- On salary and packages…Designing a salary package is tricky. From an employee perspective, there is a requirement to maximise compensation, and from an employer perspective, one has to toe the fine line between making an employee happy, and yet keeping costs competitive. But then again, what is compensation? Is it only money? Yes, you may say. I work …
- The culture of bots…A cursory glance at Twitter trends throws light on the condition of social media today. Over 90% of those trends are bot-driven, an in-your-face attempt at steering public conversation, or at least appearing to – in a direction that they want to take it towards. And we as hungry observers scroll our time away, every …
- Hydrogen, given enough time…Hydrogen, given enough time, turns into people… Edward Robert Harrison, 1995 You know it is concerning when someone like Scarlett Johansson has her voice (allegedly) used without her consent, and she can’t seem to do much about it. While we all rejoice and salivate at the prospects of AI making our lives better, there are …
- A billion struggles…Around a year back, I read Elon Musk’s biography, and what an interesting read it was! Now, am not a sucker for bios, and surely not for self-help books, but some do stand out, especially the ones penned by Walter Isaacson. The work he did on Steve Jobs’s biography was exceptional, and in time. This …
- The growth obsession…We are obsessed with constant growth. Be it in business, where every quarter has to be bigger than the preceding one, or in school, where kids have to score constantly higher marks, lest the drop be seen as a ‘point of concern’ and the start of a pattern. Physically too, some parents obsess with the …
- And how do you express yourself?A few months back, one of my team members told me that she wants to write. Aha! She was interested in taking up content writing, and wanted to undertake a course. I suggested that she first practice to write, just write without any pre-determined topic or structure. It’s called free writing, in which one does …
- Of thoughts and wishes…Manthara reached home by evening. “My dear, my dear”, he called out as he walked through the door. Seeing her in the kitchen, he went to her and said “My dear, today I had the good fortune of seeing a Yaksha. He has promised to give me whatever I ask for. And so I rushed …
- Of resolves and execution…We have all been there isn’t it? The big resolve to do something, to start anew. An exercise regime, a diet, a new productivity mantra, a new way of working… This usually follows a bell-shaped curve. Start from zero, an accelerated approach towards a peak, when you are exactly where you want to be…and then …
- On the nature of the mind…सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत |श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्ध: स एव स: || sattvānurūpā sarvasya śhraddhā bhavati bhārataśhraddhā-mayo ‘yaṁ puruṣho yo yach-chhraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ Bhagavad Gīta – 17.3 The faith of all humans conforms to the nature of their mind. All people possess faith, and whatever the nature of their faith, that is truly …
- On creation and creators…Working on some exciting marketing plans for the company. So much opportunity to learn! The tools available nowadays are quite exhausting – an abundance of choice that can sometimes be more bad than good. One has to sift through the options and come up with something that not only gives you the most flexibility and …
- The big J…Jealousy is a common human trait. We would have to admit that we have been jealous or envious of someone at some stage of our lives. It may be as silly as a car, to bigger things such as someone having your dream job, or a much better pay package, a bigger house, a better …
- And unicorns sometimes make rainbows…Rohāmrta has his daily pick. One toy, one piece of stuff – can be anything from a spoon to his car. This thing then becomes his obsession of the day, so much so that he carries it to the washroom, his food table, his school, he even sleeps with it in his hand. And he …
- The third day of in-destructiveness…Akshayais a Sanskrit word meaning ‘unending’ or ‘indestructible’. On this day, the Pandavas received the Akshaya Patra (upon worshipping Surya deva), a vessel that never ran out of food. The day is associated with material wealth and prosperity when people buy gold and start business ventures, but that is perhaps a reflection of what we …
- How to acquire true knowledge…तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया |उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayāupadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ Srimad Bhagavad Gīta 4.34 Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him with reverence and render service unto him. Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth. …
- Is there a better time than now?यदपि स्यादसमये यातो वनमसाविति ।अकालो नास्ति धर्मस्य जीविते चञ्चले सति ॥ yadapi syādasamaye yāto vanamasāviti |akālo nāsti dharmasya jīvite cañcale sati|| Buddhacarita 6.21, by Aśvaghoṣa Though he might be said to have gone at a bad time to the forest, in dharma, in truth, no bad time exists – life being as fickle as it is. The Buddhacarita (Saddharma-pundarika) by Aśvaghoṣa is …
- In good times and bad…उदेति सविता ताम्रस्ताम्र एवास्तमेतिच। सम्पतौ च विपत्तौ च महतामेकरूपता॥ udeti savitā tāmras tāmra evāstameti ca | saṃpattau ca vipattau ca mahatāmekarūpatā || Kavya Prakash 7.245 The Sun is red at the time of rising, and red at the time of setting too. Likewise, great men remain alike in both good times and bad times. In …
- The route to success…यशोधिगन्तुं सुखलिप्सया वा मनुष्यसंख्यामतिवर्तितुं वा | निरुत्सकानामभियोगभाजां समुत्सुके वाङ्कमुपैति सिद्धिः || yashodhigantum sukhalipsayā vā manuśyasamkhyāmativartitum vā nirutsakānāmabhiyogabhājām samutsuke vānkmupaiti siddhih Kavya Prakasha Success itself is keen to fall in the lap of and embrace a person who is not very keen to be famous, or who is not desirous of attaining pleasure or happiness, or who wants to …
- In celebration of our planet…ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ॥ īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ yatkiñca jagatyāṃ jagat | tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam || Īśopaniṣad Verse 1 Whatever exists in this Universe, is pervaded by the eternal Truth of the Self. Protect your Self through detachment. Or – Do not covet, for whose is wealth? …
- Ok. So what lies ahead?At some point of time, I do wonder what comes next. In my blog, that is. Do I take up a series? I have been thinking of starting one on the Upanishads, another on the Bhagavad Gita, but I don’t think I am there yet. Starting such a series requires a lot of preparation, mentally …
- On breathing and the key to emotions…Chandra means the Moon, and bhedana means passing through. In this prānāyāma, the left nostril is used for inhalation and right nostril is used for exhalation. It is said that on inhalation, energy passes through Ida (Chandra) Nadi and on exhalation through Pingala or Surya Nadi. The word “nadi” is often mistaken – it is not a nerve. In Yoga, it means an energy …
- The Annaprāshana samskāra…The world searches for peace, for tranquility, and in India, the search has been an integral part of life. Freedom from worry, and detachment from the cares of existence stimulate higher thinking and spirituality. And in India, this higher thinking and the reflection on the nature of existence has been a way of life. This …
- The franca of the lingua…Language is the base of civilization, and India has a lion’s share of the world’s languages and dialects. We have 22 official languages, and we speak the world’s third (Hindi), sixth (Bengali), thirteenth (Punjabi) and seventeenth (Tamil) most spoken languages in the world, besides two of the world’s oldest languages – Sanskrit and Tamil. Yet, …
- Finders and indemnities…I stumbled upon this blog of mine that I had written around three years back. I thought of it since I encountered a similar scenario, and hence thought it relevant to go back in time and read about what I had thought of it earlier, and whether my thoughts have changed since, and well, no, …
- The art of giving…Giving – easy in theory, quite difficult in reality. We have been so conditioned to take, that giving doesn’t come easily to us. Yes, we are able to give what we have “far in excess” of what we need, but true giving is being able to part with what you need, for the benefit of …
- Oh these countless stars…Countless stars in the sky, all looking down at me what is it that you desire, they seem to say you have everything that you wished for, and beyond… why then, are you looking upwards, and asking for more? Countless stars in the sky, all looking down at me So many opportunities, they seem to …
- Lets MRGA!Piece by piece, block by block, segment by segment…my wall-to-wall bookshelf took a while to get made. Once the frame was done, wrapped and complete…at 3 meters tall and 4 meters wide, it is now big enough to host around 600 books, or in other words, my current collection, give and take a few. Which …
- Do you underestimate yourself?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 …
- Let’s Tsundoku!Everyone who knows me, knows that I buy books. Many people do, but I buy a little bit more. A teeny weeny bit more – ok, actually a lot more. Usual book purchase trips involve me walking out with shopping trolleys filled with the stuff. The most obvious question that I get asked is – …
- Are you satisfied with life?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 …
- Of seniors and juniors…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 …
- Are you searching for him?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. …
- On leading by example…कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय: |लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि || 20||यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: |स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते || 21|| karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥloka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasiyad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥsa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate By performing their prescribed duties, King Janak and others attained perfection. You should also perform your duties …
- How did grammar originate?There is an interesting story as to how Panini, the originator of Sanskrit grammar, received knowledge from Shiva. He was supposed to be the dullest of the students in a group that was studying from a Guru in Taxila, Taksha Shila. The other boys were very intelligent. Panini was the most stupid, the least intelligent, …
- Lazeeee….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 …
- The power of learning, part 2…Students have to learn to discriminate between what is important and helpful in their educational pursuits, and onward career development, and reject the rest. If your aim is to become an engineer, your mind should be focused on seeking everything that is essential towards fulfilling that goal. If you are training to be a classical …
- There is power in learning…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 …
- The first sign of true intelligence?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, …
- Perfect the very first time…द्विः शरं नाभिसन्धत्ते द्विः स्थापयति नाश्रितान् । द्विर्ददाति न चार्थिभ्यो, रामो द्विर्नाभिभाषते ॥ Rāma doesn’t aim twice, he doesn’t give refuge twice, Rāma does not give twice to a seeker, he doesn’t speak the same thing twice. He does it perfectly the very first time. It is said that if our culture was only based …
- Whats in a name?ॐ दिवं च रोह पृथिवीं च रोह राष्ट्रं च रोह द्रविणं च रोह।प्रजां च रोहामृतं च रोह रोहितेन तन्वं सं स्पृशस्व ॥ dívaṃ ca róha pr̥tʰivī́ṃ ca roha rāṣṭráṃ ca róha dráviṇaṃ ca roha /prajā́ṃ ca róhāmŕ̥taṃ ca roha róhitena tanvà1ṃ sáṃ spr̥śasva // Raise the standards of all the aspects of your life, raise the …
- The Kyokushin way…A few people contacted me after reading yesterday’s post. We thought Karate was a sport, like tennis or cricket, said an overwhelming majority of those I interacted with. What you say seems like it has a lot more to offer… Well, the short answer is – YES! Here is a brief that I had written …
- The bar has been set too high…I am wanting to enroll my daughter into karate and I am finding such a hard time looking for a good school and a good teacher. Every Shihan I see my mind automatically compares them to you, and others at Kyokushin…You set the bar too high 🙃 An old student of mine messaged this to …
- Do stories need proof?A few months back, someone told me that they had received credible information (via WhatsApp), that Sita had not actually travelled to Lanka. The story goes that she created an avatar of herself, and Ravana then took her along instead. Hmmm… Anyways, my response was – what does it matter if she went to Lanka, …
- Sri Krishna and his best friend…Narayana and Nara are supposed to have taken form as Sri Krishna and Arjuna. They were almost like twins, working together living together, eating together, one being in two bodies. The association of Sri Krishna with Arjuna, so inseparable, is an illustration of the inseparable relation between God and man. यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: ।तत्र श्रीर्विजयो …
- The sweetness of devotion…The Madhurāshtakam of Sri Vallabhacharya sounds like a bit excessive at first glance. The lyrics have too much sweetness in them, it is literally in every line. But then, “Madhuram” does not mean sweet – it doesn’t translate into English very well. The attitude of a devotee expressing the emotion that exists between a lover …
- On what to give away…After the great battle of Mahābhārata was over, the victorious Pāndava brothers organized the Ashvamedha Yagna. At the end of this ceremony, King Yudhishthira gave costly gifts to the priests and donated very large quantities of food, gold, cattle and other forms of wealth to the poor and needy. Everyone praised Yudhishthira for his generosity …
- On new beginnings…Tomorrow is Ugādi — the first day of Chaitrā māsā, or the beginning of the new year. Largely celebrated in South India (where I am from), Maharashtra (as Gudi Padwa), Sindh (as Cheti Chand), and Manipur (as Sajibu Nongma Pānba). It is also the start of Navaratri. Unlike New Year’s day as per the Gregorian calendar, the …
- I, me and myself:)If I am not for myself…who will be? If I am for myself alone…who am I? If not now…when? And if not you…who? Four phrases that shook me when I heard them. Hillel the Elder was a Jewish philosopher who lived over 2000 years ago. While I have not read his teachings extensively, I am …
- Can you keep a secret?A few bits from the Panchatantra – on secrets:) अपिस्वल्पतरंकार्यंयद्भवेत्पृथिवी–पतेः।तन्नवाच्यंसभा–मध्येप्रोवाचेदंबृहस्पतिः॥१०७॥ api svalpataraṃ kāryaṃ yad bhavet pṛthivī-pateḥ |tan na vācyaṃ sabhā-madhye provācedaṃ bṛhaspatiḥ || 107 |||| “Brhaspati has stated that any work, be it big or small, should not be discussed in an open court. षट्–कर्णोभिद्यतेमन्त्रश्चतुष्कर्णःस्थिरोभवेत्।तस्मात्सर्व–प्रयत्नेनषट्कर्णंवर्जयेत्सुधीः॥१०८॥ ṣaṭ-karṇo bhidyate mantraś catuṣkarṇaḥ sthiro bhavet |tasmāt sarva-prayatnena ṣaṭkarṇaṃ varjayet sudhīḥ || 108 || …
- And who is a good sevak?अनभिज्ञोगुणानांयोनभृत्यैर्अनुगम्यते।धनाढ्योऽपिकुलीनोऽपिक्रमायातोऽपिभूपतिः॥७९॥ anabhijño guṇānāṃ yo na bhṛtyair anugamyate |dhanāḍhyo ‘pi kulīno ‘pi kramāYāto ‘pi bhūpatiḥ || 79 || A king may he rich, or of a renowned family or of a great dynasty, but if he does not recognise the good qualities of a servant, he will lose the services of that servant. असमैःसमीयमानःसमैश्चपरिहीयमाण-सत्-कारः।धुरियोनयुज्यमानस्त्रिभिर्अर्थ-पतिंत्यजतिभृत्यः॥८०॥ asamaiḥ samīyamānaḥ samaiś ca …
- The point of the Panchatantra…I buy second hand books from many places in Dubai, one of them being www.bookhero.ae. Was there yesterday and got talking to the owner about books and writing when the conversation moved to the Panchatantra. Like most others, she thought of the Panchatantra as a collection of children’s tales, and so I just had to tell …
- Can you?The issue is not that you are not capable of doing it…the issue is that I know you are capable but you don’t. A phrase (or a close derivative) that I have found myself repeating often – to karate students who I taught, to employees, even to family. The starting point for most people is …
- A book for all times…Around a couple of years back, I read this intriguing book called ‘The Fourth Turning’ by Neil Howe and William Strauss. This was written in 1996, yet is very relevant not just today, but I guess throughout time. On time, the authors write about three concepts of time. “Over the millennia, man has developed three ways …
- Keep on watching silently…Conflicts starting across the world… People against each other – choosing sides… I am right and he is wrong..this is mine and that is not his… My country, my house, my family…rest be damned… Let’s watch this unfold on social media… Bombs falling, people slaughtered… All from the comfort of our couch… And don’t forget …
- Fasting as a medicine…All religions advocate some kind of fasting on a regular basis. The Vedāntā too advocates mitāharā – mitā means moderate and āharā means food. It is one of the yamās of Yoga. Eat on time, when you are hungry, and the right kind of food. Ayurvedā also advocates regular fasting. लंघनं परम् औषधं Langhanam param aushadham – or fasting is the best …
- Cricket and our sticky wicket…It’s the IPL once again. Just one game that dominates our imagination. All other games put together cannot match up to even 10% of our collective attention. Take the Olympics for instance. We clamour for more than just 1 or 2 medals, and cheering every match in the hope that we land that elusive gold …
- Dreamtime…So, I was reading about iron ore mining in Australia, and I came across a passage that took me on a tangent. This part of the book addresses the history of mining in that part of the world and the blatant disregard that mining companies had for the lands held sacred by the original inhabitants, …
- Ballpoint pens and sunken ships…Why can’t China make a ballpoint pen? There is what’s regarded in China as a “classic” question of manufacturing. The manufacturing powerhouse of the world finds it difficult to make this, despite making 80% of the world’s pens. As it turns out, the ballpoint of the ballpoint pen—a tiny metal ball bearing that “mimics the …
- I am a pencil…I am a lead pencil—the ordinary wooden pencil familiar to all boys and girls and adults who can read and write. Writing is both my vocation and my avocation; that’s all I do. You may wonder why I should write a genealogy. Well, to begin with, my story is interesting. And, next, I am a …
- Choicest consequences…What role does choice play in our lives? I read a book somewhere that spoke about parallel realities. Every time we are faced with a choice, we make one and our lives go forward from that point on. But there is a possibility that the other choice is also made, and reality splits there so …
- On Nara and Narayana…Narayana and Nara are supposed to have taken form as Sri Krishna and Arjuna. They were almost like twins, working together living together, eating together, one being in two bodies. The association of Sri Krishna with Arjuna, so inseparable, is an illustration of the inseparable relation between God and man. यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: ।तत्र श्रीर्विजयो …
- Just surrender…श्याम पिया मोरी रंग दे चुनरिया । ऐसी रंग दे, के रंग नहीं छुटे ।धोभिया धोये चाहे सारी उमरिया ॥ लाल ना रंगाऊं मैं, हरी ना रंगाऊ ।अपने ही रंग में रंग दे चुनरिया ॥ बिना रंगाये मैं तो घर नाही जाउंगी ।बीत ही जाए चाहे सारी उमरिया ॥ मीरा के प्रभु गिरिधर नागर ।प्रभु …
- Holi hai bhai holi hai!होली है!! Holi hai! Holi is a popular festival in Sanatana Dharma, originating from India. It is celebrated predominantly in India, but has also spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent. Holi is popularly known as the Indian “festival of spring”, the “festival of colours”, or …
- Is a small business really that small?A small business is anything but small. What it lacks in size, it makes up in impact. If you think of it, prior to the Industrial Revolution, a majority of the businesses, if not all, were small businesses. Traders, livestock, armorers, home smiths, potters…that sort of thing. Guilds were the next stage of evolution, where …
- The mighty dosha…I usually begin my Saturdays at Hariprasad, my favorite neighborhood (nearly) Kannadiga food joint here, I usually also think about the origins of the dish that I order. One is a clear favorite. The masala dosa. Legend has it that a Brahmin adiga (cook) was the creator of this popular breakfast item. Brahmins were not …
- Fasting on some days, and days passing so fast…There is so much to do nowadays that I am living between Ekādashis. Days are passing very fast – I manage to keep track only of fortnights. Just realized that we are already two months into the year, with the third one-thirds done already! Anyways, Ekādashi is a reminder that one has to pause a …
- Of champions and origins…In other news, we won again:) A few months back, I read a bit about the origins of some common phrases. Was very interesting! They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery. …
- Just a day?A company is made by its employees… In our case it’s largely made by its women:)) I don’t subscribe to the idea of a day to celebrate women. Why just one day? And why not celebrate men as well? Rather, the idea of the day I assume is to highlight the contribution of women to …
- The complicated me, and the complicated you…We humans are complicated. I mean, things can be simple but we tend to make them complicated. We leave things unsaid, tasks undone and people incomplete. Our desires are not rational, our greed excessive and our satisfaction is elusive. We make things and situations harder than they actually are, and then search for solutions. We …
- Kids are the same mostly..Wakes up 7:30 shouting “Mr Sun!” (He has a nightlight that switches from moon to sun in the morning.) Mommy comes in and says good morning. Emerges sleepily to join Mommy and little brother in living room. Dresses self now, though imperfectly. Eventually whole family bundles into minivan and goes to Joanie’s for a hurried …
- On the building of skills…Was just having a conversation on education and skills. The current system of education is quite new. For a large part of our existence, we have been working on skills, those that passed down for generations. Each generation added more to the mix thus resulting in an accumulation of skills over time. A 5th generation …
- It’s the Vetala!When I finished my meditation in the morning, I realized that the pearl necklace was still with me. I am not a man of the world, I have no use for much material possessions. And so I asked my disciple here, to go the market and dispose of it…. एतच् छ्रुत्वा पुराध्यक्षो गत्वा भूपं व्यजिज्ञपत् …
- Let’s be thankful…Today, I just feel thankful. It was a very productive day, and by the time it was 6, I had completed whatever I had set out to do, and more. But instead of the usual flush of excitement, I felt a calming feeling of thankfulness. Thankfulness. A feeling that we usually get after a crisis …
- The madding crowd…Far from the madding crowd… from the atmosphere of pretentious interaction of cold handshakes and superficial exchanges… from places that are too boring to frequent and people who cannot hold a conversation of intelligence… from companies that do too much to appear cool while employees struggle to make ends meet at home… from events that …
- A few questions…Is there a God? Are there many Gods? Who writes our destinies? Are they even written? Or does life play out in it’s own way and then we die, never to be seen or heard of again? Do we come back? Even if we do, how would we know? What lies beyond the Universe? Science …
- Another purge…Change is the only constant – so says the cliche and every other LinkedIn profile. But it is true. And one has to keep reinventing oneself every once in a while, mostly with the aim of climbing at least a notch higher… And so here I am, working on reinvention number ‘god knows how much’, …
- Is this the real me?न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञाः । अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। About a couple of years back, I had written about the Nirvana Śhatakam. Recently, I stumbled upon another poem, which isn’t anywhere in the same category or depth, but still carries a good message. Here it is… Who am I you may well askI really wish I knewIf I am not myself …
- The biggest night of all…From the past few years, one cannot think of Mahashivratri, without thinking of Sadguru and Isha. The Mahashivratri event has now become the must-see event of the festival, which can be good or bad, depending on how you view it. Some people think of this as a well-marketed event, others wonder if there is a …
- Of perception and Shiva…Only the most painful circumstances yield the most intense prayers. The uncertainty that lies in front of us makes us appeal to the higher consciousness with all our heart. And when we are heard, and the problem is alleviated, we thank him and move on. In between this problem and the next lie a lot …
- On samatva…उदेति सविता ताम्रस्ताम्र एवास्तमेतिच। सम्पतौ च विपत्तौ च महतामेकरूपता॥ udeti savitā tāmras tāmra evāstameti ca | saṃpattau ca vipattau ca mahatāmekarūpatā || Kavya Prakash 7.245 The Sun is red at the time of rising, and red at the time of setting too. Likewise, great men remain alike in both good times and bad times. In …
- The big J…Jealousy is a common human trait. We would have to admit that we have been jealous or envious of someone at some stage of our lives. It may be as silly as a car, to bigger things such as someone having your dream job, or a much better pay package, a bigger house, a better …
- What’s your daily pick?Keshav has his daily pick. One toy, one piece of stuff – can be anything from a spoon to his car. This thing then becomes his obsession of the day, so much so that he carries it with him everywhere, his food table, his school, he even sleeps with it in his hand. And he …
- Bite size portions…आदौ राम तपोवनादि गमनं हत्वा मृगं कांचनं । वैदेही हरणं जटायु मरणं सुग्रीव सम्भाषणं ॥ वाली निर्ग्रहणं समुद्र तरणं लंकापुरी दाहनं । पश्चात रावण कुम्बकर्ण हननं एतहि रामायणं ॥ aadau raama tapovaanadi gamanam , hathva mrugam kaanchanam vaidehi haraNam Jatayu maraNam sugreeva sambhaashaNam, vaali nirgrahaNam, samudra taraNam lanka puri daahanam pashchad raavaNa kumbakarNa hananam yetahi raamayaNam Once when Rama …
- oh, how we dream…बन्धुउद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ॥ ५ ॥ बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जित: ।अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥ ६ ॥ uddhared ātmanātmānaṁnātmānam avasādayetātmaiva hy ātmano bandhurātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ bandhur ātmātmanas tasyayenātmaivātmanā jitaḥanātmanas tu śatrutvevartetātmaiva śatru-vat One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the …
- Keshav and his Dinos…My son loves dinosaurs. Until they only appear on TV that is. Anyways, I never thought that such small kids would love Dinos of all things. I mean cute cuddly animals yes, but prehistoric lizards baring their teeth and making frightening noises? NAH. Nevertheless, he has twenty that keep him company, and occasionally the sounds …
- The most important books are the ones…I had written this around 18 months back. About building my books collection, from scratch. Well, one wall-to-wall cabinet has been completed, that’s around 600 books give and take a few. So, a bit more than 10% of the target. Isn’t that more than most people read in a lifetime? Doesn’t matter. I read somewhere …
- Does learning ever go to waste?Is learning ever wasted? Someone asked me this question the other day. She wanted to go for a course – short-term, around 2 weeks, and an introduction to something completely different from what she had done till now. The apprehension was – what if I don’t learn anything and it all goes to waste? What …
- A bit on connecting with nature…It’s funny how much our surroundings influence our emotions. Our joys and sorrows, likes and dislikes are colored by our environment so much that often we just let our surroundings dictate our course. We go along with “public” feelings until we no longer even know our own true aspirations. We become a stranger to ourselves, …
- Body – a guide for occupants…Did you know that photons of light have no color, sound waves have no sound, olfactory molecules have no odors, and food molecules have no taste? The greenness of the trees, the blueness of the sky, the smell of that freshly baked pastry and the taste of that homemade pie are all created inside your …
- How many dollars was that again?What costs US$ 168 to build? The human body, by some accounts. Actually, an episode in Nova, a science show on PBS, came up with this figure for the value of there fundamental components of the human body. Britain’s Royal Society of Chemistry, in 2013, performed a similar exercise and came up with a figure …
- Centre your tree…Next time you pass by a big tree, stop and observe it a bit. It probably has been standing there for many years, silent, leaves waving in the wind, steadfast, observing us all pass by, grow older, while the tree itself continues to take in poison and give us life. A tree is always in …
- Oh, what is in a name?Four years back, on the 13th of February, we conducted Keshav’s Namakarana Samskara. A milestone in a child’s life, perhaps the first major one, a lot of thought went into it. Here is what I had written then… Namakarana is a very important samskara in Sanatana Dharma. A person’s personality is seen through the eyes, …
- Are we all worthy?अमन्त्रमक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधम् ।अयोग्यः पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः ॥ amantramakṣaraṃ nāsti nāsti mūlamanauṣadham ।ayogyaḥ puruṣo nāsti yojakastatra durlabhaḥ ॥ Samayocitapadyamālikā There is not a syllable which is not a mantra; there is not a root that is not a medicine. There is no person who is not able, but rare is the person who knows how to apply …
- Stories for kids, and adults alike…I started this blog not by design – it just happened. So did the Sadhana series of theory and exercises – one article led to another and it became a series. The first planned series that I undertook was the Panchatantra, spread over six months, with each shloka represented in over 165 posts, English translations …
- Nearly done, thankfully…A bit of a see-saw day actually. Just when I thought that I would be in near full working condition by tomorrow, I ran a fever once again. Started in the morning, and continued till early afternoon…but then within 15 minutes, I sweat it all away. Now I think I’m nearly out of the woods, …
- The five commandments…1. Question every requirement. Each should come with the name of the person who made it. You should never accept that a requirement came from a department, such as from “the legal department” or “the safety department.” You need to know the name of the real person who made that requirement. Then you should question it, …
- Are you in tune with your swara?Discovering your swara Difficulty level – 1 (easy) Time commitment : As indicated throughout the day We spoke about knowing the breath, through a preliminary exercise, and we practiced Chandra-bhedana prānāyāma as well. We spoke about preparing for death, and today, the last day of the sadhana exercise series, we will speak about preparing for rebirth, by rediscovering how our …
- Of good experiences and bad…Have you noticed that we tend to remember bad experiences more than good ones? Think of the past few days. Try and recall all the good experiences that you had – can be a good meal, or a great conversation, or a wonderful book that you read…attempt to recall as much as you can about …
- Howwzatt!!So I mostly caught the virus. Which means, cancelled meetings and calls, a bit of work pile and the headache and fever to top it up. Is it just me, or are we witnessing a never-ending cycle of infections? I don’t remember falling sick so often…its like there is always something wrong – a nagging …
- Of sniffing and blossoms…So the young one has a blocked nose – again. So he goes sniff sniff (and ‘apple’ or ‘happy’ in the middle of the night) and we go ‘happy’ with him – basically sleeping in bits and pieces. And today, as he wants a bit of pampering, we give him all we can to make …
- The best time is…यदपि स्यादसमये यातो वनमसाविति ।अकालो नास्ति धर्मस्य जीविते चञ्चले सति ॥ yadapi syādasamaye yāto vanamasāviti |akālo nāsti dharmasya jīvite cañcale sati|| Buddhacarita 6.21, by Aśvaghoṣa Though he might be said to have gone at a bad time to the forest, in dharma, in truth, no bad time exists – life being as fickle as it is. The Buddhacarita (Saddharma-pundarika) by Aśvaghoṣa is …