Thoughts Of A Random Blogger

Tiranga at Lal Chowk

2011-01-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

1953

Syama Prasad Mukherji the founder of Nationalist Party Bharatiya jan Sangh went on a Kashmir yatra to oppose the law that disallowed Indians from settling there, The maverick bengali sat on a hunger strike which ultimately led to his arrest and later on his death in very cryptic way.. A patriotic leader was thus lost because of the appeasement policy which was started by Nehru. His death is still a mystery. But the sacrifice of Mukherji gave a blatant call to future pro Nationalist leaders to march to Kashmir and claim it as an Integral part of Indian Republic...

1992

In 1990 there was an unsuccessful attempt by ABVP to hoist the flahg the Lal Chowk of Srinagar. Pak sponsored Sepratists laughed that Indians cannot claim by sitting in delhi that Kashmir is a part of India. BJp accepted the challenge and decided for a massive Yatra to Kashmir and unfurl the Tricolor there. They named this yatra as the “Ekta Yatra” which was led by Murli Manohar Joshi. Yatra started from Kanyakumari and travelled through Madhya Pradesh, Up, Haryana, Punjab. As the Ekta Yatra kept on progressing, people started to become a part of this yatra and eventually the number of Ekta Yatris rose so high that all the other parties like Congress, Communists, Janta Dal, Muslim league started getting uncomfortable. There was a huge pressure on the then J&K govt to stop these Yatris from entering Srinagar. But the 50000 strong yatris defied all threats from the separatists, landslides and proceeed with their yatra. Finally on 26^th Jan 1992 the Tricolor was unfurled at lal chowk by Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi in the midst of heavy security which was provided to them by the INDIAN ARMY. Amidst the slogans of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai the Indian Tricolor was hoisted at the heart of Valley.

2011

19 years later Ekta Yatra was again flagged off from Kolkata. This time it was led by the youth face of Indian right wing Anurag thakur and joined by many senior leaders of his party. The ekta yatra started on 12^th jan reached the JnK-Punjab border on 25^th jan joined by thousands of patriotic youths from different parts of the country. But this time the Pro Separatists J&K govt on the advice of cental UPA govt imposed the Sec 144 in the state because of which all the leaders were arrested immediately after entering the J&K border. Scenes of pre independent India were relived where the freedom fighters were adamant to hoist the Indian flag in British India but were stopped from doing so by the colonial policemen. Those shouting Vande Mataram and seen with the Indian Flag were arrested.

As an Indian we have the full right to hoist the national flag which is our pride wherever we want in our country. When govt accepts J&K as an Integral part of India then why this double standards when it comes to hoisting the flag in Srinagar. Indians are stopped forcefully to hoist the flag in the same place where we have often seen the Separatists hoisting the paki flag.

Why our govt is bowing to these fu—ng separatists. Today with the help of terrorist elements n coward politicians they deny us to hoist the flag at Lal Chowk, tomorrow it could be Lal Quila. The worst part of all this is the Main Stream Media of our country openly supporting the govt. stance for disallowing the Ekta Yatris to unfurl the tricolor. They didn’t even show the real and actual events. It were the live tweeting by the leaders that gave us the minute by minute update of the Yatra.

63 years later if we still can’t hoist the flag in our homes then whats the use of this Independence?? If you try to analyse the real picture behind the opposition to Tiranga yatra, it won’t be wrong to say its not the Tiranga hoisting which is the problem the real problem is Religion and Politics of Minority appeasement. They don’t want to see the Hindus hoisting flag in a Muslim majority land, so what if its a Part of india..

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last." -Winston Churchill

Magical Shirdi: No Fear Sai Baba is here!

2010-11-30T01:47:00.000-08:00

Shirdi is the place where all the devotees of sai baba dream and wish to visit... The place which was selected by sai baba himself while he was in his body, the place from where he himself took care of his devotees...

Luckily we happen to visit this place on Thursday 25th Nov.. The magic of being there, the sacred vibrations can be felt with the very first step on the land of shirdi... The sacred places of Shirdi, like Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai, Chavadi, Gurusthan and Lendi Bagh where Sai Baba spent most of the time while embodied. The place where we can feel his presence. The place where devotion is easy.

The mind, the heart are too much attracted to Sai Baba. They yearn for the darshan of Sai Baba and visiting the sacred places in Shirdi. This is why it is not easy to leave the place very soon... Such is the magnetism of Shirdi, infact of every holy land where the great saints travelled and lived..

The aura and the vibes of the place is very hard to be described in words as it are there to be experienced and not expressed...

We reached the place around 4 in the morning the Sai Baba aarti was going on.. as it was also a Thursday the crowd was huge.. After standing in the long queues for nearly three n a half hours we came in front of baba in Samadhi hall at around 7:30 am in the morning...

That moment in front of Sai baba’s darbar is indescribable.. Since then im longing to be in face to face with baba again anytime soon...

As for the eternal want list on our lives, as Baba says 'Shradda' and 'Saburi'. Faith and patience. The two eternal pillars of life...

All those who haven’t yet visited Shirdi do make some time in life to go there...

Im Sharing few pictures i clicked there...

Peace n Take care!!

Om Sai Shivaye Namah!!

Trance and Shiva

2010-10-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

The psychedelic trance culture has generally its roots in the Indian province of Goa , where the Pioneer Goa Gil redefined the ancient tribal ritual for the 21st century. Goa Gil has a deep background in the Hindu Religion and the highest spiritual order of the Naga Babas, the holy naked men covered in ashes from the sacred fire, smoking chillum and worshipping Shiva. Shiva is the destroyer of the world - his Nataraj dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. Shiva has often been depicted on the covers of trance albums or on the decorations of the trance gatherings.
The symbolic dance of Shiva has always been an important subject in the trance culture, which is a fact that makes this culture quite connected to a symbolic destruction dance act since its very beginning . In the Hindu Religion Shiva is refered to as a God of Ultimate Light but the psy trance culture misinterpreted that and emphasised mainly on his symbolic dance of destruction. In this way the psy trance culture actually emphasised mainly on the dark side in its concepts regarding hinduism, even before the sub style dark psy appeared out of the classical psychedelic trance after the new millennium.

India is not Israel......

2010-06-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Israel and India... Some say they both are more or less nations with same problems.. some Hindus frustrated with Pakistan's machinations against India, are beginning to identify with Israel.
both of them are suffering at the hands of their Islamic neighbours, in both the countries the religion in majority is suffering... i fully agree on these points but there are some striking dissimilarities between the two also.. here are some which i found...

Unlike in Gaza and the West Bank where the Israeli state routinely confiscates weapons from struggling Palestinians, the Indian state (in recent years) has provided small arms to tens of thousands of villagers (Hindu, Muslim and Sikh) who make up the thousands of village-defense committees scattered across Jammu and Kashmir. ...

I rather find a similarity between India-Palestine and Israel-Pakistan... Both Israel and Pakistan were created on the basis of religion by a colonial power Great Britain... Israel was founded on the sectarian ideology of Zionism and Pakistan on the ideology of Islam, but India was nit founded on any of these narrow ideologies... Just as Palestinian Christians and Muslims became refugees on the creation of Zionist Israel, millions and millions of Hindus and Sikhs became homeless after creation of Islamic Pakistan...

Hence, a more appropriate comparison is one between the undemocratic Islamic state of Pakistan and the Zionist militaristic state of Israel. Rather than India being an oppressor in Kashmir, both India and Kashmir are victims at the hands of Pakistan sponsored terror in the same way as Palestinians are victims at the hands of US and Israel...

P.S.--> I WILL NEVER SUPPORT THE ISRAELIS AND JEWS FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN GAZA...
FREE PALESTINE...
SAY NO TO ISRAEL...

VANDE MATRAM...

Karna-- The most fascinating character of Mahabharata

2010-06-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

i had written this post much before and saved it, many times have i seen this question coming that which character of mahabharata inspires or impresses u the most??? mostly the answers are Krishna and Arjun... though i havent read mahabharata completely but i am most attached and fascinated by the character of karna...

KARNA- A Good man in a wrong side in an unfair system..... The eldest of the Pandava brothers, he could never claim his rightful place because he was abandoned at birth by his unwed mother. He grew up facing taunts and barbs about his low birth since he was brought up in a charioteer’s home. His parents had not hidden the truth from Karna — that they had found him in a box floating in the river, with the golden armour that marked him as a Kshatriya. So Karna knew he was not a charioteer’s son. But who was he? That was the question that forever tortured him. By the time he discovered the truth, however, it was too late. He was in the midst of a deadly war, on the side of the man who had befriended him (Duryodhana), fighting against his own brothers.

Karna had the gift of invincibility the Kavach on his body. He was raised by a charioteer and was a good archer possibly better than Arjun. Unfortunately he did not get proper recognition for his talents : the reason is not as obvious as it seems. he did not get recognition because he lacked humility and good company. Hid pride was constantly hurt and so were the skills inside him neglected. Duryodhan is the worst friend he could have had and Duryodhan used him till the end.

Later in the war, when Karna and Arjun are fighting, Karna’s chariot wheel gets stuck in the mud. He asks Arjun to follow the code of war and wait till he gets the wheel out. Arjun hesitates. But Krishna turns on Karna and asks him, “Did you remember your dharma when you incited Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi? Did you remember your dharma when six of you in your chariots killed the boy Abhimanyu as he stood defenceless on the ground?

I like karna ,well i like almost everthing from him like chartiy ,valour, dharma friendship, duty consiousness , respect to guru, affection towards bought up parents , gratitude ,Then finally i also like the way in which karna fought against all odds of like to set an example for us.... Karna’s life is an example of human struggle against odds.. Karna fought against misfortune throughout his life. His Courage, Valor and generosity r incomparable. Of all the characters of Mahabharata ia m definitely mesmerized and fascinated by Karna....

Being a Rastafari Shaman of Shiva.....

2010-05-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Om namah shivaye all... This is a real confusing post on which an extensive research needs to be done before coming to any conclusions.... I have always wondered if the three ways of life Shaivism, Shamanism and Rastafarianism had some sort of inter connection or relationship with them or not....

First of all lets understand the concept of these three isms...

1. Shaivism-- It is the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Followers of Shaivism, called "Shaivas," and also "Saivas" or "Saivites," revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer and concealer of all that is. Shaivism is widespread throughout India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, mostly. Areas notable for the practice of Shaivism include parts of Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia...

2. Shamanism-- Shamanism is the spiritual practices of ancient civilizations and cultures. Shamanism is the oldest healing tradition in the world. The Shaman in history served as the communicator between the physical and the spiritual worlds through various rituals and visualizations. This tradition is observed by modern mankind as a way of returning to its roots....

3. Rastafarianism-- It is a religion that has roots that go back to Jamaica and the 1930s. Rastafarians believe the Messiah is Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. As emperor, Selassie was actually called "Ras Tafari." One of the outgrowths of Rastafarianism is its heavy influence in Raggae music, which was made popular and gained worldwide recognition through the late Bob Marley. According to 1995 statistics, Rastafarianism had some 180,000 adherents worldwide.

I dont know abvout hindus, but I respect and honor "REAL" shamans, Rastafaris n the shaiv Sadhus. I consider such folks as spiritually enlightened ones, of many stages of advancement.. Some may say that only common thing between them is the use of marijuana and the freakin Dreadlocks but i think the most attracted thing that looks common in these people are there adherence to a supreme personality which in my view is none other tahn Shiva....

I use the word Shaman same as i use the word Rastafari or a Shaiv Sadhu, one who introduces another to spiritual insight and the concept of spiritual life as ones priority, one who carefully guides another in such a spiritual endeavor, and one who actually gives full spiritual life to another.

I honor those considered shamans, like the late Peter Tosh. I consider the late great emperor Heile Selaise, direct descendent from Solomon and Mekeda, a shaman. I respect Bob Marley as a descendent of Halie Selaise.. Others as well, to numerous to name. But the ones I honor, all of them accept their actual position as servants of the Supreme Lord.

I don't consider myself any master, i can never be one. I just say myself a devotee and servant of Shiva.

I consider myself a Rastafari Shaman of Shiva. This is why I ask such things....

Kurt Donald Cobain-- A Tribute

2010-04-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Kurt Cobain,, was one legend who may have left his body but he will live in our hearts forever with his music... i was listening to Rape Me when the thoughts of this Legend came in my mind and i thought of writing a post in his honor by getting some of his quotes which are really inspirational...

Kurt is said to have killed himself and there is also a suicide note of this legend,, but i dont believe in it... Kurt cant kill himself.. Im sure there was some Foul Play involved.. but its better if not write anything regarding this...

Kurt Cobain helped change the way music was played in the 90’s. His music was different and out of the ordinary not to mention loved by millions. His emotional and sometimes dark lyrics helped fuel the band, Nirvana, to multi-platinum success which still stands today.

Probably his most famous quote is, “I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not,” which shows his belief system, and the way he saw the world.

He also said, “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” No truer words spoken than these great ones. Why would you want to be someone else, just make the most of the person you are.

Both of these famous Kurt Cobain quotes are used extensively by music lovers and bloggers alike and they depict a real sense of believing in oneself and not what other people think of you.

Here are some Famous Kurt Cobain Quotes:

A friend is nothing but a known enemy.
Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with with your self esteem.
I bought a gun and chose drugs instead.

I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me.

I really haven't had that exciting of a life. There are a lot of things I wish I would have done, instead of just sitting around and complaining about having a boring life. So I pretty much like to make it up. I'd rather tell a story about somebody else.
I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't.

I was looking for something a lot heavier, yet melodic at the same time. Something different from heavy metal, a different attitude.
I won't eat anything green.
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.
I'm so happy because today I found my friends - they're in my head.

I'm too busy acting like I'm not Naive. I've seen it all, I was here first.
I've always had a problem with the average macho man - they've always been a threat to me.
If it's illegal to rock and roll, throw my ass in jail!
If you die you're completely happy and your soul somewhere lives on. I'm not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I've got.
If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask someone else first.
It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings.

Punk is musical freedom. It's saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster's terms, 'nirvana' means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that's pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock.

Rather be dead than cool.
The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.
The worst crime is faking it.

Long Live Kurt Cobain and i pray that His Soul Rest in Peace.....

Ernesto " che" Guevara

2010-04-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Mahabharata-- An ancient Nuclear War?

2010-01-26T01:28:00.001-08:00

Years have rolled by since India detonated its first Nuclear weapon to join the league of the so-called "Nuclear Power"s. However a little research on the Mahabharata indicates that India could have been a Nuclear Power milleniums before the rest of the world even came to know of the existence of atoms. Incidently, Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atom bomb, on being interviewed by the media, gave a surprising reply referring to the atom bomb which he had just invented, as- " not the first nuclear weapon, but the first one of modern times".

A few excerpts from the Mahabharata have caused doubts in the minds of historians, indicating the possibility of nuclear weapons being used in the Mahabharata war or post-war. This fire of suspicion has further been fuelled by the recent discoveries of green glass and many radioactive samples in certain excavations, in India, which apparently were associated with the Mahabharata war. Green glass is said to form when sand melts at very high temperatures prevalent in Nuclear Explosions . The following is an excerpt found in many websites, reproduced as it is.

"Gurkha, flying a swift and powerful vimana (fast aircraft)hurled a single projectile (rocket)
charged with the power of the Universe (nuclear device). An incandescent column ofsmoke and
flame, as bright as ten thousand suns, rose with all its splendor.
It was an unknown weapon, an iron thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death, which reduced
to ashes the entire race of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
The corpses were so burned as to be unrecognizable.Hair and nails fell out; Pottery broke
without apparent cause,and the birds turned white. After a few hours all foodstuffs were infected...
to escape from this fire the soldiers threw themselves in streams to wash themselves and their
equipment."
"Dense arrows of flame, like a great shower, issued forth upon creation, encompassing the enemy.
A thick gloom swiftly settled upon the Pandava hosts.All points of the compass were lost in
darkness.Fierce wind began to blow upward, showering dust and gravel.
Birds croaked madly... the very elements seemed disturbed.The earth shook, scorched by the
terrible violent heat of this weapon.Elephants burst into flame and ran to and fro in a frenzy.
over a vast area, other animals crumpled to the ground and died.From all points of the
compass the arrows of flame rained continuously and fiercely."

This description matches very well with the modern Nuclear explosions and it is quite logical to confess that the explosions being talked about in the Mahabharata indeed refer to Nuclear explosions.But the story doesn't end here. On making a rigorous search of various versions of the Mahabharata, I noticed the following facts.

1. There aren't any (at least, not many) Texts of Mahabharata which account for a character called Gurkha. A search on the net for Gurkha reveals the fact that this word is found only in sites which fell prey to the sites containing the above story.
2. There isn't any official evidence of Oppenheimer saying the above, though there are enough evidences of him quoting the Gita.
3. Most of the excerpts given above, are truly found in the Mahabharata, in parts, but not with reference to a single context. Descriptions of various happenings, unrelated to each other, from various nooks of the epic have been intelligently jigsawed together to weave the story. Whoever did so, tried to club many truths together to build a Fallacy. Surprisingly this Fallacy still has some truth in it.

The excerpt "An incandescent column of smoke and flame, as bright as ten thousand suns,
rose with all its splendor" actually appears in the section 34 of the Karna Parva of the
Mahabharata( http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m08/m08034.htm ), as follows.

"The universe is similarly said to consist of Vishnu. Vishnu is, again, the Soul of the
holy Bhava of immeasurable energy. For this the touch of that bow-string became unbearable
to the Asuras. And the lord Sankara cast on that arrow his own irresistible and fierce wrath,
the unbearable fire of anger, viz., that which was born of wrath of Bhrigu and Angirasa.
Then He called Nila Rohita (Blue and Red or smoke)--that terrible deity robed in skins,
looking like 10,000 Suns, and shrouded by the fire of superabundant Energy, blazed up with
splendour. That discomfiter of even him that is difficult of being discomfited, that victor,
that slayer of all haters of Brahma, called also Hara, that rescuer of the righteous and
destroyer of the unrighteous, viz., the illustrious Sthanu, accompanied by many beings of
terrible might and terrible forms that were endued with the speed of the mind and capable
of agitating and crushing all foes, as if with all the fourteen faculties of the soul awake
about him, looked exceedingly resplendent".

"It was an unknown weapon, an iron thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death, which reduced
to ashes the entire race of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas." is actually found in Section 1 of
Mausala Parva.( http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m16/m16001.htm).

"When then next day came, Samva actually brought forth an iron bolt through which all the
individuals in the race of the vrishnis and the andhakas became consumed into ashes.
Indeed, for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, Samva brougt forth, through
that curse, a fierce iron bolt that looked like a Gigantic messenger of death. The fact
was duly reported to the king. In distress of mind, the king (Ugrasena) caused that iron
bolt to be reduced to a fine powder.Men were employed to cast the powder into the sea."

The term "10000 suns" and "Super-abundant" perfectly fit into today's description of Nuclear Energy. In fact what is depicted as an Iron bolt could actually have referred to Radioactive Iron (Iron-59 is known to be radioactive). Perhaps the usage of Iron-59 as a nuclear weapon was known to man in ancient times. The last sentence " to cast the powder into sea", is in good terms with the fact that water is a very effective shield for nuclear radiations. Perhaps that was the intention in casting the iron powder into the sea.
The section 2 of the Mausala parva also has,

"The streets swarmed with rats and mice. Earthen pots showed cracks or broke from no
apparent cause. At night, the rats and mice ate away thehair and nails of slumbering men"

and

"Fires, when ignited, cast their flames towards the left. Sometimes they threw out flames
whose splendour was blue and red. The Sun, whether when rising or setting over the city,
seemed to be surrounded by headless trunks of human form. In cook rooms, upon food that
was clean and well-boiled, were seen, when it was served out for eating, innumerable
worms of diverse kinds."

The above passage too reminds us of the effects of a nuclear explosion, as foodstuffs get infected in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. In section 3, there is also a mention of the vaishnis taking shelter close to the sea coast. This might have as well meant that the vaisnis took shelter in the sea. As mentioned earlier, water is a natural shield to Nuclear radiations.

Further, in the second section of the Mausala Parwa ( http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m16/m16002.htm ), there stands a shloka which (on translation ) says

"Asses were born of kine, and elephants of mules. Cats were born of bitches, and mouse
of the mongoose."

Perhaps, this could be an indication of genetic disorders created on account of exposure to lethal nuclear radiations.

These above facts make us really wonder if the Mahabharata was indeed a nuclear war. In aid to the above mentioned facts, India, from times immemorial knew the existence of atoms and the atomic energy. The following shloka is evidence to the statement.

anor aniyan mahato mahiyan
atmasya jantor nihito guhayam
tam akratuh pasyati vita-soko
dhatuh prasadan mahimanam atmanah
(Katha 1.2.20)

indicates that the greatest of the great is hidden in the smallest of the small. This forms the basis for the atomic energy.

Tribute to the brave LTTE

2010-01-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

LTTE the valiant organisation of the Tamils who are fighting against the racist Sinhala govt of Sri Lanka may think their war is over after their courageous, brave and icon tiger Prabhakaran was shot dead... The brave Prabhakaran died while fighting for the rights of the Tamils who were victims of discrimination and hatred by the lankan govt.. The pseudo Tamil govt of Tamil Nadu run by an icon of pity Karunanidi did nothing for the Tamils who died in the violent war against the racist Lankans..

Sri Lankan govt with the help of 21 other nations violently killed all the Tamil people irrespective of their involvement with the LTTE. LTTE fought bravely not even the Indian Tamil govt helped them.. LTTE campaigned non violently but only after the violent attacks on the Tamils by the racist sinhala govt they were forced to go violent too...

The brave and courageous Prabhakaran shall remain an inspiration for all the Tamils who will continue their war against the Lankan govt..

My salute to all the martyr tamils who lost their lives fighting for their Tamil homeland which is still a distant dream but the sacrifices of Prabhakaran and all the Tamil martyrs are going to make it a reality one day..

a book that changed my life

2009-12-07T05:41:00.001-08:00

No piece of Indian Literature is more loved and read than the Bhagwad Gita.. Bhagwad Gita or the Gitopanishad is the song of the God. A song whose lyricsist, musician and singer is God himself.
I was never interested in reading religious books until i read Bhagwad Gita. This book completely transformed my character. It made me more interested in Hindu Spirituality and Philosophy. It is a divine symphony in which God was to be seen everywhere.

There are various versions of Bhagwad Gita with different commentaries available. Understanding of Bhagwan Gita requires thorough knowledge of Sanskrit. So i had to read one which was translated with English commentary. However the english translations have a problem, the translators being humans none have produced a perfect english version..

PLOT
Many many years ago two people sat in a chariot in the midst of the most fiery battle ground. One of them was a Yogi, a seeker, Arjuna and the other was Krishna, the master of Yoga. Arjuna knew that it's not too long before the battle starts. So he asked Krishna ''What he should do?''

This turned into a 700 verse discourse written in Sanskrit by Sage Vyas. In these verses Krishna outlined Arjun the perfect way of living a life in order to gain Self Mastery and Self Knowledge..

BHAGWAD GITA TO ME

Today Gita is found in almost all of the hindu
Households in India in various translations. When i started the reading of Gita, i found myself in the Same position in that of Arjuna. As Arjun was to fight his own Gurus, Brothers and Uncles, I found myself at war with my ego, intellect and desires.

After reading the Gita it looked like my own SELF talking to ME... Bhagwad Gita changed my life by giving explaination of the meaning of life.. A life that has never ended since then.

Bhagwad Gita is a lifetime study and it is extremely beneficial to read at least ten shlokas daily. It's meaning is infinite and every time new things are to be found in these 700 shlokas. Other important benefit is the ability of the Bhagwad Gita to guide us Spiritually...

Gauttam Sharma

MOST INSPIRING SPEECH EVER

2009-12-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

This is Al's speech from the movie Any Given Sunday. If this doesn't inspire you and get you all reved up and give you some positive thoughts about team-work, you might not be alive. I have this speech on my ph and will sometimes just listen to it on repeat. Awesome stuff.... you have to watch the scene from the movie too, to feel the fire of this speech.....

"I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, 'til we’re finished.

We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here -- get the shit kicked out of us -- or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time.

Now, I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around. I see these young faces, and I think -- I mean -- I made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that's...part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small -- I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.

The inches we need are everywhere around us.

They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the fuckin' difference between winning and losing! Between livin' and dyin'!

I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin' to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin' is! The six inches in front of your face!!

Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes! Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!

That’s a team, gentleman!

And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.

That’s football guys.

That's all it is

Now, what are you gonna do?."

Vande Mataram -- An Integral Part of Secular Indian Politics

2009-12-01T04:06:00.000-08:00

Vande Maatram is well known as the National Song of our country. These two words have been of major importance as many freedom fighters remembered them while being sentenced to rigorous punishments and death sentences. Vande Maatram or ''Hail the Motherland'' has more than distinct importance..

Written by Bankim Chandra and sung by Rabindranath Tagore it became one of the most prominent slogans of the Indian Freedom Movement.
Vande Maatram has also been controversial since 1937 as many Muslim Organizations find it unislamic and against the Sharia Law. Recently a prominent Islamic Organization Jamiat-ulema-e-Hind declared a fatwa or an edict against singing of Vande Maatram by the Muslims. They claim that a Muslim cannot pay allegiance to any other than Allah.

I think there is no religion which doesn't allows to respect their Mother and Motherland. No particular religion is so fragile that mother and Motherland cannot be bowed upon.. So this claim of the organization doesn't stand because even Islamic countries like Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt has national anthems in which they compare their countries to imaginary mother and bow in Salutation.

Many pro Indian Muslims have defied this edict and say that they find nothing unislamic in the singing of Vande Maatram.. Some of them Includes the union minister Salman Khurshid and Gujarat DGP Shabbir Hussain.

This issue should not be made controversial and a political issue. Nationality is always above Religion and everyone should respect the song. Motherland should always be holier than the Holy. We should never let religion precede nation..

''Bhagwa Safed Hara, Jeevan Chakra mera!

Bhartiya hi jiya, Bhartiya hi mara!!''

VANDE MAATRAM!!

A year after 26/11 -- My frustration

2009-11-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

After a year dust finally seems to be settling down following the worst terror strike on India, perpetrated by a bunch of crazy lunatics across the border seeking their place in heaven with virgins by killing in name of god..

It's been a year today when this dreadful and horrifying attack on the Taj, Oberoi, Trident and CST station happened which killed many innocent people. This incident not just shook Mumbai but our whole nation battled the trauma.
Mumbai has always been the target of these terrorists since 1993 and im dead sure if we didn't cure our impotence it will continue to be the target. Since the last two decades we have witnessed a series of suicide attacks and bombings and all kind of coward acts by these terrorists in different parts of our country.

But in how many cases our agencies and govt able to catch them or kill them by attacking their camps and their breeding institutions. Years and years of preaching of Non-violence by Buddhas and Gandhis have made our nation and our people IMPOTENT....

By impotency i don't mean physically but mentally.. They attack our parliament, we do not screw them. They attack our temples, They hijack our flights, they attack our Mumbai not once not twice but thrice, still we do not screw them.
The whole nation in fact the whole world knows who the main center of terrorist activity is but still I don't know what and why are we waiting for? Sometimes i really think that whether our country is prepared to fight terrorism or not..

How many more bomb blasts and shootouts we need, to take action against the terrorists?
In 1971 at Munich where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Hamas the Israeli govt did the operation ''wrath of god'', for Sep 11 the US had ''operation Enduring freedom'' and for 2 yes for only 2 Israeli soldiers killed by Hizbullah, Israel declared a war on Lebanon.

Bhagwan Krishna in gita said "Ahimsa parmo dharma, dharmo himsa tathaivacha'' meaning ''non violence is the greatest Dharma but violence against evil is also dharma"..

But hang on! We are a peace loving, and a non violent nation. If we catch a terrorist we will serve him mutton Biryani, if our flight is hijacked then our own defense minister will escort the captured terrorists.. And yes every time after a bomb blast we appreciate the spirit of the city attacked and add insult to injury of the victims.

But why a common man like me is angry? Writing in Hindustan Times, Vir Sanghvi perhaps analyzed it best as to why Urban Middle Class was so angry this time. He wrote that our anger is the manifestation of realization that we are Impotent. There is nothing much we can do to change the scenario or avenge the attacks. After every bomb blast we feel outraged, leaders make repetitive statements and then soon it is forgotten and we get back to our internal bickering in name of region and religion.

As a mere Blogger I think the only option is to do what Israel did after Black September, Go after these people and kick the shit out of them in their own dens.
Fear can only be fought with Fear..

But are we Potent enough to do it is the Question???

I will end my end my post by writing few lines from Prasoon Joshi's poem:

Is baar karm ka hawala de kar nahin uthaoonga auzaar
Nahin karoonga phir se ek nayee shuruaat
Nahin banoonga misaal ek karmyogi ki
Nahin aaney doonga zindagi ko aasani se patri par
Utarney doonga usey keechad main,tedhey medhey raston pe
Nahin sookhney doonga deewaron par laga khoon
Halka nahin padney doonga uska rang
Is baar nahin banney doonga usey itna laachaar
Ki paan ki peek aur khoon ka fark hi khatm ho jaye
Is baar nahin

Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai
Gaur se
Thoda lambe wakt tak
Kuch faisley
Aur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi
Is baar yahi tay kiya hai

Che Guevara- My Inspiration

2009-11-08T04:03:00.000-08:00

Che Guevara is a common face. You may identify him on countless T-shirts, bags, caps and badges today. He has been looked upon as a cool dude with long hair and tough looks.
But how many of us actually know who Che really was? Some take him for a rockstar, whereas for some he is just ‘someone.’ We need to change this attitude. Che Guevara was not just someone. He is a symbol of power. He is one who dedicated his life for the equality of people.
He was a communist. Even though communism being an ideology which i hate, i love che guevara and his heroics. There can be no other simple and true definition of communism than the one given by Che Guevara AND Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. He defined communism as the “end of exploitation of one person by another.” And all his life he fought for it.
In spite of being born in a rich family, he spent most of his life in jungles with his guerrilla soldiers. He dreamt of equality of people in every part of the world. Professionally, he was a doctor, but, at heart, he was a true revolutionist and a comrade. This made him leave his luxurious life and be a part of the revolutions for equality. His revolt was not within the boundaries of Argentina, where he was from. He fought for Guatemala, Cuba, Congo and Bolivia. Symbol of strength In 39 years, he became a symbol of power and strength. Physically, he had many problems. But, he overcame all obstacles with his tremendous will power. Is it right to confine such a great soldier to a mere T-shirt logo?

When youth like us dream of a well paid job, Che Guevara dreamt of well-settled life of everyone in the world. We cannot be like Che Guevara, but we can, of course, be a little sensitive towards our society. Youth are the powerhouse of the country. We need to fight the odd practices of society such as corruption. We should be curious to know what is happening in the society around us rather than being curious to know who won the Roadies.

Che Guevara is my inspiration. Everyone should know about his great life which can be a motivation for the younger generation. Che Guevara’s ideas, dedications and love towards society are very much needed...

On October 18, 1967, more than 200,000 people gathered in the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana to hear Fidel Castro read an obituary to Che Guevara, who had been assassinated in Bolivia nine days before.

To the crowd gathered in the Plaza of the Revolution, Fidel Castro appraised the significance of Che's life and death:

"Che died defending the interests of the of the exploited and oppressed of this continent. Che died defending the interests of the poor and the humble of the earth ... Before history men who act as he did, men who give everything for the poor, grow in stature with each passing day and find a deeper place in the heart of the people."

HIS LAST WORDS TO HIS CAPTORS BEFORE HE WAS ASSASSINATED WERE REPORTED TO BE "I KNOW YOU HAVE COME TO KILL ME, SHOOT COWARD YOUR ONLY GOING TO KILL A MAN"

I would like to end this post by writing a qoute of che "I don't care if I fall as long as someone else picks up my gun and keeps on shooting."

"Sarve Dharma Raj-dharma-pradhana" Discourse of Bhishma Pitamah on Raj-Neeti from his bed of arrows on battlefield.

2009-11-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

It may be recalled that Shrimad Bhagvad-gita is a dialogue between Arjun and Lord Krishna, before commencement of the Mahabharata war. Contrary to it, Shanti-parva is a dialogue between Yudhishthir on the one hand and his brothers, wife Draupadi, Lord Krishna and Bhishma pitamah on the other, after the war. Having won the great war, Yudhishthir was so full of remorse due to the unprecedented bloodshed that he decided to take Sanyas, instead of kingship. After prolonged persuasion of his brothers, Draupadi, Shri Krishna and Mahrishi Ved Vyas, Yudhishthir accepted the coronation. Even then, sensing that Yudhishthir could still go astray, Shri Krishna prevailed upon him to meet Bhishma Pitamah to learn lessons of good governance.

Here are a few gems from the mouth of Bhishma Pitamah –
O, King, just as the foot of an elephant covers every other foot, so does Rajdharma cover every aspect of Dharma, in all conditions, (chap.63/25). Among all Dharmas, Rajdharma is supreme, as it provides nourishment to people of all Varnas (professions). Rajdharma encompasses all sacrifices. The sages, since ancient period, praise sacrifice as the best form of Dharma, (63/27). The Sanatan Dharma got destroyed hundreds of time, but (each time) it was redeemed and spread again by Kshatra-dharma. In every age, Kshatra-dharma has to be active. Therefore, Kshatra-dharma is the best in the world, (64/26). Sages praise sacrifice or renunciation, but the greatest sacrifice is that of the kings who lay down their body in fulfillment of their Raj-dharma, (65/3). O, Yudhishthir! Whatever fruits are available to righteous persons after fulfilling obligations of all the four Ashramas, they are all available to those kings who perform Rajdharma selflessly, following the prescribed code of crime and punishment, and who treat their subjects even-handedly. Such kings get the highest position that may be available to a true sanyasin, (66/4-5). On Republics Honourable (chosen) citizens lay down righteous codes of conduct in the spirit of the Shastras. Providing suitable treatment to all and every one, they (Republics) make good progress, (107/17) The distinguished (chosen) citizens punish even their sons and brothers if they do any wrong. They provide them good education and good training. After accomplishing their education and training, they are suitably honoured and given suitable postings. This way, the Republics make good progress, (107/18). The heads, (ministers, officers), of the Republic should work in unison in the best interest of the Republic as a whole. If they are divided, they will form many antagonistic groups (parties). The result will be failure on every front and emergence of various evils. Well-wishers of the Republic should use their powers to crush leaders of separatist parties/groups, (107/25-26). If the senior wise men ignore divisive elements, they result in disintegration and ultimate death of the Republic, (107/27).

I wonder, when Hindu Dharmacharyas, Swamis and Priests will take note of the lessons of Rajdharma and make them also part of their sermons.

Pl. do share your thoughts and comments below. As before, I am particularly interested in comments from those who have read these texts in Sanskrit and/or done a study of this particular topic. Thanks.