Book Review: Vidur Neeti

‘Vidur Neeti’ (in Hindi)

(Taken from the Mahabharata; explanations by Sri Hanuman Prasad Poddar)

Gita Press

ISBN: 81-293-0216-0

‘Vidur Neeti’ is part of the great epic Mahabharata in which the wise counsel Vidur explains many concepts and facts of great wisdom to King Dhritirashtra of Hastinapur. References are in eight chapters, 33rd to 40th, of Mahabharata. This book presents the Sanskrit shlokas with their concise translations in Hindi. The language is simple and it can be read and understood by the masses.

I am noting down some of the shlokas with their meanings:

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Ijyaaddhayanadaanani tapah satyam kshamaa ghrina |

Alobh iti margoyam dharmsyashtavidhah smritah ||56|| (adhyay-3)

Yagya, addhyayan, daan, tap, satya, kshamaa, dayaa, aur alobh - ye dharm ke aath prakar ke marg bataye gaye hain. ||56|| (adhyay. 3)

Yagya, learning/study, alms-giving, tapa (penance), truthfullness, forgiveness, compassion and non-greediness - these are said to be eight types of path towards Dharma. ||56|| (Chapter 3)

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Tatra purvachaturvargo dambharthmapi sevyate |

Uttarascha chaturvargo namahatmsu tishthati ||57|| (adhyay-3)

Inme se pahle charon ka to dambh ke liye bhi sevan kiya ja sakta hai, parantu antim char to jo mahatma nahi hain unme rah hi nahi sakte ||57|| (adhyay. 3)

Of these, the first four can even by practiced for ego or pride, but the later four can never be present in those who are not good souls. ||57|| (Chapter. 3)

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Avyahritam vyahritachchhreya ahuh,

Satyam vadet vyahritam tad dviteeyam |

Priyam vaded vyahritam tat tritiyam,

Dharmam vadet vyahritam tachchaturtham ||12|| (adhyay-4)

Bolne se na bolna achchha bataya gaya hai; kintu satya bolna vaani ki dusri visheshta hai, yani maun ki apeksha bhi duna labhprad hai. Satya bhi yadi priya bola jaye to teesri visheshta hai aur wah yadi dharm-sammat kaha jaye to wah vachan ki chauthi visheshta hai ||12|| (adhyay. 4)

It is said that not speaking is better than speaking, but speaking the truth is said to be second quality of speech meaning it is better than non-speech. If the truth is even nice/lovely, it becomes third quality of speech (better than only truthful speech), and if that (lovely and truthful) speech is also consistent with Dharma (it is righteous), then it becomes fourth quality of speech (it is even better than the previous three). ||12|| (ch. 4)

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Aakrushyamano nakroshenmanyurev titikshatah |

Akroshtaram nirdahati sukritam chasya vindati ||5|| (adhyay-4)

Dusron se gaali sun kar bhi swayam unhen gaali na den. Kshama karne wale ka roka hua krodh hi gaali dene wae ko jala deta hai aur uske punya ko bhi le lea hai. ||5|| (adhyay. 4)

Even after hearing abuses from others, don't say abuses to them. The restrained anger of those who pardon others itself burns/destroys the abusers and also destroys their punya. ||5|| (ch. 4)

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Krityani purvam parisankhyay sarvanyayvyaye chanurupaam cha vrittim |

Sangrahneeyaadnurupaan sahaayaan sahaayasaadhyaani hi dushkaraani ||24|| (adhyay 5)

Pahle kartavya, aay-vyay aur uchit vetan ka nishchay karke fir suyogya sahaayakon ka sangrah karen, kyonki kathin se kathin karya bhi sahayakon dwara sadhya hote hain ||24|| (adhyay 5)

One should first decide on the appropriate duties, income & expenses, and wages and then should collect right associates. Because even the most difficult jobs can be done with the help of associates. ||24|| (Ch. 5)

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Aarjaven naram yuktamaarjavaat savyapatram |

Ashaktam manyamaanaastu dharshayanti kubudhyah ||62|| (adhyay 7)

Dushta buddhi wale log saralta se yukt aur saralta ke hi karan lajjasheel manushya ko ashakta maankar uska tiraskaar karte hain. ||62|| (adhyay 7)

People with evil minds consider the simple and sober (because of simplicity) men as weak and they insult them. ||62|| (Ch. 7)

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PS: My apologies for any errors in typing or translation.

One can see the great intelligence reflected in the first two verses, where Vidhur clearly demarcates the gestures of Dharma which can be fabricated Vs which come to us naturally. Third and fourth contain great practical wisdom. I think the second last verse on selection of associates is a fitting one to be considered by people with interest in business. And the last one is such a timeless wisdom.

These are only a few of the very interesting and enlightening verses presented in this book. I recommend this to all.

- Rahul

Book Review: Rukmini Haran by KM Munshi

‘Rukmini Haran’ (Krishnavatar-2) (Hindi)

By: Dr. K. M. Munshi

Translated in Hindi by: Omkarnath Sharma

Rajkamal Prakashan

© Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

ISBN: 978-81-267-0060-8

‘Rukmini Haran’ is the second part of 7 volumes Krishnavatar written by Dr. Kanhaiyalal Maniklal Munshi. I had written about the first book ‘Bansi Ki Dhun’ here [Link], which told the life story of Krishna from birth till the time of Kansa vadh. This volume covers the story from there till when Krishna weds Rukmini after rescuing her.

Since not all of us get to read the original Hindu scriptures (in fact a lot of us have relied on television serials to know about our mythology), reading from learned secondary sources is important. Sometimes lack of clear knowledge of facts and events result in embarrassing situations for us when confronted by others. Though Krishnavatar is a novel and the author has done some characterisation and written it in the form of a tale, it is nonetheless very well researched. I recommend everyone to read the whole enlightening Krishnavatar series.

Reading this volume cleared many doubts for me and touched upon the following events:

1.    How and why Krishna didn’t accept to become King of Mathura after Kansa’s assassination.

2.   How princess Rukmini fell in love with Krishna and how her brother became his enemy.

3.  How the Pandavas had early interaction with Krishna (Kunti was Vasudev’s sister, so the Pandavas were Krishna’s cousins; Bhim learnt gada-ruddha from Balram)

4.   A very adventurous episode with Panchjan and Punyajan Rakshasas (portion is based on traditions) based in Kushasthali (From here Krishna got his Panchjanya shankh)

5.      Why Krishna decided not to go back to

6.   Why Krishna and Balrama left Mathura when Jarasandh came attacking. (this whole episode is an eye-opener which clears all doubts and establishes how their fleeing the city was in fact an act of great intelligence and compassion)

7.     A very interesting episode of adventures on Gomantak hills and how Krishna and Balrama defeated Jarasandh but gave him jeevandaan.

8.  A very interesting and daring episode of elimination of Sringalav Vasudev, and rescuing Shwetketu and Shaivya.

9.  How Krishna leads Mathura’s people to migrate to Kushasthali or Dwaraka (in Saurashtra region of present day Gujarat)

10. The realisation that where there is shraddha, Krishna will protect us and do miracles, but if there is no shraddha, we shall be weak and vulnerable.

11. How Rukmini tried to revolt against the pseudo-swayamvar created for her and had to suffer. How Krishna called this psudo-swayamvar as adharma and foiled it. Still, he declared that he had gone there to rescue Dharma and not to acquire a wife for him.

The later part of the book describes Rukmini’s love for Krishna very well, which was full of womanly pride, envy, possessiveness and deep love in all its elements. Rukmini’s revolt against her chauvinist and political brother Rukmi is also well developed. I think Rukmini had all the elements of a ‘feminist’ by the term and deserves more exploration.

‘Rukmini Haran’ has been a deeply touching read for me and I feel very lucky to read it.

Highly recommended to all.

- Rahul

Book Review: A Sense of Urgency by John. P. Kotter

‘A Sense of Urgency’

By: John. P. Kotter

Harvard Business Press

ISBN: 978-1-4221-5230-0 (India Edition)

John. P. Kotter is counted amongst one of the world’s best leadership-gurus. He teaches at Harvard Business School and has written more than 16 books including bestsellers Leading Change and Our Iceberg is Melting. In this book, he presents a strong case and strategy for making changes in organisations most effective.

The first chapter is aptly titled “It all starts with a sense of urgency”. In the beginning of the book itself, the author makes a very important distinction amongst three things: a true sense of urgency, a “false sense of urgency” and “complacency”. He says, “We are much too complacent. And we don’t even know it”. (The dictionary says complacency is “a feeling of contentment or self satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger or trouble.”) Roots of complacency are successes: real or perceived, usually over a period of time, while roots of a false sense of urgency are failures.

The book is full of very helpful concepts and ideas. I am copying some of the topics and headlines, for my own reference:

• Be clear about what is false sense of urgency.
• Help others (including bosses) to see the problem
• How and why a business case fails
• Aim for the heart
• Increasing a true sense of urgency: the strategy:

1.   Bring the outside in

a.    Reorganise the pervasive problem of internal focus

b.    Listen to customer facing employees

c.    Use the power of video

d.   Don’t always shield people from troubling data

e.    Redecorate

f.     Send people out

g.   Bring people in

h.   Bring data in, but in the right way

i.     Watch out that you don’t create a false sense of urgency

2.   Behave with urgency every day

a.    Respond fast, move now

b.    The norm: un-urgent behaviour

c.    Be visibly urgent

d.   Urgency begets urgency

e.    Urgent patience

3.   Find opportunities in crises

a.    Avoid and control crisis, but watch out…

b.    Use a crisis to create urgency, but watch out…

4.   Deal with the NoNos

a.    Don’t waste time trying to co-opt a NoNo

b.    Never ignore the NoNos

c.    Distract the NoNos

d.   Get rid of them

e.    Immobilize them with social pressures

• Keeping urgency up
• Urgency up: success; urgency down: a mess
• The problem with short term successes
• Anticipate the problem, use the strategy, and choose the right tactics
• Drive it into the culture
• Start today.

- Rahul

Book Review: What the Dog Saw and other adventures by Malcolm Gladwell

‘What the dog saw and other adventures’

By: Malcolm Gladwell

Allen Lane (an imprint of Penguin Books)

ISBN: 978-1-846-14294-9

This has been one of the most revealing books I have ever read. In this book, the author goes so deep researching into things so diverse, that one can only feel awestruck at his intellectual capability. Reading this, and slightly starting to look beyond the obvious, as the author does, we would see a whole new world in front of us. The theme of this book is to find answers to all small and big questions in our minds. Getting into the mold, we develop amazing new ways to look at things.

I simply can’t afford to write a full review of this book of over 400 pages with content as wide and diverse and researched as deep into. I would simply list the “contents” summary, for my own reference and in case you feel curious enough, just reach out to Malcolm Gladwell.

Part-I: Obsessives, pioneers and other varieties of minor genius

1

1. The Pitchman: Ron Popeil and the Conquest of the American Kitchen
2. The Ketchup conundrum: Mustard now comes in dozens of varieties. Why has ketchup stayed the same?
3. Blowing up: How Nassim Taleb turned the inevitability of disaster into an investment strategy
4. True colors: Hair dye and the hidden history of postwar America
5. John Rock’s error: What the inventor of the Birth Control Pill didn’t know about women’s health
6. What the dog saw: Cesar Millan and the movements of mastery

Part-II: Theories, predictions and diagnoses

1. Open secrets: Enron, intelligence, and the perils of too much information.
2. Millian dollar Murray: Why problems like homelessness may be easier to solve than to manage.
3. The picture problem: Mammography, air power and the limits of looking.
4. Something borrowed: Should a charge of plagiarism ruin your life?
5. Connecting the dots: The paradoxes of intelligence reform
6. The art of failure: Why some people choke and others panic
7. Blowup: Who can be blamed for a disaster like the Challenger explosion? No one, and we would better get used to it

Part-III: Personality, character and intelligence

1. Late bloomers: Why do we equate genius with precocity?
2. Most likely to succeed: How do we hire when we can’t tell why is right for the job?
3. Dangerous minds: Criminal profiling made easy
4. The talent myth: Are smart people overrated?
5. The new-boy network: What do job interviews really tell us?
6. Troublemakers: What pit bulls can teach us about crime?

- Rahul