- Food anyone?Can you guess the most eaten vegetable in the United States? Well, I can safely say that whatever you guessed, was wrong. The answer, and winner by a wide margin, is the French fry. It accounts for a quarter of their entire vegetable intake. And if this surprised you, try guessing the second most consumed …
- Violence loves me?The most violent men call this man the most violent… Excusable grammar aside, it’s troubling to see such language being celebrated as watchable cinema. I mean, a one-of KGF kind of movie is digestible, but when every second movie starts looking the same and has the same blood budget, then it is a cause for …
- The quest for learning…What matters more? The ability to learn, or the attitude towards learning? Some might argue that we don’t have the ability to learn anything and everything. After all, mental capacities differ. Maybe, but that is not the point. The ability to learn is a factor of the attitude towards learning. our educational system makes us …
- Of false victories and forgiveness…धारणात् खनकस्यापि धरण्या इव नि:समा ।स्वापराधिषु या क्षान्ति: स धर्म: परमो नृणाम् ॥ To bear with those who revile us, just as the earth bears up those who dig it, is the greatest of virtues. विरोधिष्वपकर्तृणां तिष्ठेदेकदिनं सुखम् ।परद्रोहसहिष्णूनं यावज्जीवं भवद्यश: ॥ The joy of the vengeful lasts only for a day, but the glory …
- Of holidays and Kanban…The Emirates was closed for three days. A long weekend, the last one this year. And so I decided to use this time to relook at our internal work processes, lay the groundwork for the next level of services that we intend to offer, and in general, perform a spring-cleaning of sorts. Have also been …
- Doing what you love…During the course of my interviews with many candidates, I come to learn of their passions outside work. They want to pursue these vocations, but don’t usually get the opportunity to do so. And by the time they settle, they don’t have the courage to upset their applecarts and cushioned lives and try to embark …
- Of sounds and the Universe…अकारादेव निर्यान्ति समस्तान्यक्षराणि च ।चराचरप्रपञ्चोऽय मीश्वरादेव जायते ॥ The alphabet begins with the “A” sound, so does the Universe begin with the universal consciousness. The first couplet mentions not the letter A, but the sound ‘a’. This sound is one of the primary sounds that make up any alphabet, and the first of all. The …
- Sands and ambition…Tomorrow we enter the long weekend – a weekend of celebration. A celebration of a young, but ambitious nation. One that was built not on abundance of people or resources, but of vision and resolve. One that could have squandered away its newly-found wealth, but instead chose to lay the foundation of sustained prosperity. I …
- Of picks and happiness…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 his diaper station, his food table, his play school, he even sleeps with it in his hand. …
- On jealousy…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 …
- On miners and stories…The trapped miners have finally been freed! Unless you have been living under a rock (do excuse the pun), pretty much the whole of India has been following the story of the miners trapped in Uttarakhand – 41 men at the mercy of a mountain. American equipment failed, and it finally took a banned (manual …
- Oops…I lost…Ok, I lost the challenge. From the past few years, the Dubai Fitness Challenge has been the key to kickstarting my winter training schedule. Me and my team have been participating in this initiative and having a small internal competition of our own, to inspire fitness among ourselves. I usually win because of my consistency …
- A drop from the Panchatantra…पूर्वं तावद् अहं मूर्खो द्वितीयः पशु-बन्धकः ।ततो राजा च मन्त्री च सर्वं वै मूर्ख-मण्डलम् ॥ २१६ ॥ pūrvaṃ tāvad ahaṃ mūrkho dvitīyaḥ paśu-bandhakaḥ |tato rājā ca mantrī ca sarvaṃ vai mūrkha-maṇḍalam || 216 || Firstly, I am a fool. The second fool is the one with the snare. The king and his ministers are also fools, and …
- A bit on being 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 …
- Of lunches and luncheons…We had (one more) team lunch today. A double treat – one of our staff bought a car and the second – well I am still not clear why she gave a treat but I ain’t complaining – the food was delicious – or should I say delish – as the lingo goes nowadays. The …
- Far from 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 …
- Boyz to men…Today we twinned, Rohaamrta and me. In red. He seemed content, and well, so was I! Children grow up so fast that you scramble to collect as many memories as you can on the way. From the cradling days, to the babbling days, to the crawling days and now the walking and twinning days. Soon …
- Of dining chairs and dandy legs…Why do dining chairs have such delicate darling legs nowadays? We are on the lookout for a few pieces of furniture so have been doing the virtual rounds across stores and one thing is common – the thin legs of the dining chairs. Almost if the collective BMI of the Dubai populace has reduced multiple …
- Time to calm down…Spoke with a lot of people today and there is a consensus – while all were (of course) disappointed at the outcome of the finals on Sunday, there was no blaming the team – they dominated throughout the tournament and gave us many a reason to cheer. One match would not necessarily change that. Heartwarming, …
- I have to cancel Starzplay…This time, cricket is the winner:( As I write this, the Indian team is at the brink of defeat. An unbeaten streak throughout the World Cup comes to an end, and a billion hearts are broken…for a couple of days. For life moves on….bills have to be paid, families are to be taken care of, …
- Of remote woes and gold cups…Ok. So tomorrow is the big day! India vs Australia. The World Cup final. Does not get any bigger than this. Yet, something even bigger is happening in my house as we speak. The search for the Du remote! As a family, we usually watch OTT and You Tube off Apple TV, so we have …
- A different version of the Ramayanam…७. नि –निरीक्ष्य स मुहूर्तं तु ददर्श भरतो गुरुम् |उटजे राममासीनं जटामण्डलधारिणम् || २-९९-२५ – अयोध्याकाण्डम् Bharata (after sighting the hermitage of Rama), spent a few minutes looking at it and then saw Rama , his Guru, sitting inside with his matted locks. [Note: The context is Bharata visiting Rama at Chitrakuta with a view to persuading him …
- Sometimes, too much talent is a bane…मत्स्यमण्डूककथा The story of the fish and the frog In a lake, not so far away from here, lived two fish named ShataBuddhi (the one with a hundred tricks, or very intelligent) and SahasraBuddhi (the one with a thousand tricks, or highly intelligent). They were friends with a frog named EkaBuddhi (the one with one trick, or not very intelligent). The …
- Yama and sisters…पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन्समूह ।तेजः यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ १६ ॥ pūṣannekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīnsamūha |tejaḥ yatte rūpaṃ kalyāṇatamaṃ tatte paśyāmi yo’sāvasau puruṣaḥ so’hamasmi || 16 || 16. O Sun, sole traveller of the Heavens, controller of all, Surya, son of Prajapati remove thy rays and gather up thy …
- 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 …
- Atithi Devo Bhava…शिरीषपुष्पमाघ्राणात् म्लानं संजायते यथा ।तथाऽतिथीनां वदनं स्याद् गृहस्थे पराङ्मुखे ॥ The delicate blossom of the anicham flower withers when merely smelled; an unwelcome look is enough to wither a guest’s heart. सूंघा ‘अनिच्च’ पुष्प को, तो वह मुरझा जाय ।मुँह फुला कर ताकते, सूख अतिथि-मुख जाय ॥ मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव …
- Diwali…Ayodhya wali!On the eve of Diwali, the temple city, which is located on the bank of the Saryu River, also broke its own world record. About 22.23 lakh diyas were lit at the same time across 51 ghats in Ayodhya to create a new Guinness World Record. Diwali…Ayodhya wali!
- Shubh Deepavali!ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दु:खयोनय एव ते |आद्यन्तवन्त: कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुध: || 22|| ye hi sansparśha-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva teādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣhu ramate budhaḥ The pleasures that arise from contact with the sense objects, though appearing as enjoyable to worldly-minded people, are actually a source of misery. O son of Kunti, such …
- The symbolism of Deepavali…Deepawali is known as the Festival of lights. Arguably the most well-known festival from India, Deepawali (or Diwali) is celebrated around the world, even in the United Arab Emirates, where dazzling fireworks and light shows mark the occasion. A lot of Indian festive buying culminates in Diwali. People buy everything from cars to jewellery to mobile …
- The gift of health…is pure gold:)Did you know that tomorrow is celebrated as the National Ayurveda Day? Mostly not. We have come to associate this day with buying gold or silver or something valuable, because well, Dhan means wealth na? धन्वन्तरि – Dhanavantari dhanu = “science of [extracting] arrows” (surgery) dhanu + anta = dhanvanta = “the end (complete knowledge) of …
- Surprise Surprise!Ah so a surprise today. The team went and got me a delicious red velvet cake, followed by a scrumptious meal of momos, noodles and Shezwan from Chowringhees. This week is all about eating and so difficult to control one’s culinary urges:) I am typing this surrounded by kaju-based sweets that we have bought for …
- Stand up for yourself…There are a hundred exercises to choose from when you go to a gym. Well, it isn’t even called a gym anymore. Its called a fitness studio. You can pick a couple of classes of cardio, add a core workout to the mix, a dash of yoga and pilates, a cycle hour and well, you …
- And then he turned 46…46 is the double of 23. 23 is a prime number. And one is at one’s prime at 23. Not intellectually or by way of accomplishment, but just physically. You can safely say that if handled well, 46 turns out to be one of many milestones on the way to your intellectual peak…but can also …
- Just for you…As I lie back and watch the blue sky Clouds, shapes, a bit of sun peeping from around the corner… A beautiful sight, a moment in time, frozen, my own, just for me. I capture it on my phone, and instantly work on optimising it more color, less glare, in pursuit of the perfect picture… …
- Of Zen…Zen stories. They bring back fond memories. Of times I spent with my master – sometimes in larger groups, other times just with the uchideshis – live-in students. Kancho – my master – used to conduct meditation discourses, and in between the philosophy, we used to wait eagerly for the Zen stories to make their …
- A good night’s sleep…The one thing that you cannot buy, is a good night’s sleep. And at the end of it all, it is sleep that matters. Not just rest, but proper deep sleep, one that you can wake up refreshed from, to face a new day ahead of you. Around a year earlier, I had written about …
- Ready…?Last night, I saw the fastest 2 hour 50 minute movie that I have even seen. From the intro titles, till the final credits, Jawan is one roller coaster ride with the brakes kept on the side. Of course, logic is conveniently kept in the cloak room, but when you are hurtling through air at …
- Hara Hara Mahadev!अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारंमुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् ।अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थंवन्दे महाकालमहं सुरेशम् avantikāyāṃ vihitāvatāraṃmuktipradānāya ca sajjanānām ;akālamṛtyoḥ parirakṣaṇārthaṃvande mahākālamahaṃ sureśam द्वादशलिङ्गस्तोत्रम् dvādaśaliṅgastotramShiva Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram This is an extract from the द्वादशलिङ्गस्तोत्रम् The inauguration of the redevelopment of Shri Mahakāl Lok was done earlier this year – a Danskhineshwar Jyotirlinga, situated in the centre of the ancient world – Ujjain. …
- And here comes Deepavali…Right. The biggest festival of them all is upon us. Deepavali (as I like to call it) signifies much more than what most of us believe it to be. And surely more than “Festival of Lights”. It is also the festival of sounds by the way, which have fallen silent due to silly rules that …
- Karva Chauth – tradition, not a party:)There are rituals, and there are customs. Rituals are usually a set of rites, usually performed in an exact sequence, with rules governing them, and possible implications if performed wrongly. Satyanarayana Puja, or Durga Puja for instance. Customs or traditions are part of our culture that evolved internally, and passed down through the generations. Customs …
- A weekend well spent…So the whole team took off to Ras Al Khaimah for the weekend – spouses, family et al. We had a small awards ceremony, and generally just chilled out – relaxed in the middle of Russia – or so it seemed given the overwhelming majority of that demographic at the resort. So much so that …
- Bite sized versions for bite sized attention spans…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 …
Bite sized versions for bite sized attention spans… Read More »
- Of awards, and AWARDS…We are having our annual team get together/retreat tomorrow. Part of the festivities – well, actually the only thing on the agenda besides chilling out is a small awards ceremony. Cannot divulge more (don’t want to spoil the surprise) but it’s about recognizing your team members. Heartfelt, true and honest recognition. Not like the ones …
- Granting blessings…Suratha said “Oh revered Rishi! we are grieving. I lost my kingdom, yet I feel attached to everything that is associated with it. My elephant, my people, my treasury…And this is Samādhi. He was disowned by his family, and yet he feels affectionate towards them. He still thinks about their welfare. And so, both him …
- How to win over Āvarana…They fought in the skies, toe to toe, until the Devi lifted him, whirled him around and threw him to the ground. As he tried to get up, she grabbed her spear and pierced his chest with it, thus bringing him to his end. Śumba died, and the devas rejoiced. Their tormentor was no more, …
- Śumba Niśumba…The Devi then struck Raktabīja with her spear, and the fierce Kālī drank up all his blood before it could spill to the ground. Raktabīja struck back, but failed to even touch the Devi. As she kept striking him with her spear, and her swords, Kālī kept drinking the blood that flowed from his wounds, …
- Raktabija..Seeing Chanda and Munda vanquished, the remaining asura army panicked and fled in all directions. And Kāli, holding the heads of Chanda and Munda in her hands, approached Chandika and said, “In this sacrifice of battle, here I have brought you the heads of Chanda and Munda.” The mighty Śumba burned with rage. Chanda and …
- Welcome Chamunda…The Devi smiled again. “Yes, it is true. They are very strong. But what can I do since I took that ill-considered vow, even though it was long ago? Go back and tell them what I said, and let them do what they think is proper in this situation.” Hearing the words of the Devi, …
- But why wait?Well, we have understood how to overcome tamas, and rajas. Next is sattva. But wait – sattva is a good guna, so why should we work on overcoming sattva? What form does Devi take in the next (and final) carita? Who does she fight with? Mala has been removed, Vikshepa has also been taken care …
- The end of Vikshepa…Seeing Mahishasura fall, the entire legions of the asura armies perished. The devas celebrated and showered flowers on Devi Chandika, and sang praises in her name. The Devi, the mother of the worlds, had brought an end to the tyranny of the all-powerful leader of the asuras. The Devi Mahatmyam is an allegory – a …
- Mahishasura mardini!The armies of the devas were mesmerised. They chanted in unison as their spirits rose after witnessing this huge spectacle. From his palace, Mahishasura wondered what was happening, and walked up to his window only to see nothing but a dazzling light. This was the glory of Devi Durga, and Mahishasura knew that he had …
- Asura – not what you think!But when you get rid of kāma, krodha and lobhā, that is just the first step. A celebration is not in order. There are more challenges on the way – challenges that will involve the Devi fighting with Mahishasura and Raktabija. How does she win? What is the inner meaning? Mahishasura is probably the first …
- Tamas and Rajas…Read the previous part here… “This is because of the boon that Devi granted these asuras”, thought Sri Vishnu as he continued to battle them. “Only she can show me a way to get the better of them.” And so, Sri Vishnu prayed to Devi Mahāmayā, who appeared before him, and said… “Sri Vishnu, you have …
- Madhu, Kaitaba and Sri Vishnu…Suratha said “Oh revered Rishi! we are grieving. I lost my kingdom, yet I feel attached to everything that is associated with it. My elephant, my people, my treasury…And this is Samādhi. He was disowned by his family, and yet he feels affectionate towards them. He still thinks about their welfare. And so, both him …
- Myths are things that never happened…but always are…Let me tell you a story… Two people met at an ashram in a forest. The first was named Suratha. A virtuous king, Suratha had lost a battle to a much smaller enemy, and when he returned to his kingdom, found that another powerful enemy had besieged his fort. He later found out that his …
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- And how do you fast?Navratri begins tomorrow. Some people asked me about the fasting – how long, what can be eaten, when and how to break it etc. Many many questions, only one answer. Don’t worry about it. The good thing about seeking (unlike belief) is that you are free to explore and find what works for you. By …
- Preparing for the nine-day fast…Once you observe Ekādashi vratā regularly, Navrātri is a breeze. Conditioning one’s body to work on reduced inputs helps in times of need, but if you keep a track of it, you will observe that you actually eat much more than you have to. Our ancestors used to hunt and farm and collect food, and …
- How do I express myself?A few months back, 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 not …
- Lets watch…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 …
- Become a child…again.Today is Ekādashi. Vratā, but work continues, and today was a busier day than usual. Client calls, desk work, interviews, and I took my last two calls on the trot, thus completing around an hour of brisk walking. Best of both worlds! On days like this, you can try the Balasana – becoming a child. …
- On conflict and peace…It’s good to be reminded of somethings sometimes. So today, as you wake up to birds chirping outside, and as you step into the washroom you have running (and warm) water, spare a thought for the blessed life you have. Yes, maybe you woke a hour too early or have to leave for work in …
- Are you stressed?Stress is not inborn nor is it inherited it does not even exist in nature except in your own mind… Yes that same monkey mind as they say that conjures up dreams and situations constructing an imaginary future that exists only in your mind… We get stressed about what may happen we stay stressed because …
- Sample the Panchatantra…उदीरितोऽर्थःपशुनापिगृहतेहयाश्चनागाश्चवहन्तिचोदिताः।अनुक्तम्अप्य्ऊहतिपण्डितोजनःपरेङ्गित–ज्ञान–फ्जलाहिबुद्धयः॥४४॥ udīrito ‘rthaḥ paśunāpi gṛhate hayāś ca nāgāś ca vahanti coditāḥ |anuktam apy ūhati paṇḍito janaḥ pareṅgita-jñāna-phjalā hi buddhayaḥ || 44 || Even animals can sort of make out the meanings of the words uttered. Horses and elephants do as directed. Learned men can even understand the meaning of words not spoken aloud. True intelligence lies in …
- Do you know how to manage your money?Money is simple – it is a promise. Made by the Central Bank of the country, to honor it when presented, and to assign a pre-determined value to it. A piece of paper, made important because of this promise. Handling money however, is a different ballgame altogether. We spend our lives trying to earn it, …
- Now is the best time…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 …
- Small smaller smallest – and the Nobel goes to…The Noble Prize for Physics for the year 2023 goes to Agostini Krausz and L’Hullier for their contribution to attosecond physics. An attosecond is one billionth of a nanosecond. The Nobel laureates developed experiments to produce ultrafast laser pulses, which can be used to understand the world at really minute scales with applications across chemistry, …
- Ability, or attitude?What matters more? The ability to learn, or the attitude towards learning? Some might argue that we don’t have the ability to learn anything and everything. After all, mental capacities differ. Maybe, but that is not the point. The ability to learn is a factor of the attitude towards learning. our educational system makes us …
- How recent is recent?I was watching a series earlier this year…its a story set in 2005. What comes to your mind when you think of 2005? Surely does not seem 18 years back at first glance does it? In fact, we are closer to 2035 than we are to 2005 – but our minds somehow think it the …
- Rocky aur Rani and a love story…I saw Rocky aur Rani ki prem kahaani – and was pleasantly surprised. I don’t expect much from a Karan Johar movie anyways – they are so disconnected from reality that it isn’t even funny. It’s been a while since he directed and the trailer didn’t do much to change my opinion. However, I woke …
- Of cavemen and speaking in public…“In fact, public speaking anxiety may be primal and quintessentially human, not limited to those of us born with a high-reactive nervous system. One theory, based on the writings of the sociobiologist E. O. Wilson, holds that when our ancestors lived on the savannah, being watched intently meant only one thing: a wild animal was …
- On solitude and deliberate practice…“What’s so magical about solitude? In many fields, Ericsson told me, it’s only when you’re alone that you can engage in Deliberate Practice, which he has identified as the key to exceptional achievement. When you practice deliberately, you identify the tasks or knowledge that are just out of your reach, strive to upgrade your performance, …
- Visarjan – Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya!श्री गणेश चतुर्थी – Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi (Vināyaka Chaturthī) or Vinayaka Chavithi (Vināyaka Chavithī) is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Ganesha. It falls in the months of August or September of the Gregorian calendar. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on …
- A meeting a day, keeps the eating away…Meetings, meetings, meetings. Some are very productive, others a total waste of time. Some serendipitous, some scheduled, others impromptu. Internal meetings, external meetings. Face to a name meetings, google meetings, team meetings. So many meetings, I sometimes miss my eatings…(sorry). Anyways, this week I had some really good meetings, unlike the last week when I …
- Intermittent slowing…Today is Ekādashi – the 11th day of a fortnight in a lunar month, as per the Hindu calendar. The West is just waking up to the benefits of intermittent fasting, but back home, we knew about it, and observed it since ages. As with all things in the West, the concept of intermittent fasting …
- Welcome, creator economy!Tomorrow is a creator’s economy. There are no barriers to entry. A one-man army can actually create a disproportionate impact with content creation and effective promulgation. But there is a method in the madness. It is not enough to simply create and put it out there – there are not just thousands, but millions who …
- All we have, or not, is time…Time that runs away! Ricardo Gondim I counted my years and found that I will have less time to live from now on than I have lived until now. I feel like that boy who was given a bowl of fruits. The first ones, he sucked carelessly, but realizing that there are few left, he gnaws the kernel. …
- Don’t disrupt…construct!Every quarter, I sit through a few presentations of people who want to change the world. A very few of them, if any, end up doing so. Every founder is taught to start with a question – what is the problem and how can I solve it? Some start with the question – What can …
- The bitter pill of entrepreneurship…Those who have been following me may know that I am reading Elon Musk’s biography, and what an interesting read it is! 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 …
- Five essential 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 …
- The origin of Sanskrit grammar…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, …
- Let’s see the Ganapati in others:)गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहेकविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम् ।ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पतआ नः शृण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम् ॥ Gannaanaam Tvaa Ganna-Patim HavaamaheKavim Kaviinaam-Upama-Shravastamam |Jyessttha-Raajam Brahmannaam BrahmannaspataAa Nah Shrnnvan-Uutibhih Siida Saadanam || Among the Ganas (Group of Prayers), to you who is the Ganapati (Deva of Prayers), we offer this havan (ritual fire), You are the wisdom of the wise and the most glorious of all, You are the foremost in prayer, presiding as the Deva of the Prayers (Brahmanaspati), Please come to us by listening to our humble …
- Shri Ganeshaya Namah!ॐ गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहेकविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम् ।ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पतआ नः शृण्वन्नूतिभिः सीद सादनम् ॥ ॐ महागणाधिपतये नमः ॥ Gannaanaam Tvaa Ganna-Patim HavaamaheKavim Kaviinaam-Upama-Shravastamam |Jyessttha-Raajam Brahmannaam BrahmannaspataAa Nah Shrnnvan-Uutibhih Siida Saadanam || Rig Veda 2.23.1 Om, O Ganapati, To You Who are the Lord of the Ganas (Celestial Attendants or Followers), we Offer our Sacrificial Oblations,You are the Wisdom of the Wise and the Uppermost in Glory,You are the Eldest Lord (i.e. ever Unborn) and is of the Nature of Brahman (Absolute Consciousness); You are theEmbodiment of the Sacred Pranava (Om),Please come to us by Listening to our Prayers and …
- You are very important…in your headWe are a mere speck, on a planet that is a mere speck in the solar system that is a mere speck in a galaxy that is a mere speck in the vast Universe. Yet we spend all our lives in proving that we are so very important and significant. Take the city you live …
- 73 and counting…Well, I don’t have to take you through the journey of the man – most of you already know it, or at least some parts of it. Today, I want to speak about learning. Constant learning. Modiji is an exceptional politician because of many factors, but arguably the biggest of them all is his extraordinary …
- Bharat, that is India…Bharat that is India. Or India, that is Bharat. Kiran Bedi: Did we make a mistake in converting our name from Bharat to India? Sadhguru: A serious mistake. Whenever somebody occupies a nation, the first thing they will do is change your name. This is the technology of dominance; this is the technology of enslaving. …
- Of monkeys and unsolicited advice…वानरचटकदंपतीकथा The story of the money and the sparrow couple On a big tree in a forest not so far away from here, lived a sparrow couple. They had built a nest on one of it’s branches, and lived peacefully, and happily. One year, the rains were heavier than usual. Trees swayed in the winds, …
- How deep is your clean?Is deep cleaning done by maids on steroids? That’s the question I shot back when I was told that this process would take less than an hour, for the room. Well, I assumed deep cleaning would, as the name suggested, be a more elaborate exercise involving a prep reconnaissance mission, a plan of action of …
- Oh the drama of the senses…manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi – the mind is the sixth sense – says the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Sivananda said that ‘the Indriyas are the prolongation of the mind’. Our mind is constantly fed by data gathered by the five senses, which leads to desire. The more the data, the lesser the self-control. This simple fact is well exploited by mainstream advertising – …
- Every breath you take…not the song…“In breathing, as in everything in life, the numbers are staggering—indeed fantastical. Every time you breathe, you exhale some 25 sextillion (that’s 2.5 x 1022) molecules of oxygen—so many that with a day’s breathing you will in all likelihood inhale at least one molecule from the breaths of every person who has ever lived.” “And every …
- Of 15s and electronic q-tips…The iPhone 15 is around the corner, and so are the done-to-death “sell my kidney” jokes. Do I upgrade? Well, err…ummm….anyone looking for a Gold iPhone 12 Pro Max Fantastic 256GB? The airpods refresh seem tempting too. But then, so do gold and equities, that are expected to dip as recession hits the West. So …
- Of massy and classy…What exactly is mass? As in ‘massy cinema’ – a term that has got critical err…mass of late. I get the point of escapism in cinema – yes of course no one wants to go to a movie to watch too much of reality – we go to get entertained and hopefully forget all our …
- A few bits from here and there…Reframe Your Day “Instead of feeling that you lost the day after a bad morning, Reframe each day as 4 quarters: • morning • midday • afternoon • evening If you blow one quarter, just get back on track for the next one. Fail small, not big.” Time Billionaires 1 million seconds = 11 days …
- On Krishna Janmashtami…Krishna Janmashtami, also known simply as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.It is observed according to Hindu luni-solar calendar, on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in Shraavana of the lunar Hindu Calendar and Krishna Paksha in Bhadrapad of the lunisolar …
- Oh Kishan mere…happy birthday!Krishna, Kishan, Madhav, Banke Bihari, Gopala, Kanhaiya, Ranchhod, Parthasarathy, Ishvara…the many names and the many facets of the personality of the most loved God in the Hindu pantheon – Sri Krishna. The Madhurāshtakam of Sri Vallabhacharya sounds like a bit excessive at first glance. The lyrics have too much sweetness in them, it is literally …
- He dances, he loves, he rejoices…he is Keshav…God is all-powerful, controls the Universe – fear God, they say – since He is looking at all your bad deeds and will punish you. Pray to God, else you will rot in hell. Be afraid. Don’t speak ill of Him, be in awe of Him. The fear of God has led many men to …
- 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 …
- Paint me in your love:)The devotee’s love for Krishna cannot be expressed in words – but some do come close. The kiran of Sri Krishna is full of celebration, an intense involvement, far removed from the stillness that one experiences when meditating on Siva. The beauty of Sanatana Dharma is that it allows for contradictory opinions, even for no …
- You say it best, when you say nothing at all…The story of Sudama is touching indeed. He was very poor, and was always dressed in rags. On the insistence of his wife, he trudged from Avanti, near Indore, through the deserts of Rajasthan to Sri Krishna’s palace in Dvarka. The gatekeepers would not allow him in because of his ragged appearance, but when Sudama …
- The power of Quiet…“Now that you’re an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you’re told that you’re “in your head too much,” a …
- Do you like things the way they are?Status-quo bias – The tendency for people to stay committed to current situations, for fear of changing to the unknown. Status quo bias is also caused by laziness, aversion to complexity, unnatural learning style demands, reading small print, etc. I have been reading this book – Nudge – by Richard H Thaler and Cass R Sunstein. The crux of the …