Counting in Hindi

One of the Aryabhatiya’s most frequently quoted verses is the second verse from the ‘Ganitapada’, or mathematics, section. Clark translates it thus:

The numbers eka [one], dasa [ten], sata [hundred], sahasra [thousand], ayuta [ten thousand], niyuta [hundred thousand], prayuta [million], koti [ten million], arbuda [hundred million], and vrnda [thousand million] are from place to place each ten times the preceding.

Criteria for buying a house

A house is possibly the biggest investment in the life of a middle-class guy. And a decision this big requires careful consideration. Here's my list so far:

• Low-rise (low maintenance)
• 1000 sqft (atleast)
• Car park (some open space would be good)
• Ready-to-move in
• Not next to main road
• Good approach road
• Easy access to supermarket, hospital, school etc.
• Balcony receives maximum amount of sunlight
  

 Important considerations

• 10A (Ampere) connection in every room for easy vacuum machine connection and Air-conditioner
  
• 10A connection for washing machine, dryer and dishwasher in utility area
• 10A for refrigerator, oven and mixer in kitchen
  
• Running a 5A line on sine-wave inverter will save sensitive electronics from voltage fluctuations.
• For ground floor, the drainage must have a one-way valve. In the event there's more water poured than the pipe capacity from the floors above, this ensures it doesn't flood back inside.
   

Budget

For a monthly installment of Rs.11000 (rent amount + maintenance in the area), time period being 240 months, and interest rate 8% p.a, interest compounding Quarterly, Maturity value of Recurring Deposit is Rs. 6479546.67 (http://www.investmentyogi.com/rd-calculator/) . This amount therefore is a good ballpark figure for the budget.

RCOM plans to reduce 40k crore debt. How does it work?

I came across this article about how RCOM is planning to reduce its debt
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/reliance-communications-plans-to-reduce-manpower-by-35005500/1267740
Question is - how did it end up with such a high pile of debt? Is it fine for a company to have such huge debt and still declare profits? Averaging a 1k crore per year PAT over last five years, it'd take it atleast 40 yrs to turn profitable in absolute numbers. What kind of accounting is this?

 Payment of only interest will lend a person perpetually in debt. It's not a good idea for credit card (unsecured loan); can't be any better for corporate loan (secured loan). Not sure this should be "a normal practice" - declaring profitability with such huge debt. What kind of assets have a useful life of 40years? This business doesn't look viable even on paper. How did lenders agree for such a loan? Banks won't give even home loan for more than 20years period.

Vedic chintan

Dharam doesn't mean religion

Dharam doesn't translates to religion as understood by Westerners. e.g. Mahabharat is supposed to be a Dharam-yudh. But it wasn't a war to save Hinduism or its Gods - but it was a war for Justice. So a more plausible definition is Justice or Righteousness. Consequently, Vedas focus more on meditation than prayers.

Moksha is not freedom from life and birth

Moksha is enlightenment - the knowledge that there's nothing else but the Absolute. The cycle of life and birth is eternal as is the Absolute itself.

Artha is the origin of Dharam

Artha (or economy) is the origin of Dharam (or Justice). This is what Socrates also preached much later.

Sukha (or happiness) originates form Dharam (or virtuous conduct). Dharam originates from Artha. Artha originates from Rajya (or republic). Rajya originates from Raja (or King).

King is only a wage earning servant of the republic. The King who doesn't take care of the people has no moral authority to rule.

Vedas proclaim the existence of only Absolute

Satya is The Absolute

Satya is derived from root "sat" meaning forever. It essentially points to the Absolute which has no beginning or an end - from which everything else originated. Everything else is Maya or illusion.

Gods are only aspects of the Absolute

Brahma(creative), Vishnu (sustaining) and Mahesh (destroying) are only aspects of the Absolute. It's foolishness to imagine them as humans and then take one of them to be greater than other.

Prosperity is different from wealth

Wealth is tangible whereas prosperity is intangible. Wealth can buy you goods but can't ensure prosperity. Only he is prosperous whose needs are cheapest.

Vedas focus on prosperity as the end of economic activities and not wealth.

Interbank Mobile Payment service (IMPS)

Though this service made a public debut on Nov. 2010, I came to know about it recently. After the initial hurdles of getting myself an MMID, the money transfer process was a breeze. Hope you'll find it useful.

IMPS offers an instant, 24X7, interbank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones. IMPS facilitate customers to use mobile instruments as a channel for accessing their bank accounts and put high interbank fund transfers in a secured manner with immediate confirmation features.

Airtel pre-paid blackout in Noida

Few days back, I started my phone and I didn't get any signal. I tried the SIM in another phone - it didn't work either. I reported the incident to Airtel helpline (paid troubleshooting) and the guy at the other end said the SIM is active and he can't help much. I received an SMS from Airtel asking my feedback on the call. I replied - not satisfied. I got another call from Airtel asking why wasn't I satisfied. I explained. The lady said I'd have to get a NEW SIM and NEW number.

Reluctantly, I went to Airtel center to get a new SIM. That's when I realised I wasn't alone facing this issue. In the 10min I was at the center, I saw atleast 10 people complaining about the same. Can so many SIMs go kaput at the same time requiring a replacement?

Now all the affected would have to get a new SIM which will arrive only on 13th Jan. Till then I'm out of reach :(

Night Life

"Bangalore lacks night life!! Mumbai is so much better."

I have heard people cribbing like this so very often. Prod them a little more about what exactly is that they are looking for and most draw a blank face. Some throw the old complaint - we can't go to any place after 11.
"So where exactly do you wanna go?"
"Shopping, clubbing...."
"Why do you wanna shop in the middle of the night?"
"I might wanna just walk around the road"
"So who's stopping you from doing that?"
"I might wanna have fun with friends."
"Do that at your home? Why do you have to create a ruckus and disturb the people around?"

So far I haven't come across a logical rationale of wanting a night life. People don't live through the day and suddenly realise late at night they missed out on life.


PS: Paris has a great night life!! If you define night by clock that is. In summer, there is sunlight till 10:30 PM (I dozed off after that!). So it's rather long day revelry. In winter, everything is closed by 9 apart from the bars!