... And you bid this mortal world adieu!

... Leaving a gaping void,

In this heart that has managed to stay buoyed.

... Left alone in the lurch,

I searched, but in vain, for my Lords church.

... It seemed your job was done,

For our string had come undone.

You departed from my soul,

... Leaving behind a living ghoul.

I was but shattered, grimacing in agony and pain;

... Ne'er would I be the same again!

I cry alone, here forlorn...

Now, that you are forever gone.

My cries have now reduced to a sob.

... The heart, still wincing, continues to throb...

I miss you loads, downcast I remain;

Ah... Good times do but little to anodyne that inner pain.

I'd always tried, to be the perfect lover...

But all I wish now- to be united with you forever!

A time will come, whence I too shalt rest.

Ne'er again... Shalt we remain at His behest...

A heinous misinterpretation...

I have had a pretty busy week, and it sure feels good writing something here now. Without further ado, I will come straight to the point.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 Verse 47

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || ४७ ||

Profound lines indeed... And in fact, one of my favourites.
I have come across people who have been victims of misinterpretation of this verse. You may have known this verse to be loosely translated as 'Do your duty without expectations...', et al. But therein comes the catch...
I was enjoying this lovely conversation with my Yoga master the other day... And incidentally we tread on the topic of the Gita. He mentioned how that particular verse has been misinterpreted by so many people. And we went on to delve deeper into the same verse. I will try to clarify, to the best of my ability, what this verse means and how we ought to comprehend it...
If you want to clap, you have to bring your hands together. It is your will to execute the action and complete it. You can halt at the last moment, you can complete it; it is in your hands. It is but obvious. When Shri Krishna was giving his discourse, he would have expected Arjuna to listen to him.
Let us consider another example... You have an examination to give at 12:00 pm. You have all the time in the world, but limited to 11:59:59 am to finish preparing. Now I don't want smart-ass responses to that previous statement. Whether you prepare or not, is up to you. But once you have given the examination, you have to accept the result; whatever it is...
All I have tried to say here is that, we have no say on the result. We have it within us to reach our goal. For which, we have to put in our effort and leave the rest to destiny. You cannot change what has to happen.

To conclude this post, here is what the verse translates to- You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. You should never be motivated by the results of the action, nor should there be any attachment in not doing your prescribed activities.

All of my readers are welcome to take part and add to the discussion. But please watch what you say. I will not tolerate any gob here. I have read/heard enough of it at the different forums I contribute to. So please. Let us discuss something that is meaningful.

Peace, and blessed be.

'Til death do us part!

Fate might have played it's fall, but it is said, love goes beyond the grave.

Step inside this heart, where you belong.

Profound, I promise, and strong

My love shall be,

All of my love; for you to see!

Submerged in yearning, my soul stays

To feel the care of your warm embrace!

Forgetting this world of material gain,

Lost in your thoughts I remain.

Step into my life, for I want you to stay

Close beside me all the way.

I will love you even in death,

For it's your essence that completes my breath!

You are mine now, and will always be!

I don't wish to know true destiny.

Fate may aim it's poisoned dart,

To which I will but say-

'Til death do us part!

An award...

First of all, I extend my gratitude to Matangi Mawley for this award. Not only do we go back four years in knowing each other, she was one of the first to encourage me to start blogging. 

And looking at why she chose to bestow this honour upon me, I hope to live up to the reason.

There are some rules, which I will have to follow. 

1. When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.
   
2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
   
3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with 'Brillante Weblog'.
   
4. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).
   
5. And pass it on!
   

I hereby felicitate the following bloggers;

1. Sameera Ansari- Though I am new to her oasis, I am visibly stunned by her profound writing.
2. Siddharth K Kaul- He was the first to ask me to comment on a blog post. Until then, I was of the assumption commenting meant only checking an article for grammatical consistency. We have engaged ourselves in a number of verbal jousts and expostulations.
3. Manikandan R- Funny bloke, though new to blogging, he will go a long way. Do read his stories when you can. 
4. Ramanathan Palaniappan- Another relatively new blogger, who throws light on various political issues.
5. Arnav Chatterjee- His blog may seem dead ('B'-school aftermath); but having interacted with him for four years, I can say his way of thinking needs more than just appreciation.
6. ..Jagruti..- I need not say much about this blog. And I hope the issues we discuss there reach the nation.
   
   and finally... The lady herself,
   
   
7. Matangi Mawley- If I cannot say her blog is brilliant, then well... Unfortunately, I do not possess the power to redefine words.

To some of you, my nominations may have seemed farcical. And my response- I give a damn...

Religion..?

Religion- a "mixture of opposites", it has become. Religion has always been an age-old problem; right from early civilizations to the pre-Renaissance and Dark Age era, through to this very day. It is high time we become rationalised in our thoughts and look to religion for enlightenment. I welcome any sane discussion on this...

God- the omnipresent One. "God"- what does this word bring to your mind? A mélange, shall we say- compassion and love to fear and power, to force, magic and sacrifice? What relevance does "God" have in the world of today. A world where corruption and materialism vie for the lions share. From a time of "My God is more powerful than your God!", to "There is no God; it is all Science."; we were and still are- skeptics. Earlier, we doubted the 'other' Gods powers and now, we are skeptic about the very word "God". Have we changed? I leave it to you...

Now before you start thinking, let me make some 'disclaimers'- This is no homily on atheism. And neither am I trying to preach the 'prophecised faith'. This is just a rant of an Earthling [read- human being] who is pretty much bewildered by all that he has observed in his life thus far. That said, and if you are still interested, read on.

Most (if not all!) religions speak of love, the path of righteousness and tolerance. Religions, therefore, have a common goal- to unite people in the quest for what is right. A classic example would be how Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa [is said to have] practiced the major faiths and realized that all of them lead to the same goal. May be some faiths do speak of 'honor' killings... May be the over-zealous follower in you wants to be glorified by beheading a heretic? Think- May be you have made some serious misinterpretation of sacred text? Now I ask- does this religion you claim to follow also say that you are bestowed with all powers to be the 'Overseer' of this planet? Since when did your 'God' require an agent? Nonsense...

Hypocrisy- thy name is mankind. Sadly, that is what the human race is about. Did that last line p*ss you off..? "How the hell can you make that statement? What makes you think I am a hypocrite? May be you are, but not me!" Oh yeah... May be you are not... But you are not the majority for sure! That reminds me... When you pray, do you close your eyes and strike a deal with Him? And try make a bargain out of it? What would you call that, friend?

I am not here to teach you the art of praying... I wish to make one more statement- the needs of the hour. Rational thinking and humanism. The clever crow of today will not drop stones to raise water; it will use a straw. And here's another tithing- l'eau, Jal, Paani, Water... Don't they look, feel and taste the same? The same substance is being called by different names. It is pretty much identical to how God is addressed by different names. Be not a fanatical follower of your religion. Religion should bring peace to your soul; not rabid anguish that, there is this live heretic near you nor that there is this 'new' God who can send yours to Kingdom Come! Please, be human. That is how you have been born. And it is time you grow up and live your life as one too.

---
An afterthought from yours truly;
"You can think of God in which ever way you like. After all, you have created Him for a point of reference in your existence. You secretly like to have someone on your side always. So, you have God. You always want His help. Good. When you want His help, you even bribe Him. You haven't ever asked Him what He wants. Is He happy with you? Does He enjoy your company? Doesn't He find your constant demands for this and that boring? After all, He has given you the whole world to play in and the whole mankind to play with. Then why aren't you satisfied?"

And here's some more food for thought;

You certainly have the right for prescribed activities but never at anytime in their results.- The Gita

Kindness to His creatures reaches His mighty throne sooner than anything else in the world.- Leo Tolstoy

I had to practise each religion for a time — Hinduism, Islām, Christianity. Furthermore, I followed the paths of the Śāktas, Vaishnavas, and Vedāntists. I realized that there is only one God toward whom all are travelling; but the paths are different.Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. But this very thing is at the root of the friction among sects, their misunderstandings and quarrels. This is why people injure and kill one another, and shed blood, in the name of religion. But this is not good. Everyone is going toward God. They will all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart.- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Home@Blogger

So, I am on Blogger. Thanks, in part to 'Descrying the Shadows' aka Mr. Siddharth K Kaul. So Sido, I hope there isn't a déjà-vu when you comment here! ;-)

This is not exactly a take-2 at blogging. I have tried to import some of my favourite posts which were at my earlier blog (@ Opera), which- by the way- I will be discontinuing. I was not so lucky with the comments, though (Had to copy/paste them!). Now, I request my fellow blogging amigos to update their blogrolls pronto. And if you have missed any of my earlier posts, you can read them here.

Enfin, to my present and near future blogging compadres- Bienvenue! Namaste! Nomoshkar! Swagatham! Welcome! Vanakkam!

And yes, I recently signed-up with Storywrite/ AllPoetry/ AllPhilosophy; where I indite under my nom de guerre- Kartz. I am not a regular poster there, yet. In fact, the posts I have made there are my earlier blog posts.

Fate, and the Fall

Do you believe in Fate? And if you do, ever known what happens when Fate toys with you...

She was his,
He had nothing to lose.
Fate decided to play a fall;
A plot- where he could not choose.

And then she came,
To fill the void in his life.
Life a whiff of fresh air,
Putting an end to his inner strife!

She was angelic,
Far too ethereal to be his mate.
Fate, but grimly smiled;
The fish had taken the bait.

Happy times, or so they seemed;
Her essence had him floored.
Little was he to know,
Fate would soon have him gored!

She was his anodyne,
In his sickness and pain.
She was his amulet,
That brought him only gain.

Hasty, his desires grew;
As he willed to own her.
Taking someone for granted-
Something that would haunt him forever.

And when she left,
Shattered- he remained.
Reality dawned on him,
He had lost what he had gained.

She was his;
For, that's what he had thought.
Fate had played its fall;
A plot- which he had miserably lost!

"Tag!" time...

I have been tagged by Matangi Mawley. Fire away!
1. What have you realized recently?
I am bloody good at whatever I do; yes, that includes lazing.

2. Have you given your first kiss away?
Yes. Period.

3. If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 11 blog buddies you would take?
Me in a deserted island? You gotta be kidding in the first place! 

4. Where is the place you want to go the most?
Any place of mythological lore...

5. If you have one dream to come true, what would it be?
I usually have a good night's sleep- no dream or nightmare.

6. Do you believe in seeing the rainbow after the rain?
Yes I do, very much.

7. What are you afraid of losing the most now?
I am not afraid of losing. For, I would have gained in experience.

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
That is a pretty big 'IF'...

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
May be... May be not.

10. List out 3 good points about the person who tagged you.

• Matangi Mawley- The name is as colourful as the person
  
• Lighter Side- Reflects some of her infectious personality
  
• http://allsettodonothing.blogspot.com- If you're still wondering, click on it!
  

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
The left and right halves of my brain are in harmony, now. Any other half will have to wait.

12. What type of people do you hate the most?
Hypocrites, Backstabbers and Narrow-minded dunderheads... (to name a few)

13. What is the one thing you can't live without?
Dihydrogen monoxide.

14. If you have faults, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?
Would prefer people point it out, on the face.

15. Matangi's tag shows that this question is missing. What do I do?
Nothing, move on to the next.

16. Are you a shopaholic or not?
Nah...

17. Find a word to describe the person who tagged you.
(A) Racontuer [par excellence]

18. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
Nothing; I am at peace with what I am and how I am.

19. What’s the last shocking thing you've seen or heard?
Hypocrisy... In people who said they 'cared'.

20. Would you rather have love but no money or money but no love?
I am a realist, too.

I now tag;
Siddharth K Kaul
Manikandan R
Ramanathan Palaniappan

The 'Enigma' that is... "God"

God- a nice topic of debate. What is it to be an infinite conundrum, an eternal mystery... What is the relevance of God today? Are we being selfish? Man is born to sin. So, we have to be selfish, right? Or is it just another smart-ass argument?

Little Srijith was crying- inconsolably. He had received a hiding from his mother for tasting the laddoos before they could be offered for the pooja. Hearing his sobs, his grandmother hobbled up to him and offered him another piece of laddoo. He gave it a glance, took it and flung it out...

Srijith's grandmother would feed him stories of God's kindness. While his mother- a disciplinarian and a devout lady- would often warn him against God's hot displeasure. But she also taught him to have faith in the same God. Srijith was no Socrates. But, hearing so many things about this 'God' confused him to no end. Even the other day, when he had fallen off a mango tree while trying to pick fruit, his mother admonished him saying, "God punishes naughty children! I hope you learnt your lesson." His grandmother was different. She took him to a nearby temple and both of them prayed for his wounds to heal quickly, which they did.

Srijith's father was a man of Science and was rarely seen at home. A theoretical physicist, Mr. Bose was often busy with his research papers. But whenver he had time, he would spend it with his little son. Mr. Bose never touched upon the topic 'God'. He was an Atheist. Srijith would wonder why his father never spoke of this 'God', but never asked him. He would enjoy his father's company- precious little moments, they would be.

Fast forward, forty years. Srijith was a Professor in Theology. He could vividly recall all those memories of his childhood. His parents, and his doting grandmother. He never forgot what each of them instilled in him. All that had ignited a desire in him- a desire to know about 'God'. And he took every opportunity that he chanced upon.

"God's Love" was the first book(let) he received, at his school's fete. He was attracted by the parables of Christ. Amar Chitra Katha was there as well... He read those pictured books and was drawn in to another world. He happened to read the tales of Narada- who often had some trick up his sleeve- and laughed loud. He read how Guru Arjan was tortured- and cried. He also read how Ramakrishna Paramahamsa practised the major religions and realised they lead to the same goal.

'Jal', 'Paani', 'Water'... Didn't they look, feel and taste the same? Our Professor was lost in thought. He was still confounded by what his mother and grandmother would say. He could not comprehend how God, an embodiment of love and kindness, could also be God, that beheld fear. He was being Agnostic in his rumination... He thought of all the news he had read- animals being sacrificed, and humans as well! Was this 'God' blood-thirsty too? Had his mother forgotten to tell him that? Or was this restricted to the Mayans and Aztecs of yore- which had suddenly surfaced in some parts of today. And what about these 'God-men', supposedly blessed by the Divine...

During one of his lectures, a student had come up with a statement, "God is man's manifestation. Man needed someone to put the blame on, and lo! There was God..." Srijith wondered what his mother or grandmother would say to that!

In a tension-filled world, Srijith reflected, people go to any extent to find solace. One such place is God. Be it a Christian view of following the Right path, a Satanic view of following the Left path, a Wiccan view of the oneness with Nature... Anything! 'Tolerance' was no longer a watchword. Srijith saw that more often than not, the tension people faced was a consequence of their own actions coupled with the environment they were in. Renouncing was definitely not the answer. 'Materialism' was the new watchword.

One has to change with times. Srijith observed how most of the Hindu priests were doing well- priesthood was a lucrative profession; performing marriages, house warming ceremonies, death rituals, etc. He wondered further- Is it wrong to be 'materialistic'? After all, you want to lead a comfortable life with your family. Anyone would wish for all the comforts life has to offer... In fact, don't elders wish for the same and bless you? A priest is a man of God. And he is expected to be simple. But he has a family, and he has every right to wish for their comfort. Celibacy is not relevant today- not to everyone. People hope to do well and live their dream.

Hope is a good thing; may be, not the best of things. But all good things never die.