Reflections

ARJUN’S SPECIAL QUALITIES Arjun is a name and a person who needs no introduction to most Indians; one mention is enough to trigger images of sharp intellect, of fearless fighting capability, of legendary archery and combat skills – none of these attributes needs further clarification for most of us. Yet, there are a few aspects of this great warrior, this prince among men, that deserve a much deeper look. These are attributes which do not readily come to mind. At best, the one quality that will occur to some is his bhakti for the Lord Shri Krushn, as evident in the Krushnaarjun Samvaad {Known popularly as the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta} BACKGROUND Let us remind ourselves of the background of this finest of creations on Earth, the Krushnaarjun Samvaad : it took place in the middle of a battlefield, on the eve of an epochal battle involving nearly all the known kingdoms of ancient Aryavart. In short, anyone who was anyone and his entire clan was there for the battle. This...

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF KARM Karm {Karma} is one of the most famous Indian Words to get absorbed into the English Language; it is also probably the most incompletely understood words, even by Indians. This incomplete understanding has now permeated into the language as well as its usage by nearly everyone, thus propagating a meaning which does not fully do justice with this word. What does this word actually mean, and does it mean in common parlance? With regard to common usage, a simple dictionary search gives the result : “ the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. / good or bad luck, viewed as resulting from one's actions .” IS KARM GOOD OR BAD? There are two aspects to this : first, karm isnt good or bad; karm just "is", as it were. It just exists; that is it – without any adjectives to quality it. It is the effect of Karm – what is called karmphal in the scriptu...

A FEW THOUGHTS ON KARMYOG The KarmYog, or, as it is called at its culmination point – Nishkaam Karmyog, is a path towards God wherein a person acts as per the situation, without any self-interest, dedicated towards God, and without any expectation of return. As per the Krushnaarjun Samvaad {also known as the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta}, it is a state where one is purely content in the self and at total peace. At its highest point, Nishkaam Karmyog, there is no need for a person to act THE VARIOUS PATHS TOWARDS MOKSH The KarmYog path is one that can take you to liberation despite being in Gruhasthaashram, or in other words, while being in society, marriage and friends; another path for the Gruhasth is SanyasYog, wherein one practices detachment while remaining in the sansaar -   different from Sanyaas Aashram when one renounces the world. A third path is BhaktiYog – wherein one is so devoted to God, that one literally forgets oneself. PRARABDH A full un...

BEING RADHA BEYOND THE LOVE AND HIS LEELA By Dr Tripti Sharan The book that quite literally made me cry… I had – either tears or a wetness in my eyes, intermittently – with the flow of the story, and a faint melancholy yet warm feeling in the depths of my heart as I read through this evocative book of poems. This is a book that will touch you and leave you richer for the experience; and, as you close the last page, the words stay with you, giving you peace, calm and an understanding… 5 stars! THE BOOK This is the story of Radha; Radha, who is close to our hearts due to the famous Radha-Krushn divine lovers, Radhe-Krushn who our a part of our lives and our hearts through stories, temples and even idioms, who have become entwined into our collective consciousness. This is a book of poems that give the story from the perspective of Radha, what she went through, what her life was, and what was her relationship with Shri Krushn! THE ANALYSIS I am not a fan of...

Book Review : Mastaan The Fallen Patriot Of Delhi Vineet Bajpai Vineet Bajpai has done it again… after the immensely successful and thrilling Harappa tri-series, he is back with a bang, and how! This time, with a book on the First War of Independence. This book actually surpasses the first 3 with ease; for reasons as to why it is so special, read on! Suffice it to state for the opening paragraph here, that this is a must read for all Indians. Kudos, Vineet – and thanks for a really special landmark book! THE PLOT The book is themed on 1857, and based on the background of a love story that intertwines with the freedom struggle. The key protagonist is Mastaan, a Subedaar in the East India Company’s Army, and a devoted servant of the EIC. The EIC Officers, particularly one kindly gent, had helped his family, and he thus holds almost a worshipping attitude towards the EIC. His best friend and senior is Chhagan, a Subedaar Major, who is the exact opposite – someone ...

Lets take a stroll through the market – any market, any city in India. Go into the shops, and observe the products therein. The one thing that stands out – the proliferation of MNC Brands, brands that originate outside India, with only production in factories in India, if that. In some cases, even that is not there – the product is simply imported. Either that, or its key components are imported. A similar trend, though not so easily observable, can be seen in industrial markets, with the tendency of imports being ever-present. Be it steel or be it dairy, it is the same story everywhere. This, far from being a success story of the past 28 years, is actually a telling failure of our local industries, a compelling tale of abject failure, as company after company falls in share {sometimes even shutting shop}, with the gains being made by Brands that are not Indian. Our per capita income has gone up, yes. Opportunities for people have increased, yes. Lifestyles have improved ...

Walk Away! Two simple words, but they hold the key to our mental peace of mind and happiness. Also, two simple words representing an action that is possibly among the hardest to execute among all actions in life : Walk Away. Something even the best of us fail to do, again and again. We tend to cling, hold onto situations, relationships etc far beyond their value and importance, creating stress both in our own lives as well as those of others. Rather than cling – my advice is to simply walk away! RESPECT : THE BEDROCK Any relationship – be it spouse, or children, or friends – is built on a bedrock of mutual respect, mutual interdependence and communication. Of these 3 – it is the first, mutual respect, that leads to the following two. You tend to talk to {regularly and openly, transparently} only those people for whom you have some degree of respect for at least some of their characteristics. Only when true communication happens does mutual interdependence get built into th...