சரும அலர்ஜிக்கான சிகிச்சைகள்

சூரியனிடமிருந்து வரும் கதிர்கள் சருமத்தில் படுவதால், உடுத்தும் ஒரு வித ஆடையால், சில வகையான காய்கறிகளால் அலர்ஜி ஏற்படலாம். ஏனென்றால் சருமமானது மிகவும் உணர்ச்சியுள்ளது, அதில் எளிதாக அலர்ஜியானது வந்துவிடும். இத்தகைய சரும அலர்ஜியை குணப்படுத்த சரியான பராமரிப்பு இருந்தால் போதும். அதற்கு வீட்டில் இருக்கும் ஒருசில பொருட்களை வைத்தே சரி செய்யலாம். தண்ணீர்: நிறைய தண்ணீர் குடிக்கவும். சரும அலர்ஜிக்கு தண்ணீர் தான் சிறந்த மருந்து. இது உடலில் உள்ள டாக்ஸினை நீக்குகிறது. இதனால் உடலில் சரும அலர்ஜி குணமடையும். எண்ணெய்: இரவில் தேங்காய் எண்ணெயை அலர்ஜி ஏற்படும் இடத்தில் தடவி விட்டு விட வேண்டும். இரு ஒரு சிறந்த ஆன்டி-பாக்டீரியல். மேலும் உடுத்தும் உடையை காட்டனாக இருந்தால், எந்த ஒரு அலர்ஜியும் வராது. எலுமிச்சைப் பழச்சாறு: அலர்ஜி உள்ள இடத்தில் பஞ்சால் எலுமிச்சைப் பழச்சாற்றை தொட்டு தடவினால், அலர்ஜி போய்விடும். வேண்டுமென்றால் படுக்கும் முன் எலுமிச்சைப் பழச்சாற்றை, தேங்காய் எண்ணெயுடன் கலந்து தடவி வந்தால், அலர்ஜி போய்விடும். வேப்ப இலை: இரு ஒரு சிறந்த ஆன்டி-பாக்டீரியல் மற்றும் சருமத்திற்கு மிகவும் சிறந்தது. சருமத்தில் அலர்ஜி குணமடைய, வேப்ப இலையை 6-8 மணிநேரம் நீரில் ஊற வைத்து, பிறகு பேஸ்ட் போல் செய்து, சருமத்தில் தடவி 30-45 நிமிடம் ஊற விட்டு, பின் குளிர்ந்த நீரில் கழுவ வேண்டும். கசகசா: கசகசாவை அரைத்து, சிறிது எலுமிச்சை சாற்றுடன் கலந்து சருமத்தில் தடவினால், அலர்ஜி போய்விடும். குளித்தல்: சருமத்தில் ஏற்படும் அலர்ஜியை போக்க வேண்டுமேன்றால் நன்கு குளிக்க வேண்டும். அதுவும் சூடான நீரிலோ அல்லது வெதுவெதுப்பான நீரிலோ குளிக்க கூடாது. இது மேலும் சருமத்தில் பிரச்சனையை உருவாக்கும். குளிர்ந்த நீரில் குளித்தால் அலர்ஜி உள்ள இடத்தில் தோன்றும் அரிப்பு வராமல் ரிலாக்ஸாக இருக்கும். ஆகவே சருமத்தில் அலர்ஜி ஏற்பட்டால், இவ்வாறெல்லாம் செய்து குணப்படுத்தலாம். இவ்வாறு செய்தும் சரியாகவில்லை என்றால் மருத்துவரை அணுகுவதே நல்லது.

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Weird Nature

MOSQUES IN AFRICA

கி.வா.ஜா

புடவையின் சிறப்பு... ஒரு நண்பர் வீட்டிற்குக் கி.வா.ஜா . சென்றார். நண்பர் அடுக்குமாடியில் குடியிருந்தார். புடவை உலர்த்துவதற்குவெய்யில் படுகிற வகையில் வசதியான இடம் அந்தவீட்டில் இருக்கவில்லை. வாசல் பக்கத்தில்தான் வெய்யில் அடித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தது. நண்பரின் மனைவி வாசல் கதவைத்திறந்து வைத்து வெய்யில் படும்படியாகத் துவைத்த புடவையை அதன் மேல் காயப் போட்டிருந்தார். புடவையைப் பார்த்துக் கொண்டே வீட்டிற்குள் நுழைந்தகி.வா.ஜா  'இது என்ன புடவை தெரியுமா?' என்று நண்பரைக் கேட்டார். 'ஏன் சாதாரணப் புடவைதானே?' என்றார் நண்பர். 'அல்ல இந்தப் புடவைக்கு ஒரு விசேஷச் சிறப்பு உண்டு.இதுதான் உண்மையான வாயில் புடவை!' என்றார் கி.வா.ஜா  உள்ளே வெளியே கி.வா.ஜா  தலைமையில் அந்தக் காலத்தில் ஒரு இலக்கியக்கூட்டம் நடந்தது. கூட்டத்தில் விவாதம் வலுத்து பெரிய சண்டையில் கொண்டு போய் விட்டது. சிறிது நேரத்தில் சண்டையும் வலுத்து ஒருவருக்கொருவர் திட்டிகொள்ள தொடங்கினர். கி.வா.ஜா எவ்வளவு சொல்லியும் அவர்கள்கேட்கவில்லை. சிறிது நேரத்தில் பொறுமை இழந்த கி.வா.ஜா கூட்டத்தை விட்டு எழுந்து வெளியே வந்துவிட்டார். வெளியே மழை பெய்துகொண்டிருந்தது. அப்பொழுது அவர் சொன்னார் "உள்ளேயும் தூற்றல்வெளியேயும் தூற்றல்".வெளுத்துக்கட்டிவிட்டீர்கள்சென்னையில் குமரி அனந்தனும்,கி.வா.ஜா .வும் கலந்து கொண்ட ஒரு கூட்டம். முதலில் பிரமாதமாகப் பேசிவிட்டு அமர்ந்தார் குமரி அனந்தன். பலத்த கைதட்டல். அடுத்துபேச வந்தார் கி.வா.ஜா . “குமரி அனந்தன் அருமையாகப் பேசினார்” என்று பாராட்டிவிட்டு, அவரிடம் “நீங்கள் எங்கிருந்து வருகிறீர்கள்?” என்று கேட்டார். “வண்ணாரப்பேட்டையிலிருந்து” என்றார் அவர். உட்னே சொன்னார் கி.வா.ஜா  “அதான் இப்படி வெளுத்துக்கட்டிவிட்டீர்கள்” சபையில்கைதட்டல் அடங்க வெகுநேரமாயிற்று! உப்புமா குத்துகிறதா'' குழந்தைக்கு அதன் அம்மா உப்புமா ஊட்டிக் கொண்டிருந்தார். எதனாலோ அந்தப் பழைய உப்புமா குழந்தைக்குப் பிடிக்கவில்லை. அருகில் இருந்தார் கி.வா.ஜா . 'உப்புமாவைத் தின்ன' முடியலையோ! உப்புமா ஏன் தொண்டையைக் குத்துகிறதா'' எனக குழந்தையைக் கோபித்துக் கொண்டார் அந்தப் பெண்மணி. கி.வா.ஜ. அந்தப் பழைய உப்புமாவை வாங்கி வாயில் போட்டுக்கொண்டு பார்த்தார். பிறகு, ''ஆமாம். இந்த உப்புமா தொண்டையைக் குத்தத்தான் செய்யும்'' என்றார். ஏன் என்று அந்த அம்மா கேட்டார். 'ஊசி இருக்கிறது' என்று கூறிச் சிரித்தார் கி.வா.ஜா .! தொண்டை  கட்டுதமிழ்த் தாத்தா உ.வே.சாமி நாத ஐயரிடம் கி.வா.ஜகந்நாதன்மாணவராக இருந்த நேரம்.. ஒருமுறை கி.வா.ஜா .வை ஒருபாட்டுப் பாடு என்றார் உ.வே.சா. அப்போது கி.வா.ஜா .வுக்குத் தொண்டை கட்டியிருந்தது. கி.வா.ஜா . செய்த தமிழ்த் தொண்டைப் பாராட்டலாமே தவிர அவரது தொண்டை அன்று பாராட்டும்படியாக இருக்கவில்லை. 'என் தொண்டை கம்மலாக இருக்கிறது. இன்று போய் என்னைப் பாடச் சொல்கிறீர்களே' என்று தயங்கினார் கி.வா.ஜ. 'அதனால் என்ன பரவாயில்லை. காதால் தானே கேட்கப் போகிறோம். கம்மல் காதுக்கு அழகுதான் பாடு'என்றார் உ.வே.சா! முரளி

Vacancies in Saudi Arabia - REFINERY/PETROCHEMICAL

Hello All

Pls send your CVs to direct to employer at following email address:

info@monstergulf.com

For Internal Use of Employer (Please don't delete or modify while replying to this email) Monster Resume ID: 33818421      Personal Folder ID: 11653302

Dear All, InterManagement Manpower Services Limited, ISO 9001-2008 certified, is the leading organisation engaged in overseas jobs. More details about our organisation is available at www.intermanagement.com  One of our client is leading integrated oil refinery and petrochemical manufacturing complex in Saudi Arabia, utilizing 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 1.6 million tons per year of ethane as primary feedstock to produce a variety of refined petroleum products and petrochemical products.  They would like to recruit urgently the following – Nationality = Any Nationality  1 Specialist Engineers - Electrical  To maintain and improve the manufacturing facilities To supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specialist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, Inspection leaders, inspection coordinators, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards . Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 12 years Related Experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex.  2 Specialist Engineers - Plant Information System  To maintain and improve the manufacturing facilities To supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specialist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, Inspection leaders, inspection coordinators, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 12 years related Experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex  3 Specialist Engineers - PM  To maintain and improve the manufacturing facilities To supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specialist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, Inspection leaders, inspection coordinators, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree with minimum 12 years related experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex  4 Specialist Engineers - Rotating  Static equipment or piping systems, demonstrate experience on mechanical design / plant trouble shooting or required. Instrument and / or Process Control Systems Specialist (including demonstrated experience and expertise SIS, DCS, PLC). Rotating machines specilist, faimilar and demonstrated expertise with all types of rotating equipment trouble shootings, including pumps, compressors and turbine, mechanical seal systems. Electrical system specialist, demonstrated experience and expertise on high voltage systems are required. Demonstrated experience on process trouble shooting, basic process design and CAPEX project evaluation, Management change (MOC) control. Knowledge on process safety management system is required. Preventive Maintenance (PM) or Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Program specilist with demonstrated work experience on managing such programs are preferably with speciality of rotating machinery or risk based inspection. Plant information management s! ystem specialist with proven experience and expertise on PIMS, LIMS and material balance tracking and KPI System. Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 12 years technical related experience in Engineering in Refinery or Petrochemical, preferably with at least 4 years in technical supervisory position.  5 Specialist Engineers - Mechanical  Maintain and improve the manufacilities, supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specialist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, inspection leaders, inspection coordinator, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 12 years related experience in Engineering in Refinery or Petrochemical, preferably with at least 4 years in technical supervisor position  6 Specialist Engineers - Project Execution  Maintain and improve the manufacturing facilities To supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specilist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, Inspection leaders, inspection coordinators, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards. Should have an engineering degree with minimum 12 years related experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex  7 Specialist Engineers - Rotating Equipment  Maintain and improve the manufacturing facilities To supervise the leadership of a team of engineers, specilist, senior supervisors, inspection supervisors, Inspection leaders, inspection coordinators, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controller and programmers in order to provide engineering support to operations, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 12 years related experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex  8 Senior Supervisors - Machinery Technical Support  Maintain and improve the manufacturing facilitiesTo lead a team of engineers, technicians, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controllers and programmers where applicable in order to provide engineering support to operations and maintenance, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree in engineering with minimum 8 years related experience preferably in Refining or Petrochemical complex  9 Senior Supervisor - Field Inspection  Maintain and improve the manufacturing facilitiesTo lead a team of engineers, technicians, QC inspectors, PM administrators, material controllers and programmers where applicable in order to provide engineering support to operations and maintenance, in compliance with safety standards. Should have a degree with minimum 10 years of working experience in corresponding engineering field in refinery/petrochemical with min 5 years in Sr tech positions responsible to provide correct tech solutions timely.  Our client offers attractive tax free salary with family status .  If you are interested and your profile is matching with any one of above, kindly send your resume at the earliest= KINDLY MENTION THE CATEGORY YOU ARE APPLYING AS SUBJECT LINE  Incase you are not interested in overseas job or your job profile is not matching with above, kindly excuse us for the troubles. However we request you to forward this email to suitable persons known to you  With regards  InterManagement Manpower Services limited

Tense Film Scenes Trigger Brain Activity

Visual and auditory stimuli that elicit high levels of engagement and emotional response can be linked to reliable patterns of brain activity, a team of researchers from The City College of New York and Columbia University reports.

Their findings could lead to new ways for producers of films, television programs and commercials to predict what kinds of scenes their audiences will respond to.

EEG reading indicates high engagement during tense moments of the Alfred Hitchcock suspense thriller "Bang! You're Dead."

“Peak correlations of neural activity across viewings can occur in remarkable correspondence with arousing moments of the film,” the researchers said in an article published in the journal “Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.” “Moreover, a significant reduction in neural correlation occurs upon a second viewing of the film or when the narrative is disrupted by presenting its scenes scrambled in time.”

The researchers used EEG (electroencephalography), which measures electrical activity across the scalp, to collect data on brainwaves of 20 human subjects, who were shown scenes from three films with repeat viewings. Two films, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Bang! You’re Dead” and Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” contained moments of high drama expected to trigger responses. The third, an amateur film of people walking on a college campus, was used as a control.

“We found moments of high correlation (between brainwave activity during separate viewings) and moments when this did not occur,” said Dr. Lucas C. Parra, Herbert G. Kayser Professor of Biomedical Engineering in CCNY’s Grove School of Engineering, and a corresponding author. “By looking at patterns of oscillation we could tell at which moments a person was particularly engaged. Additionally, we could see whether the correlation occurred across subjects and repeated viewings.”

Measurements along the EEG alpha activity scale show the degree of attentiveness in a person, he explained. When the oscillations are strong, a person is relaxed, i.e. not engaged. When a person is very attentive, alpha activity is low.

Peaks in engagement were correlated to three kinds of scenes, said Dr. Jasek Dmochowski, a post-doctoral fellow in the Grove School and a corresponding author. They included moments with powerful visual cues, such as a close-up on the gun in “Bang! You’re Dead,” scenes with ominous music in which the visual component was not significant, and meaningful scene changes.

The researchers found significantly less neural correlation on participants’ second viewings and when scenes were scrambled and shown out of sequence. “Following a narrative is complex and involves a lot of distributed processing. When a person doesn’t have a sense of the narrative there is much less correlation (across views of the same or another subject),” Dr. Dmochowski said.

Having demonstrated the correlations between intense stimuli and brainwave reliability, the research team now wants to locate where in the brain the response occurs, Professor Parra said. He wants to deploy a combination of EEG and magnetic resonance imaging to “get the best of both worlds:” the fine temporal resolution of EEG and the detailed imagery of MRI.

The team sees several potential applications for the ability to quantify levels of engagement, including neuro-marketing, quantitative assessment of entertainment, measuring the impact of narrative discourse and the study of attention deficit disorders. “Advertisers would love to know where and when an ad is engaging,” he noted.

“The potential to measure engagement is huge since this provides an objective way to collect data,” added Dr. Dmochowski, who currently is investigating whether there is a correlation between social media usage and brain activity in young people while watching “The Walking Dead,” a drama series on the American Movie Classics cable network.

“We are mining Twitter to measure the depth of watching,” he continued. “We think there will be many correlations between scenes that elicit social media responses and neural signatures, and we can look at both positive and negative responses.”

The study was funded by a Defense Advanced Research Program Agency grant. Joao Dias of City College and Paul Sajda of Columbia University collaborated with Professor Parra and Dr. Dmochowski on the research.

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Courtesy City College of New York

BYU engineers conceive disc replacement to treat chronic low back pain

A new biomedical device to surgically treat chronic back pain – an artificial spinal disc that duplicates the natural motion of the spine – has been licensed from Brigham Young University to a Utah-based company.

In between the vertebrae of the human spine are 23 Oreo-sized, cartilage-filled discs that hold the vertebrae together and allow for spine movement.

While the discs are critical for movement, they can become the source of back pain when they degenerate or herniate – a significant health problem that affects 85% of Americans and drains the U.S. economy to the tune of $100 billion every year.

A new biomedical device to surgically treat chronic back pain – an artificial spinal disc that duplicates the natural motion of the spine – has been licensed from Brigham Young University to a Utah-based company.

The artificial disc was conceived by engineering professors Anton Bowden, Larry Howell, and BYU alum Peter Halverson. It will be developed for the market by Crocker Spinal Technologies, a company founded by BYU President’s Leadership Council member Gary Crocker and headed by BYU MBA graduate David Hawkes.

The BYU researchers report on the mechanism’s ability to facilitate natural spine movement in a study published in a forthcoming International Journal of Spine Surgery issue.

“Low back pain has been described as the most severe pain you can experience that won’t kill you,” said Bowden, a BYU biomechanics and spine expert. “This device has the potential to alleviate that pain and restore the natural motion of the spine – something current procedures can’t replicate.”

Currently, the most common surgical treatment for chronic low back pain is spinal fusion surgery. Fusion replaces the degenerative disc with a bone to fuse the adjacent segments to prevent motion-generated pain.

Unfortunately, patient satisfaction with fusion surgery is less than 50 per cent.

The solution researched by the BYU team and now being developed by Crocker Spinal Technologies consists of a compliant mechanism that facilitates natural spine movement and is aimed at restoring the function of a healthy spinal disc.

Compliant mechanisms are jointless, elastic structures that use flexibility to create movement. Examples include tweezers, fingernail clippers or a bow-and-arrow. Howell is a leading expert in compliant mechanism research.

“To mimic the spine's response is very difficult because of the constrained space and the sophistication of the spine and its parts,” Howell said. “A compliant mechanism is more human-like, more natural, and the one we’ve created behaves like a healthy disc.”

Under Howell’s and Bowden’s tutelage, BYU student engineers built prototypes, machine-tested the disc, and then the device in cadaveric spines. The test results show the artificial replacement disc behaves similarly to a healthy human disc.

“Putting it in a cadaver and having it do what we engineered it was gratifying,” Howell said. “It has a lot of promise for eventually making a difference in many people’s lives.”

Halverson, lead author of the International Journal of Spine Surgery study, earned his PhD from BYU and took a position at Crocker Spinal Technologies, which will likely begin international sales distribution as early as next year.

“Fusion, which is the current standard of care for back pain, leaves much to be desired,” said President Hawkes of Crocker Spinal Technologies. “Disc replacement is an emerging alternative to fusion that has the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of millions.

“BYU’s innovation is a radical step forward in advancing disc replacement technology. It is exciting to be a part of this effort and a delight to work with such talented, wonderful people,” he said.

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Courtesy BrighamYoung University

Can whole economies be psychoanalyzed?

Courtesy of the University of Leicester
and World Science staff

Western economies displayed the same kind of manic behavior as psychologically disturbed people in the runup to the 2008 credit crisis-and it could happen again, a new study claims.

Bankers, economists and politicians shared a "manic culture" of denial, omnipotence and triumphalism as they threw caution to the wind, said Mark Stein, a scholar from the University of Leicester School of Management in the U.K.

Observing but not heeding warning signs from the Japanese economy's collapse in 1991 and the 1998 crisis in southeast Asia, the financial world in the West went into an over-drive of denial, escalating its risky and dangerous lending and insurance practices, he said.

Stein reports his work in the research journal Organization, in a paper entitled "A culture of mania: a psychoanalytic view of the incubation of the 2008 credit crisis."

The causes of the banking collapse that plunged many countries into recession have been well documented. But why did economists, financiers and politicians fail to anticipate it? Stein argues that the financial world had been suffering from collective mania for a good two decades. "Unless the manic nature of the response in the runup to 2008 is recognised, the same economic disaster could happen again," he warns.

He defines the "manic" culture in terms of four characteristics: denial, omnipotence, triumphalism and over-activity. 

"A series of major ruptures in capitalist economies were observed and noted by those in positions of economic and political leadership in Western societies. These ruptures caused considerable anxiety among these leaders, but rather than heeding the lessons, they responded by manic, omnipotent and triumphant attempts to prove the superiority of their economies," he wrote.

"The massive increase in credit derivative deals, industrializing credit default swaps and the removal of regulatory safety checks, such as the repeal in the United States of the landmark Glass-Steagall banking controls, were a manic response to the financial crises within capitalism," he added.

As a credit crunch loomed, senior figures, such as Ben Bernanke, the then chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, drew a sharp distinction between economies of the West and Japan. Bernanke's "great moderation" speech in 2004 claimed the avoidance of extremes made him "optimistic about the future," Stein noted. Weeks before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, Bernanke claimed that the scenarios that befell Japan and south-east Asia could be avoided in the West.

Stein claims this behavior was also strengthened by "triumphant" feelings in the West over the collapse of communism.

"Witnessing the collapse of communism, those in power in the West developed the deluded idea that capitalist economies would do best if they eschew any resemblance to those communist economies, thereby justifying unfettered financial liberalization and the destruction of the regulatory apparatuses of capitalism. The consequences of this manic response have been catastrophic, with the on-going eurozone crisis being-in many ways-a result of this," he said.

"Whether one examines the actions of banks and hedge funds, or the limitations of ratings agencies, auditors, regulators and governments, a more worrying and deeper question emerges concerning why so many parties, more or less simultaneously, were implicated in such unprecedented and extreme risk-taking."

Source: WorldScience
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/120606_creditcrisis

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Friends of the Demigods

“These two are the sons of King Dasharatha, are jewels of their family line, are named Rama and Lakshmana, and are here to vanquish the enemies of the demigods.” (Janaki Mangala, 47) pūṣana baṃsa bibhūṣana dasaratha nandana | nāma rāma arū lakhana surāri nikandana || The enemies of the saintly class are tagged as demons in the Vedic tradition. There has been a constant clash between the forces of good and the forces of evil since time immemorial. The good want to follow the dictates of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the miscreants want to disobey every legitimate law code ever instituted. In a localized area, defiance of the established rules perhaps doesn’t amount to much of a negative consequence, but in the larger scheme the influence of demonic behavior can be quite strong. The most lasting influence is the effect had on thwarting God consciousness, which is the ultimate aim for every living being. “How can we say that any specific aim is universally ideal? Isn’t everyone different? We are born into different circumstances, have different inherent characteristics, and thus develop varieties in tendencies. Therefore what is good for one person may not be for another.” But when it comes to law codes, especially those instituted by the higher authorities, there is no need for attention to variety. For instance, the red light in the traffic intersection applies to all travellers on the road, not just those who feel like getting to their intended destination. One side of traffic is stopped by the red light, but the restriction is in place to prevent an accident for everyone, as the traffic crossing on the other side is provided the right of way. Once they get a red light, the other traffic that was previously stopped is allowed to continue. The laws of God can be likened to a set of instructions meant to allow every person to direct their natural tendency in action to the proper channels. The “good” therefore at least pay deference to these laws, though they may not understand the purpose to them. As the material world operates on duality, not everyone is forced to abide by the laws guiding conduct. Just as in our smaller communities the lawbreakers are punished with sentence to jail, in the larger scheme those who violate the laws of God are punished through nature’s influence. Birth itself is a punishment, as accompanying it is death. Whatever you accept in life, you must eventually renounce later on. How can such a ride ever be considered a pleasurable experience? The conduct of the lawbreakers is another punishing aspect of birth in the material world. The person who runs the red light not only puts their own life in jeopardy, but they also cause damage and pain to those who had faith in the ability of the stoplights to prevent other traffic from entering the intersection at the wrong time. In this way the pious turn out to be innocent and victims of the misjudgments of the impious. Therefore the governing bodies must be unflinching and impartial in their administration of justice. The lawbreakers should have the fear of punishment within them, for otherwise the pious will have to live without trusting anyone. During the Treta Yuga, the saintly class was concentrated in the forests, where they found peace and quiet. The priests who were devoted to God and understanding Him sought shelter in the holy name and austerity and penance. The devotees are referred to as suras in Sanskrit, and their counterparts are the asuras. “Ari” refers to enemies, so the worst miscreants are known as surari. The king is generally responsible for protecting the suras residing on earth, and in the heavenly realm the Supreme Lord Himself is petitioned for help to defend against the attacks of the most powerful suraris, or the asuras. “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.”  (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7) Whenever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally descends to earth. In the Treta Yuga, He appeared as Lord Rama, the eldest son of King Dasharatha. A partial expansion of the Supreme Lord Vishnu appeared as Rama’s younger brother named Lakshmana. These two youths were jewels of the Raghu-vamsha, the dynasty of King Raghu. Because of their family relation to the famous king, both Rama and Lakshmana were often addressed as Raghava. Aside from their divine beauty, the brothers were expert bow-warriors, capable of defending the suras from attack. Rama and Lakshmana’s position with respect to this defense was explained to King Janaka, who hosted a famous ceremony one time. The king’s daughter, Sita Devi, was going to marry whoever could lift the extremely heavy bow handed down to Janaka from Lord Shiva. Rama and Lakshmana weren’t specifically there to take part in the contest, for they were away from home when the news went out. They were escorting Vishvamitra Muni in the forests, protecting him from the attacks of the Rakshasas, the night-rangers who were the greatest enemies of the suras on earth. The demigods were in great distress due to the influence of the leader of the suraris, Ravana. In order for Ravana to be defeated, a human being needed to fight him. Since no ordinary human being had the prowess necessary to defeat Ravana, God Himself appeared on earth in the guise of a human. Since Rama was part of the Raghu-vamsha, He made dedication to the governing law codes His way of life. Because of this deference to dharma, Rama needed an outward excuse to take on Ravana in battle. That excuse would come through Sita. It was not uncommon for kings to fight openly with other kings and then take the defeated king’s princesses as a reward. In this sense Ravana’s desire to have Sita was not out of the ordinary, but since he knew that Rama couldn’t be beat, he set up a ruse whereby he was able to steal Sita in secret. This took place after Rama lifted Shiva’s bow and won Sita’s hand in marriage. Therefore the meeting between Vishvamitra and Janaka was very important. In the above referenced verse from the Janaki Mangala, we get some details of that meeting. Janaka couldn’t believe how beautiful Rama and Lakshmana were. They looked like they weren’t from this world, and in this regard Janaka’s intuition was correct. Vishvamitra informed the king that the two boys were ready to defend the suras from the attacks of the demons. If we know that a powerful figure is there to protect us from the worst kind of miscreants, we are a little comforted. Despite their powerful influence, the Rakshasas could not defeat Rama and Lakshmana, who would rid the earth of Ravana and his reign of terror. Of course there are more than just the stated enemies of the saints to contend with. The material land is conducive to lethargy, impiety and general deviation from the righteous principles. Maintaining a high ethical standing with respect to general moral principles is difficult, and it’s even more difficult to follow the righteous path aimed at fostering God consciousness, which is the ultimate aim for every spirit soul. We may have different external conditions and attributes, but deep down every living entity is a spirit soul, part and parcel of God. The religious principles espoused by the saints are meant to bring the most favorable end for every single person, regardless of what they may or may not know about God. If you think that God is formless and just an impersonal energy named Brahman, you can follow the brahminical principles of austerity, truthfulness, mercy and cleanliness for advancement. If you think that God is just material nature meant to be enjoyed by the senses, follow the recommended sacrifices and rituals in fruitive activity to reach a higher end. If you think that God exists within the heart to be used for attaining terrific abilities, do meditational yoga and see the lasting benefits. If you are fortunate enough to know God’s true position as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, regularly recite His names in a mood of love: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Think of Him always, remember His activities, and keep in mind His peerless vision. Just regularly hearing Vishvamitra’s words describing the attributes of Rama and Lakshmana fulfills the mission of life, of connecting with God and staying by His side. Indeed, the purpose of every ritual and regulation, of every law code instituted and protected by the suras, is to taste the sweetness of the association of the Personality of Godhead. There is variety in this interaction, as Bhagavan is Shri Krishna, the two-handed youth who holds a flute in His hands and wears a peacock feather in His hair. Krishna is the delight of the Yadu dynasty, and He too protects the suras from their enemies. He offers protection through both His physical action and His pearls of wisdom presented in the Vedic texts like the Bhagavad-gita. Regardless of your worshipable figure of choice - Krishna, Vishnu, Rama, or the generic God - the aim of life is to connect with the Supreme Lord, knowing that His protection is flawless. That protection’s existence is proven by the ability to think of Him, to rely on His names, forms and attributes to get us through difficult times, where the enemies of the devotees try to assert their influence. The weight of Lord Shiva’s bow was no match for Rama, and the same went for the attacks of the night-rangers. Rama and Lakshmana saved the day many thousands of years ago, and their names continue to rescue the fallen souls today. In Closing: “Of King Dasharatha these sons are a delight, Jewels of Raghu’s clan, enemies of saints they fight. With their arrows the demons they will vanquish, So that saints their daily trepidation can relinquish.” With Vishvamitra to Janakpur they go, So that Rama can lift Lord Shiva’s bow. For everyone’s benefit are made the rules, Pious path to help both the intelligent and the fools. But must be punished the breakers of the law, Otherwise no safety, system to exist with flaws. Rama and Lakshmana thus to saints are friends, Worthy punishment to their enemies they send.

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