UPANISHADS OF INDIA -6

PRASHNOPANISHAD - PART II

In the second part of Prashnopanishad we find Bharghavan coming to Pippalada Muni with the following question: 

Bhagavan! How many deities do sustain life and who are the Gods who support them and who is the best?

Muni gives the following answer:

"The sky is the greatest deity. Air, fire, water, earth, word, mind, tongue and ear are the main Devas who sustain life. They all claim that they are the ones who uphold life.

At this point the noble praana (Soul) makes a claim that he is the one who is present in all the five elements. But the others did not believe what he said. Then praana tried to escape from the body. Then the other indriyaas also started exiting from the body. When praana remained still then the other elements were also stable. The best example for this is the story of honey bees. When the king goes out of the hive then other bees follow him. When he comes back all the others also join him. So all the other indriyas now understood the prominence of praana.  

Sloka V reads like this:

“eeshognisthapathyesha soorya eesha parjjanyo

Maghavaanesha vayu: eesha prithvee rayirddeva:

Sada sachamritham cha yat.”

[This praana itself provides heat as agni. He shines as the sun. He himself is sun, cloud, indra, air, earth,moon amrith and everything].

Many stanzas that follow categorically underscore the importance of prana, which is the be-all and end-all in the universe. All the elements in this world and beyond are controlled by praana and as a mother takes care of her children, praana also protects every atom in the cosmic realm. 

                                 DR. ABRAHAM KARICKAM

LOVE POEM No. 39 :I SHALL STOP REMEMBERING

I SHALL STOP REMEMBERING

If Egypt exists without Nile

And Himalayas stand sans Everest;

If lotus blooms without the sun,

I shall live without you.

If the crows turn white anon,

And the gulls ever stop flying;

If planets avoid their orbits,

I shall stop remembering you.


                                 Dr. Karickam

UPANISHADS OF INDIA - 5

PRASHNOPANISHAD  (Part-I)

This is one extensive work which gives us an insight into the depth of Indian philosophy. One needs patience and sagacity to really capture the deep ideas implied in every sloka. Only a real brahmachari with great commitment can comprehend this. It is in the form of a story where six intelligent disciples approach Pippalada Muni with burning questions about Brahmavidya (God knowledge). They are Sukhesan, Sathyakaaman, Garghyan, Kausalyan, Bhargavan and Khabhandhi. Muni teaches them great secrets about cosmos and creations. He asks them to stay with him for an year observing the stringent measures of brahmacharya and come with questions later. 

The first one to come to him after an year was Khabhandhi (Son of Karthyana). He poses the following question: 
"Bhagavaan, from where do all these subjects (people) originate?"
Pippalada Muni gives the following answer: 
Prajapati with the intention of creating people meditated for long. Then he created 'Rayi' and 'Praana' , the two objects central to creations. They form vasthu and chaithanya and he believed that these two will create subjects for him.According to this, sun is the Praana and moon is the Rayi.

Then follows a detailed account of all the duties performed by the sun and the moon which form the basis of everything in this universe. 15th sloka of part I gives the following idea about the origin of people. 
Those men who observe Prajapathyavratha  give birth to noble beings. 
Those men who are truthful and faithful and who follow the path of brahmacharya attain Brahma loka or Moksha, which is a world of purity attained through Devayana.


                                                           Dr. Abraham Karickam

LOVE POEM No. 38 :LET MY WILL PREVAIL

LET MY WILL PREVAIL

It is scorching heat outside,

A fiery furnace inside;

Earth craves for rain,

My soul thirsts for Thee.

            Like Hagar I crumble

            In unending wilderness;

            Will your eyes open

            And ask a spring to sprout?

Let me not perish

In utter disregard;

Let my will prevail

To rear a race for you.

Dr. Karickam

Turkey's Bosphorus sub-sea tunnel links Europe and Asia

Turkey's Bosphorus sub-sea tunnel links Europe and Asia

A railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait has been opened in Turkey, creating a new link between the Asian and European shores of Istanbul. The Marmaray tunnel is the world's first connecting two continents, and is designed to withstand earthquakes.It was inaugurated on the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has for years championed the undersea engineering project, first conceived by an Ottoman sultan in 1860. Work began in 2004, but archaeological excavations delayed construction. The underwater section runs for 0.8 miles (1.4 km), but in total the tunnel is 8.5 miles (13.6 km) long. 
Istanbul is one of the world's biggest cities, with about 16 million people. Some two million, according to the AFP news agency, cross the Bosphorus every day via just two bridges, causing severe traffic congestion. The rail service will be capable of carrying 75,000 people per hour in either direction.

newsandviewsonline.com

കുഞ്ഞുണ്ണി കവിതകൾ

കുഞ്ഞുണ്ണി കവിതകൾ  

• വലിയോരീ ലോകം മുഴുവൻ നന്നാകാൻ 

          ചെറിയൊരു സൂത്രം ചെവിയിലോതാം ഞാൻ 

          സ്വയം നന്നാവുക. 

• തല മോട്ടയയത്തിൽ പിന്നെ 

          ഗാന്ധി തോപ്പിയിട്ടിട്ടില്ല 

          ഗാന്ധി ഭക്തരാകട്ടെ 

         ചത്താലും തോപ്പിയൂരില്ല

         എത്രകാലം തോപ്പിയിട്ടലും 

         മോട്ടയകുന്നതല്ലല്ലോ അവരുടെ തല.

• അത്ഭുതം എന്നൊരു സാധനം കൊണ്ടല്ലോ 

         സൃഷ്ടിച്ചതീശ്വരനെന്നെ നന്നായ് 

         എന്നിട്ടതിൽ ബാക്കിയായതെടുതാവാം 

         ഒപ്പിച്ചതി പ്രപന്ച്ചതിനേയും.

• നമ്മൾ നന്നാകുവാനെന്തു നല്ലു 

          നല്ലൊരു ചൂലു മനസ്സില് നല്ലൂ .

• ജനിക്കും നിമിഷം തൊട്ടെൻ 

           മകനിംഗ്ലീഷ്  പഠിക്കണം

           അതിനാല ഭാര്യതാൻ പെറ 

           ങ്ങിഗ്ലണ്ടിൽതന്നെയാക്കി ഞാൻ .

THINK LIKE A WINNER

“WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR THINKING,

YOU CHANGE YOUR BELIFS;

WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS,

YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDES;

WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDES;

YOU CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOUR;

WHEN YOU CHAGE YOUR BEHAVIOUR,

YOU CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE;

WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE,

YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE.”

                      - DR. WALTER DOYLE STAPLES

UPANISHADS OF INDIA - 4

KATOPANISHAD

It is in the Katopanishad that we find the famous story of Nachikethas (I have narrated this story in my poem “Call me Nachikethas”, Love poem no. 3) Nachikethas is the embodiment of  inquisitiveness. As a boy he could not tolerate the unjust behavior of his father Uddalaka in offering unwanted objects to God in the Viswajith Yaga (sacrifice). Tormented by ill feelings he asked his father for whom his son is going to be offered. Uddalaka became furious and said he will offer him to Yaman,  the God of death.

            So Nachikethas goes to meet Yaman and spends three days at Yamaloka expecting the arrival of Yama. On his arrival Yama asked the boy the purpose of his journey and he posed the question, what happens to the soul after death?  Yama prompted him to ask for all other pleasures instead, but the boy doesn’t yield. He denied all the riches and sensual offerings and persists in knowing the ultimate truth. Then Yama teaches him agnividya, which enables him to attain heaven.

Stanza 17 of part I prescribes the three fold path of tapam,daanam and yagnam for crossing the ocean of life and death.

Nachikethas explains that some people believe that soul exists even after death but some others conclude that the soul also perishes with death. He wants to know the truth. God Yama replies thus:

“Na narenaavarena proktha esha

Suvijneyo bahudha chinthya maana:

Ananya prokthe gathi rakthra naasthi

Aneeyaan hytharkyamanu pramanaath”   - Part II .8

[This self knowledge is not revealed easily. Those who lack real wisdom may try to explain it in different ways but it is not easy to obtain. It is beyond the reach of ordinary minds. And in Stanza 12 he again states that the wiser ones understand Brahma through aadhyathma yoga. By strenuous spiritual disciplines one can comprehend the secrets of the ‘Paramapada’ or ‘Ohm’.

“Ethadhyevaaksharam Brahma  ethadhyevaaksharam param

Ethadhye vaaksharam njathwa yo yadhichathi thasya tath”.  - Part II: 16

[This is Akshara Brahma, this is Parabrahma. One who discerns this truth will be bestowed with whatever he wishes].

After this Yama reveals the great secret regarding soul.

“ Na jaayathe mryathe vaa vipaschi

Naayam kuthaschinna babhuva kaschit

Ajo nitya: sasvathoyam purano

Na hanyathe hanya maane sareere”-  - Part II. 18

                                                       

[This soul is not born, it never dies, it is eternal. It never perishes even if the body becomes one with the earth].

   In the third part we find the famous sloka

“Uthishtata jaagratha prapya varannibodhatha, kshurasya

 Dhaaraanishitha, dhurathryayadurgam padhastat kavayo vadhanthi    - Part III:14
                                                                                     
                                                                                           

 Rise up, wake up. Gain the soul through the samsarga of great people. The wiser ones understand that this is so difficult a task.

      ‘Katopanishat’ occupies a very prominent position among the great writings of India. 

                                                              
                                                                      Dr. Abraham Karickam

Love poem No. 37 :WORLD TO ME A WILDERNESS

WORLD TO ME A WILDERNESS

For the taste of his teeth

My breasts cry and die;

For the feel of his life

My womb throbbs in vain.

            The star is for the sky,

            The ship for the seas;

            Fish is for the waters,

            Lotus for the sun.

If I be not for him

And he ever for me,

This world a wilderness

Though heaven for my peers.

            A day will come anon

            For us to become one,

            It cannot be long,

            For the wedding bells to sound.

Dr. Karickam

LOVE POEM No 36: WHEN THE WEDDING

WHEN THE WEDDING

Flowers bloom to bliss,

Stars are born to shine;

Seeds are sown to sprout

 And birds take to skies.

            Full grown bride I wait

In celestial array adorned,

Listening for the call

Of the knight upon his steed.

When my beloved comes

Making all jealous,

I shall dance in joy

And fly once far away.

Dr. Karickam

Upanishads of India - 3

Kenopanishad

This is one among the principal Upanishads which lead us to the mystery of God. The second stanza of part I goes like this:

“Srothasya srothram manaso mano yat vaacho ha

Vaacham sa uu praanasya praanaha chakshushas  chakshurathi

Muchya dheeraaha prethyasmaalooka damritha bhavanthi”

                [That Parabrahma which resides as the ear of the ear, mind of the mind, word of the word, life of life and the eye of eye is the ultimate reality. One who knows this truth crosses the ocean of life and attains moksha.]

 This Upanishad states it very clearly that the ultimate truth is incomprehensible. That is why we have innumerable interpretations of God, which reminds us of the fact that no one upon the earth can claim finality about his/ her understanding about God.

“yasyaamatham thasya matham matham yasya na veda sa:

Avijnaatham vijaanatham vijnaathamavijnaanatham”

                [One who knows that God is incomprehensible, knows God but one who claims he knows Brahma doesn’t know Brahma.]

                Fifth stanza of part II postulates that Brahma resides in our body. One who doesn’t realize this truth falls in oblivion. The really wise people recognize that the Parabrahma dwells in all living objects. Those who realize this attain amarathwa or moksha.

                Stanza five of part IV makes an emphatic statement about right spirituality. When the mind feels that it is closer to Brahma, it attains the right spiritual wave length. So it is one’s duty to contemplate on Brahma eternally for his fulfillment. Stanza VIII ( part IV) prescribes three modes for Brahma vidya (Spiritual Wisdom) – Thapas, Indriya dhamanam and duties related to yagna.

The last verse defines salvation:

“yo va eethomevam vedapahatya papmaanamananthe

Swargeeloke gyae prathitishtathi prathitishtathi”

[One who really understands the above said Brahma vidya overcomes all sins and voyage to heaven which is delectable and infinite.]

                                    Dr. Karickam

LOVE POEM No. 35 : HIMALAYAS BECKON ME

HIMALAYAS BECKON ME

The Himalayas beckon me,

Let me take refuge

In some caves hidden

And forget the world around.

           

            When maddies control the helm

And arms decide the fate,

Why live in the world

When jackals roam about?

 

No. It is easy to run away

And get lost amidst the hills,

But better live or die

In combating evils.

             If the creator had it all

For all to flourish in joy,

Let me not find rest

Until that goal attained.

                                                                              Dr. Karickam

7 RULES OF LIFE

UPANISHADS OF INDIA -2

ISAVASYOPANISHAD

Who is God and what is our relationship with the creator? This has been a baffling question which has been troubling the human being from time in memorium. Isavasyopanishad gives a clear answer to this question.

"Isavasyamidamsarvam/yatkimcha jagatyaam jagat".

It says that Brahma is complete and also that the universe is complete. Everything is part of the cosmic energy.

This is a very famous Upanishad which exhorts everyone to wish for a life of 100 years in order to fulfill life's mission, performing the assigned duties. It also warns us that anyone who is proud of his knowledge falls in utter darkness. The eleventh verse reminds us the perennial truth that one who realizes the importance of vidya (real knowledge) attains amruthathwam or eternall life.

"vidyaam cha avidyaam cha yasthadwedo bhayam saha
avidyayaa mrithyum theerthwaa vidyaya amruthamashnuthe".

For any one who wants to understand his/her life and mission in this world has to turn to Isavasyopanishad for enlightenment.


                                            Dr. Karickam

Save Our Children

LOVE POEM No. 34 : PARADISE

PARADISE

Come my love, my darling Eve,

Let’s disappear into our Eden;

Let the world be jealous of us,

   Let us squeeze the honey combs there.

In the alien shores below,

Discontent souls play musical chair

To grab a seat and rest assured

Of a prize to conquer the world.

Atlas shall free his shoulders once

And the sky in pieces numerous fall;

Cyclopes and Titans will wage a war

To fill the oceans with blood red waves.

You and I like new born babes,

In prestine beauty dwell in peace

We shall sing a melody sweet

Hitherto unheard in heaven or earth.


DR. KARICKAM

UPANISHADS OF INDIA - 1

UPANISHADS OF INDIA

“In the whole world, there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads. If it has been the solace of my life, it will be the solace of my death.”  - Shopenhauer

The greatest asset of the Indian soil will be the Upanishads' which form the foundation of Indian Philosophy. It stands like the Himalayas and it is like the fountain head of inspiration for all philosophers who have been drawn to it. So many pundits from around the world have given a lion’s share of their life for the study and dissemination of these invaluable treasures.

It was for my book “Concept of Salvation in the Upanishads, the Bible and the Qur’an” that I first began to peruse the 108 Upanishads. It was then that it dawned on me that it was a Herculean task to comprehend such a vast ocean of knowledge. Any attempt to enter into such depth will demand a great amount of time and energy. It is like crossing the ocean on a small raft. But still we have to make an attempt for the feel of the vastness.

My intention here is to introduce a few of our ancient treasures to the aspiring young readers. How far it will be successful is a matter of concern. But still I think the attempt is important. So the essence of the Upanishads will be condensed in a few lines one by one in separate posts.       

                                                           Dr. Abraham Karickam

New galaxy discovered

New galaxy discovered

An international team of astronomers has detected the most distant galaxy yet. The galaxy is about 30 billion light-years away and is helping scientists shed light on the period that immediately followed the Big Bang. It was found using the Hubble Space Telescope and its distance was then confirmed with the ground-based Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The study is published in the journal Nature.

Because it takes light so long to travel from the outer edge of the Universe to us, the galaxy appears as it was 13.1 billion years ago (its distance from Earth of 30 billion light-years is because the Universe is expanding). Lead researcher Steven Finkelstein, from the University of Texas at Austin, US, said: "This is the most distant galaxy we've confirmed. We are seeing this galaxy as it was 700 million years after the Big Bang." The far-off galaxy goes by the catchy name of z8_GND_5296.

Astronomers were able to measure how far it was from Earth by analysing its colour.Because the Universe is expanding and everything is moving away from us, light waves are stretched. This makes objects look redder than they actually are. Astronomers rate this apparent colour-change on a scale that is called redshift. They found that this galaxy has a redshift of 7.51, beating the previous record-holder, which had a redshift of 7.21. This makes it the most distant galaxy ever found. The system is small: about 1-2% the mass of the Milky Way and is rich in heavier elements. But it has a surprising feature: it is turning gas and dust into new stars at a remarkable rate, churning them out hundreds of times faster than our own galaxy can. It is the second far-flung galaxy known that has been found to have a high star-production rate.

Love Poem No. 33 : DRINKING FROM DIFFERENT WELLS

DRINKING FROM DIFFERENT WELLS

 Desert springs and holy wells

Unending flow of divine streams;

The pull is strong, temptations hard,

A thirsty traveler wild I run

From one shore to the other.

Helicon sweet and Ganges pure,

As a camel I begin to suck

To fill my bag for seasons sour;

Emptying and filling never to cease,

The process perchance, till the grave.

Thou smilest in secret scorn,

Knowing well my varied strands;

Allowing the games to the post,

And waiting for the final plunge

To cross the Styx and swim ashore.

Dr. Karickam 

Good Thoughts

LOVE POEMS No.32 : BORN AGAIN

BORN AGAIN

Passing by the valley, my love, on an autumn evening

I divulged my longing, don’t you remember?

You whispered to hold on to that which is beyond

All the tickling of senses and voluptuous titillation.

Body is a chariot drawn by carnal horses,

Casual play of reins shall wreck the lively course;

Craze for the hidden depths will lead to thousand births

In thousand different wombs, I remember well your words.

Sensing my impatience, you proceeded to impart

The greatest of all secrets one can afford to grasp;

I was feverish for neglect of the chance

Quoting Omarkhayam I began pleading my case.

The soul is the be- all and end- all, you professed,

Which resides within the heart with five scores of veins;

Over seventy thousand tubes carry the breath of life,

The most prized boon bestowed upon the human clan.

How you led me thus to the realm of deliverance!

The four shades of which I listened mouth agape;

Saalokya, saamiipya, saaruupya,saayuujya mukti,

Each filling my heart and I was born again.

Bhuu: Bhuva:Swaha

                                                                  Dr. Karickam

Edited works of Dr. Karickam No. 10 - SEARCH

SEARCH

SEARCH is a biannual journal on topics on current research and studies in all disciplines published by the Academic Cell of Marthoma College, Thiruvalla. This was one of the first research publications from private colleges in Kerala. The first volume came out in 1995 with Most Rev. Dr. Alexander Marthoma Metropolitan as its patron and Dr. Abraham Karickam as chief editor. 

The members of the Academic Cell were Dr. M. M. Thomas (Chairman), Dr. A. P. John (Principal), Rev. Kurian Thomas, Dr. A. J. John and Prof. Philip. N. Thomas (Convener). So many research articles from the academia of Kerala found place in the issues of SEARCH. This played a pivotal role in creating a culture of research among college teachers in the state.  This was a pioneer in the field of academic research in the state of Kerala. 

Garden Club of KIPS planting kitchen garden

Edited works of Dr. Karickam. No.9 KARMAYOGIYAYA REV. C. I. GEEVARGHESE

KARMAYOGIYAYA REV. C. I. GEEVARGHESE

Rev. C. I. Geevarhese is one of the very senior achens of Marthoma Church. He had the rare privilege of being the Secretary of the erstwhile Kollam Kottarakara diocese which parented many other diocse of the church. His dedication and commitment is really praiseworthy and there is no other achen who can claim that much of his deep concern for ordinary people.

Rev. Varghese was instrumental in developing Kottarakaraconvention  to its present stature. He served in numerous committees of the church for a very long time. He was a model for many of the younger priests and so many of them consider him as a fountain of inspiration.

This book was published on the occasion of his 60^th birthday. several friends have contributed to this volume. It comes with a foreword by Dr. Alexander Marthoma Metropolitan and an introduction by Very Rev. A. C. Kurian. Dr. Abraham Karickam was the editor. 

Edited Works of Dr. Karickam (N0. 8 Thandinmel Thelicha Deepam)

 തണ്ടിന്മേൽ തെളിച്ച ദീപം - Thandinmel Thelicha Deepam

This is a biography of Rt. Rev. Easow Mar Timotheos episcopa, who was one of the leading Bishops of Marthoma Church who expired on 11th April 1988 at Portblair at an unexpected time. He was a Bishop with a difference who upheld the sanctity of ashram life. He was a member of Sihora Ashram for a long time and his agricultural training in Japan helped him a lot in working for the holistic development of Marthoma community at large. He was upholding missionary zeal in all walks of his life.

Easow Thirumeni got only a short span of life, but he became a role model for everyone during his life, serving the church and humanity.

This is a publication of the Marthoma Church and several eminent people have contributed articles regarding the life and works of Easow Thirumeni.

This comes with an introduction by Dr. Alexander Marthoma Valiya Metropolitan and a foreword by Dr. Joseph Marthoma metropolitan. it was released during the Maramon convention of 1989.Dr. Abraham Karickam was the editor.

Eleanor Catton wins Man Booker Prize

New Zealand author Eleanor Catton has, at the age of 28, become the youngest ever winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries. Her 832-page tale of the 19th-century goldfields is also the longest work to win in the prize's 45-year history.

Love Poem No. 31 : The Dream

THE DREAM

Yesterday was hell, I was cooked in fire

Though it winter was and all others cool;

When the cuckoo sang a melancholy fine and frail

I remembered Thee, forgotten for long for long.

Why am I such, my memory so fragile,

A wretched ungrateful pig, discarding my love?

Why such insatiable craze in the interior frame,

Is it Adam’s curse or mere earthly fire?

What ev’r be the curse, I feel that ashamed

To knock at Thy door, a chanced traveler;

I throw myself always into the dirty mire,

Consuming discarded waste, allured by hazardous spell.

Why fail to send some trusted messengers,

Who could conduct me straight to Thine own bower?

How long shall I crave, waiting for the call,

The day of our union, will that remain a dream?

Dr. Karickam

Jibin. C William and Sibil. P John presenting vegetable from the kitchen gardento Mr. T.G. Stephan

Edited works of Dr. Karickam No. 7 (Very Rev. K.V. Jacob – Oru Smaranika)

Very Rev. K.V. Jacob – Oru Smaranika

Very Rev. K. V. Jacob was one of the prominent Marthoma priests who contributed a great deal to the development of church and society. He was a member of the Kalapila family, Ayur who was a champion of the Southern Diocese at all times.

Very Rev. K. V. Jacob served the church in various capacities for many decades. His contributions have been lauded by people from all walks of life. Dr. Abraham Karickam here draws an excellent portrait of a selfless vicar who dedicated his whole life for the good of humanity. His contributions for the Marthoma College of Science and Technology is specially highlighted in this volume.

This was published by Trivandrum-Quilon Diocese of the Marthoma church in the year 1993. So many important people have contributed for this biographical volume.

Jesna Johnson presenting vegetable from the kitchen gardento the Principal

Jibin Luke( U.S.A) addressing Xth Grade students of KIPS

Jibin Luke (U.S.A) and Nithin Geo Thomas (Technopark) at the KIPS Office

Jibin Luke (U.S.A) at the URI office