MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 372

29th June 2026

Time is precious

That completes one round of Bhagavad Gita, but there are a lot more growth lessons from #BhagavadGita. I completed direct lessons from Gita but there are a few indirect learnings.  Let us see a few topics and ‘Time Management’ is one such.

Importance of Time Management

Lord Krishna exemplifies the power of ‘Time’ in multiple slokas. Let us see a few.

To top everything, Sri Krishna compares himself, the ultimate God, to ‘Time’ in three slokas and they are:

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां काल: कलयतामहम् । मृगाणां च मृगेन्द्रोऽहं वैनतेयश्च पक्षिणाम् (Bhagavad Gita 10.30)

I am Prahlada among the demons, time among the subduers, Lion among the animals and Garua among the birds.

Meaning of the word kalyatam, an adjective used for time (kala) is ‘of those who count / calculate / exert control’. Time is the most influential of all those who exert control.

Time is a destroyer

श्रीभगवानुवाच । कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: । ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: (Bhagavad Gita 11.32)

The Supreme Lord said: I am mighty Time, the source of destruction that comes forth to annihilate the worlds. Even without your participation, the warriors arrayed in the opposing army shall cease to exist.

Lord Krishna begins this discourse after showing the Vishwaroopa darshanam. He says both he and time are great destroyers.

Time is precious and can destroy anyone if not utilised properly.  Time is the one thing we cannot buy, store, or reverse. Every second that passes is gone forever. Yet most of us live as if we have unlimited time. We postpone important things. We waste hours on frivolous things. And then one day, we wonder where all the years went.

Lord Krishna does not discuss time as minutes and hours. He reveals time as a cosmic force. A power that creates everything as well as dissolves everything.

Everything we see around us is already in the process of ending. Destruction is certain, only the moment has not yet arrived. When you understand this, you realise that clinging to things is foolish; time will take everything away in due course.

If time is divine, then every moment is sacred. The hour you are living right now is not separate from God.

Time is the ultimate measurer

We, humans, love to measure things. We measure success, wealth, intelligence, and beauty. We build KPIs and dashboards for everything. Good idea. But all our measurements are temporary. What seemed like success yesterday might seem like failure today. What looked like a great batting record ten years back in cricket is an ordinary score today.

Time, however, measures without bias. It does not care about your status or achievements. A king and a beggar both receive the same 24 hours. A saint and a criminal both age at the same rate. Time is the great equalizer precisely because it is divine. It operates beyond human preferences. When you understand this, you become humbler. You realize that time will judge all your actions - not by human standards, but by cosmic ones.

Inexhaustible Time

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्व: सामासिकस्य च । अहमेवाक्षय: कालो धाताहं विश्वतोमुख: ॥ (Bhagavad Gita 10.33)

Of letters, I am the letter A, and among compound words, I am the dual compound (dwandva). I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators, I am Brahma.

Lord Krishna says that he is eternal like Time. How can time be eternal? I will explain in the next episode.

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#PositiveNewsPage

Adapted from newindianexpress.com

One smart pen, numerous learning possibilities

Founded by Mallikarjun Rao Kosuri, Tirupati RTIH-based #VahiniTechnologies is developing an intelligent smart pen that writes on ordinary paper like a ballpoint pen but quietly understands how a person writes.

Using tiny motion sensors and artificial intelligence, the pen captures writing speed, stroke movements, pen control, and subtle hesitations invisible to the human eye, converting handwriting into meaningful digital insights.

“The inspiration came from seeing the struggles of visually impaired students during examinations,” recalls Mallikarjun.

“Many talented students still depend on scribes. Some struggle to find a writer, while others face communication barriers. That made me ask—can technology preserve the natural experience of writing while making it more independent and accessible?”

The journey began in May 2023. With no prior hardware experience, Mallikarjun immersed himself in research on digital pen technologies.

While many solutions relied on special paper, international research on sensor-based systems convinced him that a pen capable of working on ordinary paper was possible.

“What appeared to be a simple pen turned out to be one of the most challenging engineering problems,” he says. “It required expertise in electronics, embedded systems, AI, mathematics, machine learning, and software engineering. Every milestone came after months of research, failures, and learning.”

The idea gained further direction from a personal experience. His nephew Kesav Krishna often complained of hand pain after long writing sessions while preparing for exams. Though academically capable, maintaining speed and consistency was difficult.

“Watching him struggle made me curious about handwriting itself,” Mallikarjun says.

At the heart of the innovation are tiny Inertial Measurement Unit sensors embedded inside the pen. Rather than relying on cameras, the sensors record how the pen moves across paper. Artificial Intelligence reconstructs handwriting by analysing movement patterns, stroke sequences, and writing behaviour. The technology is being developed to help children improve handwriting through personalised learning.

Instead of identical worksheets, the system identifies where a child needs improvement—letter formation, spacing, speed, slant, rhythm, or pen control—and recommends targeted practice.

Beyond handwriting improvement, the platform combines image analysis with motion data to generate detailed reports.

Because handwriting reflects brain-hand coordination, the technology may highlight patterns suggesting challenges such as dysgraphia, dyslexia, or dyspraxia.

“Our goal is to provide objective insights that help parents, teachers, and specialists recognise potential difficulties earlier.”

The innovation is protected under Indian Patent No. 584433. Mallikarjun credits RTIH Tirupati for mentorship and ecosystem support.

“We are building a bridge between traditional handwriting and the digital world. If a simple pen can support accessibility, help children reach their potential, and open the door to earlier intervention, then every challenge has been worthwhile.”

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Conceived, compiled and posted as a weekly newsletter #MondayMusings every Monday in LinkedIn by Jaganthan T (www.authorjaganathan.com)

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PROMOTIONS