Category Archives: Miscellaneous

मैं आजकल बहुत संभल-संभल कर बोलता और लिखता हूँ, डर रहता है कि कहीं किसी को मेरी बात चुभ न जाए । वैसे भी कन्या राशि वालों की यही तो दुर्बलता है कि वे आलोचना बहुत करते हैं, वह भी चुभने वाली । लेकिन साथ ही मैं आपको आश्वासन देता हूँ कि यदि आप हम लोगों की आलोचना को व्यक्तिगत रूप से न लेकर सर्जनात्मक और रचनात्मक रूप से लें तो आप पाएँगे कि वे सभी टिप्पणियाँ वस्तुतः सत्य हैं और आपके हित ही में हैं । चापलूसी तो हम लोग करते नहीं, किंतु प्रेम और मैत्री उनके वास्तविक स्वरूप में ही करते हैं । एक रहस्य की बात कहूँ तो यदि आप कभी हमारी व्यक्तिगत डायरी पढें तो पाएँगे कि जितनी आलोचना हम दूसरों के विचारों और व्यवहार की करते हैं, उससे कई गुना अधिक अपनी स्वयं की करते हैं । यदि आप बाहर के इस आग के दायरे को पार कर सके, तो पाएँगे कि वास्तव में हम अत्यधिक नम्र और कोमल हृदय हैं ।

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Irom Sharmila and Human Nature

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It was deeply upsetting to read this news. Irom Sharmila had been pursuing fast for the last 16 years, for a better society for her fellow people. Here I do not debate or argue the rationales or merits of her objectives and approach; however, it suffices to say that she did identify with the problems of her people. She is an icon, and called an iron lady. After 16 long years, she gives up her fast and is released by court. She had vowed not to meet her mother unless she attains her objective, and now has nowhere to go. Her own people, whose cause she had been pursuing all these years, refused to take her in, and simply turned her away. In their opinion, she had let them down by giving up her indefinite fast. Continue reading →

Head Held Low

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So often it happens that we follow certain habits, mostly mechanically, but become aware of it only when someone else mentions it to us. And then it becomes a problem. The same thing happens while observing others’ habits. People might be doing certain things over and over again before our eyes, yet we don’t notice. However, as soon as some third person brings it to our notice, we too start noticing and then the sight becomes annoying. I know several people who end every sentence with an emphatic (and rude) ‘right?’, people biting their nails whenever they start thinking, and playing tabla when they are approaching the solution of their problem and so on. Some others tap their shoes on floor, while others rotate their chairs. Then again few people open a door with a hand but close it with a foot, few others do it the other way round.
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Don’t Tell Anybody

Brain Drain

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If you have gone to our villages, or maybe low-income homes in our cities and towns, you must have noticed the prevailing love and sweetness in most of them. Those people might not have a four wheeler, they might not be able to afford a gala dinner every other day, or they might not even wear fashionable expensive clothes, but a sort of satisfaction is there. Of course, they do have a desire for better and more, but with a satisfaction with what they already have. Continue reading →

मेंढक

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कुछ 2-4 साल पहले एक विशेष बंगाली उपन्यास पढने को मिला । उपन्यास वर्तमान समय के परिप्रेक्ष्य में लिखा गया था । कहानी में पति-पत्नी अलग हो चुके थे, माँ फ्रांस में बस चुकी थीॆ, और बेटा जो अब 25 वर्ष के आसपास था, अपने पिता के साथ रहता था । पिता-पुत्र में मैत्रीपूर्ण संबंध थे जो कि अन्यथा भारतीय समाज में विरले ही देखे जाते हैं । जो भी हो, उन दोनों के बीच हर रात को खाने के आसपास किसी न किसी बात पर वाद-विवाद होता ही रहता था । और अधिक याद नहीं । लेकिन हाँ, ऐसे ही एक विवाद के समय बेटे ने अपने पिता को एक बहुत ही सुंदर कहानी सुनाई थी, जो मुझे थोडी-बहुत याद है । उसे मैं आपके सम्मुख प्रस्तुत करना चाहता हूँ । कहने की आवश्यकता नहीं कि कहानी का सार रचनाकार का ही है, मात्र शब्द ही मेरे हैं । साथ ही, यह अनुवाद नहीं है, बस सारांश समझ लीजिए । कृपया त्रुटियों को क्षमा करें ।
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Perseverance

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In Kathopanishad, Yamaraj tells Nachiketa, “This (Brahman) rises and sets”.

Though Yamaraj spoke those words in the context of Yoga and spiritual practices, I think it could be said of every self-discipline one undertakes — for health, for study, for scholarship, for profession, or for relationships — everything. It rises and sets. As long as you keep practising, your capability, strength and state rise — improve; however, the moment you stop, they set down — fall back. Continue reading →

Ingratitude

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How many times have you come across people who seek favour from you, and then just walk away without saying a single word of thanks? Perhaps expecting any gratitude is wrong, but that should be our behaviour, and not forced upon us by others. Every such experience does cause pain, insult, and makes us feel let down.
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