An essay on Papanasam Sivan

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to listen to a lec-dem by Gayatri Girish and Dr Radha Bhaskar. The topic was Papanasam Sivan's compositions. It was an eye-opener and in two hours, we got a peek into Sivan's greatness. I jotted down a few points during the program. This is a breezy essay based on what I recall. Errors if any....are entirely mine!

 

Sivan- Tamil Tyagayya:

 

The Trinity occupy a pride of place in Karnatic Music. Their contribution is so immense, that every composer is classified as either belonging to the "pre-Trinity era" or the "post-Trinity era". Amongst the post Trinity composers, Papanasam Sivan reigns as one of the most prolific composers.

 

Fondly, he is called "Tamil Tyagayya". It's as if Tyagaraja was reborn to compose....this time in Tamil. We have about 500-odd compositions of Papanasam Sivan. Of these, about 50 are in Sanskrit and some in "mani-pravaalam" (combination of languages) and the rest, entirely in Tamil.

 

Papanasam Sivan modeled himself after Tyagaraja. Like Tyagaraja, most of the compositions are in "madhyama kaala" (middle-tempo in terms of speed). The kritis are brisk and energetic- a technique which Tyagaraja perfected to ensure that the listener's attention doesn't waver.

 

Like Tyagaraja, most of the kritis are personal in nature. It's as if his personal outpourings in a variety of moods, took the shape of these songs. The colloquial, conversational style of language also stands out in his compositions, much like Tyagaraja.

 

Sivan deviated from Tyagaraja on one point. In Tyagaraja's compositions, we often see a repetition in tune- the tune which he uses in the anu-pallavi is borrowed in the charanam. We don't see this in Sivan's compositions. Here, he seems to have followed Dikshitar, where every stanza has an entirely original score.

 

Sivan used the mudra "raama-daasan". But we find the mudra used sparingly- unlike Tyagaraja.

 

Tyagaraja's isha-devata was Lord Rama. Sivan's isha-devatas were Kapaaleeshvara and Karpagaambaal (Shiva-Parvati) at the Mylapore Temple in Chennai. Many of his compositions are addressed to these two deities.

 

Range of compositions:

 

Sivan's compositions range from "pada-varnas" to keertanas to thillanas. He has explored every genre. The program (by Gayatri Girish and Dr Radha) opened with the rendition of "shri vaataapi ganapatiye" in praise of Lord Ganesha in the raga Sahana.
Next, the pada-varnam in the raga Dhanyasi was presented. In pada-varnams, we find the nice crisscross of swara-sahitya for every line. This is unlike regular varnams, where we may not find sahitya for every line sung with swaras.
Sivan has composed similar pada-varnams in ragas like Sriranjani, Mayamalavagaula and Natakurunji to name a few.

 

In keertanas, we find songs with a single charanam  (ending-stanza) as well as with multiple charanams. If there are multiple charanams, we find examples where they have a single tune and others, where each stanza is individually developed.

 

The beautiful keertana "thiruparankundra vela" in the raga Hindolam was rendered as an example where the multiple charanas maintain the same tune.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM412sBxvpQ

 

A contrasting example was presented as the well known piece"ka va va" in the raga Varali. Here, the charanas are not repeated.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCCdH5kusH0

 

 

Variety of bhavas:

 

We see a gamut of emotion splattered over Sivan's many compositions. Some examples quoted were the following:

 

• nayaka-nayaki bhava: where the Lord is addressed...as if by the beloved. We see this in Natakurinji pada-varnam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asipFmKxdF4 

 

•  thaai-sey bhava (mother-child relationship):  We see this in the famous Shanmukhapriya kriti "parvati naayakaney sharanam". Here, we have the line that a child may forget its mother due to indifference, but the mother can never commit that mistake. So too...should the Lord protect Sivan (and thereby us too!).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHqNPqcSnLY

 

•  Another example is "karunanidhiye thaaye" in the morning-raga Bowli. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWAHVNuX5eg

 

•  Self-deprecation: "Hey Shambho, why did you create...this despicable me?" Sivan asks in this poignant kriti in the raga Mayamalavagaula. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9zIWJgGnAk

 

•  "Enough! O Lord! No more births please!" We see this emotion in kritis like "piravaa-varam thaarum" in the raga Lathangi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl_ztdFchdc

 

•  "Lord, May I always be in your smaranam": We see this bhava in the kriti "Venkataramana" in the raga Lathangi again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ZlTT6b_NI

 

• "Lord, may I always worship your feet": (paada-sevanam). An example is the kriti "tava charanau mama sharanam" in the raga Thodi. (Can't find an audio track).

 

• nindaa-stuti: "Using sarcasm to take a dig at the Lord (and indirectly praise him)". Lord Shiva has Kubera, the deity of wealth at arms length! Still, he goes around begging for alms. "This duplicity....does it befit you, my Lord!?" questions Sivan. We see this in the composition set to the raga Surati called "pichchaikku vandeero". Interestingly, there is reference to Shiva as a "gudu gudu paandi"- the one who dresses up oddly and wildly!

 

Range of ragas:

 

Like the Trinity, most of Sivan's compositions are in the "rakti-ragas"- the time-tested ragas which give "instant relish". These are ragas like Thodi, Kalyani, Kambhoji, Shankarabharanam, Kharaharapriya, Bhairavi etc.

 

Sivan believed in delineating the raga's svaroopa in the first stroke in his songs; leaving no ambiguity at all. Sangatis (different nuances in which a particular phrase/line in sung) are built like a gopuram- from the simple to the most ornate...successively. An example is the kriti "kundram kudi konda velava" (raga Thodi). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgVqoJwuPYg In keeping with the lyrics, the sangatis are also stacked like a mountain (kundram) (adukku-adukka)!

 

One of Tygaraja's priya-ragas, is Kharaharapriya. Tyagaraja has composed around 20 kritis in this raga. So too, Sivan has composed around the same number- each time delving into a totally new facet of the raga. An example is "jaanaki pathey", exploring the raga in an altogether different way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blq-y8gpWJM

 

Sivan's other well-known compositions in Kharaharapriya are "senthil andavan" and "srinivasa thava charanam" and "daya villaya".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZbW5ZQW8eQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_F0YFmImkg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-O-BppE3VQ
Interestingly, both Shyama Sastri and Dikshitar don't appear to have composed any song in this raga. It is odd. This raga is entirely Tyagu's bastion and after him, this Tamil Tyagayya's!

 

 

In the well known kriti "aadum deivam", he starts with an unusual opening for raga Kambhoji- "ni dha pa"...but quickly follows it up with "ma ga pa dha sa" leaving no doubt whatsoever. This kriti is also a lovely example where the words and the sangatis are so apt. We see the "oscillation, the dance of notes" in the way the phrase"aadum" is sung.....just the way Lord Shiva would dance...as the kriti describes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-JEKADz9N8

 

In the kriti "malarinai thunaye", raga Ritigaula is presented with no ambiguity from the start. There is no confusion with the related raga Anandabhairavi at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWKNOlwEO7M

 

Foray into "lighter" ragas:

 

In addition to rakti ragas, unlike the Trinity, Papanasam Sivan has a number of compositions in the so called "lighter" ragas which are very popular.

 

In the raga Valaji, we have "paadamey thunai".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9XwHoo2N2s

 

In the raga Shivaranjani, we have "tarunam idhu" in praise of Lord Ganesha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbgHU5IfEc8

 

In the raga Tilang, we have "shri ganesha charanam".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoMXjplFXFU

 

In the raga Bhimplas, we have "kannan madhura" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emYKUmsIINU

In this kriti, Sivan identifies with a flute and how it has the fortune to stay pressed to Lord Krishna's lips!

 

How can we miss Sivan's most elegant kriti in the raga Behag?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhPRBRGZx1Y

 

Sivan had a particular fascination for the raga Hindolam. We will see in the next section how he has treated the raga in different ways.

 

Variety of themes:

 

While devotion is the bed-rock in Sivan's compositions, we find other ideas too.

 

During the atheistic movement in Tamil Nadu, Sivan composed "deivam illai endru sol vendaam" again in the raga Kharaharapriya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzq3LtWq8gg
The song says- "That God doesn't exist...may we never make that statement!"

 

Sivan has composed a kriti in Hari Kambhoji on the poet Subramanya Bharati "paamaalai".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-O-BppE3VQ

 

He has composed kritis on nature, on Tamil language and songs imbued with patriotic fervor.

 

Interesting aspects in Sivan's compositions:

 

The use of swarakshara- (the opening letter of a word and the swara in which it is sung...perfectly match)

• sa-ma-ga-nalolaney sa-dashiva - Hindolam

 

• parvati nayakaney sharanam.... - Shanmukhapriya

       saarvabhaumaney - (same song)
       nee marava....(same song)

 

• maa-ramanan - Hindolam
• paarkadal..... - the kriti "Mahalakshmi" (Shankarabharanam) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5FG5NGK644

 Madhyamakaala sangati: Swift, double phrasing as seen in Dikshitar's compositions. We see this in Sivan's Madhyamavati kriti "karpagamey". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcSSV-rihXQ

Hindolam in 3 speeds:

He has composed kritis in Hindolam in all 3 speeds. It is interesting to see how the gamakas are handled differently in each case.

• maa-ramanan - vilamba kaalam (slow tempo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eds5YA_LzO0
• Saamagaana lolaney -madhyama kaalam (medium tempo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgm7tkSWLh8
• nambi kettavar evarayya - durita kaalam (fast tempo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV0JLe1nwfc

Use of rhyme (praasa):


We see the usage of rhyme in many compositions. An example is the Bhairavi kriti "shri vishwanatham bhaje".
The lines end (antya-praasam) with rhyming words...."deeksham", "kataaksham"..."mahoksham" etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0JM6JJD8ps
There are compositions where we see "diviteeya praasam". Here, the second letter rhymes in each line.


 Composition with no base "sa":


A raga is recognized in terms of the arrangement of other notes with respect to the base-note, the aadhaara, the shadja, the "sa". Sivan's "Devi neeye thunai" stands out as a composition where he has cleverly suppressed the lower "sa" and still brings out the flavor of Keeravani.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkNujASrFpM

 Tala:

An entire section in the program was devoted to enumerating the different talas used by Sivan in his compositions.

A musician apparently dismissed Tyagaraja's compositions as ordinary because he employed no complex talas. Tyagaraja composed "chede buddhi maanura" as a rebuttal of sorts. In this composition, he began the kriti before the "samam", creating a novel tala pattern. Sivan has used the same approach in one of his compositions.

 The conclusion:

A fleeting mention was made about "enathu manam", (my absolute favorite!) in the raga Hari Kambhoji https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfFNQOwSvHI

This kriti is in Tamil. It was used as an example to contrast it from other kritis which follow the "manipravala" format. In manipravala compositions, Sanskrit and Tamil are intertwined. It looks as if the kriti is in Sanskrit, till we find the usage of usage of Tamil also. 

Breaking the norm, Sivan composed a mangalam in praise of Lord Ganesha. Normally, we begin anything with an invocation to Ganesha. That the end and the beginning are the same....or perhaps to convey that there is no beginning and no end...as in a circle, Sivan employs this technique.

The concluding remarks were wonderful. Ragas are like uncharted territory. It is only through the compositions of these masters that we can hope to give them a swaroopa, an unmistakable structure. Hence, the importance of looking into these compositions with a keen eye. Though manodharma sangeetam is an important part of Karnatic music, where the artist explores a fresh facet of the raga each time, these keertanas have to serve as the guide, as the flag-post. Each raga is a journey into a mirage.....We feel we have arrested it completely, till we find there's something more...and more! It is an endless journey....and an enjoyable one!

And finally, no artist is bigger than the art. In our own small way....we take the cup of our hand....to gather a few droplets...a little trickle....from the ocean of music!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on the musical play "Tyagaraja"

Watched the musical play "Tyagaraja" yesterday. It has the actor-dramatist TV Varadarajan in the lead role and music by Bombay Jayashree.
It was thoroughly enjoyable. It is evident that a lot of effort has gone into its production. The scene-settings are not overly elaborate, but adequate. There are a couple of street-scenes of Tiruvaiyyaru, there's King Sarabhoja's durbar hall and some settings with the Kaveri River in the distance. The décor essentially revolves around Tyagaraja's home- the central sannidhi with the idols of Lord Rama and retinue....and a window which lets the sun in...each day. Minimal props.....
The artist Keshav's drawings....which are projected on the screen from time to time...offer a peek into the life and times of Tyagaraja. What sets this play apart is the music, the acting and the screen-play.


A lot of research has gone into the song selection. The pieces are carefully picked to tie up the incidents in Tyagaraja's life with the actual song. The next time we hear these songs, we will know the context. It will add a new dimension to appreciate these kritis better.


I took down some notes in darkness of the hall. I am relying on those notes and my memory...both equally illegible! If there are any errors, they are mine. If this musical-play comes to your city, it is not to be missed!
The music enthusiast will simply love it.


Now that I have picked your curiosity, the play unfolded as follows....


The opening:


The drama opens with a scene where Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman in Vaikunta are engaged in an animated conversation with Narada. Narada talks about the ill-effects of Kali-yuga in the world.
Lord Rama assures him that Tyagaraja, born as Valmiki’s avatara, will usher an age of bhakti in the world through his keertanas. At that time, Sita hears the strains of  “namo namo raghavaya” (in the raga deshya-thodi) sung by a young Tyagaraja. This is the first keertana composed by Tyagaraja.


Tyagu’s home:


The scene moves to Tyagaraja’s home, to the Rama sannidhi- how each day, he sings before the deity. It moves on to show Tyagaraja going around the streets of Tiruvaiyyaru as part of this daily “uncha vrtti”. As he sings, people come out of their home, fill his bowl with food, and he moves on to the next home.
Tyagaraja is portrayed as an affectionate father and husband. He has a lively discussion with his daughter Seetamma and wife Kamalam. Seetamma questions him why he hadn’t sung keertanas specifically on Seeta. Tyagu immediately composes  the kriti “ma jaanaki” (Kambhoji raga) and teaches the kriti to his daughter.


Japyesha, Tyagu’s brother:


Japyesha, Tyagu’s elder brother (who is an astrologer) is introduced.
Though supposedly the villain in Tyagu’s life, he is depicted in grey overtones, and not entirely dark.
He struggles to convince Tyagu that he needn’t go on an uncha-vrtti at all. They were reasonably well-off and Tyagu needn’t do this and bring disrepute to the family. As tempers flare up, Tyagu renders “shaantamu leka saukhyamu” (Raga Sama).


Meeting Narada:


A man steps into Tyagu’s home and leaves a bag for safe keeping. It is Dwadashi day and he tells Tyagu that he will go to the Kaveri and be back after a bath.
He never comes back, leaving Tyagu both anxious and hungry! At the end of the day, Tyagu gets a divine message from Narada to open the bag. It has the musical treatise Swaraarnava. Tyagaraja composes the kriti "narada muni" in Pantuvarali raga.

Meeting Gopalakrishna Bharati at home:


In the next scene, Tyagaraja sings an alapana in Abhogi raga. It fascinates a gentleman from the street. He enters Tyagu’s home and is simply delighted to meet Tyagaraja. He tells Tyagu that he is from Mayavaram.
Tyagu asks him "Oh Mayavaram! I have heard so much about one musician called Gopalakrishna Bharati”.
The man says that he is Gopalakrishna Bharati! Tyagu is very happy and asks him to compose a song for him in Abhogi raga. Bharati says he is not too familiar with Abhogi. Tyagu is a tad disappointed and steps out of home to attend to an errand.


When he comes back, he finds Gopalakrishna Bharati has composed an entire song in Abhogi raga. He is ecstatic as Gopalakrishna Bharati sings “Sabhapatikku vera deivam samaanam aaguma?” ("Is there any equal to Sabhapati- Lord Shiva")
After Bharati leaves, Tyagu talks to Lord Rama and says "Sabhapati (Shiva) himself has recognized Rama as his ishta-devata..isn’t it?"
Immediately, as a rebuttal of sorts, Tyagu sings “raama nee samaanam evaru” (is there any equal to you...O Rama) (kharaharapriya raga).


King Sarabhoja of Thanjavur:


King Sarabhoja of Thanjavur was a patron of arts. His Asthana vidvan was “Sonti Venkataramanaiyya” who was Tyagaraja’s guru. A Hindustani musician arrives at the King’s court and sings raga Darbari. He sings the raga so well that the king is captivated. The musician is arrogant and questions if anyone in the kingdom could sing better than him.
Sonti asks for Tyagaraja.


Tyagaraja arrives at the palace. He is all humility and begins with a thanam in Bilahari raga. He follows it up with the kriti “na jeevadhaara” set to Bilahari. The musician is so overawed by Tyagu’s divine music that he accepts defeat. The king is pleased with Tyagaraja.


He sends gifts to Tyagaraja and wishes Tyagaraja to move to Thanjavur and be a musician in this court.
Japyesha and his wife are ecstatic with this shower of sudden bounty!
The king’s minister requests Tyagaraja to compose one song in praise of the king. Tyagu flatly refuses and says he respects the king as a praja should. But he cannot compose on the king or move to the king’s palace.
He sings the well known kriti “nidhichala sukhama” set to Kalyani raga at this time. Tyagaraja questions in this kriti- What gives greater happiness (sukham)? Is it nidhi (material prosperity) or the happiness derived from service at Rama's sannidhi (raamuni sannidhi seva sukhama) ?



Japyesha is upset and so is the king. The king issues an order preventing the practice of uncha vrtti. He gives Tyagu two days to change his mind. Suddenly, the king is seized with a stomach ache. Nothing works and he is in real pain.
Soon, he realizes his mistake. In denying Tyagu food for his stomach, he had invited this stomach ache. He sends word to Tyagu to pray for the king's wellbeing. Tyagu sings “kshira saagara vihara” in Ananda Bhairavi raga. The king is cured and very happy.


Japyesha orders Tyagu to leave the home:


Japyesha cannot get along with Tyagu and orders him out of home. Tyagu has only one request. He wants to take the idols of Pattabhi-rama with him. Japyesha accedes to this request and Tyagu moves out with his wife and daughter.

At this point, it is depicted as if Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman stay with Tyagu (and Japyesha) as visitors from the North.
It’s as if Rama personally watches Tyagu’s daily routine- how he sings for Rama and even lulls Rama to sleep with “jo jo..”.


Seetamma's wedding:


Tyagu’s daughter Seetamma is about to be married. Tyagu has no money but is sure Rama will help him. And lo and behold, King Sarabhoja himself comes to Tyagu’s home and tells him that Rama asked him to organize Seetamma’s wedding.

At the wedding, Walajapet Venkatarama bhagavathar arrives with a painting of Lord Rama. Tyagu sings the kriti “nannu palimpa” in Mohana raga on this occasion.


Japyesha steals the Rama idols and throws it into the Kaveri:


Lord Rama (staying as a guest with Tyagu) wants to hear Tyagu’s songs with a different emotion. He is eager to hear how Tyagu would sing when filled with sadness. Rama feels that the outburst of songs in this plaintive mood would further enhance Tyagu’s contribution to music.

Lord Rama provokes Japyesha (through Jayesha’s wife) to steal the idols of Rama and throw it into the River Kaveri. The evil deed is done.


Tyagu is filled with immense grief. He sings “ennaalo” in shubha pantuvarali raga on this occasion. The dialogues are brilliant at this point. Tyagu is filled with sadness and anger too! He questions Rama whether he was bored with his songs...and had decided to leave his home.


Tyagara takes a decision to wander as a vagabond. Kamalam and Seetamma are distraught. He asks them to hold fort at home just as Bharata did in Rama’s absence. He assures them that he will bring back the idol of Lord Rama.


Tyagaraja’s travels:


Tyagaraja travels all over. He goes to Srirangam and sings “O rangashayi” in kambhoji raga. He visits Lalgudi and sings “lalitey”in Bhairavi raga.
Next, he visits Kanchipuram. At the Varadaraja Perumal sannidhi, he sings “varadaraja ninnu” in swarabhushani raga. Tyagu leaves for Tirupati. At the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara, the “tirai” (screen) is pulled and the darshanam is denied. Tyagu says that his own kama-krodha is acting as a Tirai. He sings the kriti “tera teeyagaraada” in gauli pantu raga.
The screen falls away and Tyagaraja has the darshanam that he longs for.


The episode with the way-side robbers:


On the way back from Tirupati, Tyagu is attacked by robbers. Tyagu tells his disciple that they needn’t fear since they have nothing.
His disciple confesses that he is carrying money for Lord Rama’s kainkaryam from one Sundaresha Mudaliar, who is a great patron of the arts.
Tyagaraja says..it is then Rama’s duty to protect the money. The robbers pelt Tyagaraja with stones. Soon, it’s the robbers who are on the run.
They are showered with arrows from two youths-Rama and Lakshmana. The robbers can see them, but Tyagu cannot. Tyagaraja is saddened. However, he hears an ashariri-vaak. It tells him to go to the Kaveri and claim the lost Rama idols.


Tyagaraja is able to retrieve his beloved idols from the river! He sings the kriti “kanukontini” in Bilahari raga on this occasion.


The end:


The idols are installed back in Tyagu’s home. Everyone is happy. Almost immediately, Tyagu’s wife Kamalam collapses and passes away.
Tyagaraja is plunged in grief. Japyesha and his wife turn a new leaf and feel sorry and sad for Tyagu.


Tyagaraja is now an old man...over 80 years old. He has difficulty to even walk to the sannidhi at his home. One of the last songs he composes is the kriti “paramarthmudu” in Vagadheeshwari raga. Rama appears before him and says that he will take Tyagu with him in 10 days.

Tyagaraja is old…and cannot see Rama’s face clearly. That’s when he sings the famous “Nagumomu ganaleni naajaali thelisi” in Abheri raga.


Tyagu calls for all his disciples to come and visit him. He takes sanyasa by the Kaveri river to the chants of Shankara’s Bhaja Govindam.
Soon…a light (jyoti)..is shown as rising from Tyagu and merging with Lord Rama.


The kriti “endaro mahanubhavulu” is sung. The chief disciple…places the tambura beside Tyagu’s mortal frame. Even as Tyagu’s body is seated, he places the cymbals in Tyagu’s left hand. And a turban on the head…. 
And Tyagu’s last image…is arrested….for the ages!!!

The last day of school!

Sridhar followed the same ritual for the last ten days. He closed his eyes and knitted his eyebrow. With quivering lips, he chanted all the shlokas he knew. Gently, he tolled the temple bell and took "udhi" from the priest. Generously, he smeared it across his entire forehead till he appeared straight out of a cement-factory! He clasped his palms, walked around the temple three times till he was finally satisfied. He cast one last...longing glance at the deity, kissed his thumb and raised it to his eyes!
A sudden surge of religiosity engulfed Sridhar for the last ten days. The last time he followed the same temple-drill...was exactly a year ago...when the previous Annual Exam was underway. But he knew God was kind and merciful...and would forgive him for being irreverent for an entire year. Sridhar was not alone. All the boys at Don Bosco were swept with the same religious fever. They made a dash to the temple...across the road....just before the final bell rang. After all, divine help was crucial at the examination hall- every student relied on it to somehow compensate and fill-up for the yawning gaps in preparation!


It was not yet another examination day. Today was entirely different....the day you wrote the last exam and catapulted your way to freedom! It was a feeling like no other....the sheer anticipation...the nervous excitement!
Only a man consigned to prison for twenty years...and on the verge of being finally released would understand this feeling!
As you sat in the examination hall, you knew the flight to freedom was just three hours away. Three hours....and we would be finally done!
It was tough to grip the pen that day. The palms oozed with sweat, the hand had a tremor and the face had a smile which just wouldn't subside! Sridhar looked around...and met the equally beaming faces of other students....who went through the same welter of emotion!
Mrs Clare didn't betray any emotion though. She distributed the answer booklets one more time....and the question papers- all laid face down. The students got busy. They wrote the roll numbers...got the ruler out, drew a left margin here....and a right margin there....till there was hardly any central space to write on!


The electric bell rent the air with its shrill ring. From now on...it was all muscle reflex- there was no thinking required during the exam.
You answered what you knew...and took the best shot for questions which didn't make any sense.
The whirr of the fan, the occasional cough of the student, the clamor for new answer-supplements, the pens at feverish work...the furtive eyes trying to steal a glance from the adjoining paper....all juxtaposed with each other...forming a compelling collage. Time trickled away...like sand in an hour glass.




"Pens down!" Mrs Clare hollered. "If anyone writes....as much as one word, I will tear up the answer booklet!" With Mrs Clare, it was risky to take a chance. She might actually execute the threat!


The moment....the moment...everyone waited for! It was tough to believe...that the interminable exams were finally over...and we were.....actually free! At times, we feared this nightmare would never end. The bell rang one more time...and brought the day to a formal close.
The students bolted out of the door with a ferocity which couldn't be matched. They ran down the corridor....and hurtled down the stairs three at a time. Anxious parents stood at the base of the stairs...and got out of harm's way...just in time! Like a raging water-fall...a juggernaut of sorts...the boys swept aside everything on their way! They got out their ink-pens...and squirted ink on each other...till the shirt was more blue than white! It was a ritual followed every year and despite the warning of "stern action will be taken on the offenders", it continued unabated! Innovative methods were introduced each year- with a potato sliced and doused in ink...and slapped against the back of the student! No one was spared- not the teacher, not the parent, not the school attendant. "Father" Lionel's white gown had a streak of blue all across his back. He thought he had caught the offender...only to find him slip and melt away into the crowd. It was a helpless feeling. A swarm of students made a dash to the Principal's office and the staff room and shouted in a frenzy "We want holiday! We want holiday!"
None of us knew why we shouted. After all, the holidays were upon us! None of them knew how to respond. They simply ignored us...like one would ignore the rant of a madman! The more sportive teachers...shouted back "Happy Holidays"!


The April sun was merciless and at noon, it was at the peak of its powers. We crossed the road and stood outside "Rasna Punjab" restaurant in groups. The dazzle of the sun reduced the stately buildings of Don Bosco and its famed church to a blur. Each one had a plan for the vacation....a different plan. David planned to join the "Abbas Circulating Library" and would devour all the books he could find. Mulraj would leave for his "native" that very night from VT by some "Mail Train". Some made grandiose plans to wake up early each morning to play shuttle-cork. The plans were simple. No one went on exotic trips to Alaska in those days. We only knew Alaska to be a place where Eskimos crawled in and out of igloos and the prospect of vacationing with them was simply absurd. Boys went to exotic places like Madras or Maniachi or at the most to Chinchpokli. There was no holiday homework. It was an oxymoron...only morons did work during the holidays!


I stayed with Sridhar that afternoon. We took a bus to Shivaji Park, had lunch at his place, loitered aimlessly by the sea and bought tickets at the Plaza for the 3-6 show. May be, we watched Amitabh Bachchan in "Naseeb" or in "Ram Balram". Each year...it was different. Each year...the feeling was the same: of euphoria, of unalloyed happiness.


"Ye daulat bhi ley lo....
 ye shaurat bhi ley lo....
bhale chheen lo mujhse meri javani....
magar lauta do mujhko...
bachpan ka who saavan...
woh kaagaz ki kashti...woh baarish ka paani
woh kaagaz kim kashti...woh baarish ka paani"


(Take away this wealth...if you must...
 Take away this pomp and fame...if you must...
 Take away even this youth...if you must....
 But....give me back...if you can....
 those childhood days...spent in the sweeping rains....
 those childhood days...spent with a paper boat in the running waters..
 those childhood days...spent with a paper boat in the running waters...)

P.S: Today is the last day of exams for the kids. I was reminded of my own!

Temple perspective- In ink and water-color wash

Weekend at Wayanad

Stayed at the Sharoy in Wayanad. The place is picturesque. Drew this out on location. Faired it up using "ink and water-color wash".

At the Sharoy, Wayanad: Painting in ink and water-color

Temple art in ink and water color!

Quick sketch of temple using "water resistant black ink". Water-color wash over it!

Collection of interesting facts related to Ganesh Chaturthi

Just after the basic structure was made.... "mayureshwar"

Had the opportunity to compere a little program for Ganesh Chaturthi. Did some general reading to pick up points on Ganesha to keep children and adults interested. Here are some bits which I found interesting!

• We associate the community celebration surrounding Ganesh Chaturthi with Lokmanya Tilak. In a way, that's correct. In 1894, Tilak wrote about celebrating Ganpati as a community event in the "Kesari". However, Tilak himself was inspired by one Babusaheb Lakshman Javale. The latter was the one who first came up with this concept in 1892.

• Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the month of "bhaadrapad", in the bright fortnight (shukla paksha) and on the day of the 4th digit of the moon (chaturthi). This is true for places which follow the "lunar calendar". In case of places which follow the solar calendar, there may not be one fixed month when Ganesh Chaturthi falls. In Tamil calendar, Ganesh Chaturthi can occur in one of the two months: aavani or purattaasi.

• There are two huge Ganesha idols at Hampi, Karnataka...close to 20 ft and in stone. Curiously, they are named "saasuvey kaalu ganesha" (mustard seed) and "kadaley kaai ganesha" (groundnut) Ganesha! Ganesha is "maha kaaya". As "maha kaaya", He covers the whole universe...and exists as the very universe. For such a huge Lord, a twenty foot idol is a mustard seed only! That's the concept behind the name.

• Though Ganesha has an elephant face, we have the concept of "nara mukha vinayaka". We find this in Chidambaram and in Trichy. Here, Ganesha is worshipped with a human face!

•  Though "vakra tunda mahaa kaaya" portrays him as huge, there's another popular shloka where He is called "vaamana roopa"- having a tiny form.  So, which one is true- maha kaaya or vaamana roopa? We need to go the Upanishad- "anoraniyaan mahato mahiyaan". He is smaller than the atom and bigger than the biggest. It shows that the Lord is not bound by spatial concepts. He exists as the atom, as well as...as the universe.

• "Vakra tunda mahaa kaaya surya koti samaprabha"- He who is huge and who dazzles like a million suns! It reminds us of the Bhagavad Geeta. In the chapter where Lord Krishna shows his universal form, the same expression is used "divi surya sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitaa". Lord Krishna dazzles as if a thousand suns have arisen together! It is because of this similarity, we interpreted "maha kaaya" as Ganesha showing his universal form (vishvarupa), just like Lord Krishna. There is some sadness too in this expression. One sun itself we cannot see. A million suns must be so very bright! Such an overpowering presence, we cannot recognize! How blind must we be...how thick our ignorance to miss something which is so obvious! This idea is present in the Shivanandalahari. (eko vaarija baandhavah...)

•  Ganesh is called "vikata": the prankster, the one who does mischief for the welfare of the people. There are 3 pranks which are popular. At Gokarna, he tricked Ravana and placed the "atma linga" on the ground, never to be removed, much to Ravana's anger. At Talakaveri, Ganesha took the form of a crow and overturned Agastya's kamandalu and made the river Kaveri flow out. At Srirangam, Ganesha tricked Vibhishana and placed the idol of Lord Ranganatha on the ground, never to be removed!

• Tapping our forehead with fist: Any puja begins with the mantra "shuklaambaradharam...vishnum...". We use our fists to gently tap the temples (on the forehead!) and remember Lord Ganesha. The significance of this gesture comes from the above story pertaining to Ganesha and Agastya. Agastya was angry that his kamandalu was overturned and went after the offender with clenched fists! Later, he discovered the offender to be none other than Ganesha. He was overcome with remorse and now, used his clenched fists to tap his own forehead! And thus began the custom of tapping the forehead temples with our fists. We remember both vaamana rupas this way: Agastya and Lord Ganesha.

•  Ganesha and Agastya are related in multiple ways. Both are vaamana roopa, short and both are great eaters! Agastya drank up the entire ocean to drive out the rakshasas and digested the demon "Vatapi" for good! Ganesha is of course well known for his eating and love for modakas! Agastya worshipped Ganesha. Agastya is supposed to have carried the "vatapi ganapati" from Badami (known earlier as vatapi) all the way to Tamil Nadu. As per one version, this idol is at Tiruvarur and Muthuswamy Dikshitar sang the kriti "Vatapi Ganapatim" in praise of this idol.

•  As per an alternate story, Narasimha Varma, the Pallava king in Tamil Nadu defeated Pulakeshi II (who ruled Badami) and carried back this idol. Pulakeshi II, Mahendra Varma (pallava king) and the great Harsha were contemporaries. Mahendra Varma was defeated by Pulakeshi II. Later, Mahendra Varma was succeeded by Narasimha Varma. Narasimha Varma was a great wrestler and many of the landmarks at Mahabalipuram were constructed during his reign. All this happened 1400 years ago. Narasimha Varma's general was one "Paranjyoti" who became a saint (like Ashoka, he underwent a catharsis of sorts) after this battle with Pulakeshi II. He became one of the 63 nayanmars and was called "siruthonda nayanar".

•  Ganesha's tusk: Ganesha broke his right tusk for different reasons as per these stories. As per the most popular story, he broke his tusk to write the Mahabharata. As per an alternate story, there was an asura called "gajamukhasura". This asura also had an elephant face! Ganesha threw his tusk at him and destroyed the asura. In the ardha naareeshwara form, the right half is Shiva and the left half is Parvati (Shiva's right and left- not the observer's!) Asian female elephants normally have no tusk, male elephants have tusks. By breaking his right tusk off, Ganesha as it were, shows his ardha naareeshwara form. It differs from his parents, in the sense, here, the right half is female and the left male! In the shodasha naama of Ganesha, he is called "ekadanta", a name with reference to the tusk.

•  Ganesha's trunk: Ganesha's trunk conveys "humility". Ganesha is the epitome of knowledge. After all, he is called "kavin kavinaam" and "brahmanaspati". The scriptures say "vidya vinaya sampannah", that knowledge should be accompanied with humility. How do we depict humility? In an Indian context, people speak with their hand covering the mouth especially when they talk to some elderly/accomplished person. Ganesha forever has his hand (trunk) covering his mouth. He is the epitome of humility too.

• Ganesha's ear: Ganesha's ears are prominent. It shows that he can hear our pleas better than other deities!! He flaps his ears rhythmically and keeps beat (taala). He's fat, but a great dancer! We have images of "nartana vinayaka". Normally, we need someone else to fan us. But Ganesha can fan himself (chaamara karna) and does not need any external instrument. He is his own fan! It shows how the Lord does not use "anything external to him" during the creation of this world. The maker is He, the material is He and the instrument too is He! In the shodasha nama of Ganesha, he is called "gajakarnaka" with reference to his ear.

• Ganesha's belly is full. All the brahmaandas...multiple universe find a place in him. The universe is visualized as an "anda"- egglike to show it has neither a beginning nor an end. So too, Ganesha's belly is like an egg. Everything is housed in him! Nothing is outside him. In the shodasha nama of Ganesha, he is called "lambodara" with reference to his belly.

• Ganesha's modaka: Ganesha's favorite sweet is modaka. In degrees of happiness, we have priya (happy), moda (very happy) and pramoda (most happy!). That which gives happiness is modaka. Sweet gives instant happiness! The dough has no taste. But scratch the surface of the dough, and it is filled with sweet "poornam". It is full, sweet and filled...as it were...with happiness!  Ganesha's belly is filled with modakas. All the worlds abide in the same belly. The worlds are in reality....modakas only! If we find this world, this life.... tasteless, it means we are still at the surface. Scratch a bit and we get to the "content" (adhishtaana) which is aananda. The Lord is manifest as the world. He is "sat-chit-aananda". Naturally, the content of the world should be aananda...happiness! Let's not be at the surface! Let's bite into the poornam...and partake of that happiness! Any number of quotes can be given- "brahma eva idam amrutam purastaad, brahma pashchaad..." etc.

•  Ganesha and Vishnu: Lord Vishnu is Ganesha's maternal uncle. There is a verse to that effect "shrikaanto maatulo yasya..." That's because Parvati and Vishnu are siblings. In Krishna avatara, yoga maya was born to Nanda and Yashoda and Krishna was raised as their son as well. In that way, they were...sort of...siblings.  Lord Vishnu went to see Ganesha on his birthday. Ganesha snatched Vishnu's chakra, stuffed it into his mouth and wouldn't give it back. Lord Vishnu held his two ears with his four hands and did situps! It was so amusing that Ganesha burst out laughing and the chakra was ejected! In keeping with this incident, many devotees do "thorpi karnam" (holding their ears with their hands crossed) in front of the Ganesha shrine.

•  Ganesha and Shiva: Lord Shiva forgot to propitiate Ganesha when he went to destroy the asura Tripura. Shiva had to meet with an obstacle. The axle of his chariot broke! Thereafter, Shiva made amends and took blessings from his own son!

•  Ganesha and Kartikeya: Kartikeya got married to Valli (daughter of a hunter-chief) due to a prank played by Ganesha. Ganesha assumed the mock form of a wild elephant and chased Valli. As she ran for cover, she found solace in the embrace of Kartikeya!

• Revolving around Shiva-Parvati and claiming the mango: The story is very popular and known to everyone. While Kartikeya took the trouble to actually go around the whole world to claim the mango as a prize, Ganesha simply circled around his parents. Much to Kartikeya's anger, Ganesha won the competition with a clever interpretation of the rules!  A number of ideas can be gleaned from the story. Philosophically, we can take the following moral. By knowing "one cause", all the "effects" are "as though" fully known. If we know "one gold", the cause, we have in effect known "the gold bangle", "the gold necklace", "the gold earring" etc. We need not take the trouble of sequentially knowing each effect in detail: first the bangle, next the necklace, next the earring and so on. One gold alone appears as the bangle, the necklace etc. So too, by knowing the "adhyaatma", one's own inner self, we have in effect known the entire creation. One's inner Self alone appears as this entire universe as in a dream! It is a baffling fact, but taught by the Upanishads. Kartikeya takes the trouble of trying to cover the entire world, an impossible task considering the immensity of the creation. Ganesha keeps it simple. He circles around Shiva-Parvati, the original cause (and present in each one of us as the adhyaatma) and stakes claim to the prize. He has "as though" circled the entire creation! This interpretation is seen in the Mundaka Upanishad.

• Ganesha and Parvati: When Lalitaambika (Parvati's form) went to destroy Bhandasura, the asura's army chief used a special "yantra" called vighna yantra. Due to this astra, Lalitambika's army was in disarray. They underwent a change of heart, so much so, they started distancing themselves from Lalitambika and started favoring the enemy! Ganesha used his tusk to break this yantra. With this, the soldiers were back with the right spirit and the enemy was conquered.

• Ganesha and turmeric: It is customary to take a lump of turmeric and invoke Lord Ganesha in it. This practice is followed in any Ganesha puja. What is the reason behind invoking Ganesha in a lump of turmeric? When Parvati created Ganesha, she is supposed to have scraped turmeric from her own body. Turmeric was the clay with which Parvati molded Ganesha. In keeping with this story, we also invoke Ganesha in a lump of turmeric. Turmeric is "mangalam", auspicious. Parvati is called "sarva mangalaa". Little wonder that the child crafted should also be "mangalakaari". In many songs, Ganesha is praised as "mangalakaari", who's grace confers the devotee with "shubham", everything auspicious! In languages like Tamil, turmeric is called "manjal". The word "manjal" comes from "mangala", auspicious. Turmeric is auspicious, Parvati is auspicious, Ganesha is of course auspicious!

• Ganesha and the moon: The moon was proud of his good-looks and laughed at Ganesha, who looked funny to him! It provoked Ganesha and he cursed the moon. The beauty is, he didn't directly curse the moon. Ganesha pronounced a curse that whoever looks at the moon, will be subject to blame and false accusation! With this, no one looked at the moon. If they looked at the moon and landed in trouble, they cursed the moon! Thus, Ganesha's purpose of teaching the moon a lesson, was served! The moon begged for forgiveness. Ganesha was magnanimous. He forgave the moon and even placed the moon on his head. Ganesha has a special name: "bhaalachandra"- the one who placed the moon on his forehead or "phaalachandra"- the one who placed the moon on the parting of this hair. Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha have the moon on their head. It is always the "third digit" of the moon on their head. Still, Ganesha's curse could not be completely revoked. He made a concession. The one who looked at the moon on "Ganesha chaturthi" day alone, will invite the curse. Even on that day, if he listens to the story of "Syamantaka mani", he can wriggle out of the curse! So much concession! 

•  Ganesha and Krishna: The entire episode of Syamantaka Mani (gem) is connected to Ganesha in a way. Lord Krishna happened to see the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi day. He underwent a lot of trouble as a result. Krishna was blamed for killing "Prasena" and stealing the gem. Satraajit, the original owner of the gem and even Balarama doubted Krishna. It took a lot of effort on Krishna's part to clear his name. But it ended on a good note. Krishna married Jaambavati and Satyabhaama (Satraajit's daughter) at the end of this episode. Narada explains to Krishna the reason for all these problems and Krishna does a special puja for Ganesha.

• Ganesha and serpent: Ganesha eats so much that he ties a snake to keep his overflowing belly in check! A snake symbolizes "shakti"- power. Without legs, it moves so quickly! It's all shakti! Ganesha's belly symbolizes the entire universe as seen earlier. And circumscribing this universe is...power. We see power everywhere- in the cascading waterfall, in the streak of lightning, in the volcanic eruption...everywhere.

•  Ganesha and Rama: On his way to Rameshvaram, Rama prayed at the Ganesha shrine at "Uppoor" and at "Thondi". "Thondi Ganesha" advised Rama to go further south to build the bridge from Rameshwaram. Adi Shankara composed the famous "Ganesha pancharatnam" on this "Thondi ganesha".

•  Ganesha and Hanuman: There's a special form of the Lord called "Aadyanta prabhu". Here, one half is Ganesha and the other half is Hanuman. Ganesha is the adi-devata- the first deity we pray to. He is right at the beginning. Hanuman is "rudraavatara", Shiva's manifestation. In that sense, he is laya karta...who alone remains after this cycle of creation is destroyed. He is verily the "anta". Thus, this combination of "adi" and "anta" makes this form "aadyanta prabhu".

• Ganesha and pranava: In many compositions, we find Ganesha referred as "pranavaakaaram"- having the form of "om" (pranava). "Om" is a "sound-symbol". It is not a visual symbol as seen sometimes. As a sound symbol, "om" is made up of the syllables "a", "u" and "m". Note that in Sanskrit, "a" and "u" combine to form "o". That's why we say "om", though it has 3 syllables. When we open the mouth, naturally we say "aaaaa". When we close the mouth, naturally, we say "mmmmm". "aaaaaa" "uuuu" and "mmmm" cover all sounds which can be uttered by any human being in any language. Sounds make up words. Words refer to objects. In effect, we can say "om" refers to "all objects" in the creation. The totality of everything in the creation is the Lord. He exists as every object, as all objects in the creation. Hence, "pranava" or "om" is the best name for the Lord since it covers everything in one sweep. Curiously, though "om" is a sound-symbol and needs to be uttered/intoned, for Ganesha alone, it also appears are a "visual-symbol" also. From the letter "om" in devanagari script, with its characteristic loops, it is easy for anyone to extrapolate it to the face of Ganesha. Even in regional languages like Tamil, the letter "om" is very close to an elephant face with trunk and tusk! Thus, Ganesha and "pranava" are intimately related.

• Ganesha and Kubera: There is a popular story involving Kubera and Ganesha. Kubera, the lord of all riches, is proud of his bounty. To flaunt his wealth, he throws a feast. Kubera is so sure that the food can never run out. Ganesha punctures his pride by consuming all the food and still not satisfied! A crest-fallen Kubera goes to Lord Shiva to find an exit strategy! Lord Shiva rebukes Kubera and teaches him the importance of a gracious and pure heart. Only then does any gift bless both the giver and the recipient. Shiva gives Kubera a handful of rice. With a change of heart, with bhakti, Kubera now serves the rice to Ganesha. Ganesha's appetite is immediately satiated! The story is simple. We can take the following moral from it. As the Geeta says: "patram, pushpam, phalam, toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati..." "Just one leaf, one flower, one fruit, one drop of water...if it is greased with bhakti, with love...that alone is enough...and I readily accept" says the Lord. Bhakti is the only currency which the Lord accepts as seen in this story.

• Ganesha and Adi Shankara: In the panchaayatana pooja popularized by Adi Shankara, Ganesha is worshipped in the "red stone" obtained from the river Sone in Bihar. It is called Sonabhadra. The other stones which are used in this puja are: saligrama stone for Lord Vishnu obtained from the river Gandaki in Nepal, baana linga stone for Lord Shiva obtained from the river Narmada, swarnamukhi stone for Devi from AP and crystal for Surya from Vallam in Thanjavur.

• Ganesha in "shanmata": There are 6 "matas". Followers of a particular deity (ishta devata) form a "mata". "Gaanapatyam" is one of the mataas. As per this tradition, Ganesha is the Supreme God. The other matas are Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Shaaktam, Souram and Kaumaaram. The shanmata was also established by Adi Shankara. The only addition to the panchayatana (5 deities) is Kaumaaram (followers of Kartikeya). In the panchayatana puja, Kartikeya does not find a place.

• Ganesha in the Vedas: In the Veda, there are special "Suktas" glorifying each deity. The most popular hymn in the Vedas for Lord Vishnu is the "Purusha Suktam". The most popular hymn in the Vedas for Lord Shiva is "Shri Rudram". The question is...where is Ganesha extolled in the Vedas? In the Atharvana Veda, there is a section called "Atharva Sheersham". This is one of the most popular Vedic hymns for Lord Ganesha. Here, Ganesha is praised as the creator-sustainer-destroyer of the entire creation. It is an Upanishad and reveals Ganesha as non different from one's own Self also.

• Ganesha as Heramba: There is a special form of Ganesha called "Heramba". Here, Ganesha sits on a lion. It is peculiar because an elephant and a lion are normally enemies. We say that an elephant is rattled by seeing a lion even in a dream (simha swapna). However, in Heramba, an elephant and lion come together. Likewise, Kartikeya rides a peacock. In many places, including Kukke Subramanya, Kartikeya is associated with a snake. Snake and peacock are natural enemies. Similarly, Shiva's third son (Ayappa or Shaasta) rides a tiger. Ayappa is in human form- a man. It's as if a man rides a man-eater! All opposites have to resolve in Bhagavan. Either we can say, He is "BOTH fat and thin" or we should say "He is neither fat nor thin"!!!

• Ganesha as Lakshmi Ganapati: For a Ganesha bhakta, he folds everything into Ganesha. Thus, we have concepts of "Lakshmi Ganapati", "Vidya Ganapati" and "Shakti Ganapati". It's as if Lakshmi-Saraswati-Durga and whatever they symbolize, find their being in Ganesha himself. Even in songs we find expressions like "lambodara lakumi karaa" (lakumi is a variant of lakshmi).

• Siddhi-buddhi Ganesha: We have no idea if Ganesha is married or not! In South India, Ganesha is a confirmed bachelor. However, in places like Jambukeshvaram, we have "vallabha Ganapati" with a lady seated on Ganesha's left lap. We also have "siddhi-buddhi vinayaka". In the South, siddhi-buddhi are not considered as consorts. Rather, they are looked upon as Ganesha's powers. In North India, Ganesha has two wives-  Riddhi and Siddhi. The confusion is not limited to Ganesha. In North India, Kartikeya is considered as a bachelor. In the South, he has two wives- Valli and Devasena! We can take whatever suits us.

• Ganesha - a subjective interpretation: Sometimes, we find a subjective interpretation of Ganesha- how the concept of Ganesha signifies a "man of spiritual perfection" (a gnyaani). He serves as a guide for every "saadhaka" (spiritual aspirant) to scale the same heights of perfection. We know that Ganesha's human head was replaced with the biggest head, an elephant head! The idea behind this is the following. We live our entire lives like a frog in a well! So narrow is our outlook with importance given only to "me" and "mine". Some trigger- a chance book, a chance meeting, a chance experience... suddenly changes us. The earlier petty mind (laghu chetas) is completely blasted and it is replaced with the grandest vision possible. "My family" now is this entire earth (vasudhaiva kutumbakam), "my nation" now is the entire universe (swadesho bhuvanatrayam) and the whole creation is now permeated by the Lord alone (ishaavaasyam idam sarvam). The change of Ganesha's head indicates this change in outlook. The broken tusk shows the readiness to sacrifice everything to gain this vision. The trunk can pick up a needle as well as uproot an entire tree. So too, a man of perfection has mastered his mind in a two-fold way. He is "dakshah" efficient... in his dealings with the world outside. When it comes to seeing the "one truth" in the "many", he has that subtlety (sukshma buddhi) as well. A pot-belly shows his ability to digest all experiences with equal ease- the good, the bad and the ugly! He accepts all experiences as "prasada". The mouse hovering around the feet of Ganesha indicates desire. A man of perfection is forever in charge. He is the master. He rides over the tiny mouse and perhaps fulfills whatever "preferences" he may have. There is never a time when the mouse rides him! We can go on extrapolating more from this allegorical Ganesha. This is just a sample!

Ganpati bappa morya!!!

Ganesha....fully painted and ready for pooja!