Padmanabhan Janakiraman
Member
Random thoughts on Feeding Birds in the morning.
The first causality whenever one visits to any foreign country is “bird feeding’, not only that, one would also miss, crows incessant cawing announcing that the day has began, subtle cycle bell sound indicating the milk man is dropped his sachets in the bag that hangs outside the doors in some homes, in some places one can even hear a “KoZhi Kuvooal” and a distant Express Rail running sound are also the casualty.
If it is the month of January (Tamil month Markazhi) Temple loud speakers start blaring devotional music.
Back in India, the first thing I do in the morning is to feed crows with bread slices and opening a window in the Kitchen and later on, after cooking is over, my wife is to feed the crows with cooked hot rice and a small quantity of Paruppu, That is the way our elders have taught us .This is definitely not possible if one is visiting any western country.
I will tell you a small story from the great Epic of Mahabharata.
Karnan was one who gave a lot in charity. He would give away anything--diamond, gold, and money, vessels, whatever--that was sought from him.
After giving up his life in the battle, he went to the svargam (heavens). He was hungry. Surrounding him were vessels made of diamond, and gold. But there was not a fistful of cooked rice or a cup of water. "Why is this so?” he asked of the assistants there.
"You were a Dana sura (sun of charity), no doubt. You gave away lots in gold and silver. But then you did not do any Anna danam (charity of food)? Only what you gave there will yet get here", they said.
Karnan felt humiliated. This dharma sukmma (subtlety of dharma) went unknown to him. So he got permission from Yamadharmaraja to come back to this Bhoolokam during Mahalaya Patcha days and did anna dhanam to all for 14 days and went back and he was given food thereafter. (More about Mahalaya later on.)
Coming to my topic, If I throw bread slices or put hot rice outside the home either in UK or US, (even if I am allowed) surprisingly we won’t find any crows to feed on them, Even if they are there, I am sure that they will not relish hot rice sadam with paruppu .
Like what we see in India, many houses are built , where there is no, cement based upper roof.. so you can not go to Madi, and throw the Bread pieces to Birds.
Apart from that if some neighbor complain to police about throwing bread pieces.
on the road, you may be arrested for polluting the road with waste!!!
Your son/or daughter/ or daughter in law may advice you to stop that practice while you are in UK/USA.
Just sharing a thought.
