today you pay on the entire flat value – add to this the Service Charges & VAT on construction  – you actually pay close to 20% of property value in Taxes & Registration. Builders take away most of the profit and appreciation is limited.

Making money has indeed become difficult in the last few years . Which brings me back to the question of what are the options to beat Inflation – I see a few of them.

1. Debt Funds – which should hopefully give 10% + Post Tax returns if the RBI governor starts cutting Interest rates

2. Land – yes its not Liquid and requires a lot of research to get a clean deal – but with population growing and mass exodus to Metro’s difficult to lose money on good land deals.

3. Gold – Not so sure on this one. Looks like it will crash. But given the wealth and black money that exists in this country the demand for Gold may not drop and with india being one of the biggest markets for Gold globally – it may keep shining for many years. But this is virtual profit – because no indian family sells Gold for cash at a profit ( not many Jewelers give you cash too ) – they either hoard it  trade it for newer jewellery  , or loan it  to Muthoot finance.

4. Maybe buy  the Index ( Nifty-bees) – because from a long term you can go wrong on individual stocks or mutual funds – but its very difficult to beat the Index. That may be the simple and safe way to 12% annualized returns.

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Who says Inflation is 7 % ?

4 Mar

The latest issue of Business India has a cover story that talks about workers in Hero MotoCorp demanding hefty annual salary hikes that would translate to them earning about 1 Lac /month in next 3 years. I hope it happens. Corporate India, the rich  (the 42,000 people who officially earn more than 1 Crore / year) , the IT workers, Successful Businessmen & Traders  – get richer & richer, while the common man on the street struggles with his day to day life.

I do my neighborhood walk once in a while (Its more of an obstacle course these days with broken footpaths & cars parked all over) and it was interesting to see the increase in cost of a few items that we all tend to consume regularly.

4714

Coconut water is healthy and is now available every 500 m in major Bangalore roads. A truck visits these footpath outlets twice a day and delivers stock. (Looks like there is s smart entrepreneur who has figured out a big business opportunity with no investment). For many years you could get a nourishing coconut drink for Rs 10, a few months back it became 12, had a fleeting stop at 15 and has now rested at Rs 20/- .  That’s a 100% hike in the last 12 months.

Every Sat morning after my visit to the temple I stop by at the Darshini or any other standing joint and have a cup of Coffee. I always carried coins for Rs 6/- so that there was no hassle of change. The price of Coffee went up from 6 – 8 – 12 in less than 6 months. Again a 100% hike.

I also visit Ballal Residency (Residency Road) frequently on my way back from the Gym. My normal order would be a Moosambi Juice, Idli Vada and a Coffee to top it up. Normally its about 80 Rs – yesterday when I gave the 100 rupee note the waiter pointed the bill and showed me the rate as Rs 180/- . Again a 100% + rise.

images

The truth finally sunk in when on my evening walk I stopped by at a Puchka seller (Gol Guppa) – something I do once in 6 months when temptation kills rational thoughts. A plate of 6 used to cost me 60 P many moons back when I was a kid, but for many years in Bangalore it was Rs 10, became Rs 12 and is now Rs 15/- . A 50% + Hike.

pani-puri-roadside-2

And finally the Sona Masuri I have been buying for Rs 38/kg for the last few suddenly shot up to Rs 51/Kg ( A 30 – 40% increase in a few months)

Government, RBI & Economic Survey data claim that WPI Inflation is now under control at 6 – 7%. (And I wonder how they calculate this). The inflation on the street is easily upwards of 15 – 20%.  And if we create an Index that consists of Vegetables, Fruits, Cereals, Petrol, and Transportation Costs – we may well see the rate of Inflation well above 25%.

Companies like Hero, Bajaj, Mico Bosch, Maruti Suzuki and many other manufacturing firms hire less than 50% of the staff on their rolls, rest are contractors and pay them very low salaries and hardly any perks. I have heard that a Diploma Mech Engg in a Pune manufacturing plant works 6 days a week, 12 hrs. shifts and earns Rs 7- 10,000/- month.  Labor Unions have become meek and even Hindi Cinemas no longer focus on the challenges of the poor but take us to magical lands of joy & prosperity. (Here is an opportunity for Abhsishek Bachan to come back in some of his father earlier avatars as the messiah of the poor)

Tax copy

Source : Trak.in

India is growing but we are a country where 650 M do not have basic sanitation facility and less than 10%  of our 15 M wage earners have an income of > 1 Lac / Year . I shudder the think how the common man earning 15 – 20 K / month manages his daily life.

onion-prices-80-higher-than-last-year

The price of Onion is up by 80% and many a Govt has seen its fall when the price of Onion goes up drastically. This divide and the sense of helplessness amongst the common man  is fast going to accelerate the sense of anarchy that is spreading across the nation.

As Mr Modi says its time for a Government with Mission to come and fix the mess in the country while those who survive on Commission are shown their way out.

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Introduction to “Rudram”

1 Feb
This is a quick & simple FAQ in layman terms on “Rudram” – a special prayer that is chanted to Lord Rudra (Shiva) – a Vedic God. I hunted in many places for this info and finally stitched up this FAQ from multiple sources and some help from a friend
1. What is Rudram ? 
 
 Śrī Rudram, also known as Śrī Rudrapraśnaḥ, is a hymn offered to the all pervading Brahman, designated as Rudra-Śiva, present in auspicious, benign forms as well as terrible forms which He assumes at the time of the dissolution and the destruction of the cosmos. It occurs in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda in the 4th kāṇda (chapter), 5th praśna (topic) and it is considered as one of 108 Upaniṣads. It is also known as Namakam because of the repeated word namaḥ in it. 
 
Śrī Rudram is divided into 11 anuvākas (passages) and consists of 37 ṛks (verses) in various Vedic chandas (meters) in anuvāka 1, 10 and 11. Anuvākas 2 to 9 and the last line of anuvāka 11 consist of 130 yajus (sacrificial formulas). 
  
2. Who is Rudra ? 
 
Rudra is a mythological  god of the Vedic Aryans. He finds mention in the Rig Veda but there is a detailed section in praise of Rudra in the Yajur Veda. 
Rudra has two forms, ghora or terrible form and śiva or auspicious form. Hence Rudra is one side and Śiva the other side of the same coin. They are not two, but one. The Brāhmaṇa text which interprets the Rudram states: “Rudra is verily this fire. He has two forms; one terrible, the other auspicious. If a man does sacrifice to Him by chanting the Rudram, that man pacifies the terrible form”.
 
The word Rudra has 4 root meanings: (a) dreadful, terrific, angry; (b) great or large; (c) driving away evil; (d) fit to be praised. Another explanation derived from the meaning of its roots is also; “ru”, to cry or to teach, “rud”, to make a person weep, and “dra” to flow. HenceRudra is considered as a deity who teaches the supreme knowledge to all and whose energy flows in everything
 
Rudra
 
3. What is the significance of Sri Rudram ? 
 
The purpose of this magnificent hymn is to set aside once and for all, the extra-cosmic notion of God that people sometimes entertain in their religious fervour, and to instil into the minds of people the greater, profounder knowledge of the fact that God is not merely the creative extra-cosmic Parent of the Universe, but He is also immanent in every particle, in every speck of space, in every unit of time, in every nook and corner, in every particle of creation. 
 
A very intriguing aspect of God present in this wondrous hymn is that God is existing in both the aspects; the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the right and the wrong, the positive and the negative, the high and the low, the conceivable and the inconceivable, mortality and immortality, existence and non-existence. 
 
It is considered as the only hymn of its kind in the religious literature of the entire world which focuses on the idea of God, not only associated with the ideas of pleasant and good, but also with the idea of dreadful and destructive; that the God permeates everything in manifestation, including aspects deemed not ethical by the purists and fault-finders. 
 
4. Why Chant Rudram ? 
 
It is said: “By reciting Veda once, he becomes pure on that day, but by reciting Rudram the very next moment he gets purified.” Yet another verse declares: “Where a devout reciter of the Rudram lives, be it in a village or town, that place will be free from disease, drought, thefts, and other ills.” 
 
Śiva Purāṇa further explains: “By chanting Rudram, one gains both worldly pleasures and liberation.” The Jābāla Upaniṣad5 states: “Once the students of sacred knowledge asked sage Yājñavalkya: Can we gain eternal life by repetition of mantras? Yājñavalkya said: By the repetition of śatarudrīya6 a man becomes immortal, for the names of God therein are nectarine.” Kaivalya Upaniṣad7 also declares: “Whoever reads śatarudrīya becomes pure as fire, becomes pure as air”. 
 
5. What is Chamakam ? 
 
Chamakam, occurs in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda in the 4th kāṇda, 7th praśna. It is so called on account of the recurrence of the word ca me directly translated as “and me”. After praying and identifying Rudra with everything in the Namakam, Camakam is usually recited immediately after, in which the devotee asks Him to give him everything, 347 things to be precise, coupled with the article ca (and) and the verb me kalpatām (be granted unto me). Camakam furnishes completely the idea of human happiness and defines in the highest degree the desires to be asked or to be granted. Camakam roots are firmly implanted in the worldly desires ultimately leading to the divine fulfilment 
  
6. How much time does it take to Chant the Rudram ? And why are there 11 priests involved in the chanting ?
 
The typical time to chant the Sri Rudram (both Namakam and Chamakam) is about 40 mins. 
 
Rudram is the most sacred means of worshipping Lord Siva. Sage Satapatha in his treatise “Maharnava Karma Vipaka” listed 4 types of procedures to propitiate Lord Siva, Ekadasa Rudram, Maha Rudram and Athi Rudram; each has greater significance than its preceding one. ‘Athi’ means “ultimate”. Therefore, Athirudram is the highest form of worship of Lord Shiva. Athirudram is a destroyer of all sorrows and the provider of ‘Kshema’.
 
The Sri Rudram has 11 anuvakas of Namakam and 11 anuvakas of Chamakam. After Each chanting of One round of Rudram one Anuvaka Each of Chamakam is chanted. Eleven recitations of Rudram followed by one recitation of Chamakam is called Ekadasa Rudram. This constitutes one unit of Rudra Homam. Eleven rounds of Ekadasa Rudram makes one Laghu Rudram. Eleven Laghu Rudra chartings make one Maharudram and eleven Maharudram recitations is the Athirudram. In a “AtiRudram yagna” Everyday One Maharudram is completed and in eleven days an Athirudra Mahayagnam is completed. Thus in the Athirudra Mahayagnam, the Srirudram hymn is chanted in all 14,641 times by 121 Ritwiks in 11 days with the performance of 1331 rudra Homams simultaneously.
 
The number 11 has a big significance in propitiating Lord Siva. The 11 priests are involved/required in the chanting to meet the  specific number of recitations prescribed by the procedures.
 
 
7. Why is Rudram Chanted at Sathabhishekam functions ? 
 
Man, according to Vedaantha and Yoga philosophies, is charged with a spark of the universal soul. Therefore, such functions are conducted to worship the atman residing in him so that he can unite with it ultimately. This uniting with the “Atman” is the sole purpose of human life and confers on the devotee  the highest boon of immortality, i.e. liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Lord Shiva who is easy to please is also the embodiment of time and Rudram is chanted as an expression of gratitude for the long life granted and also to seek the ultimate boon of immortality.
 
 
8. What is the benefit of listening to Rudram Chamakam ? 
 
A devout listener and seeker of Rudram Chamakam is blessed with both worldly and spiritual benefits such as good health, peace of mind and pure joy.  Slowly and steadily it draws the listener to spirituality in the quest of the truth behind human existence.
 
For a simple explanation on the Gayatri Mantra check out
 https://vak1969.com/2015/02/06/the-gayatri-mantra-a-simple-explanation/
 

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Introduction to “Rudram”

1 Feb
This is a quick & simple FAQ in layman terms on “Rudram” – a special prayer that is chanted to Lord Rudra (Shiva) – a Vedic God. 
1. What is Rudram ? 
 
 Śrī Rudram, also known as Śrī Rudrapraśnaḥ, is a hymn offered to the all pervading Brahman, designated as Rudra-Śiva, present in auspicious, benign forms as well as terrible forms which He assumes at the time of the dissolution and the destruction of the cosmos. It occurs in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda in the 4th kāṇda (chapter), 5th praśna (topic) and it is considered as one of 108 Upaniṣads. It is also known as Namakam because of the repeated word namaḥ in it. 
 
Śrī Rudram is divided into 11 anuvākas (passages) and consists of 37 ṛks (verses) in various Vedic chandas (meters) in anuvāka 1, 10 and 11. Anuvākas 2 to 9 and the last line of anuvāka 11 consist of 130 yajus (sacrificial formulas). 
2. Who is Rudra ? 
 
Rudra is a God of the Vedic period.  He finds mention in the Rig Veda but there is a detailed section in praise of Rudra in the Yajur Veda. 
Rudra has two forms, ghora or terrible form and śiva or auspicious form. Hence Rudra is one side and Śiva the other side of the same coin. They are not two, but one. The Brāhmaṇa text which interprets the Rudram states: “Rudra is verily this fire. He has two forms; one terrible, the other auspicious. If a man does sacrifice to Him by chanting the Rudram, that man pacifies the terrible form”.
 
The word Rudra has 4 root meanings: (a) dreadful, terrific, angry; (b) great or large; (c) driving away evil; (d) fit to be praised. Another explanation derived from the meaning of its roots is also; “ru”, to cry or to teach, “rud”, to make a person weep, and “dra” to flow. Hence Rudra is considered as a deity who teaches the supreme knowledge to all and whose energy flows in everything
 
Rudra
 
3. What is the significance of Sri Rudram ? 
 
The purpose of this magnificent hymn is to set aside once and for all, the extra-cosmic notion of God that people sometimes entertain in their religious fervour, and to instil into the minds of people the greater, profounder knowledge of the fact that God is not merely the creative extra-cosmic Parent of the Universe, but He is also immanent in every particle, in every speck of space, in every unit of time, in every nook and corner, in every particle of creation. 
 
A very intriguing aspect of God present in this wondrous hymn is that God is existing in both the aspects; the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the right and the wrong, the positive and the negative, the high and the low, the conceivable and the inconceivable, mortality and immortality, existence and non-existence. 
 
It is considered as the only hymn of its kind in the religious literature of the entire world which focuses on the idea of God, not only associated with the ideas of pleasant and good, but also with the idea of dreadful and destructive; that the God permeates everything in manifestation, including aspects deemed not ethical by the purists and fault-finders. 
 
4. Why Chant Rudram? 
 
It is said: “By reciting Veda once, he becomes pure on that day, but by reciting Rudram the very next moment he gets purified.” Yet another verse declares: “Where a devout reciter of the Rudram lives, be it in a village or town, that place will be free from disease, drought, thefts, and other ills.” 
 
Śiva Purāṇa further explains: “By chanting Rudram, one gains both worldly pleasures and liberation.” The Jābāla Upaniṣad5 states: “Once the students of sacred knowledge asked sage Yājñavalkya: Can we gain eternal life by repetition of mantras? Yājñavalkya said: By the repetition of śatarudrīya6 a man becomes immortal, for the names of God therein are nectarine.” Kaivalya Upaniṣad7 also declares: “Whoever reads śatarudrīya becomes pure as fire, becomes pure as air”. 
 
5. What is Chamakam? 
 
Chamakam, occurs in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda in the 4th kāṇda, 7th praśna. It is so called on account of the recurrence of the word ca me directly translated as “and me”. After praying and identifying Rudra with everything in the Namakam, Camakam is usually recited immediately after, in which the devotee asks Him to give him everything, 347 things to be precise, coupled with the article ca (and) and the verb me kalpatām (be granted unto me). Camakam furnishes completely the idea of human happiness and defines in the highest degree the desires to be asked or to be granted. Camakam roots are firmly implanted in the worldly desires ultimately leading to the divine fulfilment 
  
6. How much time does it take to Chant the Rudram ? And why are there 11 priests involved in the chanting?
 
The typical time to chant the Sri Rudram (both Namakam and Chamakam) is about 40 mins. 
 
Rudram is the most sacred means of worshipping Lord Siva. Sage Satapatha in his treatise “Maharnava Karma Vipaka” listed 4 types of procedures to propitiate Lord Siva. Ekadasa Rudram, Maha Rudram and Athi Rudram; each has greater significance than its preceding one. ‘Athi’ means “ultimate”. Therefore, Athirudram is the highest form of worship of Lord Shiva. Athirudram is a destroyer of all sorrows and the provider of ‘Kshema’.
 
The Sri Rudram has 11 anuvakas of Namakam and 11 anuvakas of Chamakam. After Each chanting of One round of Rudram one Anuvaka Each of Chamakam is chanted. Eleven recitations of Rudram followed by one recitation of Chamakam is called Ekadasa Rudram. This constitutes one unit of Rudra Homam. Eleven rounds of Ekadasa Rudram makes one Laghu Rudram. Eleven Laghu Rudra chartings make one Maharudram and eleven Maharudram recitations is the Athirudram. In a “AtiRudram yagna” Everyday One Maharudram is completed and in eleven days an Athirudra Mahayagnam is completed. Thus in the Athirudra Mahayagnam, the Srirudram hymn is chanted in all 14,641 times by 121 Ritwiks in 11 days with the performance of 1331 rudra Homams simultaneously.
 
The number 11 has a big significance in propitiating Lord Siva. The 11 priests are involved/required in the chanting to meet the  specific number of recitations prescribed by the procedures.
 
 7. Why is Rudram Chanted at Sathabhishekam functions? ( 80th Birthday after 1000 moons have been signed) 
 
Man, according to Vedantha and Yoga philosophies, is charged with a spark of the universal soul. Therefore, such functions are conducted to worship the atman residing in him so that he can unite with it ultimately. This uniting with the “Atman” is the sole purpose of human life and confers on the devotee  the highest boon of immortality, i.e. liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Lord Shiva who is easy to please is also the embodiment of time and Rudram is chanted as an expression of gratitude for the long life granted and also to seek the ultimate boon of immortality.
 
8. What is the benefit of listening to Rudram Chamakam? 
 
A devout listener and seeker of Rudram Chamakam is blessed with both worldly and spiritual benefits such as good health, peace of mind and pure joy.  Slowly and steadily it draws the listener to spirituality in the quest of the truth behind human existence.
 

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What would you like to be re-born as ?

29 Jan

A data point I recollect is that there are more women on FB than men. As I start this blog something tells me that it will evoke strong reactions from this majority. But then you write on something you feel strongly about.

It all started with a simple question in our small group of 4 over a drink at our favourite haunt – If you were born again what would you like to be born as ? And one of the 4 mentioned without a blink – “A Housewife in our Building Complex”

He explained – If you have 2 – 4 maids , a driver , unlimited spending power on your credit card , a few hrs in the gym every day , a private trainer , an evening walk with some tasty gossip, a weekly visit to the Spa , a party & a movie every fortnight, and a lovely group of friends who at 40+ dress and act like they are 30+,  thats the lifestyle you would kill for.  (That is the lifestyle of many a women in the top 50 apartment complexes of Bangalore, NCR , Mumbai ….. )

How has life changed for women in the last 30 years ? At least for some of them thankfully.

Life has indeed changed – there was a time 30 years back without Maids , Mixies, Washing Machines – you cut the veggies, cooked , cleaned , washed  clothes , ironed them , stitched clothes, made pickles & chips and still had time & energy to make the weekly sweets.

Circa 2013 – it’s now hard work to store the stacked & ironed clothes the laundryman delivers at home. 

Life has indeed changed – 30 years back a school project for Kids meant poring thru books & encyclopedias hunting for the answer and that elusive picture in some magazine.

Today its all available at a click of a button – thanks to Google. 

Life has indeed changed – as family & friends descended unexpectedly ( no Phone / no SMS) you managed to put together a great meal with whatever you had at home.

Today you call the restaurant next door. 

As I made this argument to two women – I got bashed up. The arguments were emotional (without data) – the key thing I grasped was “Look at the pressure we go thru. We have to go to the school to meet the teacher (once a year) , take care of buying all the grocery & vegetables, manage the maids, pay all the bills online “There is so much of work and so much of pressure – 30 years back our mothers did not have to do all this ?

I rest my case – and I say enjoy it, you have earned it , but appreciate it and say  – Thank You God once a day.

Because as my friend said ” We would all love to be reborn as a housewife in our building”

Paris in 48 Hrs

8 Jan

Family holiday’s are both a Holiday & a Project. When you have kids, 6 + pieces of luggage , you shortlist restaurants based on the cleanliness of their restrooms, are constantly worried that everything goes as per plan  – you come back after many a holiday happy , relieved & TIRED.

While I am on business travel almost every week – I was yet to take a holiday all by myself. So when the next business review at London came on a Mon I planned a weekend at Paris – all alone. The Schengen Visa was already there and Christophe my good friend was all to keen to host me and show me around.

Jet has a convenient flight from Mumbai that lands at Heathrow at 630 AM – you can clear immigration in less than 30 min (if you have a fast-track card) – and reach the rail station St Pancreas by a cab in another 45 Min (The Heathrow express is cheaper but it’s a hassle to change to a cab at Paddington – especially if you have luggage). The check in & Passport control is simple and you can complete all formalities in less than 30 min and enter the Eurostar. I had booked 3 months in advance so my rate was 60 GBP (One way). Its efficient – a high end Shatabdi which covers the London to Paris distance in 2 Hrs. 15 Min (Peak speed is 350 Km / Hr, Rajdhani Peak speed is 125 Km  / Hr). Point to note each adult is entitled to 2 large bags – no weight limit.

Eurostar

Christophe met me at the Paris Nord station at 2.45 PM on Fri and stayed with me all through till I took the Eurostar back to London on Sun at 7 PM.

Day 1 Fri from 3.30 PM Onwards : Walk , Walk & Walk – smell the city , feel the pulse, enjoy the environment

We walked past the Pompidou Center down to Seine river then to the Prefecture de Paris building facing the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.

View across the Siene

Then across to the Concièrgerie (a palace where Marie-Antoinette was held captive before her fatal execution during the first French revolution in the late 18th century).

France has over 9000 varieties of Cheese

Cheese bar

We then wandered across the Seine (saw a bridge full of locks – a symbol of lovers locking their love for eternity) had a quick wine and cheese stop-over in L’Écluse and entered the Latin Quarter (south bank of the river)

A lovely wine bar

Wine Bar

Day 2 – Palace of Versailles, Eiffel Tower , War Museum

We started day 2 (Sat) by visiting the Grand Palace of Versailles. It’s supposedly the second most visited tourist spot in the world after the Vatican. The palace is located about 30 Km from Paris – and was built when the King wanted to leave the madness of the Paris. Palace opens at 9 AM. We spent 90 min here.

Palace at Versailles

On the way back we stopped by the town of Versailles and then headed back to Paris for a ride up the Eiffel tower to get a great view of the city. (An even greater view is to se the Eiffel tower sparkle with lights for 10 min at every hour in the evening) – The Q for the lift can be long – Minimum 1 hr. There are 3 levels to which the lift goes and at the peak  it’s impressive.

Eiffel Tower

After lunch we visited the memorial of Napoleon (A Hospital that has been converted to a war museum) and spent some time at the war museum that has exhibits spanning the Napoleon Era, WW 1 & WW 2.

After so much of walking we managed to stop by for a quick foot massage and dinner then headed to the Notre Dame for an evening service. And finally ended the day with a drive past the Moulin Rouge all the way to Sacré Cœur in Montmartre. This is a beautiful Church located on top of a hill with a lovely view of the City.

Day – 3 , Sun – Louvre

We started Day 3 (Sun) with a visit to a Open Air Market in the outskirts of Paris  – fresh vegetable, fruits , meat and a stew that looked like Alu Dam.

Open Market

Aloo Dam 3

We finally visited the most spectacular piece of Paris The Louvre. A palace converted to a museum by spending over 10 B Euros (A grand Vision of Francois Mitterrand). The Louvre is grand, breathtaking , immaculate, perfection – I could go on and on. Its so large that a student of art may spend weeks, and even a tourist will need at least 1 full day to do justice to the grand display of paintings and artifact’s. The entry fee is 11 Euros – but on a Sunday the entry was free.

800px-Paris_July_2011-27a

Yes it houses the most famous painting of the world “ Mona Lisa” (La Jaconda) and there are signs that direct you towards it (and most tourists do make a rush to get there first) but I personally felt that here were  many more painting that outshine the Mona Lisa. The lady in Red also painted by Leonardo Da Vinci is equally impressive but sadly unknown.

Girl in Red

Eyes

There is also an interesting statue in the Egyptian section that resembles a Indian Priest. the statue is over 4000 years old.

Scribe - Egypt 4000 Years Old

Post lunch we walked down the Avenue des Champs Élysées leading to the Arc de Triomphe and then trudged our way back thru the Avenue de l’Opera crossing the magnificent opera House, the statue of Joan of Arc and the CAX.

Back at Paris Nord by 6 PM for the 7.13 PM Train to London.

What else could one have done – well there are many more museums to visit and the famous Moulin Rouge Cabaret. You can attend a show at the Opera House or watch a play. The cultural life is very busy & of course visit the Disneyland.

I stayed at a nice bed & breakfast on the outskirts of Paris facing a serene lake located  very close to Versailles.

IMG_1266

Few Quick points for Travellers from India

  1. Unlike London you will need to hunt for an Indian restaurant (Yes they exist but in specific localities dominated by SE Asians)
  2. Most restaurants are local mom & pop stores – even the Pizza Huts and McDonalds are rare to find (I saw 1 Pizza Hut & 2 McDonalds in the 2 days I was there). In most restaurants Veg food options are very limited.
  3. French specialty can sound  scary to vegetarians – I was shocked to see my friend relish Steak Tartare (Raw minced beef meat with a mustard dressing) and at the table next to us our neighbor was  enjoying Andouillette – a very parisian delicacy. (Sausage composed with a selection of Pig entrails. It is does smell a bit).
  4. Malls & Large Chains – Tesco, Carrefour, Metro exist but are difficult to find in the city. They are located in the suburbs.
  5. In Paris people understand English – but without a local like Christophe it would have been very difficult. In the suburbs it becomes even more difficult to communicate in English.
  6. Cabs are difficult to find. Did not see too many buses. But yes the city has a Metr0.
  7. Most cars are small (mainly French Brands – Renault, Citroen) and parking space is a hassle.
  8. Entry rates to most attractions vary from 5 – 10 Euro’s. The car parking is more expensive. Meal for two in a decent place with a few glasses of wine can be Euro 50.
  9. Paris is expensive – This short break ( 2 Night , 3 Day) can cost you  ~ 35 K INR  Ex London (This includes the cost of Eurostar tickets ) – I was lucky that my friend was taking me around all these places in his car – if I had to use a Taxi maybe I would have spent an additional $ 500.

In conclusion a wonderful 2-day break – and this would not have been possible without Christophe. It takes a lot to spend your entire weekend and be such a gracious host. Not just by accompanying you  – but also in providing  a wonderful commentary on all the interesting insights, helping me understand the culture & history of the place. Most importantly this was my first holiday in many years ( probably since I was a kid) when there was no responsibility and somebody was taking all the decisions. Sometimes it feels so good to sit back and relax.

Christophe

We have started planning our next trip – both of us are WW 2 buffs and maybe the next trip will be to Warsaw to see how the Nazi’s operated their concentration camps at Auschwitz. Here is hoping that the next QBR is also on a Mon !

And finally a parting word to all men – women have Wanderlust, its time you did something for yourself and planned a few days once in a while all by yourself. Get some free space – you owe it to yourself.

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Elephant Valley @ Kodai

30 Dec

2012 has been a year of amazing holidays. We wrapped up the year with yet another lovely holiday at the Elephant Valley Kodaikanal. Hill stations have become commercial trash – but there are still jewels like Destiny Farm (Off  Ooty) and Elephant Valley that still exist.  Situated 20 Km before Kodai (2 Hr drive from Kodai Road)  – its a perfect haven for nature lovers. Set in a valley with a lovely stream flowing thru it ( where Elephants come to drink water in sumer) – its peace & tranquility symbolised.

Elephant Valley Kodaikanal

The resort is a 100 acre property with 20 rooms. The rooms are rustic but efficient & functional (or as my daughter would say “lovely halli place” ).  They are spread across a vast area and some are a good 10 – 15 min walk from the central office / restaurant. So please check this out when booking.

Hot water available in morning and night. No TV , No Intercom , Limited Cell Phone connectivity & no room service . But yet we managed to spend 3 days and the time just flew. A lot of credit for that goes to the fact that we were a group of 3 families and the kids kept themselves busy with horse rides , treks , innovative games and many iPads.

nice plantation

With 100 acres there is a lot of forest to walk around – and the trek is a must do. You can do a 2 hr or even a 6 hr trek. We did a 3 hr Trek and the kids jumped on to ponies – so they were not tired (the Resort has a stable of lovely horses). As you walk around you see Coffee plantations , Pepper carpeting the barks of large trees , sweet lime , goose berry and a variety of exotic fruits trees – all set in lush green canopy. The guide ( 55 year old Madaswamy) was swell as he enthralled us with stories of elephants and bisons that came right inside the resort in summer to drink water.

Team images in forest

The kids love the horse rides – and its priced at just Rs 250 for a one hour trip. That was a big hit with the kids and Captain & Chetak (who the kids renamed Black Beauty) became their best friends

Horse ride

The resort also has a lovely farm where they grow a wide variety of fresh organic fruits & vegetables. Almost all the food prepared at the resort is from the farm produce. Surprisingly its not very cold – last week of Dec the temp was about 15 Degrees Centigrade. The valley effect and cloudy nights helped in keeping the place warm.

Farm

Food at the restaurant is very homely and tasty. Limited in variety but spans both Indian & Continental dishes – Veg & Non veg. Breakfast & Dinner are buffet meals. The service is excellent but being peak season the guys were really overworked. More than 50% of the guests were foreigners – a large % of them French.

Girls Gang

Room rates vary from Rs 3300 – Rs 7200 ( Inclusive of breakfast) . We stayed at the Tectona – the only room with 2 bedrooms . The Tree House is located a distance away and one needs to cross the stream to reach there. The honeymoon suit is again tucked away in wilderness. Food is very reasonably prices – so a 3 night trip inclusive of 2nd AC train fare from Bangalore to Kodai Road , transfer and a 1 day sight seeing trip to Kodaikanal should be in the range of 50K for a family of 4.

Sleepover

On the way back we managed to stop by at the famous Meenakshi temple ( Claimed to be 3500 Years Old) at Madurai. Madurai is 40 km from Kodai Road ( 1 hr drive) – so from Elephant Valley to Madurai is nearly 3 hrs. You can also plan a 2 night stay at Elephant Valley and then do a night stop at the Taj at Madurai. Just remember to book your return tickets from Madurai to Bangalore.

1000 Pillars

Overall a wonderful trip – and what made it memorable was the group of 3 families. Thanks LAN & Rakesh for joining . Lets now look forward to the next trip to Kashmir in April

Team 1

All trip photos can be viewed at the following Flickr Link http://www.flickr.com/photos/vak1969/sets/72157632381025548/with/8324642786/

madurai kodai kanal

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Can we ignore 200M + People ?

18 Dec

News channels yesterday were debating on two key topics – Narendra Modi winning a thumping 3rd term and the sad rape of the college girl in Delhi.

Todays TOI reports that Delhi has more rapes than the other 3 metros put together. Delhi is the capital of the country, every second month a high profile incident like this happens and then it dies down quietly in a few days.

I wonder what would have happened if the rape had happened in Ahmedabad instead of Delhi? The high decibel leaders from UPA would have immediately jumped on to every channel demanding Presidents rule in the state.

Gujarat incidentally is one of the safest places in the country for women and during Navratri its common to see girls out till the early hours of the morning. Women comprising 50% of the population in Gujarat are safe & happy and 40% of Delhi (The male Female Ratio is closer to 60: 40 in Delhi) is afraid to venture out at night.

Garba

Lets now look at some of the Modi bashing points – which keep coming out in every debate. The great thing about Modi is people hate him or love him. And it looks like the majority in Gujarat love him. Here are some arguments I place against the points raised against Modi

1.   The minority is restricted to areas like Juhapura and these places are slums with no water, electricity, sanitation etc.

Bangalore has Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai has Mahim, Kurla & Masjid, Hyderabad has Charminar & Begum Bazar – every city in India has a minority colony. Even the slums in Koramangla do not have water, electricity & sanitation. The Sikhs in Delhi are clustered in a few areas. Why just India – Chinatown exists in SFO, LA & New York. It’s common for minorities to live together.

2.   BJP did not give a seat to any minority community representative. Unless there is representation how does the locality / community improve

Modi wants to win the election with a 2/3rd majority. If there are candidates who could have won on a BJP seat he would have probably considered them. But chances are given the rhetoric of the last 10 years people are now brainwashed and will not vote for BJP even if Modi presents a minority candidate – so why should the BJP lose a seat even before the election has started ?

3.   The Modi story of development is a myth – he is Corrupt?

 The development is there for everyone to see. Industry is rushing in, the Government has been voted to power twice and is all set for a 3rd term. As charges of corruption fly thick & strong against the UPA Government – one has hardly heard any charge of corruption (from a non Congress Source) against Modi.

 4.   The events of 2002 cannot be forgotten and with Modi at the helm the minority can never progress?

Yes 2002 was unpardonable. But people tend to forget the spark that caused the fire. History is replete with wrong doings – the Sikh backlash post Indira Gandhi Assassination, the high handedness and loot of the British and when one reads of the massacre of Ghazni & Ghori it makes even the most moderate persons blood boil. Till when do we keep stoking the fire of anger – maybe we should have asked the Eng cricket team to go back if they did not return the Kohinoor diamond and claim our due share  from Nadir Shah’s descendants in Iran.

6600 Indians die of road accidents every day, thousands more die in the hell called our Govt hospitals every day. We don’t seem to be making an issue of this at all. Yet the media & the opposition keep alive the 2002 riots for their political agenda and for securing their vote banks.

What worries me more is the impact of all this on the educated Muslims. 20% or 200M + is not a minority. There are probably more Muslims in our country than Tamilians or Bengalis. But where are they?

In our apartment complex of 124 flats – Dominated by Hindus, 6 Jains & 1 Sikh families. I am sure this would be the case in the top 100-apartment complex in every large city. Someone as famous as Shabana Azmi recently said that she was finding it difficult to buy an apartment in a central Hindu locality in Mumbai. Check out your child’s school – in a class of 90 across 3 sections you may find 1 – 2 Muslim students. I worked in a large IT company with over 100,000 employees – I don’t recollect interacting with more than 5 Muslims in 13 years. If someone does a count the % of Muslims in India’s top 5 IT companies will be less than 2%.

Check out your Facebook friends and look back on how many people you sent an Id Mubarak greeting ? When was the last time you attended a function at a muslim friends house. This is not how it was 30 years back when we were kids.

Pran

There was a time in the 70’s when Muslims were always the helpful friendly characters in movies – whether it was Pran as Sher Khan in the immortal Zanjeer or Rishi Kapoor as Akbar in Amar Akbar Anthony. Today they are always the bad guys, the Terrorists.

The challenge is not Modi – the challenge is we and our inability to live peacefully with nearly 1/4th of the country. It doesn’t help if the media & politicians keep fanning the fire. And it needs both sides to take a few steps forward – but thats the only way forward.

 

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Bequeathing an Inheritance by Leveraging the Power of Compounding

13 Dec

I am worried ever since I wrote my last post. ( How much is enough to Retire?).

You start work at around 22 , the initial 10 years are low salary , long hours hardly any savings. The next 5 – 6 years go in buying a house, paying the loans and finally when you are  40+  & have  a reasonable saving potential – you start thinking of retirement and the Corpus needed to safely hang your boots gets you worried.

What could we have done differently if we were to start all over again ? Can we leverage some of this knowledge to bequeath a princely inheritance for our next generation ? Lets look at an interesting story, which highlights the power of COMPOUNDING. 

This is the  story of a Wise old man and a stingy Sultan. There was a severe draught and the villagers were on the edge of a famine. The Sultan had enough stock of grains in his granary but refused to partake the same. The villagers met the Wise old man and sought his help.

The Wise man presented the Sultan with a fabulously beautiful chessboard, intricately made with carved ivory, rare woods, and precious stones. It was so exquisite the Sultan offered the Wise man whatever price he named.

Beautiful Crystal chess

The Wise man asked for one grain of rice. The Sultan was shocked. The Wise man continued – one grain of rice for the first square on the chessboard; one day later, two grains for the second square; two days later, four grains for the third, and the same simple doubling for the remainder of the 64 squares on the chessboard.

Laughing, the Sultan agreed. “So I am to pay you a few grains of rice for all your wondrous work?” he asked. “It is sufficient for me, Your Majesty,” was his humble reply.

The Sultan directed his Treasurer to award the Wise man and do the needful for the next 64 days. The Wise man received his single grain gratefully on day 1 , and the Sultan forgot about him.

Dutifully, the Wise man showed up at the Treasurer’s office every day to receive his meager award of rice. On the 12th day, he received about two handfuls – 2,048 to be exact – and ignored the Treasurer’s sneer.

The sneer was still there on the 16th day, when he received little more than a single pound of rice. By the 21st day, the sneer was gone, replaced with a curious frown, for the Treasurer had to give the Wise man 35 pounds of rice – over a million grains. By the 24th day, the frown was replaced by worry – for the Wise man received 280 pounds of rice.

Two days later – the 26th – the look was fear and panic, for the Wise man had come for over one thousand pounds of rice. The Treasurer had, days ago, switched from counting in grains to pounds – and now realized that soon the Wise man would be owed all the rice in the entire sultanate.

“This cannot go on,” he told the Wise man. “Tomorrow it will be 2,000 pounds.” “2,200,” the Wise man corrected him. The Treasurer continued. “That means four days from now, the 30th day, it will be almost 18,000 pounds. This must stop.”

“But by the 30th day,” the Wise man objected, “we haven’t even reached the second half of the chessboard.” Then he smiled. “That’s when it gets really interesting.”

So you’ll owe me 2,200 pounds tomorrow, 17,600 pounds in four days, and over 70,000 when we reach half the chessboard in six days – which will be over two billion grains of rice, by the way.

“But, Mr. Treasurer, we’re just getting started. Two billion? That’s nothing. By the 41st day – 15 days from now – you’ll owe me 365,000 more pounds of rice than the 1,000 you owe me today, or over one trillion grains of rice.

By the 51st day – just 25 days from now – you and the Sultan will owe me 379 million pounds of rice That’s over one quadrillion grains of rice.

“By the time we reach the 64th square you and the Sultan will owe me three quadrillion pounds of rice, or 9 quintillion grains – more rice than there has been or ever will be in the world. Not bad starting out with that one single grain you laughed at two months or so before.”

The Treasurer fainted. When he awoke, the Wise man was gone. So he went to explain things to the Sultan – who had him immediately beheaded. Then the Sultan called for the Wise man. “My heart says I should execute you as I did that stupid treasurer,” said the Sultan, “but my head says I should have someone as smart as you to take his place.”

The Wise man accepted so quickly and calmly it was as if this was what he expected all along.     

Lets now apply this to our day to day life and see how we can Bequeath a princely inheritance to our next in Kin. Lets assume your child is 5 years old. Suppose you start a RD of Rs 10,000 / – Month for the next 10 years (lets assume an interest rate of 10%)  – your corpus at the end of 10 years will be about 18 Lac’s. (Child is now 15 Years)

Take this corpus and put it in a FD. Lets assume the same interest rate of 10%  – how much time does it take for the money to double. You can do it by the GP formulae A = P(1+R/100)^n or use a back of the envelope calculator and divide 72 with the interest rate. At 10% interest your investment will double in about 7.2 years ( 72 / 10 the interest rate) lets for simplicity round this up as 8 years.  Child’s Age 23 – Corpus 36 Lac’s

Keep doing this till the child is 55 years old. So in the next 32 years you have 4 cycles to double your Corpus.  36L – 72L – 1.44Cr – 2.88Cr – 5.66Cr.  

Hopefully you will be around to gift her this and see the smile on her face. 

So an investment of 12 Lac’s ( 10K * 12 * 10) spread across 10 years has resulted in a Corpus of 5.6 Crores. Not a bad inheritance and did not take too much of an effort. One may question and say what will be the value of 5.6 Crores 50 years from now ? You can continue the same mantra and start another RD after the 1st one matured or increase the value from 10 K / month to 15 K / month – enough ways to play around to leverage the power of Compounding.

While Equity , Debt Funds , FMP may sound Sexy they are liquid and – a simple RD & FD combination  and some discipline can help you build a lot of wealth by leveraging the power of Compunding. For the same reason a PPF & LIC works similiar miracles – and it does not even have the burden of tax liability.

So leverage the power of compunding and see your Wealth grow in geometric proportions . Enjoy the power of Compounding.

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