environment

வாரம் ஒரு கவிதை… ” நிசப்த வெளியில் …”

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நிசப்த வெளியில் …
———————
கருவறை வாசம் மட்டுமே   நிசப்த வாசம் ஒரு சிசுவுக்கு
இந்த மண்ணில் வந்து பிறந்த  நேரம் முதல் சத்தம்
சத்தமே எங்கும்  எதிலும் !
சப்தம் தவிர்த்து நிசப்தம் தேடி ஓடுவது எங்கே ?
வாழ்வில் ஒலியும்  சப்தமும்  தேவைதான்
ஆனால் வாழ்வே சப்தமாகலாமா ?
ஒளி மயமான எதிர் காலம் தேடும்  குழந்தைக்கு
கிடைப்பது ஒலி மயமான இரைச்சலும் அலைச்சலும்தான் !
அண்ட வெளியிலும் இல்லையே இன்று நிசப்தவெளி !
நாளும் பல  விண்கலம் அண்டவெளியில் சுற்றி சுற்றி
நிசப்த வெளியின் தனித்துவமே தகர்ந்து விட்டதே !
சப்தம் மறந்து நிசப்தம் தேடி ஓடுவது எங்கே ?
நிசப்தம் தேடி நாம் ஓடிட வேண்டாமே  …நம் வீட்டைத்
தேடி ஓடி வரும் நிசப்த வெளி நாம் நினைத்தால் !
வாரம் ஒரு நாள் …ஒரே ஒரு நாள் …கொடுப்போம்
விடுமுறை நம் வீட்டு தொலைக் காட்சிப் பெட்டிக்கு !
எப்போதும் சிணுங்கும் கைபேசிக் குழந்தைக்கும்
தப்பாமல் தர வேண்டும் ஒரு நாள் ஓய்வு !
இரைச்சல் இல்லாத ஒரு ஒரு வீடும்  நிசப்த
வெளியே !  அலைச்சல் இல்லாத வழியும்
இதுதான் நிசப்தம் தேடி ஓடுவோருக்கு !
My Kavithai in http://www.dinamani.com dated 16th oct 2017
Natarajan

Joe Reginella’s Memorials to Disasters That Never Happened…!!!

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Most remember October 29th, 1929—also known as Black Tuesday—as the day when the New York stock market crashed. However, it was also the day when one of the most horrific tragedy involving human-animal conflict happened at the Brooklyn Bridge.

On that awful day a trio of three circus elephants, including the star attraction—a thirteen-foot-tall African elephant named Jumbo, was to cross the Brooklyn Bridge and into New York. The event was greatly publicized and crowds of people came from miles around to see Jumbo. While crossing the bridge, something caused the animals to panic and what was to be a slow and deliberate cross suddenly became a deadly stampede as the three elephants charged into the cheering crowd. Aside from scores of human casualty, two of the elephants died in the stampede, while Jumbo escaped to freedom through the Holland Tunnel and lived out his days at an elephant sanctuary.

 The memorial to the 1929 Brooklyn Bridge Elephant Stampede. Photo credit: Joe Reginella

When a new bronze memorial to the tragedy was unveiled at the Brooklyn Bridge Park last month, it left visitors scratching their heads because no one ever remembered hearing or reading about the Brooklyn Bridge Elephant Stampede of 1929. That’s because the tragedy never happened. It’s a satirical piece of art by sculptor Joe Reginella.

Last year, the prankster-artist erected another memorial to yet another fabricated tragedy—the so-called Staten Island Ferry Disaster—in Battery Park. The story goes, that on November 2nd, 1963, a Staten Island Ferry with over 400 people onboard was attacked by a giant octopus and was pulled beneath the water resulting in the death of all passengers. According to Reginella, the disaster went almost completely unnoticed by the public because it was overshadowed by another more “newsworthy” tragedy that occurred that day—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

As part of the hoax, Reginella created a fake documentary, fabricated newspaper articles and distributed flyers to puzzled tourists sending them to a nonexistent museum on Staten Island.

 

 

The memorial to the 1963 Staten Island Ferry Disaster. Photo credit: Ula Ilnytzky

The idea for the hoax came to him when Reginella was taking his 11-year-old nephew on the ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island. To satisfy the kid’s curious questions, such as if the waters were infested with shark, Reginella fabricated the story of a giant octopus attack.

“The story just rolled off the top of my head,” he told The Guardian, and it evolved to become “a multimedia art project and social experience – not maliciously – about how gullible people are”.

In the early few days after the memorial was unveiled, Reginella sat close by with a fishing pole pretending to fish so that he could eavesdrop on the conversations. Sometimes he overheard people wondering why nobody ever heard of it. Others simply stared out at the water and walked away.

While the Staten Island Ferry Disaster never happened, there is actually a bit of interesting history behind Reginella’s latest hoax—the Brooklyn Bridge Elephant Stampede. Elephants belonging to the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus did actually cross the Brooklyn Bridge in 1884, when the circus came to town. One of the elephants, a thirteen-foot and seven-ton African, was actually named Jumbo. He was accompanied by twenty other elephants, seven camels and ten dromedaries in what was known as Barnum’s legendary “elephant walk.”

Neither memorials are permanent, and are displayed only on specific days and times. Consult the memorials’ websites for timing before you decide to visit.

www.sioctopusdisaster.com
www.bbelephantstampede.com

Source….Kaushik in http://www.amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

 

India”s Most unusual Post Offices….Our Country Celebrates National Postal Day today…

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E-mails may have overshadowed the concept of snail mail, yet post offices still hold a special place in the Indian way of life. Having long had a presence in local communities, they have served as exchange posts for news, gossip and much more.

As the country celebrates the National Postal Day today, here’s a look at three of India’s most unusual post offices.

Send a postcard from any of these unique spots, and you are sure to score some travel bragging rights!

1. The Post Office at Hikkim

 

 

 

Perched at 15,500 ft above sea level in Himachal Pradesh’s strikingly beautiful Spiti Valley, the hamlet of Hikkim is reputedly home to the world’s highest post office.

A small hut with whitewashed walls and a red postbox hanging outside, the quaint post office is 23 km from the town of Kaza and has been functioning since November 5, 1983. With no internet and patchy cell phone signal, the facility is the only conduit to the world for Hikkim’s residents.

This inconspicuous little post office is single-handedly managed by Rinchen Chhering, who has been the branch postmaster for over 20 years. He was chosen for the post when he was just 22 because he could run fast and owned a bicycle!

Every day, two runners take turns hiking to Kaza on foot to deliver mail that is then taken by bus to Reckong Peo, onward to Shimla, further by train to Kalka, from where it is taken to Delhi and sent to its final destination. In winter, everything in the valley freezes – the rivers, the lakes, the mountains. As the snow cover cuts off Hikkim from the rest of the world, the village’s post office also shuts down for six months.

2. The Post Office at Antarctica

Dakshin Gangotri Station                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Located in Dakshin Gangotri, India’s first scientific base in Antarctica, this post office first became operational on February 24, 1984, after it was established during the third Indian expedition to the frigid ‘White Continent.’ It was a part of the base’s multi-support systems that also included including ice-melting plants, laboratories, storage and recreational facilities.

The Dakshin Gangotri PO was brought under the Department of Post at Goa on January 26, 1988. Scientist G. Sudhakar Rao, who went to Antarctica as a member of the Seventh Indian Scientific Expedition in 1987, was appointed as its first honorary postmaster. Interestingly, in its first year of establishment, nearly 10000 letters were posted and cancelled at this post office.

However, in 1990, Dakshin Gangotri PO in Antarctica was decommissioned after it got half buried in ice. The post office was then shifted to the new permanent research base, Maitri.

Over the years, the unusual spot has become a favourite stop-off for tourists from cruise ships who came to explore the frozen continent and learn about its unique ecosystem. They send out postcards and letters that take between two and six weeks to reach their destinations via Hobart (in Australia).

3. The Post Office on Dal Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Built on an intricately carved houseboat, the Srinagar’s Floating Post Office claims to be the only one of its kind in the world. Here you can avail all regular postal services while being afloat on the Dal Lake. A heritage post office that has existed since colonial times, it was called Nehru Park post office before it was renamed by the then chief postmaster John Samuel in 2011.

After a pretty little philately museum and souvenir shop were added to it, the Floating Post Office was formally relaunched in August 2011. Interestingly, the seal used on everything posted from the this is unique, and tourist-friendly post office bears a special design — of a boatman rowing a shikara on the Dal Lake — along with the date and address.

While enthusiastic tourists row to the post office every day to send postcards back home, for the locals, the post office is more than an object of fascination. The islets in Dal Lake are home to over 50000 people (farmers, labourers, artisans and shikaraowners) for whom this state-run facility is the nearest source of postal and banking services.

Source…SanchariPal in http://www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

 

The Fascinating History of the Iconic Mysore Sandal Soap…

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A soap that has held a special place in the hearts of Indians for more than a century, Mysore Sandal Soap’s legacy is intricately interwoven with Karnataka’s history and heritage.

There is something beautifully Indian about the fragrance of sandalwood. Sweet, warm, rich and woody, it is a scent that is deeply interwoven with the nation’s history and heritage. This is, perhaps, one of the many reasons why the Mysore Sandal Soap has held a special place in the hearts of Indians for more than a century.

Here’s the fascinating story behind India’s most-loved sandal soap.

One hundred and one years ago, in May 1916, Krishna Raja Wodiyar IV (the then Maharaja of Mysore) and Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (the then Diwan of Mysore), set up the Government Sandalwood Oil factory at Mysore for sandalwood oil extraction.

The primary goal of the project was to utilise the excess stocks of the fragrant wood that had piled up after World War I halted the export of sandalwood from the kingdom of Mysore (the largest producer of sandalwood in the world at the time).

Two years later, the Maharaja was gifted a rare set of sandalwood oil soaps. This gave him the idea of producing similar soaps for the masses which he immediately shared with his bright Diwan. In total agreement about the need for industrial development in the state, the enterprising duo (who would go on to plan many projects whose benefits are still being reaped) immediately got to work.

A stickler for perfection, Visveswaraya wanted to produce a good quality soap that would also be affordable for the public. He invited technical experts from Bombay (now Mumbai) and made arrangements for soap making experiments on the premises of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Interestingly, the IISc had been set up in 1911 due to the efforts of another legendary Diwan of Mysore, K Sheshadri Iyer!

From the talent involved in the research happening at IISc, he identified a bright, young industrial chemist called Sosale Garalapuri Shastry and sent him to England to fine tune his knowledge about making soap. Affectionately remembered by many as Soap Shastry, the hardworking scientist would go on to play a key role in making Visveswaraya’s dream a reality.

After acquiring the required knowledge, Shastry quickly returned to Mysore where the Maharaja and his Diwan were waiting anxiously. He standardized the procedure of incorporating pure sandalwood oil in soaps after which the government soap factory was established near K R Circle in Bengaluru.

The same year, another oil extraction factory was set up at Mysore to ensure a steady supply of sandalwood oil to the soap making unit. In 1944, another unit was established in Shivamoga. Once the soap hit the market, it quickly became popular with the public, not just within the princely state but across the country.

However, Shastry was not done yet. He also created a perfume from distilled sandalwood oil. Next, he decided to give the Mysore Sandal Soap a unique shape and innovative packaging. In those days, soaps would normally be rectangular in shape and packed in thin, glossy and brightly coloured paper. To help it stand out from the rest, he gave the soap an oval shape before working on a culturally significant packaging.

Cognizant of the Indian love of jewels, Shastry designed a rectangular box resembling a jewellery case— with floral prints and carefully chosen colours. At the centre of the design was the unusual logo he chose for the company, Sharaba (a mythical creature from local folklore with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion. A symbol of courage as well as wisdom, the scientist wanted it to symbolise the state’s rich heritage.

The message ‘Srigandhada Tavarininda’ (that translates to ‘from the maternal home of sandalwood’) was printed on every Mysore Sandal Soapbox. The aromatic soap itself was wrapped in delicate white paper, similar to the ones used by jewellery shops to pack jewels.

This was followed by a systematic and well-planned advertising campaign with cities across the country carrying vibrant signboards in neon colours. Pictures of the soapbox were noticeable everywhere, from tram tickets to matchboxes. Even a camel procession was held to advertise the soap in Karachi!

The out-of-the-box campaign led to rich results. The soap’s demand in India and abroad touched new heights, with even royal families of foreign nations ordering it for themselves. Another important turning point for the company was when, in 1980, it was merged with the oil extraction units (in Mysuru and Shivamoga) and incorporated into one company called Karnataka Soaps and Detergent Limited (KSDL).

However, in the early 1990s, the state-run firm did face a rough patch due to multinational competition, declining demand and lack of coordination between sales and production departments. As losses started rising, it was given a rehabilitation package by BIFR (Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction) and KSDL grabbed the lifeline with both hands.

The company streamlined its way of functioning and soon it had started showing profits again. Thanks to rising profits year after year, it had soon wiped out all its losses and repaid its entire debt to BIFR by 2003. The company also successfully diversified into other soaps, incense sticks, essential oils, hand washes, talcum powder etc.

Nonetheless, the Mysore Sandal Soap remains the company’s flagship product, the only soap in the world made from 100% pure sandalwood oil (along with other natural essential oils such as patchouli, vetiver, orange, geranium and palm rose). Due to tremendous brand recall and loyalty associated with the soap, it also bags a prized position on the shopping lists of visiting NRIs.

In 2006, the iconic was awarded a Geographical Indicator (GI) tag — that means anyone can make and market a sandalwood soap but only KSDL can rightfully claim it to be a ‘Mysore Sandalwood’ soap.

Thanks to this near-monopolistic presence in the market for sandalwood bathing soaps, KSDL has also become one of Karnataka’s few public sector enterprises that turns consistent profits. In fact, the company registered its highest gross sales turnover (of ₹476 crore) in 2015-16.

Such is the legacy of sandalwood and this earthy, oval-shaped soap in the state that even Karnataka’s thriving film industry calls itself Sandalwood!

Today, there are a multitude of branded soaps in the market but Mysore Sandal Soap continues to hold a distinctive place among all of them. Its production figures continue to rise, even as the availability of sandalwood is on the decline.

To counter this, KSDL has been running a ‘Grow More Sandalwood’ programme for farmers, that provides affordable sandalwood saplings along with a buy-back guarantee.Working in partnership with the forest department, it is also working to ensure that for every sandalwood removed for extraction, a sandalwood sapling is planted to replace it.

The story of Mysore Sandal Soap and its enduring appeal is an inspiration not just for Indian PSUs but for the entire FMCG sector. Here’s hoping that its future is aromatic as its history!

Source….www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

 

A Garden In A Sinkhole…

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The region in the southeast of South Australia, near Mount Gambier, is littered with many volcanic and karst features such as volcanic craters, lakes, limestone caves, water-filled caves and sinkholes. One particular sinkhole, located just off Jubilee Highway East, is particularly worth visiting. What was once a typical limestone cave formed by the corrosion of limestone rocks by seawater, and the subsequent collapse of the chamber’s roof, has been transformed into a beautiful garden.

The Sunken Garden in the Umpherston Sinkhole was built by James Umpherston in the 1880s, after he purchased the property about twenty years prior. Being retired, Umpherson wanted to create a place where the people of Mount Gambier could come to relax and escape the heat of summer. He carved a path in the side of the rock and erected a set of wooden steps so people could descend into the sinkhole and to his sunken garden, where he planted all sorts of ferns, shrubs and flowers. The sinkhole even had a small lake within where visitors could take boat rides.

The garden became an immediate success and very popular among the residents of Mount Gambier. After James Umpherston died in 1900, his garden fell into disrepair, and it was only about forty years ago that the garden was rescued from a rubbish dump that it had become. The garden was restored by the employees of the South Australian Woods and Forests Department in 1976. They removed the rubbish and cleared the weeds, and planted hydrangeas and other species along the terraces.

Once again, the garden has become a popular recreation spot. In 1995, the garden was added to the South Australian Heritage Register.

Source….kaushik in http://www.amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

வாரம் ஒரு கவிதை…. ” புதிய ஓட்டம் ” …

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புதிய ஓட்டம்
—————
ஓட்டமாய் ஓடுது வாழ்க்கை …தினம் தினம்
ஒரு ஓட்டம் …புதிய ஓட்டம் !
என் தாத்தாவின் கை பிடித்து ஓடிய நான்
இன்று என் பேரனின் பின்னால் ஓடுகிறேன் !
பேரன் குரல் கேட்டு ஓடுகிறேன்  அவன்
சொல்லும்படி  ஆடுகிறேன் … இது புதிய
ஆட்டம்  நான் ஓடும் ஓட்டத்தில் !
இந்த புதிய ஓட்டமும் ஆட்டமும் சலிக்கவில்லையே
எனக்கு…தினம் தினம் நான் புதியதாய் பிறப்பதால் !
புதிய ரத்தம் என்னுள்ளே புது வேகத்தில் சுரப்பதால் !
புதிய ஓட்டம் ஓடும் நான் ஒரு வட்டத்துக்குள் சுற்றவில்லை
குட்டிப் பயல்  என்னை கட்டிப் போடவும் இல்லை !
நான் ஓடிக் கொண்டே இருப்பேன் அவன் பின்னால் !
என் ஓட்டம்  நிற்காது அந்த சுட்டிப் பயல் ஒரு
சிகரத்தை எட்டி தொடும் வரையில் !
My Tamil Kavithai in http://www.dinamani.com  dated 1st Oct 2017
Natarajan

The Stockholm Telephone Tower….

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By the late 19th century, the miracle device called the telephone had been invented but the simple concept of undergrounding telephone cables had eluded engineers. Clumps of telephone wires strung from monstrous towers hung above the heads of pedestrians in all major cities with a sizable number of subscribers.

Telephone service was expensive at that time, and only the wealthy could afford it. In Sweden, the first public telephone exchange was opened in the capital city Stockholm, in 1880, by the Bell Telephone Company. It originally had only 121 subscribers. The telephone company charged subscribers between 160 and 280 Swedish Krona, depending on the subscriber’s location and distance to the exchange. This was equivalent to paying a subscription fee of 9,000 to 16,000 Krona (USD 1,100 to USD 1,966) in today’s value, which was a very high rate.

The Bell Telephone Company with their high rates soon got a competitor in Stockholm General Telephone Company (SAT), which was founded in 1883 by the engineer and businessman Henrik Tore Cedergren. His mission was to put a telephone in every household. Cedergren’s charged very low fees for a connection and monthly subscription, and the number of subscribers increased rapidly. By 1886, Stockholm had more telephones than any of the major cities in the world, with 4,832 subscribers, including about 1,600 at Bell Telephone Company. In 1887, SAT became the world’s largest telephone company, large enough to buy out Bell Company’s business in Stockholm in 1888.

In this early days of telephony, there were no substations and every subscriber was physically connected to the central exchange with an overhead wire. The Stockholm telephone exchange had thousands of wires converging in from every direction. A massive tower held these wires together.

This iconic Phone Tower, or Telefontornet, was opened in 1887, and had over 5,500 telephone lines whose collective length came to around 5,000 kilometers. As you can see from these pictures, it was quite a mess, and the network was extremely vulnerable to the elements. The locals thought the tower looked hideous and even complained that it darkened out the sun.

With the public and the press lambasting the tower at every opportunity, the telephone company decided that the tower needed a makeover. A decoration competition was announced, and in 1890 the tower got the four corner turrets. At all major events in Stockholm, the city’s flags were hoisted there.

However, by the turn of the 19th century, the tower was already on its path to obsolescence. The telephone company realized that laying cables underground was a far more elegant solution than stringing them from towers. By 1913, the entire network had gone underground and the Telefontornet lost its function. The remaining shell stood as a landmark for the several decades. At one point, the telephone company hung advertisement banners from the tower. In 1952, the tower caught fire which weakened the structure, and was demolished the following year on safety grounds.

Source….Kaushik in http://www.amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

Norwegian has launched the world’s longest low-cost flight — and it’ll get you to Singapore for less than £150….London to Singapore !

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Norwegian has launched the world’s longest low-cost flight — and it’ll only cost you £149.90.

The route runs from London Gatwick to Singapore Changi Airport, and departs for the first time on Thursday.

The route takes 12 hours and 45 minutes and will cover 6,764 miles (10,885 km) — making it the longest non-stop flight operated by a low-cost carrier.

The route — announced in April — is scheduled to run four times per week.

Thursday’s flight is due to depart at 10.30 a.m. and land in Singapore at 6.15 a.m Friday morning local time.

The flights use brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, and start at £149.90 for a one-way ticket.

All seats on the Dreamliner have personal 11-inch seat-back screens and USB ports.

A higher price of £699.90 one way will get passengers “Premium” status. That means “spacious cradle seating” with more than a metre of legroom, and free lounge access at Gatwick.

The Singapore route is part of the airline’s continued global expansion.

In February, it announced that it will launch flights from the US Northeast to Europe for as little as $65 (£50). Then, in July, it announced direct flights from London to Chicago and Austin from £179.

In February 2018, Norwegian will also start flying to Buenos Aires.

Bjørn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian, said in a press release: “I’m delighted to build upon our popular USA flights and give leisure and business customers more affordable access to Singapore and the Asia-Pacific like never before.

“The 787 Dreamliner has the range to allow us to expand our long-haul services to other parts of the world while keeping fares affordable for all.

“This is just the start of Norwegian’s UK expansion into new markets as we will continue connecting destinations where fares have been too high for too long.”

Source….www.businessinsider.com

Natarajan

 

வாரம் ஒரு கவிதை….” பறவையின் மனசு “

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பறவையின் மனசு
——————–
பறவைக்கும் உண்டு மனசு ..
சிறகு கட்டிப் பறக்கும் அதன்
மனசும்… ஆசையும் பாசமும்
பறவைக்கும் சொந்தமே !
ஆனால் இலக்கு  ஒன்று மட்டுமே
பறவைக்கு குறி ! விதி விலக்கு
இல்லையே இதில் எந்த ஒரு பறவைக்கும் !
கண்டம் விட்டு கண்டம் பறக்கும்
பறவை எந்த பள்ளியில் படித்தது ?
எங்கே பாடம் கற்றது விண் வெளியில்
தன் பயண  வழி தேட ?
மனிதன் கற்க வேண்டும் பாடம்
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பறவை சொல்லும் பாடம் !
Natarajan
in http://www.dinamani.com dated 25th Sep 2017

“மிகவும் தொன்மை வாய்ந்த வாய்ஸ் ரெக்கார்டர் எது தெரியுமா …? “

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விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமம் நமக்கு எப்படி கிடைத்தது…

1950-களில் ஒருநாள் ஒரு வானொலி நிருபர் ஸ்ரீமஹாபெரியவாளை பேட்டிகண்டு அதனை டேப்ரிகார்டரில் பதிவு செய்துகொண்டிருந்தார்.

திடீரென்று பெரியவா அவரிடமும்,அங்கு இருந்தவர்களிடமும்,”மிகவும் பழைய காலத்து வாய்ஸ் ரிகார்டர் எதுவென்று யாருக்காவது தெரியுமா” என்று கேட்டார்.

யாரும் பதில் சொல்லவில்லை.

பெரியவா மற்றொரு கேள்வியைக் கேட்டார், ”விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமம் நமக்கு எப்படி கிடைத்தது?”

யாரோ ஒருவர்,”விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தை பீஷ்மர் நமக்குத் தந்தார்” என்றார்.

அனைவரும் “ஆம்” என்று ஒப்புக்கொண்டனர்.

பெரியவா சிரித்துக்கொண்டே தலையசைத்து விட்டு, மற்றொரு கேள்வியை வீசினார்,

”குருக்ஷேத்திரத்தில் அனைவரும் பீஷ்மர் சொன்ன விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தை பக்தியோடு கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தபோது, அதனை குறிப்பெடுத்ததோ, எழுதிக்கொண்டதோ யார்?” மீண்டும் அமைதி.

ஸ்ரீசரணர் புன்னகையுடன் சொல்ல ஆரம்பி த்தார்

“பீஷ்மர், ஸ்ரீகிருஷணரின் புகழையும், பெருமைகளையும் விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தால் விளக்கிக் கொண்டிருந்தபோது, ஸ்ரீகிருஷணரும், வியாசரும் உட்பட அனைவரும் வேறு எந்த நினைப்புமின்றி அவரையே உன்னிப்பாக கவனித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தனர்.

பிதாமகர் பீஷ்மர் ஆயிரம் நாமங்களையும் சொல்லி முடித்தபின்பு அனைவரும் விழிப்படைந்தனர்.

முதலில் யுதிஷ்ட்டிரர் பேசினார்,

”பிதாமகர், ஸ்ரீவாசுதேவரின் ஒப்பற்ற பெருமை வாய்ந்த ஆயிரம் புனித நாமாக்களை சொன்னார். அவற்றைக் கேட்பதில் கவனமாக இருந்த நாம் அனைவரும் அவற்றை குறிப்பெடுக்கவோ, எழுதிக்கொள்ளவோ தவறிவிட்டோம்.

நாம் அற்புதமான விஷயத்தை இழந்து நிற்கின்றோம்” என்றார்.

அப்போதுதான் அனைவரும் எப்படிப்பட்ட தவறு நேர்ந்துவிட்டதென்று உணர்ந்து திகைத்தனர்.

பிறகு யுதிஷ்டிரர் ஸ்ரீகிருஷணரிடம் திரும்பி,”ஆயிரம் புனித நாமாக்களை மீட்டுத்தர தாங்களாவது உதவக்கூடாதா” என்று கேட்டார்.

ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணர் வழக்கம்போல், “என்னால் மட்டும் என்ன செய்ய முடியும்? உங்கள் எல்லோரையும் போல நானும் ஆச்சார்யர் பீஷ்மரைத்தான் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன் என்றார்.

அனைவரும் சேர்ந்து ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணரிடம், “ஹே.. வாசுதேவா, நீ ஆனைத்தும் அறிந்தவர். உம்மால் இயலாததென்பது எதுவுமே இல்லை. தாங்கள் தயைகூர்ந்து எங்களுக்கு உதவ வேண்டும்.

அந்த ஒப்புயர்வற்ற பெருமைவாய்ந்த பரந்தாமனின் ஆயிரம் புனித நாமாக்களை மீட்டுத்தர வேணடும். அது தங்களால் மட்டுமே முடியும்” என்று வேண்டினர்.

அதற்கு ஸ்ரீகிருஷ்ணர்,”இதனை செய்ய முடிந்த ஒருவர் உங்களுக்குள்ளேயே இருக்கின்றார்” என்றார்.

எவருக்கும் ஒன்றும் புரியவில்லை.

ஸ்ரீவாசுதேவர் தொடர்ந்தார்,”சகாதேவன் அதனை மீட்டு சொல்ல, வியாசர் எழுதுவார்” என்றார்.

அனைவரும் சகாதேவனால் எப்படி சஹஸ்ர நாமத்தை மீட்க முடியும் என்பதை அறிய ஆவலாக இருந்தனர்.

ஸ்ரீவாசுதேவர் கூறினார்,”உங்கள் அனைவருள்ளும் சகாதேவன் மட்டுமே ‘சுத்த ஸ்படிக’ மாலை அணிந்திருந்தான்.

சகாதேவன் சிவபெருமானை பிரார்த்தனை செய்து தியானித்து ‘சுத்த ஸ்படிகம்’ உள்வாங்கியுள்ள சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தை சப்த அலைகளாக மாற்ற, அதனை வியாசர் எழுதிக்கொள்ளுவார்” என்றார்.

‘சுத்த ஸ்படிகம்’ அமைதியான சூழ்நிலையில் எழும் சப்தங்களை கிரகித்துக்கொள்ளும்.

இது ஸ்படிகத்தின் குணம், தன்மை.

‘ஸ்வதம்பரராகவும்’ ‘ஸ்படிகமாகவும்’ இருக்கும் சிவபெருமானை தியானித்து அந்த சப்தங்களை மீட்க முடியும்.

உடனே சகாதேவனும் வியாசரும், பீஷ்மர் சஹஸ்ரநாமம் சொல்லிய அதே இடத்தில் அமர்ந்தனர்.

சகாதேவன் மஹாதேவரை பிரார்த்தித்து, தியானம் செய்து சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தை மீட்கத் துவங்கினர்.

அந்த ‘சுத்த ஸ்படிக’ மாலையே உலகின் முதல் ‘வாய்ஸ் ரிகார்டராக’, அற்புதமான விஷ்ணு சஹஸ்ரநாமத்தை நமக்குத் தந்தது………..”

என்று சொல்லி குழந்தைபோல சிரித்தார் ஸ்ரீசரணர்.

ஹர ஹர சங்கர, ஜய ஜய சங்கர.

Source….FB input from Mohan Krishnaswamy and Subramanian Thanappa

Natarajan