Nursery ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಹ-ಕಾರ ಅ-ಕಾರಗಳ , ಲ-ಕಾರ ಳ-ಕಾರಗಳ  ಹಾಗೂ ನ-ಕಾರ ಣ-ಕಾರಗಳ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸವನ್ನು ಕಲಿಸಲು ಹೀಗೊಂದು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಕೆಳಗೆ ತೋರಿಸಿರುವ ಪುಟ್ಟ ವಾಕ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಮಗಳು ಬೇಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಒತ್ತು ಕೊಡುತ್ತ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಾಗ, ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಯಶಸ್ವಿ ಆಗುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದೆ.

ಹಕ್ಕಿ ಅಕ್ಕಿ ತಿಂದಿತು
ಹಾಲು ಹಾಳು ಆಯಿತು
ಅಣ್ಣ ಅನ್ನ ತಿಂದ
ಅಣ್ಣ ಹಣ್ಣು ತಿಂದ
ಹೊಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಲ್ಲು ಇದೆ
ಆನೆ ಹಾರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ
ಹಕ್ಕಿ ಹಾರುತ್ತದೆ

ಈ ರೀತಿ ಸಣ್ಣ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ  ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನೂ ಕಲಿಸಲು formal methods ಏನಾದರು ಇವೆಯ ?

It was not that I was blind to the drawbacks of education as imparted in government institutions It was apparent to me that it was rotten. Because of the medium of instruction being a foreign language, it involved colossal waste of energy and time. It could not lead to that natural development of personality which can be so easily attained through proper education given in one’s own language. Obviously our students cannot have much time for thinking and meditating when all the while they are busy memorising the meaning of foreign words. For this reason alone the system is wasteful. It is not wrong to learn a foreign language. It is good to learn one, particularly today when knowledge of at least one European language has become almost obligatory. But to study a language in order to acquire a working knowledge of it is one thing and to learn every subject through its medium is another. So I have always expressed my opposition to making a foreign tongue the medium of instruction but not to learning it for its own sake. The British had their reasons for making Indians learn their language. They wanted a class of people who could work for and co-operate with them; they wanted to create a privileged class of Indians who would be like Englishmen in their thinking and outlook. They wanted another cheaper class which could do all the work in the offices in English. They thought that if they could get English-knowing men to assist them they would be saved the bother of learning the Indian languages themselves. It was this policy that formed the foundation of our system of education. Of course, the system did produce men of independent thought and action. But they formed an exception and the rule was clerks and office-workers who thought they had got the reward for their education.

More from same autobiography:

At one of the meetings in Orissa, Gandhiji was asked why he was so much against English education when men like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Lokamanya Tilak and he himself, who were the products of that very education, had risen to great heights. Gandhiji, in his characteristic manner, replied: “I am a mere nonentity. But as for Lokamanya, he would have been a much greater man had he not been forced to study through the medium of English, a foreign tongue. Where do Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Lokamanya stand in comparison with Shankaracharya, Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh and Kabir ? They had in their days none of the communication facilities that we enjoy today. Even then they were able to revolutionize the world of thought.”

Now to current generation: (From Deccan Herald of 11 Dec 2011)

“I decided to learn English at India International Centre in New Delhi, where a function was organized on November 14 to felicitate me. It was a happy occasion where Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh honoured me. But at the same time, I felt lonely and isolated at the function because, barring me, everyone else was conversing in English. I felt small,” rued Sushil. “It was then and there that I decided that if one has to earn dignity, one should have a good knowledge of English,” added Sushil, who has recently appointed the brand ambassador of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

If you remember Sushil Kumar rose into fame recently after he won 1 crore rupees in a TV show.

The most largest and easiest to photograph are birds which I think are cow egrets. These keep following the cows that come near my home everyday for grazing.

My work room window opens into a vacant site which has a few Sapodilla (Chikko, Sapota) trees . (This locality was apparently a farm land earlier). These trees are favourite hangouts for some beautiful tiny birds (around 3 inches in length).  I am not qualified yet to identify the names of these birds. Here are some pics of them taken from inside my window with fullest possible zoom of my camera.

Here is another tiny one on the roadside parthenium plant.

Along with Mainas, there is another kind of bird, roughly as same size as Maina which comes in groups of 8 to 10. These are quite fearless of humans and provide some photographic opportunities.

Another bird which allows itself to be photographed fairly easily is what we call ಕೆಂಭೂತ in Kannada.

Parrot is one bird which sounds so common, but I hardly remember seeing it anywhere else than in zoos. Photographing this bird was difficult since it hardly remained at one place at a time. And most of the times, it blended so well with the green foilage that it was hard to spot.

This black bird is so often mentioned in various books and poems, but I should confess that I saw this for the first time. It look exactly like a crow, but slightly smaller in size with distinctive red eyes. One could easily ignore this as a crow, but this is the Koel. I was observing it for quite a few days without knowing it as koel, until I heard it calling out, which was unmistakably koel’s sound.  I had read the comparison between crow and koel in the form of poems and stories in the childhood and I was glad to experience it and verify it first hand.  One such saying in Sanskrit comes to mind: को भेदः काक-पिकयोः ? वसंतकाले संप्राप्ते काकः काकः पिकः पिकः | (which roughly translates as this: What’s the difference b/n crow and koel ? When Spring arrives, crow will be crow and koel will be koel)

Here is an other elusive one.

I never knew there were cuckoos which are not black in colour like the below one:

This one posed for the photograph without much hesitation.

Kingfishers are regular visitors to my home given the proximity to the lake.

So moving into this new neighbourhood has been an interesting experience.  There are many other birds which have remained still elusive for my camera, I wish I had a better camera to do full justice to the beauty of these birds!

I would say yes…

I was just creating some stuff for my kid on the fly and the 1st half of this poem came out spontaneously.  With a bit of additional effort, here I am with my 1st rhymes.

ಚಿಟ್ಟೆಯ ಹಾಡು

ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಬಣ್ಣದ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಎಲ್ಲಿಂದ  ಬಂದಿರುವೆ ? || 1||

ರೆಕ್ಕೆಯ  ಬಡಿಯುತ
ಮೀಸೆಯ  ತಿರುವುತ
ಹಾರುತ  ಏರುತ
ಇಳಿಯುತ  ಅಲೆಯುತ
ಕಾಡಿಂದ  ಬಂದಿರುವೆ || 2||

ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಬಣ್ಣದ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಏನನ್ನು  ಕಂಡಿರುವೆ ? || 3 ||

ಬಾನಿನಲ್ಲಿ  ಹಕ್ಕಿಯ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಬ್ಯಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ  ಕೋಣವ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಬಿದುರಿನಲ್ಲಿ  ಆನೆಯ  ಕಂಡೆ
ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ  ಆಮೆಯ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಕಾಡನು  ದಾಟಿ  ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೆ  ಬಂದೆ || 4 ||

ಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ  ಮಂದಿಯ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಅಂಗಳದಲ್ಲಿ  ಮಕ್ಕಳ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಮಕ್ಕಳ  ಆಟವ  ಕಾಣುತ  ನಿಂದೆ
ಹಿತ್ತಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ  ಆಕಳ  ಕಂಡೆ
ಆಕಳ  ಕರೆಯುವ  ತಂಗಿಯ  ಕಂಡೆ || 5 ||

ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಬಣ್ಣದ  ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಏತಕೆ  ಬಂದಿರುವೆ ? || 6 ||

ಹೂವಿನ  ಮಧುವನು  ಹೀರಲು  ಬಂದೆ
ಹಣ್ಣಿನ  ಸಿಹಿಯನು  ಸವಿಯಲು  ಬಂದೆ
ವಿಧವಿಧ  ಬಣ್ಣದ  ಹೂವನು  ಕಂಡೆ
ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ  ಸೊಗಸಿಗೆ  ಬೆರಗಾಗಿ  ನಿಂದೆ || 7 ||

This is a boy who was dancing at a street corner to raise funds for his band’s travel to compete at a dance competition!

This was another performer seen playing at Manner’s Street. It wasn’t sure if she was playing for money or just for pleasure of playing

A drummer seeking money by his performance at Manner’s St.

Another money-seeking performance at Manner’s mall

An interesting puppet show seen at Cuba St.

This is probably one of the most common and widely recited shlokas in Indian households and schools. As can be seen, it is very simple; but at the same time, it is often written and recited wrongly.

The above can be re-written after splitting the sandhis as below:

गुरुः ब्रह्मा गुरुः विष्णुः गुरुः देवः महेश्वरः |
गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ||

Here are some examples of common mistakes done in this shloka:

गुरुः looses विसर्ग and becomes just गुरु

and hence, गुरुर्ब्रह्मा or गुरुः ब्रह्मा becomes गुरु ब्रह्मा (similarly with विष्णुः and महेश्वरः)

गुरुस्साक्षात् or गुरुः साक्षात्  becomes गुरुसाक्षात् or गुरुर्साक्षात्

गुरवे  very commonly becomes गुरुवे
(Note that when saluting, चतुर्थी विभक्ति is used for whom salutations are done. चतुर्थी विभक्ति form of गुरु is गुरवे)

परब्रह्म becomes परं ब्रह्म or परब्रह्मा or परब्रह्मः
(Note that in “गुरुः ब्रह्मा”, ब्रह्मा is the प्रथमा विभक्ति एकवचन form of पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine gender) ब्रह्मन् शब्दः which goes as  ब्रह्मा, ब्रह्माणौ, ब्रह्माणः ‘while in “परब्रह्म” it is the नपुंसकल्लिङ्ग (Neuter gender) form of ब्रह्मन् which goes as ‘ब्रह्म, ब्रह्मणी, ब्रह्माणि’. ब्रह्मा is used to denote the 1st God of the Trinity (Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara), but परब्रह्म is used to denote the Supreme Brahman.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಶ್ಲೋಕವನ್ನು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಹೀಗೆ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು:

ಗುರು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಗುರು ವಿಷ್ಣು  ಗುರು ದೇವೋ ಮಹೇಶ್ವರಃ |
ಗುರು ಸಾಕ್ಷಾತ್ ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ತಸ್ಮೈ  ಶ್ರೀಗುರುವೇ ನಮಃ ||

ಮೂಲ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಶ್ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿದಾಗ ಇದು ಅಶುದ್ಧ ಎನಿಸಿದರೂ, ಕನ್ನಡದ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಇದು almost ಸರಿಯೆನ್ನಬಹುದು! ಗುರುವೇ (ಗುರವೇ ಗೆ ಬದಲಾಗಿ) ಎಂದು ತಪ್ಪಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಿದರೂ, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಇದು ಸರಿ. (ಇನ್ನೂ ಸರಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಗುರುವಿಗೆ ನಮಃ ಎನ್ನಬೇಕು, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಹಾಗೆ ಚತುರ್ಥೀ ವಿಭಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ)

1. After getting up in the morning, looking at the arms:
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती |
करमूले स्थिता गौरी प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ||
[Lakshmi resides at the end of the arms, Saraswati in the middle and Gowri at the base. (Hence need to) look at the arms in the morning]

2. When you step on the Mother Earth:
समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले |
विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ||
[Vishnu's wife Mother Earth has ocean as her clothes, mountains as her chest.  Devi, pardon me for stepping on you]

3. To be chanted during morning times seeking a good beginning for the day from Trinity and Navagrahas:
ब्रह्मा मुरारिस्त्रिपुरान्तकश्च भानुः शशी भूमिसुतो बुधश्च |
गुरुश्च शुक्रः शनिराहुकेतवः कुर्वन्तु सर्वे मम सुप्रभातम् ||
[Trinity and nine planets, brighten my day]

4. While taking bath:
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति |
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरु ||
[Hey Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Sarsaswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri - please be part of this water]

Note the use of गोदावरि सरस्वति कावेरि – here you are addressing these rivers. These should not be be pronounced as गोदावरी सरस्वती कावेरी. The former are in संबोधन प्रथमा विभक्ति and the latter are in प्रथमा विभक्ति.

5. Before starting a meal:
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्करप्राणवल्लभे |
ज्ञानवैराग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति ||
[Hey Annapoora Parvati, grant me Bhiksha for getting knowledge and Vairagya/renunciation]

6. After lighting evening’s light/Deepa:
दीपमूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा दीपमध्ये जनार्दनः |
दीपाग्रे  शङ्करः प्रोक्तः संध्याज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ||
[Brahma resides at the end of the flame, Vishnu in the middle and Maheshwara at the base.  Salutations to evening's light]

7. When receiving teertha (holy water):
शरीरे जर्जरीभूते व्याधिग्रस्ते कलेवरे |
औषधं जाह्नवीतोयं वैद्यो नारायणो हरिः ||
[When the body is sick and suffering, Water from Ganga is the medicine and Lord Narayana is the doctor]

8. Before going to bed:
रामं स्कन्दं हनूमन्तं वैनतेयं वृकोदरम् |
शयने यः स्मरेन्नित्यं दुःस्वप्नस्तस्य नश्यति ||
[Those who remember Rama, Shanmukha/Skanda, Hanuman, Garuda and Bheema before sleeping will not get bad dreams]

I am sure there are many such Shlokas which are useful in daily life for various situations. Let me know if you know other such Shlokas.

• ನದಿಯಿಂದ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿದೆ (2 km ಇರಬಹುದು)
• ಉರುಳು ಹಾಕುವವರಿಗೆ ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾದಿರಿಸಿದ ಜಾಗದ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಯಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ದಾರಿಯೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇನು ವಿಸ್ತಾರವಿಲ್ಲ.
• ವಾಹನಗಳೂ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಸಂಚರಿಸುವುದರಿಂದ, ಉರುಳುವವರ ತಲೆ ಕೈ ಕಾಲು ವಾಹನದಡಿ ಬಂದರೂ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ.
• ಕಂಡಕಂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಉಗುಳಿರುವುದರಿಂದ, ಉರುಳು ಹಾಕುವವರು ಉಗುಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಉರುಳದೆ ವಿಧಿಯಿಲ್ಲ.
• ಉರುಳುವಾಗ ಅನೇಕರು ವಾಂತಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಅದನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಸ್ವಚ್ಛ ಮಾಡುವವರಿಲ್ಲದೆ, ಭಕ್ತರಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಷ್ಟ ಆಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.

ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ತಲುಪಿದಾಗ, ಸ್ಥಳದ greatness ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಧ್ವನಿ ವರ್ಧಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೀಗೆ ಪ್ರಸಾರವಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು – “… ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಭಕ್ತರು ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ… ಸಚಿನ್ ತೆಂಡೂಲ್ಕರ್ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು… ಈ ಮಂತ್ರಿ ಮಹೋದಯರೂ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು….”. ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲಾ ದೊಡ್ಡ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ, ಉರುಳು ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡುವ ಭಕ್ತರಿಗೆ, ಇಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಕನಿಷ್ಠ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಯೇ ಎಂದು ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಆಗದೆ ಇರಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳಿರುವವರು ಉರುಳು ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಅಷ್ಟು  ಕಷ್ಟ ಸಹಿಸಿದವರಿಗೆ ಇದೇನು ಮಹಾ ಕಷ್ಟ ಏಂಬ ಧೋರಣೆಯೇ ?

ಜೊತೆಗೆ ದಾಸರ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಪದದ ನೆನಪಾಯಿತು – “ದಾರಿ ಯಾವುದಯ್ಯ ವೈಕುಂಠಕೆ ದಾರಿ ತೋರಿಸಯ್ಯ”. ಇದನ್ನು ಮೇಲೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿದ ಮಹನೀಯರು ಹಾಡಿದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬಹುದು ಎಂದು ಯೋಚಿಸಿದಾಗ ನಗು ಬಂತು – “ದಾರಿ ಯಾವುದಯ್ಯ ವೈಕುಂಡಕೆ ದಾರಿ ತೋರಿಸಯ್ಯ” ಎಂದು ದಾರಿ ಕೇಳಿದವನ ಪಾಡು ಏನೆಂದು! ದಾಸರ ಈ ಜಟಿಲ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ದೊರೆಯಲು ಅನೇಕ ಜನ್ಮಗಳು ಬೇಕಗಿರುವಾಗ, ಹೀಗೆ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯನ್ನೇ ಸರಿ ಕೇಳದಿದ್ದರೆ ಏನು ಅವಸ್ಥೆ ಎಂದು!