Stotras to the Artificial

The original title I had in mind was Four Vespers and a Whiskey in line with:

Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film. It grossed over $245 million on a budget of under $5 million.

Then came this:

As you know from सप्त काव्यानि (Seven Poems), The Vedic in Me, and My History of Eternity, I take a playful view of my mythological ancestry (A Brief Timeline of Pre-history), and continuing on that theme here, let me mention that Usha, which is also the name of my mother’s younger sister, is Sanskrit for Dawn. (Recall from Treasure at the Top of the Pyramid, that my father’s younger brother is Prahlad.)

In Vedic times, many words had a dual purpose, to describe (a) the inanimate object (or concept) and (b) its anthropomorphic version.

Indeed, the Rig Veda opens with a hymn to Usha, Goddess of Dawn (Hymn to the Dawn, although, not altogether surprisingly, I prefer Hymn to the Waters! Hint: Varuna):

What is this post about?

My hymns to earthly delights: 2025 Aston Martin Vantage  and Vesper.

Here is my Hymn (“Song of Praise”) to the 2025 Vantage:

In realms of speed and grandeur stands, The Aston Martin Vantage, a marvel grand.

Exclusive, handsome, its power vast, A dignified roar, a lineage steadfast.

New twin-turbo might, six-five-six steed, In every metric, it exceeds the creed.

Gone, alas, the twelve-cylinder’s might, But V-8’s surge brings joyous light.

With athletic chassis, dynamics refined, Suspension geometry, software aligned.

Visceral thrills, acceleration fast, Sonorous symphony, an engine blast.

Within, a snug embrace of leather divine, Hand-stitched, upgraded, in luxury entwine.

Modern tech in infotainment’s grace, Controls for drive and climate’s embrace.

For those who seek beyond the common throng, Porsche and Mercedes, where crowds belong,

The Vantage stands, a rarefied call, A spirit kin, for those who enthral.

Yet those who crave utmost rarity, To Aston DB12, ascend in clarity.

In realms of speed and grandeur stands, The Aston Martin Vantage, in glory’s lands.

And one more Stotra (Sanskrit for Hymn):

In the twilight’s embrace, where stars softly gleam, Vesper Martini, elixir of dreams supreme.

North Loop of Minneapolis, where streets intertwine, A bustling heartbeat, where stories align.

In the sacred hymns, these treasures we hail, From cocktail’s allure to culinary trail.

From city’s heartbeat to whiskey’s lore, In harmony’s embrace, their spirits soar.

May Vesper’s grace and Yamazaki’s depth, Blend in the feast where memories are kept.

Spoon and Stable’s table, where stories unfold, In Minneapolis’ heart, where warmth is bold.

In homage we raise, with poetic plea, To these treasures of life, where spirits roam free.

The collection (Samhita) of these hymns can be the beginning of Post-Vedanta (Vedanta: end of the Vedas), circling back to the life-affirming joyfulness of Pre-Vedic era (which I have coined as Purvavedam) but modernized to appreciate the artificial, human-creations, maximally inverse, and complementary to the original hymns that praised the natural, divinely-created.

Of course, the ancients also praised Soma (what Gods drink!) and Ratha (chariot), and so I am just doing a (hi Vashishta! ☺️)

21st Century Update: Vedas 2.0.

After all, we have been (allegedly) divinely endowed, and so my Chat-GPT assisted Suktas (Sukta: Well-said) are therefore indirect praises to the natural and the divine, recognizing its creative use for human self-enjoyment in this Lila (Divine Sport).

Many of you may have already guessed why I composed the title:

Herbert Simon: Sciences of the Artificial == Sridhar Tayur: Stotras to the Artificial.

PS: There is a (yet to be verified) claim that Usha Vance‘s dad (Krish) is an alum from IIT-Madras, as is his brother, and that their dad (her grandfather) was on the faculty at IIT-Madras. Can someone confirm?

Update: Link to Article. Thanks Arko! And this one that I found from NYTimes. I also got confirmation from Kaviraj: