I stand corrected!

I stand corrected! In my previous post, I had claimed that Sachin Tendulkar was the first person to score a double hundred in ODIs. Actually Sachin is the first batsman to score the double hundred. The first person to do so was Ms. Belinda Clark of Australia playing against Denmark in the Woman's World Cup in India, about 13 years ago! Here is a link to her site at Wikipedia.

Sachin's Double Hundred in 2nd ODI against South Africa!

If any cricketer deserved to get a double hundred in ODIs, it was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. And today was the day, ordained by Lord Almighty, when Sachin accomplished the milestone. Today he has become the first person on planet Earth to have scored 200 in ODIs. That too, against South Africa! And what style! Hitting 25 fours, he now holds the world record for most number of 4s in a 50 over match, a record that was held by Sanath Jaisurya (?) with 24 fours. His 200 was instrumental in helping India to post a mammoth total of 401 runs against South Africa in the second 1-day match that was being played at Gwalior. India went on to win the match by a margin of 153 runs. But this match will be remembered for the scintillating knock of 200* by the maestro. Truly he is the best ever! Better than Bradman himself. A true genius and humble to the core!

पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम्

पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्यपूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ।।

This is the first verse of the Ishavasyopanishad (ईशावास्योपनिषद). The beauty of this verse is that in just two sentences it describes the essence of the Divine. It says -

"Aum Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnatpurnamudachyate

Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnamevavashishyati"

If one were to translate it word - to - word, it would mean -

Purnamadah - That is complete

Purnamidam - This is complete

Purnatpurnamudachyate - from what is complete comes out completeness

Purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashisyati - If completeness were to be removed from completeness, what remains is again complete.

So -

"That is complete; This is complete and completeness emerges forth from completeness.

If from completeness, completeness were to be removed, what remains is again complete."

What is 'That', that is complete? What is 'This', that is again complete? What is that 'completeness' from which 'completeness' emerges? and finally how does completeness remain when completeness is removed from completeness? Completely bewildering to us.

No wonder then, that India is the birthplace of Zero; for what is said about completeness in the above verse, definitely holds for zero as well - if you take away zero from itself, what remains is again zero!

द्वा सुपर्णा

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षंपरिषस्वजाते ।

तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्य नश्नन्नन्योऽभिचाकशीति ।।

This beautiful verse, occurring in the Rg Veda, enunciates the Eternal Triad - Atman, Paramatma and Prakriti -

"Two birds (सुपर्णा), eternal friends (सखाया) , inseparable (सयुजा), perched together on a Tree. The first one enjoys the fruit borne by the tree, while the other merely observes in silence."

The one that enjoys the fruit is Atman, the individual soul, while the one that observes is Paramatman. They both, inseparable friends that they are, are perched on the Peepal Tree, which represents Prakriti. The one that performs Action is the individual soul, the Atman. Having acted, it enjoys the fruits of the Act. Paramatman merely watches. Paramatman neither performs Action nor enjoys subsequently the fruits of the Act.

This verse brings out the relation between the three components of the Eternal Triad. Atman and Paramatman are joined together in a relationship of eternal friendship as allegorically stated in the phrase - सयुजा सखाया. While the former performs actions and enjoys the fruit of his actions, the later merely enjoys in being the Silent Witness to the Acts of Atman. Atman interacts with Prakriti whereas Paramatman remains aloof, merely observing.