GREAT WRITERS: R K NARAYAN

Remembering the literary enchanter of story telling, also called often the Indian Chekove by many, Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami who was born on this day in 1906. A pure artist as he was, he had no explicit commitment to art. He could give life to the plethora of his ordinary characters (Raju, Rosie, Swami, Natraj, Vasu, Sri Ram, Bharati, Krishna and many others) so that they may live and breathe in the fictional town of Malgudi ( like Wessex of Thomas Hardy) and may ever embrace all types of influences that come in course of their living leading to unpredictable rise or fall in their circumstances. R.K. Narayan dealt his stories with a subtle sense of irony and an undercurrent of racy humour in a language quite simple, yet amazingly elegant and catchy. His speciality lies in the echoing of Indian social complexities through his engrossing stories with a touch of matchless irony and humour.Through Malgudi (and his other stories), RK Narayan displayed everyday Indian life, which often described the juxtapositions between modernization and ancient traditions. In doing so, he showed the world what life was like in India and the culture and sensibilities of its people. This was important because during the British Raj, the popular portrayals of India were created by its colonizers rather than its people. Books like EM Forster’s A Passage to India have overrated opinions about India. It is a far cry from truth because the colonizers are prioritized. Narayan, however, prioritized Indians in his stories absorbingly.  Even after being disembodied after death, a writer lives through his characters and their dialogues. So Narayan is with us and will continue to be with the posterity in all times to come. I remember my favourite writer on his birthday with his brief and simple, but sane and appealing observation on writing, "You become writer by writing. It is a yoga" and perhaps it was this yoga that gave him a long life of 95 years despite numerous highs and lows of his life. I pray God sincerely to send Narayan once again in this land of ours to amuse and enthral us with his newly invented stories. Narayan's literary friend Graham Greene observed:

"Whom next shall I meet in Malgudi? That is the thought that comes to me when I close a novel of Mr Narayan. I don't wait for another novel. I wait to go out of my door into those loved and shabby streets and see with excitement and a certainty of pleasure a stranger approaching, past the bank, the cinema, the haircutting saloon, a stranger who will greet me I know with some unexpected and revealing phrase that will open a door on to yet another human existence." 

Happy Birthday Indian Chekov at your place in heaven. 

🌺🙏🏼🙇🏻‍♂️🌺

NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE

NOBEL LAUREATES: PHYSICS 2025

GREAT SCIENTISTS: ALBERT EINSTEIN: SLOW-LEARNRR TO GENIUS OF THE CENTURY

Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and violinist. He developed the general theory of relativity. This work was created after reading the compelling biography of Einstein by Walter Isaacson. The source image for this colorized photo of Albert Einstein is a photo in the public domain available via Wikimedia.

Date19 February 2014

Source:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/12637209434

Author:  DonkeyHotey

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

ALBERT EINSTEIN: SLOW-LEARNRR TO GENIUS OF THE CENTURY 

In the history of human intelligence, few names shine as brightly as Albert Einstein. He revolutionized science, redefined our understanding of the universe, and became a symbol of pure intellect. Yet, few know that this world-famous genius was once considered a failure in school.

A Child Who Spoke Late and Thought Deeply

Einstein was born in 1879 in Ulm, Germany. He was a quiet child who spoke very little until the age of four. His teachers thought he was slow, even dull. He preferred to sit silently and think. His slowness to speak made many adults worry that he might never do well academically.

But young Albert’s mind was not slow — it was deep. He often lost himself in thought, fascinated by the mysteries of light, stars, and space. Once, when his father showed him a small magnetic compass, Albert became obsessed. “How does the needle know which way to turn?” he wondered. That question lit a spark of curiosity that never went out.

A Curious Mind Misunderstood

Einstein did not enjoy the rigid discipline of the German schools of his time. He found rote memorization boring. Teachers wanted obedience; Einstein wanted understanding. When told to memorize facts, he asked why those facts were true. His questions were not appreciated. One of his teachers even said:

“Einstein, you will never amount to anything!”

Years later, that same “unpromising” boy would transform modern physics.

The Joy of Wonder

Einstein’s real education began when he started learning on his own. He read books on mathematics and philosophy far beyond his school level. His imagination and curiosity guided him more than any textbook.

He later said:

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

It was this curiosity that led him to his great discoveries. In 1905 — a year now called his “miracle year” — Einstein published four groundbreaking papers, including his famous Theory of Relativity, which changed how scientists understand time, space, and energy.

Humility of a Great Mind

Despite his fame, Einstein remained humble and gentle. He believed that imagination was more important than knowledge because knowledge tells us what is, while imagination shows us what could be. He was also a firm believer in moral values and peace. He once said:

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

Einstein’s simplicity was as great as his genius. He disliked luxury and fame, preferring quiet walks, music, and conversations with students. Even when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, he continued to live modestly, devoted to science and humanity.

Lessons for Students

Einstein’s story is a reminder that true learning is not about marks or speed. It’s about curiosity, imagination, and perseverance. Many children who appear “slow” or “different” may, in fact, be thinking in their own unique ways.

His life teaches us that:

Asking questions is the beginning of wisdom.

Mistakes are stepping stones to discovery.

A curious heart can see what ordinary eyes cannot.

In Essence

Albert Einstein’s life is not just a tale of genius — it’s a celebration of wonder.

He proved that when curiosity and imagination unite, they can unlock the deepest secrets of the universe.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for its great help and support in creating this blogpost and Flickr.com, DonkeyHotey and Wikimedia Commons for the image.

GREAT SOULS

GREAT LIVES

PANINI, FATHER OF LINGUISTICS

PANINI 

🌟 Did you know? 🌟

More than 2,400 years ago, an ancient Indian Hindu Rishi (scholar) named Panini created one of the most scientific works in human history – a grammar for Sanskrit. 📖✨

🧩 His masterpiece, Ashtadhyayi, written in the 4th century BCE, is not just a grammar book. It is a system of rules, meta-rules, and algorithms so precise that many scholars compare it to the logic behind modern computer programming languages. 💻🔍

In fact, some say Panini was the world’s first computational linguist – designing a framework where every combination, exception, and derivation could be expressed systematically.

A timeless reminder that India’s intellectual heritage has been pushing the boundaries of knowledge for millennia. 🇮🇳🌍

#AncientWisdom #Panini #Sanskrit #IndianKnowledge #ComputationalThinking

#hindu #hindustan #hinduism #bharat #AncientVedicKnowledge

GREATEST SCIENTISTS

Portrait of Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Artist:  Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) 

Public domain work of art

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

ISAAC NEWTON, THE UNMATCHED GENIUS 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2z9hRvxqO_0&si=SzTlOZ3ytH3aAcHC

Neil deGrasse Tyson, in the referenced clip, names Isaac Newton as the most extraordinary scientific mind humanity has produced, highlighting Newton's unparalleled contributions to physics, mathematics, and optics.

Isaac Newton: The Unmatched Genius

Isaac Newton is widely regarded as the greatest scientific mind in history, a genius whose discoveries continue to shape science and society centuries after his death.

Revolutionary Achievements

Laws of Motion and Universal Gravitation: Newton formulated the three laws of motion and the universal law of gravitation, laying the foundations for classical mechanics. These laws explain everything from how apples fall to how planets orbit stars, offering a unified explanation for phenomena terrestrial and celestial.

Inventing Calculus: When posed with the problem of why planets move in ellipses rather than circles, Newton invented integral and differential calculus. This branch of mathematics remains vital today, underpinning physics, engineering, economics, and more.

Optics and Light: Newton discovered that white light is not pure but is made up of a spectrum of colors. His experiments with prisms and his invention of the reflecting telescope fundamentally advanced the study of light and modern astronomy.

Expanding Mathematics: Newton’s mathematical innovations include the binomial theorem, method of approximation (Newton’s method), and foundational work in numerical analysis, setting standards still taught and used today.

Impact on Modern Science

Scientific Method: Newton refined and popularized the experimental approach, blending mathematical rigor with empirical observation—becoming the model for subsequent generations of scientists.

Astronomy and Space Exploration: His laws enabled precise predictions of planetary motion and were pivotal in the development of celestial mechanics, allowing future astronomers and physicists to build upon a reliable foundation for exploring space.

Enduring Legacy: Even after Einstein revolutionized physics with relativity, Newton’s laws remain accurate for most practical purposes and remain essential for understanding the everyday physical world.

Why Does No One Come Close?

Depth and Breadth: Newton’s contributions spanned physics, mathematics, optics, astronomy, and even chemistry and theology. He didn’t just answer tough questions; he invented entirely new ways of thinking and tools required for others to advance.

Singular Achievement: Working alone with few resources compared to modern scientists, Newton redefined the laws of nature, devised calculus as needed, and shaped the methods of science—all before the age of 30.

Lasting Influence: Newton’s work continues to underpin modern science, and even the most advanced discoveries today build upon the foundations he established.

Newton’s Enduring Greatness

Albert Einstein, among others, considered Newton his greatest scientific hero, regularly referencing Newton’s ideas as the starting point for all subsequent breakthroughs. Surveys of both physicists and the general public still rank Newton as history’s most important scientist.

Isaac Newton’s achievements and intellectual courage have left a legacy that endures—no wonder Neil deGrasse Tyson and countless others see him as singular and unmatched in history.

Quotes by Isaac Newton

• “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

• “What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean.”

• “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”

• “Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”

• “If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been due more to patient attention, than to any other talent.”

• “To every action there is always an equal and opposite or contrary, reaction.”

• “Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”

• “No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.”

• “Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.”

Grateful thanks to PERPLEXITY AI for its great help and support in creating this blogpost, Neil deGrasse Tyson for his wonderful video which provided the stimulus to create a post in my blog , INSPIRING LIVES on Sir Isaac Newton and   Godfrey Kneller and Wikimedia Commons for the image of Sir Isaac Newton.

GREAT TEACHERS

FEARLESS FREEDOM FIGHTERS

                                                V.O. CHIDAMBARAM PILLAI's 150th BIRTHDAY