Friday, June 9, 2017

1026. The First ever Data Transfer…….!



My CPU had some problem and I replace it with a new one a few days back. The Local Disk (D :) had many documents which I had to copy to a Pen Drive before connecting my new CPU. I brought a new Pen Drive and copied the 30 GB content. It hardly took less than 10 minutes to transfer the data from the computer to the pen drive. There were lots and lots of articles in Microsoft Word Document, our entire prospective buyers list in Microsoft Excel Worksheet, many presentation of our factory work flow chart in Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation, music mp3 files and video files too. I was amazed at the speed the data was transferred which I had taken enormous hours to pile. That’s technology for us, it has made transfer of data from one system to another so easy if they both have the USB port. One such data transfer did happen thousands of years ago.

Gurukula (House of Guru) was the place where students used to study Shastras (Scriptures) and at the same time carry out of mundane chores such as cleaning the ashram, gazing the cattle, washing clothes, fetching firewood etc. The disciples in the ashram were given lesson on subjects depending on the interest they had, every disciple would get lesson according to their aptitude. Guru would know what should be taught to a student and how much, depending upon his capacity to receive and retain knowledge.  

One such Gurukul belonged to Rishi Ayodha Dhaumya who had a disciple named Aruni. Aruni was an average student but his willingness to learn and devotion towards his Guru was immense. Any work assigned to him he would finish in such a way that it required none to put their hands into it again. Thus even though he did not progress in his learning, he continued to be in the Gurukula unmindful of other things.

One day it started raining heavily with heavy thunder and lightning. The paddy crop was just finished its flowering stage and was entering into the milk stage, Guru was worried that the crop would be flooded. There was a tank and any chance of breach in the tank would wash away the crop. That paddy crop was the main source to feed the students for the whole year. He wanted somebody to go over there and see if there was anything to prevent the tank from breaching.  As usual the task was given to Aruni who immediately took the Palm leaves umbrella and set out towards the tank. The heavy rain did not bother him as his mind was occupied to save the crop.

Whole night the little boy was lying along the tank bed to prevent it from breaching. Unable to control the flow of water by making heap mound of mud he deemed it fit to cover the breach with his body. His body became a reservoir to stop water from entering the field. In the morning Guru found him lying cold with other student’s help he filled the breach and lifted the boy and embraced him for saving the crop.

At the Gurukula in the morning after bath Guru asked Aruni to come and sit before him. He placed his right hand on his head and by invoking all his spiritual powers transferred the entire knowledge he had to the boy. Aruni who was an average student suddenly became as knowledgeable as the Guru himself.  From then on he was called “Uddalaka” (one who stopped the water). Uddalaka was the one who explained his son and disciple Svetaketu meaning of “Tat Tvam Asi” in Chandogya Upanishad. His daughter Sujata was the mother of Ahstavakra. 
   
Knowledge transfer from the Guru to Shishya was as the same as the data transfer from my CPU to my Pen Drive. Both had the USB. While the Guru had the Universal Sharing Brain and the Shishya had the Universal Seeking Brain…..the first Data Transfer happened!!! 

No comments:

Post a Comment