ARROGANCE LEADS TO DESTRUCTION--LEARN IT FROM DURYODHAN

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

    Just before the commencement of the holy war—Mahabharat, Arjun broke down in the battle field and his emotions ran high when he was unable to come to terms with the prevailing circumstances, that soon he would have to fight his very near and dear ones—Kuruvansh who happened to be his first cousins, and where his main rival was Duryodhan. He was also in a state of torment when he saw Bhishma Pitamah standing stupendous right opposite to him, and ready to take him on, when in his cradle of arms he had spent his childhood. And flanked on the sides of Pitamah were his revered Gurus—Dronacharya and Kripacharya all tied down by various pratigyas (vows) to defend the Kuruvansh. And amidst all of this he was suppose to raise the battle cry to deluge them in the sea of destruction.

    And when Arjun was unable to withstand the emotional pressure, he looked up to Lord God Krishna who was his charioteer and entered into a conversation with him, who, sermonized Arjun to pick up arms against his close relatives and to fight for righteousness. Arjun responded to his mighty sakha (friend) Krishna, but desired to see his “Vishwaroop” (omni divine form) in order to get out of his tender spell to which Krishna obliged, and thereafter Krishna said to Arjun:

    Dear Arjun! I am pleased with you for you are my friend and bhakt (devotee) and therefore with my antarangaa shakti (inner strength) I was able to show you my Vishwaroop. For bear it in mind before you no one else in this universe has ever been able to see the aaseem tatha tajomaya aadi-roop of mine. And you would have realized my Vishwaroop was shinning like the sun and the faces in it were continuously changing like the cycle of birth and death. Krishna had revealed his omni-form to a composed Arjun.

    Before Arjun no one had ever seen the Vishwaroop of Krishna but when Arjun was shown this stupendous form of Krishna which was also scary in some ways, avatars and devotees from swarg lok (heaven) and people from other lokas too got a glimpse of it only because of Arjun. Conversely with the blessings of Lord Krishna all his disciples and followers were able to have darshan of his Vishwaroop that Arjun was witnessing.

    It is said when Krishna went to Duryodhan with the peace (sandhi) proposal before Mahabharat, due to sheer arrogance Duryodhan not only rejected the offer but also attempted to insult and imprison Krishna and at that time Krishna in extreme anger showed him some form of his Vishwaroop which was quite different than what was shown to Arjun, but unfortunately ignoramus Duryodhan in his haughtiness and false pride could not understand the divine message from Lord God Krishna otherwise the war of Mahabharat could have been averted.

*****

Poem: Joy

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

JOY

In search of joy I wandered,

Only to be squandered.

In search of joy I plundered,

And while doing so I blundered.

*

And like an alluring dream joy enticed me forever,

Into actions of demean, that played havoc,

With my simple serene.

*

And in the voyage of life,

I thought important was the end,

And not the means to the end,

So I adopted various means,

Only to achieve the coveted end,

Until one day I realized,

End is only fruitful,

If it is through the right means.

*

And while running after the joy,

I could only find the venom of waste,

That had left me high and dry,

To the rigors of haste.

*

For joy was not any achievement,

Joy was not a prized possession,

And joy was not a status symbol,

And joy was not a complexity.

*

For joy was simple, joy was invisible,

Joy was small, Joy was tiny,

And joy was not tall,

Yet it took me a lifetime,

 To understand joy,

And only in that manner joy was tall.

*

I wandered and squandered,

My life in search of joy,

And ultimately realized,

Joy resided in my laughter and in my smile,

In my sleep under my pillow,

On the roof and even under my feet,

And above all in my eyes, and in my mind,

Which all this while I couldn’t identify.

*****

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

SPRING

With the touch of spring,

It merrily rings,

Winter is over and summer is closer.

*

Where trees go bald,

As the leaves fall,

And where hope arrives in the buds to blossom,

Is when the old vanishes, and the new horizons.

*

Boulevards grin and orchards smile,

Scintillating and sparkling as the new season arrives,

And that caresses my mind to beguile,

Is when I pack my woolens,

To sprinkle in the spring and drench in the summer.

*

And in between the freeze and the heat,

It appears to be a moment of respite,

A moment of revive,

From the unnerving winters,

To the scorch of summers.

*

And as I walk along the lush green gardens,

Under the loaded trees,

I sense how the nature,

Undresses and then dresses anew.

*

And spring happens to be the reminder of times,

That sheds the bad and imbibes the good,

To shed the old and aspire for the new.

***

STORY: THE CORRELATION BETWEEN KARMA AND TAPASYA

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

   

    

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN KARMA AND TAPASYA

   

    It is widely believed that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life, where one could continue to remain a Hindu even without really practicing it. But when you run through the religious texts it doesn’t say so, that simplistically. In fact, it won’t be a misnomer to say Hinduism is all about good and bad Karma—and ‘Karma’ alone is the essence of Hinduism. While Karma emanates from your mindset, tapasya (prolonged, intense and rigorous form of meditation) is the versatile vehicle of karma that takes you to your goal, and in case of any misdeeds it also acts as the penance, to pull you through tough times. Hence, once could say a ‘Tapasya’ in many ways is only a planned and focused karma.

    If you go through Hindu texts dispassionately you would find, there were no free lunches, not even for Gods. Everyone had to fight for each specific issue where opponents could not be taken for granted just because someone commanded a superior position, breed, hierarchy or a better brand. And, competitor intelligence then, was a vital strategy for survival. While one could continue in life, being an average and inactive person. But for Herculean, milestone and phenomenal achievements one had to go in for long and arduous tapasyas where even Gods were not spared from the drill.

    When Pandavas were exiled from their kingdom, Lord God Krishna advised Arjun to obtain Divyastras (divine weapons of various Gods) as that would have help Pandavas in the future, while combating the Kauravas. But Divyastras were not available off the shelf, even when Arjun was a very close sakha (friend) of Lord God Krishna. And for Divyastras the only way out was to perform rigorous tapasyas to please respective Gods to bless him with their weapon, which Arjun did successfully. Specific Devatas (God) had specific powers but, no, one, Devata had all the powers vested in her or him. Devatas on many occasions were even found weaker than asuras and danavs since power and might were never a constant factor, as mentioned in the famous and historic episode of Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) and so Devatas often had to perform long tapasyas to win over asuras. And asuras too were not behind in this, as they often performed mind boggling tapasyas to obtain vardans (blessings) which they used for destructive purposes.

    Ravan the king of Lanka had done a lifetime of tapasya and was well entrenched as a tall pundit but his tapasya was not followed by good karma and so all his knowledge went for a waste. So in Hinduism can not one say both karma and tapasya work in tandem? Good karma with intense tapasya will yield good results, while good karma with intense tapasya followed by bad karma will only dilute the effects of tapasya. And as long as the arch of good karma continues time shall be kind to you.

    Let me also tell you another story that will give you a flavour of how even Gods had to go in for intense tapasyas for specific events as no one had unlimited powers, and how at times they had to be interdependent  on each other to attain self goals by keeping aside their personal egos. And that is why it is said, it is extremely difficult to shoo the ego in us. And every person has his ups and downs in life where karma gives us the flexibility of adjusting to these ups and downs through the prowess of tapasya.

    Once when Lord Brahma (the creator of universe) was narrating a story to Rishi Narad he said,

    Dear Narad! Once when Prajapati Daksh left for Mandirachal Parwat (Mandirachal Mountain), I too decided to perform a difficult vrat (a religious practice to carry out certain obligations with a view to achieve divine blessings for fulfillment of certain desires) and started praying to Devi Jagbamba, wherein I repeatedly told her in my prayers what I wanted. When Jagdamba was pleased with my vrat she gave me darshan (divine audience). I bowed in respect and said ‘pranam Devi,’ she asked. ‘Tell me Brahman! Why have you been praying to me so passionately, and tell me soon.’

    On hearing this, I folded my hands and politely said—‘mother! A God named Rudra who happens to be an avatar (incarnation) of God Sadashiv has insulted me. So, I desire you take the form of Sati (Shiva’s first wife) and destroy his arrogance. Kindly take birth as Prajapati Daksh’s daughter to attract God Sadashiv towards you. Bhagwati! Barring you, there is no one else in this universe with the power to attract him erotically. And in anticipation that you’ll accede to our request, and so very excited to receive you as his daughter, Prajapati Daksh is already underway his intense tapasya in Mandirachal Parwat.

    On my saying so Bhagwati was shocked and surprised beyond words and she even looked worried. She said—‘what is this that you are saying Brahma ji? You want me to attract Lord God Sadashiv, and for this malicious job you’re seeking my help. Therefore, in reality whatever you’re doing is only Lord God Sadashiv’s criticism. And this is a big mistake. Everyone knows I cannot do anything against God Sadashiv. Tell me what will I gain by attracting the nirvikalp (that does not have an alternative) God Sadashiv, as I am only like his menial maid. And for the salvation of his devotees only he has taken the avatar of Rudra. Lord God Sadashiv is the undisputed emperor of all the three Lokas. He is also yours, and Lord Vishnu’s swami. Even in yoga, he is ahead of both of you. I am indeed astounded to hear this foolish thought coming from you, where Lord Brahma wants to captivate Lord God Sadashiv who happens to be the king of Maya (the supernatural power wielded by Gods and demons) and I am truly dumbfounded at this.’ And after saying this Devi Jagdamba went back to meditation, when she received a message from Lord God Sadashiv that without my blessings nothing happens. With my consent only Sri Brahma and Prajapati Daksh are in intense vrat and meditation. So give them the vardan and take birth in Prajapati Daksh’s family and I’ll accept you. Important: Even Lord God Sadashiv had to seek interpersonal help in a polite manner by requesting Devi Jagdamba.

     After receiving instructions from Lord God Sadashiv, Devi Bhagwati said, ‘Brahma ji—‘its fine. I will try my best, so that Lord God Shiva falls for me, and marries me as his second wife. As such there is no one in the world who can break Lord God Shiva’s concentration and attract him sensually, and even I don’t have this power and capacity. Nevertheless, I will endeavour to attract him after obtaining an avatar to fulfil your desire.’ And after this she disappeared.

    Meanwhile Prajapati Daksh was into deep and rigorous tapasya in Mandirchal Parvat. He kept meditating for three thousand years. In summers he used to meditate in the middle of fire and in severe winters he used to immerse himself in cold water, and in between tapasyas he also obtained proficiency in pranayam.  At last when Bhagwati was happy with his tapasya she gave him darshan.

     Bhagwati Shiva knew everything and so she said to Prajapati Daksh—I’m extremely happy with your tapasya and therefore you can ask for a vardan (blessings). Daksh with folded hands said—Devi! If you are happy with me then you please take birth in my family as my daughter, since Lord God Sadashiv has taken a new avatar in the name of Rudra as Brahma’s son, and there is no one to match him and therefore you too need to take an avatar to marry him. For in the universe there is no other person who can do this. Brahma ji for this very important work has sent me here to Mandirachal Parvat for a long-long tapasya. Now you also with your attractive maya (illusions) try and attract Lord God Sadashiv and oblige the world. Jagdamba said—‘it will happen in this manner only.’ From your wife’s womb I shall take birth as your daughter and to endear Lord God Sadashiv I will do intense tapasya. And after saying all this Bhagwati Shiva disappeared as she had a long to-do-list to be completed.

    Karma is the opportunity to do important things in life while tapasya the preparation and that alone differentiates between the Devata and the man.

*****

 

REMEMBERING MY FATHER-THE POWER OF YOGA

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

REMEMBERING MY FATHER-THE POWER OF YOGA

    Some 32 years ago, on 14^th of April I lost my father. He peacefully passed away in his sleep. Since then every morning I pray to God, ‘may he rest in peace.’ I did the same today.

    He was an avid lover of Yoga. So, below is verse from Gita that takes you to shunya (emptiness) yet it holds and triggers your mind; and today is quite an appropriate day to convey it to all those who may not have read it.

PRAYANKALE MANSACHLEN BHAKTYA YUKTO YOGBALEN CHAEV

BHRUVORMARDHAYA PRANMAVEHSYA SAMYAKAH SA TAM PARAM PURUSHMUPAITI DIVYAM

    It says at the time of death, a person who is able to steady his pran (breath of life) between his eyebrows with the power of yoga, and with a firm mind can devote himself at the feet of the Parmeshwar, (Almighty) he for sure will dissolve in the divinity of the Parmeshwar.

    In the verse it is also clarified that during the time of death the person’s mind should be ready and steady to assimilate with the power of God. People who practice yoga regularly, for them it is recommended that they get their pran (breath of life) between their agya-chakra—bhavain (eyebrows). And it is recommended to practice and concentrate on the ‘Shat-Chakras” that refers to the six Chakras in the human body: Muladhara, Svadhishthana, Manipra, Anahata, Vishuddha and Ajna.

    But a person who forever is immersed in Krishnabhavnaamrit (the elixir of Lord Krishna) and who is a always a pure devotee of Krishna, with the help of Lord’s blessings and without yoga-abhyas too can reach God but that is only possible through Bhaktiyoga.

    In the verse (word) ‘yogbalen’ (power of Yoga) has been used which is of utmost significance because without yoga whether it is shatchakrayog or bhaktiyog—man at the time of death cannot achieve divinity. No one at the time of death can suddenly remember or pray to God. He needs to practise and depend on some form of yoga for this, especially the bhaktiyoga. Because, at the time of death, a person’s mind is extremely restless, and therefore, for assimilating into the divinity at the time of death; he must during his lifetime practice yoga and through yoga he must practice spiritualism as that alone will help him see his end.

*****

story: LEGACY OF INVENTIONS

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

LEGACY OF INVENTIONS

    What might be good for you may not be good for your nation, and what might be good for your nation, may not be good for humanity. What is good today may not be good tomorrow, but may be good day after, and again a disaster the day day-after.

    Thinkers, scientists, innovators and inventors may create something with a noble intention, but crooked minds traversing mother earth may hijack it for sinister motives. To come to think of it inventions leave a legacy behind, where some may turn out to be the serenades of life, while some a hounding baggage, difficult to carry.

    When Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish biologist and botanist discovered Penicillin in 1928 he shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine in the same year. Penicillin later developed into antibiotics used for killing microorganisms; and since then it has saved many lives and has reduced the agony of so many sick people. Fleming therefore must have left the world with pleasant memories about his invention.

    Realising what he had created—Dynamite, a high intensity explosive that could have been a bane for the society, Alfred Nobel bequeathed his fortune to institute the Nobel Prizes for noble causes. Perhaps, he could visualise in his lifetime the ominous calamity that could be struck with dynamite that he had invented, and to offset that he instituted the Nobel Prize.

    While Eadweard Muybridge commonly referred as the ‘father of the motion picture’ must have exited the world carrying pleasant memories, the same can’t be said about Lieutenant General Mikhail Kalashnikov the inventor of AK-47 assault rifle, even when he invented it for his country. Although, he was born to a peasant woman and was an Orthodox Christian, he rose to be a Russian General with sterling innovative attributes, but on hindsight his inventions appear to be for the wrong causes.

    Approximately 100 million AK-47 assault rifles have been produced by 2009 and about half of them are counterfeit, manufactured at a rate of about a million a year. Kalashnikov maintained in his lifetime that his rifle was a ‘weapon for defence and not a weapon of offence’ yet countless unwarranted killings must have taken place through this invention.

     Kalashnikov claimed he was always motivated by service to his nation than money but then what was once good for the nation could have been used by myriads of terrorists in illegal and dreadful killings.  

    In the final years of his life he was saddened and anguished over his awry responsibility for the millions of deaths that his invention caused, reveals his published letter to the head of the Russian Church,

       In his various public interviews Kalashiikov who died at the age of 94 insisted that he created the AK-47 assault rifle and dozens of other firearms as a means to protect his country, and rejected the responsibility for killings perpetrated by militants and terrorists using his weapons.

    “My soul ache is unbearable and has one irresolvable question: if my rifle took lives, does it mean that I, Mikhail Kalashnikov, aged 93, a peasant woman’s son, an Orthodox Christian in faith, is guilty of those people’s deaths, even if they were enemies?” the leaked letter reads. He wrote the letter sometime before his death.

    Kalashnikov, even when he was baptized as a child, spent most of his life as an atheist living in an officially atheist country. It was only at the age of 91 that he felt the call of faith and answered it. And as he was approaching the end of his life some doubts lingered in his mind, that perhaps, through his invention he gave a chance to millions of miscreants to massacre innocents.

    Surely, inventions do leave a legacy behind, and some legacies are insurmountable for the soul.

*****

SHORT STORY: MONKEY'S ADVICE

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

    Pained by human atrocities, some like minded animals and old friends, prominent among them being; a cat, a cow, a dog, a donkey, a horse and a monkey decided to meet up, to discuss the burning issue of atrocity and chalk out a way forward, to tackle the human lunacy that was troubling animals, big time. The king of the jungle however excused himself as his species was already under threat from human beings and he didn’t want to take an adverse position against them any further.

Scheming cat who happened to be a relative of the king of the jungle started the conversation by saying, ‘to us, all human beings look the same but they are divided by something called the religion, and unlike us, who don’t follow any religion but only follow our heart, human beings are guided by their religion. And if we could only exploit their religion we could divert their attention from us to save ourselves.’

‘But what is religion? Asked, the donkey.

‘Arrey yaar! You don’t know religion? No wonder you’re called a donkey. You must have often seen human beings going to differently looking buildings, to pray, and that is called religion.’ Clarified the cat.

‘But what is religion suppose to do?’ enquired the donkey, exposing his ignorance further.

‘Well, it is supposed to divide human beings. And it is doing that quite efficiently.  For human beings fight tooth and nail for anything and everything. And since I keep gallivanting most of the times I see that with my own eyes. And they might be our enemies but they are the biggest enemies of themselves’ Said the relaxing horse.

Thereafter, they decided to go for a long walk just to graze and relax since they were old friends and had met after a long-long time, to have a heart-to-heart conversation with each other. And they all were leisurely walking side by side, along the river, while the monkey was happily sitting atop on the donkey’s back is when the donkey asked the horse,

‘Boss the government is planning a lot for the employment of human beings but what about us? In the present scenario I neither have a job nor a peaceful place to stand nor even for an assured morsel of food. Every day I need to walk quite a distance and that too across the road to feed myself where you only get some dry grass and pesticides laden dry leaves to munch. About two years back I used to get the same food, in fact better, here only, where we are walking, but today because of these multi-storeyed buildings there is nothing left for us. The horse felt sad for the donkey, and while maintaining his pace he softly said,

‘I know it’s very sad, but yaar, you’re a donkey, at least you know the art of survival and no one expects wonders from you. But look at my plight. A bright talented horse that used to participate in derbies and equestrian shows. But with age catching up I was thrown out of my job. I was then bought by a tangewalla and he used me mercilessly in Chandini Chowk for some time, but as and when tongas went out of circulation, he kept me for a month thinking he’ll be able to sell me off, but when he couldn’t he just left me here one day and never came back. And today a skilled guy like me is not only unemployed but even harassed on the roads by moving vehicles and the traffic police.

‘My dear horse, that’s indeed sad. Such a skilled personality like you; meeting up with such a fate.’ Donkey consoled the horse.

‘My dear dog, how are things with you?’ asked the cow.

‘Not too good. These Indians could never get out of their colonial mindset. They still keep foreign breeds as their pets, and that leaves we—the Indian mongrels on the lurch, and it really takes some humongous efforts to fend for ourselves. And how about you?’ the dog asked the cat. The cat stretched itself while walking and said,

‘Well somehow surviving, only because we cats are of no use to a man. Neither, they require our skin, nor bones, nor our flesh. And that makes things somewhat easier for us; otherwise you can see how they have massacred the tigers from our family. But I guess in today’s time cows are the real VIPs’

‘But why do you say so?’ asked the cow meekly.

‘Boss because, you are hitting the headlines every day.’ Replied the cat.

‘But for religious reasons,’ was the doleful moo of the cow.

‘So then, what should we do to survive, and improve our lives? Let’s ask the monkey who is very quiet.’ Suggested the dog.

Monkey, who was sitting merrily on donkey’s back, with his eyes closed, enjoying the winter sun was a bit amused at the melancholic conversation that was going around. But he preferred to remain quiet even when the dog had asked a pertinent question. After few moments when monkey didn’t answer, cow repeated dog’s question and requested for Monkey’s suggestion.

Clever monkey kept quiet for a while and then opened his eyes and simply said,

‘Become a monkey, rather than a man.’

*****