Cannot thank enough for the wonderful Navagraha krithis’ get-together yesterday at Guru’s place. What a commemoration to the closure of Navaratri! He always has a special and musical way of celebrating occasions.
Thanks to the Musical Guru Dikshitar for making Navagraha homa possible and easy for everyone who is committed to the divine art - MUSIC. It is said that reciting Dikshitar’s 9 compositions on the 9 planets yields the palan(result) of a detailed Navagraha pooja. If I say we experienced, for an hour and half, the direct effect of vibrational energy while singing the navagraha krithis yesterday, it wouldn’t be an overstatement. People who doubt the vibrational medicine should be part of such gatherings to comprehend the experience.
Let me utilize this blog post to heave in details on Navagraha krithis from my other blog (is now obsolete).
Dikshitar was a musical genius. His compositions encompassed every realm of learning - Mythology, Devotion, Divinity, Vedanta, Astrology. In every composition, the lyrics are seen to subtly weave with the talam employed, making it a majestic temple complex. Navagraha krithis are Dikshitar's compositions on 9 planets (grahas). It is believed that "Brihaspathe" in raga "atana" was first of the 9 krithis to be composed. The story(a version known to me, pardon me if there are better and more genuine versions of this narration) behind this great proceed goes like this:
A villager, Thambiappan once suffered from stomach ailment and no Doctor or medicine could come to his help. He approached Sri Mutthuswami Dikshitar, learned man in the neighborhood. On knowing Thambiappan’s ailment, Dikshitar jotted the birth chart of Thambiappan-His horoscope. From the chart, he inferred that Brihaspathi-Jupiter was not in a position much favored and that his ailment could see cure only if the Grahadhipathi of Jupitor, Brihaspathi was pleased. He proposed few rituals to appease Brihaspathi, but a commoner like him would find such rituals difficult to understand and hence to perform.
This enthused Dikshitar to wrap these compound rituals in a package accessible to all. He then composed “Brihaspate” in Atana ragam to propiate the planet Jupiter and prescribed this divine medicine to Thambiappan. As ordained, his ailment was cured in a week. After this incident, Dikshitar composed krithis on all the nine planets.
Salient traits to be observed here are the choice of raga and tala for each krithi. Talas, out of suladhi sapta thalas are carefully chosen to match each planet’s rotary motion. Tala, like the planetary movements, is a measure of time. The astrological periods of time are mapped with the musical intervals - talas.
Sampoorna-bhashanga ragas are chosen for these exceptional krithis. “Sampoorna” ragas musically indicate the complete mastery(independence) of each Grahadhyaksha/Grahadhipathi on that particular planet. The free unfettered movement of the grahas is mirrored by bhashanga ragas which do not get disturbed by shackles of janaka ragas, but freely imbibe anya swaras.
1. Suryamurthe Namosthuthe -Saurashtra Raga, Chaturasra Druva Tala
2. Chandram Bhaja Manasa -Asaveri Raga, Chaturasra Matya Tala
3. Angarakam Ashrayamyaham - Surati Raga, Rupaka Tala
4. Budham Ashrayami - Nattakurunji Raga, Misra Jhampa Tala
5. Brihaspathe Tarapathe -Atana Raga, Tisra Triputa Tala
6. Sri Sukhra Bhagavantham -Paraj Raga, Khanda Atta Tala
7. Divakaratanujam Shanaishcharam -Yadukulakamboji Raga, Chaturasra Eka Tala
8. Smaramyaham Sadarahum -Ramapriya Raga, Rupaka Tala
9. Mahasuram Ketumaham -Shanmukhapriya Raga, Rupaka Tala
Navagraha krithis are known for their musical and lyrical brilliance. (Singing) These compositions shield us with divine power; leave us with an out of world experience. It feels as if everything is still, yet active; asleep yet awake; These masterpieces take us to a trance.
Carnatic maestro Vid. Madurai Mani Iyer yet again proved the gratified essence of these compositions by being an example himself. (http://maduraimani.tripod.com/id11.html)
Our musical ancestors knew and showed that music heals, ages back, and we are still contemplating!
Ref:journal of guruguha gana vidyalaya - Dr.Gauri Kuppuswamy and Dr.M.Hariharan
Wikipage for Navagraha krithis
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Carnatic music - Is it only for a few ? - A random thought
People claim that Carnatic music is more popular among the aged population than the trendy ones. They shore up their tirade by quoting that Carnatic music is mostly based on divinity and religion and that says it all. This puts up a question - Can an atheist enjoy Carnatic music? Is Carnatic music meant only for a creamy class of people? Is it meant for the matured and the aged minds alone?
The forefathers of Carnatic music undoubtedly took to the path of Music to realize God. While God realization was the ultimate goal, they enjoyed the trail as much as the destination. Music (singing as an exercise) encompasses Holistic breathing and chakra stabilization - Healthy mind, healthy body and Healthy body, healthy mind. This lit their journey driven by a body, pink in health and a white peaceful mind. Religion and divinity were then the two topics aspected to a good living. Any new venture was then to either embrace or oppose these. The musical ancestors combined the elements of Bhakthi and Music passionately. The initial endeavors paid off well. More people were attracted towards this artistic form. This heralded a new era to the preachers of other dimensions like philosophy, jingoism etc. Capturing the underlying rule, the raga and the bhava, on the whole the medium – MUSIC imprisoned the crowd-following and not the orientation, be it spiritual, patriotic or religion. Music then was taken as a podium to unite people for a single cause. Carnatic music can hence be said to have originated from the spiritual and religious milieu. But it dint stagnate there, it gradually crossed the boundaries.
It’s the strengths that makes Carnatic music, Music oriented and not situation bound.
Simple and expressive, intricate and challenging: The range of melodic and rhythmic ideas that Carnatic music offers can be employed in a simple, appealing way or in a subtle structure as well. Saint Thyagaraja’s early compositions, Divya nama sankeerthanams make easier meal compared to Dikshithar’s Navagraha, Navavarana krithis. While that serves the religious and theist populace, lighter compositions like the javalis, challenging nadais in thillanas and Pallavi(RTP) have the ability to hold tight the younger generation.
Carnatic music thus offers a wide scope to quench the desire for expansion, be it in the lyrical, melodic or the rhythmic direction. Ragas and swaras are bound to no God, no religion. They just belong to the language of music, the religion of music. A phrase with no words absolutely can be remarkably intellectual compared to a composition laden with words.
Why is it then people still associate Music to God and divinity? In my idea, the depth of expression and directness that Carnatic music offers can probably be not compared to anything mortal or easily known. Carnatic music dwells in the soul, lights the inward journey and hands an easy path to converse with the mind.
Bhakthi, divinity, devotion, theism are topics not comfortable for many these days owing to the growing diverse tastes, beliefs and rationales of people. The contemporary ideas could probably make the younger crowd stay away from core Carnatic music and embrace new-fangled music. Let the ideas of philosophy and religion not dilute the traditional art forms. Human life wouldn’t be complete if the aesthetic angle is ignored and the young minds have to be exposed to such beautiful artistic forms early in life. Spirituality and religion can be late comers but not art.
A fitting conclusion to this post would be to recollect Sri TM Krishna's words from one of his Marghazhi utsavam's concert. He said Music is divine, and anything that’s being sung is divine and slopes on Bhakthi, with Bhakthi meaning deep focus on a theme, not necessarily God. And if he sings a composition on love or even just about a stone, its all in the name of BHAKTHI.
PS: Do not mind my bias to this art form. Intention is not to neglect the rest.
The forefathers of Carnatic music undoubtedly took to the path of Music to realize God. While God realization was the ultimate goal, they enjoyed the trail as much as the destination. Music (singing as an exercise) encompasses Holistic breathing and chakra stabilization - Healthy mind, healthy body and Healthy body, healthy mind. This lit their journey driven by a body, pink in health and a white peaceful mind. Religion and divinity were then the two topics aspected to a good living. Any new venture was then to either embrace or oppose these. The musical ancestors combined the elements of Bhakthi and Music passionately. The initial endeavors paid off well. More people were attracted towards this artistic form. This heralded a new era to the preachers of other dimensions like philosophy, jingoism etc. Capturing the underlying rule, the raga and the bhava, on the whole the medium – MUSIC imprisoned the crowd-following and not the orientation, be it spiritual, patriotic or religion. Music then was taken as a podium to unite people for a single cause. Carnatic music can hence be said to have originated from the spiritual and religious milieu. But it dint stagnate there, it gradually crossed the boundaries.
It’s the strengths that makes Carnatic music, Music oriented and not situation bound.
Simple and expressive, intricate and challenging: The range of melodic and rhythmic ideas that Carnatic music offers can be employed in a simple, appealing way or in a subtle structure as well. Saint Thyagaraja’s early compositions, Divya nama sankeerthanams make easier meal compared to Dikshithar’s Navagraha, Navavarana krithis. While that serves the religious and theist populace, lighter compositions like the javalis, challenging nadais in thillanas and Pallavi(RTP) have the ability to hold tight the younger generation.
Carnatic music thus offers a wide scope to quench the desire for expansion, be it in the lyrical, melodic or the rhythmic direction. Ragas and swaras are bound to no God, no religion. They just belong to the language of music, the religion of music. A phrase with no words absolutely can be remarkably intellectual compared to a composition laden with words.
Why is it then people still associate Music to God and divinity? In my idea, the depth of expression and directness that Carnatic music offers can probably be not compared to anything mortal or easily known. Carnatic music dwells in the soul, lights the inward journey and hands an easy path to converse with the mind.
Bhakthi, divinity, devotion, theism are topics not comfortable for many these days owing to the growing diverse tastes, beliefs and rationales of people. The contemporary ideas could probably make the younger crowd stay away from core Carnatic music and embrace new-fangled music. Let the ideas of philosophy and religion not dilute the traditional art forms. Human life wouldn’t be complete if the aesthetic angle is ignored and the young minds have to be exposed to such beautiful artistic forms early in life. Spirituality and religion can be late comers but not art.
A fitting conclusion to this post would be to recollect Sri TM Krishna's words from one of his Marghazhi utsavam's concert. He said Music is divine, and anything that’s being sung is divine and slopes on Bhakthi, with Bhakthi meaning deep focus on a theme, not necessarily God. And if he sings a composition on love or even just about a stone, its all in the name of BHAKTHI.
PS: Do not mind my bias to this art form. Intention is not to neglect the rest.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Articles published in Whiteline journal(Bombay)
Whiteline journal:
http://issuu.com/sasidharannair/docs/wl_eng-june2010 (pg 43)
http://issuu.com/malayalabhumi/docs/whiteline_journal_may_2010_issue (pg 34)
http://issuu.com/sasidharannair/docs/wl-eng-july (pg 38)
http://issuu.com/premlal/docs/wl-eng-sept_ (pg 40)
http://issuu.com/sasidharannair/docs/wl_eng-june2010 (pg 43)
http://issuu.com/malayalabhumi/docs/whiteline_journal_may_2010_issue (pg 34)
http://issuu.com/sasidharannair/docs/wl-eng-july (pg 38)
http://issuu.com/premlal/docs/wl-eng-sept_ (pg 40)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Carnatic Ragas
This post shall be updated as and when new ragas are posted on Kamalakeerthana website:
Vagadeeshwari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Vaagadeeshwari.php
Reethigowla : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Reethigowla.php
Shubhapanthuvarali : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Shubhapanthuvarali.php
Hamsanandi : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Hamsanandi.php
Gowrimanohari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Gowrimanohari.php
Lathangi : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Lathangi.php
Kamalamanohari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Kamalamanohari.php
Kalyanavasantha : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Kalyana_Vasantha.php
Vagadeeshwari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Vaagadeeshwari.php
Reethigowla : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Reethigowla.php
Shubhapanthuvarali : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Shubhapanthuvarali.php
Hamsanandi : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Hamsanandi.php
Gowrimanohari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Gowrimanohari.php
Lathangi : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Lathangi.php
Kamalamanohari : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Kamalamanohari.php
Kalyanavasantha : http://www.kamalakeertana.org/Kalyana_Vasantha.php
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Visit Later
"It has been a while since I got time to sit back and recollect the green chapters of my life. Shahrukh's fan club bunking classes for his first day first show, chitchat with Leena by the college compound, lastbenchers' gossips..."Listen, you got to concentrate. You have to complete the code review by End Of the Day”, heard Hamsa saying to herself.
"The team has spent on him sending him to many trainings in and outside the company. He has got no better. He thinks he can write bit-banging code. But only he can understand, not even the compiler which has to optimize it." retorted Hamsa a little louder this time that she heard it hitting her own ears; that’s when she realized she was indeed loud.
"The team has spent on him sending him to many trainings in and outside the company. He has got no better. He thinks he can write bit-banging code. But only he can understand, not even the compiler which has to optimize it." retorted Hamsa a little louder this time that she heard it hitting her own ears; that’s when she realized she was indeed loud.
Masters, PhD, marriage, kids, and career got in way. Moving in pursuit of her dreams, Hamsa had lost track of the path that had led her to who she was today. If at all a time machine were to be employed to track the rush hour performance of her busy life, it would start emoting like a human and cry to death.
Heeding to her mind's voice Hamsa got immersed in her review work till she came across a comment by the author in the code. "Naveen: Visit this function later. But do visit. It is important to fix this". She sternly added a review comment to the developer saying, this function is left unattended. "Visit later" just means it isn’t immediate, but you need to close such remarks before you come to the reviewer. Hamsa, though was a good techie, was never so strong in her words. Today her mind was elsewhere, it was pre-occupied.
Though the line dint mean a deal for her in the code, it took her back by years.
Her memories traveled back, back by 7-8 years and landed on the wooden bench of a corner dark room of her college. Hamsa used to spend more time at college than home. A popular student in her small college, Hamsa was acing her courses well. Having lost her father early in life, she had the best influence and protection of one of her lecturers which kept her strong and spirited. Mr. Rathore was a lecturer of a class. Though the subject he handled was Computer Architecture, he taught more on life than on the subject. He often urged students to discuss life and was sure each had a good bit to share. Some of his colleagues passed snide comments on Mr. Rathore, but he never was troubled as long as the students were him with. Hamsa had not come across a lecturer of his kind till then and never later, in her Post Graduate and Doctoral courses. If she were a successful person academically and in her career today, it was partly due to her commitment and majorly due to Mr. Rathore's shade. He would push for students to study more, not for a job or for the money, but for knowledge. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable. Though Hamsa was a grade A student, her inclination towards Rathore's subject would get her a grade above A in it if there was one. Rathore was passionate about what he taught and he passed on the same to his students. Hamsa wished to do her higher studies under Rathore and specialize in his subject.
Hamsa graduated in flying colors and her merit fetched her admissions in distant graded Universities. But she insisted on continuing in the small college under her much preferred lecturer Rathore. He tries his part to convince her to embrace bigger and better opportunities. Hamsa doesn’t easily get swayed. He then says something that makes Hamsa agree, though diffidently, "Leave now, visit later, but do visit. This college and I shall be happy to welcome you as our professor.”
Hamsa comes back in time. This time she lands inside a sleek, modern, architectural glass structure, sitting on a sophisticated computer chair with the world's slimmest and top brand laptop in front of her, doing the code review. It’s difficult to say no to fancy life, big money. But Hamsa decides to trail back the path which led her here. She convinces her partner and children to go back to the little corner town and lead a simple yet meaningful life.
She finally returns to her village just to hear from Mr. Rathore "Thanks for the comeback. I knew this would happen before my retiring from the college and you marked my retirement day. You shall handle my subject here forth".
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Svanubhava 2010
True to the name Svanubhava, it is indeed an experience.
I missed out on programs of Svanubhava over the last years. Thanks to Sri TMK’s mail on the program and schedule. Big thanks to their use of Technology, they created virtual reality.
A podium where one could see tradition and technology, both together and to their core-Svanubhava. Tradition was preserved in every event... I feel small to talk about the depth of convention and custom, be it in Vidushi N Rajam's performance and her explanation of Carnatic and Hindustani concepts, Shashank’s venugaanam or Malavika’s graceful natyam. Never to forget the “Sriram” duo. There is an inherent tradition - musicians shouldn’t be sent empty handed and this was by and large followed, by rewarding even the school kids who sang some 2 or 3 compositions, as a token of appreciation.
To the technology part now...amazing streaming and buffering. Despite TMK's email, I had missed the first few days of this music fest, "music feast" would be a better expression. This morning (Aug 6th) I tried linking to the program online and faced some problem with streaming...All I had to do was send a mail to TMK and it worked amazingly fast, I do not know if it was a coincidence or he really got it to work after my mail. Then was an issue with buffering and a mail yet again fixed it. TMK and his technology crew are just remarkable. I fall short on words. Do I appreciate music or technology? Each is better than the other. What an event and immense organizing; I just could watch rest of the program since then from office, home from anywhere and everywhere. I could remain connected till the end. My personal take away from the day’s program was more from the last event –“Vid. Sriram Parashuram and Vid. Anooradha Sriram on their Guru Dr. T Viswanathan”. One could see obedience and reverence in the two stalwarts’ eyes when they were talking about their Guru – Towering examples of Guru bhakthi! Just loved Sriram’s elucidation of jaru and kampitha gamaka paddathis. Anooradha’s exhibition of the use of single swaram as sounding different(based on its orientation with the adjacent swara)was one of its only kind.
Few points that reached me deeply were:
-Empowering a composition by adding beauty to the words that make up the musical piece.
-Importance to aesthetics while singing, every line to be sung with grace.
-Knowing the syntax of the language while singing non-tongue compositions
-Importance of learning an instrument for a vocalist - imposing the facets of violin, flute -and other instruments in the vocal instrument
-Singing based on the essence of the kriti and not just on raga...2 songs of same raga would carry different personality depending on their context.
That was quite an invigorating session.
(Added on 7th aug)
It was a feast to see Vid. Soumya and Vid. Nityashree together on stage. The debate session on “Gender bias in music and dance art forms” was thought-provoking with an entertaining moderation by Sri R K Sriramkumar followed by the on-going(3:52 pm now on aug 7th) Varakari Sampradaya by Tukaram Ganapathi Maharaj. The single stage embraced ample of varieties.
Many audiences including me would have thought that there wouldn't be enough time for such many special sessions over a span of 6 days, 9 am – 4 pm each day. The program proved me wrong. I followed only 2 days of the 6-day festival and Svanubhava has been so informative and revealing that I have piled up bits and pieces for later digestion. If one thought Carnatic music and programs of Svanubhava kind are confined only to Chennai, NO, TMK, Bombay Jayashree and their crew streamed music to every house, every part of the world.
I shall not get into deeper musical details of the program for I write about music in almost every other post. I would like to retain this blog post to appreciate the whole team of Svanubhava for such an event. Am sure the once termed “struggling-to-exist” classical art forms will flourish with efforts of this kind. This is an interesting event to prove technology can positively contribute to not just keeping alive of tradition but promote it. As TMK rightly says Svanubhava is not a corporate event with advertisements and banners. Its an event purely driven by passionate people. Using technology rethinking on tradition is the way I would term this!!!
Kudos! Its difficult to wait for a year for similar soul-stirring experience!Special thanks to Sri TMK.
I missed out on programs of Svanubhava over the last years. Thanks to Sri TMK’s mail on the program and schedule. Big thanks to their use of Technology, they created virtual reality.
A podium where one could see tradition and technology, both together and to their core-Svanubhava. Tradition was preserved in every event... I feel small to talk about the depth of convention and custom, be it in Vidushi N Rajam's performance and her explanation of Carnatic and Hindustani concepts, Shashank’s venugaanam or Malavika’s graceful natyam. Never to forget the “Sriram” duo. There is an inherent tradition - musicians shouldn’t be sent empty handed and this was by and large followed, by rewarding even the school kids who sang some 2 or 3 compositions, as a token of appreciation.
To the technology part now...amazing streaming and buffering. Despite TMK's email, I had missed the first few days of this music fest, "music feast" would be a better expression. This morning (Aug 6th) I tried linking to the program online and faced some problem with streaming...All I had to do was send a mail to TMK and it worked amazingly fast, I do not know if it was a coincidence or he really got it to work after my mail. Then was an issue with buffering and a mail yet again fixed it. TMK and his technology crew are just remarkable. I fall short on words. Do I appreciate music or technology? Each is better than the other. What an event and immense organizing; I just could watch rest of the program since then from office, home from anywhere and everywhere. I could remain connected till the end. My personal take away from the day’s program was more from the last event –“Vid. Sriram Parashuram and Vid. Anooradha Sriram on their Guru Dr. T Viswanathan”. One could see obedience and reverence in the two stalwarts’ eyes when they were talking about their Guru – Towering examples of Guru bhakthi! Just loved Sriram’s elucidation of jaru and kampitha gamaka paddathis. Anooradha’s exhibition of the use of single swaram as sounding different(based on its orientation with the adjacent swara)was one of its only kind.
Few points that reached me deeply were:
-Empowering a composition by adding beauty to the words that make up the musical piece.
-Importance to aesthetics while singing, every line to be sung with grace.
-Knowing the syntax of the language while singing non-tongue compositions
-Importance of learning an instrument for a vocalist - imposing the facets of violin, flute -and other instruments in the vocal instrument
-Singing based on the essence of the kriti and not just on raga...2 songs of same raga would carry different personality depending on their context.
That was quite an invigorating session.
(Added on 7th aug)
It was a feast to see Vid. Soumya and Vid. Nityashree together on stage. The debate session on “Gender bias in music and dance art forms” was thought-provoking with an entertaining moderation by Sri R K Sriramkumar followed by the on-going(3:52 pm now on aug 7th) Varakari Sampradaya by Tukaram Ganapathi Maharaj. The single stage embraced ample of varieties.
Many audiences including me would have thought that there wouldn't be enough time for such many special sessions over a span of 6 days, 9 am – 4 pm each day. The program proved me wrong. I followed only 2 days of the 6-day festival and Svanubhava has been so informative and revealing that I have piled up bits and pieces for later digestion. If one thought Carnatic music and programs of Svanubhava kind are confined only to Chennai, NO, TMK, Bombay Jayashree and their crew streamed music to every house, every part of the world.
I shall not get into deeper musical details of the program for I write about music in almost every other post. I would like to retain this blog post to appreciate the whole team of Svanubhava for such an event. Am sure the once termed “struggling-to-exist” classical art forms will flourish with efforts of this kind. This is an interesting event to prove technology can positively contribute to not just keeping alive of tradition but promote it. As TMK rightly says Svanubhava is not a corporate event with advertisements and banners. Its an event purely driven by passionate people. Using technology rethinking on tradition is the way I would term this!!!
Kudos! Its difficult to wait for a year for similar soul-stirring experience!Special thanks to Sri TMK.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
This isnt my kind of post. I would generally not prefer showing my frustration on paper and let readers carry. But if this blog post could help me get away with my disturbance and share my feelings/thoughts with people who land on my blog, I can’t be more happy.
My ears tuned to the news of a college kid's suicide this morning, a boy who had grown up in front of my eyes. Such incidents have become so familiar these days that many of us have lost our senses and emotions to news of this kind. Finding it difficult to gulp the news and the several odd reasons I could trace behind it, I decided to scribe it down here.
There is this boy who has the reputation that goes behind any good student. Circumstances or fate prevails over letting the boy not score as much as he had marked for himself. Is this a reason to end life? Tell me, is this why we educate kids? Even when he fell short of his expectations, he wasn’t the kind to be termed “not up to snuff” . All that his home now houses is his traumatized parents lamenting to figure out the boy’s depression behind this sudden decision.
A kid who cannot face his marks/friends/parents/society gets guts to face death? Call it immaturity or mellowness? Are the movies and media to be blamed, which portray suicide as an easy solution to many problems and death being embraced as an easy friend. My hand trembles when I type the very word suicide, how can a little boy cuddle it?
We all agree that kids of these days are more intelligent, more rationale and have all that is good for the several neurons officing in the brain. Aren’t we seeing these most intelligent brains searching for rapid escape from life backing on some trivial competition factor?
If I sit back and think,
1- It is the feeling of worthlessness that leads to depression and depression to such scary end. Teach the child to seek help when he is not feeling good emotionally. Diminishing into depression could have various reasons, but the child isn’t to be blamed. It is the mental frame at that particular hour and the child must be given hope that he isn’t at slip and that things would get better.
2- Teach kids the art of socializing for it is more likely that a child opens up and shares its apprehensions when he moves with people.
3- Schools that implant the concept of competition should infuse in kids a mind to accept failure too.
4- Parents should give time to the little brains to digest knowledge. Not all brains are manufactured in the same machine.
5- Satisfying the society shouldn’t be the thing topping the list, one should know to LIVE for SELF with his knowledge/capabilities and talent and not get hassled.
6- Schools must impart philosophical training on the significance of life.
7- Parents must teach kids to love life and not adore competition.
8- Be a friend to your kid when you think he needs one and when he is low. Be around with him. Take him out, shower more love.
9- Give spiritual education. Spirituality is not about running around temples and seeking God. It is about knowing life, its value and to live one.
It doesn’t make me feel good to bullet down points when a family is under such suffering and dismay. I started keying in only because I, a stranger couldn’t admit the fright. All I wish to share with the readers who hit this post is "Death is not a way to escape from the confusion of life. Everyone has a right to life, but not to end it. Taking life away could give one relief, but he will remain a hitch to each one of his people for their entirety. Running away is never an escape. It’s a bigger trap. Let the end product of academic competition not be adolescent suicide"
Discussions on this should lead to light and not churn up heat. Hope this post lets me and the readers extract some virtue however trivial it is.
My ears tuned to the news of a college kid's suicide this morning, a boy who had grown up in front of my eyes. Such incidents have become so familiar these days that many of us have lost our senses and emotions to news of this kind. Finding it difficult to gulp the news and the several odd reasons I could trace behind it, I decided to scribe it down here.
There is this boy who has the reputation that goes behind any good student. Circumstances or fate prevails over letting the boy not score as much as he had marked for himself. Is this a reason to end life? Tell me, is this why we educate kids? Even when he fell short of his expectations, he wasn’t the kind to be termed “not up to snuff” . All that his home now houses is his traumatized parents lamenting to figure out the boy’s depression behind this sudden decision.
A kid who cannot face his marks/friends/parents/society gets guts to face death? Call it immaturity or mellowness? Are the movies and media to be blamed, which portray suicide as an easy solution to many problems and death being embraced as an easy friend. My hand trembles when I type the very word suicide, how can a little boy cuddle it?
We all agree that kids of these days are more intelligent, more rationale and have all that is good for the several neurons officing in the brain. Aren’t we seeing these most intelligent brains searching for rapid escape from life backing on some trivial competition factor?
If I sit back and think,
1- It is the feeling of worthlessness that leads to depression and depression to such scary end. Teach the child to seek help when he is not feeling good emotionally. Diminishing into depression could have various reasons, but the child isn’t to be blamed. It is the mental frame at that particular hour and the child must be given hope that he isn’t at slip and that things would get better.
2- Teach kids the art of socializing for it is more likely that a child opens up and shares its apprehensions when he moves with people.
3- Schools that implant the concept of competition should infuse in kids a mind to accept failure too.
4- Parents should give time to the little brains to digest knowledge. Not all brains are manufactured in the same machine.
5- Satisfying the society shouldn’t be the thing topping the list, one should know to LIVE for SELF with his knowledge/capabilities and talent and not get hassled.
6- Schools must impart philosophical training on the significance of life.
7- Parents must teach kids to love life and not adore competition.
8- Be a friend to your kid when you think he needs one and when he is low. Be around with him. Take him out, shower more love.
9- Give spiritual education. Spirituality is not about running around temples and seeking God. It is about knowing life, its value and to live one.
It doesn’t make me feel good to bullet down points when a family is under such suffering and dismay. I started keying in only because I, a stranger couldn’t admit the fright. All I wish to share with the readers who hit this post is "Death is not a way to escape from the confusion of life. Everyone has a right to life, but not to end it. Taking life away could give one relief, but he will remain a hitch to each one of his people for their entirety. Running away is never an escape. It’s a bigger trap. Let the end product of academic competition not be adolescent suicide"
Discussions on this should lead to light and not churn up heat. Hope this post lets me and the readers extract some virtue however trivial it is.
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