Part 3

I dedicate this book to that entity who has granted me all mental and physical faculties and keeps me in the world whom I could not meet yet, in spite of my constant search.

FOREWORD

By Dr. D Anjaneyulu, M.A., B.L., D.Litt. Author and Journalist, Ex. President: Madras Press Club and Member: Authors Guild of India.

When Mr. A.R. Narayanan rang me up to ask me for a foreword to his book of verse, I did not know what I was in for. Because I had not met him before, nor had I read any of his written work. But I was instantly impressed by the simplicity and sincerity, earnestness and anxiety in his voice, and I readily agreed.

At the outset, I must say that I was attracted by the title of the work "Truth and the Myth – couplets Quips". 'Couplet' reminded me of the heroic couplets of Alexander Pope (Dunciad and the rest) and those of John Dryden (Mac Flecknoe and so on). 'Quips were reminiscent of the witticisms of Bernard Shaw, the epigrams of Oscar Wilde and the paradoxes of G.K. Chesterton. A combination of the two should be quite spicy, I imagined. Nor was I disappointed. For, I found them undoubtedly spicy and readable. The couplets in this booklet cover a wide range of subjects of general interest – of God and Man, of life and death, of truth and lies, of profession and practice, of politics and profit making and many other things. The concept of truth and myth seemed to remain upper most in the mind of the author, as when he says:

"In the beginning was the word;........ word was truth; Now word of truth has become old-fashioned myth"

He is refreshingly frank in the expression of his views, be they traditional or modern or a happy blend of both. This, for instance, of God and Man:

"Who created man is unsolved mystery – But creation of God is mans mastery"

"If everywhere the God fill Where, on earth, do devils dwell?"

The author has no patience with man's capacity to deceive himself and others, and man's flair for hypocrisy. And rightly so too, as we are all sure to agree:

"Say one thing and do something else Is the first step towards success".

"Man is prisoner of his own mind; None else can bail him out of the bond

Sometimes, he is philosophical and unconventional, as in the couplet:

"If our God is present everywhere, Should one go to temple for prayer?"

Or "Why need middlemen Between God and man?"

At other times, he is satirical, with elements of irony and sarcasm. But he is always effective, because he is in right earnest.

This might be his first attempt at poetic composition, but there is maturity of thought and depth of feeling, which come from his variety of experience in life. I wish more power to his elbow; and hope that this collection, or may be selection, of couplets, will have a wide circle of readers. The quips are thought provoking, without being too harsh or hurting.

Dr. D. Anjaneyulu

Madras, 22nd May 1995

INTRODUCTION

Look around us, people are busily engaged in many things; serious, silly or sincere; inducing a spurt of smile or laughter; of fun, scorn or sympathy; on our lips. You and me are no exception. We too contribute to others fancy.

"Of God's creations, only man can laugh – For, to be laughed at, he does lot enough"

Laughing at others, we should also be bold to direct the very scorn at ourselves. But many of us simply won't or refuse to in the belief that each one of us is an exception. Laughter is a good medicine and, coming out of the hermit shell, we should learn to laugh at all laughable actions of the self and others. Man is sincere to and concerned only about himself. In his frenzy to own all the comforts and happiness of the world, he forgets his roots, tradition, nobility, culture and obligations towards the society, rendering his every action a ludicrous one.

"Man invented money for trading; But, on man, money is now treading"

Money has become everything to man and he is today and addict to it. His prayers, religious rites and marital, paternal, filial and fraternal relationships are guided by the quantum of money inflow. Here, in this era, man would do anything for handful of money because money is power.

Man derives all pleasures, respect, opportunities, and even a ticket to contest elections as candidate of a popular political party, get through it and reach positions on the top rung of political ladder by mere might of money. When the moneyed scoop all the fortunes on earth, the poor can only gaze agape at them, with a sigh.

The moneyed may be able to buy everything on earth, but not love. To exploit and live under his opulence, even distant relations and kith around him will pretend to love him. He will live in a fool's paradise believing that all of them really care for him, until the day his last pie is drained off and the love, sincerity and the loyalty of this so-called kith and kin are put to the acid test.

Even after knowing the occult deceptive function of it, man stakes his life in the grand race for money. Blinded by the spell of its tinkle, money becomes everything for him. He plunges into all sorts of malpractice to earn money and to create a comfortable cushion of savings.