UKG CONVOCATION

KIPS KARICKAM : UKG CONVOCATION

KIPS KARICKAM : UKG CONVOCATION

KIPS KARICKAM : UKG CONVOCATION

KIPS KARICKAM : UKG CONVOCATION

KIPS KARICKAM : UKG CONVOCATION

Abraham Karickam -- Upanishads of India No. 43

Abraham Karickam -- Upanishads of India No. 43

KIPS KARICKAM : CONVOCATION

URI Award to Dr. N. N. Murali for world record in surgery

URI Award to Dr. N. N. Murali for world record in surgery

Dr. N. N. Murali , Retired District Medical Officer, Kottarakkara being honoured at a special function arranged by Amar Jyothi CC at Motel Aram. Dr. Murali holds world record for minor and major operations, as registered in the Limca Book of World Records. Elite Club, England also recognised his achievement. He has conducted 28000 major operations and more than 72000 minor operations-- over 100,000 and more all together in 40 years.

Dr. Abraham Karickam presented the award in the presence of Prof. P.K Varghese, Prof. John Kurakar and several other dignitaries on 16th March, 2014.

Dr. Murali will be soon taking charge as Lions District Governor and URI South India Region will be partnering with LIONS Club in several medical aid and palliative care programs, specially cancer care.

Special meeting of Amar Jyothi CC, Sadanandapuram to honour Dr. N. N Murali, who hold world record in maximum number of surgeries.

Abraham Karickam - Upanishads of India No. 44

Abraham Karickam -- Upanishads of India No. 43

Ashrama Upanishad

Ashrama Upanishad

                We get a detailed description about 16 stages in life which are sub-divisions of the four important ashramas popularly known as Brahmacharyam, Garhasthyam, Vanaprastham and Sanyasam:

1.       Brahmacharya: It has four sub-divisions. viz. Gayathran, Brahmanan, Prajapathyan and Brihan

a)      Gayathran:- His characteristics are the following:

ü  He wares yajnopaveetam

ü  He takes food without salt for three nights.

ü  He engages in reciting Gayatree mantra.

b)      Brahmanan:-

ü  He observes Brahmacharya for 48 years and studies all Vedas.

ü  if this is not possible one can study each veda for 12 years or attain excellent knowledge in Vedas and practice all laws inherent in it.

c)       Prajapathyan has to observe the following rules:

ü  He is a true and law abiding husband who is devoted to his wife only.

ü  He engages in union during the most auspicious time or he can spend 24 or 48 years in a Gurukulam.

d)      Brihan:- A Brihan will never abandon his Guru till his death.

2.       Garhasthyam:- Garhasthya has divisions like Varthaka vrithi, Shaleenavrithi, Yayaavaran and khora Sanyaasikan.

a)      Varthakavrithi:

ü  He engages in agriculture and cattle breeding.

ü  or engages in business.

ü  He practices yajna and prays for his soul.

b)      Shaleenavrithi:

ü  He practices yajna but will not teach others to perform yajnas

ü  He learns but does not teach.

c)       Yayaavaran:

ü  He practices yajna and teaches it.

ü  He learns and he can also teach.

ü  He gives alms and he can also receive alms.

ü  He will engage in such oblations for 100 years for self realization.

d)      Khorasanyaasikan:

ü  He deals in thapas for 100 years and performs various yajnas.

3.       Vanaprastham:- Vanaprastha has branches like Vaikhanasan, Udumban, Baalakhilyan and Fenapan.

a)      Vaikhanasan:

ü  He eats fruits from self grown plants and trees.

ü  He performs panchamahayajna for self realization.

b)      Udumban:

ü  He rises up very early and collects fruits and seeds.

ü  He performs panchamahayajnam.

c)       Bhalyakhilyan: His characteristics are:

ü  long hair, worn out dress and valkalam.

ü  He performs agnipooja for 8 months.

ü  He also performs pancha mahayajna.

d)      Fenapan:

ü  He is in an ecstatic mood.

ü  He eats fruits and sleeps where ever he finds a place.

ü  He performs agni pooja.

ü  He performs pancha maha yajna.

4.       Sanyaasashrama: The four sections of sanyaashasrama are Kuteechakan, Bhahudakan, Hamsan and  Paramahamsan.

a)      Kudeechakan:

ü  He accepts gifts from his own sons and families.

ü  He contemplates on refinement of his soul.

b)      Bahudakan: His characteristics are the following:

ü  Three fold staff

ü  Tuft

ü  vessel

ü  chappals

ü  Yajnopaveetam

ü  He wares ochure dress and travels widely.

c)       Hamsan:

ü  He has a single staff

ü  Wears Yajnopaveedam

ü  Has tuft

ü  He spends one night in village and five nights in cities

d)      Paramahamsan: There is an Upanishad just to describe Paramahamsa  (see paramahamsopanishad).

                    His characteristics will be as follows:

ü  He has no staff

ü  He has a bald head

ü  He wares kaupeenam

ü  He performs mysterious rituals.

ü  He is very courageous

ü  He is calm and cool

ü  He is in a state of aananda (ecstasy)

ü  He stays in deserted houses or temples

ü  He has no concern about dharma or adharma

ü  He tolerates any suffering

ü  He has samabhavana. He views all as equals

ü  He has no caste feelings

ü  He  contemplates on the deliverance on the soul only.

                                     Dr. Karickam

Bikshukopanishad

“Ohm atha bikshunam

Mokshartheenam kuteechaka

Bahutaka hamasa paramahamsa schethi chatwaaraka”

                This is an Upanishad dealing with the different types of Bikshus or Sanyasis. As seen in the first stanza,  there are four different types of Bhikshus. These are-

1. Kuteechakan

2. Bahudakan

3. Hamsan

4. Paramahamsan

All the qualities of all these different classes of sages are discussed in detail.

                Kudeechakan is in the class of Gauthaman, Bharadwajan, Yajna Valkyan, Vasishtan etc. They eat only 8 mouth fulls of food and they spend their time in meditation.

 Bahudakan will have the following as his mark:

I) The three fold emblematic   staff   

II) Tuft

III) Ochre dress

                He will totally renounce vine and meat. He eats only 8 mouth fulls of food and accepts food from the houses of Brahmarshis.

                The third type of Bikshu is called Hamsan. He stays one night in village and five nights in the city. He also stays seven nights in a temple. He drinks cow’s urine and practices yoga.

 The fourth class is that of Paramahamsan. He belongs to the class of Jadabharathan, Samvarthakan, Aaruni, Swethakethu, Dathaathreyan, Sukadevan, Vamadevan and Bhareethakan. They usually reside in caves or cemeteries and find resting place under the shade of trees. They can be clad or unclad. They also eat only 8 mouth fulls of food and seek the path of yoga alone. They consider stone and gold equal. They are never concerned about profit or loss. They accept alms from everyone irrespective of caste or colour. They see their aatman in every object. They will take shelter in places like temples, deserted places ,under a tree or ant hills. They sleep on the sandy banks of rivers and caves. They will have only one goal in life, which is the realization of Brahma. They live in total renunciation and give up bodies and become one with Brahma.

Aarunikopanishad

            Here the protagonist is Aruni, Son of Aruna, a devotee of Prajapathi. He goes to Brahmaloka and asks Brahman the following question: “Hey Bhagavan, how do I abandon all Karma”?

            Brahma prescribed a series of tenets like abandoning the following:

i) His own sons and relatives

ii) Sikha

iii) Yagnopaveetham

iv) Soothram

Then he has to abandon all the 14 worlds. These are -

1) Earth

2) Bhuvarloka

3) Swarloka

4) Maharloka

5) Janaloka

6) Tapoloka

7) Sathyaloka

8) Athalam

9) Pathalkam

10) Vithalam

11) Suthalam

12) Rasathalam

13) Talathalam

14) Mahaathalam

            All these make the Brahmananda loka. There should not be any desire for any of these worlds. He should be a custodian of only three things:

i) dandam

ii) kaupeenam

iii) blanket

 and he becomes a total sanyasi other requisites are the following:

i) Eat little food just as one takes medicines.

ii) He has to eat whatever he gets.

iii) He follows brahmacharya, ahimsa and sathyam.

            Thus he evolves into a Paramahamsa parivrajaka practicing aasana sayans (yogic postures for sleep). He can keep a pot or vessel. He completely avoids feelings like lust, anger, hatred, contempt, desire, pride, joy and so on. He stays in one place during the rainy season( four months) and travels only eight months during a year. He can travel alone or with a companion. He abandons every one of the relations and all karma. He makes his hands a vessel for receiving alms.

            Finally Brahma says that one who realizes the truth encompassed in this Upanishad becomes a njani or knowledgeable person. He will shine like the Sun because of the inner light. In the end he attains Paramadhama.

Dr. Karickam

Abraham Karickam - UPANISHADS OF INDIA NO. 42 - DAKSHINAMUR

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Abraham Karickam - UPANISHADS OF INDIA NO. 41

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Assam became first Indian state to observe Child Protection Day

Assam became first Indian state to observe Child Protection Day

Assam on 4 March 2014 became the first state in India to observe State Child Protection Day. The day was observed across the state and a central function was organized under the aegis of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with the UNICEF.

• Internationally Child Protection Day is observed on 19 November every year. It was launched by the   Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF) in 2000.

Manthrikopanishad

 Manthrikopanishad

Here we don’t find a Guru or a disciple. In stanza I we find several adjectives for the immaculate aatman which is subtle and imperishable. Though we experience it althrough our life, we don’t recognize our Aatman always.

“Bhutasammohane kale biannae thamasi vaikaree

Antha: pasyanthi satwastha nirgunam guna gahwaree.”

[All human beings are caught up in the darkness of the ignorance. However, when the veil of ignorance is removed one is able to discern it in the inner mind]. 

Ignorant people will never be able to understand the greatness of the soul. The whole world is caught up in a wide web of maya; this maya rules the world.

 In the ensuing stanzas  we get a picture about real Mantra (secret).  Brahma bears different names like Kaala, Praana, Sharva, Maheswara, Rudra and so on. The same Paramaatma is described in the Vedas as Prajapathi, who is worshipped by all. The Upan ishads of Atharva Veda describe it as Nirguna Sankhya.

Stanza XVII summarizes the core principle:

“Yasmin sarvamitham protham brahmasthaavara jangamam

Thasminneva layam yathi sravanthya: saagare yadhaa."

[All moving and unmoving objects in the Universe are chained in Brahma; everything merge in the sea.]

  The bubbles arise from water and again become one with the sea. Similarly all objects evolve out of Brahma and later immerge in him. Whoever knows this secret he/she achieves the ultimate goal of oneness with Parabrahma.

                                                                     Dr. Karickam

Nikhil Kumar resigned: Sheila Dikshit appointed new Kerala governor

Sheila Dikshit, the former three-term Chief Minister of Delhi, was appointed the Governor of Kerala. She served as the chief minister of Delhi from 1998 to 2013. Dikshit led the Congress party, to a record three consecutive electoral victories in the national capital

• Dikshit, who had contested the 2013 Assembly Elections from the New Delhi Constituency, had lost against the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal with a big marginof around 20000 votes.
• Governor of Kerala Nikhil Kumar has resigned from his post and is likely to contest the elections from the Aurangabad seat in Bihar, which he had won in 2004.
• The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has appointed him as the new Governor of Kerala on 9 March 2013.

86th Oscar awards announced: Best film 12 Years a Slave

The 86th Academy Awards ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on March 2, 2014. The ceremony was scheduled one week later than usual to avoid conflict with the broadcast of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The awards, first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Gravity won seven awards, the most for the ceremony, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron.

The winners are as follows:

• Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave (Director: Steve McQueen)
• Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron  (Gravity)
• BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Matthew McConaughey  (Dallas Buyers Club )
• BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
• BEST WRITING -Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze (Her)
• BEST WRITING – Adapted Screenplay :John Ridley 12 Years a Slave
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave -
• BEST COSTUME DESIGN : The Great Gatsby
• BEST MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING: Dallas Buyers Club
• BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED): Mr Hublot
• BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Frozen
• BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION): Helium
• BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
• BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: 20 Feet from Stardom
• BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Great Beauty (Italy)
• BEST SOUND MIXING: Gravity
• BEST SOUND EDITING: Gravity
• BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:Gravity

UPANISHADS OF INDIA NO. 40 -- ASHRAMOPANISHAD

Paramahamsa Upanishad

     Paramahamsa Upanishad

                Once Narada comes to Brahma with a burning question.”who is a real Paramahamsa Yogi? What is his position among other yogis ? What is his real path pertaining to asceticism?’

                Brahma says that the office of a Paramahamsa is the most difficult vratha in the Universe. It is so hard. There are not many in their class. You will find only one or two at a time. They will be in a state called ‘ Kudastha bhava’.They will be called Veda Purusha. Their mind will be immensed in me. They abide in me and I in them. They will shun children, friends and family. They will give up all attachments like the Yajnopayeeda, tuft and stuff. They avoid even the study of Vedas. They will give up Samstha Brahmanda (whole world). In essential conditions they will wear only kaupeenam and carry only a blanket.

                But the main deeksha or vratha or the yogi principles shall be the following

1.       When he becomes a real Paramahamsa he will do away with attachments like Yajnopaveeda(Holy thread) and Dandu (Staff)

2.       He will not be swayed by  sukha or dukha.

3.       He will overcome all passions like contempt, pride, hatred, joy, sorrow, jealousy, cowetessness, and conceit and so on.

4.       He will consider his body just as a corpse.

5.       He will not entertain any doubts or false knowledge and becomes Satyajnana swaroopa.

6.       He never depends on any objects in this Universe.

7.       He is calm and unshakable.

8.       He attains Samabhavana (considering every one as equel)

9.       He always resides in Parabrahma Swaroopa. He will also be called as ‘Dandi’ as knowledge becomes his Dand (staff)

     The third stanza gives a warning about a sanyasi who is devoid of all the above qualities such one will inherit hell.

                Stanza Iv (final stanza) gives us a beautiful image that sky is the dress for a paramahamsa. He will have no house at all his intellect will be stable, he craves for no gold. Nothing in the world attracts him. If he craves for gold or wealth he makes himself like a killer of a Brahmin, he degrades himself to a chandaala. All his desires end. He will have no fear of grief. All his indriyas will be under control. He resides in his self and becomes a purnananda swaroopa and develops a feeling that “I am adweethya Brahma” (Brahma who has no equal).

            Dr. Karickam