THE PRISM

Alexander, the Great, the king of Macedonia, lay on his bed writhing in pain and high fever. He was delirious and suffered from body aches which were continuously increasing. He was all of 32 years and a ruler who was at his peak. He ruled over a dominion that stretched from the Balkans to the Himalayas and from Egypt to the Caspian Sea. His empire was vast and he had achieved its geographical expanse by working hard and tirelessly with his 50,000 strong Army. He had been a born leader and orchestrated an unprecedented military campaign as his Army captured swathes of land. He was powerful and intelligent. Aristotle was his tutor and he inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced Army from his father King Philip, who was assassinated in 336 BC. A young and charismatic General Alexander stepped into his father’s shoes and moved his campaigns far and wide to reach the ends of the World. He would only stop where he met the Seas.

In his lifetime, young Alexander suppressed many a revolts. He galloped and surged till he reached the Kingdom of King Porus in the Gangetic planes. It was at this juncture that his well oiled battle machine faltered and revolted against his wishes to conquer any further. Alexander’s General Coenus pleaded with him to let go the soldiers to see their families back home. Alexander, though young, but was wise. He understood the pulse of his battle fatigued soldiers and turned south marching along the River Indus. He started retracing his steps back to his own lands. The retreating Armies lose their battle hunger and the tired minds let go of themselves. Even in his retreat, Alexander experimented by commissioning a fleet to explore the Persian Gulf shore under his Admiral Nearchus, while he led the rest back to Persia through the more difficult southern route along the Gedrosian Desert and Makran. Alexander reached Susa in 324 BC, but not before losing many men to the harsh desert.  

It was in Babylon that a mysterious illness hit a robust 32 year old Alexander. He developed a fever and lost the power of his speech. The last days of his life were full of pain and agony. His vision, probably, was failing and his internal chemistry was going from bad to worse with each passing moment. Bleary eyed, he was struggling and floating between his own thoughts. The prism of his mind was getting blotted with darkness. He could barely wave his hand as his soldiers walked by him to have a final glimpse of the maverick that Alexander; the Great was when he led them across lands of this planet. He had led them with his winning streak but now he just lay on a bed and awaiting his last breath. The soldiers passed by him and Alexander was left alone with his excruciating pain and agony. Finally, the moment arrived on 10/11^th June 323 BC and Alexander’s prism became dark.

The World is composed of a plethora of colors. A riot of color runs all across the planet in almost every aspect of Mother Nature. Humans love colors and hues. Happiness is symbolized with colors and the visual senses epitomize a Prism as colors make their impact on human minds. An occasion is turned colorful and the prism effect takes charge of the venue as lights glow. Similarly, the human mind is also like a great prism. It has the unique capability to scatter or integrate the procedure of thoughts. After all, it is the process of thoughts that leads to final actions and behavior patterns. A cluttered mind keeps on hitting dark prism patterns and the actions clearly reveal the colorless patterns. On the other hand a robust and thinking mind scatters its thinking pattern evolving positive patterns.

In today’s ever evolving and chaotic World, the characteristics of Prisms are easily visible in every field that humans operate. Each organization reflects its tell-tale patterns as humans steering the proceedings reflect the thoughts evolving out of their thinking Prisms. It can be clearly correlated that the patterns of light and human minds have many things in common. Some of the vital and similar traits include focus, clarity, integration, coherence, reflection, refraction and resolution. Human minds at every level of an organisation need to possess all the traits to achieve a synchronized performance. When the aim is set, it must be shown clearly to the performing team members. Once the aim is clearly visible and its values understood, then, the Prisms inside human minds can synchronize to achieve the focused approach. Organizations hit rough patches not because they falter but because its constituent members lose the characteristics of their own Prisms.

A clear Prism reflects a single incoming beam of light into an outgoing stream of colors. Similarly, a clear mind takes in an idea and diversifies it into a grand strategy. Alexander, the Great, was a top shot CEO much before many humans can even imagine holding such a position. He traversed more than 10,000 miles, fought 70 battles without losing his ground and had an Empire stretching from Egypt to India. His Prism had an extensive clarity. He had a good tutor in Aristotle and he picked up the best from him. He developed the rare art of generating a flexible grand strategy which he amply reflected as he conquered varied cultures and kept his armies challenged for almost 11 years. His Prism took him to greater heights but there came a point when his Prism became dark.  His conquests led him to a grand belief that he was invincible. He kept his Armies on a constant move but failed to recognize that they needed to slow down and connect with their own families to remain charged. After all, Alexander was a young and robust 30 year old top honcho who was raring to go on endlessly. He had not defined his limits and maybe no one could guide him. He also, maybe, he did not know where to take the well deserved pit stops and rejuvenate energy to make the Prism clean and reflecting. He probably crossed the thin dividing line which can lead to failures. It was one such moment when his Army revolted and his General Coenus had to exhort Alexander to clean his prism. He did the needful as his General exhorted, but somewhere he had fostered enemies who eventually led to his untimely end. Who knows what Alexander, the Great, would have achieved had he been able to lead his Armies out of Macedonia again after a well deserved rest.

 

Times and tides never remain the same and there is no harm in clearing the Prisms at regular intervals. A clear Prism would always diversify the incoming single ray into a maze of colors. An introspection of the circumstances can enable humans to understand the condition of their own Prisms. Keep the Prisms clean, stable and shining to spread the maze of colors. After all, happiness follows success and success can always be achieved by minds which are positively radiant. Life is like a Prism and what one sees depends on how the glass is turned.             

BACK TO SCHOOL

"Small Steps of Today Will Ensure A Great Leap Tomorrow"

-Unknown

1.       The world truly has shrunk into a global village today. As and when I sit on the Facebook, I glance through the photographs of my teachers and class mates with whom I had spent a wonderful student time in Model School, Rohtak. It makes me think, as to what is it that makes my life tick today? As I ponder over this thought, I always get more convinced that it is the basics which I had learnt at the school which gets me going to where I am today.

2.       As my memory zips back to early 1970s, I remember Rohtak as a sleepy but peaceful town. The weather God was kind and we used to experience the extremes of each type of weather. The trains chugging out towards Delhi used to take my father to work and I used to set towards the Model School on my Red Hero bicycle. The 15 minutes bicycle ride to the school was fun and the atmosphere inside the school was electric. The teachers were at their best and I can proudly say that they taught us well.  

3.       The school premises were quite different than what we see today. Now, whenever I visit Rohtak, I try to peep inside but the walls have risen up and the building has expanded inside the play ground that we had during my time. Each day was well spent within the premises and under some very watchful eyes. I still retain a report card wherein my then class teacher, Late Mr Ishwar Singh Verma, had candidly commented that intelligence is only 1% and 99% is preparation. That remark had struck where it was supposed to and I can vouch 26 years down the lane that it became my management mantra. As one grows up in life and meets the challenges that the World throws up, the preparation becomes the bedrock of any success. A meticulous and timely approach towards any challenge makes the achievements brighter and sparkling. No amount of sweat or grunts can get what a thorough preparation can. It is a human fact that the mastering the Art of Perfection brews success and perfection is an integral part of preparation. If you carefully analyze the lives of successful leaders in any field, you will see one thing in common- they could achieve perfection because they were prepared to deal with the situation. In military parlance, a famous Chinese military scholar Sun Tzu had said that before the battle, the General goes inside his sacred temple and meditates hard to craft out the best strategy. The best always comes out with best preparation and devotion. 

4.       The teachers always tried to inculcate the best habits in us. I vividly remember that it was 1986 when the House system came into being in Model School. These Houses were named after the mighty Himalayan Ranges and I was in the Dhaulagiri House. Eventually I passed out of the school as the Captain of the House. The first lessons of leadership and initiative were taught in these houses as students from various classes come together to form a cohesive team. To be honest, the first of the appointments were made on the basis of impressions that the House teachers had of the students and these appointments had to bring the best results for the Houses. The inter-House competitions set the tempo for the school calendar. We took part with gusto in sports and cultural competitions. New ideas sprang up and each House set new standards of excellence. The cherubic youth develops into an all-rounder when participation is done not only in academics but in sports and cultural activities as well. These activities stand in good stead as one progress through life. The mundane life sparkles up if you can play, sing and dance and make other people happy. In 2008, I had the honor of flying in an Indian Air Force plane over the mammoth Himalayan Ranges. As the plane swooped down over the Saltoro Ridge in the Siachen Glacier which is also the highest battleground in the world, I thanked all those including teachers and students who had contributed to make the concept of our Houses a success. The nascent steps in leadership were taken in these Houses and believe you me- small positive steps always multiply into a giant distance. 

5.       The associations that I generated in school have not left me till date. I proudly introduce my friends of last 38 years or so and it is a great feeling. Today’s FBs and Hi5s have made associations easier to maintain. There are no distances. The Blackberry croons the moment your friend has changed the status or uploaded a new picture. The friendships of the yesteryears have become life long bonds in today’s times. The lunch times in school were the most sought after as we used to sit around in the parks and share lunches. The mere thought of the ever favorite Churma and Teent Ka Achaar still excites the taste buds. How I wish that someday we could take a day out of our busy schedules and eat the same delicacies all over again. On 15 May 2010, we organized a get-together of 1986 (Xth Class) Batch of Model School and broke bread together. It is nostalgia all over again when you meet your old friends. These friends are the lifelong investments and never fade away. They have seen you from the best angles possible and will never mislead or misguide you. The mere call or an email even after years takes you back into times. The steadiness offered by the school to long term students can never be compared by any other gain. We must try to develop best of the relations with our class mates and teachers and these will always stand by you where ever you are. Actually, for long term students, the school is like a Military Regiment where best bonds are made and maintained. 

              

6.       Time and tide never remain the same. The students of yesterday and today will be eclipsed by the future students. The values and morale that we need to pick up at school must be picked. It is not only the onus of the teachers to teach and part with their best knowledge but also equally of the students to inculcate the best habits, attitude and gain best knowledge. Achievement of sound education and skills is a pre-requisite for the human beings of tomorrow. It is up to the students to make the best use of the wonderful opportunities that the school offers and develop their all round skills. It is true that every one cannot come first but it is also true that regular hard work will fetch the desired results. The world is a huge entity and one can follow many passions and professions today. Sky is the limit for those who have the will to succeed. Take the road that you feel is the best for you but never look back and rue that you had your chances. Take the new road from where you feel the dead end has arrived and keep the fire burning in your soul. Remember, the basics that you learn at school come handy every time and everywhere.

CHAKRAVYUH-THE FIGHTING WARRIOR'S STORY

Abhimanyu (the son of Arjuna and nephew of Lord Krishna) stood on the battle ground. The Kaurava Warrior Karna, had cut off his bow, bow-string, the reins of his steeds, the steeds themselves, and two Parshni charioteers with his well shot shafts. His weapons and platform demolished, Abhimanyu picked up a sword and a shield. The Sun had started its journey to sink beyond the horizon. The Mahabharta epic had spun into the 13th day of the Kurukshetra War and Abhimanyu had penetrated deep inside the Chakravyuh (Squared Planning) formation that the master Dronacharya, the Commander-in- Chief of the Kaurav Army had created.

The 13th day of the War had dawned with heavy casualties being inflicted on the Pandavas Army. The impenetrable Chakravyuh formation was formed for the second time on this day to enable the Kaurava Army to gain ground and raise casualties of Pandavas. On the Pandavas side only Arjun, the father of Abhimanyu, and Lord Krishna knew the art of defeating the Chakravyuh. They both were engaged in a theater far away from the battle ground where Chakravyuh had been created. As Abhimanyu looked up, he saw menacing fighters surrounding him and teasing him with their glares. None would dare to go near him as they knew that he was not a spent force as yet. The 16 year old Abhimanyu was by now devoid of all his weapons and his movements depended on his strong legs. He was all so alone in the great myriad of a clan war. His valour on the 13th day had kept the greatest opponent warriors at bay.

The rules of the War were set aside as Abhimanyu clearly saw the encircling warriors and felt their hidden senses. The rule clearly dictated a one to one battle, but, was set aside to achieve the aim. His chariot lay broken near him. He lifted up the chariot’s wheel and made it his weapon. The opposing warriors invoked their entire might and broke his last weapon also into pieces. There lay a moment of recognition and bare truth. A bare soldier stood on the battle ground encircled from all sides by weapon clad warriors. He had no source not support to defend himself. A cataclysmic chapter of the war was about to unfold. An unfazed Abhimanyu fought till his last breath and a fatal blow on his head etched his name in the chapters of Mahabharata as an example of courage, righteousness, selflessness, respect for elders and love for one’s cause. He decided to venture inside the Chakravyuh knowing well that his knowledge was limited to the art of penetration and not the art of circumventing his way out of the spiral maze military formation.

Chakravyuh is a multi-layer defensive formation and shapes like a lotus in full bloom. The warriors or the components of this agile formation are placed in such a fashion that it becomes increasingly difficult to fight as the opposing warriors penetrate inside its layered labyrinths. Warriors rotate in unison and inside concentric circles and the penetrating warriors are always surrounded from all the sides. This orbiting formation pivots on a center and this is the point where the penetrating warrior has to reach before he begins his exit and in the process decimating his enemy. Abhimanyu had fallen right at the center of the orbiting formation. The events of the next day unfolded as the Pandavas led by the formidable Arjuna, grieving for his son’s loss by deceit decimated the Kauravas with his superior battle skills.

Humans in their own ways encounter Chakravyuhs in their lives. All through our lives, we prepare in some way or the other to meet the orbiting challenges. The challenges unfold in almost every sphere of human existence. Many resources and techniques are utilized by humans to counter these challenges. Volumes of techniques have been evolved, calculated and written in the form of texts. Humans are groomed to understand the logic behind expected challenges. This grooming has its own levels and its final assimilation depends upon the understanding power of the human brain. The evolution of humans continues as each generation passes the baton to the next one and they begin their inward journey into their own Chakravyuh. The beauty of human life is that hands cannot be held forever. At some stage and when the layers of Chakravyuh start unfolding, the holding hands and the guiding forces are left behind. This is where the Abhimanyu inside each human rises to lead his charge inside the rapidly oscillating and orbiting challenge maze.

Abhimanyu inside each one of us humans has a different aim and meaning. The intentions of each human are different and agile in their own myriad ways. Everyone wants to penetrate to the center of the Chakravyuh as early as possible as the opposing forces tighten their rotating circles around the moving human. The center of the challenge offers a holistic picture and a step onto the pivot point of the Chakravyuh. This is where the toughest part of the challenge unfolds. The speeding lives reach the pivot point of the challenge only to encounter the 360 degrees challenge which has engulfed them completely. The Sun has by now crossed its zenith and has begun its downward journey. The Rules of Engagement of an ethical War were broken even in times when Abhimanyu fought his battle and was all set to cease the aim from the enemy. Hence, for motley humans, there cannot be a defined set of rules. The rules are written on the spot and many a times without looking beyond the immediate horizon.
The lonely humans do not bother when they penetrate their Chakravyuhs and soon enough they find themselves in a precarious position. Juxtaposing their choices and avenues, the struggling humans get surrounded by the enemy warriors and are laid bare within no time. Very few can claim that they came out of their Chakravyuhs on their own. Faith, confidence and support from all angles enable successful humans from breaking their challenges. The outward journey from the rotating center is fraught with bigger challenges. The tiredness from the inward movement sets in, the senses start losing their sharpness and the vision gets bleary with each passing moment. The setting Sun takes away the light and darkness inches closer.

Fortunately, today we do not suffer with the handicaps of Abhimanyu. Today’s many 16 year old do not face the choice that Abhimanyu faced during his times. Adults facing their Chakravyuhs are also better equipped. A penetrating Abhimanyu kept on going farther away from his supporting mechanism. He had no means to communicate and the only person who could watch him from outside was a narrator called Sanjaya who was the blind Kaurava King Dhritrashtra’s advisor and charioteer. He could see from a large distance but could not convey the plight of Abhimanyu to Pandavas. Today’s Abhimanyu’s do not face the dilemma of connectivity. Their matrices are predictable and can be plotted for analysis right at the beginning of the move. The course corrections are available with a few punches on the electronic calculating devices and alternatives are easily available. The dilemma lies in the choosing of the correct alternative and ensuring the achievement of the predicted outcome. Today’s Sanjayas are not one but many and they are on both sides of the game players. Their inputs are of vital influence for the penetrating Abhimanyus and need to be factored in the overall scheme of events.

The Chakravyuh begins each day and with a new complexity. The fighting warrior cannot refuse to meet its challenges as life on the fringes is a life not well lived. The fighting warrior makes his move, the Chakravyuh palpitates on its pivot and the warrior gets sucked into its center. The armor of the warrior and his chariot get attacked from all the angles. He not only fights bravely but also invokes his supporting mechanism to recalculate and rejuvenate his strength and assets. As the Sun starts crossing its zenith, the warrior makes his way out of the challenge surmounting its labyrinths. The Chakravyuh starts falling apart and the path to glory starts opening up. The fighting warrior lives to fight the next day.

FEEL THE PULSE

The Spring Term of the National Defence Academy (NDA) witnesses chilled out mornings. The temperatures dip and there is a cold nip in the air in the NDA campus which is located south-west of Pune city, north-west of Khadakwasla Lake. It spans 7,015 acres (28.39 km²) of the 8,022 acres (32.46 km²) donated by the Government of the former Bombay State. The site was chosen for being on a lake shore, the suitability of the neighboring hilly terrain, proximity to the Arabian Sea and other military establishments, as well as the salubrious climate. Aptly, NDA is also located in the hunting grounds of the legendary Shivaji, with the Sinhagad Fort as a panoramic backdrop.

The 2^nd Term had just begun and the training started rolling. The two highlights of the 2^nd Term are the beginning of the Foreign Language Capsule and the Equestrian Training. On a cold morning, both these classes turn out to be nemesis of many a Cadets as the vagaries of previous day’s training continues to reel them under thick and thins of life. It was the first class of the Equestrian Training for the newly inducted 2^nd Term Cadets. Located 2.5 kms away from the living areas (Squadrons), the Horse Shoe entrance of the Equestrian Bay gives a magnificent look. A bicycle is a boon for the Cadets but for 2^nd Termers it can be a bane as its maintenance and availability teaches many a greenhorns the correct value of time. Military expects timeliness and this trait takes a lot of gut and resolve from the motley humans. The budding riders had to be at the Horse Shoe entrance by 0630 hours. The lucky ones with bicycles had a comfortable ride while the not so lucky ones warmed up to the new training by running in squads of 4s/6s to the riding ground.

The sight of the tall and well bred horses standing in perfect harmony tends to be gut spilling. Each horse has a name and with each name is associated a fable. These fables are miraculous and have already breached the minds of young Cadets as they arrive on the first day to begin their training with these horses. The tall horses appear harmless and the instructors are already atop their mounts when Cadets line up in front of their horses. Each horse has a name and also a fable, but there is no way that a rookie rider can recognize its name. He can only pray that his horse is the one whose fable is only of kindness and old age has matured the horse well to a rookie’s desire. Again, a few Cadets are lucky and many are atop the horses which can create new fables this term too. As we got on top of our mounts, the Instructor moved the Squad into a line. The basic classroom training had made us familiar with the various terminologies and now was the time to carry out the practical. With a prayer in the heart and mind, each cadet follows the Instructor’s horse. A new fable had to be born and it was a fogged out morning.

The Officer-in-Charge (O i/c) was on his favorite mount and he was an acclaimed rider known for his prowess in Show Jumping. He sat with great ease on top of his mount and one could see that his body weight was centered around his mid body and he held the horse firmly between his thighs. The instructor was making the group go in a circle wherein each cadet was supposed to do a gentle rise and fall keeping the thigh pressure to hold the horse. He as explaining that a horse can feel the rider’s pulse and can gauge anxiety levels of their rider. The class was going on smoothly and the Sun was trying to break out of the fog barrier when the Horse decided to edit his fable. In one sharp move, he raised his forelegs and tried to dismount the rider. The thigh pressure and the stir upped feet helped to fend off the first attempt. A sharp rebuke from the Instructor kicked up the Horse’s ante. He cut loose with rider on top and began its majestic gallop out of the riding school and on the “Hack Ride” path. The O i/c sensed the trouble and galloped his horse behind the rookie rider. Both the majestic horses galloped at their full, albeit the rookie rider’s heart was in his mouth whilst the O i/c had a Cadet to save from a potential accident. The rogue horse turned towards a mountain trail and did not care for any command from the trailing O i/c. A fall in the rising hillock could have proved fatal and the rookie rider just plopped himself tight on top of the horse and tried to keep his mind’s gyroscope settled in the center. At top of the rocky hillock, the rogue horse lost its steam and stood calm. The O i/c caught up with the rookie rider and the fable had been edited. The chill was gone and the thrill of the ride on top of a galloping mount was trying to sink in to the Cadet’s mind. The view from the hillock top was magnificent and he just shifted his weight into the mid portion of his body. Both O i/c and the Cadet trudged their horses back to the riding school and the pulse of the Cadet and the horse matched perfectly. The anxiety was gone and the horse’s pulse was firmly under the control of the Cadet.

The lesson of feeling the correct pulse matters in every sphere of life. The pulse is in many ways like a barometer that can help determine many types of symptoms and help to defuse potential hazards. On-board a ship, the seasoned Officers and men feel the vibrations of the machinery with hands on their daily rounds. Each night, on a sailing vessel, we start our walk from one end and see each equipment for its functionality. The fingers on the rotating machine’s body give a fair idea of the machine’s health. A worn out bearing or a scored shaft starts making a different impact on the fingers and majority of times; the test equipment enabled health check reveals the potential problems. A monitored machine or a human generally tend to reveal their future trends. The regular feeling of the pulse leads to prediction of the forthcoming patterns. This can then help to devise mechanisms to overcome the beyond the horizon issues which can suddenly loom up like a Titanic iceberg.

An organisation can thrive if the pulse is felt right in time. This activity needs a thorough practice and clear understanding of the past, prevailing and future circumstances. Humans who can feel the pulse are equivalent to Zen Masters. They overcome their own anxieties and fears and can balance their thoughts to feel and analyse the pulses of men, machinery and environment around them. They are never in a hurry and never ruffled by the changing times as they have the pulse under their control. Their organizations and circles around them thrive and grow outwards.

What must go up has to come down- is an old adage. It comes true in most circumstances as fatigue sets into its spiral and disrupts momentum. Everything in this World faces the barrage of fatigue and change. A possible remedy to slow the process and to take the corrective steps is to feel the pulse. Let the signals of the pulse control the spiraling momentum’s centripetal or centrifugal forces. Keep calm, retain the composure and let the thought process analyze the pulse. If the weight is centered correctly, the galloping horse’s fable can be your own story of an exciting adventure.