The Lady Karna: 343

My apologies to Karna of Mahabharat fame. For my writing purpose, I am forced to paint the story with a female character. Nothing touches the heart like a glycerine washed T V serial. Likewise, nothing touches this magnanimity of my character, which I would unfold by chapter and verse. Remember those T V serials where the characters trot around in designer clothes to portray poverty. That grandeur was nothing but a makeup to protect the weak hearted from over reacting to the portrayed poverty on the screen. Who said that entertainment should be hilarious or factual?

If it is only a comedy, how then the weak hearts will identify themselves with the heroines always suffer unending hardships, if it is a mega serial? Heart attacks be damned. After reading this preamble, Karna himself might readily permit me to use a feminine and anti-version of him. After marking the distinction between the weak heart and the magnanimity filled heart, I will try my best to portray the character, not to rival Karna but to warn a few, who stumble upon and cautiously tread through this blog.

Do familiarise yourselves with acronyms like BPL (below poverty line), NHNTPL (neither here nor there, trishank poverty line), APL (above poverty line) and tubers (veggies and electronic varieties need no introduction). Tubers such as Onion, garlic shallot and leek to rub and activate your tear glands! The electronic tubers add a few 'hosted' channels to guide you towards liberation from karma ,evil designs and miracles that promise counter-influence against anything on earth. 

The acronyms have the screenplay ready and the ‘tubers’, vegetables and electronics, eager to pen the dialogues. Now you have a seat in the front row to the unfolding diorama “The Lady Karna". This home maker having totalled up a healthy dose of tear-jerking serials, has now come to the stage, donning the Avtar of the lady version of Karna. Please welcome her or otherwise… 

Such is her irresistible aura of awe that even the cockroaches in her house, don’t dare to twiddle their feelers during day time! No person living or yet to be born has a chance of going against her wishes. 

Her basic understanding of the original character has come from books, T V serials and cinemas that bruced up the story and character, leaving an indelible imprint in the mind. Brimming with frustration, this cloned character was straining at the leash to break free. 

The Karna of Mahabharat gave away whatever belonged to him to whomever asked for it. Flipping it over, our lady Karna decided to give away whatever, her’s or others', even when nobody specifically asked for it. This cupboard cleaning darbar attracted many people who thought, why not and why not for one more time? 

Arrival of new clothes signalled the departure of not so old clothes. Groceries bought and found in excess opted themselves to be given away. Being an APL family, the ration card and its commodities drew the BPL, NHNTPL card holders, like honeybees to nectar. After collecting their secondary ‘rations’, they impressed upon the Lady Karna to keep the ration card always updated. 

This secondary ration consumers mounted Indirect pressure on the head of family, to keep the card current, though he wanted to get out of doles however insignificant it was. The lady Karna banged the ball hard to get this searing bouncer," You may not want those items but I can give it away to somebody who is in need of them.  It will accumulate positive karma and spiritual points". She had opened a current secondary derivative market to operate a future derivative market! 

More than the serials, the fact that those who avail the benevolence own EV scooters impacted the head of family very hard.  The head of family, as per the ration card in question, tries to duck unde the bouncer, fearing bruised ego - " I am not interested in operating a secondary outlet for ration items. It is negative karma as we are trying to take credit on the subsidy given by a government." His -ve karma based moral standing floundered as the ‘pitch’ was a vicious turner and bowler-friendly and the secondary outlet kept winning. 

As part of her MPKGD (Mega Positive Karma Gathering Drive) lady Karna sets her eyes on temple runs, not the usual election eve runs, to guide people (willing, suffering or weak-willed) by herding them to earn spiritual credits of a different ATM version, to reduce the good karma deficit in their ledgers. In the hidden corner of her mind, maybe, she was thinking “will the wind be partial, while blowing?" Is not a fruit falling on to your lap, a gift? 

Whether the Karna of Mahabharat entertained this sort of thinking in his mind during every benevolent act has not been explicitly scribed by the savants. In the absence of such a constraint, the lady Karna took it under advisement and to her advantage! 

The Karana of Mahabharat gave away to place the recipient on a better footing, aiming to improve their life. He might have also fed and clothed the poor and destitute. The lady Karna believes and advocates, that feeding the bakhts, who come in droves by buses, mini buses or by cars, by contributing to annadhan schemes paves the road to the lotus or jasmine feet of the Supreme. Little does she realise it is like "feeding ones' own mouth by oneself” as later on the bakhts themselves will  be encouraged (soft touch), prevailed upon (hard touch) by her to donate to the same annadhan schemes. 

The lady Karna then gets to the business of sheepishly publicising her own and initiated acts, towards depositing positive karma points for easing the pains of the “now life" and for the ease of living in the "afterlife". Her take on the publicity- if it is for spreading the message of +ve karma then no negative karma will attach to that act!” 

The Karna of Mahabharat never thought or had someone sage enough to advise him on the possibility of earning "given away mileage" out of all his acts of magnanimity. Fortunately, or by providence, he had no such shackles and did everything on his own freewill. The case of lady Karna echoes the freewill part but denies the same for the head of family when it comes to the ration card. Maybe, he was not worried about the ease of living in the afterlife, when the ‘now life’ itself is not rosy. And, he was not afraid of meeting with Yamadharmaraj! 

The last straw on the camel’s proverbial back, for the head of family, was the constant pestering to buy a new this or that appliance, so that some other resident things could be retired and shown the door. 

You may wonder why this topic interested me. Worried about Lady Karna falling prey to false hope of earning +ve karma, encouraging false hopes in the minds of why not and why not for one more time type to bank on the availability of secondary, sympathetic ration outlet, encouraging clothes awaiting rotation freedom will roam on any shoulder syndrome, easily repairable items thinking it will find its way into second hand market. 

Since there was no such bank to withdraw a sum of patience, he thought of taking some   bold steps. He remembered the wise sayings attributed to Albert Einstein, his idol cum hero for corralling space & time, in one go! He had said, “A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.” He almost questioned Mr. Einstein, “why you missed the foolish person who could not leave the problem?” 

Coming back to the present, he decided to become cleverly wise, instead of cleverly solving or wisely avoiding a problem, he decided to turn the table on the problem. The problem being the acts of his better half, the lady Karna. It was like a mathematical theorem taught along with riders (person &acts). 

He had been silently cataloguing the numerous totes, hand bags, shoulder-hang ons, jewel box (w/o jewels) and a few chocolate tins (foreign brands) gifted by her relatives and ever since active in gathering dust and occupying space. He decided that the time has come to empty the space. When a foolish act is about to be committed, opportunities come calling. The usual ‘why not and why not for one more time’ crowd came, collected the collectibles and left bearing the gifts thinking that the head of family had decided to reap a bumper crop of +ve karma! 

The inevitable mahayudh with words aided by gnashing teeth, on either side, raged for an hour and ended when a smoke-filled carbonaceous smell overwhelmed the warriors. Fire fighting in the kitchen took precedence over war of words. Automatically, white flags rose and task of ventilating the smoke screen fell on the head of the family. The home maker ordered a Swiggy lunch. The after effect? Everything started with a ration card and should it not end it all? Lady Karna became ex-lady Karna and head of family rushed to surrender the ration card. 

Experience under the belt, the head of family decided to advice other APL card holders with a message, “A rose plant needs pruning and nipping”. He hoped this cryptic message would get absorbed and acted upon by the concerned.

Mooshik in court: 350

The other day, Ganesha and Mooshik were discussing about types of people who almost entered the wayside temple. Suddenly, a motley crowd bearing banners and raising slogans passed by. As usual Ganesha did not pay much attention, but Mooshik was all ears and eyes. His eyes captured the dust storm rising, in heavenly defiance, from that cul-de-sac road.  

Repeated representation from the devotees fell on dust clogged ears. Earlier, the administration claimed paucity of funds and now thought why to waste money on a cul-de-sac and left it alone! 

When the dust finally settled, Ganesh asked Mooshik, "Why are you silent?" 

My Lord, you have a long pipe for a nose but my hole in the face type nostrils get clogged easily. Some enterprising dust particles might sneak through the defenses and tickle my throat. Moreover, I am allergic to way side dust, here by your abode. 

Ganesha, chiding himself for asking this open-ended question. He thought, "Why nowadays, Mooshik is becoming a jibe master at every available opportunity? Let me get to the bottom of it here and now!" 

What is troubling you, Mooshik?

Nothing that is in your powers to resolve.

Taken aback, he persisted, “why such a defeatist attitude, even before sharing with me your trouble?"

"That is the trouble. Because what I have to say will go straight to your heart and make you to feel bad about me." 

"No hard feelings. I am dying to hear it!"

Your decision. But don't regret it afterwards. I have a troubling matter to discuss with a judge."

"You mean to say that not me but a human being would be able to help you!"

"Yes. Because it is a legal matter"

What? You have legal matters to deal with?

Yes.  A PIL. 

What is so special about him? And how are you going to find him?

There are two reasons.  He happens to be a freewheeling   judge, ready to conduct a trial on any matter. The second is, he specialises only in PIL or suo motu cases. It may surprise you to know that me and    others like me, search for information by tailing-in on to the network connecting way side temples.” 

Becoming wary of Mooshik and the others, Ganesha said, “Have you not witnessed, my devotees banging coconuts in anger at my feet, because the justice they sought kept on moving farther and farther. Desist and live with whatever legal issues you have" 

Ganesha, fearing exactly this sort of advice from you, have I not indirectly indicated that you have no power to help me in this regard. 

Ganesha's trunk was about to whack Mooshik but held it back in time for two reasons. To spare Mooshik from becoming a pulp. Even with rampant unemployment, it would be difficult to find a replacement for Mooshik.  He thought "Coming up with jibe was pardonable but beginning to address me by name needs a censure. But for the time being, let me enjoy this escapade with Mooshik." 

In suitably attire, both of them reached the judge’s house. He appeared to be impatient to start something but did not know with what! This reminded Mooshik of the ants scurrying around a piece of jaggery, while discussing what to do with it! The moment his eyes fell on the visitors, the judge stopped searching for that something to do. Remembering that he had left the doors wide open, he decided not to question them how dare they enter without permission. 

Mooshik said, “I have an issue”

The judge: A PILbased on newspaper item?

Mooshik: A PIL but not the usual type. It is on Publicly letting down Institutions of Law. 

While Ganesha wondered where in the wayside temple, Mooshik had picked up this legalese. It placed the judge was in a quandary as to how to deal with this PLI? Whenever in doubt, the judge either doodled or whittled away wood!  His eyes fell on the walking stick he carried to ward off stray dogs. 

Seizing it in one hand, he came up with a pen knife in the other hand and started whittling with vigour. Instantly, his doubt vacated itself and he announced, “It will be a suo motu case” and asked them, “Have you engaged a counsellor?” 

Ganesha, beginning to enjoy the escapade, pre-empting Mooshik, answered in the negative. Judge: No problem. I have two seasoned lawyers. Don’t you worry about their legal fees. They appear exclusively in my court to do pro bono work. Let me track them down as they often vanish without a trace. Come to my chamber at 9 AM with your brief. AT 10 AM sharp, the proceedings will start. After casting a curious look at the judge and his productive whittling, Ganesha pulled Mooshik out of the judge’s house. 

The moment they were out of earshot, the judge tried calling his in-house counsellors. Getting no response, he hurried out to hunt them down, counting the number of hours left till 9 AM of tomorrow. It was past noon, when by pure chance he found himself standing behind them in line at a ‘serve yourself’ eatery. From that moment onwards, the judge followed them like in the rhyme “Mary had a little lamb.” Before a morsel of food could be lifted off from the plate, the judge informed, “You two have a pro bono work. Be in my chamber at 9.30 AM. Now let us enjoy our lunch.”   The duo suffered their lunch in silence. 

The next day, by 9 AM, Ganesha and Mooshik entered the chamber. Mooshik handed over a file and after getting the judge’s nod started to explain, “Nowadays, people in or out of it, find it or do it, as an exploit aimed at providing mass entertainment and to hoodwink everyone. A deep analysis tells a different story of attempts being made to evade and avoid ‘behind the bar time’. The judiciary tied down with strings of its own robes’ to be impartial, gets the go around. Enterprising litigants try to shop for a favourable bench, by firing recusal petitions or SLPs. The judges, except for their tied-up robes and gavels, have no protection from these assaults.” 

Mouth hanging agape, the judge looked at Ganesha who was equally surprised to hear such a lucid presentation. The judge did the next best thing - announced a recess. He needed time to digest the outburst. 

The pro bono counsellors walked in, as the judge’s grandfather time piece raised a weak alarm, straining itself. Without human intervention, it stopped on its own, as it had only that much energy for the day. The duo wondered, why the judge needed an alarm, of all the places in his chamber. As the alarm stopped ringing, the judge appeared from under his table looking like an apparition in judicial robes, clutching a bunch of loose papers. 

Recovering quickly, he outlined the PIL as per Mooshik’s definition and informed them, “I am treating it as a suo motu case. No pretrial, post-trial motions will be entertained. But I have a motion to move at the start, which I shall of course accept. Go through this case file and be ready with arguments. Hearing starts at 10 AM”.

With only few minutes to prepare, they agreed by eye blinks that they would find ways to wing it after hearing the judge’s motion.

"Feeling the expressed anguish, the court moves a motion to allow everyone present, to put forth their views on the case. Though prima facie it would appear to be a violation in the eyes of codified law, I agree to my own motion.

What made me to think that this motion would stand legal scrutiny? The law exists for the people and people exist with a bounden duty to safeguard the very same law. Aristotle, Cicero, Socrates and our own Supreme Court have guided me to do so. Now, the court room is open to hear the arguments." 

It had the desired effect. It left Ganesha, Mooshik in utter confusion, not knowing what it all is about and dumped the pro bono counsellors in the grey area between sanity and insanity. 

The judge nodded at Ganesha. Not making any effort to raise his frame, he said " Since there are governing rules, no one has the license to violate it. This applies to all - gods, humans and other life forms". 

Before the judge could admonish Ganesha for not starting with a thank you my lord, Mooshik added, " Including the aliens. ", and sat down. The pro bono counsellors now had the plane to fly in their arguments. 

On his part, the judge was entertaining another motion to exclude Ganesha and Mooshik, but including the gods and aliens in his judgement would definitely take it out of this legal world. Binning this motion the judge exclaimed, "How in heaven, gods and aliens come into picture here and into the lawbooks? It is out of jurisprudence!” 

The senior counsellor, looking for a gap to take off replied " Relevant as they also have to follow the rules, may be of physics or chemistry or physiology." The junior counsellor silently applauded this argument which was nothing but a winging it attempt. 

Ganesha immediately objected and said, " In enthusiastic overflow we have included gods and aliens. Too much should not be read into that." 

Junior counsellor seized up on this exclusion attempt and argued." This is an attempt to circumvent, on behalf of gods and aliens. Then, how can we fault the in-power and out of power public figures, which precisely this suo motu is attempting to do!" 

The judge was taken aback by his nephew ‘s rejoinder. He mused "After all, this apple had not fallen far from the family tree!" 

Mooshik, in defense of Ganesha and said " The law governing the gods and aliens are not in the purview of this court. There are appropriate mechanisms to deal with, elsewhere. The question before this court is - why the in-power and out of power netas are getting the chance to impute or thumb their noses at the judiciary?" 

That only functioning bulb with anaemic glow started flickering in the mind of the judge. He realised that the litigants Mooshik and Ganesha are not ordinary persons. 

The senior pro bono counsellor saw his chance and reinforced Mooshik’s point, “I urge the court to take a dim view of this type of intrusions into the sections and sub-sections of penal codes, with malicious intent to tie the hands of judiciary and jurisprudence. If the in-power and out of power Netas hold the reins, then even the rite to bang the gavel will be lost”. This last sentence unsettled the judge. 

He gravely announced, “Having said, heard and intuitively understood all those unspoken arguments, I am ready to pronounce the judgement, after a brief recess of an hour.” 

Ganesha and Mooshik wondered why a recess now, if he is ready?  The pro bono counsellors moved over to explain to them that after the hearing concludes, the judge collates the arguments, does research  on  legal precedents, drafts, corrects before pronouncing a judgement. We have to wait. 

One minute past the hour, the judge took his seat on the bench. Glancing at the litigants and the pro bono counsellors, he started to read, “Law lives to outlive those who crafted it and who try to hoodwink it. It has centuries of history spanning continents and civilizations. It apparently looks powerless against the in-power and out of power public figures, but the long arm of law always catches up. When a public figure has lost the confidence of people, he or she has already lost the battle with law. However, if not acted upon decisively and swiftly, then the law itself will become a joke. If judiciary does not get its act together and nip the cactus at its root, all of us will be forced to suffer the thorns.” 

Banging the gavel forcefully many times, the judge left the bench, without leaving instruction as to what to do with his judgement! Ganesha, Mooshik and the pro bono counsellors silently exited, surprised at the vehement delivery of the verdict. 

Mooshik applies a Power brake: 345

 The recently consecrated, wayside temple turned out to be a disappointment for the trustee. A force majeure - the bylane now became a cul de sac as the end of the lane has been permanently blocked. 

For the presiding deity Ganesha and his inseparable co-squatter Mooshik, the bylane becoming a cul de sac turned out to be a force majeure blessing in disguise. The trustee had his worries, Ganesha and Mooshik had time to ponder. 

Suddenly Mooshik broke the silence. “One look, he appears scholarly, another look he hangs out like an illiterate. Third look gives you the feeling that he is a philosopher and the fourth takes your breath away, you can see through him.” 

Ganesha: What about the fifth and the sixth and the seventh? 

Mooshik: I am yet to come there. Have a little patience. If you want, I will talk about the first four.  

Ganesha mentally calculated the odds and liked the even number that turned up.

He said, Go ahead. Why did you assume it was a scholarly look?

Mooshik: He looked at you and then at me. Then spent some time looking at the sky. Again, looked at you and then at me for a few more seconds. Then looked at the tree and stood like a statue for considerable time. Now in the second feature, the illiteracy surfaced.

Ganesha: What did he do now?

Mooshik: He stood looking at you with a frozen look, then ...

Ganesha becoming curious asked, "Tell me. Then what happened?" 

Mooshik: It was the feature of the philosopher, I saw. He was trying to swath himself in philosophical ropes and then encircle us. That look was really disturbing. It had an incisive, probing and questioning.

After scrutinizing me for a few moments, the probing eyes shifted their focus on you.  My Lord, the relief washing over my entire body, to say the least, was heavenly. 

Ganesha instantly became concerned. Now, a fully relieved Mooshik will wax eloquent adding extra appendages to unsettle him. But at the same time, he felt happy that Mooshik had no power to unseat him.  He asked. ,"What about see-through look?" 

Mooshik feeling a little worried said, "Let me describe the other impression I got from that 'seeing through' person. He did not look at the sky, did not alternate from me to you, did not stand still like a statue and lastly did not send probing looks at either of us. This was scary and hairs on my entire body stood and stayed up respectfully. The bone chilling see-through feature held me in awe and fear.” 

Ganesha became irritated to note that Mooshik’s tail never stood up as a mark of respect for him.  How dares he, now to admit that the hairs on his entire body stood and stayed up to show respect to the feature of a mortal? 

Ganesh started sensing a sort of Asura character trying to break through this current Avatar of Mooshik. He could easily cut his tail short, but Mooshik without tail ...both of them will be looking odd, even in the makeshift shelters called wayside temples. 

Deciding to search for a punishment involving less disfigurement, Ganesha questioned him, “Why the awe? Why the fear?’ 

“The see-through feature was not only for visual inspection. He could tune it to intercept brainwaves. In that short time, he managed to capture and decode our brainwaves, just like that! 

To allow Ganesha to recover his poise, Mooshik asked, “Willing to hear a story what my Asura guru used to tell to make us believe in optimism?” 

Ganesha thinking that it might be less scary and interesting, said “go on”. 

Mooshik: A lion was caught and kept in an enclosure. Every day a knot of people stood outside the enclosure and gazed at it. Initially the lion became angry and frustrated as he could not do anything about it, except belt out some mighty roars. As time passed by, it started looking at things a little differently. It was getting food, water, medical aid and alone time every day and on time. Slowly it started to build upon these positives to become an optimist. It started to think that one day it will come out of the enclosure. 

Ganesha: What this story has to do with your observations? 

Mooshik: I learnt a new perspective to the feeling called optimism. Earlier I used to spend some ‘disappointed’ times, in comparing the difference in status between us. Now, with the old story, new perspective and the changing face of that person has boosted my optimism to a different level.  

Ganesha became curious, perplexed and worried to know where this all would lead! He asked. "Is it the end of that story?" 

Mooshik: No. The second part was much more powerful. Want to hear it now?

Ganesha: Whether I want or not, you are not going to stop. But let me hear it at the end. You had sufficient time as a face reader. Now tell me what was all going through that person's mind?  

Mooshik: As a scholar, he was trying to fit you and me in a mathematical equation, subject us to chemical reactions and compare us with known physical concepts. Short of nuclear reactions, he tried out everything.

Ganesha:  Finally, what did he do? 

Mooshik: What else? Added one universal constant and kept quiet.

Ganesha: Did he understand us?

Mooshik: No. But he will make another attempt, soon. The lesser educated person’s case is simple to solve.

Ganesha: How?

Mooshik: This face had worries written all over it. Not having many equations to try out, he banked on the age-old practice.

Ganesha: What was it?

Mooshik: To accept us with nucleated doubts. 

Ganesha was a bit taken up by the term nucleated doubts. He looked at Mooshik suspiciously but kept quiet fearing a fissioning doubt or a fissioning doubt. Nodded at Mooshik to continue. 

Mooshik: The feature of the philosopher exhibited the struggles to find strings of confusing thoughts and express them in equally confusing sentences, in the vain hope that someone will understand them. 

Ganesha: To understand us, why he needs to be philosophical and confused?

Mooshik: In human life, it doesn't work simply like that. This face needs a base of believers in his form of philosophy to accept himself as what he wanted the base to understand him first. His philosophy as much as I could decode is ‘strong and broad base maketh a tall edifice.’ 

Ganesha: With this sort of thinking, do you hope he will understand and accept us? 

Mooshik: I am not sure. Only time and his philosophy can tell that!

Ganesha:  Then why at all have a philosophy in the first place?

Mooshik:  This is beyond me. Probably the next time, he will leave us with some clue!

Ganesha:  Common, what about the see-through face?

Mooshik: What should I say? Did I not talk about the icy-chill experience of his probing eyes. Even now, it gives me jitters. 

Ganesha: Mooshik, stop the chatter and tell me the operative part? 

Mooshik: He had intercepted the brainwaves of the other three persona. But if he had stopped there it would have been good....” 

Ganesha: Do I hear asides between you and your brain? Are you worried about saying them aloud. Be a sport Mooshik! 

Mooshik: Ok. Here it goes. He intercepted my thinking and understood my level, both at the physical & philosophical level. And on intercepting your brainwaves he thought, how come an extolled deity be so naive and believe that devotees and their devotion is his strength, ... If had stopped there ...” 

Ganesha: Common, I can't bear any more suspense. 

Mooshik: in spite of possessing the physical and philosophical reach. 

Ganesha felt sheepish for having egged on Mooshik. He could have stopped after hearing the word strength. Hmm, will the water let out of a dam come back to it? 

At an inopportune moment, Mooshik asked whether he could complete his Asura guru’s second part of the story. 

Ganesha knitting his eyebrows together, simply shook his head. The philosophical feature had laid the groundwork for the see-through feature to apply the power brake. He closed his eyes to analyse why his physical, philosophical reach had not helped him to be a ‘sophisticated god’ instead of being categorized as ‘naïve’.

Part-3 Freebies, corruption, mathematics and astrology: 349

 What is the connection between freebies, corruption, mathematics and astrology?

Leakage in the freebies pipeline getting funds into "bank holes" is one form of corruption. Whatever the origin, money is money and it has to be counted and accounted for by the corruptor. Here the computational part of mathematics becomes essential. Astrology definitely has a say about those who receive freebies (the corruptee), those who are corrupt and the mathematics...

Before ending his journey, ChintaMany wanted to know whether a set of   astrological combinations existed to help him to understand how the freebie issues are handled, politically & economically, in western countries and in his own. 

In the west, “freebies are disbursed as social welfare, public services or targeted subsidies and not as election-driven giveaways. These are directed only toward the needy and low-income households. Instead of fostering dependency, long-term investments in public services are made through institutional structures addressing high-quality, free, or heavily subsidized healthcare, education, and social security services, market failures, reducing socio-economic disparities with sustained redistribution efforts. 

Supported by high tax revenues, the freebie culture avoids the trap of becoming a "scam on taxpayers” money. Governments clearly explain the funding and mechanisms to critically scrutinize when public money is being used for non-essential giveaways as short-term consumption subsidies. 

Emphasize is on creating jobs and infrastructures and the targeted benefits are conditional like sending children to school or adults to undergo job training and contribute to productivity and move away from a   "parasitic" existence. A more manageable support systems like loan extensions replaced the indiscriminate farm loan waivers.  Strict budgetary constraints ensures that these measures don’t become unsustainable fiscal deficits. Balances exist before cutting the cheques! 

Like it or not, we do it differently.  Freebies are short-term gains for the recipient and medium-term opportunities for the political class and long-term pains for the nation. And the fiscal stress is left wondering whether it is dealing with imaginary, real or complex numbers! 

We are happy to give and receive the "freebies” whether disbursed as social welfare or public services or targeted subsidies or ad-hoc, election-driven giveaways. Instead of reducing socio-economic disparities, this free-for-some benefits and subsidies have only managed to foster dependency. Articles as freebies find way into secondary market as hard cash keeps the stoves alight, improving the earning capacity of the households will be a much better gift. 

Schemes for improving welfare measures, have become nothing but a corruption ridden scam when lack of. clarity on fund utilisation and inefficient mechanisms to critically scrutinize the public money being spent is self-defeating.  

The majority of the target beneficiaries have no further incentive instead of attempting and succeeding to become productive, would rather continue in a “freebies” environment. With indiscriminate loan waivers or write offs of loans and lack of accountability, these measures become unsustainable fiscal deficits. We love cut cheques without balances! 

Living under the influence of the same celestial bodies, is it possible that a different page of the same SOP influenced our political atmosphere? He hoped to find that elusive answer in the mountain of information he had painstakingly gathered from various sources. 

Corruption: 

ChintaMany called it as a blackhole for morality and a parallel dark economy that does not pay taxes. When the corrupt get charged, the electronically stored files, including those stored in the cloud, do get corrupted.  He wondered, “Will the quantum computers be able to evade this corruption by getting into a Faraday cage?” Nothing is out of reach for some industrious practitioners of this dark economy. They will find a way to beat such a system to corrupt the files, to bail them out of proof and jail. 

Like the many headed hydra, corruption shows its form in fixed, movable and storable assets. Lives in three states viz Solid (metals & stones) liquid(cash) and gas (hawala racket). Its multidimensional reach through entities such as shells, horns and hide companies can best be described by creating a sci-fi octopus with 64 or 128 tentacles. The tailormade offshore black holes and secrecy bound baking systems remain the backbone for this off the book business called corruption.  

The event horizon of this black hole of immorality called corruption was spotted by the Egyptians, as a human trait about 4500 years ago. Though the concept of dishonest behaviour, by those in power, is as old as human history, the specific usage of the term has evolved over thousands of years. 

The term "corruption" and its specific application to public office evolved through medieval moral codes, middle ages’ religious concepts and then into the modern definition used today. 

The Latin language used the term corruptus to mean break, mar, bribe, or destroy. Romans used it describe a system in decline, the "marring" of a judicial document, or immoral, "rotten" behaviour. From this Latin root corruptus the describing word "corruption" took birth. 

By the 13^th century, France started using this term "corruption" in a legal, political context, and had coined the word corrompre to describe the act of corruption. Following suit, the phrase "Old Corruption" came into existence in Britain, to describe a system of government characterized by patronage, nepotism, and the misuse of public office for private gain. 

In the 1990s, the definition of corruption as the "misuse of public power for private gain" gained serious attention and in the year 1993 an organization “Transparency International” was founded. Two years later it released the first publication on the Corruption Perceptions Index. 

Corruption is attractive to both corruptor and the corruptee. It is a shortcut to personal gain, wealth, or power by bypassing inefficient, slow, or strict bureaucratic processes. It functions as a "grease" in dysfunctional systems, without mechanical squeaks and groans, and helps individuals to get what they want faster than they would through legal channels. 

In red tape environments it thrives in the form of bribes or speed money, promising efficiency and speed. Individuals and businesses get to bypass waiting periods, approval bottlenecks, and complex regulations. An express highway to - financial profit, public contracts, jobs, tax avoidance and favourable treatment.  

Corruption becomes the pragmatic tool to get things done, when weak, slow, or unreliable administering systems fail to act. Lack of accountability, vigilance and a culture of impunity emboldens the corruptor. The lucre of ill-gotten wealth far outweighs the risk of being caught with the reward. Corruption thrives unabated. 

Once entrenched, through nepotism and cronyism, corruption becomes a social norm, or a necessity for survival. It gets often justified as a thank you gift or a way to support one's family.  An individual’s desperations to feed and survive or greed desiring unaffordable lifestyle become the driving force and corruption gets perpetuated.  If the surrounding culture is perceived as corrupt, individuals are more likely to dabble in it. What about the fallouts- high social costs, increased inequality, and stymied long-term economic development? With short-term benefits on hand , why would the corruptor and the corruptee  worry?  

He thought that the tardigrades - water or moss pigs, are the best living example to mirror the life cycle of the corrupt. 

Tardigrades are incredibly resilient and survive extreme conditions by entering a dormant state called cryptobiosis or the tun state. They can suspend metabolism for years, survive dehydration, radiation, extreme temperatures, and pressure. On the human scale, the corrupt survives by suspending rules of righteousness and conscience, withstand extreme pressures of public opinion and legal actions. Cases in courts hibernate and the accused survives by outliving the courts. 

Tardigrades have short lifespans in their active state of only months. If by any chance the conscience wakes up the life of corrupt person succumbs to public outcry and judicial verdicts. The tardigrades and corrupt do not survive long in their normal states! 

Doing its bit, nature has marine, aquatic, amphibians and land animals to show us a mirror for every avarice of mankind, such as fodder scam, poultry scam, fertilizer scam and so on. The corrupt keeps bleating out appeals and braying for adjournments, maybe not to be written off easily!  

ChintaMany started with the houses that are deemed responsible for a person becoming corrupt. Vedic astrology tries to identify a corrupt, unethical, or deceptive person by looking at specific afflictions to the houses of speech (2^nd), karma or career (10^th), gains (11^th) and as well as the strength of the Lagna or Ascendant. If their lords are weak or debilitated or afflicted by malefics, it indicates earning through wrongful, illegal, or unethical means. 

Among the planets Jupiter stands for morals, Saturn as the rule-breaker, dishonest, cold and calculating unethical behaviour and Mars goes for aggressive, & violent acquisition. The lunar node Rahu with deceit, obsession, material greed, and "shadowy" actions is largely associated with corruption. A strong association of Rahu with the 10th and its lord, or Sun indicates a tendency toward bribery, corruption, and immoral actions. A weak Jupiter indicates lack of moral compass or wisdom.  

The conjunction of Jupiter (morals) with Rahu creates a "my way or the highway" attitude, where the person justifies their own unethical behaviour. 

 If the 2^nd house (speech) its lord, and Mercury are afflicted, the person may be a habitual liar or use deceptive speech. 

The Sun signifying soul/& integrity or Moon signifying mind & emotions, if afflicted by Rahu or Saturn can indicate a lack of conscience and a tendency toward criminal or unethical activities. 

The 8^th house (secrets) connection with the 10^th or 11^th houses suggests hidden, unethical, or "black money" earnings.  

As usual there is caveat: These are potential indicators of tendencies. A comprehensive analysis of the entire chart is required to confirm such character traits, as there can be neutralizing factors. 

Western astrology identifies potential for corrupt, deceitful, or immoral behaviour by analysing heavily afflicted planets, challenging house placements, and specific planetary aspects that suggest a disregard for ethics, law, or truth. Rather than a single "bad" sign, astrologers look for a combination of factors indicating that a person may act against societal norms for personal gain.  

An afflicted Mercury (Mind, Communication), particularly in harsh aspect to Neptune (deception, confusion) or Pluto (obsession, manipulation), can indicate a strategic liar or a master manipulator. 

Afflicted 2^nd House (Speech, values) & 6th House (Conduct) by malefic like Mars or Rahu and lacks benefic aspects from Jupiter or Venus t can indicate a dishonest person who uses their words to deceive. 

Afflicted 10^th House (Career, Authority) by malefic planets Saturn, Mars, or Rahu, suggests the person will use their career to engage in unethical, "shady," or illegal actions. 

Strong Negative Aspects of Mercury-Neptune suggests the "confused" or slippery liar, often acting out of delusion or to evade responsibility.  Mercury-Pluto suggests the "strategic" liar, someone who manipulates information intentionally to control situations. Jupiter-Pluto indicates excessive, ruthless ambition where the person feels entitled to take whatever they want. 

The 4^th House (Morality) considered as the house of moral foundation if afflicted by malefic, especially without the aspect of benefic, leads to lack of conscience or immoral behaviour. 

The strongly afflicted 8^th   House (Secretive activity) or a 10^th or 11^th house lord placed in the 8th, can indicate someone involved in hidden, corrupt, or illegal money, such as bribes or embezzlement. 

The presence of the star Algol, associated with intense, sometimes malicious power, being heavily or badly aspected is sometimes used to indicate extreme, destructive tendencies. This "Demon Star" or Beta Persei, is an eclipsing binary system in the constellation Perseus.  It represents the severed, blinking eye of the Medusa held by the hero Perseus. 

 His doubt, why this binary was roped in and like an out of syllabus question how it could influence or get aspected without any locus standi and a Zodiacal sign in astrology? 

Not to be outdone by Vedic astrology, western astrology exhorts that "the stars impel, they do not compel". These placements indicate potential or proclivity rather than a guaranteed fate, with free will allowing individuals to choose how they manage these energies.

Wayside temples in danger: 370

The serene atmosphere under the shade of tree of unknown species was too good to last forever. Mooshik, who just came on to the road for a stroll, watched some yellow painted contraptions passing by, with an extended hands supporting the wrist folded inward resembling the elephants feeding themselves. Behind them, came contraptions holding attached troughs in front of them, as if afraid to leave them at home. 

Three-roller behemoths coming behind these contraptions and moving at snail's pace, shook the ground so much as to scare his tail to hide safely out of sight. Through all this crunching and grinding parade of yellow painted contraptions, Ganesha sat unmoving, unnerved and uncaring like a statue. This pose frightened Mooshik much more than the sight of moving yellow painted contraptions on the road.

Mooshik came scampering and panting. "Oh Ganesha, I saw yellow-coloured behemoths moving on the other main road." 

Perturbed Ganesha snapped, "what if? Are you frightened?

No. The behemoths have names like bees, rollers and dozers. Some part of their full names I could not catch."

Why these names should frighten you. You did not even get the full names for them. At least cany you describe them for me? Before that tell me why you are frightened? 

" I am frightened because of the breaking news I read in my group mail. It warned of an impending demolition drive.

The thing named as bee has a long arm, a wrist that can bend inwards to resemble an elephant feeding food into the mouth.

There is this behemoth called roller, which while moving shakes the ground like an earthquake." 

Can you give me a better description?

" Looked like an elephant with a heavy & thick round front leg and two round legs at the back and was able to move by rotating the legs. Imagine a child crawling, you get the picture!"

Oh, Mooshik. What you saw might be a road roller.

Ganesha commanded, “Stop jittering about and describe that dozer thing.”

The thing named a dozer has a small trough at the front, moves on caterpillar-like legs and can simply walk through a wall.  For some reason, the first half of its name reminded me of your father’s mount"

“A Rishabam dozer! 

No, no. These people have another name for Rishabam.

Oh dummy, I get it! The yellow behemoth is a bulldozer!

“Ganesha, what about the bee thing?”

“Mooshik, you omitted certain details, but I get the mental picture of an elephant feeding itself. It must be a JCB! You thought I am not savvy enough to know this earth moving equipment” 

Ganesh thought, “Equipment savvy or not, the real issue was the impending demolition drive. Ganseha knew from past experience, the wayside temples and tress become the first casualties during any drive. Though these drives were undertaken proclaiming public interest or national interest. It was a ruse to avoid or get through legal hurdles, and at the same time helping people to drive away fast from the scene after widening the road, leaving the poor workmanship as a public inconvenience for ever or till another drive. Who knows, I might be evicted first for occupying an unauthorised construction.” 

At this point onwards, he vowed to thoroughly vet the ownership issue of the land before accepting to be consecrated in any wayside temple.  He did not want to shift the blame on to Mooshik, as surely, he would point his tail at him and demur, “You are the boss, what could I have done?” 

Ganesha got busy and promptly sent the distress signal to Brahma seeking urgent intervention. This signal landed in Brahma’s laps when his trusted trouble shooter Chitragupta was unavailable to help Ganesha. He decided to depute Narad, who was a frequent traveller and worldly wise in the affairs of earth. Narad who had just barely managed to come out of one crisis, was reluctant but could not say no to his father. 

He had secret wish, to tease Ganesha a bit on his choice of abode and his divine philosophy – “Gods, astrologers, tarot readers, and even parrots are like cosmic customer-support system. I love being a wayside god which basically gives me the divine equivalent of plausible deniability. Devotees assume I am either solving bigger crises or temporarily unable to move “even a small boulder.”   

Narad wanted to point out,” Ganesha you can get away speaking like this to Mooshik but not to me.

Smiling to himself Narad thought, “while there, why not play a little game with Mooshik’s fear of bird “tattoos”? 

After reaching earth, Narad went straight to the wayside temple. It was desolate but the idols of Ganesha and Mooshik and the birds on the tree had an ethereal effect on the environment. 

The moment Narad sat on a nearby, Ganesha explained about the imminent demolition of the temple and uprooting of the tree. Mooshik added his bit and said, " We came here against my suggestion but might be forced out without any fanfare." 

How do you know of this? Narad asked.

 "Through my grapevine. Similar demolition drives are going on in many places, as we speak" replied Mooshik. 

Ganesha said, " Of course Mooshik was reluctant but how could I have anticipated that this dirt road would suddenly become important?" 

Narad utilised this opportunity to tease Ganesha and said "So, claiming to be busy or being unable to shift a small boulder, you did nothing except forcing it as a philosophy on Mooshik as a divine equivalent of a plausible denial. Ganesha, what happened to your cosmic customer support system, not getting a response?” 

Out of reverence to Brahma and his son Narad, Ganesha kept his belly full of boiling anger within himself.  From the sidelines, Mooshik was avidly watching for tell tale signs that Ganesha and Narad will escalate the war of words. It was Ganesha who adroitly diverted the topic and said, “Narad, being what I am, I cannot say or do anything that could be construed by mischievous elements to mean something which I did not really mean” 

Mooshik had an earful but could not make head or tail out of this jumbo sentence. But Narad being Narad caught the drift and said with a smile,” Ganesha, you want me to do something, which you don't want to do? In other words, you mean to say that whatever I have to do, should not bring your name in to disrepute. Is it because you expect whatever I do, people will accept it as Narad’s schemes will end in something good? Am I correct?”

Ganesha knew this was sure to come, but kept quiet as road rollers and bulldozer have more weight than Narad's jibe. Mooshik had some other thinking going on, "If Narad is so clever where else I could use him?" 

Narad had a plan but he needed Mooshik's help to kick start it. He asked, "Can you arrange a parade with your friends, on this road up to the point where the road widening ends?" 

Mooshik, though shocked and surprised, agreed to do so. Narad choosing the temple as the starting point made Ganesha to feel a little uncomfortable at the thought, “Why Narad was teaming up with Mooshik  to deny him his own doctrine of divine deniability?” 

Without much fanfare the parade started and as it was about to end, a huge mammoth joined it. A few stragglers on the road saw this spectacle and promptly spread the news. That brought some more onlookers to the scene. As they were watching, the mammoth just disappeared under the road where moments ago, there was no depression or deep pit.  

At the speed of a supersonic missile, the disappearance of the mammoth was repeated and spread as an alien invasion. At another location on the road, the parked road rollers and bulldozers moved forward without anyone driving them and just like the mammoth disappeared under the road. 

The mammoth re-appeared in the opposite direction, rose over the wayside temple and kept going towards the horizon. The onlookers could not see any movement of its legs sparking a viral debate, once again, on its  alien origin. Some even likened it to the mystery and alien citizenship status surrounding the comet 3I/ATLAS. The crowd expected the bulldozers and road rollers to follow suit. Instead, they had another surprise in store. The tree which could barely support a dozen scrawny birds became the center of activity. 

Hitherto unseen and unheard-of bird species of different coloured wings took off from the tree like fighter jets, joined with the mammoth for the sky walk. This was a sensational news and to further sensationalise it , the tabloids and channels flocked to the site. Imagination ran riot and "Miracle@temp”  and "#Ganesh_ wayside" trended worldwide. 

Public frenzy raising by leaps and bounds, the administration suddenly found its own vacant land on the opposite side of the temple and quietly pushed back the road alignment by 30 meters, to leave the tree and the wayside temple untouched. 

Having finished his work, Narad looked at Ganesha and said, "It is your privilege to choose the site you want to sit. But time and again I cannot come and save another wayside temple. I will leave with you a capsule that creates the apparitions whatever you have just witnessed here. Use it whenever you need to save another of your wayside temple." 

Mooshik asked "Can I make copies?" 

Narad replied. "No need. Set this dial to any sector and the show will begin near all the wayside temples in that sector " 

When will it end?

Automatically after 3 runs and if you want to continue, use this pointer to set at any number." 

Hearing all this Ganesha felt an immense relief and blew out a loud sigh which shook the nearby tree forcing it to almost drop all its leaves. Narad making use of this diversion just vanished from the scene.