Doing nothing can be Addictive - Bhagavad Gita - 2.3

Its been very long since I wrote a blog post or read a book. The creative part of me has been in hibernation for sometime. If I start giving excuses , there can be a big list. of course more work load, chores at home etc. But this did not stop me from watching web series or movies on TV! Silicon Valley being one of them.

My friend has been following up with me to resume with the recordings for our podcasts. I have not been able to find time for that either. 

This made me think that the thread of "not doing things" if started will have cascaded effect and we will get addicted to it mush faster.

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna after listening to Arjuna's lamentation for a long time (all of chapter 1) says that -

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप

that is it does not suit you to have such petty weakness, Leave it aside and Get up and Do your Dharma!

Weakness of not doing things(Read it as meaningful things) is so natural. It is a least resistive path!

Only way to come out of it is to Start Doing Things. One of our CEO always said that  - The trick is in Doing! I couldn't agree more!

I realized that I have already written a post on verse 2.3 here! 

"He" can take any form - सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया - Bhagavad Gita - 4.6

I had been to a spiritual Camp a couple of years ago. In the Camp, at one point all the participants were asked to sit facing each other. This was a session about Where is GOD and How does 'He' appear to us?  In a very impactful way, the Teacher said that GOD  might have come to you in the form of the person sitting next to you. It made us realize that GOD can come in any form. Since he is so powerful, he can take any form!

This verse from Chapter 4 reminded me of the activity that was done in the spiritual Course. One of my friends used to say that the Help or message can come from anywhere and in any form. She believes that when she was in conflict, GOD can send his message through a street vendor, a dialogue in a TV series, or something an RJ says on the radio! 

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् |

प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया || 6||

ಅಜೋSಪಿ ಸನ್ನವ್ಯಯಾತ್ಮಾ ಭೂತಾನಾಮೀಶ್ವರೋSಪಿ ಸನ್ ।

ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಂ ಸ್ವಾಮಧಿಷ್ಠಾಯ ಸಂಭವಾಮ್ಯಾತ್ಮಮಾಯಯಾ ॥೬॥

Meaning: Although I am unborn, the Lord of all living entities, and have an imperishable nature, yet I appear in this world by virtue of Yogmaya, my divine power.

A Profound Question by Arjuna - चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण - 6.34

In Gita there are several times when Arjuna asks questions that even comes to our mind. In many ways, Arjuna extracts a lot of life lessons from Lord Sri Krishna with his very valuable questions. In 6.34 Arjuna again asks a profound question about how to control the mind.

In this verse, Arjuna asks that the mind is so turbulent and stubborn and it is so difficult to control it. It churns the same thoughts, so how to control it which is like holding the wind.

For which Lord Krishna agrees completely and says, definitely Mind is in reality very turbulent and difficult to handle. But you can do it with practice and detachment. It is possible by perseverance and practice.

चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् |

तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् || 6-34||

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् |

अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते || 6-35||

यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र ( Bhagavad Gita - 6.30) - Change The Way You Look At Things and....

Verse 6.30 is just beautiful. 

"yo māṁ paśhyati sarvatra sarvaṁ cha mayi paśhyati" 

Lord Krishna says that when someone looks at all other beings with an awareness of the presence of Cosmic Consciousness in everyone, he is always looking at GOD. 

In turn, GOD who is present in all is also looking at that person. GOD is with such a person always! In this way, both don't forget each other. 

"tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśhyāmi sa cha me na praṇaśhyati"

This means if you see GOD in everyone and GOD in everyone sees you always. I got immense insight and joy reading this verse and listening to our Gita Guru, Shivaswamiji explaining this.

This verse I tried to interpret is below.

Though it was told to us many times, in many ways from childhood, the joy this verse gives is class apart.

ಅನ್ನವನು ಇಕ್ಕುವುದು ನನ್ನಿಯನು ನುಡಿಯುವುದು 

ತನ್ನ೦ತೆ ಪರರ  ಬಗೆದೊಡೆ

ಕೈಲಾಸ  ಬಿನ್ನಾಣವಕ್ಕು ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞ 

Sarvagna vachanas said that if you see yourself in all, then surely you will reach Kailasa.

With the new understanding of 6.30- I interpret the vachana as if you treat everyone same as the GOD in You, then the GOD in others will treat you well- with that the life becomes ao enjoyable like living in Kailasa. 

I recalled that at the Convent school where I studied, there were quotes from Bible  -  "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".  This again points to a similar concept.

I am a huge fan of Wayne Dyer and influenced by his speeches and books. He has said that  

“Change The Way You Look At Things And The Things You Look At Change".

I see a lot of things are said and a lot is hidden in this quote which relates back to "yo māṁ paśhyati sarvatra sarvaṁ cha mayi paśhyati" 

Do let me know what you feel...

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं (Bhagavad Gita - 6.5) - I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 6-5||

ಉದ್ಧರೇದಾತ್ಮನಾತ್ಮಾನಂ ನಾತ್ಮಾನಮವಸಾದಯೇತ್ ।

ಆತ್ಮೈವ ಹ್ಯಾತ್ಮನೋ ಬಂಧುರಾತ್ಮೈವ ರಿಪುರಾತ್ಮನಃ || 6-5|

In this verse, Lord Krishna is clearly telling us to be the driver of our life and destiny. He tells that one has to work towards the upliftment of oneself and never let it down. since No one else but himself is the greatest Friend and the worst Enemy.

My Gita Guruji reiterated it by saying that " ನಮ್ಮ ಉದ್ದಾರ ನಾವೇ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು", that is you only are responsible for your upliftment and no one else. 

It is a Command from Lord himself. So we can't blame anyone for our situation. It is our own absolute responsibility.

After I heard this , I was contemplating on this verse and recalled lines from the poem, Invictus by William Ernest Henley  " I am the master of my fate,  I am the captain of my soul". 

My daughter MM read it to me a couple of days back. She has written a beautiful post on this here:

Invictus- William Ernest Henley

Being in Present - गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता (Bhagavad Gita - 2.11)

This is one of the powerful verses in Gita.Here Srikrishna is telling us neither to live in the Past nor in the Future but to be in the Present.

It also says, only wise men don't dwell in the Past or worry for future. So whenever we drift away to past or future, the question to ask is Am I a Wise person or not!

As Indians, we bask in the glory of ancient India and all that we had and did 2000 years ago. But as Lord Krishna says here, we need to go on doing our duty and make today's India Great and not just talk about the past!

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे |

गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता: || 11||

aśhochyān-anvaśhochas-tvaṁ prajñā-vādānśh cha bhāṣhase

gatāsūn-agatāsūnśh-cha nānuśhochanti paṇḍitāḥ|| 11||

ಅಶೋಚ್ಯಾನನ್ವಶೋಚಸ್ತ್ವಂ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾವಾದಾಂಶ್ಚ ಭಾಷಸೇ |

ಗತಾಸೂನಗತಾಸೂಂಶ್ಚ ನಾನುಶೋಚಂತಿ ಪಂಡಿತಾಃ ॥೧೧॥

Guiding Lines - Mankutimmana Kagga

I derive inspiration from DVG's Mankutimmana Kagga. One of the Kagga which stands out for me is 

ಇಳೆಯಿಂದ ಮೊಳಕೆಯೊಗವಂದು ತಮಟೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲ ।

ಫಲ ಮಾಗುವಂದು ತುತ್ತೂರಿ ದನಿಯಿಲ್ಲ ॥

ಬೆಳಕೀವ ಸೂರ್ಯಚಂದ್ರರದೊಂದು ಸದ್ದಿಲ್ಲ ।

ಹೊಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ತುಟಿಗಳನು - ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ॥

There are no drum beats when a sprout rises out of the earth. 

No trumpets when fruits ripe. 

The Sun and the Moon shine silently. 

Stitch your lips!

These lines make me introspect in many ways. 

We are always in a hurry to show off  (mistaken for accomplishment!). The most prominent and most important things in the Universe go on without any pomp..,

Sprounting, Ripening of Fruits, and even the Sun and Moon work quietly but eternally!

This is also a reminder about doing work that we are meant to do...Keep doing your work irrespective of whether it is being noticed or not...and without showing it off!

The Strong & Shocking "Sakthi" - The Amazing People in My Life Series

I met Sakthi in one of my Quickrides. He is one of the quick friendships I made during Quickride rides. Read my earlier post here. 

I had taken a ride on Quickride one day when I heard a conversation of co-riders. The person was saying that after he reaches home he will go cycling up until the Airport and be back by midnight! I was shocked to hear this and what shocked me more was he does it all weekdays! I could not believe this and told him it is better to go to a bigger Apartment where there is ample place to cycle than to go on roads like this at night. The answer to this shocked me further -  He said he has got used to it and he goes cycling to nearby places like Nandhi Hills, Ramnagar, Savandurga, etc on weekends! I could not believe what I heard as he got down from the car as we reached near his place.

After a couple of days, when I and MM offered a ride, Sakthi joined us. This gave me some more time and freedom to talk to him. He worked for an Engineering MNC and he loved his work as a Mechanical Engineer. We also got to know that he was from Mumbai. In about one and a half hours long ride on the first day, we got to know that after he went for a long assignment to the UK, on the day he returned to Bangalore he met with a major accident and he was bedridden for more than 2 months with no hope of getting back on his feet again. But he made up his mind and started walking slowly, then cycling, and later swimming so that he triggers his muscles and gets back to normalcy quickly and he had done it in less than 6 months. His Doctor had told him that it is not less than a miracle. This shocked me yet again also could not stop thinking about his Grit! His Courage and determination impressed me naturally. I had heard or read such stories of people but never met one in person before!

Sakthi became regular to join us on our rides and in each ride, he would say one or the other thing which will leave us shocked, surprised or dumbstruck or all at a time!

One of the days the discussion was about our alma mater colleges and he said he is from IIT Powai in a lowly voice. He is an IITan! A B.Tech from IIT Bombay. The modesty he shows when he says about his alma mater is unbelievable! 

With time, I got to know about his family - that his Father is Marathi and his Mother is a Tamilian so he has relatives in both Maharastra as well as in Tamil Nadu. His siblings have done well too with One a Master's in Management and another pursuing Medicine. As I had gotten used to his Shocking revelations- I probed him further, and again I was not disappointed! His brother is from IIM Ahmedabad! 

Sakthi, had taken help of a Physiotherapist, won over himself and get back to his feet. Then he was planning to go on Tour de France 2020. He was preparing for it with zeal! He would cycle long distances while his physiotherapist will follow him in his car! Highly intense and disciplined in his practice! However, the world was hit by virus and so he could not make it..

Sakthi is also a Chess Champion who has won many contests.

On one of these rides, we had a Techie joining us who was let's say was a "Cool Dude". He was talking about his college days and his Biking hobby(he had Royal Enfield) with an accent and attitude. Sakhi chimed in and told him that he also was a biker one time and had Triumph! As the conversation picked up, Cool Dude was shocked one by one as he got to know about Sakthi's accolades one by one! While getting down from the car he said "This ride has just changed my Life" and I agree every ride with Sakthi is life-changing. 

Sakthi as his name says is a "Power" packed personality. His never-give-up attitude is an inspiration. I always told him that his parents have named him very aptly as what is called 'Anvartha Nama' in Sanskrit. 

Sakthi shocks me with the projects he is involved during last two years of lockdown every time we talk! He is also penning down his life as a book which will come out shortly. I wish him powerful energies to achieve his goals.

Finding Ikigai & Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyah- Bhagavad Gita - 3.35

I was always intrigued by this shloka from Bhagavad Gita. How to find "Swadharma" was my unsettled question.

Chapter 3 Karmayoga Verse 35 Sri Krishna says that it is better to do things that define you as a person than do things that define others. 

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

ಶ್ರೇಯಾನ್ ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮೋ ವಿಗುಣಃ ಪರಧರ್ಮಾತ್ ಸ್ವನುಷ್ಠಿತಾತ್ ।
ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮೇ ನಿಧನಂ ಶ್ರೇಯಃ ಪರಧರ್ಮೋ ಭಯಾವಹಃ ॥೩೫॥

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: || 35||

I got a beautiful explanation for this in the Gita Class. 

My Guru put it very well as saying it is the Aptitude that defines your Innate Dharma. We should get into a work that suits our Aptitude, which is enjoyable, gives us Happiness and while performing such work we feel Timelessness. We will get in a sense of Flow.

Though it may have some glitches, it is always better to be in your own path as the other's path which how much every  beneficial, proven, and faultless may create Fear in us.

The dharma a person follows gives Meaning and Purpose to Life

I could so well draw parallels with the recently popular concept Ikigai. 

Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to having a direction or purpose in life, providing a sense of fulfillment and towards which the person may take actions, giving them satisfaction and a sense of meaning.

Ikigai is finding that sweet spot that intersects with 

What you are Good at 

What you Love

What you can be paid for

and

What the World Needs 

Here again, the important thing is you.. (Swadharma)! 

3.35 is one of my all time favourite Shloka..

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप - Bhagavad Gita 2.3

The second Chapter is the starting point of the Life Transformation process for Arjuna. In reality, Arjuna is a representative of all humans. Hence it is a transformation journey for all of us. 

Arjuna laments and defends his decision of not fighting in the Kurukshetra war for multiple reasons and in about 18.5 verses.!

All through this Lord Krishna does not speak a word and listens to him as he is a great listener. After all this - Srikrishna with a firm voice says - Get up to fight Arjuna, don't show weakness!

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गम: पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते | 

क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परन्तप || 3||

klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayyupapadyate

kṣhudraṁ hṛidaya-daurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣhṭha parantapa|| 3||

ಕ್ಲೈಬ್ಯಂ ಮಾಸ್ಮಗಮಃ ಪಾರ್ಥ ನೈತತ್ ತ್ವಯ್ಯುಪಪದ್ಯತೇ ।

ಕ್ಷುದ್ರಂ ಹೃದಯದೌರ್ಬಲ್ಯಂ ತ್ಯಕ್ತ್ವೋತ್ತಿಷ್ಠ ಪರಂತಪ ॥೩॥

This sounds similar to what Vivekananda said :

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached!

Speaking to Ashish Vidyarthi

Yesterday morning at about 7 am I tuned into Club House and just got into a room.

The discussion was about "what is that you are grateful for in yourself" in his Club Nurturing Greatness. I felt I could add my points, raised my hand, and quickly got onto the stage.. in a couple of seconds Ashishji who was moderating the room called me and asked me to share my thoughts. 

I was thrilled and excited to speak in front of one of the best actors of our times and a great human being. I spoke for about 2 minutes and got appreciation from Ashishji!. That really made my day and felt elated! And that's how I started out at ClubHouse!!!

Then I realized I did not even take a screenshot of this..Duh!

Q&A - The Beauty of Bhagavad Gita

Bhagvat Gita can be called a Personality Development Program which gives us guidelines to Lead a Fulfilling Life and to reach Paripoornate(ಪರಿಪೂರ್ಣತೆ).

Gita also stands apart due to the format in which it's given to us:  Q&A - Question & Answer.

During training, presentations, and other sessions, I have experienced that if there is no Q&A, then the involvement from the listeners will reduce drastically. The takeaway will be really less. While if there are a couple of questions from the crowd and if there is a good response from the presenter, many more people from the crowd get involved and engaged.

I have also seen that if the sessions get more interesting based on the questions that are asked. Also, more ofter it is others questions than my own from which I have learned more!

In a similar way, Arjuna while in a session with Sri Krishna asks beautiful, interesting, leading, and probing questions. The answer to these questions forms Lord Krishna's words and the Bhagvat Gita in 575 Shlokas or verses.

Probing Question - Chapter 4, Verse 4 (4.4)

अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: |

कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति || 4||

aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ

katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti|| 4||

ಅಪರಂ ಭವತೋ ಜನ್ಮ ಪರಂ ಜನ್ಮ ವಿವಸ್ವತಃ ।

ಕಥಮೇತದ್ ವಿಜಾನೀಯಾಂ ತ್ವಮಾದೌ ಪ್ರೋಕ್ತವಾನಿತಿ ॥೪॥

In 4.4, Arjuna probes Sri Krisha who says that he had initiated Bhagwan Surya, Sun God with the yogic knowledge during the creation of the Universe. This makes Arjun ask - you are almost of my age, how should I know that you taught Sun?

Question for to understand more- Chapter 3, Verse 36 (3.36)

अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: |

अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: || 36||

atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ

anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ|| 36||

ಅಥ ಕೇನ ಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತೋsಯಂ ಪಾಪಂ ಚರತಿ ಪೂರುಷಃ ।

ಅನಿಚ್ಛನ್ನಪಿ ವಾರ್ಷ್ಣೇಯ ಬಲಾದಿವ ನಿಯೋಜಿತಃ ॥೩೬॥

In 3.36 - Arjuna asks Lord Krishna why does a man make mistakes unwillingly when he knows it is not correct and he does anyway as if by force.  

Question for Clarity - Chapter 3, Verse 1 & 2 (3.1 & 3.2)

ಜ್ಯಾಯಸೀ ಚೇತ್ ಕರ್ಮಣಸ್ತೇ ಮತಾ ಬುದ್ಧಿರ್ಜನಾರ್ದನ ।

ತತ್ ಕಿಂ ಕರ್ಮಣಿ ಘೋರೇ ಮಾಂ ನಿಯೋಜಯಸಿ ಕೇಶವ ॥೧॥

ವ್ಯಾಮಿಶ್ರೇಣ್ಯೇವ ವಾಕ್ಯೇನ ಬುದ್ಧಿಂ ಮೋಹಯಸೀವ ಮೇ ।

ತದೇಕಂ ವದ ನಿಶ್ಚಿತ್ಯ ಯೇನ ಶ್ರೇಯೋsಹಮಾಪ್ನುಯಾಮ್ ॥೨॥

jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana

tat kiṁ karmaṇi ghore māṁ niyojayasi keśhava

vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me

tad ekaṁ vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām

ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन |

तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव || 1||

व्यामिश्रेणेव वाक्येन बुद्धिं मोहयसीव मे |

तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम् || 2||

After Sankya Yoga, where Lord emphasizes the importance of Gnana Yoga but asks Arjuna to do his Action(Karma). Arjuna gets confused and says two ways are confusing and just give me one simple answer!

Bhagavad Gita Dhyanam - ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ ಧ್ಯಾನ ಶ್ಲೋಕ

Here is my recitation of Bhagavad Gita Dhyanam!

अथ ध्यानम्

ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयं व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् ।

अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीम्- अष्टादशाध्यायिनीम् अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्- गीते भवद्वेषिणीम् ॥ १

नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र ।

येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥ २॥

प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये ।

ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥ ३॥

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपाल नन्दनः ।

पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥ ४॥

वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् ।

देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥ ५॥

भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोत्पला शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला ।

अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी सोत्तीर्णा खलु पाण्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः ॥ ६॥

पाराशर्यवचः सरोजममलं गीतार्थगन्धोत्कटं नानाख्यानककेसरं हरिकथा- सम्बोधनाबोधितम् ।

लोके सज्जनषट्पदैरहरहः पेपीयमानं मुदा भूयाद्भारतपङ्कजं कलिमल- प्रध्वंसिनः श्रेयसे ॥ ७॥

मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् ।

यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥ ८॥

यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिव्यैः स्तवैः वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैः गायन्ति यं सामगाः ।

ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनः यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणाः देवाय तस्मै नमः ॥ ९॥

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं

विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।

लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं

वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥

Bhagavad Gita - ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ - Chapter 1 - Arjuna Vishada Yoga

Chapter 1 is setting the context. Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya about happenings at Kurukshetra and Sanjaya narrates beginning with Dhuryodhana approaching Guru Dronacharya and addressing him. 

It is all Dhuryodhana's words from Verse 2 to Verse 11 after which Bhishma takes up his conch(ಶಂಖ) and blows it with vigor.

Sanjaya tells Dhritarashtra about how other warriors geared up for the war also blew their conches to set the mood for the war.

Soon after this, Arjuna gets an idea to get a bird's eye view of the entire enemy army to figure out who he should fight with.

That's the trigger for Arjuna to ask Lord Sri Krishna to take the chariot in between the armies. 

In Chapter 1, the only time Krishna speaks is in verse 1.25 which is in an indirect speech - which Sanjaya tells to Dritharastra.

भीष्मद्रोणप्रमुखत: सर्वेषां च महीक्षिताम् |

उवाच पार्थ पश्यैतान्समवेतान्कुरूनिति || 25||

bhīṣhma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣhāṁ cha mahī-kṣhitām
uvācha pārtha paśhyaitān samavetān kurūn iti || 25||

ಭೀಷ್ಮದ್ರೋಣಪ್ರಮುಖತಃ ಸರ್ವೇಷಾಂ ಚ ಮಹೀಕ್ಷಿತಾಮ್ ।
ಉವಾಚ ಪಾರ್ಥ ಪಶ್ಯೈತಾನ್ ಸಮವೇತಾನ್ ಕುರೂನಿತಿ ॥೨೫॥

As soon as Arjuna sees Kauravas - Bheeshma and Drona and others he suddenly gets depressed thinking about killing them, killing his Great Grandfather and Guru, cousins, etc. He comes out with various reasons and arguments about why he should not fight in this war. 

He throws his weapons and falls down on his seat in the chariot in complete desperation. 

Sri Bhagavad Gita was given to us as a result of Arjuna's despair which is why we should be thankful to Arjuna.

My Father and the joy of Sweet box!

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get - Forrest Gump

As a child, I always looked forward to my father's Bangalore trip. My siblings and I would wait with all enthusiasm for our father's return late in the night. His trips were one day. He went early morning and returned by a late-night bus to Hassan.

So by the time he came home, it would be mostly midnight. But we will not give up and wait for my father and as soon as the sound of his bike is heard, we will run to open the door. 

The joy of him coming back is one side and also this was to get one look at the Assorted sweet box that he got every time he came back from Bangalore! How much ever late it was for him, after his work he always got sweets from Venkateshwara Sweets or any other shop near majestic.

Well, we did not even eat there and there! We ate it only the next day but I guess it was more about the sight of the deliciously looking, mouth-watering, and the pleasant smell of the sweets which mesmerized us as kids.

Then the next day my mother would split those sweets into equal parts and give us. I don't remember my parents eating any of them!

 Meanwhile, all four of us will trade for our share of sweets...Since my brother did not like sweets like Mysore Pak and Soan Papdi, he will forgo that and take a full Doodh Peda! I on the other hand did not like few sweets but loved Bombay halwa. So all in all, we got pieces of a few of the sweets and one

full!

The sweets in the box will change every time based on the quantity and the shop. But few were constants like Mysore Pak, Chocolate Burfi, Soan Papadi, Ladoo, Baadusha, Bombay halwa, Doodh Peda, and Coconut Burfi. I am not sure if this was how my father selected them or it came like that by default.

The joy of the sweet box that my father got remains one of the sweetest memories from my childhood and no sweet or treat has ever matched the cheer and happiness that these boxes brought me!

Happy Fathers Day Dear Anna!

Artistic Rendition - DP to Portrait

Two of my friends did my portrait at the same time without my knowledge from my Whatsapp DP! That was a pleasant surprise! I felt terrific! My heartfelt thanks to Usha and Geetha. I am delighted by your artistic rendition.                                                                   

Bhagavad Gita - ಭಗವತ್ಗೀತೆ - The Beginning

From today onwards, I will try to compile the teachings of my Guru's discourses as I go through the Gita Classes.

The Gita was revealed to Arjuna by Sri Krishna before the war started at Kurukshetra. This comes in the Bheeshma Parva of Mahabharatha.

The Gita is in the Third Person as it was narrated to King Dhritarashtra by Sanjaya as a response to a question by the King to Sanjaya asking about all that is happening in the war field Kurukshetra. Since by now most of the Kauravas are dead. King asks this question on the 11th day of the war. That is when others get to know and that is why we celebrate Gita Jayathi on the day of Shukla Ekadashi of Margashira Masa. While the war started on the day of Margashira Amavasya.

As our Guru says, Bhagavad Gita is a Personality development course given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna when Arjuna is depressed thinking about the consequences of the war in the war field just before jumping into it.

Joy of Fruits in Summer - Makeshift Fruit Shop

Summer comes with delicious Fruits. This year though it was a long lockdown, the fruits still came on time! and it came just near my home!

It is a chance that the fruit shop came just in front of the house and indeed created a beautiful view for us every morning. Every day at around 6am when I peep out of my window, there will be a beautiful view of the trees and leaves. In half an hour later a van stops by and few cartons start filling the place. In another 20 minutes, the place will be filled with cartons full of fruits and people around them.

Every day, views of Mangoes, beautiful apples, pomegranates, papaya, guava, banana are defiantly there. But it was amazing to see Avacados, Jamuns, Jackfruits, Pear, Dragon fruits, and many more...

By the time it is 10am, you can find again empty cartons and in few minutes the place is deserted again as it was before!

One of these we got all of the tropical fruits from this Makeshift Fruit shop!

Seven Wonders of the World

When my brother said that getting back the sense of smell after the covid, showed him how we have got wonderful gifts from this Universe.

I came across these wonderful lines which aptly reflected what are the real wonders and what we should really treasure!

Life Hack Series - Smart Phone Deaddiction - Monochrome Mode

 All of these above helped me limit the smartphone usage; it didn't take away my constant urge of looking at the phone completely.. Then I found the ULTIMATE Mantra which prevented not only me but my kids from using Smartphone unnecessarily

The tricks I described below helped to some extent. But it did not take away my addiction with the phone and or the kids who are around me who use my phone- 

Life Hack Series - Smart Phone Deaddiction - Out of Mind is Out of Sight

Life Hack Series - Smart Phone Deaddiction - Is Phone with me Or I am with the Phone?

I found an ultimate Mantra  which is to make my colorful mobile - Black & White that is   'Monochrome Mode!’

If you can imagine it is like watching Black and White TV - that's how we watched most of the Ramayana in 80s  and we never got addicted to the TV. See how my home screen looks.

With this new look, kids refused to touch my phone!

Phycological reasons which are not known to me yet, even for me the repetitive urge to pick up the phone dropped down to almost zero and it works like Magic!!!

You can also read my post in Quora here which I wrote sometime back - 

https://www.quora.com/I-am-addicted-to-my-smartphone-and-wasting-so-much-energy-and-time-on-it-It-also-affects-my-mind-negatively-How-do-I-stop-this-bad-habit/answer/Kowshik-Vaishali?ch=10&share=ac3f9d77&srid=38qvi

Life Hack Series - Smart Phone Deaddiction - Out of Mind is Out of Sight

This is a continuation of my previous post. I scrambled through many websites, got tips from my sister and a few of my friends and came out with some tricks to outsmart my Smart Phone.

Keep your Mobile Phone as far away from you as possible - 

I keep the mobile in the next room or on a different floor. that is far from where I sit to work. 

It should be as far as possible from your reach. I've kept it closed in cupboards.

For charging the mobile, there is a charging station which is not in the same room where I work.

Disable all the Notifications - The notifications from social media apps WhatsApp, Facebook, Quora and other apps distracted me a lot and I would reach out to my mobile phone every time there was a "tun!"

I Signed out of all the apps after use and I had to re-login to access them which is not easy every time and that helped me to reduce the smartphone usage! Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not have a log-out feature so it is still a distracting App.

Single Channel of communication  - I uninstalled all the redundant apps like FB messenger, Telegram and retain only WhatsApp as a way of communication.

I also removed all the shortcuts for the social media apps. Some one suggested that place the phone reverse on the table. I tried it but did not work for me much!

Life Hack Series - Smart Phone Deaddiction - Is Phone with me Or I am with the Phone?

I came across a very impactful question/concept a couple of days back...

The question is whether the Phone is with me or whether I am with the Phone.

The phone is with me is a very simple thing... 

You can think of it as the landline phone which we had or still have... It is lying in a corner and we take it only when it is needed...

It is like when I have to make a call or when I get a call...

Take a picture with the camera
When I need directions while driving
I have to book a cab
Order food online

In a way, I need to get any of my work done...

I am with the Phone is when I don't need the phone for any obvious work. But I spend my time and energy on this by...

Looking for messages on WhatsApp

Scroll through Facebook endlessly..

click on videos on YouTube one after the other..

I figured out most of the time I am with the Phone more than the phone is with me! It's a horrible situation to be in... 

That put me on the path of De-addiction with Smartphone.

Narasimha Mantra - ನರಸಿಂಹ ಮಂತ್ರವೊಂದಿರಲು ಸಾಕು

Today is Narasimha Jayathi. A very powerful day...My prayers to Narasimha in the form of a song that says that with Narasimha Mantra all the difficulties and obstacles are removed and gives immense blessings and joy. This mantra gives victory in warfares...Narasimha Mantra will help all of us through these difficult times.

ನರಸಿಂಹ ಮಂತ್ರವೊಂದಿರಲು ಸಾಕು 

ದುರಿತ ಕೋಟಿಯ ತರಿದು ಭಾಗ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕೊಡುವ ||   

 

ಶಿಶುವಾದ ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದನ ಬಾಧೆ ಬಿಡಿಸಿದ ಮಂತ್ರ 

ಅಸುರಕುಲದವರಿಗೆ ಶತ್ರು ಮಂತ್ರ

ವಸುಧೆಯೊಳು ಪಾತಕಿಗಳ ಭವ  ಹೀರುವ ಮಂತ್ರ

ಪಶುಪತಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ದಿವ್ಯ ಮಂತ್ರ  (1)

 

ದಿಟ್ಟ ಧ್ರುವರಾಯನಿಗೆ  ಪಟ್ಟಗಟ್ಟಿದ ಮಂತ್ರ

ಶಿಷ್ಟ ವಿಭೀಷಣನ  ಪೊರೆವ  ಮಂತ್ರ

ಕಟ್ಟ ಕಡೆಯಲಿ ಅಜಾಮಿಳನ ಸಲಹಿದ ಮಂತ್ರ

ಮುಟ್ಟಿ ಭಜಿಸಿದವರಿಗೆ ಮೋಕ್ಷ ಮಂತ್ರ (2)

 

ಹಿಂಡುಭೂತವ  ಕಡಿದು ತುಂಡು ಮಾಡುವ ಮಂತ್ರ 

ಕೊಂಡಾಡೋ ಲೋಕಕೆ ಪ್ರಪಂಚ ಮಂತ್ರ 

ಗಂಡುಗಲಿ ಕದನ ಉದ್ದಂಡ ವಿಕ್ರಮ  ಮಂತ್ರ 

ಪುಂಡರೀಕಾಕ್ಷ  ಪುರಂದರ ವಿಠಲ ಮಂತ್ರ(3)

Parkinson's Law and Magnificent M

Sometime back when I was complaining that even on weekends the household chores do not get done faster. My niece Magnificent M of 8 surprised me by saying that that's according to Parkinson's Law. I chuckled and recalled that I heard about it somewhere...

She was quick to explain that work expands to occupy free time! I wondered how she knew it with such a  simple definition! She said that it is thro the YouTube channel Nas Daily..

The reach these YouTube channels have is unimaginable... If a small girl of 8 can understand the concepts so well, then the channel is doing such admirable work! Let me know what you think!

Obsession with Self Improvement

I am obsessed with Self - Improvement. But sometimes I wonder why do I have to be this way! And I found the answer...

I came across this beautiful equation a long time back which shows that doing small but consistent things will result in a considerable change while sitting and not doing anything! Quite profound..

Wisdom of ages - Thumb Rules for finding a Groom

Today my husband MM shared an interesting with me- something his Grandfather used to say. This is fact or let's say a Thumb Rule which people followed during his Grandfather's days. 

In the olden days, people will give a girl in marriage to a groom only if he satisfied 3 basic rules:

1. Groom Family should own a house     

2. Family should have a cow.

3. Family should have a Drumstick tree in their backyard.

This rule of Thumb ensured a level of safety for the girl getting married. Own House is always a safe feeling. 

Cow ensured there is milk available to the family. 

The interesting point is the Drumstick tree. MM's family hails from dry regions of Tamil Nadu and hence a DRunstick tree being drought-resistant will give vegetables(pods) and leaves any time of the year and also in abundance. Every part of the tree is so useful and nutritious. It is the source of Protein, Calcium, Iron, vitamins A, and C so on...

This was such a smart way of ensuring health and Oxygen! If you look at this in a larger light, then this was a way to ensure people planted and grew trees near their houses, in their backyards, and where they lived!

It's time to rethink and rephrase these rules again..specifically Rule#3 - How about looking for OTG..Organic Terrace Garden!

Do not Leave Hope - WhatsApp Wisdom

A Whatsapp story of Hope in these difficult and unprecedented times....

A king sentenced two people to death. One of them knew that the king loved his horse very much. He told the king that if my life is spared, I will teach his horse to fly in a year. The king was pleased to hear that he could ride the only flying horse in the world. 

The other prisoner looked at his friend with disbelief and said, you know that no horse can fly! How did you think of such madness? You are postponing your death for a year. 

The first prisoner said this is not the case. I have actually given myself four chances of freedom... 

The first thing the king can die within a year! 

The second thing I can die! 

Third thing horse can die!

And the fourth thing… maybe, let me learn to fly a horse !! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The learning from this story is we should not leave hope even in the worst of circumstances. Recovery rates are increasing, positive rates are decreasing, beds are increasing, oxygen is increasing, large production of vaccines has started. The medicine has arrived !! Rails are running, aircraft are flying...Ayurveda and yoga are giving strength...so you and I have to be Safe and Stay positive. Keep it Going!

ನಾವಾಡುವ ಮಾತು ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು

ನಾನು ಓದಿದ ಬಹಳ ಸರಳವಾಗಿ ಬರೆದ ಲೇಖನ...ನಾವಾಡುವ ಮಾತು ಹೇಗಿರಬೇಕು..

Chidananda Rupah Shivo'ham Shivo'ham - Shankara Jayanthi

                                                  

श्रुति स्मृति पुराणानाम् आलयम करुणालयम्।  

नमामि भगवत्पादम शंकरं लोक शंकरम्॥

śruti smṛti purāṇānām ālayama karuṇālayam |
namāmi bhagavatpādama śaṁkaraṁ loka śaṁkaram ||

Today is Shankara Jayatathi, the day when Adi Shankaracharya took birth. 

Adi Shankara has mesmerized me since my childhood. The stories from Amar Chitra Katha, the story of Sharada Temple at Sringeri gave me goose bumps whenever I heard or read them. The life of Shankaracharya in itself is a miracle.  Going around India 4 times in his lifetime on foot 1000 years back is just astonishing..

I am ever drawn to his teachings and draw inspiration from them. Shlokas from Bhaja Govindam I could recite from an early age as my Mother had taught them in an easy tune. As it was easy to understand, I enjoyed reciting as well as listening to it. It has been my continued effort to follow in life. So I consider Shankara Jayathi a special day.

Of late, I have been enchanted by Nirvana Shatakam or Atma Shatakam. In six soothing stanzas, Shankaracharya gives a deeper meaning of what a human is. It's like answering a MCQ wherein all the options are eliminated to get an answer as "None of the above" and says that I am that Knowing and Bliss ...I am Shiva Pure Love...

Nirvana Shatakam

ಮನೋ ಬುಧ್ಯಹಂಕಾರ ಚಿತ್ತಾನಿ ನಾಹಂ

ನ ಚ ಶ್ರೋತ್ರ ಜಿಹ್ವಾ ನ ಚ ಘ್ರಾಣನೇತ್ರಮ್ |
ನ ಚ ವ್ಯೋಮ ಭೂಮಿರ್-ನ ತೇಜೋ ನ ವಾಯುಃ
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 1 ||

mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham
na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre
na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory,
I am not the ears, the skin, the nose or the eyes,
I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...
 

ನ ಚ ಸಂಙ್ಞೋ ನ ವೈಪಂಚ ವಾಯುಃ
ನ ವಾ ಸಪ್ತಧಾತುರ್-ನ ವಾ ಪಂಚ ಕೋಶಾಃ |
ನವಾಕ್ಪಾಣಿ ಪಾದೌ ನ ಚೋಪಸ್ಥ ಪಾಯೂ
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 2 ||
 
na cha prana sangyo na vai pancha vayuhu
na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshah
na vak pani-padam na chopastha payu
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
I am not the breath, nor the five elements,
I am not matter, nor the 5 sheaths of consciousness
Nor am I the speech, the hands, or the feet,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...
 
ನ ಮೇ ದ್ವೇಷರಾಗೌ ನ ಮೇ ಲೋಭಮೋಹೋ
ಮದೋ ನೈವ ಮೇ ನೈವ ಮಾತ್ಸರ್ಯಭಾವಃ |
ನ ಧರ್ಮೋ ನ ಚಾರ್ಧೋ ನ ಕಾಮೋ ನ ಮೋಕ್ಷಃ
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 3 ||

na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau
na me vai mado naiva matsarya bhavaha
na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
There is no like or dislike in me, no greed or delusion,
I know not pride or jealousy,
I have no duty, no desire for wealth, lust or liberation,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...
 
ನ ಪುಣ್ಯಂ ನ ಪಾಪಂ ನ ಸೌಖ್ಯಂ ನ ದುಃಖಂ
ನ ಮಂತ್ರೋ ನ ತೀರ್ಧಂ ನ ವೇದಾ ನ ಯಙ್ಞಃ |
ಅಹಂ ಭೋಜನಂ ನೈವ ಭೋಜ್ಯಂ ನ ಭೋಕ್ತಾ
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 4 ||

na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham
na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajnah
aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
No virtue or vice, no pleasure or pain,
I need no mantras, no pilgrimage, no scriptures or rituals,
I am not the experienced, nor the experience itself,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...
 
na me mrtyu shanka na mejati bhedaha
pita naiva me naiva mataa na janmaha
na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
ನ ಮೃತ್ಯುರ್-ನ ಶಂಕಾ ನ ಮೇ ಜಾತಿ ಭೇದಃ
ಪಿತಾ ನೈವ ಮೇ ನೈವ ಮಾತಾ ನ ಜನ್ಮ |
ನ ಬಂಧುರ್-ನ ಮಿತ್ರಂ ಗುರುರ್ನೈವ ಶಿಷ್ಯಃ
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 5 ||
 
I have no fear of death, no caste or creed,
I have no father, no mother, for I was never born,
I am not a relative, nor a friend, nor a teacher nor a student,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...
 
ಅಹಂ ನಿರ್ವಿಕಲ್ಪೋ ನಿರಾಕಾರ ರೂಪೋ
ವಿಭೂತ್ವಾಚ್ಚ ಸರ್ವತ್ರ ಸರ್ವೇಂದ್ರಿಯಾಣಾಮ್ |
ನ ವಾ ಬಂಧನಂ ನೈವ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ನ ಬಂಧಃ |
ಚಿದಾನಂದ ರೂಪಃ ಶಿವೋಹಂ ಶಿವೋಹಮ್ || 6 ||

aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo
vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam
na cha sangatham naiva muktir na meyaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham
 
I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness,
I exist everywhere, pervading all senses,
I am neither attached, neither free nor captive,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...

Comedy and Communication - Random Thoughts

Today after a long time watched Jaspal Bhatti's Ulta Pulta and Full Tension. It felt so light and calm.

Sets are so simple, actors so relatable, and comedy evergreen. Most of the issues talked about in these episodes are still applicable! Does that mean that we have not progressed much or that some issues are universal and at every age, these will exist in one way or the other? Like Corruption, getting PhD, politicians etc.

Jaspal Bhatti's comedy was so much ahead of its time. Never feels like repetition and jokes are not forced! The satire was so subtle! 

Watching an episode of Telephone Department with my daughter, I could share a lot about Life in the 80s and 90s. 

Also, it made me think about what we gained and what is lost with Revolution in Communication...

• Those days having a telephone at home was such a luxury and nobody felt the invasion of privacy even when talking with the whole family around!
• Now even with personal phones, a peek at other's phones by chance will be considered an intervention...
• It's ironic that with so many gadgets and advancements in communication, the gap between people has increased than bringing them together! 
• The Big Fat Phone has become Smarter but the phone call quality has hardly improved in these years.

Friends, what do you feel? 

In the Country of Deceit - Book I Read & Recommend

"The place you live in is like your skin, something you inhabit without being conscious of it.."

This is one of the many elegant lines from the book "In the Country of Deceit" by Shashi Deshpande.

Reading fiction was a kind of lost ability for me. So if I had to get this back to fiction it was possible to do only with Shashi Deshpande's book. That's how I picked this book. I am also bit afraid to read her as the characters and the lines lingers in mind for a very long time. 

I am happy this was a light read though it left a lasting impression.

Through Devayani and letters to her, the author opens up many aspects of life like love, marriage, relationships, family, property disputes. Devayani's interaction with Rani and her life reminds the life of movie stars like Arathi or Maadhavi or someone who were very big sometimes but not to be seen now. The characters are so real that I could associate them with somebody..known or heard. That is the beauty of her writings. You know they exist somewhere.

Devayani's quiet existence, sort of contented life really surprised me. why and how is she so happy? or neutral? I could not comprehend. 

Reading the book was watching a movie with no loud background score. where we don't want to miss a single scene. The letters were so refreshing...I wish we could open up to someone so concisely and clearly. This is only possible in letters maybe... WhatsApp and messaging have made us so fast that we don't take time to articulate!

Some of the lines from Sindhu's letters will remain in memory for very long!

"My own children have taught me how futile it is to advise anyone.. Nobody wants your advice. I sometimes think how strange it is that we can never pass on the benefits of our experience and memory! No wonder we never learn and make the same mistakes over and over again.."

 "Collective experience has value.. Individual experience has none.."

Catch the Positive - The Home Work Book - ಮನೆಕೆಲಸದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ

The primary school in which I studied was very unique. St. Philomena's School was a Convent Girls school. We had many sisters as teachers and all the subjects were taught by a single teacher who was also the Class teacher. So as students we would interface only with seven teachers during our time in the school. In total there were only 14 teachers/sisters for 1 to 7th std. This was one of the ways the school had optimized the expenses hence we had very low School Fees. 

Here are some of the rare practices of the school:

• Every day as homework we had to write multiplication tables on one side of the slate and some diction words on the other side. Other school children did not even know what a slate is!
• At school once a week there will be a dictation given for the tables and words. The slates from Section A are corrected by Section B and Vice versa. Whichever section gets the highest marks is the winner. This happed every week all the years!
• There were no uniform shoes, belts, and ties. Just plain Green pinafore and a yellow shirt! Bare simple!
• Every year the school day performance happened twice. One performance for school kids and again once more for the parents. This was they avoided the crowds and also rehearsal for the performance in front of the parents
• For the school day, students got a Puff and honey cake from a bakery about a Kilo Meter away.
• Children made a chain from school to the bakery and passed the trays to each other. This is how these bakery items reached school! Very cost-effective at the same time a superb team building activity.
• Independence day, Gandhi Jayathi, Republic day was never celebrated. I wonder why?
• It was a Kannada medium school where A, B, C, D was introduced at Class 5.
• Class Room Maintenance was done by the school children during the last period of the school. Each class was divided into 5-6 groups. In a round-robin fashion, each group had to sweep and mop their own classroom for a week. As I remember the whole school had hardly 2 support staff.
• During this time others had to sit outside but near the classroom and have to complete the home assignments!

These practices helped to shape me up in some way and at the same time denied few joys of life. Maybe life became too academic and creativity was hit hard!

But one thing which undoubtedly was helpful was the Home workbook. This had to be done at home. Here we had to write in a sentence what is the good work that we did the previous day. Like how did we help others at home, in the neighborhood, or at school? I remember as a young girl, I was always searching for ways to help someone. My Grandma, Grandfather, parents, and siblings. Even I looked out if people needed help to cross the road so that I can write in that book.

I stopped writing this after I left the school, in a subconscious way it has stuck to me. I look for ways I can be of help to someone. I constantly, look for the Good and positive in People which I can adopt- which I note as 'Catch the Positive' - ನನ್ನ ಹೊಸ ಮನೆಕೆಲಸದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.

Compass For Life - A Poem

Today my Daughter Young MM wrote a beautiful poem about life during the pandemic in a jiffy. I was charmed by the poetic sense as she recited it in her lovely voice, again and again, to check if it sounded right. Looks like it rubbed on to me quite well. 

In an enchanted flow, I wrote my first Poem ever! Thank you Young MM, you are my literary Inspiration!

Compass for Life

How would one react if someone says,

that she draws inspiration from a "Compass"? 

I heard someone chuckle, what is there in a Compass?

But then I saw a whole world in that "word".

 

Be it for Sailor or a Mountaineer.

Or if you are lost in wood or road unknown,

Without a single tick on your mobile!

Pick up this age-old tool.

My friend, he will not let you down!

 

A Compass showed just one thing – Here’s the North!

Knowing this is all that matters,

I wish to be like that object,

And be sure of just one thing,

of being in the Right Direction!