Anniversary 33

























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Mahishasuramardhini Shloka

  Mahishasuramardhini Shloka Every Navarathri, our family recites the Mahishasuramardhini Shloka. My mother taught us to recite the prayer and we have continued doing so. Today, my grandchildren also recite this prayer. Reciting the prayer fills me with enthusiasm, also determination and strength. This year, we decided to record the shlokas and their meaning and for that I'm deeply indebted to both my daughters for the inspiration and the motivation they provided, especially to my younger daughter for the research and compilation of the same.  The Mahishasuramardhini Shloka was composed by Adi Shankaracharya in C. 810 AD. It is a powerful prayer dedicated to Goddess Durga. It invokes the attributes of Durga Devi as she conquers the buffalo demon Mahishasur. The chanting of this prayer    is believed to bless the devotee with courage, confidence, and inner strength. It tells of the conquest of Mahishasura which is symbolic to winning over the Rajasic tendencies in us....
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The Death of Memory

“ People have two deaths, the first at the end of their lives. The second, at the end of the memory of their lives.” Raghu Karnad, ' Farthest Field' A chance remark by my grand daughter sparked off this trilogy.  Here's part I. For my defense, I say only this : "Just write the truth! But truths are many, and that is the problem. Memory is treacherous, as distinct from history as emotion." Cohen, Roger,  'The Girl from Human Street.'  “Naani”, asked my five year old granddaughter, in all her worldly wisdom, “Where are my Great Grandparents?  Do you think they love me?” As I prepared to answer her inquisitive queries, my mind wandered, to my Great Grandparents! Who indeed were they! What a profound chord her innocent words had touched! What did I know of my  great grandfather, who had lived and died before I came into this world! Kachapeshwar Iyer was my great grandfather's name. Eshwar for short. I know for sure. My grandfather carried his name i...
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My Mother, Sharada Ramaswamy Iyer

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What do women remember about their mother? What is that one unforgettable gift they received from their mother? The answers were varied, they ranged from objects to observations, and yet each memory was remarkable, each gift, thought provoking. In the book, What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most By Elizabeth Benedict (E ditor), women express their feelings about their mother's gift; there is love and joy, thankfulness and gratefulness, grief and sadness. There is sympathy and empathy, understanding and support. And this unique legacy of motherhood, no less than magic,     continues to be the most powerful gift women inherit. It's wonderful to note that all mothers are the same in some ways, yet every mother is different. In her introduction, Elizabeth Benedict writes, ' Having had an unhappy mother- I found myself astonished-feeling a mixture of envy and disbelief-by the stories of happy mothers and daughters.' My reason for picking u...
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