Ragging Malady

My Comments published in Deccan Chronical on 14 November 2010.


The basic problem is in the upbringing of these children. Parents also somehow inadvertently encourage this rebellious trend by taking their children’s side. This sows the seed of aggression in them, which manifests itself as ragging when they are in hostels at the college level.

The fact that all four medical students accused of ragging to death their junior Aman Kachroo last year were convicted and sentenced to a four-year jail term by a fast track court is a landmark judgement. This will definitely set a precedent and at least to some extent serve as a deterrent to those indulging in this menace. Ragging is a perennial problem in professional courses like engineering and medicine. It is a common pattern that those belonging to affluent families and coming from outside the region where the college is situated, indulge in these activities. The psychology behind this is that there is an element of anonymity involved since they come from elsewhere. Besides this, the other additional factor is that they know they hail from wealthy families, so they think their parents with their money power and connections, can bail them out of any problem. These young people are not law-fearing or law-abiding and do whatever they want.
This is especially common in students who have paid a hefty capitation fee and got admission, so the college authorities go soft on them because they know that the monetary resources are coming from them.

The basic problem is in the upbringing of these children. Parents also somehow inadvertently encourage this rebellious trend by taking their children’s side. This sows the seed of aggression in them, which manifests itself as ragging when they are in hostels at the college level. So it is necessary to nip the problem in the bud. This is possible only if there are counseling sessions set up at school and college levels. At least to start with these should be initiated at the college level, so that professors can meet the parents and inform them about the students’ behaviour. It is necessary to make a beginning somewhere to stop this ragging menace.

However, I am really happy to hear about this judgement, because for the first time some harsh action has been initiated against the perpetrators. But this will not solve the issue. The problem is deep-rooted and the resolution to the problem can only happen with the commencement of timely parent and student counselling sessions at school and college.

The writer is Human Resource Management, Personal Growth Consultant and former Vice Chancellor, BU.
(As told to Sanchita Sen)

YOGA IN SPEAKING SAMSKRIT

Speaking Yoga

Did you know If you are speaking Sanskrit you are doing Yoga?

Very few people know that Sanskrit is not only a medium of expression but also aids in overall development of a person. It is not only a self-developed language but also a 'SamskaRit"(संस्कारित ) bhasha. The great sages Maharshi Patanjali, Maharshi Panini and Maharshi Katyayini has added flavor to it. These three Maharshis have fine tuned the language by adding different Yoga-kriyas into pronunciation. That is the beauty and secret of Sanskrit.

When you cook 'Pulses', you add flavour to it by putting Cumin, Garlic, Fenugreek, Asafoetida etc and ghee(जीरा; मैथी; लहसुन; और हींग का तड़का). This is now called 'Samskarit Daal'(संस्कारित दाल). This daal takes out all the vikaras of digestive system in addition to nourishing the body. The person eating this 'daal' doesn't know that it is a 'Daal with medication' and unknowingly he is enjoying both food and medicine together. Exactly this is the case with Sanskrit language.

Now what are those additional medicinal value in Sanskrit language for us?

To know this we need to have a comparative analysis of Sanskrit with other languages.There are four qualities of this language which makes it special and better than all other languages:

 

 1. Anuswara [अनुस्वार (अं )], Visarga [विसर्ग(अ:)]   

All masculine[पुल्लिंग] words end at Visarga,    

 for ex:   राम: बालक: हरि: भानु: etc    

and all neuter[नपुंसक लिंग] words end at Anuswara, for ex:  जलं वनं फलं पुष्पं etc

Now if you observe closely you'll be amazed to find that you are doing yoga while speaking them. In pronouncing visarga and in doing Kapaalbhati pranayaam[कपालभाति प्रणायाम], we throw belly air, outwards a bit forcibly. That means as many times you speak any Sanskrit word with visarga you'll be doing kapaalbhati automatically and thus getting its benefits.

Similarly, speaking any sanskrit word with anuswar in it ends up making you doing 'Bhraamri' pranayaam [भ्रामरी प्राणायाम]. In this pranayaam, we have to breath out via nose with humming sound like a bee. That means as many times you speak any sanskrit word with anuswara you'll be doing 'Bhraamri' pranayaam automatically and thus getting its benefits.

..and we all know the benefits of these two yoga-kriyas, courtesy Swami Ramdev :)

Now say  'Ram eats fruit' which will be said in Sanskrit as "राम: फलं खादति" and see you've done both yoga.There is almost no sentence in Sanskrit language having no anuswara and visarga. So it is said that Sanskrit speaking is like doing yoga while talking.

 

2: Shabd-Roop [शब्द-रूप] 

Second feature of Sanskrit is its word forms or Shabd-Roop. How many forms can a word take in any other language? One. In sanskrit it is 25 !!!!!!!!

For example: Following are different forms of the word 'Ram'[राम]

रम् (मूल धातु)

राम: रामौ रामा:

रामं रामौ रामान्

रामेण रामाभ्यां रामै:

रामाय रामाभ्यां रामेभ्य:

रामस्य रामयो: रामाणां

रामे रामयो: रामेषु

रामत् रामाभ्यां रामेभ्य:

हे राम! हेरामौ! हे रामा:!

 

In Sankhya-philosophy (सांख्य दर्शन) there are 25 fundamental elements [मौलिक तत्व], knowing which a persn can attain knowledge. The more you use all 25 forms of every word in Sanskrit, you'll come closer to the power of words, which ultimately reveal itself to the speaker in terms of effects. Following are 25 fundamental elements according to Sankhya-Darshan:   

1. Atma   [आत्मा]

2. Antah-karan   4 [Mind, Intellect, Psyche, Ego]       (अंत:करण 4 ) मन बुद्धि चित्त अहंकार

3. Gyanendriyas  5 [ nose, tongue, eyes, skin, ear]   (ज्ञानेन्द्रियाँ 5) नासिका जिह्वा नेत्र त्वचा कर्ण

4. Karmendriyas  5 [hand, foot, genital-organ, Anus, speech]    (कर्मेन्द्रियाँ 5) पाद हस्त उपस्थ पायु वाक्

5. Tanmatraas    5 [words, forms, taste, odor, touch]   (तन्मात्रायें 5) गन्ध रस रूप स्पर्श शब्द

5. Mahabhoot     5 [Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sky]           ( महाभूत 5) पृथ्वी जल अग्नि वायु आकाश

3: DwiVachan [द्विवचन]  

Third specialty of Sanskrit language is 'DwiVachan'[द्विवचन]. All other languages have 'Singular' and 'Plural' numbers but in Sanskrit there is one additional number called DwiVachan. This is very useful and beneficial too.

for example: There are three forms of word 'Ram' in DwiVachan: रामौ , रामाभ्यां और रामयो:

While pronouncing them, three types of yogic kriyas are performed: Moolbandh[मूलबन्ध], Uddiyaan Bandh[उड्डियान बन्ध] and Jaalandhar bandh[जालन्धर बन्ध], these are very important yogic kriyas.

4: Sandhi  सन्धि

Most important quality is 'Sandhi' i.e. association.When two words come closer to each other they make an association which changes the form and pronunciation of the combined word. In the changed pronunciation, tongue has to put some special effort. All such efforts are experiments in Acupressure treatment system.

Example: ''इति अहं जानामि" could be spoken in 4 ways and in every type, our speech tool has to make extra effort:

1 इत्यहं जानामि।

2 अहमिति जानामि।

3 जानाम्यहमिति ।

4 जानामीत्यहम्।

 

In all of the above pronunciations, the acupressure system is working. As a result it keeps mind, intellect and entire body healthy.

That is why it is also called 'dev vaani', because just by reciting you can have 'divyata' and you'll become 'devta' and whatever a devta speaks is called dev vaani :)

 

भारतमाता की जय !

Courtesy: Vinay Kumar Jha

__._,_.___

.

COPING WITH STRESS

PowerPoint presentation of the talk at NAL Officers Club 

WHAT  IS  STRESS

—Eustress and Distress

—Response to sudden or disagreeable change

—Outcome of imbalance between demands and resources where pressure/demands exceeds perceived ability/resources to cope

—Perception of stressor, not stressor per say

—Response/Outcome: Anxiety(worry) and Depression(sad, helpless, sleepless)

—Bodily Reactions: Sympathetic over activation
 

CAUSES  OF  STRESS

—Needs – Goals – Barriers – Detours

—Frustration and Conflict

—Fight  - Flight Reactions

—Aggression: Internal/External; On Self/Others

COPING WITH STRESS: INEFFECTIVE/UNHEALTHY WAYS

—“Defense Mechanisms”- Excessive/Exclusive – Rationalization, Projection, Displacement. Regression, Denial, Fantasy …

—Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer

—Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities

—Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems

—Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

                                                                                 (Contd.)

COPING WITH STRESS: INEFFECTIVE/UNHEALTHY WAYS

—Procrastinating

—Smoking

—Drinking too much

—Overeating or under eating

—Using pills or drugs to relax      

—Sleeping too much

COPING WITH STRESS: EFFECTIVE/HEALTHY WAYS

Change the situation:  Avoid the stressor. Alter the stressor.

    

Change your reaction: Adapt to the stressor. Accept the stressor.

COPING: AVOID UNNECESSARY STRESS

—Learn how to say “no”

—Avoid people who stress you out 

—Take control of your environment 

—Avoid hot-button topics 

—Pare down your to-do list 

COPING: ALTER THE SITUATION

—Express your feelings instead of bottling them up.

—Be willing to compromise.

—Be more assertive. 


 Manage your time better. 

COPING: ADAPT TO THE STRESSOR

—Reframe problems.

—Look at the big picture. 

—Adjust your standards.

  Focus on the positive. 

COPING: ACCEPT  THE UNCHANGEABLE

—Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.

—Look for the upside.

  Share your feelings.
  Learn to forgive. 

COPING WITH STRESS:  DAILY CHORES

DO’S:

—Sleep  Enough

—Work  out  Anger

—Talk Out Worry

—Eat Right: avoid salt, sugar and fat. Take more of  fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

—Manage Time Wisely

—Take a Break

COPING WITH STRESS: DAILY CHORES

DON’T’S:

—Alcohol  –  masks but not erases

—Caffeine – energy without rest

—Nicotine – speed up BP, HR, hinder coping

—Narcotics – Dependency

—Tranquillizers – chemicals

—Barbiturates – chemicals

COPING WITH STRESS:  RELAXATION

—Progressive Muscular relaxation

—Yogic Exercise for Relaxation

—‘Mental’ Exercise for Relaxation - Visualization

COPING WITH STRESS: MEDITATION

Three P’s:

Place, Posture and ‘Passive’ attitude

Three R’s:

Relaxation, Respiration and Repetition of mantra

         ===