tkm]m\w A Family-Magazine from Seva darshan Kuwait

Volume 1 bpKm_vZw þ 5113 sshimJw Issue 2 15th May, 2011

Contact for more information: Seva Darshan, Kuwait - INDEMB/KWT/ASSN/150

Sevadarshan@gmail.com
Sopanam E-Magazine - (For members circulation only)
 kp`mjnXd
Subashitam

""[rXn £am ZtamƒkvtXbw

iuNan{µnb \n{Klx
[oÀhnZym kXyat{Imt[m
ZiIw [À½e£Ww''
AÀ°w
ss[cyw, £a, a\Êns\ \nb{´n¡pI, IÅw sN¿mXncn¡pI, ]hn{XX,
C{µnb \n{Klw, hnthI_p²n, hnZy, kXyw, At{Im[w F¶nh ]¯pw
[À½¯nsâ e£WamWv.

Amritha Vachanam AayX hN\w

A`ypZb¯n\pw \n:t{iÊn\pw ImcWambXv GsXm¶mtWm AXmWv [À½w. CXpXs¶bmWv [À½¯nsâ

AÀ°hpw. CXv kamPs¯ hyhØtbmSpw kpJt¯mSpw GIkq{X_ÔnXam¡n \nÀ¯p¶p F¶Xv FÃmhÀ¡pw
Adnbmhp¶ Imcyw Xs¶bmWv. AXmbXv sFlnIPohnXs¯ kIekuIcy§tfmSpw IqSn kpJ k¼¶am¡n
hyànIsf arKobXbn \n¶pw a\pjyXz¯nte¡pw AXnÂ\n¶v ssZhoIKpW§Ä t\Sn tam£¯ntebv¡pw
Dbcm³ t{]cW\ÂIp¶Xpw, A\pIqe ]cnX:ØnXnbn \n¶pw t\«ap¡m³ klmbn¡p¶XpamWv [À½w.
a\pjy³ kz`mhnIambnXs¶ Hcp kmaqlyPohnbmWv. `qanbnseÃmbnShpw a\pjy³ Häbms\t¸mse IgnbmsX
Iq«mbn Pohn¡p¶p. AXmbXv Hcp kamPambv¯oÀ¶v ]ckv]cm{ibt¯msS Ah\v Pohnt¡Ênhcp¶p. AXn\mÂ
Htcmcp¯À¡pw X§fpsS PohnXw \nÀ`bhpw, kpJIchpwam¡m³ ]ckv]cw kulrZhpw klhÀ¯nXzhpw BßobXb­
pw ]peÀt¯ÊXv AXymhiyamb ImcyamWv. Asæn AhyhØbp­ÊmhpIbpw hyàn¡v Xsâ hnImk¯n\\pkcn¨v
e`nt¡­Ê im´n Hcn¡epw e`n¡msXbpw hcpw. sFloIPohnX¯n hyàn kamP¯n\v ASnas¸«ncn¡p¶Xpaqew
kamP¯n\v D¶Xnbp­ÊmIp¶tXmsSm¸w hyàn¡pw A{XXs¶ DbÀ¨bpw D­ÊmIpIp¶p. kamP¯nsâ D¶Xnsb¶p
]dªm AXn\À°w NnecpsS ku`mKy]qÀ®amb PohnXw F¶Ã. adn¨v Htcm hyànbv¡pw Ahsâ _p²n¡pw
iàn¡pw A\pkcn¨v PohnX kpJ§Ä ]camh[n e`n¡pI, Htcmcp¯À¡pw Xsâ DbÀ¨¡mbn ]camh[n Ahkc
hpw AX\pkcn¨pÅ kpJhpw e`n¡pI F¶XmWv. kIeÀ¡pw C§s\ kpJw e`n¡phm\pÅ hyhØbp­
ÊmIpt¼mgmWv kamPw kphyhØnXambncn¡pI.

2 Sopanam - May 2011


T his is our second edition of Sopanam. We hope
our inaugural edition was heartily welcomed by
all and the contributed articles were encouraging.
The people of Bharath live by examples. Our
civilization and culture is held on a strong foundation
laid by the sacrifices and lives of great sages and saints
who lived their life for the betterment of our nation and
its people. The Bharateeyan philosophy which serves
as a guiding light in today’s world is the result of a
continuing process of thought and study initiated by
the great Maha Rishis and continued by their disciples.
Our great scientists, thinkers, artists, social reformers
and rulers have also contributed to this process by way
of their work and setting living examples.
In the present era it becomes the duty of every
Bharateeyan to carry forward this bright light of
enlightenment provided to us by our ancestors. In a
human life time it may not be possible to study all of
our great scriptures. Every bharateeyan must be able to
study the essences of our great culture and civilization
by learning and following the teaching and lives of the
various Mahatmas who have lived and are living for
the upliftment of Dharma of the whole world.
Sri Sankaracharya who explained to us the Advaitha
philosophy, told us that God exists in every living
Editorial Board
Krishna Kumar Paliath
Manoj Nair
Vibheesh Tikkodi
Redhish Chandran
Gayatri Raveendran
Data Management
Ajaykumar Anjaneyam
Rani B. Basker
Sindhu Sanjith
Aneesh Kumar. U
Ajith Kumar. S
Baburaj. M. P.
Suresh Varickolil
Roopesh R. Souparnika
Reshmi Sudheer
Creative & Design
Sreenivasan C.P.
Rajesh R. Nair
Sunil Pookode
Rajesh Prashanthi
For Comments, Submissions &
Subscriptions please write to
email : vbkuwait@gmail.com
Sopanam - May 2011
Editorial
creature including ones own self. He told the society
to move away from the rigid caste system and said the
urge to learn the scriptures was more important than the
birth right to do so. He travelled across the country and
established four centers of learning in Puri, Sringeri,
Dwaraka and Badri. Thus being the stepping stone to
social reform by national integration of people from all
parts of the country.
Sri Buddha brought the concept of non – violence to
the world, which is becoming more and more relevant
in today’s world, gripped by war, distress and pain. The
Buddha taught us to live a peaceful life of meditation
and ahimsa. He even inspired the great King Ashoka,
who built a great empire living by example of his
gurus’ teachings.
Chathrapathy Shivaji came to us during the dark
times of our history when the nation was subjugated
to shameful slavery by foreign aggressors. He was
able to rise up from with a defeated society by his
unique leadership qualities to become king of one of
the strongest kingdoms of our nation. He lived a moral
life and used his intelligence and a strong resolve to
achieve his lifelong ambition – freedom of his nation
from the Mughals. He led an important role in proving
that the people would stand together to protect the
integrity of the country when needed.
Sri. Rabindranath Tagore showcased the great cultural
advancement and achievements of Bharath to the whole
world. His works have inspired thousands of people
across the country and his poems are sung far and wide
till this day. His works crossed the language barriers of
an ancient nation that was ruled by many dynasties and
divided into different provinces. He was able to torch a
fire in the heart of the revolutionaries who later fought
to unite the nation against the British.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s initiative of doing seva and
providing resources to the needy is a beacon of change
that needs to be carried forward by us for the next
generation.
Our nation can move forward only by the selfless
contribution by every citizen to the prosperity of our
nation and the world. The society’s initiatives like the
fight against corruption, the animal and environment
protection campaigns are a welcome change that needs
to be appreciated.
Most importantly we welcome the active participation
of the youth of Bharath in these programmes and wish
all citizens will draw inspiration from the life of these
immortals...
3
kmwkvImcnIw
Cultural
kky§fnepw Cu {]]©w apgph³ Xs¶ AXnsâ
`mcXob ZÀi\§Ä BhnjvImc§fmWv. AXpsImÊv `mcXobÀ Ahs­
þ HchtemI\w bÃmw Xs¶ ]hn{XambnIÊv Bcm[n¡p¶p.
at\mPv. Fw. \mbÀ F¶m Bßmhns\ ]caambn ImWpt¼mgpw
`mcXw Hcn¡epw `uXoIPohnXs¯ AhKWn¨nÃ.
kl{km_vZ§fmbn {]IrXnbn \n¶pw e`n¨ `uXoIPohnXw iàambncp¶¦n am{Xsa a\
A\p`hk¼¯nsâ hniIe\§fneqsSbmWv pjy\p B[ymßnIambn Dbcm³ km[n¡pIbpÅp
C´y³ ZmÀi\oIX cq]w sImÊXv. AXn{]mNo\ F¶v `mcXw hnizkn¡p¶p.
hpw, {]mIrXhpw AÔhnizmk PSnehpamWv `mcXob `uXnIimkv{X§sf hfÀ¯p¶Xn\p euIo­
XXzNn´sb¶v Bt{Imin¡p¶hcpsS F®w IPohnXhnPbw ]qÀ®am¡p¶Xn\pw `mcXw
GXm\pw hÀj§Ä¡p ap¼phsc hfsc thÊ{X{i² sNep¯n.
IqSpXembncp¶p. F¶m C¶p Ime­ a\pjysâbpw aäp PohPme§fpsSbpw {]
KXn amdnbncn¡p¶p. `mcXob k¦ev]§fpw bXv\§Ä BXy´nIamb kpJ¯n\pthÊn
PohnXZÀi\§fpw GhÀ¡pw kzoImcyambn hcp¶p. BbXn\mÂ, kpJw F¶m F´msW¶pw AXv
imkv{Xkaqlw `mcXob ZÀi\§fnse F§s\ BÀPn¡Wsa¶papÅ [mcWbmWv
am\knIhpw, imcocnIhpw a\imkv{X]chpw `mcXob PohnXZÀi\§fpsS ASnØm\]mTw.
kmaqlnIhpw Bßobhpamb hi§fpsS ImemIme§fnembn `mcX `qJWvU¯net§mfan
ip²imkv{X`mKw At\zjn¨nd§nbncn¡pIbmWv. t§mfapÅ hnhn[ P\hn`m§sf {]mtZinI§fmb
DuÀÖX{´ imkv{XÚ³ amcmWv kmwkvImc§fneqsSbpw knÔm´§fneqsSbpw
`uXoIimkv{X ]T\KthjW§fpsS A´y¯m Dcn¯ncnª s]mXphmb XXzimkv{Xw `mcXob
`mcXobXXzimkv { X§fne´Àeo\ambncn¡p¶ kwkvImc¯nsâbpw Pohn¯nsâbpw FÃm taJeIf­
BZyimkv{X _nμphnse¯nbXv. {^nUvtPm^v nepw hym]n¡pIbpw P\§fn cqVamb Hcp kzm[n\
Im{]nbpw, FUnMvSWpw, sF³Ìo\pw, slbvU³_ iànbmbn¯ocpIbpw sNbvXp. Imem´c¯nÂ
ÀKpw, tdm_À«vtlmbepw, Peob{]tKmPn\pw, Cu ] AXv "k\mX\ [À½w' F¶p Adnbs¸Sphm³
ÙmhneqsS k©cn¨p `mcXobZÀi§sf `uXoI XpS§n.
imkv{X KthjW§fneqsS A\p`hn¨dnªhcnÂ
"k\mX\w' F¶ hm¡n\p \nXyw, imizXw,
NnecmWv.
`qXþhÀ¯am\þ`mhn F¶o aq¶pIme§fnepw \ne\
Imew Ignbpt´mdpw Ejnt{]mà§fmb Cu n¡p¶Xv Fs¶ms¡ A°apÊv. {XoIme§fnepw
Nn´m[mcIsf¡pdn¨v Chsct¸msebpÅ A\h[n km[phmbXv k\mX\w. "[À½w' F¶ hm¡n\v
imkv{XÚamÀ hniIe\w sNbvXhXcn¸n¨ hnizs¯ [cn¸n¡p¶Xv F¶mWÀYw [cn¡pI
ZrjvSm´§Ä km[mcW¡mÀ¡pIqSn F¶À°apÅ "[r' F¶ [mXphn \n¶mWv Cu ]
hyàambnhcp¶pÊv. Zw DÊmbXv. ""[cbnXn CXn [À½''- temI¯nepÅ
a\pjy³ t\cnSp¶ FÃm{]iv\§Ä¡pw ] GsXm¶nt\bpw AXm¡n\ne\nÀ¯p¶Xv GtXm
cnlmcw ]mÝmXyimkv{XamsW¶ "sskânk AXmWv AXnsâ "[À½w'. kaØ {]h©s¯bpw
hmZw' Ccp]Xmw \qämÊnsâ Bcw`¯n \ne\nÀ¯p¶Xv [À½amWv. \ne\nÂ]v GXp
iàambncp¶psh¦nepw IrXyw Hcp \qämÊn\ sImÊmIp¶pthm AXv [À½w. k\Xm\ [À½w
ptijw `mcXobNn´m[mc B[p\nIimkv{X¯nsâ kmÀÆeuIoIamWv. {]h©¯n FÃmbnS¯pw
\·IfS¡w kzoIcn¨psImÊv Hcp ka{Kamb Hcp {] [À½w H¶p Xs¶bmWv. AXpsImÊp k\mX\
iv\]cnlmc t^mÀaqe krjvSn¨ncn¡p¶p. [À½w hniz[ÀamsW¶p a\knem¡Ww AXp a\
`mcXob Nn´m[mcbpsS apJap{Z pjyXzamWv. [À½anÃm¯ a\pjy³ arKXpey\mWv
B[ymßoIXbmWv. A\mZnbpw A\´hpamb ""[Àt½W lo\: ]ip`n: kam\:'' F¶mWv {]
Bßmhnt\¡pdn¨pÅ [mcWbmWv `mcXob amWw.
PohnX ZÀi\¯nsâ ASnØm\w. ]cnanXamb
icoc¯n\¸pdw A]cnanXamb Bßmhns\
bmWv `mcXw ImWp¶Xv. a\pjycnepw, arK§fnepw

4 Sopanam - May 2011


Buddha Pournami
Aneesh Kumar. U
Buddha Poornima, which falls on the full moon night
in the month of Vaisakha (either in April or May),
commemorates the birth anniversary of Sree Buddha,
One of the greatest spiritual teachers of mankind which
Bharat has produced is undoubtedly, Buddha- Edwin
Arnold has fittingly called him the “Light of Asia”.
Buddha’s message has traveled far and wide and captured
the hearts and minds of billions of people outside Bharat
also.
Siddhartha, who came to be known as Gautama Buddha,
undertook various spiritual practices in order to realize
his true Self. He studied the Vedas and sacred texts. He
met many elderly wise men and tried to know the truth
from them. But none of these practices could show him
the path to Nirvana. Ultimately, he realized that Nirvana
lies in making use of the five senses of speech, touch,
vision, taste and smell in a sacred manner. He understood
that Japa, Dhyana, Yoga, Yajna, etc. were mere physical
activities. These spiritual practices are needed only for
those who are attached to the body. One who abides in
Sopanam - May 2011
A²rmßnId
Spiritualism
the Self need not undertake any of these practices. Today
man aspires to attain Mukthi (liberation). What is Mukthi?
It is not the attainment of a heavenly abode. Mukthi
means freedom from suffering. You need to have Mukthi
at three levels – body, mind and soul. For example, you
are hungry. When you eat food, your hunger is satiated.
This is a kind of Mukthi. Say, you are suffering from a
disease. You take medicine and get cured. This is also
Mukthi. All this is related to the body. At the mental level,
Mukthi means controlling the vagaries of the mind. But
true liberation lies in understanding the principle of the
Atma which neither comes nor goes. This is termed as
Nirvana. One should have Love for God, fear of sin and
morality in society, That is true Nirvana. These spiritual
and moral forces generated by Buddha have strengthened
and enriched culture of Bharath and helped to wean it
from perversions which had set in at that time.
Buddha’s philosophical analysis of the basic problem of
human suffering and misery helped to hold before the
common man a purified and simplified Eight-Fold Path
of Salvation, i.e., the right type of life-view, of intention,
of speech, action, livelihood, effort, frame of mind and
of concentration. The importance of Sree Buddha’s
message, we have to measure from the current world
situation. Sree Buddha is the guru who has propagated
the philosophy of non – violence prescribed in the sacred
scriptures to the whole world. His goal was to help as
many beings as possible live in equanimity, harmony,
and loving kindness. He was against all embracing
belief systems - a position that confounded many of his
contemporaries, and that still puzzles people today who
want to understand what “ism,” what philosophy, he
propounded. The path to liberation for which the Buddha
was spokesman, is not an idea but a mode of conduct and
a way of life that leads to personal realization,
Ultimately, nonviolence is recognition of the simple
facts that the quality of our life is the same as the
quality of our moment-to-moment thoughts and
feelings, and that enmity, hatred, and violence never
improve our state of mind.
"What we are today comes from our
thoughts of yesterday, and our present
thoughts build our life of tomorrow:
Our life is the creation of our mind."
- Sree Buddha
5
 ho£Ww
Views
ENDOSULFAN
THE CHEMICAL NIGHTMARE
Sanjith Krishnan
E ndosulfan is one of the deadliest pesticides
ever known to the human kind. It is the most
dangerous chemical pesticides on the market today
causing immediate and severe health impacts.
Endosulfan is a pesticide used primarily to kill insects
and mites on crops. It can be used on a wide variety
of vegetables and fruits, cotton and ornamental
plants though it has no residential users.
Today, India is the fourth largest producer of
pesticides in the world and the world’s largest
producer and user of Endosuflan. So our farmers
are the biggest users of Endosulfan in the world
and we as end users are the biggest consumers of
it. We produce the insecticide on a large scale and
supply it at highly affordable prices to the world. It
is not therefore surprising that the Government of
India fiercely opposed Endosulfan’s inclusion in the
Stockholm Convention.
Endosulfan spreads widely. It is subject to long
range atmospheric transport. Through rain and fog,
dust and aerosol the largest share of the poison get
released into the atmosphere and pollutes rivers,
lakes, fields and forests.
Aerial spraying of Endosulfan in cashew estates
6 Sopanam - May 2011
of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala has been
linked to hundreds of deaths and disorders among
cashew nut plantation workers and villagers in
the Kasargod province.Endosulfan was the only
pesticide applied to cashew plantations in Kasargod
for 20 years and had contaminated the environment
there. The insecticide was found to be persistent in
the environment for years.
Health surveys under expert supervision had
identified more than 4000 victims in Kasargod
district of Kerala alone, and their numbers are
growing. The survey and accompanying studies
officially confirmed the extent of damage done
by the pesticide which is still being denied by the
Central government. It was surprising that the
Ministers of food, agriculture and environment are
vague in their replies about Endosulfan’s dangerous
effects. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had
declared that a ban would not be imposed on the
killer pesticide until all the States demanded it
and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had
endorsed that declaration. This declaration was
totally invalid as there is mounting evidence from
different countries to support the ban, if the deaths
and sufferings in Kasargod are not enough.
Endosulfan has been extensively used in India and
is one of the prime agents of pesticide poisoning.
Many studies concluded that it has been dreadfully
toxic to humans, animals, fish and other aquatic. The
human effects are largely unknown but tests have
shown that endosulfan is toxic to the nervous system

and can damage the kidney, liver, male reproductive
organs and several times more likely to give birth to
children with autism.
At the Geneva meet of the Stockholm Convention,
a proposal was recommended to ban the production
and use of Endosulfan and other listed pesticides due
to the threat they pose to living beings, particularly
the environment. The Convention unanimously
approved the proposal to ban Endosulfan despite
the open and covert efforts of the official Indian
delegation to defeat it till the last minute. It was
unfortunate and embarrassing that the Government
of India had been turning a blind eye to the obvious
perils of Endosulfan and stubborn in its stance of not
banning it, unlike all other countries on the contrary
is looking for an exemption for this. Domestic
opposition to India’s stand has been growing ever
since. However, the Central government has not
relented.India was not keen to ban endosulfan at the
convention citing ‘absence of close alternatives’.
We stressed that the issue should be decided by
consensus but this was opposed primarily by
Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.
Eventually,we were forced to concurred with the
Stockholm decision.
India’s concern about the need to identify safe and
cost effective alternatives to facilitate phase out of
Endosulfan are also being addressed and accepted.
This would mean that India can continue to use
Endosulfan as a broad spectrum pesticide for at least
11 years.
Now that the decision to ban Endosulfan globally
has been taken, India — like other countries — must
work towards making the environment poison-free
so that our future generations do not have to suffer
like the victims of this pesticide in Kasargod. There
are many such pesticides and each one of them needs
to be identified, with the help of scientific evidence,
and banned forever from being used for growing the
food we eat.
Sopanam - May 2011
ho£Ww
Views
We should take steps to explore how other countries
which have banned Endosulfan have developed
substitutes. Perhaps we need to tap into the native
wisdom of our own farmers and include them in the
hunt for a safe and cost-effective alternative. The
government has a duty to see that neither farmers nor
consumers are excessively burdened by a decision
taken for the greater common good.
There are many traditional and natural
methods that were used in the olden days.
The government should take measures
to explore such options and educate our
farmers about it. The production and use
of organic fertilizers and chemicals should
be promoted in a large scale. This can
thus result in healthy yield of crops and
thereby reduce the health hazards caused
to the living beings.
This deadly chemical nightmare must be replaced by
an environment friendly, affordable alternative. The
manufacturers and the politicians should formulate
social responsibility and obligation toward the
deprived sections of the society. More profits without
social obligations is disturbing . Let us not close our
eyes and ears to the pain and the cries of the poor
and suffering fellow beings. We shall strive to give
the new generation a healthy future. Join our hands
together to protect our Mother Planet.....
7
 D]\rmkw
Essay
and masterful oratory galvanized the slumbering
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA nation.Vivekananda’s speech at the world parliament
Bharat’s Youth Icon of religion and tour of the United States also had a
- Dr. Sindhu Sudhish revitalizing effect on India. Previously, those who had
gone to the West from India were full of apologies
Excerpts from the Prize Winning Essay on
for the state of their country. He was not. He always
'Swami Vivekananda Bharat's Youth Icon' .
Conducted by Vichar Bharathi, Kuwait on the spoke about his country with pride and respect. Thus,
occasion of Vivekananda Jayanthi Celebration 2011 his work in the West instilled self-respect and self-
confidence in the Indian psyche and helped India in

I ndia has one of largest youth population in the

world today. Indian youth has the power to make
our country from developing nation to a developed
its search for identity. It also helped to overcome the
stereotypes and deep-rooted prejudices about India in
Westerners’ minds.
nation. But today’s youth definitely lack a role model
Through the inspiring and profoundly significant
or icon, whom they can look up to, whose ideas are
lectures Swamiji attempted to do the following:
impressive enough to help them advance in life in a
world full of competition. Icon means a charismatic • to rouse the religious consciousness of the people
person who can draw a good following and provide and create pride in them about their cultural
them an ideal and identity. For the last three-quarters heritage;
of a century, India has been bubbling over with reform
societies and reformers. But what makes Swami
Vivekananda unique is the fact that whatever he
preached and practiced a century ago is still relevant
in the techno era.

Youth are the real sculptors of the nation and Swami

Vivekananda rightly called the youth "The Real Power
of the Nation". According to Swamiji, development
of a strong nation demands youth possessing steely
will power, mighty determination and tremendous
grit. For this the youth itself must be fully sound and
armor itself with all essential qualities.

Life, teaching and writings of Swami Vivekananda

are still relevant and would be in same relevance for
coming years also, because those teachings are not
lectures but his experience of life. A regal, majestic
figure of commanding presence, vast learning and
deep insight, Swami Vivekananda was barely 30 years
old when he created a stir at the World’s Parliament
of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He showed a beacon
of light to a nation that had lost faith in its ability
under British rule and inspired self-confidence among
Indians that they are second to none. His ringing words

8 Sopanam - May 2011


• to bring about unification of Hinduism by point contribution to make to world culture. In this way he
ing out the common bases of its sects;
• to focus the attention of educated people on the great cultural ambassador to the West.
plight of the downtrodden masses, and to ex
pound his plan for their uplift by the application Swamiji’s thoughts are like an ocean. His principles
of the principles of Practical Vedanta.
Life of Swami Vivekananda was a journey of a person
towards truth and Moksha, the way in which Swamiji
lived his life and gave the direction to his generation
was more than extra ordinary. One important lesson
he claimed to receive from Ramakrishna was that
"Jiva is Shiva" -each individual is divinity itself.
This became his Mantra, and he coined the concept
of daridra narayana seva - the service of God in and
through (poor) human beings. This concept is more
popular now a days give more importance to social
service and spent more money on charity .
Swami Vivekananda paid a great deal of emphasis on
education and self-reliance through education. Long
before the ideas of Karl Marx were known in India,
Swamiji spoke about the role of the laboring classes in
the production of the country’s wealth. Vivekananda
was the first religious leader in India to speak for the
masses, formulate a definite philosophy of service,
and organize large-scale social service. He gave
Indians proper understanding of their country’s great
spiritual heritage and thus gave them pride in their
past. He pointed out the drawbacks of Western culture
and the need for India’s contribution to overcome
these drawbacks. In this way Swamiji made India
a nation with a global mission. Swamiji has taught
Indians how to adapt Western humanism to Indian
ethos, especially the ideas of individual freedom,
social equality and justice and respect for women.
Another great contribution of Swami Vivekananda
was to build a bridge between Indian culture and
Western culture. He made the Western people realize
that they had to learn much from Indian spirituality
for their own well-being. He showed that, in spite
of her poverty and backwardness, India had a great
Sopanam - May 2011
D]\rmkw
Essay
was instrumental in ending India’s cultural isolation
from the rest of the world. In fact he was India’s first
not only motivate and encourage the youth but also
refine and domesticate their minds in order to tread
on the right path. His books like `Youth! Arise, Awake
and Know Your Strength’ are awe inspirational as
they goad the individual to be fearless and develop
the equitable kind of attitude towards life and
society. His speeches mainly target the youth so as
to enable them to understand the real meaning of
life and existence and to allow them to realize their
worth and responsibility towards themselves, parents
and society. Every one of the 20th century Indian
leaders have acknowledged his influence. Prominent
among them are Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra
Bose, C Rajagopalachari & Rabindranath Tagore.
Anna Hazare- The man who’s arguably India’s most
famous Gandhian today was deeply influenced by the
ideology of Swami Vivekananda, whose book; “Call
to the Youth For Nation Building” initiated him to
social service.
“Vivekananda’s call to the youth did not merely
come from his lips but from the depths of his soul.
He felt that the future of India largely depended
on the response he would get from the youth to his
exhortations. That is why he said, “Let India arise!”
India can become a developed nation only if
everyone contributes to the best of his or her
capacity and ability. Youth is wholly experimental
and with the full utilization of the talents of the
Youth, India will become a complete Nation. Let
us hope for the same. So, wonderful and marvelous
is the life of Swami Vivekananda that each and
every individual who aspires to achieve something
in life with a mission and vision should follow his
footsteps and guidelines. Therefore he will forever
remain the `Youth Icon’ of India.
9
 imkv{Xw
Science
Ancient Indian
wisdom stands test
of Science
Ancient Indian wisdom that drinking water should
be stored in brass vessels for good health has now been
proved scientifically.
Microbiologists say water stored in brass containers
could help combat many water-borne diseases. In devel-
oping countries, such containers should be used rather
than their cheaper alternatives, plastic containers, re-
searchers said.
Water-borne diseases remain a serious threat in many
poor regions of the world, with around 2 million chil-
dren dying each year from diarrhoea. Efforts to provide
safe drinking water have had difficulty reaching remote
areas.
Even in places with basic water-purification systems,
people often opt for riskier wells under trees because the
water is cooler, 'Nature' magazine quoted Rob Reed, who
led the research, as saying.
It said on a recent trip to India, Reed, a microbiolo-
gist at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne,
United Kingdom, witnessed villagers doing exactly this.
But he also heard an interesting piece of local wisdom:
people believe that traditional brass water containers of-
fer some protection against sickness. The idea, Nature
added, intrigued Reed, who was in Asia investigating the
anti-bacterial effects of sunlight on water.
10
He has now found that bacteria are indeed less likely
to thrive in brass water pots than in earthenware or plas-
tic ones. "It's one of the traditional ideas of water treat-
ment and we were able to find a microbiological basis for
it," he was quoted as saying.
Reed, with his colleagues Puja Tandon and Sanjay
Chhibber, carried out two series of experiments, 'Nature'
reported.
In Britain, the researchers filled brass and earthen-
ware vessels with a diluted culture of Escherichia coli
bacteria, which can cause illnesses such as dysentery.
They then counted the surviving bacteria after 6, 24 and
48 hours. A similar test was carried out in India using
naturally contaminated water.
The amount of live E coli in the brass vessels dropped
dramatically over time, and after 48 hours they fell to
undetectable levels, Reed told the Society for General
Microbiology's meeting this week in Edinburgh, UK.!
The key to the result is copper, which can disrupt bio-
logical systems, Reed explained. The element interferes
with the membranes and enzymes of cells; for bacteria,
this can mean death.
Pots made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, shed
copper particles into the water they contain. The amounts
that circulate into the brass water vessels could not harm
humans, Reed added.
Even a person drinking 10 litres of such water in a
single day would take in less than the daily-recommend-
ed dose of copper or zinc, Nature quoted the researchers
as saying.
Brass water pots also easily outperformed plastic
ones, the researchers discovered. Plastic, Reed was quot-
ed as saying, did not inactivate the bacteria. But many
people in developing nations use plastic drinking ves-
sels, because they view them as more modern.
Sopanam - May 2011

Guide to Financial
Planning to achieve
financial goals
- Sunil . A.K.
Financial planning means planning savings to meet
your future needs. One of the approaches is goal based
financial planning. This is explained in steps below.
1. Identify future needs – It can be purchasing a
house, Child’s higher education, retirement fund or any-
thing else you choose.
2. Measure the time – Find how long will it take
(3 year / 5 year /20 year), which can be classified as short
term ,medium term and long term.
3. Risk Profiling – How much loss the individual can
bear for the investment. Many investments generate high
returns and are riskier than others.
Example – Investing in fixed deposit of a private
finance firm may yield extra 4% interest compared to
public sector banks, but risk will be high.
Once the goal is identified and time period is calcu-
lated and risk profiling is done, an appropriate invest-
ment portfolio (different types of investments) need to
be constructed.
An individual investor should keep following things
in mind while investing.
a) Diversification-Diversification means holding
different asset class like fixed deposit, gold, real estate,
shares etc. One should avoid holing single asset class
portfolio.
b) Liquidity – It means ease at which asset can be
converted to cash. For example liquidity is high for gold,
but for real estate liquidity is slow. So we should care-
fully analyze the liquidity of our investment.
c) Taxation – Not many investors calculate how
much short term taxes could eat into the returns on their
Sopanam - May 2011
[\Imcrw
Finance
investments.
For retail investor mutual funds are good option for
investing in equities. Fixed deposits (In present scenar-
io) and Gold are good options.One should be careful in
selecting a good mutual fund.
Once an investor has constructed portfolio he/she
should balance it on regular basis. An investor should
analyze whether the individual investments he/she is
holding in each asset class are performing well .If not
change may be required. One should keep in mind that
frequent changes could entail higher transaction expense
and realization of capital gains tax.
In summary, there are two things that are important
to keep in mind while planning your investments
1. Every asset has a risk attached to it. And, the
higher the risk, the higher should be its expected
returns.
2. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
By diversifying across assets, you can reduce your
risk without necessarily having to reduce your returns.
You need to just be aware that if you diversify your
portfolio, your overall portfolio risk will be lower.
Different assets should ideally span across different
asset classes such as fixed deposit, equity, real estate,
gold as well as different investment options within these
asset classes e.g. within equity shares, your exposure
should be to companies in different sectors (Pharma,
Banking, Power, Retail etc).
11
`mcX ZÀi\w
Bharath
Dharshan
Chhatrapati Shivaji
One of the most able administrators and ruler in India
was undoubtedly Chhatrapati Shivaji. He was the founder
of the Maratha Empire in India. With his flawless warrior
skills and unlimited courage, he ruled the Deccan region,
parts of central India and parts of modern day Pakistan
with a firm hand.

Shivaji was born in Shivner on 10th May, 1627 to

Jijabai and Shahji. His father Shahji was a nobleman in
the royal court of Bijapur. Shivaji was named so after Lord
Shiva of the Hindu mythology as his mother was an ardent
Hindu devotee. Since childhood, Shivaji was brave and
never feared anything. There are many instances in his
childhood that show he was a born ruler. At the young age
of fourteen, he had the dream of building his kingdom. At
the age of 20, he took out his very first military attack and
captured the Torna Fort of the kingdom of Bijapur.

After that there was no stopping him and he went on
to capture Kondana and Rajgad forts and exercised full
control over the region of Pune. Around the year 1659,
Shivaji took over the forts in Western Ghats and the ones
near the Konkan coast. In order to disrupt Shivaji's series
of triumphs, Adilshah arrested his father Shahji by unfair
means and sent armies against Shivaji and his elder brother
Sambhaji. However, the armies were no match for the
two strong brothers and were defeated by them and their
father was released. However, Afzal Khan later seized an
opportunity to kill Sambhaji by deceit.
Shivaji was formally crowned Chatrapati ("Chatrapati
= Chief, Head or King of Kshatriyas"), representing the
protection he bestowed on his people) on June 6, 1674 at
the Raigad fort, and given the title Kshatriya Kulavantas
Simhasanadheeshwar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Our modern consciousness often prides itself at the
advancements we and our nation have made in the
recent years. But for heroes we often turn to our past.
These heroes are taken without criticism for they have
lived their lives and set examples for us to follow. Shivaji
Maharaj is a source for inspiration for our youth as he
proved how with dedication and determination from a
very young age, he was able to succeed in fulfilling his
dreams for fighting the foreigners in the country and
becoming a efficient leader.He was a leader and an able
administrator. He is respected by the entire country for
the exemplary life he led.
Shivaji breathed his last in 1680 after suffering from
fever for three whole weeks.

12 Sopanam - May 2011


Bhagavan
Adi Sankaracharya
- Rajarajan Ganesan
Yadaa Yadaa Hi Dharmasya Glaanir Bhavathi Bharata…..
Whenever Adharma raises its ugly head, in our country,
Bharat........
Bhagavan Adi Sankaracharya was born in the state of
Kerala, in the village of Kaladi, in the year 778 A.D. He
mastered the four Vedas, all of the Shastras available
during his period and also completed the study of Tatva
Vedanta by his sixteenth year. He wrote commentaries
on the Brahma Sutra, Ishopanishad, Kenopanishad,
Kathopanishad, Bhagavad Gita, etc.
The success and glory of the life of Adi Sankara is
sung in one sloka:
“Ashta varshe chaturvedi 
Dvaadasae sarva saastravit, 
Shodase kritavaan bhaashyam 
Dvaatrimse munirabhyagaat.”
“At eight, a master of four Vedas  helped national integration become all the
At twelve, a professor of all Shastras,  more effective.
At sixteen, an interpreter and commentator 
At thirty two, a great sage.”
“Brahma Satyam Jagad Mithyaa Jeevo Brahmaiva Na
Aparah” (Brahmam is the Truth, the World is an Illusion)
– This is the essence of the Satchidaananda Svaroopam.
This statement, in a nutshell, captures the essence of the
wisdom of truth realized by Sri Sankara.
Similar to the situation prevailing in the present times,
1200 years ago, our country was in the throes of fanatical
religious wars, the naastika views preached by Jainism,
Buddhism, etc. All these contributed to creating great
confusion in the minds of the people. It was at such a time,
when our Society found itself without able guidance and
direction, that Sri Sankara took birth as a beacon light to
dispel the prevailing darkness.
In a very short period of time, he established peace and
Sopanam - May 2011
`mcX ZÀi\w
Bharath
Dharshan
unity in our country by refuting false doctrines, through
his deep Insight and Bhakti.
After completing his studies under his Guru, Shri Govinda
Bhagavathpaada, he undertook untiring journeys across
the entire length and breadth of Bharat, with his students,
to take head-on the senseless onslaught against the Vedas.
In order to preserve and carry forward the spiritual unity
established by him, Sri Sankara founded four Mathas in
the four directions of our country, Sringeri in the South,
Dwaraka in the West, Badrinath in the North and Puri in
the East and made his eminent Sishyas, the Mathaadipathis.
These four Mathas located at four corners of Bharat
stand today giving a message of national and cultural
unity transcending all the regional and language
barriers. Devout bharateeyans having firm belief in the
Vaidika Dharma have over the centuries religiously and
faithfully followed the directions of the Mathas.
No single individual has done more for
national integration than Adi Sankara. Adi
Sankara travelled all over India, propagating
and unifying the spiritual outlook of the
people. Through discussions, debates and
compositions, he was able to win the hearts of
the people. The unifying force, Samskritham,
After completing his unparalleled work of firmly re-
establishing Vaidika Dharma by his 32nd year, he retired
into a cave of the Himalayas, where he put his worldly
mission to rest.
It is due to the treasure of wisdom given by Bhagavan Adi
Sankara that generations of people down the centuries
have been able to follow the righteous path peacefully and
blissfully.
13
hnjp tkhmZn\w
Vishu Sevadinam

14 Sopanam - May 2011

 hnjp tkhmZn\w
Vishu Sevadinam

Sopanam - May 2011 15

hnjp tkhmZn\w
Vishu Sevadinam

Photo Courtesy : indiansinkuwait.com

16 Sopanam - May 2011

 hmÀ¯IÄ
News

Kuwait: The Seva Darshan family celebrated the

auspicious festival of Vishu on April 15th at the Abbasi-
ya Central school. The programme was attended by over
1300 members and guests. Chief guests of the function,
Sri. Bhaskar Bhatt (Second Secretary, Labor & Informa-
tion, Indian Embassy), Mr. S.K. Wadhawan (Hon.Chair-
man, Indian Business Council Kuwait) and Dr. Narayanan
Nampoory (President, Indian Doctors Forum) delivered
the felicitation addresses. Cultural programs organized
by various units of Sevadarshan Kuwait started off with
patriotic songs. The "Sankaradarshanam" by Farwaniya
Baladarshan, "Krishnayanam" by Salmiya Baladarshan
"Vishu Nritha Silpam " by Abbasiya Baladarshan and
"Kavya Silpam" by Fahaheel Baladarshan were accept-
ed by the audience with huge applause. The traditional
Thiruvathira Kali by the Fahaheel Mathrusamithi added
more color to the show. On the auspicious occasion of
Vishu, the family members of Sevadarshan gave their
"Vishukaineetam" as a "Samarpanam" for the betterment
of scores of lesser fortunate children and elderly people
in Kerala. Seva Darshan expresses its heartfelt thanks to
all the people and media personal who helped this pro-
gramme become a great success.

Abbasiya: The Bala Darshan unit of Abbasiya

handed over ‘ Letter of Appreciation’ for two of its
students, Priya Ramachandran and Aparna Vivek,
who migrated to India to pursue their higher educa-
tion.

Farwaniya: The Seva Darshan unit of Farwani-

ya held a farewell get together to send off one of its
oldest members Sri. Sunil from Kodungaloor who
migrated to India after many years of service in
Kuwait.

Fahaheel: The Mathru Samithi and members

of the Seva Darshan Unit of Fahaheel handed over
a contribution from their mangalya nidhi project to
assist in the wedding of Smt. Manju.R from Konni
who got married on May 5th.

With Best Compliments

LEMONGRASS - The Taste of Thai & Chinese...
Mangaf, Block 4, Street 28, Building 3, Kuwait. (Free Home Delivery - 97483999)

Sopanam - May 2011 17

tkhm hy¯m´w
Seva
Vrithandam
Selfless Service
An Indian Mantra
Gayatri Raveendran
S eva - A powerful word that bring into our minds
another equally powerful word - Service.
 Seva is any act performed for the benefit of others.
It is an act of service, of doing good to others. The
concept of Seva has been given a very high place
in Sanathana Dharma. Every act of service done to
man is looked upon as an act of service to God. It
is a philosophy which has grown out of the view
that the God who is present in me, is also present
in other human beings - “Iswarah Sarva Bhutanam
Itruddesha Arjuna Tishtati”.
 Seva is service performed without any expectations
in return. Many people feel that service should be
of a particular kind. Not so. Each one of us have the
capacity to perform seva of a way comfortable to
us. Some of us may be physically capable of doing
service. For us the seva of Tan - the body is the most
comfortable way. Many of us may not be in a position
to do anything except praying and coordinating in
service reaching the needy. For such persons service
is done by the will of the mind - Man. Some of us
may not have time or physical ability to perform
seva, but may be in a position to help monetarily.
Such people give money - Dhan for the benefit of
people. Therefore Seva can be in any form - Tan,
Man and Dhan. The objective of seva is to reach the
needy and it can be in any one of the three forms -
physically, spiritually and monetarily.
 All of us are not priveleged to all comforts of life.
There are millions of needy souls who need to be
supported in cash or kind, a motivating word, a
gentle hug, a lift up, a helping hand. They are not
in a position to do anything in return. We who have
the comforts, have the moral responsibility of taking
care of our lesser priveleged brethren. Keeping this
18
point clearly in mind, we are advised in our scriptures
to do our duty towards our fellow beings without
expecting anything in return. This in a nutshell is
Seva - the sanathan way.
 This view has brought forth many individuals over
the centuries who have become the embodiment of
seva. These individuals have placed service to others
above personal gains and comforts. They have gone
out of the way to give to others what they do not
have. They have been instrumental in bringing the
minimum needs to them - roti, kapda aur makaan -
food, clothing and shelter.
  It is said in the sanskrit shloka, “Paropakaraya
Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam”  -  any action
resulting in the good of others is noble and should
be followed.  In keeping to the dharmic way of
seva,  many ashrams and trusts have been formed
to help the under-privileged. They have moved
bureaucracy and the hearts of the public to create
awareness of service. Not only are these organisations
and at times individuals active in India, they are also
spread all over the world. The outpouring of support
for their activities is proof of the positive way these
service organisations reach all individuals across
the boundaries of lands, religions and communities.
Their followers open their hearts, minds and purses
so that good may be done for their less fortunate
brethren.
  India is a land fortunate to have many such
individuals and organisations that have worked and
are working tirelessly for the public.There are many
unknown and silent workers, whose names do not
come into the limelight but who are performing
yeoman service to mankind. Their tireless services
reach thousands silently in the forms of Tan, Man
and Dhan, on a daily basis and especially in times
of crisis.
Many are well known and well loved figures like
Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
Ramakrishna Mission and Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Sopanam - May 2011
 tkhm hy¯m´w
Seva
Vrithandam
Their activities and missions have spread all over
the world, reaching millions in the name of seva,
proving without doubt that when the heart is willing,
the hands automatically extend in service.
"tkhmZÀi\w'
-þ cmP³ \mZm]pcw
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who attained the lotus feet of
the almighty recently, was a  spiritual leader and a
perfect example of selfless seva. His numerous IenbpK aqÀ¯nsb km[\ sN¿p¶
service projects - free hospitals, free schools and tkh\ k¶² ktlmZc³amÀ.
colleges, free drinking water supply and free housing kzmÀ° kpJ¯n\p ]n¶mse ]mbmsX
projects, all stand testimony to his selfless love
and compassion for the needy and less privileged. 
kamP tkh\w sNbvXnSpt¶mÀ.
He  inspired and continues to inspire millions [mÀanIþam\hþ PnhnX ZÀi\þ
of devotees worldwide by personal example to live XXzs¯ kXyambv ]n³XpScp¶hÀ.
the ideal that service to man is service to God. The
GXnepw hyàn ipNnXzs¯ Im¡pthmÀ;
Sri Sathya Sai Organisation today has a presence
in over 167 countries in the world and members efnXamw PohnX ssienbptÅmÀ.
undertake group service activities that benefit their H¯pIqSnSp¶p hn{ia thfbnÂ
immediate community.  The  Sri Satya Sai  Institute tkhm {]hÀ¯\ k¶²cmbv.
of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS) hospital
Bew_lo\cmw km[qP\¯n\vþ
performs around 250 to 300 open heart surgeries a
year free of Cost. Hcp sIm¨p ssI¯ncn sh«taIm³,
amXrXz kvt\lemf\tb¡msXþ
 Sathya Sai Baba, emphasising on education said, “If
we can light one bright lamp in one house, the entire
A½s¯m«nen A½sb Xncbp¶hÀ,
street will be lighted. In a similar manner, if each A½nª¸men\mbv tIgp¶hÀ.
student has a bright light in his heart, there will then Chsc k\mYcmbv ssI ]nSn¨pbÀ¯n,
be no doubt whatsoever that the whole community
hnZy ]IÀ¶p {]_p²cm¡n,
will be led from darkness to light”. On Dharma, he
said, “Every profession, every stage of life, each tZinb [mcbn I®n tNÀ¯pþ
gender, each period of life as fixed by age - childhood, cmjv{S amXmhn\p iàn \ÂIm³,
boyhood, adolescence, youth, middle age, old age - "tkhmZÀi\w' sFIy a{´ambn-
has duties and obligations, which set the norm and
ImXntemXp¶ t\cw, sXfnbp¶p amÀKw
guide the individual to benefit himself and society.”
Hcp \h`mcX \nÀ½nXn¡mbv.
Sathya Sai Baba, revered by millions across the {]hmk \mfpIÄ kmbqPyam¡phm³
globe, breathed his last on Sunday April 24, 2011, H¯ptNÀ¶oSphn³ tkmZcsc.
after battling for life for 28 days at the Super
Speciality Hospital at Puttaparthi. He was 84.

  Service to mankind is the highest service done

to God and all those who serve others selflessly,
are worthy of reverence. Seva Darshan and all its
affiliate organisations pay homage to the great soul
who rendered Seva in all its possible forms.

Sopanam - May 2011 19

 BtcmKrw
Health
Kidney Diseases can
be prevented
- Dr. Narayanan Nampoori
(President, Indian Doctors Forum Kuwait
Kidneys are a pair of organs which are situated towards
the back of the body just at the level of the waist. An adult
kidney weighs about 160 grams and has a length of 10 to
15 cms.
About 25% of blood pumped by heart passes through the
kidney. Urine produced by kidneys pass through two tubes
to the hollow sac, bladder, which has a capacity of 500 to
750 ml. Each kidney has one million units called 'nephrons'
which comprises a filtering cup (glomerulus) and tubules.
Nephrons if kept one after the other longitudinally, runs to
almost 150 kilometers.
Kidney failure is the most serious kidney disease. This could
be acute or chronic. The acute kidney failure is reversible
and is secondary to various factors like dehydration, severe
infections, blood diseases, drugs, other systemic illnesses
etc. Chronic kidney failure is irreversible and is secondary
to nephritis, infections of kidney, uncontrolled high blood
pressures, hereditary diseases, diabetes mellitus, recurrent
stones diseases etc. In addition to kidney failure, kidneys are
known to develop nephritis, stones, hereditary diseases and
infections. Kidneys can be involved in disease like diabetes
mellitus and hypertension. Kidney diseases are major
causes for hypertension (disease of high blood pressure). It
also causes water and electrolyte problems.
Kidney disease can be detected early by observing its
symptoms. Quantity of urine on an average fluid intake
varies from 500 to 2500 ml per day. Urine volume less
than 500 ml or more than 2500 ml per day needs attention.
Certain kidney diseases produce blood in urine which
would impart a red or smoky colour to it. Intake of several
drugs is also known to change the colour of urine. Frothy
urine is unusual and one should suspect protein in the
urine. Swelling is an important symptom of some kidney
diseases even though it can occur in other organ diseases
also. The first and earliest sign of swelling from kidney
diseases is puffiness around the eye in the morning. In
severe cases, legs will be swollen and abdomen distended.
20
Pain on passing urine with or without increased frequency
usually suggests infection. Pain in loin or upper abdomen
traveling down to lower abdomen near the middle, to thigh
or genitalia suggests something jammed in ureter, usually
stone. This pain comes and goes and is very severe. Pain
arising from kidney is usually felt in the back and side about
the level of the waist band. Other symptoms that occur in
kidney diseases are non-specific and could occur in diseases
of other organs also. Various investigative tools including
ultrasonogram, X-ray and renal biopsy are employed for
final diagnosis of kidney diseases.
Appropriate and adequate treatment of kidney diseases is vital
for health. Some times kidney diseases are asymptomatic
(with protein or blood in urine) and are likely to be
ignored. This can lead to catastrophic outcome. Presently
appropriate treatment is available for all types of kidney
disease. In patients with kidney failure, kidney functions
can be replaced by either dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Acute kidney failure mostly requires dialysis to give rest for
kidney and permit it to recover. Dialysis is a life sustaining
treatment in chronic kidney failure once it reaches end stage.
Transplantation only can provide complete replacement of
renal function. Healthy, willing close relatives, between the
age of 21 – 60, with compatible blood groups as donors are
big blessing for an unfortunate victim of chronic kidney
failure. Transplantation with cadaver donor kidneys are
available only in certain centres. Other kidney diseases can
be treated medically or surgically with excellent results.
Hypertension is a very common disease. There are many
diseases which can produce high blood pressure. Kidney
diseases can produce hypertension and hypertension can
produce kidney disease. Hence adequate treatment for high
blood pressure is of utmost importance to save kidneys.
Similarly treatment of kidney diseases would prevent severe
hypertension and deter disastrous target organ (heart, brain,
eyes, kidney) damage.
If one takes adequate measures, certain kidney diseases can
be prevented while progression can be delayed in others.
Maintenance of adequate water intake (2 - 3 litres/day) is of
utmost importance. Salt and dietary protein intake should
be tailored by physician if one has high blood pressure or
kidney disease. Appropriate treatment of skin and urinary
infections pays a great deal in prevention of kidney diseases.
High blood pressure could produce kidney diseases or
deteriorate it. Hence regular blood pressure check and
seeking medical advice if it is high are recommended.
Disease like diabetes mellitus should be well controlled.
Persons with stone disease should seek medical advice not
only to treat but also for prevention of further stone formation
by proper diet and drugs. Any symptoms suggesting renal
diseases should alert one to seek medical advice. Patients
with hereditary kidney disease and their family members
should have appropriate genetic counseling to prevent the
disease in future generations.
Sopanam - May 2011

inhmPn almcmP\pw
kaÀ°cmwZmkpw
Hcp Znhkw kaÀ°cmwZmkv \Kc¯nsâ
{]m´{]tZi¯v IqSn \S¡pIbmbncp¶p,
AhnsSbmbncp¶p N{IhÀ¯n inhmPnbpsS
sIm«mchpw ØnXnsNbvXncp¶Xv. kao]¯pÅ
Krl§fneqsS Xsâ `n£m]m{Xhpambn
""`n£mw tZln N ]mÀÆXn, `n£mw tZln''F¶v
A`yÀ°n¨psIm�v At±lw \S¶p \o§n Hmtcm
{Kl¯nepw Ibdn, ""F\n¡v AhnSp¶p `n£
Xcp'' F¶p At]£n¡pw. A§s\ \S¶p \
S¶p inhPnbpsS sIm«mc hmXn¡ F¯n.
cmwZmkv Xsâ `n£m]m{Xw cmPmhnsâ
ap³]nte¡v \o«n. Kpcp Xsâ `n£m]m{Xw
in£ysâ t\À¡v \o«pIbmWv! cmwZmkv ]dªp.
""`n£mw tZln''-þ F\n¡v `n£Xcp. N{IhÀ¯n
Hcp ISemkpw t]\bpw FSp¯p. AXn Ft´m
FgpXn, Kpcphnsâ `n£m]m{X¯nen«p. cmwZmkv
tNmZn¨p Xm¦Ä F´p hnVn¯amWv sN¿p¶Xv?
Cu ISemkv Fsâ hni¸v ian¸n¡ptam?
inhPn adp]Sn ]dªp. ""kzmanPn A§v Cu
Sopanam - May 2011
IY
Story
ISemkn FgpXnbXv H¶v hmbn¨pt\m¡p'.
cmwZmkv B ISemkv FSp¯p t\m¡n.
F´mWXnÂ? N{IhÀ¯n inhPn Xsâ apgph³
km{amPyhpw kzmanPn¡p kaÀ¸n¨ncn¡p¶p
F¶mWv AXn FgpXnbncn¡p¶Xv.
N{IhÀ¯n ]dªp, kzmanPn, ""Cu cmPyw
apgph³ A§bpsSXmWv, F\n¡n\n Cu
cmPy¯nse H¶p Xs¶ thWsa¶nÃ. Fsâ
Kpcphn\pÅ Fsâ `n£ CXmWv ''. A§s\
inhPn Xsâ km{amPyw apgph³ cmwZmkn\p
ImgvNh¨p. kzman B ISemkv hmbn¨p t\m¡n
C{]Imcw ]dªp. ""icn Rm³ \µn ]dbp¶p,
Xm§Ä Hcp Imcyw sN¿Ww Cu km{amPyw
Ct¸mÄ FsâXmWv. F\n¡pth�n Cu cmPyw
A§v ]cn]men¡pI''. C{Xbpw ]dªv At±lw
`n£¡mbn ASp¯ ho«nte¡v bm{Xbmbn.
hnizkn¡m³ {]bmkw tXm¶p¶p AtÃ? CXm­
Wv bYmÀ° sshcmKyw.
cmPmhn\pw Kpcphn\pw km{amPyw
BhiyanÃ. bYm° sshcmKnIfmb Kpcphns\bpw
injys\bpw \ap¡nhnsS ZÀin¡phm³
Ignbp¶p. a\pjy a\Êns\ AkzØam¡p¶
cmKhpw kwKhpamWv a\Êv. kZm
kabpw Hmtcm hnjb hkvXp¡fpsS ]n¶mse
]mªp sIm�tbncn¡p¶p. A§s\ HmSn
HmSn Hsc®w t\Sp¶p. AXp t\SnbXnsâ
kmbpPy¯n H¶v c�v \nanj t\ct¯¡v
Hm«w \nÀ¯p¶p. ho�pw Hcp ]pXnb AhØ
a\Ên F¯p¶p. A§s\ H¶sænÂ
atäm¶nsâ ]n¶mse HmSns¡m�ncn¡p¶p.
a\Êv Ht¶m ct�m \nanj§fÃmsX Hcn¡epw
\nÝeambncn¡p¶nÃ. a\Ênsâ Cu \nc´camb
AkzØX Ime{ItaW \s½ BIam\w
XfÀ¯p¶p. a\Êns\ kzØam¡nsbSp¡phm³
N{IhÀ¯n inhPnbnepw kaÀ°cmwZmknepw
\mw I� sshcmKyw \mw Hmtcmcp¯cpw
BÀPnt¡�Xmbp�v.
21
 _metemIw
Bala Lokam

Saranya Vadakkedathu
Indian Central School - IX
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Ranjitha- II -B
United Indian School
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Megha - VI D
Bhavans
Abbasiya Baladarshan

Gayathri Devi - III B

United Indian School
Abbasiya Baladarshan

22 Sopanam - May 2011

 _metemIw
Bala Lokam
The legacy of Shri. Rabindranathtagore
Reshmi Sudheer
“Time, alas, takes away even the best among us; yet as humans, our pride can truly know no bounds that one
such as this, so full of life and a universal bonding with the best aspirations of humans everywhere, lived among
our not-too-distant predecessors, and left for us as everlasting gifts the infinite treasures of his heart. May great
inspirations arise in generations yet to come from bathing in that inexhaustible, celestial fount.” ( Monish. C )                    
Rabindra Nath Tagore, a poet, writer and philosopher was   Tagore was a great scholar and his work awakened
an ambassador of Indian culture to the rest of the world. the spirit of the revolutionaries who fought for the
He was the first asian person to be awarded with  the independence of our country.  He is the author of  the
Nobel prize. National Anthems of India and Bangladesh.

  Though he is mainly known as a poet;  he excelled
in all branches of art like novels, short stories,
dramas, articles, essays and paintings. he was a social
reformer, patriot.., above all a great humanitarian.
he is the creator of RABINDRA SANGEETHAM.
One the occasion of the 150th birthday celebrations of
Tagoreji, children need to find more books and material
of this great son of India and learn about him. His name
will be written in the memory of all Indians for the ages
to come.  

Tagore introduced the best of Indian culture to the west

and vice versa. He won the Nobel Prize for GITHANJALI
(song offerings) which was about divine and human love.
Much of Tagore’s ideology comes from the teaching of
the Upanishads and from his own beliefs that God can be MY GARDEN
found through personal purity and service to others.
Oh! Look at my garden,
So beautiful and lovely,
Tagore found an experimental school at Shanthi Nikethan With flowers blue, white, red and pink,
where he settled permanently. The university’s various Watching with amazement, I blink.
programmes deal with the rich cultural heritage as well The honeybees steal nectar from the flowers,
as art and dance forms of our country.
The birds chirp sitting on the bowers.

When I feel lonely in the evenings,

And when I am tired of my homework,
I like to sit in my garden,
To rejoice and make myself free.

Sitting in my garden chair,

I watch the sun descending in the west,
Over the trees and over my house,
Bidding farewell to my flowers.

Oh God, I am so grateful
For such a beautiful and a lovely garden,
To keep me happy all day long.

Saranya Vadakkedathu
Indian Central School Class: IX
Abassiya Baladarshan

Sopanam - May 2011

We are pleased to inform you that the ground floor
work of the hostel building in near completion. This
academic year will start with the children shifting
residence to the new premises. The school office will
also shift to the new building.

The approach road work to the school building site

itself has been completed. The site has been leveled and
building material is now being unloaded on the site.

On April 20th ( Pathamudayam) the foundation

stone of the school was laid by Shri. E.M.Mohanan
Edapattu. The function was attended by the school
committee members and public.

At the meeting that took place between the school

committee and Seva Darshan members, it has been
decided that the new school building will start
functioning from the academic year 2012.