OF PET DOGS AND MUTTS

The Man had a lot of wealth. His father too. And so did his grandfather. The trick was, they knew how to keep it. Right from the days of the grandfather, they had been known to own dogs. The Man only followed this tradition. He tied the dog by a chain to the gate in the wall, that surrounded his house. The chain was long enough to keep others at a considerable distance from the compound wall, but short enough to ensure that the dog stopped a few feet short of the steps leading into his house. Like the sacred thread worn by the Man, this chain was the dog's sacred thread.
The only difference was that while the thread was a sign of limitless power to the Man, to the dog it was a sign of restraint.
The dog was also pretty hairy in some places, so it was difficult to know whether he had been castrated or not. But the dog was loyal. He kept a lot of unwanted elements out. And ensured that secrets never strayed out of the Man's house. So loyal was he that he even kept a daily ledger of the bones the Man threw to him everyday.
But not for nothing was the Man of the house, the MAN OF THE HOUSE. After some time, the man brought home another puppy which he reared inside the house, showering a lot of love on it. Everyday for a week, he would cuddle the puppy in his arms and walk by the dog. The dog would whimper and squeal seeking the Man's affection. But the Man ignored the dog. This routine continued exactly for a week, until one day the Man came out rushing and ordered the dog to rush a straggler and kill him. The dog did as ordered without any hesitation. The puppy was at the back of his mind. Chances were that the puppy would upstage him, if he did not listen to the Man. He killed the straggler without any mercy.
Later, in the day, a servant walked out of the house, a limp furry bundle in his hands. He laid it some distance from the dog and started digging a hole. He threw the limp body in it and covered the hole. It was the pup. Its neck had been wrung. The pup had served its utility. The dog whined, but it did not cry. Had it not been the pup, it would have been him.
The next morning, the Man stepped out of the house, face glowing. The Man offered the dog a prize. A hundred bones and a platter with his name inscribed on it and a warm quilt to lie on. He patted the dog's head and walked over the pup's grave on his way back home.

Vidyadhiraj Award for CM
NT Staff Reporter

Panaji, April 1 The president of Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagalli Jeevottam Mutt committee, Mr Shrinivas V Dempo today announced the coveted Shree Vidyadhiraj Award for the year 2007, will be presented to the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat.Mr Dempo said that the name of Mr Kamat was under the consideration of the mutt committee for quiet sometime and the award is being given on the recommendation of the committee and the approval of Swamiji.The annual award is given to an individual in recognition of his meritorious services to the society in any field. The Shree Vidyadhiraj Award will be presented to Mr Kamat on April 8 during a special function to be held at the Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagalli Jeevottam Mutt. Shree Vidyadhiraj Teerth Shreepad Vader Swamiji will present this award to Mr Kamat.The award includes a citation, shawl, Rs 25,000 and a replica of the thousand-year old banyan tree, which is situated in the vicinity of the mutt.The award was instituted to commemorate the 534th anniversary of the foundation of the mutt, which marked the process of unification of the fragmented Saraswat community. This day also happens to be the 35th anniversary of Shree Guru Peetharohan of Shree Vidyadhiraj Teerth Shreepad Vader Swamiji.