I saw Shiva again this week. The OG cult classic that introduced Ram Gopal Varma to the world, and made the humble cycle chain an iconic weapon of the masses (teens). I had one too – everyone did. And it was as enjoyable as the multiple times that I had seen it before. On thing …
We underestimate our own capabilities. And by we, I mean everyone. Without exception. I have seen this in various fields – be it martial arts, studies or work. We think that we aim high, but we aim a lot lower than we are capable of. No, I don’t want to sound like one of those hyper …
Read the prologue here… रोहते सायकैर् विद्धं छिन्नं रोहति चासिना ।वचो दुरुक्तं बीभत्सं न प्ररोहति वाक्-क्षतम् ॥ १११ ॥ rohate sāyakair viddhaṃ chinnaṃ rohati cāsinā |vaco duruktaṃ bībhatsaṃ na prarohati vāk-kṣatam || 111 || Wounds caused by arrows can heal. Cuts made by sharp swords can heal. But wounds caused by harsh words never ever heal. The owl …
भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः, तपो न तप्तं वयमेव तप्ताः । कालो न यातो वयमेव याताः तृष्णा न जीर्णा वयमेव जीर्णाः ॥ bhogā na bhuktā vayameva bhuktāḥ, tapo na taptaṃ vayameva taptāḥ ।kālo na yāto vayameva yātāḥ, tṛṣṇā na jīrṇā vayameva jīrṇāḥ ॥ Vairagya Shatakam by Bhartṛhari Pleasures aren’t satisfied, only we are consumed by our …
Better late than never, they say. And so, after a long and frankly inexplicable delay, I started to read ‘Poor Richards Almanac’, a yearly almanac published by THE Benjamin Franklin, whose passing mention in our school history books had something to do with electricity. Of course, if I had schooled in the USA, this would …
We have been trained to learn the wrong way. The system of education that we went through encouraged spoon feeding of information, with little regard to understanding concepts – a focus on rote learning with the sole objective of clearing examinations. This type of learning, frankly, requires un-learning, if we are to compete in the …
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुने: || 69|| yā niśhā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti sanyamīyasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśhā paśhyato muneḥ What all beings consider as day is the night of ignorance for the wise, and what all creatures see as night is the day for the introspective yogi. …
How does one end up with so many things to do and so little time? Work, ideas, new projects, personal plans…the days fly past and the plans and ideas just keep coming and..well, lie in a few corners of your mind, from where they occasionally spring to life only to be summarily dismissed much like …
In India, there is no official Dance Day, but I guess we never needed it. Just a glimpse of the Nataraja, is enough to know how deep-rooted classical dance has been in our culture. The नाट्य शास्त्र, (Nāṭyaśāstra), of Bharata Muni, was compiled five centuries before Christ, and is the primary reference text for Indian classical …
अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ।आरब्धस्यान्त-गमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ॥ १२७ ॥ anārambho hi kāryāṇāṃ prathamaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam |ārabdhasyānta-gamanaṃ dvitīyaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam || 127 || The first sign of intelligence is to not begin any task. The second sign of intelligence is to always finish a task that has been started. And so, Sthirajeevin let out a series of groans, …
