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A Family-Magazine from Seva darshan Kuwait

Volume II

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Issue 1

15th April, 2012

For more information contact : Seva Darshan, Kuwait - INDEMB/KWT/ASSN/150

Sevadarshan@gmail.com
Sopanam - April 2012

Sopanam E-Magazine - (For members circulation only)

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Sopanam - April 2012

Editorial
As you would be reading this anniversary edition, Seva

opinions we would be putting before you to ponder over. We

Darshan family members would be celebrating their Vishu

invite all of you send in your valuable thoughts and share

Seva Dinam festivals around Kuwait.

with everyone your creativity be it stories, poems, drawing,

A year ago when the Seva Darshan team deliberated the

discussions and so forth.

idea of a Social E Magazine that would help promote the

Ram Naavami has just got over and the festival of

hidden talents of its members, the team didnt expect the

sharing and giving, Vishu has come. Vishu, the harvest

kind of responses we have received so far. From an idea to

festival of Kerala celebrates the spirit of abundance and

help promote the artistic talents of our members, our ideas

Seva Darsham members have made a great effort in being

have crossed over to making Sopanam an effective medium

able to make the people of the community to provide their

of promoting our nations rich culture and heritage here in

vishu kaineetam to the children of our bala sadans across

Kuwait. The literary standards and informative set down by

Kerala. Once the harvest is over the people get a new lease

our contributors have won accolades from all its readers.

of life and this is the vibrancy that is reflected in Vishu. It

With more than 2000 readers online from Kuwait and

would be so appropriate to share this joy with those who are

abroad, Sopanam is slowly growing into a truly international

in need and requires a helping hand to help them survive.

magazine with eminent writers providing us their opinions

The spirit of prosperity and sharing is celebrated by one and

and articles. This anniversary edition gives you an outlook

all with this novel custom.

into the coming editions and the wide variety of articles and

As the story goes once Swami Vivekanda was handed

over a gracious sum of amount on a cheque by a businessman
after a speech. The business man waited for some time

Editorial Board

Krishna Kumar Paliath

Manoj Nair
Vibheesh Tikkodi
Redhish Chandran
Gayatri Raveendran

Data Management

Ajaykumar Anjaneyam
Rajarajan Ganesan
Anandharaj Konni
Rani B. Basker
Sindhu Sanjith
Reshmy Krishna Kumar
Aneesh Kumar. U
Ajith Kumar. S
Suresh Varickolil
Roopesh R. Souparnika
Reshmi Sudheer

Creative & Design

Sreenivasan C.P.
Vinaya Babu. C.K.
Viswajith .M.K.
Prejith
Cover Design: Sunil Pookode
Illustration : Sasi Krishnan

For Comments, Submissions &

Subscriptions please write to

email : vbkuwait@gmail.com
Sopanam - April 2012

before asking Swamiji why he had not thanked him for the
same. Swamiji handed over the cheque back to him told
the businessman he should be thanked instead for giving
the businessman an opportunity to do Seva to the needy.
Who are we to do charity? We need to be doing seva by
serving the needy mankind who are born and live amoungst
ourselves. The Seva Darshan members likewise have the
principle of Seva in the heart of their work. Be it the Bala
Darshan activities, the Adhiatmic Samithi activities, the
volunteers give and help expecting and receiving nothing
in return except the mental satisfaction of having served the
nation in its wellbeing. Doing Seva should not be an act of
patronizing but should be aimed at over all development,
progress and upliftment. The philosophy and methodology
remains unmatched by any of the many charities we see
today.
Wishing you all a very happy Vishu and a prosperous
year ahead.

kmwkvImcnIw
Cultural

Vishu Indian Cultural

Perspective

Vibheesh Tikkodi

Kerala is ready to welcome its New Year which

they celebrate as Vishu. Even the nature shows its
enthusiasm covering itself with yellow blanket of
Kanikonna all over. The rituals of Vishu are very
close to our heart from time immemorial. Vishukani the first sight of the day with the help of mother is so special to us. To begin a new year with a
sight of prosperity has its root in our tradition. It is
a part of Indian culture to have a good beginning
for all the good things in life like agriculture, house
warming, education etc with the holy rituals and
seeking the blessing of God almighty. It is believed
that if starting is good, that will keep on till end.
According to Indian astrology, the good/bad
time is calculated on the basis of nine planets. As
the nine planets move around the Sun, the changes
are reflected on nature too. The good and bad effect of that change is to be borne by its occupants
including human. We consider the nine planets as
God. The first sight of the day Vishukani is made
along with Lord Vishnu, the head of Kaala Purusha,
the God of Time.
As per the astrology based of Sun, the day in
which Sun enters Aswini is mentioned as Vishu.
In malayalam calender this day is marked on Medam 1st and Keralites celebrate this day as New
Year. The visible blessings of Lord Sun in the form
of warm rays enhance the energy and inner strength
for the whole living beings.
Vishu is celebrated in different parts of India in
different names and traditional rituals. In Kashmir
it is Navera, in Andhra Pradesh it is Yugadi, In
Maharashtra it is Guddipadva, in Punjab it is Bai-

sakhi, in Tamilnadu it is Puthaand, in Bengal it is

Poyla Baisakhi, and in Assam it is Bohagvihu.
With similar concepts, but with different rituals,
when we Indians celebrate a festival, it indicates
the diversity in our splendid cultural heritage.
In Kerala it is the harvest festival. The richness of
the harvest season is totally submitted with prayer to
God as an offering. The first thing that comes to our
mind on Vishu is the Vishukani, the prosperous
first sight of the day. It is believed that Kani is made
in expectation of a prosperous year ahead, in terms
of health, wealth and the well being of all living beings of mother Earth. On Vishu eve, grandparents
or elder ones make the Kani in the pooja room. All
the Kani items are to be arranged with the attitude
of total submission to almighty. Vegetables, fruits,
flowers especially kanikonna, new dress, gold, nine
types of grains, coconut etc are kept before the God
of time, Krishna with a thankful heart to our mother
nature for giving us all these prosperity and to bless
us with the same all through the year.
Sopanam - April 2012

kmwkvImcnIw
Cultural
pooja room. She is our first Guru who introduced
us to our splendid heritage. The mirror placed in
Vishukani reflects our face which indicates the ultimate truth that God dwells in our own heart. Kani
is made for the physical and spiritual prosperity of
human. Our life should be rich with light of inner
knowledge, wealth, food, and health. There is a
practice of showing the Kani to trees, plants and
animals. This shows that the nature and human are
so closely related to each other that they cant be
separated.

Each item in the Vishukkani has its own importance and representations. Kani should be arranged
in an Uruli made of Panchaloha which represent
the Panchabhoota which includes Earth, Water,
Fire, Air, and Sky. Mirror, gold, sindooram, sandalwood, new dress should also be placed in Kani.
Lighted coconut on each side represents the light
of spiritual enlightenment. The light is expected
to remove the darkness of ignorance in our life by
which we are able to know the God almighty. The
ripened mango, banana, and the Kanivellari which
has golden color represent the Sun, the nine types of
grain shows the nine planets and the red sindooram
indicates the immense strength is us and the holy
book represents the knowledge which lead us to a
blissful life.
Main attraction of Kani is Kanikonna. This
golden coloured flower decorates the whole pooja
room with its gleam. Interesting part is that, the
Konna tree gets flowered only during this season.
Our mother gets up early morning, lights the lamp,
wake up each of us and lead us to the Vishukani
with our eyes closed for a divine first sight at the
Sopanam - April 2012

Another attraction of Vishu is the custom of giving Kaineetam to relatives, neighbors, people who
are in difficult situations etc by the elder generation of a family. This represents the blessings and
wishes for a wealthy and prosperous as well as the
healthy attitude to sacrifice, share and serve the fellow beings. The celebration finds its extremity with
the joy with crackers. The sound of crackers will
be in air for long time. All the family members go
to temple wearing new dresses, a new start for the
New Year with lots of expectations and prayers.

Let us all make a Vishukkani in our mind for the

knowledge of self realization. With the blessings of
our creator we can successfully lead a prosperous
life both spiritual and physical. Let us all welcome
Vishu with spirit of oneness.
5

ArmnId

Spiritualism

Matsya Avatara of
Maha Vishnu

Sindhu Sanjith

The ten incarnations or the Dasa Avatara of Maha

Vishnu are: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha,
Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna
and Kalki. Every incarnation has its own purpose
and importance. In the Matsya avatara, Maha Vishnu took the form of fish to save earth from a catastrophic flood and to recover the lost Vedas.
The story of Matsya Avatara as said in
Bhagavatam is as follows:

Maha Vishnu, the creator, sustainer and the destroyer of the Universe is a Master of the past, present and the future. Lord Vishnu has reincarnated
Himself in various forms to protect and preserve the
world from the increasing evil and to re-establish
Dharma. In Bhagvath Gita the Lord Himself has
mentioned to Arjuna:
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
Whenever there is decline of Dharma (righteousness)..and rise of Adharma (unrighteousness);
To protect the virtuous..to destroy the wicked and to
re-establish Dharma, I manifest myself, through the
ages.

- As one day of Lord Brahma also known as

Kalpa or one Cycle of Creation (i.e. a span fo
4320 years) was coming to an end, Lord Brahma was
about to fall asleep. When he does so all creation
is dissolved signifying the end of a creation. The
Vedas, which are eternal, and outside the Cycle of
Creation are beyond destruction. They lodge safely
inside Brahma's body while he sleeps and are given
back to the universe in the next Cycle of Creation.
Unfortunately, as Brahma gave yawned the Vedas
flowed out of his lips. He was too sleepy to notice
this catastrophe. A cunning asura named Hayagriva,
who had been hanging around observed this process
of dissolution and determined to become eternal by
any means necessary. He used this chance to swallow the Vedas to become immortal and eternal. Lord
Vishnu, who had observed this, was determined to
save the Vedas from Hayagriva.
Every Cycle of Creation has Manu and his wife
as the cosmic guardians or the first parents. They
live for the entire cycle. They re-establish culture
and civilization and above all ensure the Vedas are
transmitted to the next Cycle. In this cycle Maha
Vishnu had chosen Satyavrata to be the next Manu.
Sopanam - April 2012

ArmnId

Spiritualism
be accompanying Manu in his ordeal.
While Manu was doing the preparations as ordered, the colossal fish went to hunt for Hayagriva,
who had stolen the Vedas. He tore apart the giant
serpent to get back the Vedas and protect this Universe.
As the catastrophic flood happened, Manu did as
he was told by the matsya. As the cosmos and the
rain began and darkness and torrents of water swept
the earth, the Matsya emerged with the Vedas. Manu
tied the boat to the horn of the Divine Fish using Vasuki as the rope. The Saptarishis, along with Manu
and wife and with the flora and the fauna boarded

One day as Satyavrata was offering his prayers in

traditional manner with cupped handful of water in
waist deep flowing water, Lord Vishnu in the shape
of a tiny fish swam into Manus hand and demanded royal protection from other big fishes. Manu,
fascinated by the speaking fish, decided to protect
the little fish and put it in a small vessel. The fish
abnormally outgrew itself and large tank, pond or
river could not hold it any longer. Finally it had to
be transferred to the ocean. But the fish pleaded
Manu not to do so. Astonished by the magical
giant fish, Manu pleaded for the disclosure of it
actual identity. Lord Vishnu revealed HIS identity
and warned Manu of the forthcoming Pralaya or
the flood in a weeks period. He ordered Manu to
collect all seeds, plants and animals required for
the next spell of creation and board spacious boat
with his wife. The matsya also asked Manu to use
Vasuki, the King of the Serpents to be used as the
rope to tie the boat to the horn of the fish. He also
said that the Saptarishis or the Seven Sages would
Sopanam - April 2012

the boat and sailed though the turbulent water and

thus rescued life from ceasing from this Universe.
The perpetual love of Maha Vishnu for HIS creation rescued life from ceasing. At various stages,
when life has nearly approached standstill the Lord
Himself has reincarnated in various forms and saved
from extinguishing.
As we mark the beginning of another new year
with this Vishu, lets pray to the supreme powerful
Master of the Universe, Lord Maha Vishnu to guide
us, save us and protect us and to grant us a year full
of happiness and prosperity.

ArmnId

Spiritualism

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Sopanam - April 2012

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Sopanam - April 2012

15

hoWw
Views

Bharath,
The Emerging Superower
On 11th May 1998, Bharath shocked the world
with Pokharan 2.
The then American president immediately took
three important decisions to reinforce the American
say and control over nuclear power countries. The
American government put an embargo on financial
assistance to India, an embargo on technology transfer to India and high restrictions on visa issuance of
Indians. But within days the Americans had to reinstate their policies one by one because of the realization of the immense contribution the Indians we
giving to the United States of America.
The US figured only less that 10% of Indias total
export and import. So these sanctions did not seem
have any major impact on the country. Major software companies put pressure on the US president to
revoke his decision as it would destroy the technology industry in America not to have Indians working j their projects round the clock. Without visas
for professionals companies like IBM and Microsoft
stood to lose millions. Within 10 days the visa ban
was revoked. Almost 80000 visas were issued to the
US that year.
Even with the complete stop on technology transfer, the Indians developed the Chandrayan.
The concept of a Superpower has always been
shifting. At an early stage it was the English and then
the Spanish, the Italians, the Germans, the Russians
and the Americans. The American Superpower story
is slowly fading. Any countrys worth is measured
using the five parameters of Knowledge, Enterprise
(money turn over), Military, Influence in the world
and the Woman and Children of that country,
Today the world is slowing taking notice of the
immense knowledge our professionals are spreading
world over. In many countries research would be badly affected without Indian professionals support. Our
man power is well known for its discipline and hard
work. Dr. Anand heads the MAC 10 project of NASA
(needs verification). Notable Indians,Madhavan Nair,

16

Ravi Kumar Iyyer

Dr.AbdulKalam ,KasturiRangan are considered as

top scientists in the world today.
There are so many mesmerizing achievements of
Indians world over that are being recognized today.
Hippocampus Jayakari also known as Jayakars Sea
Horse is a species of fish named after its Indian discoverer. We have the third largest education system
after China and the USA. Our IITs, IIMs and IIPMs
are world famous. A huge amount of our budget is
earmarked for infrastructure development each year.
Currently we have the 12th largest GDP in the world
at around 1.09 trillion USD or more. We have the second largest army and the fourth largest air force in the
world.
In the field of spiritualism India, the Indian culture
and Hindu religion is sweeping the world. Swami
Chinmayananda popularized the Bhagavad Geeta all
over the world and it is today being for management
studies in over 300 universities around the world.
Mata AmrtitanandaMayi is loved around the world as
the Hugging Saint. For her birthday 10 million people
came from 110 counties to take her blessing in her
village. Baba Ramdevslectures attracted more than
5000 people every day for a week which was record
in the United Kingdom. The Swamy Narayan temSopanam - April 2012

hoWw
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ples are being built in every nook and corner of the
world. Even in China they have been allotted land
for this. Yogansana is gaining popularity all over the
world. It is has now become a eight billion dollar
business in the US alone. By covering the whole
of India twice, the Sankaracharyarevolutionalised
Indian philosophy that is converting people across
the world today.
An Indian, AnjuBhargavi has been appointed
by the US government to popularize YOGA as a
cheaper medical alternative.
In 2011, there were two Indian contenders in
the top 10 billionaires list. Smt. IndraNooyi, CEO
of Pepsi Cola even today ensures to keep her Indian traditions alive by wearing saris to corporate
meetings! Footwear is not allowed in her office and
home. Indianscontinues hold some very important
corporate posts around the world. Some of the best
start up enterprises in the world were started by Indians.
After finishing her tour of the space in a capsule,
SunithaPandya said her courage and strength in finishing her world record 23 and hour spacewalk
was the Ganesha and Gita she took with her.
Most of the top ranks in the spelling bee contests
in the US and other countries go to Indians. In the
32 years Ramanujam lives he gave the world around
3500 of our mathematical formulas.
When the former Greek PM went to Germany
to learn ancient Greek language they told him there
was a language even older called Sanskrit. He
greeted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Sanskrit on arrival to Greece on official visit. Sanskrit
is taught in more than 250 universities in the world.
Indian universities are now picking up this trend
from abroad!
Swami Vivekananda, on his trip to the US n 1893,
managed to convince Mr. John. D.Rockefeller, a
business magnet, to donate towards education. He
sponsored hundreds of libraries and other institutions. Thus Swamiji initiated Corporate Social Responsibility first in the US.
India has always been in the forefront of woman
empowerment, Often secluded cases of persecution
is highlighted to show the nation in a bad light. The
Sopanam - April 2012

first Indian lady doctor, Kadimbini Gangly enrolled

for her classes as early as 1861. Today we have Smt.
PrathibaPatil (Indian president ), Smt. Sheela Dixit (
CM of Delhi ), Smt. MamataBannerji ( CM of West
Bengal ), Smt. Jayaalalitha ( CM of Tamil Nadu),
Smt. SushamaSwaraj ( Leader of the opposition,
LokSabha ), Smt. Meira Kumar ( Speaker ), Smt.
Sonia Gandhi ( Congress Party chief ) as examples
of women holding high posts in India.
The worlds youngest CEO, Suhas Gopinath (at
14 years), was not even allowed to have a bank account at that age in India. He went to the US and
built his business empire. At 26 today, he is a world
known Young Global Leader

We are the largest milk producing nation in the

world. Even our film industry, once mocked as song
and dance extravaganzas, are today being financed
and marketed by global firms. We have even started
making our mark in the field of sports.
All well said and done, it is the conviction and
nationalistic spirit of the citizens of a nation that can
only see this dream of our through. And in a faraway land in the Arabian Gulf, as Bharateeyans we
work and prove to the people of Kuwait our worthiness as the citizens of country on the verge of being
a Super Power.
17

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Sopanam - April 2012

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Always ahead, Safeguarding

our Values

Reshmy Krishna Kumar

Far from our homeland it is natural to feel isolated

and memories of the time we spent with our relatives
and friends back at home, haunt ones mind. This
nostalgic feel becomes strong, especially during the
festive seasons. Thanks to the fast growing number of
expat associations which are formed on the basis of
language, religion, nativity, school and college, profession, common interests like art, architecture, literature etc. and the list goes on. They act as a strong
support system when we are in need and give chances
to let loose the diverse socializing opportunities.
Kuwait also witnesses a number of cultural as well
as social clusters which caters to the upliftment of the
expat community here. Advantage of all these associations is that it can bring like minded folks under one
roof with a feel of oneness, here on our breadwinning
land. The office bearers make it a point that, a portion
of their income is shared for the benefit of needy ones
within Kuwait or back in our homeland. It includes
medical assistance, financial assistance for providing the basic needs to those who are deprived of it,
education etc. They see to it that our shares reach the
right person at right time.
Similarly efforts are made to recreate each of the
festivals with the traditional flavor which are usually
missed during our expatriate life. Recent trend of
having someone special from our homeland make the
occasion so memorable. Our children get a chance
to understand the value of our culture and heritage.
For this cause each group has a healthy competitive
spirit too, the beneficiary being the whole community
and our new generation. Those days have gone when
the kids who stay with parents away from homeland
dont know our language, valuable Epics, or our precious cultural heritage. They provide chances for our
kids to learn to read our mother tongue which are not
Sopanam - April 2012

taught at school.
Another chance for celebration is at our doorsteps,
Vishu, the festival of harvest. As per the astrological
calendar Vishu marks the beginning of another year.
Starting the New Year with Vishu Kani is with an
expectation to bring luck and prosperity for the whole
year. In this context our associations also are coming
up with lot many programs which add to the festive
vibes. In line with our traditional way of celebrating
Vishu, cultural programs are being arranged at different venues with lot many chances for us to enjoy and
showcase our talents.
It is a pleasure to mention Sevadarshan, a sociocultural organization among Indian expatriates,
which moved a step ahead in this matter. Apart from
the strong support they provide continuously, they
have introduced the concept of Vishukaineetam for
the inmates of various Bala/ Balika Sadanams back
in Kerala on the occasion of Vishu. To those who
dont have anyone of their own to bless them with
all the wishes in their life and share joy and sorrow,
this amount that reach as the Kaineetam would be so
special. Above and beyond, being an amount for their
needs, it reaches them as the love and blessings from
our part that gives a feel of attachment.
Besides the celebrations, let all the associations
contribute constructively for the betterment of the expatriate society in Kuwait. They should stand together for the common cause including the safety of our
lives. The associations should work hand in hand with
the higher officials, and be a mirror placed against the
whole expatriate community living here.

21

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Sopanam - April 2012

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Fm-bn-cpp? \mw hnI-k-\-ns apJy-e-y-am-nSopanam - April 2012

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Zi-\-ns imkv{Xo-bXsImIm-Wv. AJ--amb
t_m[-k--bpsS D]-cn-L-S-\-bmWv (Super Structure)
ImWmb krjvSn-Pm-e--sfm-sbpw Fv `mcXw Xncn-dn--tm ]mm-Xy-`u-Xn-I-hm-Z-Zi-\--sfm-sbpw
hniz-kn-Xv PU-]-Zm-amWv BXy-n-I-sa-m-Wv.
PU-n kw`-hn-p ]cn-Wm-a-^-e-amWv a\pw
t_m[hpw ssNX-\y-hp-sams F-XmWv Ahn-Sps
ImgvN-m-Sv. Htc-sbmcp ssNX-\y-h-mb t_m[-amWv
{]]--ns B[m-c-sa `mcXob Zi-\-amWv icnsbv B[p-\nI imkv{Xhpw AwKo-I-cn-p-I-gn-p.
Pohn-Xs tImn-W-p AZr-iy-heIsfpdn-pw,
]c-kv]-c-_-n-X-amb GI Du-a--e-s-p-dn-psam-s-bp imkv{X-\n-co--W- kqNn-n-p-Xv
AXm-Wv.
{]Ir-Xnbpw a\p-jy\pw Xn-ep ]c-kv]-c-_-s
Xncn--dn-p-I-gn-m ]ns hnI-k-\-b-Xv\-
{]Ir-Xn-hn-cp--am-I-bn-. ChnsS \ne-\n-Xpw hfXp-amb hnI-k\w {]Ir-Xnsb H-s-Spn NqjWw
sNp--Xm-bn-cp-n-.
{]Ir-Xn-sbbpw
Poh-Pm-e-sfbpw Fmw Hcp-an-np sImIp-t]m-Ip {]hr-ntb
]ptcm-K-a-\m--I-amhq. AXp-sImIv {]Ir-Xnsb tZml\w
(]-ip-hns ]m Ipnp IpSn-m-\p-Xv Ah-ti-jn-n
tijw Bh-iy-n\p thIn-bp-Xp am{Xw Id-s-Spp coXn) sNp--Xn-emWv `mc-Xo-b-Zmi-\n-I hnizkn--Xv, ]mm-Xysctmse NqjWw sNp--Xn-e-.
23

hoWw
Views
{]]-hpw Rm\pw Hs Nn-bn Dd-p-\n--Xp-aqew
`mc-Xob lnwkm-hmZn Bbn-. As\ Nqj-Wm-[njvTn-Xtam lnwkm--Itam Am XnIpw `mhm-I-amb Nmen-eqsS `mcXw apt-dn. ]cn-n-Xnv Hcp
t]mdepw DIm-Im-Xn-cn-m \mw At-bw ]cn-{i-an-p.
hnI-k-\-ns am-n Ahiyw DIm-bn-tm-Ip
X-sf ]cn-l-cn-m\pw ]qm-[nI tim`-tbmsS
]cn-n-Xnsb ]p\x-m-]n-m\pw ChnsS hyh--I-fp--mbn-cp-p.tmvtlman hv 1972 \S ]mcn-n-XnI
{]h-I-cpsS D-tIm-Sn-bn {]kw-Kn-sh Cn-cmKmn Cu hkvXpX Dds {]Jym-]n-p-sImIv t{imXmsf Fmw A-c-n-p-I-f-p. thZ-Imew apXte
`mc-Xo-b ]mcn-n-Xn-Im-h-t_m[w thIp-thm-f-ap-Imbn-cp P\-X-bm-sWv tkmZml-cWw Ah AhnsS
]d Imcy- bYm ]cn-n-Xn-kvt\-ln-I-fpsS
{isb Ctmp Xncn-p-hm klm-b-I-am-bn.
hnI-k-\-n\pw AXns KXn-thKw hn-n-p
imkv{X-km-t-XnI taJ-ebvpw sam-n a\pjy-apJw DIm-bn-cn--W-sa--XmWv `mc-Xob Zi-\w.
jqam-sd t]mse-bp [\-X-Xz-im-kv{X-m `mcX-ns al-Xz-ambn NqIn-m-Wn-p-Xpw AXp-X-sbm-Wv.
Dev]m-Z-\-cw-Kv _lp-P-\-]-m-fnw Dd-p-h-cp-m
km[np FXpw `mc-Xob kao-]-\-ns khn-ti-jX
Bbn-cp-p. hntI-{o-Ir-X-amb Dev]m-Z-\-hy-h Hmtcm
hoSn-s\bpw \nm-W-tI-{--fmn amn. Hcmv
\njv{]-bmkw FSp-p-sIm-Ip- t]m-Ip-hm Ign-bp
Ccp-p]m-Z-\-km-a{Kn ChnsS DIm-bn-cpp FXv
AXns sXfn-hm-Wv. Ac-hn-s `mj-bnse kz{]-Ir-Xn-\p-kr-X-amb \nm-W-nepw AtXm-sSmw Btm-Xn-m-bp AZrjvSn hfp--Xnepw `mc-Xo-b
B\w IIp.
sXmgn-en-mbva s]cp-p--Xn-e sXmgn km[yX
A\p-Zn\w hn-n-p--Xn-em-bn-cpp \psS Du.
Irjn-p-Im-bn-cp m\w D-X-am-bn-cp-p. ansbpw Npp-]m-Sn-sbpw kzm`m-hn-I-amb D-c-Xsb
t]mjn-n-p X\Xpkmt-Xn-I-hn-Zybpw ssPh-h-f-{]tbm-Khpw Chn-Sps Irjnsb em`-I-c-am-n. Irjnbpw
Imjn-tIm]--sf tI{o-I-cn-p-sIm-Ip hyhkm-b-fpw ChnsS hfp. CsX-mw-sImIv {Kma-
\-I-fm kar--ambn \ne-sIm-Ip. {Kma--fp-t]-nv
\K-c--fn-tev tNt-dp B[p-\nI{]h-WX ApIm-bn-cp-nsp kmcw.
Cs\ t\mp-tm ]cn-]q-ambpw [m-[njvTn-X-amb Hcp km-nIhyh--bm-bn-cpp ChnsS
\ne-\n-n-cp--sXv a\-n-em-mw. AXv {]Ir-Xnsb
t]mjn-n-p--Xm-bn-cp-p, sXmgn hn-n-p--Xmbn-cpp, Ipd-p-am{Xw {]Ir-Xn-hn-`-h-sf D]-tbm-Kn-p-Xm-bn-cp-p, Dutm-]-t`mKw ]cn-an-X-am-bn-cp-p,
X\Xp kmt-Xn-I-hn-Zysb B[m-c-amn D-Xm-bn-cp-p,
Fm-n\pw D]cn, am\-hn-I-X-bpsS apJ-ap--Xm-bn-cpp
24

`mc-X-ns hnI-k-\-\-bhpw {]tbm-K-X-{-hpw.

Cs
kml-N-cy-n\v
A\p-tbm-Py-amw-hw
\psS ]c-cm-K-Xhpw Xt-io-b-hp-amb kmt-Xn-Iim-kv{X-n\v Bh-iy-amb ]cn-jvI-cWw hcp-t-IXpIv. AtXm-sSmw B[p-\nI imkv{Xob t\-sf
Chn-Sps Ah-bvv tNcpw-hn[w Nn-s-Sp-tIXp-ap-Iv. \nc--c-amb \ho-I-c-Whpw \-Isf Dsmepw `mc-Xob ImgvN-m-Sns {]tXy-I-X-bm-Wv. ""Bt\m
`{Zmx {IXthm bp hnizXx'' F-XmWv Cu cwKs
\psS BZi-hm-Iyw.
Fsmw ]pXnb ]co--W- \S-n-bmepw [sbpw a\p-jy-s\bpw ad--cp-sX H-m-cy-nte
\apv \njvIj-bp-q. AXn-s\-p-dn-p ]nv
Ph-lem s\lvdp-hns \nco-Ww hfsc {itb-am-Wv. Ccw hnj-b--tfm-Sp s\{lq-hn-b kao]\w kp{]-kn--am-I-bm-emWv Cu {]kvXmhw IqSp-X
{]m[m-\y-aln-p--Xv. GXmIv Ah-km-\-Im-e-v, 1964
sabv 25\v {ioa \mcm-b-Ws ]pkvX-I-n\v Fgp-Xnb
Bap-J-n \ns-Sp--XmWv Cu `mKw.
""B[p-\nI kmt-XnI{]{In-b-Isf {]tbm-P-\-s-Spp-Ibpw ImjnI hymh-km-bn-I-ta-J-e-I-fnse Dev]
m-Z\w hn-n-pIbpw sNtIXv `mc-Xs kw_n-n-S-tmfw hfsc {]m[m-\y-ap Imcy-am-Wv. ]s
As\ sNp-tm Ghpw A\n-hm-cy-am-bn-p
Dt-iy-ambn ImtW-IXv hyn-bpsS aqeyhpw AXn
s A[m-c-bmbn hn-p [hpw BsW
hkvXpX hnkva-cn-p-Iq-Sm.''
Cu XXzs ap\nn-bp ]ptcm-K-Xntb kpnc-am-hp-I-bp-q.
hnI-k-\s kw_-n `mc-Xob ]cn-t{]-ys
Cs\ kam-l-cn-mw.
1. Hmtcm ]uc\pw {]mY-anI Pohn-Xm-h-iy- e`y-am-IWw.
2. Ghpw [mn-I-amb coXn-bn `uXn-I-k-v
Bn-p-I. AXm-Is kam-P-cq-]n-bmb Cuiz-cs\
tkhn-p--Xn-\p D]m[n F \ne-bn Bh-Ww.
AXn \nv Ghpw Ipd-p am{Xta \psS Bh-iyv D]-tbm-Kn-m-hq. tkh\w \S-p-hm thI
nXn-bn \nsf \ne-\np-hm F{X-bmtWm
thIXv A{X am{Xta FSp-m-hq. AXn IqSp-X
Ah-Im-i-s-Sp-Itbm D]-tbm-Kn-p-Itbm sNp-Xv
kaq-l-hn-cp--ambn sNp tamj-W-am-Wv.
3. As\ t\mp-tm \mw kaq-l-n {Sn-I
am{X-am-Wv. icn-bmb {Sn-Ip am{Xta t\cmw-hw
kaq-ls tkhn-m Bhq.
4. AtXm-sSmw hyn-]-c-amb [\m-\-n\v
]cn[n thWw. asm-cp-hs sXmgn-ens\ kzm-em-`n\mbn NqjWw sNp--Xn\v Bpw A[n-Imcw
DIm-bn-cn--cp-Xv.
5.
e--W-n-\m-fp-I
]n-Wn-In-S-p-tm
Sopanam - April 2012

hoWw
Views
Aan-Xhpw Ad-p-f-hm-p-Xpw \njv{]-tbm-P-\-I-c-hpamb sNe-hp-I alm-]m-]-am-Wv. Fm-Xcw D]-t`m-K-fp-sSbpw tase bpn-k-l-amb \nb-{Ww DIm-bncn--Ww. sslh kwkvIr-Xn-bp-ambn "D]t`mK-hmZw'
s]mcp--s-Sp-n-.
6. ]c-am-h[n Dev]m-Z-\w, kam-\-amb hnX-cWw CXmbn-cn-Ww \psS ey-hmIyw; tZiob kzbw-]-cym-]v
XX ASn-b--c-e-y-hpw.
7. sXmgn Cm-bva-bpw, sXmgn A]-cym-]vX-Xbpw
bp-Im-em-Sn-m-\-n ]cn-l-cn--Ww.
8. hyh-km-b-h-cWw A\n-hm-cy-am-Wv, ]t AXv
A-amb ]mm-Xym-\p-I-cWw Bh-cp-Xv. {]Ir-Xnsb
tZml\w sNmt\ ]mSpq, sIm-cp-Xv. ]mcn-n-Xn-IL-S-I-, {]Ir-Xn-bpsS kp-en-Xm-h, `mhn-X-e-apd-bpsS Bh-iy- Fn-hbvp t\sc I-S-bvm
]mSn-. hnZym-`ym-kw, ]mcn-n-Xn-I-im-kv{Xw, [\-X-Xz-imkv{Xw, kZm-Nmcw Fn-h-sb-p-dnv ka-{Khpw kwtbmPn-X-hp-amb NnbmWv thI-Xv.
9. IqSp-X Dut-IXv sXmgn-A-[n-jvTnX hyh-kmb--fn-em-Wv. AmsX aqe-[-\m-[n-jvTnX kwcw-`--fne-.
10. ssIsm-gn sNp--hsc klm-bn-pw-a-n
thWw B[p-\nI imkv{X-km-t-XnI hnZ-Kv Xtiob Dev]m-Z-\-X-{--fn amw hcp-t-I-Xv. AsXmcn-epw sXmgn-en-mbva hn-n-p-I-tbm, e`y-amb
Xm{nI hyh-m-ss\-]p-Wnsb D]-tbm-K-iq-\y-am-pItbm sN-cp-Xv. \ne-hn-ep Dev]m-Z-t\m-]m-[n-Isf
]cn-]q-ambpw aqe-[-t\-X-c-am-m km[n--Ww.
Dev]m- Z-\-tI-{--fmn hoSp-Isf amn ]cn-an-X-amb
Dutm-]-t`m-K-tmsS Dev]m-Z\{]{In-bsb hntI{o-I-cn-p-hm Ign-bpw-hn-[-n X\-Xmb Xt-iob
kmt-XnI imkv{Xw hnI-kn-n-s-Sp-m km[n--Ww.
11. sXmgn hnI-k-\-tm-sSmw ss\]p-Wy- h-\-hn\mbpw hyh sN-Ww.
12. Hmtcm hyh-km-b-n-sebpw sXmgn Hcp aqe-[-\
-cq]w Xs-bm-Wv. Hmtcm sXmgn-em-fn-bp-sSbpw {ia-insb Hml-cn-I-fmbn IW-m-p-Ibpw Ahsc hyhkm-b-m-]-\-ns Hmlcn DS-a-I-fmbn Dbp-Ibpw
thWw.
13. D]-t`mrXmXv]-cy-amWv tZiob XmXv]-cy-tmSv
Ghpw ASp-p-\np km-nI kqN-Iw. Fm
hymh-km-bn-I-amb BZm-\-{]-Zm-\--fnepw ]m-fn-bm-Ip
kaq-l-amWv aqm-a-t-Xv. "kwbp hne-t]-i' F
h-am-\-Ime ]mm-Xy-k-ev]w Cu ImgvN-m-Sn-t\mSp
tbmPn-p-X-. AXns\ "tZiob {]Xn_-X', AXmbXv sXmgn-ep-S-a-Ipw sXmgn-em-fn-Ipw cmjv{Stm-Sp-Im-bn-cn-tI {]Xn-_-X Ftm atm D
]pXnb kw-bnv hnfn--Ww.
14. sXmgn-ens AXn-cn--aqeyw cmjv{S-n-\p--XmWv.
15. hymh-km-bnI DS-a--Xsb kw_-nv Hcp-X-cnte ]mSpq F Imiyw Bh-iy-an-. kzIm-cykw-cw-`w, s]mXp-ta-J-e, kl-I-cW m]-\-, apknSopanam - April 2012

DS-a--X, kzbw-sXm-gn, Iqp-Sa-X (kmcpw

kzIm-cy-hpw), P\m-[n-]-Xym-[n-jvTnXw apX-emb ]e
coXn-Ifpw DIv. Hmtcm-ns khn-ti-j-hy-n-Xzhpw
tZiob kmnI Bh-iyhpw IW-n-se-Spv DS-a-X
\n-bn-mw.
16. [-ns ASn-m\XXz-sf ssIhn-Sm-sXbp GXp Xc-n-ep kmaq-ly--km--nI hyhbpw cq]-s-Sp-m \ap--h-Im-i-ap-Iv.
17. Fm kaq-l-ns D]-cn-L-S-\-bn hcp-p
am- Hmtcm hyn-bp-sSbpw a\-ns\ th-Ipw-hw
]mI-s-Sp-p-n-s-n \njv{]-tbm-P-\-I-c--fm-Wv.
\tXm XobtXm Bbn hyh-nXn {]hn-p-Xv
AXn\p ]nn-ep a\p-jys\ B{i-bn-m-Wv.
18. hynbpw kaq-lhpw Xn-ep _s kw_n \psS hoWw kwLjm--I-a-. Fm hyn-Ifnepw \ne-\np-Xv GI-amb t_m[-k--bm-sW
Xncn--dn-hns B[m-c-n-ep kma-RvP-kyhpw klI-c-W-hp-am-Wv B _mhs \ne-\np--sXv
\mw Icp-Xp-p. kwbp-hpw ka-{K-hp-amb kmaqly
hyn-Xz-nse ktN-X-\hpw A`n--hp-amb AwK-amWv
hyn.
19. kq cmjv{S-hp-ambn XmZmyw {]m]n-m
klm-bn-p "kwkvImc'fmWv GsXmcp kmaq-ly-km--nI {Ia-n-sbpw bYm B-c-L-S-\.
Cu {]tXy-IX
- I
- t- fm-Sp-Iq-Snb Hcp hnI-k\
- c
- o-Xnbpw k{Zm-bhpw LS-\m-X{- hpw DIm-n-sb-Sp-tIXv `mc-Xns am{X-a kq hniz-nsbpw \ne-\n]n\pw
A\n-hm-cy-am-Wv. `mc-Xo-ba- mb am-n \apv in-sSp-hm Ign-bp-X
- n-t\m-sSmw ap-h
- v hgn-Im-tI
D-ch
- m-Zn-Xzhpw \n \nn-]vXa- m-Wv. AXp \mw GsSp-t-In-bn-cn-p-p. tSmb_n-bpsS XmoXv Cu k`n A-h
- m-Wv.
" Ghpw DZm-hpw AXp-sIm-Ip-Xs \n-fpsS `mcXob ss]Xr-I
- n\nv kzmwio-I-cn-tI Hky-pambn (Legacy) `mc-XobZi-\-n-\-\p-kr-Xamw hw
Pohn-p--Xn `mcXw ]cm-P-b-s-m AXv kqam-\-h-cm-in-tbmSpw sNp Hcp ]mX-I-am-bn-cn-pw.''
AXp-sImIv `mc-X-n\v Hcp al-mb Bym-nI
D-c-hm-Zn-Xz-amWv \n-ln-m-\p--Xv.

25

BtcmKrw
Health

Cancer and Mind

Cancer as a killer disease has been making a
name ever since a clinical entity entitled cancer
has been recognized to exist. It is now established
that various forms of cancer, along with heart disease
and traffic accidents account for the overwhelming
number of deaths in modern day world. The relative break-up ratios might vary from one country
to the other, but the fact remains that cancer is and
can be deadly in the real sense of the word! All the
same, thanks to advances in medical research and
therapy, there have been appreciable improvement
in survival rate of cancer victims and many cases, if
detected early are thought to be perfectly amenable
to therapy.
What is cancer? In simple terms, cancer may be
defined as an unwanted, undesirable, uncontrolled
proliferation of cells in the body. Depending on the
site of the disturbance and the nature of cells involved, cancer is classified accordingly. Theories
abound as to what causes a particular cell line to go
off the beaten track and reins and provoke the havoc. Some have tended to stamp cancer as a disease
of modern day living, egged on by incessant stresses
and strains. Some others have attributed the change
in life-styles, shift to unhealthy food habits and environmental pollution as factors contributing to the
disease. And there are others who are more fatalists,
ascribing the cancer phenomenon as a manifestation
of cellular senescence or aging. Millions of dollars
have been pumped into medical research all around
the world, in an attempt to unravel the mystery or
mechanism of cancer genesis. But, results so far
have been less forthcoming and less conclusive than
expected of the efforts. All the same, thanks to these
researches, considerable progress has been made,
of late in successful treatment of certain forms of
cancer, which till recently were considered as sure
death-warrants!
Treatment by drugs, radiation and surgery have
26

Professor Nandakumar Moorkath

Chairman, Obstetrics & Gynecology Department,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuwait

been and remain the main weapons of treatment

against this dreaded affliction. The mental disposition of the patient in question, in contributing to
the outcome of the therapy has been mainly hypothetical, almost bordering on the realm of unknown!
But certain research reports emanating from western laboratories seem to indicate that chances of a
cancer victim recovering from the illness or sinking
further may well be determined or modulated by
his or her mental attitude to the disease. A desperate helpless disposition might in fact aggravate the
malady while a will to fight on and recover may facilitate the healing process.
Researchers at Colorado University, USA subjected 2 groups of rats to electric shock treatment,
in an attempt to induce cancerous growth in them.
The experiment was so designed that one group of
animals could avoid the shock by pressing an escape mechanism while the other group was left
to endure the shock treatment without any form of
Sopanam - April 2012

BtcmKrw
Health
avoidance outlet. Scientists noted that those who
were left desperate but to bear the trauma of the
shock were significantly more prone to accelerated
cancer growth and reduced recovery than those who
could avoid the shock by resorting to the escape
mechanism. Validity of these animal experiments
may be thought to be substantiated by innumerable
reports of patients having weathered the storm
successfully, by their sheer will power and willingness to fight. In short, medicines themselves may
not produce the desired effect unless the patient too
puts his mind to it!

Further indication of the effectiveness of mental

prowess in accelerating recovery from cancer have
come from tests conducted on cancer patients themselves. A group of cancer patients were screened
and monitored over long periods, for level natural
killer (NK) cells in their blood. NK cells belong to a
class of white blood cells named lymphocytes which
specialize in destroying tumor or cancer cells. The
researchers found, to their total surprise, that those
who became desperate and felt helpless with prospect of impending doom tended to accelerate their
own downfall, as evidenced by a decline in the level
of NK cells, while those with the will to fight on
surmount the disease showed a marked increase in
destroyer cell levels. It is also known that in animals, stimulation or destruction of certain parts of
Sopanam - April 2012

the brain can either accelerate or worsen recovery

from cancerous tissue growth.
Certain small sized molecules named opioids or
enkephalins are known to be released from the brain
in times of stress. It has also been shown, though not
conclusively, that these substances are capable of
depressing immune function or downgrade bodys
ability to counter attacks from disease or disorders
such as cancer, etc. It is plausible that the depressed
or feeling-lost patients are hurting themselves, inadvertently, by releasing more of such substances
within and thus accelerate their own downfall. However, the above mentioned endogenous opioids have
widespread non-specific actions on the various body
systems and hence use of their agonists (mimicking
agents) or antagonists (agents canceling the effects)
in treatment of cancer or other diseases can only be
envisaged with more in-depth research in animals
and subsequent clinical trials in humans.
Additional clinically and scientifically oriented
well-controlled studies might help in cleared elucidation of the supplementary role mind plays in
determining the course and recovery (or non-recovery!) from a potentially fatal malady. Given the
enormous complexities and potentialities of the human mind and the practical difficulties involved in
carrying out well matched, adequately controlled
clinical trials that yield interpretable data, nature of
role of the mind in modulating the course of an illness might remain endlessly debatable. But the human and studies mentioned above cannot be wished
away as pure fiction and supplement the centuriesold notion in Ayurvedic treatise Charaka Samhita
that the most deadly poison is that generated from
the mind! One may argue that this is probably the
case not only in the case of cancer, but many other
serious or banal afflictions as well. The human mind
remains as enigmatic and insurmountable as ever as
Himalayas and nowhere than in medical research is
it least explored or exploited.

27

amXr Zi\w

Salt

Mathru
Dharshan

Gastronomy of

Sadya

Pepper

Dr. Sindhu Sudheesh

Our food was considered to be our medicine. Food

is fuel for the digestive fire and therefore must be
pure, well combined and in correct quantity. When
thinking about Vishu, Onam or any other Hindu festivals, first thing that comes to my mind is food..our
own Sadya-The traditional vegetarian feast!!!!!
As you all are aware sadya is a multi-course vegetarian meal involving many vegetarian dishes along
with rice and payasams. Side dishes could range from
15 to 24 or more. Most of the items are easy to cook
and include seasonal vegetables and green leaves
which offer an array of health benefits.
The assembled sadhya itself is a visual treat - a
beautiful painting with its perfect balance of colour
and texture. The very sight itself is so appetizing that
it sends your salivary glands into overdrive! Sadya
is often made in Hindu families during special occasions like Onam, Vishu, marriage, birthdays, and

tice to include vegetables such as carrots, pineapples,

beans in the dishes. Onion and garlic are not typically used in the sadya as these are considered to be
rajassic foods. While eating sadya people used to sit
on the floor with crossed legs as this position is said
to enhance the energies of the abdomen by bringing
them up from the legs.
Eating with your hands is beneficial in that you
can judge the temperature of your food before putting
it in your mouth and it is believed that the energy in
your fingertips has positive effects on your food!!!!!
Usually served as lunch, sadya consists of par
boiled pink rice, side dishes, savouries, pickles and
desserts spread out on a plantain leaf or Banana leaf,
which could be also called as the Organic plate.

other occasions. There are variations in the menu

according to the place and the religion. Some communities include non-vegetarian dishes in the sadya.
Although custom was to use traditional and seasonal
vegetables, now a days it has become common prac28

There is a very distinct and clear order of placing

dishes on the banana leaf. While serving dishes, the
banana leaf is placed in such a way that its narrow
edge is faced towards the left hand side of the eater.
Sopanam - April 2012

Salt

amXr Zi\w
Pepper

The dishes are served from left to right in the following order.
1. Dishes Served on The top Left Corner of the
Leaf
Kaya upperi ,Sarkaravaratty ,Pappadam, Pazham
and Salt (Salt is served as a part of tradition so that It
allows the eaters to adjust the saltiness of the dishes .)

Mathru
Dharshan

After finishing the third course comes the sweet

delicacies like prathaman or payasams, depending
upon how many payasams you have, it is served
one by one starting with the Vermicelli Payasam.
After having the payasam again rice is served and
consumed along with rasam followed by buttermilk
or modified version sambharam.Both rasam and
sambharam are served for its digestive properties
as both are rich with salt and other spices which
regulates the digestion .This is the unique feature
of our sadhyas. You dont end with dessert which
can leave you slightly drowsy after a meal. Care is
taken to awaken your senses and make you leave the
table, not just well fed, but refreshed too. It is a very
scientific approach.
In olden days meal is always followed by vettilamurukkan, chewing of betel leaf with lime and

2. Dishes Served from Middle Left to Right

All 'thotu curries' or side dishes are served from
middle left to right side of the dish. These dishes
are served on the order of their importance: PuliInji,
Manga Curry, Naranga Curry, Kichadi ,Pachadi ,
Kootukari ,Thoran ,Olan Erisseri and Aviyal.
3. Main dishes are served on the Center of the
Leaf
Rice or Choru Usually it will be brown riceour own matta rice. Rice is eaten in three courses.
Following dishes are served as an accompaniment:
Parippu Curry The rice is eaten with parippu curry along with ghee and pappadam during the first
course. During second course rice is eaten with
sambar. In the third course rice is consumed with
Kalan or pulisseri. During all these courses rice is
served in small amounts.

Sopanam - April 2012

arecanut. This aids in digestion of the heavy meal

and also cleanses the palate.
Inspite of its mind boggling variety,it is a delicately balanced diet with the right mix of all possibleindredietns and tastes. Sadya is given great
importance in Kerala which is served and devoured
with great pride by everyone irrespective of their
taste buds.

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hmI
News
VISHU SEVA DINAM
& BALAKALOTSAVAM-2012
SEVADARSHAN FARWANIYA UNIT
Sevadarshan Farwaniya unit celebrated Vishu Seva Dinam and Balakalotsavam on 30th March 2012
at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Auditorium, Abbasiya. Balakalotsavam was inaugurated by Shri Manoj, Baladarshan Coordinator Kuwait. It was a variety programme with various competitions among the children
between the age group of 3 and 13 years. Evening Vishu Seva Dinam programme was inaugurated by Mr
Ajayan, General Secretary of Sevadarshan, Kuwait. Mr Sudhir delivered the Welcome Speech and the programme was presided over by Mr Krishnan, President of Seva Darshan Kuwait . Dr Srikumar, Scientific
Consultant, Kuwait Foundation, was the Chief Guest of the Programme. Dr Srikumar delivered an inspiring speech to the audience on the importance of Seva (Selfless service). After prize distribution by distinguished guests from various organizations, the Programme Coordinator Mr Balan Nair expressed vote of
thanks.

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Sopanam - April 2012

hmI
News
VISHU SEVA DINAM & BALAKALOTSAVAM-2012
SEVADARSHAN FARWANIYA UNIT

Sopanam - April 2012

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Bala Lokam

Sri Rama Navami

Whenever evil prevails and the entire universe
is terrified by wicked forces and when there is no
way out for the common people, Sri Vishnu comes
to the rescue. He incarnates himself into an appropriate form for the upliftment of the good and
virtuous, destruction of evil and re-establishment
the natural law (dharma).
Thousands of thousand years back, the demon
king Ravana was challenging righteous. He was
wealthy, powerful and the mightiest king at his
time. He was very learned and accomplished
person too. But he was evil and wicked. He used
all his powers and knowledge for himself and his
supporters. Naturally, he became a danger for all
and Sri Vishnu had to incarnate himself to eliminate Ravana.
Sri Vishnu incarnated Himself as Rama; the
oldest son of the King Dashrath, The King of Ayodhya. Dashrath had four sons - Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrughna. All four brothers were learned and brave. Especially, Rama was
dearest to all. Rama was married to Sita. To fulfill
the desire of his mother Kaikeyi, Rama with his
brother, Lakshmana and wife Sita, went to the forest for 14 years. During that period, the demon
king Ravana abducted Sita and took her to his
kingdom Lanka. Rama with the help of another
king Sugreev fought with wicked Ravana and his
army, defeated them and rescued Sita. Thus, Sri
Vishnu, in form of Sri Rama, eliminated the demon Ravana and established the Dharma (natural
law) again.

RamaNavami

Rama was born on the 9th day of the Hindu

month Chaitra (March-April) in Ayodhya which
is situated on the banks of the holy river - Sarayu.
Navami means 9th day. Since Rama was born on
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this day, it is called as Rama Navami. Hindus

celebrate Rama Navami as a festival. It is dedicated to the memory of Shri Rama. Celebrations
begin with a prayer to the Sun, early in the morning, chanting Vedic mantras dedicated to Sri Vishnu and offering flowers and fruits to Bhagawan.
A special prayer is performed at noon as Rama
was born at mid-day (noon). Hindus keep a fast
throughout the day, breaking it only at midnight.
Public gatherings called satsang are organized and
excerpts from the Ramayana, a book on Rama describing his powers, achievements, virtues and
glory, are recited.
Hindus participate in a Rama Navami procession with a great zeal and passion. The main attraction of the procession is a nicely decorated chariot
in which four persons are dressed up as Rama, his
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Bala Lokam
(Indian) sub-continent including south-east countries, particularly Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia,
Malasiya, Philippines and Vietnam.

Is it worth reading Ramayana today?

brother Lakshmana, his wife Sita and his disciple

Hanuman. This chariot is accompanied by several
other persons dressed up as Rama's soldiers. In
Ayodhya, Rama's birth-place, almost all temples
carry such processions. Rama leela (the play depicting the life events of Rama) are also organized
at places.

The Ramayana

Todays world is a world of Science and Technology. Men have landed on the moon and now
approaching Mars. Life styles and attitudes have
changed completely. Is it really worth reading Ramayana today which was written thousands and
thousands of years back? Are teachings from Ramayana really relevant in these days? These are
often repeated questions. Answer is YES! Science may alter the life style of human being; it
may bring the materialistic prosperity but what
will remain permanent and worthy are "Nature's
Laws", "Moral Values". Human nature, emotions,
moral values, and problems will remain same today and in future. And the Ramayana and its hero
Sri Rama teach the moral values. Sri Rama established the highest standards for the values and his
personal and social conduct followed those values. One can look up the Sri Rama's character to
identify the solution to any problem in the world.
It is worth reading or listening to the Ramayana
even now to foster good values/character and to
be a good person

The Ramayana is one of the two Hindu itihasas

(historical narratives loosely termed as epics) attributed to the great sage Valrniki. It consists of
24,000 verses categorized in seven parts (kandas)
describing the life of Sri Rama. The name "Ramayana" is a compound of two words "rama" and
"ayana (coming)". In short, The Ramayana means
- Rama's coming i.e. his story of life. The Ramayana is not just an ordinary story, but contains the
teachings of ancient Hindu sages. It was first written in Samskrit, but later poets narrated it in various Bharatiya (Indian) languages. It is popular not
only in Bharat (India), but the entire Bharatiya
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Bala Lokam

Monkey and the

Crocodiles
Once upon a time, on the banks of a big
river, there lived a monkey, ontop of an apple tree. The apples grew all year round and
they tasted yummy. The monkey grew up on
those apples and lived happily. One day while
it was jumping from one branch to the other,
it saw acrocodile looking very sad and tired.
It jumped to a lower branch and enquired of
the reason for the crocodile being so sad.
The crocodile told the monkey that he had not
eaten for three days and it was fast becoming
very weak.
The monkey immediately plucked a few apples from the tree and threw it to the crocodile.
The crocodile gulped them eagerly, thanked
the monkey ad with a new vigour whisked his
tail and swam away. The crocodile started
meeting the monkey regularly and they became good friends.
One day, the crocodile took a couple of apples to his wife. She ate the delicious apples
and her mouth watered at the thought of the
apples. She thought if the apples tasted so
good, how much better would the monkey
taste, after eating the yummy apples regularly. She started insisting that the crocodile
bring his friend, so that they could make a
meal of him.

The love for his wife won finally, and one day
he invited his friend to his house for afeast.
When the monkey pointed out that he could
not swim, the crocodile offered to carry him
on his backThus the two friends set off to the
crocodile's house. On the way thecrocodile
became very sad and started shedding tears.
The monkey seeing this, asked the reason for
the sudden grief. The crocodile told him of
his wife's wicked plan. The clever monkey
thought of a way out.
He consoled the crocodile and told him that
he always kept his heart hiddenin a hole in the
tree, for safe-keeping. He offered to take his
heart from the hiding place & give it to him.
The crocodile turned round and reached the
shores. The monkey jumped off the crocodile's back & quickly scamperedup the tree.
The crocodile kept waiting for the monkey to
return. After sometime he called out for his
friend. But, he got no reply in return and nor
did he get the delicious apples from that day
onwards.
Story moral: Intelligence wins over might.

The crocodile became very sad. On the one

hand, he loved his wife very dearly and on
the other, he cared very much for his friend.
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Bala Lokam

Megha Murali
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Adithya
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Anusha
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Ashwindev Madhu
Abbasiya Baladarshan
Darshana Madhu
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Sopanam - April 2012

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