Science fiction or Science?: [3] Automatic knowledge transfer

Series title:    Science fiction or Science ?  Serial No. 3

Article Title:  Automatic knowledge transfer from  one person to another

Source references : The story of Nala & Damayanthi in Mahabharata

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Summary

In this story,   Nala   auto- transfers equestrian knowledge to  king Rituparna &  Rituparna, in turn,  transfers knowledge of playing dice  to Nala.

In modern technical terms this would be called “memory implanting”. This is an active area of research in neuroscience currently, though it is said to be at a very early stage.

The concept  has been used to great effect  in some modern science fiction movies.

Relevant  extracts  regarding the event  as given in source::

 Nala, the son of Virasena was the king of the Nishadas. He was strong, and handsome, and well-versed in the knowledge of horses and possessed of every desirable accomplishment………Under force of  circumstances, Nala loses  all his wealth  in  a game of dice where his opponent used unfair means…….Nala wanders about, is  separated from his wife, his appearance changed and name chaged to Vahuka,  comes to king Rituparna of Ayodhya]

He approached the king, saying "My name is Vahuka. There is no one in this world equal to me in managing steeds……”

Rituparna replied, 'O Vahuka, stay with me! May good happen to thee. Thou wilt  perform all this. I have always particularly desired to be driven fast. Do thou concert such measures that my steeds may become fleet. I appoint thee the superintendent of my stables………”

[On one occasion …] king Rituparna, soothing Vahuka with gentle words, said, 'O Vahuka, thou art well-skilled in training and guiding horses. If it pleases thee, I intend to go to Damayanti's Swayamvara [ in Vidharba]  in course of a single day.”…. Rituparna, with joined hands "O monarch, I bow to thy behest, and I will go to the city of the Vidarbhas in a single day!" Then, at the command of the royal son of Bhangasura, Vahuka went to the stables and began to examine the horses. And repeatedly urged by Rituparna to make haste, Vahuka after much scrutiny and careful deliberation, selected some steeds that were lean-fleshed, yet strong and capable of a long journey and endued with energy and strength of high breed and docility, free from inauspicious marks, with wide nostrils and swelling cheeks, free from faults as regards the ten hairy curls, born in the country of Sindhu, and fleet as the winds. And seeing those horses, the king said somewhat angrily "What is this, that thou wishest to do? Thou shouldst not jest with us. How can these horses of mine, weak in strength and breath, carry us? And how shall we be able to go this long way by help of these?"

Vahuka replied, 'Each of these horses bears one curl on his forehead, two on his temples, four on his sides, four on his chest, and one on his back. Without doubt, these steeds will be able to go to the country of the Vidarbhas. If thou thinkest of choosing others, point them out and I shall yoke them for thee." Rituparna rejoined "O Vahuka, thou art versed in the science of horses and art also skillful in guiding them. Do thou speedily yoke those that thou thinkest to be able."  Thereupon the skillful Nala yoked upon the car four excellent steeds of good breed that were, besides, docile and fleet…….

[Nala handles the chariot and horses superbly making great speed… but they encounter unexpected delays on the way…in one instance the king exhibits extremely unusual skill with numbers….]

 Wherein Vahuka was struck with amazement upon finding the fruits, after calculation, to be what the king had said, he addressed the king, saying "O monarch, this thy power is wonderful. I desire to know the art by which thou hast ascertained all this." At this king, intent upon proceeding speedily, said unto Vahuka. 'Know that I  am proficient at dice besides being versed in numbers." And Vahuka said unto him "Impart unto me this knowledge and take from me my knowledge of horses………. And king Rituparna, having regard to the importance of the act that depended upon Vahuka's good-will, and tempted also by the horse-lore that his charioteer possessed, said, 'So be it.' As solicited by thee, receive this science of dice from me, and, O Vahuka, let my equine science remain with thee in trust.' And saying this, Rituparna imparted unto Nala the science he desired………….

…… Nala replied, "……. This thy horse-lore is in my keeping. If thou wishest, O king, I will make it over to thee." Saying this, Naishadha gave unto Rituparna that science and the latter took it with the ordained rites.

 Rituparna, having obtained the mysteries of equestrian science and having given unto the ruler of the Naishadhas the mysteries of dice, went to his own city,

Current status of memory transfer technology

Advances in neurosciences have given us the clearest picture yet of how memories are formed , stores  and then recalled…..it has come together just in the past few years due to two technical developments--- modern brain scanning and computers…..

What is a memory?

Neuroscientists usually define a singular memory as an engram—a physical change in brain tissue associated with a particular recollection. Recently, brain scans revealed that an engram isn't isolated to one region of the brain and instead manifests as a colorful splattering across the neural tiss

A memory looks more like a web in the brain than a single spot,” says neuroscientist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Ramirez of Boston University. That's because when a memory is created, it includes all the visual, auditory, and tactile inputs that make an experience memorable, and brain cells are encoded from all of those regions.

Implanting memories

·        Researchers at MIT in 2013,  had a breakthrough: They were able to target the cells that make up one engram in a mouse’s brain and then implant a false memory. In their work, mice reacted in fear to a particular stimulus even when they had not been conditioned in advance.

·        Scientist s at Wake forest University and Univ. of Southern California… in 2011 achieved….ability to create an artificial hippocampus  and then insert memories into the brain… they were able to record a memory made by mice ( learning a new task)and store it digitally in a computer… they then injected the mice with a special chemical , making them forget the task..Then they played back  the memory into the same mouse’s brain.. the memory of the task returned…

The researchers stress that their work in mice is foundational, but they  see treatment potential for humans down the road. 

Currently the sense is  that direct transfer of new skills to persons thru memory implants seems technically possible  but it is  atleast a few decades into the future

Office of the chief of Naval operations, USA which sponsored the work saya “…Using implantables to enhance competency  is down the road. It is only a matter of time”

The technology is at primitive stage… many hurdles have to be crossed… But principle is established… it may take decades to refine and to work all the way upto humans….

Some sites

https://massivesci.com/notes/implanted-memories-memory-mice-neuroscience-science-fiction-brains-mind-control/ 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-memory-manipulation-research-neuroscience/

Memory transfer in modern science fiction

Remember that scene from the cult movie The Matrix (1999)?

….. the evil sentinels who guard the Matrix.. have finally cornered Neo… the only one who can lead a defeated humanity to victory against the Machines. It looks like humanity’s last hope is about to be terminated. But previously Neo had had an electrode jacked into the back of his head  that could instantly download  new skills into his brain

'Jujitsu? I'm going to learn Jujitsu?' asks Neo, lying down, as the operator downloads modules of martial arts from digital tapes into the organic neural matter of Neo's brain. From kung-fu to flying a B-21 helicopter - all learning gets downloaded through a neuro-digital connection into the brain from the computer….

In seconds he becomes a karate master able to take down the Sentinels….

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·          Scientist s at Wake forest University and Univ. of Southern California… in 2011 achieved….ability to create an artificial hippocampus  and then insert memories into the brain… they were able to record a memory made by mice ( learning a new task)and store it digitally in a computer… they then injected the mice with a special chemical , making them forget the task..Then they played back  the memory into the same mouse’s brain.. the memory of the task returned…

Science fiction or science ?: [2] Fish smelling Satyavathi is cured

Series title: Science fiction or science ?   Serial No: 2

 Article Title:  Fish smelling Satyavathi is cured

Source reference : Mahabharata Book 1;section 63

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Brief description of   event

Sathyavathi, the mother of Vyasa  (later the Queen Mother) is born  with a strong odour of  fish emanating from her. At one time Sage Kashyapa grants her a boon which cures her of this condition.

Under modern medicine the cause of the fish odour has been identified   to a  mutation of a specific gene. And treated accordingly.  

Description of event  as given in source::

…..the king became possessed with desire and he missed Girika's  presence very much. Maddened by desire he was roaming about…………. And noticing that a swift hawk was resting very near to him, the king, acquainted with the subtle truths of Dharma and Artha, went unto him and said, 'Amiable one, Please carry this semen for my wife Girika and give it to her. Her season has arrived…….., the seed fell into the waters of the Yamuna. In those waters dwelt an Apsara of the higher rank, known by the name of Adrika, transformed by a Brahmana's curse into a fish. As soon as Vasu's seed fell into the water from the claws of the hawk, Adrika rapidly approached and swallowed it at once. Some time later that fish was caught by the fishermen.  Ten months later,from the stomach of that fish came out a male and a female child of human form. The fishermen wondered much, and went to king Uparichara  and told him 'O king, these two beings of human shape have been found in the body of a fish!'………... The fish-smelling daughter of the Apsara in her fish form was then given by the king to the fishermen, saying, 'Let this one be your daughter.' That girl was known by the name of Satyavati.

.………That best of Rishis, gratified with all she ( Sathyavathi) said, replied "You shall remain a virgin even if you grant my wish. Ask for a boon that you desire. My grace has never before proved fruitless." Thus addressed, the maiden asked for the boon that her body might emit a sweet scent  instead of the fish odour that it had. The  Rishi granted that wish and she became highly pleased, and her season immediately came. She accepted the embraces of that Rishi. She henceforth became known among men by the name of Gandhavati (the sweet-scented one). Men could perceive her scent from the distance of a yojana and for this she was known by another name which was Yojanagandha ..

Brief  scientific information on this subject

·        This is a condition called ‘Trimethylaminuria; also called ‘fish odor syndrome’

·        Wikipedia describes this condition as follows: “Fish odor syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a genetic disease; symptoms are often present from birth. Fish odor syndrome is characterized by an offensive body odor and the smell of rotting fish due to the excessive excretion of trimethylaminuria (TMA) in the urine, sweat, and breath of affected individuals.

·        Caused by a metabolic disorder that causes a defect in the normal production of the  enzyme..FMO3

·        If FMO3 is not working correctly or is not produced in enough quantity, body does not convert Trimethylamine (TMA)  in food digestion process into trimethylamine oxide. The TMS builds up and is released  in the person’s sweat, breath, urine , giving off a strong fishy odor

Sources & Details of technical information

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylaminuria

Trimethylaminuria (TMAU; primary trimethylaminuria), also known as fish odor syndrome or fish malodor syndrome,^[1] is a rare metabolic disorder that causes a defect in the normal production of an enzyme named flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3).When FMO3 is not working correctly or if not enough enzyme is produced, the body loses the ability to properly convert trimethylamine(TMA) from precursor compounds in food digestion into trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), through a process called N-oxidation. Trimethylamine then builds up and is released in the person's sweat, urine, and breath, giving off a strong fishy odor or strong body odor. A variant of TMAU (secondary trimethylaminuria or TMAU2) exists where there is no genetic cause, yet excessive TMA is secreted, possibly due to intestinal dysbiosis, altered metabolism, or hormonal causes.

o   Mutations in the FMO3 gene, which is found on the long arm of chromosome 1, cause trimethylaminuria. The FMO3 gene makes an enzyme that breaks down nitrogen-containing compounds from the diet, including trimethylamine. … Normally, the FMO3 enzyme converts fishy-smelling trimethylamine into trimethylamine N-oxide which has no odor. If the enzyme is missing or its activity is reduced because of a mutation in the FMO3 gene, trimethylamine is not broken down and instead builds up in the body. As the compound is released in a person's sweat, urine, and breath, it causes the strong odor 

o   There is no known cure or treatment for the disorder.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10479479

Abstract

Trimethylaminuria (TMAuria) (McKusick 602079) first described in 1970 is an autosomal recessive condition caused by a partial or total incapacity to catalyze the N-oxygenation of the odorous compound trimethylamine (TMA). The result is a severe body odor and associated psychosocial conditions. This inborn error of metabolism, previously thought to be rare, is now being increasingly detected in severe and milder presentations. Mutations of a phase 1 detoxicating gene, flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3), have been shown to cause TMAuria. Herein we describe a cohort of individuals ascertained in North America with severe TMAuria, defined by a reduction of TMA oxidation below 50% of normal with genotype-phenotype correlations. We detected four new FMO3 mutations; two were missense (A52T and R387L), one was nonsense (E314X). The fourth allele is apparently composed of two relatively common polymorphisms (K158-G308) found in the general population. On the basis of this study we conclude that one common mutation and an increasing number of private mutations in individuals of different ethnic origins cause TMAuria in this cohort.

Comments:

This event indicates a likely knowledge of the genetic root cause of this syndrome and consequent knowledge of the treatment methodology for the same.

The fact that a boon given by Sage Parasara  is said to cure  the fish odor and replaces it with a fragrance indicates the likelihood that it is not thru some oral medication but a surgical or genetic intervention

Taking a more literal meaning, it could indicate a spiritual process involving knowledge of the genetic cause  and resetting of the genetic material

Questions that arise:

·         it is stated that  Kasyapa rishi gives a boon to Satyavathi  ridding her of the odour and she is cured. She is not only cured  of the odur but it is replaced by a sweet smell which pervades over a yojana.

·        A valid explanation  for the cure would be a process of correcting the mutation  in the FMO3 gene.

·        Did Rishi Kashyapa  have  knowledge  of the source of the problem and the technological means to make the necessary correction?

Science fiction or Science? : [1] Birth of 100 children to Gandhari

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s       Series title: Science fiction or science ?      serial number: 1

Article Title:  Birth of  100  children to Gandhari

Source reference :Mahabharata Book 1- section 49

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Summary      

King Dritharshtra’s wife Gandhari’s fetus is aborted after a two year pregnancy. Sage Vyasa comes and does the needful to enable the birth of 100 sons and one daughter from out of the aborted matter..

In modern technical terminology, the equivalent of the device used by Vyasa is called “artificial womb”. This technology  is fairly close to maturity and has already been  successfully used on animals in the laboratory

       Description of event  as given in source:

One day Gandhari entertained with respectful attention the great Dwaipayana who came to her abode, exhausted with hunger and fatigue. Gratified with Gandhari's hospitality, the Rishi gave her the boon she asked for, viz., that she should have a hundred sons, each equal unto her lord in strength and accomplishments.

Some time later, Gandhari conceived and she bore the burden in her womb for two long years without being delivered. She was greatly distressed at this. At that stage, information reached her that Kunti had brought forth a son whose splendour was like unto the morning sun. Becoming impatient due to the prolonged period of gestation, and deprived of reason by grief, she struck her womb forcefully, without the knowledge of her husband. Thereupon a hard mass of flesh, from two years' growth, came out of her womb.

When she was about to throw it away, Dwaipayana, learning everything by his spiritual powers, promptly came there, and  beholding that ball of flesh, addressed the daughter of Suvala thus, 'What have you done?' Gandhari, without trying to disguise her feelings, addressed the Rishi and said, 'Having heard that Kunti had brought forth a son like unto Surya in splendour, I struck my womb in grief. O Rishi, You have granted me the boon that I should have a hundred sons, but here is only a ball of flesh for those hundred sons!'

Vyasa then said, 'Daughter of Suvala, yes it is so.. But my words can never be futile. I have not spoken an untruth even in jest. Let a hundred pots full of clarified butter be brought instantly, and let them be placed at a concealed spot. In the meantime, let cool water be sprinkled over this ball of flesh." The illustrious and great Rishi himself, by sprinkling water over that ball of flesh, began to divide it into parts, each about the size of the thumb. And as it was being  divided into parts, the nurse began to take them up and put them one by one into those pots filled with clarified butter that had been placed at a concealed spot  and were watched with care..

While this process was going on, the beautiful and chaste Gandhari, realising the affection that one feels for a daughter, began to think within herself, 'There is no doubt that I shall have a hundred sons, the Muni having said so. It can never be otherwise. But I should be very happy if a daughter were born of me over and above these hundred sons and junior to them all. My husband then may attain to those worlds that the possession of a daughter's sons confers. Then again, the affection the women feel for their sons-in-law is great. If, therefore, I obtain a daughter over and above my hundred sons, then, surrounded by sons and daughter's sons, I may feel supremely blessed. If I have ever practised ascetic austerities, if I have ever given anything in charity, if I have ever performed the homa through Brahamanas, if I have ever gratified my superiors by respectful attentions, then as the fruit of those acts let a daughter be born unto me.'

All this while, that illustrious  Krishna-Dwaipayana himself was dividing the ball of flesh; and counting a full hundred of the parts, he said unto the daughter of Suvala, "Here are your hundred sons. I did not speak  to you what was false. Here, however, is one part in excess of the hundred, intended for giving you a daughter's son. This part shall develop into an amiable and fortunate daughter, as you have desired' Then that great ascetic brought another pot full of clarified butter, and put the part intended for a daughter into it. 

Then,in time, were born a full hundred sons to Dhritarashtra and a daughter also in excess of this hundred from among those pieces of the ball of flesh that had been deposited in those pots. The eldest of these was  Duryodhana . The daughter was named Duhsala.

Observations & questions that arise

·        Gandhari’s conception can be assumed to have been a natural process since  no specific mention is made. No artificial methods like some equivalent of in-vitro fertilization seems to have been involved. Only  abnormality stated is that the pregnancy went on for two years without delivery happening.

·        The foetal matter being aborted can  be directly attributed to the self inflicted beating….

·        There could not have been fertilization of a hundred eggs  during a single pregnancy in the natural course, since a human  woman is not designed to carry and deliver a hundred children  in one shot

·        But how did Vyasa  achieve the creation of  100 male and one female babies  from the aborted matter?

o   This is indicative of knowledge and capability to handle and manipulate the foetal matter at the cell and sub-cell level to a hundred embryos or fetuses capable of growing into full-term babies

·        How did Vyasa  create a specific foetus with sex predetermined as female?

o   This reaffirms the above observation. In fact, it is indicative of  ability to manipulate  at  a much deeper chromosomal level.

·        The environment needed for growth into full-term babies—flow of the necessary nourishment, the exact physical parameters etc--- was provided as per instructions by Vyasa

o   This can be looked at as some form of ‘ artificial womb’. Modern science is now in the process of developing such equipment and is expected to become available in the next few years.

o   See news item on this  in the section below

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News items on Artificial womb development

Date: April 25, 2017

https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/25/15421734/artificial-womb-fetus-biobag-uterus-lamb-sheep-birth-premie-preterm-infant

The lambs spent four weeks in the external wombs and seemed to develop normally

 But it’s important not to get ahead of the data, says Alan Flake, fetal surgeon at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of today’s study. “It’s complete science fiction to think that you can take an embryo and get it through the early developmental process and put it on our machine without the mother being the critical element there,” he says.

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April 25, 2017

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/25/525044286/scientists-create-artificial-womb-that-could-help-prematurely-born-babies

Scientists have created an "artificial womb" in the hopes of someday using the device to save babies born extremely prematurely.

So far the device has only been tested on fetal lambs. A study published Tuesday involving eight animals found the device appears effective at enabling very premature fetuses to develop normally for about a month.

"We've been extremely successful in replacing the conditions in the womb in our lamb model," says Alan Flake, a fetal surgeon at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who led the study published in the journal Nature Communications.

"They've had normal growth. They've had normal lung maturation. They've had normal brain maturation. They've had normal development in every way that we can measure it," Flake says.

Flake says the group hopes to test the device on very premature human babies within three to five years.

"What we tried to do is develop a system that mimics the environment of the womb as closely as possible," Flake says. "It's basically an artificial womb."

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Aug23, 2017

https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/8/23/16186468/artificial-wombs-radically-transform-abortion-debate

Artificial wombs are coming.

The research remains preliminary, but in April a group of scientists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia announced amazing advances in artificial womb technologies. The authors explained how they had successfully sustained significantly premature lambs for four weeks in an artificial womb they had designed.

This enabled the lambs to develop in a way very similar to lambs that had developed in their mothers’ wombs. Indeed, the oldest lamb — more than a year old at the time the paper was published — appeared to be completely normal.

 The technology is not ready for human use,

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Some notes on the process of development of Foetus

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/normal-pregnancy/stages-of-development-of-the-fetus

Stages of PREGNANCY

During each normal menstrual cycle, one egg (ovum) is usually released from one of the ovaries, about 14 days after the last menstrual period. Release of the egg is called ovulation. The egg is swept into the funnel-shaped end of one of the fallopian tubes.

At ovulation, the mucus in the cervix becomes more fluid and more elastic, allowing sperm to enter the uterus rapidly. Within 5 minutes, sperm may move from the vagina, through the cervix into the uterus, and to the funnel-shaped end of a fallopian tube—the usual site of fertilization. The cells lining the fallopian tube facilitate fertilization.

If a sperm penetrates the egg, fertilization results. Tiny hairlike cilia lining the fallopian tube propel the fertilized egg (zygote) through the tube toward the uterus. The cells of the zygote divide repeatedly as the zygote moves down the fallopian tube. The zygote enters the uterus in 3 to 5 days.

In the uterus, the cells continue to divide, becoming a hollow ball of cells called a blastocyst.

Development of the Blastocyst

Between 5 and 8 days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches to the lining of the uterus, usually near the top. This process, called implantation, is completed by day 9 or 10.

The wall of the blastocyst is one cell thick except in one area, where it is three to four cells thick. The inner cells in the thickened area develop into the embryo, and the outer cells burrow into the wall of the uterus and develop into the placenta. The placenta produces several hormones that help maintain the pregnancy. 

Development of the Embryo

The next stage in development is the embryo, which develops within the amniotic sac, under the lining of the uterus on one side. This stage is characterized by the formation of most internal organs and external body structures. Most organs begin to form about 3 weeks after fertilization, which equals 5 weeks of pregnancy (because doctors date pregnancy from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period, which is typically 2 weeks before fertilization). At this time, the embryo elongates, first suggesting a human shape. Shortly thereafter, the area that will become the brain and spinal cord (neural tube) begins to develop. The heart and major blood vessels begin to develop earlier—by about day 16. The heart begins to pump fluid through blood vessels by day 20, and the first red blood cells appear the next day. Blood vessels continue to develop in the embryo and placenta.

Almost all organs are completely formed by about 10 weeks after fertilization (which equals 12 weeks of pregnancy). The exceptions are the brain and spinal cord, which continue to form and develop throughout pregnancy.

Development of the Fetus and Placenta

At the end of the 8th week after fertilization (10 weeks of pregnancy), the embryo is considered a fetus. During this stage, the structures that have already formed grow and develop. The following are markers during pregnancy:

·         By 12 weeks of pregnancy: The fetus fills the entire uterus.

·         By about 14 weeks: The sex can be identified.

·         By about 16 to 20 weeks: Typically, the pregnant woman can feel the fetus moving.

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Wikipedia

In biological terms, however, prenatal development is a continuum, with no clear defining feature distinguishing an embryo from a fetus. The use of the term "fetus" generally implies that an embryo has developed to the point of being recognizable as a human; this is the point usually taken to be the ninth week after fertilization. A fetus is also characterized by the presence of all the major body organs, though they will not yet be fully developed and functional and some not yet situated in their final anatomical location.

Gender Assigned

Gender is determined immediately upon fertilization. The 23rd pair of chromosomes establishes the sex of the baby. The mother's egg contains an X chromosome, while the father's sperm carries either another X or a Y chromosome. An XX combination means your baby is female and an XY combination means your baby is male. This means that the baby's gender is determined before it is even considered a fetus.

Development

Though during the first few weeks of fetal development your baby's internal and external genital structures are the same, the organs will eventually change. Your baby's gonads will either become ovaries or testicles. The phallus will become either a clitoris or a penis, and the genital folds will become either labia or scrotum. This all depends whether or not testosterone is present. Testosterone will be present in embryos with a Y chromosome, and male sex organs will begin to form. If testosterone is not present, female organs will develop, making female the "default sex" for human beings.

Narmadha Parikrama

A small book  [ “Walking with the Immortals – The Narmadha Parikrama”,  published by  Vivekananda Trust, Arunachal Pradesh]  that I read recently gave  heart-warming insights into the some aspects of India’s cultural ethos which, I believe, has been carried on for centuries if not millenia. In modern terms this could be termed a ‘Spiritual-ecological adventure’. The  book is written by  Capt.K.K.Venkatraman --  a close family friend--  who undertook the  parikrama  in 1987. The author’ style of writing  is straight and unassuming and brings out the gruelling nature of the practice which was at the same time a rich, rewarding  and enjoyable experience for him.

About the practice of Parikrama

1.       It is the spiritual  pilgrimage practice of clockwise circumambulation of the Narmada river.

This involves walking  from the point of origin of Narmada river [ at Amarkantak, Shahdol district MadyaPradesh] along the south bank  of the river  to the point of union with the Arabian sea [ at Vimleshwar, Bharuch district, Gujarat]; crossing the river and walking back along the north bank to the point of origin .

2.       The  total distance  to be walked is  2600 km, considering the up & down journey,The river  flows for  1070 Km in MP, 75 Km in Maharashtra; and 205 Km in Gujarat. In some stretches, the landscape along the Narmada are thickly forested mountain slopes;40 major tributaries join it and would have to be crossed . It is common practice to go in groups of 4- 5 persons in view of the long distances, forested route and other difficulties.

3.       Narmadha is considered a very sacred river. There are many major religious centers along the river. For example Amarkantak, Omkareshwar, Garudeshwar for Hindus; Mandav for muslims; Barwani for Jains. This being a spiritual pilgrimage, certain disciplines are expected to be adhered to:

·         Walking barefoot;  walk only between sunrise and and sunset

·         Cannot carry any  money or  valuables with you

·         Should  live on the food/ food articles offered by local populace or sought as ‘biksha’  from them. One is allowed to ask biksha not more than 3 times. If food is not made available within this, one has to forego food for that session.

·         Observe a vow of celibacy; Sleep on mat/ sheet/floor; should not shave or cut hair

·         No dirtying of river water; no use of soap or oil

·         Be kind to all; no harsh words; do not lose temper.

4.       Traditionally the parikrama is completed in 3 years-3 months-13 days.  The parikramavasis spend a few hours every day in the daytime to cook their food. They halt at holy places along the way for a few days. During the 4 monsoon months - the chaturmasya- one is expected to camp in one place.

5.       Parikrama practice is believed to have been started by Sage Markandeya. There is a firm belief that the chiranjeevis in our puranic lore –parasurama, hunuman, vibhishana, ashwathama, mahabali, kripacharya, vyasa are continuously doing the Narmada parikrama and protecting the Parikramavasis( hence the book title).

6.       The parikrama pathway is generally along the bank of the river. For food one can go to the nearby village  and seek biksha. The villagers along the route  feed the parikramavasis with reverence; it is considered as an opportunity to serve God; Normally the  groups carry cooking utensils with them, the  villagers or charitable organizations provide items like rice, pulses, wheat flour, oil, chilli, salt ;

7.       As part of the whole process, the following has to be done: at the source point collect Narmada water in a container and always carry it with you during the trip. Prayer is to be offered to this water everyday morning and evening. When crossing over from south bank to the north bank at the mouth of the river, empty half  of the water in the container into the river and fill up again with water from the river mouth. After reaching the source point again, empty half of the water in the container and fill up again with water from the source.

8.       After completing the parikrama, on reaching Amarkantak, one has to visit  Jwaleshwar temple and go round  Mother’s Garden before  entering Narmada temple to reach the Point of Origin. Then one has to visit Omkareshwar temple and offer the water in the container to the Shivalinga deity there. This will mark the completion of the exercise.

About Capt.K.K.Venkatraman

1.       Was captain in the Kumaon regiment (6^th battalion)

2.       Saw action  in the western front during 1971 Indo-Pak war

3.       After release from army, Honorary worker at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari

4.       During the period 1983 – 1993 was located in Arunachal Pradesh; involved in the administration of the English medium schools being run in the interior areas of the state by  Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari

5.       Currently  does voluntary service at Ramakrishna Matha, Chennai.

6.        Is a great fan of hindi film music (1945-1978 vintage)

Author’s parikrama journey

·         Decided to undertake the parikrama alone rather than in a group. The idea was to avoid the casual talk inevitable in a group  and keep the mind on spiritual matters.

·         Carried two small shoulder bags with him to hold the minimum essential items like  clothing, a mat for sleeping on, blanket and  prayer book. It also included a few special items like notebook & pencil with a blade for sharpening,  a small stock of postcards and inland letters. An important item was an 1.5 metre long wooden stick to identify and avoid loose sand while crossing tributaries and to help in chasing away dogs.

·         Keeping his work commitments in mind,  he planned to complete the whole exercise in about 4 months, implying an average  walk of  about 20 Km everyday and started the parikrama on October 26. 1987.

·         The daily routine

o   Start walking  at sunrise  after finishing ablutions. No bath.  Normally will get tea   from  a village resident before he leaves. Walk for 10 to 12 km by noon.

o   Around noon stop at a village. People there normally offer raw items like rice oil etc  for cooking. Since KKV was not conversant with cooking, people would happily offer to serve him cooked food. Finish bath, wash and dry the used clothes, have food.

o   He totally avoided post-lunch rest. Even the talking with the hosts was done standing for fear that sitting down would tempt one to lie down and then take a nap etc.

o   Cover another 10-12 km in the afternoon till sunset.

o   Around sunset halt at wayside mandap or temple on the bank of the river. The village folk generally visit the river bank to know if any Parikramavasi is halting for the night. They enquire about their food and arrange to feed them if necessary.

o    After food there would be conversation with the village folk, with them  evincing keen interest to know  where he was from, what was his work etc. Even though they did not have formal education,  they talked about our epics, efficacy of devotion, surrender to God etc. Often he would join in the pooja, satsang in the village

o   At the end of the day, make notes on the day’s events, distance covered, villages visited, people met etc.

·         A sample of  experiences

·         On day 18 morning he declined an  invitation for lunch from a person because he had just covered 3 km and lunch time was a few hours away. The person, who was headmaster of a school located 8 miles ahead on the parikrama route , insisted that he would bring  lunch for him  to the school  and requested him to stop  for lunch at the school after his morning trip. So he had a warm welcome at the school and  had lunch with the staff. At their request he addressed the children, talking to them about Arunachal Pradesh, the Brahmaputra river, their Vivekananda Kendra schools in Arunachal. When he took leave and left, the  teachers, HM and  students walked along  with him for quite a distance.

·         On another day, around noon  he was passing thru a village. His first two requests for biksha  were unsuccessful. He chose his person for the last chance at biksha very carefully – a house with a small provision shop in the front and an elderly man sitting in the shop. When asked for biksha, the shopkeeper offered to give raw food items. When he confessed that he could not cook and requested for cooked food, the shopkeeper lost his cool  and said such people should not be undertaking parikrama.  The author apologized and left. But soon enough he saw a woman running  and calling out to him. Behind her was the shopkeeper, obviously her husband. They apologized profusely and requested him to honour them  by having lunch at their house. KKV had mentally made up his mind to go without  food  that day as punishment  for not being able to adhere to the rule of self-cooking. However he felt that couple were afraid of incurring his curse for turning him away and agreed to their hospitality.

·          At one stage the river flows thru a 100 km forest stretch. In this stretch the author joined a small group of parikramavasis to have safety in numbers. The poor forest inhabitants had the habit of stopping such travelers, taking away all their belongings including the clothes worn and leaving  them in minimum garments. To handle this, an informal free luggage safekeeping service was available. The parikramavasi leaves his belongings at the last village before entering the forest. He will be able to collect them back when, on the  return sojourn along the north bank of the river, he reaches the spot opposite to this villages, he sends a note thru the boatman who runs a regular ferry service here. There was also an arrangement whereby a flour mill owner in the village offered an empty gunny bag to each traveler for wearing after his dhoti is taken away.  On day 46 they entered the forest. The group was stopped by the locals and asked to give their possessions. Surprisingly, the author was spared, his dhoti was not taken away and only the blade and matches in his possession were taken. For the group, the next few nights  they had to pass in the forested region were very hard and trying. There were no temples/ mandaps and they had to stay in the open,  that too without their blankets. The cold kept them awake most of the time and they tried to occupy themselves singing bhajans.

·         On the day they emerged from the forested area, they did not find any village where they could seek food. In the afternoon, from across the river a couple of people called aloud to say that they would bring cooking utensils and food items and asked for the number of people to be fed. This arrangement was from the Dongre Maharaj ashram from inside the forest . All the stuff arrived after about an hour and soon enough they all had a hearty meal after more than 24 hours.

On day 130 reached Ramakrishna Math at Amarkantak  after covering more than 2500 km and completed the parikrama