Gurcharan Das

The title of the post is the name of my favorite author. I started liking Gurcharan Das only in my MBA when I read his one of the best selling books - India Unbound. India Unbound is my first full fledged book which I have read from start to finish and spent adequate amount of time in understanding what the author wanted to convey. I think it is one of those books which can tell us how did India evolve over a period of time right from independence till today. It gives an excellent account of the license raj, perhaps the worst period in the India's economy. He is one of those authors who does not criticize Late Dhirubhai Ambani of making lot of money by being loyal to the politicians. He says that Dhirubhai was the first person in the history of India who gave people an opportunity to earn money via the stock market. Of the various accounts he gives in the book one of them which really impressed my mind was the way he thought about the marketing policy of Procter and Gamble. Actually P&G wanted to bring out a detergent in the market and it was the idea of a woman whom Gurucharan Das interviewed which was used in the making of the advertisement. He was the person in the country who established the presence of P&G in India. Started the Vicks brand in the country and also made it a super brand after sometime. He retired as the CMD of P&G India and thereafter he has spent lot of time in writing books and being on the board of numerous companies. I have been reading his columns in Times of India which appear on every alternate Sunday. In the May issue of Business Today one more small article appeared featuring GD.

The next feather in his cap is that he is the first and only Indian to be on the panel of judges for selecting the HBR Mckinsey awards. He is going to share the podium with the likes of Sam Palmisano (IBM), Michael Eskew (UPS), and Robert Hormats (Goldman Sachs). We very well know the previous winners in this awards are the likes of Michael Porter, Henry Mintzberg who have well defied the way the companies used to think and strategise.

I am looking forward to the second book by Gurcharan Das on Governance. The magazine says that he is in the middle of the book. Lets hope the author brings out some real good lessons on governance for all of us and even for the politicians.

End of Holidays

After the gruelling two years in TAPMI, perhaps this was the longest break, I might have had at home. My holidays started on 1 April and went till 12 th of June. Now with only a few days for the holidays to get over, I feel pretty much relaxed and have winded myself completely also and ready for the action. I had planned many things for the holidays actually but as always was able to complete only a few of them only. The habit of blogging has got into me and I expect it to remain with me even on my job. My website is partially ready and I have to upload a few more pages into it so that its functional. I had written an article on Environmental engineering also titled organic farming which I submitted to one journal. I will be starting from Hyderabad on 13th evening by charminar express and will be reaching Chennai on 14th Morning. There after my training at Polaris will began from 15th onwards and will go upto 7th of July. Quite possibly this is going to be one of the last posts which I will be making from Home PC. BSNL's broadband experience was a real delight for me and I took full advantage of it in numerous ways. With this I close this post.

Detailed Sandhya Vandanam with Full Instructions

This post is actually on Sandhya Vandan which brahmins usually do after they have got done their upanayanam. When my upanayanam was done I also had to do sandhyavandam daily but there was hardly any text on the internet which had the complete sandhyavandam in it with instructions. In this post I have tried to capture the most detailed Sandhyavandam which is the Yajurveda Sandhyavandam. The text which I had was in telugu and I sat together with two others to translate that entirely into english and ensured that we get the right pronounciation by listening to the audio as well.

In this endeavour I would like to thank the following people who made the Knowledge Transformation and Document Management (KTDM) possible.

First in the list is Mr. Tirumala Rao. He was my teacher for Sandhyavandam and taught extremely well all the aspects of Sandhyavandan and very clearly also.

The next in the list is Mr. K Gautham Kumar. He is my cousin and is currently pursuing his graduation in Electronics and Communications Engineering. He did close to 12 pages of translation of the text in telugu and did entire typing work in Microsoft Word.

Finally it was Miss. Rashmika, another cousin of mine, currently employed with WIPRO Technologies in their WASE Program. She started the intial translation work but was later carried over by Gautam.

Here is the entire text:

YAJURVEDA SANDHYAVANDHANAM

Sri Gurubhaya Namah
Hari Om
Apavitra pavitro va sarravastham Gathopivaha yesmareth pundarikakasham sabha hyaa bhyanthara shuchihi
Pundarikakasham
Pundarikakasham
Pundarikakasham

Aachamanam

(Instruction: Take water in the palm and drink it thrice chanting the first three mantras)

1. Om keshavaya svaha
2. Om naraayanasvaha
3. Om maadavayasvaha
4. Om govindayanamaha
5. Om vishvanenamaha
6. Om madhusudhanayanamaha
7. Om trivikramayanamaha
8. Om vaamanayanamaha
9. Om sridharayanamaha
10. Om rishikeshayanamaha
11. Om padmanabhayanamaha
12. Om damodarayanamaha
13. Om sangarshanayamaha
14. Om vaasudevayanamaha
15. Om pradhyumnayanamaha
16. Om anirudhayanamaha
17. Om purushothamayanamaha
18. Om adhokshayanamaha
19. Om narasimhayanamaha
20. Om achuttayanamaha
21. Om janardanayanamaha
22. Om upendrayanamaha
23. Om hareyanamaha
24. Om srikrishnayanamaha
25. Srikrishnabrahmanenamonamaha

Bhoothachatanam

Uthishanthu bhootha pishacha yethe bhoomi bhaarakaha
Yethe sha mavirodheena brahma karma samarabhe

Praanayayam

Om Bhuh Om Bhuvah Ogm Suvah Om Mahaha Om Janah Om Tapah Ogm Satyam
Om tatsavithurvareniyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
Om Apah Jyothi Rasah amrtam Brahma Bhurbhuvassuvarom

Sankalpaha

Mamo paatha samasta duritha kshaya dwara Sri Parameshwara mudhishya Sri Parameshwara prithartham shubhyam shubhe shobhane muhurthe srimaha Vishnu rajanyaha pravartha manasya adhya bhrahmana dwitiya parardhe
Swetha varaha kalpe, viavaswatha manavanthare kaliyuge prathama paadhe, jamboo dweepe, bharatha varshe, bharatha khande, merur dakshina digbhage, srisailasya vayuvaraha pradeshe, Krishna godavarayor madhya pradeshe, swagruhe, samasya devathah brahmana hari harah sannidhow asmin varthamana vyavaharika chaandra maanena samvathsare ayena ruthu Maase pakshe thithuvu shubhanakshatre shubhayoge shubha karane evam gunavisheshanam vishishtayam shubhathitou sriman(Your Name) (your Gotra) Sharma aham praatha sandhyaam upaasishye


Maarjanam

Om aapohishhThaa mayobhuvaH
Om taane urje dadhaatana

Om mahe raNaaya chakshase
Om yovaH shivatamo rasaH
Om tasya bhaajayatehanaH

Om ushateeriva maataraH

Om tasmaa araN^gamaama vaH

Om yasya kshayaay ajinvatha

Om aapo janayathaa chanaH

Om bhuurbhuvassuvaH

Praatha sandhyavandane

oM suuryashcha maa manyushcha manyupatayashcha manyukR^itebhyaH paapebhyo rakshantaam.h yadraatryaa paapamakaarshham.h manasaa vaachaa hastaabhyaam.h padbhyaamudareNa shishnaa raatristadavalumpatu yatkiMcha duritaM mayi idamahaM maamamR^itayonau suurye jyotishhi juhomi svaahaa

(After the above do achamaanam once)

Punarmaarjanam

Om dadhikraavNNo akaarishhaM

Om jishhNorashvasya vaajinaH

Om surabhi no mukhaakarat.h

Om pra Na aayuumshhi taarishhat.h
Om aapohishhThaa mayobhuvaH

Om taa na uurje dadhaatana

Om mahe raNaaya chakshase

Om yovaH shivatamo rasaH
Om tasya bhaajayatehanaH
Om ushatiiriva maataraH
Om tasmaa araN^gamaama vaH

Om yasya kshayaaya jinvatha

Om aapo janayathaa chanaH
Om bhuurbhuvassuvaH

Hiranyavarna suchaya pavakah yaasujathaha kashyapyoya swindriyaha agninyagarbham dhadhire viroopa sthaana aapasha shaaga syonaa bhavanthu
Yasagam rajavaruno yathi madhye sathyanruthe avapaashayam jaananam madhyaschyu thasshuchayo ya paavakah sthaana aapasha shaaga syonaa bhavanthu
Yasaam devadri krunavanthi bhaksham ya antharikshe bhavutha bhavanthi yakshyam ya pruthvim paayasom dhanthi shukraha sthaana aapasha shaaga syonaa bhavanthu
Shivena maa chakshu sha paashyatha aapa shvayah tanvoh paasprishathaha pracham may sarvagyam agnigum raapi sushaadhou huveo mai varchobala mogo nidathaha

Mukhyakaala Thrikamana Prayashchitham

(Instructions: Do aachamanam once praanayam once)

Yevam guna vishesha vishishtayam shubha thithou Sri Parameshwara mugdhishya Sri Parameshwara thirthadhyam mukhya kala thrikamana dosha prayashchitardha poorvakah praatha ranghyaha pradhaanam karishye
Om Bhuh Om Bhuvah Ogm Suvah Om Mahaha Om Janah Om Tapah Ogm Satyam Om tatsavithurvareniyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat Om Apah Jyothi Rasah amrtam Brahma Bhurbhuvassuvarom

(Do praanayam and aachamanam once again praanayam once)


Arghya Pradanam

(Instructions: Do this three times)

Purvothitham guna visheshanam guna vishesha vishishtayam shubha thithou
Praatha sandhya argyapradanam karishye
Om bhuurbhuvassuvaH tatsaviturvareNyaM

bhargodevasya dhiimahi dhiyo yonaH prachodayaat.h

Pradakshinaam

(Instructions: Take water in the uddarani chant the mantra)

Udhyantham astham yantham adithya maaabhidhyaha yan kuran brahmano vidramsa kalam bhadramasthu the saraadithyo brahmaithi bhrahmyavya son brahmayapathi yaaeram Veda asavadithyou brahma

Sandhyaagnatharpanam

(Instructions: Do aachamanam and pranayam once)

Mamopaatha duridikshye dwara sriparameshwara prithartham praatha sandhyaagna tharpanam karishye
Om keshavaM tarpayaamiOm naaraayaNaM tarpayaamiOm maadhavaM tapayaamiOm govindaM tarpayaamiOm vishhNuM tarpayaamiOm madhusuudanaM tarpayaamiOm trivikramaM tarpayaamiOm vaamanaM tarpayaamiOm shriidharaM tarpayaamiOm hR^ishhiikeshaM tarpayaamiOm padmanaabhaM tarpayaamiOm daamodaraM tarpayaami

Gayathri Aahavaanam
(Instructions: do aachamanam once)

Omithye kaksharaam brahma agnirdevatha brahma ithyarusham
Gayathram chandanam paramaarthmam saroopam saayujyam viniyogam
aayathu varadha devi aksharam brahma sammitham gayathrim chandasam maathedham brahma jhushaswame yadhahnaath kuruthe paapam thad ahnaath prathimuchyathe yadh rathriyaath kuruthe paapam thad raathriyath prathimuchyathe sarvavand e mahaadevi sandhya vidhye saraswathi
ojosi sahosi balamasi bhraajosi devaanaaM dhaama naamaasivishvamasi vishvaayuH sarvamasi sarvaayuH abhibhuuroM
gaayatriiM aavaahayaami savitreem aavayami saraswathim aavayami
chandarshin aavahayaami shriyam aavahayaami gayathriya gayathri chando vishwamithra rushis savitha devatha nirmugham
brahma shiro
Vishnur hrudayam
rudhrashmika
pruthvi yonihi
praana+pana+vyano+dhana samana saprana shwetha varna saankhyanamaha sagothra gayathri chathurvigam shathya shara tripada shadkukshi panchishirchopayane viniyogaha

(Repeat the praanayam manthram)
(Do aachamanam and praanayam once)

Gayathri Japasankalpaha

Mama opaatha samasta duridikshye dwara sriparameshwara prithartham praatha gayathri mahamanthre japam karishye

Karanyaasaha

om thathsavithu
Brahmaathmane

Angushtabhyam namaha

varenyam

Vishnvathmane

Tharjanibhyam namaha

bhargodevasya

Rudhraathamane

Madhyamaabhyam namaha

dhimahi

sathyathmane

Anamikaabhyam namaha

Dhiyo yo naha

gnanathmane

Kanishtikabhyam namaha

Prachodhayaath
sarvaathmane

Karathala karaprushtaabhyam namaha


Ajgunyaasaha

Om thath savithuhu
brahmaathmane

Hrudayaya namaha

varenyam

vishnvathmane

Shirase svaaha

bhargodevasya

rudhraathamane

Shikhayai vashat

dhimahi

sathyathmane

Kavachaya hum

Dhiyo yo naha

gnanathmane

Nethrathrayaya voushat

Prachodhayaath

sarvaathmane

Asthraaya phat

Ithi digbandhaha
Bhoorbhavassuvarom

Dhyaanam

Muktaa vidruma hema neela dhavaLachchhaayaiH mukhaistriikshaNaiHyuktaamindukalaa nibaddhamakuTaaM tatvaartha varNaatmikaaM gaayatriiM varadaabhayaaM kushakashaM shubhraM kapaalaM gudaMshaN^khaM chakramatha aravinda yugaLaM hastair vahantiiM bhaje

Mudhrapradarshanam

Sumukham samputam chaiva
Vithatham visthrutham thatha
Dvimukham thrimukham chaiva
Chatuhu panchamukham
Punmukho dhomukham vyapakagnalikam
Shakatam yamapaasham cha grathitham cha summukonmukham
Pralamrum mushtikam mathsyaha kurmo varaahakam
Simhakraantham mahakraantham mudhgaram pallavam tatha
Chaturvim shati mudra vai gayatriam supratishtiya
Bhoo devasya sasmakam dhiyo dharmadi gocharaha preren tasya yad bhargasya tad varenyanam upasmaye
Gurur brahma gurur vishnuhu gururdevo maheshwaraha gurur saakshaad parambramha thasmysri gurave namaha


Gayathri japaha (12 times or multiples thereof)

Om bhuurbhuvassuvaH tatsaviturvareNyaM

bhargodevasya dhiimahi dhiyo yonaH prachodayaat.h


Japapaasanam

(Do aachamanam and praanayam once)

Purvokthainguna visheshana vishishtayaam shubha thidhou mamopaaththa samasta duri thakshayadvara Sri Parameshwara prithyartham praathaha (madhyahnika saayam sandhyagna) gayathri mahaa mantra japavasanam karishye suvar bhuvar bhoorithi dhigvimokhaha

Praathasooryoprasthaanam

OM mitrasya charshhaNiidhR^itaH shravodevasya saanasim.h satyaM chitra shravastamam.h
Mitrojanaan.h yaatayati prajaanan mitrodaadhaara pR^ithiviimuta dyaam.h mitraH kR^ishhTiiranimishhaabhichashhTe satyaaya havyaM ghR^itavadvidhema
Prasamitra marto astu prayasvaanyasta aaditya shikshati vratena na hanyate na jiiyate tvoto nainama{gm}ho ashnotyantito na duuraat.h

Dhijnamaskarah

Om namaha praachyai dhishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Dhakshinayai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Pratheechyai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Udheechyai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Urdhvayai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Adharayai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha
Avaantharayai dishe yaascha devatha yethasyaam prathivasanthi yethabhyascha namo namaha

Muni Namaskaraha

Namoh Ganga yamunayormadhyai ye vasanthi
The me prasannaathmanas chiranjivitham vardhayanthi
Namoh gangayamunayor munibhyashcha namoh nama
Gangayamunayor munibhyascha namah

Devatha namskaaraha

Sandhyaai namaha
Savithryai namaha
Gayathryai namaha
Saraswathai namaha
Sarvaabhyo devathabhyo namaha
Devebhyo namaha
Rushibhyo namaha
Munibhyo namaha
Gurubhyo namaha
Pithrubhyo namaha
Kaamokaarshinnamo namaha
Manyur aakarshirnamo namaha
Pruthvi vyapa sthejo vaayur aakashath
Om namo bhagavathe vaasudevaya
Yugam sada sarva bhoothani charaani sthaavaraani cha
Saayam praathar namasyanthi saa ma sandhya abhirakshathu


Shivakeshavaabhedhasmaranam

Shivaya vishnuroopaya shiva roopaya vishanave
Shivasya hrudayam vishnur vishnuscha hrudayagam shivaha

Yatha shivamayao vishnur yevam vishnumayashivaha
Yathaantharam na paschyaami thatha me swasthi ra yushi

Namoh brahmanyadevaaya gobrahmanahithaya cha
Jagadithaya krishnaya govindhaya namoh namaha

Gayathri prasthaana praarthana

Uththame shikhare jaathe bhoomyam parvathamoordhini
Bhramhanyebhyo bhyunugnathagachcha devi yatha sukham
Shtutho maaya varadha0 vedhamaatha prachodayanthi pavane dvijaatha
Aayuhu pruthvivyaam dhravinam bhramhaparchasam
Mahyam dhathva prjaathum bhramha lokam


Naarayana namaskruthihi

Namosthvananthyaya sahasramurthaye
Sahasra paadakshishiroru bahave
Sahasra naamane purushaaya shaashvathe
Sahasrakoti yugadhaarine namaha


Rodhasyabhivandhanam

Yidham dhaava pruthvi masthu pitharmaathur yadhi hopabruve vaaya
Bhootham devaanam avame avobhi vidhyamesham vrujanam jhiradhanum

Vaasudevapraarthana

Aakaashath pathitham thoyam yadha gachchathi saagaram
Sarvadevanamaskara keshavam prathi gachchathi

Sarva vedheshu yathpunyam sarva thirdheshu yathpalam
Thathpalam purusha apnothi sthuthva devam janardanam

Vaasanadh vaasudevasya vaasitham the jagathruyam
Sarvabhoothanivaaso si vaasudeva namoh namasthothuhe

Pravaraanvitha namaskaarha

(Put both your hands on opposite ears)
Chathus saagara paryan tham gobhramhanyebya shubham bhavathu
Vasishta mythraavaruna koundinya thryarshyeya pravaraanvitha
Koundinya sagothraha aapasthambasoothraha yadhushakhadhyaayi
Subhramanya sharma hambho abhivaadaye
(Do aachamanam once)

(Take water in the palms and pour it down chanting the following mantra)

Kaayena vaacha manasendriyairva
Bhudhyaathmana va prakruthese swabhaavath
Karomi yadhyathsakalam varasmai
Sriman Narayanayethi samarpayaami

Sarvam Sri Parameshwaraarpana masthu

Abhrahmalokaadh asheshaadh alokaalokaparva thaath
Ye santhi brahmana devaas thebhyo nithyam namo namaha

(This Marks the end of Sandhyavandam)
***********************

OFFICE 12

Well must be wondering what does the title of the post means. If all of you are using the Microsoft Office 2003 version, you would have noticed a folder by name OFFICE 11 in the program files folder in your computer. Well that was the code name of Office 2003, which is the current version of office available in the market. The next version of Office which is due to release in 2006 is code named Office 12. Nothing has been decided on the name of the version as of yet. Office 2003 came in the year 2003. Some important facts about the development of the OFFICE 12 is that it is going to have XML as the standard for the development in totality. In the earlier versions of Office like XP and 2003 also XML was used as a tool for development but in the OFFICE 12 it will be totally based on XML. XML will become the default file format for this version of OFFICE. The new technology will give Office users higher levels of data interoperability at the client and server levels. It is expected that the new shift to the XML file system will cause some kind of compatibility issues but Microsoft has said it will have no major problems. XML is almost everywhere on the web now. We also use XML feeds for our websites and they are the best to use for content syndication. Well perhaps use of XML in Office will definitely make the word, excel and powerpoint documents more amenable for interoperability between various levels. Microsoft used the binary file format in its earlier versions of office. I think with XML coming into the arena now, Microsoft will take it to the next level and tremendously improve office products.

P2P Clients

Recently, only about 50 days back I got a broadband connection. Before broadband connection it was very tough to browse through many of the graphic intensive sites and it was difficult or close to impossible to use a p2p tool on the computer. For the benefit of the people who do not know what a p2p tool is here is a quick review. A p2p tool or a client as it is popularly called as a utility which helps in sharing and delivery of user specified files among groups of people who are logged on to a file sharing network. Napster was the first mainstream P2P software that enabled large scale file sharing. The major file sharing networks existing on the web are Gnutella and others. Actually p2p is one of those things on the internet which supports the open source but off late has become a problem since on the name of sharing people are sharing just anything like movies, softwares, mp3 songs. An instance of this is that when Star Wars 3 was released it was immedietely available on the Gnutella network and any one having a p2p client was able to access it.

I never had the luxury of using a P2P client on my dead speed dial up connection. Even when I used to download a Kazaa set up it never used to get to completion.

But when broadband arrived at my home every thing became very fast and simple to access. In this article I have reviewed three p2p tools available widely on the internet.

The first KAZAA is perhaps the oldest and the most widely used tool. Now what comes with Kazaa into your computer upon installation is a host of adwares like GAIN, 180 degree solutions etc. Very soon one can discover that Norton Antivirus has terrible problems with it. It also takes lot of time to load and has a bundled antivirus solution with it called as Bull Dog which checks for updates whenever we start Kazaa. The search results are the same in all the three perhaps but the speed as I have seen is better in LIMEWIRE which I will be explaining later.

The second one which is SHAREAZA is a true brother of KAZAA only in terms of name since both of them share the same suffixes. Shareaza is a open source p2p utility and unlike Kazaa is totally ad free banner free and any of the other addons which one may come across with the kazaa GNU. Unlike Kazaa and Limewire Shareaza is a freeware in the real sense and does not trouble the user everytime for a upgrade. Kazaa and Limewire have an upgrade version from the free version which has some enhanced features and no ads. But all in all Shareaza is above all of them and stands out as the best utility for p2p sharing.

The third software which is the focus here is the LIMEWIRE. Now limewire is also one of very popular p2p tool available on the web and the last issue of CHIP actually reviewed the software. The problem with LIMEWIRE is that is a Java based software and written in Java so as all java software it is very slow in loading the first GNU. It takes a lot of time for the GNU of Limewire to load and then it works very well. It is also troublesome to alt-tab through various windows when LIMEWIRE is running. But the way LIMEWIRE organizes the files is really good. It organizes the files by the connection and then by the type like rar or zip or exe etc. Moreover the speed across the LIMEWIRE is also much better than shareaza or Kazaa.

If you are looking for simple things and not much bothered about speed I would recommend Shareaza. If you are looking for something really good and need more customization then go for Limewire. If you are really a Kazaa fan then only go for it otherwise just forget it.