DNA ran an article that was headlined as "Nuke option to help keep India in check". I left a comment there which is the material for this blog.
Basically what Pak is announcing to India is: Even if we terrorize India (Mumbai)...
i) If you attack our space, we'll nuke you.
ii) If you attack our military, we'll nuke you.
iii) If you don't attack us, but voice your tragedy politically, we'll nuke you.
iv) If you don't attack us, but impose sanctions on us, we'll nuke you!!!
Interesting, very interesting indeed. It literally means, that Pakis will do whatever they like, but if India responds in any way, they'll nuke us! Do we have a choice now?
Pakis on their own couldn't develop nuclear bombs, but begged it from other countries. I'm sure that Pakis will nuke those sources too if they stop helping Pak. In the end, Pak will find a way to nuke itself out of the map. They are not only capable of it, but very deserving too; most certainly, they as a country are born with that intention.
Ashirvacana
Last week, my father's bhImarathA (70th year shAnti) was performed at our kuladevatA devasthAna. Interestingly, during mantrAkshata prasAda, one of the senior priests (SP1) gave me an AshirvAda that I always try to avoid. He invoked blessings to the effect that my marriage should take place within the year! Just when he was invoking blessings, I too invoked contrary blessings as to AjIvanabrahmacaryam cittashuddhiMca prAptirastu. Obviously, we got into a debate, as is my nature. The priest standing by immediately addressed SP1 and said that the Ashirvacana needs to be what I expect and not otherwise. To that, SP1 replied that he has already asked for an ashIrvAda, while I added that since I've asked something else, SP1's blessing didn't apply to me and we'll see as to which one my beloved Ganesha agrees to.
This discussion came to the forefront a bit later, when SP1 told SP2 as to what happened. I was warmed up from the previous discussion and said that I know a little bit, understand much less, but still I do know that for any Ashirvacana to work I need to have the saMkalpa, and if I don't have the latter, the former goes waste! The debate shifted to the four purushArthAs (dharmArthakAmamoksha) and four Ashramas (brahmacarya, grihasta, vAnaprasta and saMnyAsa) as per Vedas and the responsibility of the individual to follow those and bindings thereof. SP2 asked me if I knew those; I replied to confirm so. But, I went on, none of the people I know, at least those in my family tree, had taken to vAnaprastAshrama themselves, so they shouldn't even recommend marriage to me. Moreover, I said, to the person who has vivekavairAgya, these rules do not apply and as Kanchi paramAcArya, a jivanamuktA and a living God, Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, wrote in his Hindu Dharma, such a person can go directly from brahmacarya to saMnyAsa instead; not only is this approved, but also shreshTa! Lastly, I said that my Guru, Bhagavan Shridhara Swami Maharaj, has Himself mentioned in clear terms in one of the pravacanAs that a guru that asks a person of vairAgya to go back to saMsAra is not a guru at all! SP2 agreed, while SP1 went mum, and the debate turned to a beautiful discussion on Bhagavatpada Adi Shankaracharya.
I found out later that SP2, who is in his mid-sixties, is himself a staunch brahmacAri!
shRtismRtipurANAnAm AlayaMkaruNAlayaM
namAmibhagavatpAdaM shankaraMlokashankaraM
This discussion came to the forefront a bit later, when SP1 told SP2 as to what happened. I was warmed up from the previous discussion and said that I know a little bit, understand much less, but still I do know that for any Ashirvacana to work I need to have the saMkalpa, and if I don't have the latter, the former goes waste! The debate shifted to the four purushArthAs (dharmArthakAmamoksha) and four Ashramas (brahmacarya, grihasta, vAnaprasta and saMnyAsa) as per Vedas and the responsibility of the individual to follow those and bindings thereof. SP2 asked me if I knew those; I replied to confirm so. But, I went on, none of the people I know, at least those in my family tree, had taken to vAnaprastAshrama themselves, so they shouldn't even recommend marriage to me. Moreover, I said, to the person who has vivekavairAgya, these rules do not apply and as Kanchi paramAcArya, a jivanamuktA and a living God, Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, wrote in his Hindu Dharma, such a person can go directly from brahmacarya to saMnyAsa instead; not only is this approved, but also shreshTa! Lastly, I said that my Guru, Bhagavan Shridhara Swami Maharaj, has Himself mentioned in clear terms in one of the pravacanAs that a guru that asks a person of vairAgya to go back to saMsAra is not a guru at all! SP2 agreed, while SP1 went mum, and the debate turned to a beautiful discussion on Bhagavatpada Adi Shankaracharya.
I found out later that SP2, who is in his mid-sixties, is himself a staunch brahmacAri!
shRtismRtipurANAnAm AlayaMkaruNAlayaM
namAmibhagavatpAdaM shankaraMlokashankaraM
Short temper
Hari Om!
Since nearly a month now, I've become extremely short tempered. Perhaps, physiologically, my blood pressure may be undergoing various changes too in the ways that I've tried to control my anger and failed! The sudden burst of anger seen now has really happened in a gradual manner. Over years, I've tried to control anger in various ways: humour, sarcasm, turning tables, silence, etc, but now it is beyond me. And what is it that makes me angry? Thus far, I'd trouble tolerating lies and had zero patience for nonsense. Apart from this, I dislike correcting the same mistakes of people; that is, I don't like to repeat things endlessly. The list has, by far, been growing. I was losing interest in almost everything worldly, not the technicality of the topics by themselves, but the people getting involved in it. For example, I'm okay with the talk that "stocks are not doing good", but not a following statement that "Mr. Abc is totally into shares" or "he has xyz investment" about others, etc. And this is precisely what people do; they start bringing in gossip, because they have no other better business. They seem to think that I've no better business either! I don't care what they think, but I don't want them to share it with me. So not only have I lost interest in worldly things and talk, but the worldly people themselves. I'm trying to find a solution to this and God willing, I'll have it in place soon. Till then, I'm trying to live my life by staying indoors as much as possible and keeping my phone off. I do get a few calls or old sms' when I switch on the phone for internet access, but I'm enduring them so far. Another reason to avoid meeting people in person/ on phone is to avoid fights; if I can't continue my sAdhana due circumstances or lack of satsanga, I'd rather spend my life in watching movies than confront these people who are a duHsanga.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them alone; I'm blaming myself too. What they do is their nature, what I do is mine... anger shouldn't be a part of my nature and hence the solution I'm trying. Even if I can't change myself, I can at least not waste my life getting angry at people I shouldn't be caring about in the first place! To each his own. :)
om tat sat
Since nearly a month now, I've become extremely short tempered. Perhaps, physiologically, my blood pressure may be undergoing various changes too in the ways that I've tried to control my anger and failed! The sudden burst of anger seen now has really happened in a gradual manner. Over years, I've tried to control anger in various ways: humour, sarcasm, turning tables, silence, etc, but now it is beyond me. And what is it that makes me angry? Thus far, I'd trouble tolerating lies and had zero patience for nonsense. Apart from this, I dislike correcting the same mistakes of people; that is, I don't like to repeat things endlessly. The list has, by far, been growing. I was losing interest in almost everything worldly, not the technicality of the topics by themselves, but the people getting involved in it. For example, I'm okay with the talk that "stocks are not doing good", but not a following statement that "Mr. Abc is totally into shares" or "he has xyz investment" about others, etc. And this is precisely what people do; they start bringing in gossip, because they have no other better business. They seem to think that I've no better business either! I don't care what they think, but I don't want them to share it with me. So not only have I lost interest in worldly things and talk, but the worldly people themselves. I'm trying to find a solution to this and God willing, I'll have it in place soon. Till then, I'm trying to live my life by staying indoors as much as possible and keeping my phone off. I do get a few calls or old sms' when I switch on the phone for internet access, but I'm enduring them so far. Another reason to avoid meeting people in person/ on phone is to avoid fights; if I can't continue my sAdhana due circumstances or lack of satsanga, I'd rather spend my life in watching movies than confront these people who are a duHsanga.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming them alone; I'm blaming myself too. What they do is their nature, what I do is mine... anger shouldn't be a part of my nature and hence the solution I'm trying. Even if I can't change myself, I can at least not waste my life getting angry at people I shouldn't be caring about in the first place! To each his own. :)
om tat sat
Shani
Hari Om!
(Written many months back with the intention to blog it on a Saturday... may have ended somewhat abruptly, but I think thats all I wanted to say. If I did want to say more, I'll try and say it some other time, but I'd like to blog it now since I recalled it on a ShanivAra. :) )
nilAnjana samAbhAsam raviputram yamAgrajam chAyAmArtanDa sambhUtam tamnamAmi shanaiscaram
Shani (Saturn) is a well known planet and among those who follow Hindu astrology, for them he's actually a star! Well, not the star in astronomical terms but in terms of the role that Shani plays in horoscopes. In mythology, Shani is the son of Surya (Sun) and brother of Yama (Lord of Death). Apart from the usual dashA and bhukti that each planet effects, Shani also has an additional seven and a half years of effect which repeats approx. every 30 years. During this period, it takes away most of the happiness that a person may be having and instead replaces that with tensions, delays in all sorts of works. Shani, in many cases, doesn't directly take life away but at most is responsible to indirectly cause death. That too in cases where no parihAra is made. Shani likes to be praised, like any other planet or diety for that matter. While some dieties cause trouble when the pujA is offered regularly and then stopped in between (that is, irregular pujA after a regular offering) or when pujA is offered improperly, Shani requires praise to be offered, else he will cause trouble. And mind you, its not just humans that Shani affects, he affects all living beings, inclusive of Brahma. There's a story about how Brahma was undergoing a phase of Shani influence and during the time, fell in love with a girl he had brought up, causing Shiva's anger and a battle. In this battle, Brahma bites Shiva's hand and in a fit of anger, Shiva tears away that head of Brahma! Thats why although Brahma originally had four heads, he's depicted with only three. Thats how disastrous Shani's influence could be. Shani has many stories associated with his glories too. For example, Shani was influential in Ravana's fall.
That was about Shani's negative effects. However, Shani has extremely positive results to give as well. Most so to friendly signs, of course, but to others as well who pray to him, submitting unto his terror and even offering devotion. Shani is not very difficult to please either. A simple stotra, part of navagrahastotram, as in the beginning of this blog suits him. An extremely benefiecial effect that Shani offers is for people who are inclined to spirituality. Having faced trouble during the sADesAti, if people who are even forced away from worldly things, take the opportunity to find interest in spiritual life, Shani does provide a way out. Most of us miss this golden moment and instead struggle to get the world back thats taken away by Shani. He's like the parent that takes away the toys and games of the child so that he takes to studying instead. A child that wastes time trying to get the toy back neither gets the toys, nor does he get a better studious life. Moreover, that child also displeases the parent by adamant behaviour, thereby causing more tension.
Om tat sat
(Written many months back with the intention to blog it on a Saturday... may have ended somewhat abruptly, but I think thats all I wanted to say. If I did want to say more, I'll try and say it some other time, but I'd like to blog it now since I recalled it on a ShanivAra. :) )
nilAnjana samAbhAsam raviputram yamAgrajam chAyAmArtanDa sambhUtam tamnamAmi shanaiscaram
Shani (Saturn) is a well known planet and among those who follow Hindu astrology, for them he's actually a star! Well, not the star in astronomical terms but in terms of the role that Shani plays in horoscopes. In mythology, Shani is the son of Surya (Sun) and brother of Yama (Lord of Death). Apart from the usual dashA and bhukti that each planet effects, Shani also has an additional seven and a half years of effect which repeats approx. every 30
That was about Shani's negative effects. However, Shani has extremely positive results to give as well. Most so to friendly signs, of course, but to others as well who pray to him, submitting unto his terror and even offering devotion. Shani is not very difficult to please either. A simple stotra, part of navagrahastotram, as in the beginning of this blog suits him. An extremely benefiecial effect that Shani offers is for people who are inclined to spirituality. Having faced trouble during the sADesAti, if people who are even forced away from worldly things, take the opportunity to find interest in spiritual life, Shani does provide a way out. Most of us miss this golden moment and instead struggle to get the world back thats taken away by Shani. He's like the parent that takes away the toys and games of the child so that he takes to studying instead. A child that wastes time trying to get the toy back neither gets the toys, nor does he get a better studious life. Moreover, that child also displeases the parent by adamant behaviour, thereby causing more tension.
Om tat sat
Silence
Silence removes the cloud
From which rain words so loud
And through that I'm nearly done
With the harsh overture of creation
But do they ever let you be silent?
Or instead see your life as their vent?
You have no choice but to avoid
To live on with the blissful void!
From which rain words so loud
And through that I'm nearly done
With the harsh overture of creation
But do they ever let you be silent?
Or instead see your life as their vent?
You have no choice but to avoid
To live on with the blissful void!
Lost life
Life's worth a dime
Death is still a crime
Wasted enough time
Hasted through the rhyme
Sing along to be fine
None can see a loner shine
Pointless is that path
Causing useless wrath
Patience comes at a cost
Many a life is lost
... many a life is lost
Death is still a crime
Wasted enough time
Hasted through the rhyme
Sing along to be fine
None can see a loner shine
Pointless is that path
Causing useless wrath
Patience comes at a cost
Many a life is lost
... many a life is lost
Thoughts 95
95. Don't force me to be what you want me to be, else I may get forced to become what I want to be.
Mumbai again, terrorism again!
Recently, Mumbai was attacked *again* by trained terrorists, who had just crossed their teens perhaps! Thats the level of brainwashing that these terrorists got as kids to reach adolescence with suicidal terror attacks! This happened at Taj, Oberoi-Trident, Nariman house, CST station and other random places. God only knows the kind of training these inhuman, retarded, creeps get in order to lose all sense of right and wrong. Or else, the media pimps... the sick TV channels with their gang of reporters, who would do anything for money or brownie points... must know the training that terrorists get. We saw, years back on TV, how the terrorist camps train their men through interviews. Where the media reaches, our IB, police, military cannot? Oh, sure they can. They knew most of these training outfits back then; now growing in a number that increases by the day. Ergo, the need of the hour is a large-scale, war-like, cleansing operation; however, that operation being a war within and without!
This kind of media has sold themselves out to the politicians, underworld, terrorists, other countries; they don't have any conscience, nationality, love-of-motherland, none of that. They were showing the coverage live on how our combat was going on for the terrorists to be informed live by their friends watching TV, on how many people are entering from where, with what ammunition, the tactics used, etc. Its like a free information source for the enemy. They were truly the terrorists' *eyes* as the movie A Wednesday voiced. These reporters have no restraint, respect for the ATS, NSG, army, navy or any authorities. Its not for no reason that our Navy chief blasted these reporters.
We need not be US by calling wars as police action or compare everything to US by calling all terrorist attacks on us as "India's 911". What the heck is India's 911? Thats precisely what our media called it! India was a terrorist target since a long time and its story didn't change post 911. I do not understand this desperate need for India to get the world's attention; and by world, I mean US, since the other countries don't exist post US bombing Iraq, a war that went against UN approval! On one TV channel, an interviewer had Indian, Israeli, Pakistani and US/British authorities on a debate over "India being taken seriously by the world" over terrorist attacks. What a topic! Imagine a sovereign country needing approval from "other" countries to take action against terrorists bombing the country through and through, knowing well that the source of terrorism being the next door neighbour! Israeli security expert quite clearly said that no one's going to take India seriously, unless India takes itself seriously. That was from a country that walked the talk, always. He meant that what needs doing, needs to be done. Where does the question of others appreciating or according what you do arise to protect your countrymen?
Funnily enough, most of the TV channels called in to interview and opine who they thought were experts in the area: film makers!!!!! What is the authority of Mahesh Bhatt, Sanjana Kapoor and like on the subject??? Interestingly, Sanjana voiced that we shouldn't be calling it a war because in a war we know who's the enemy, here we don't. Well, did Sanjana know sitting in her cosy house that our security experts, on their toes at the moment, didn't know who the attackers were? In what capacity did she have such information? Of all the terrorist attacks made on India since Kashmir dispute, don't we know who's been behind them? Well, in any case, with or without the knowledge of people you were fighting, the scale was warlike and was in fact a war. If it wasn't, it should lead to one. How long will we try to tag ourselves as a country that never attacked anyone; although such a war would be a defence, not an attack? What did we gain for showing such resilience? More attacks, perhaps!
Both of these film/ stage personalities had the brains to blabber some more nonsense when faced with the question whether they'd agree to have more security checks at airports, etc. They said that there are ways to keep the security intact without additional individual checks or frisking! The only people who would refuse to be checked at critical entry points are the people who are involved in some kind of illegal or immoral activities or those that live secret lives for shameful reasons. There's no better explanation to it. Imagine the IQ level of people who voice such things, who do not want to give away some of their privacy for the safety of the country; also imagine the IQ level of the people who interview such people on the crucial matters such as India's safety! These people not only do not understand the meaning of democracy but also abuse the system. There's something that you can do to voice this... sign petition here please.
It was voiced by a British security expert that, just because the attackers are proven to have come from Pakistan, doesn't mean that Pakistan knew about it and is to be held responsible! Interesting; very absurd reasoning coming from a country that went ahead and bombed the life out of Iraq on account of WMDs and then "apologized" calling it a *bluff*, but interesting. The logic went on.. just because 911 terrorists were Saudi nationals didn't mean that US should attack Saudi. Wrong thinking, isn't it? What is important is not whether the country knows that their nationals are attacking others but whether they are housing their training camps, willfully still. If there's no cleansing of known outfits, its got to be willful support then. If there is willful support, there has to be a hand in terrorism.
Striking another chord, the religious vote-bank politics of not punishing the people that are held in a terrorist attack, let alone those that pop-up during follow-on investigations, has made the political power in this country stoop to such a disgusting level that no person in India feels safe when the country is led by such people, not only outside but even indoors! On one TV channel, the party in opposition was questioned for having searched for ideology and/ or religion behind terrorism here. The reply was interesting... I will name the person and party since I personally see it as the only hope for India's sane survival, it was BJP's spokesperson Chari. He replied that its incorrect not to talk of religion behind these terrorist attacks, since the very partition of the nation into two countries was on the basis of religion!!! See the irony?
I've just a couple more points to make, which is what I feel to be the somehow related and possibly the root cause of our insecure existence today. Our political system has given birth to a corrupt lifestyle not only among government servants at all levels from the peon to the highest, but also among regular public. Most of us will not care about what the repercussions are of a small immoral act for some kind of a bribe, be it sharing secure information from within the company/ institution, secrets of one another, lending a hand to steal, not being a responsible citizen by reporting first hand suspicious behaviour, not taking timely action on anything, or whatever. When we have to compare with countries, we should do so for their moral development... the country's worth lies in taking care of its own people, be it against other countries or the bad men within. We don't learn from countries such as US and UK that have less corruption or that they don't just lie about anything and everything the way we do! This kind of corrupt and untruthful behaviour is what poses a threat to graduate into a bigger unsolvable problem. A corrupt person at any level is a definite threat to the nation's security.
vande mAtaram
This kind of media has sold themselves out to the politicians, underworld, terrorists, other countries; they don't have any conscience, nationality, love-of-motherland, none of that. They were showing the coverage live on how our combat was going on for the terrorists to be informed live by their friends watching TV, on how many people are entering from where, with what ammunition, the tactics used, etc. Its like a free information source for the enemy. They were truly the terrorists' *eyes* as the movie A Wednesday voiced. These reporters have no restraint, respect for the ATS, NSG, army, navy or any authorities. Its not for no reason that our Navy chief blasted these reporters.
We need not be US by calling wars as police action or compare everything to US by calling all terrorist attacks on us as "India's 911". What the heck is India's 911? Thats precisely what our media called it! India was a terrorist target since a long time and its story didn't change post 911. I do not understand this desperate need for India to get the world's attention; and by world, I mean US, since the other countries don't exist post US bombing Iraq, a war that went against UN approval! On one TV channel, an interviewer had Indian, Israeli, Pakistani and US/British authorities on a debate over "India being taken seriously by the world" over terrorist attacks. What a topic! Imagine a sovereign country needing approval from "other" countries to take action against terrorists bombing the country through and through, knowing well that the source of terrorism being the next door neighbour! Israeli security expert quite clearly said that no one's going to take India seriously, unless India takes itself seriously. That was from a country that walked the talk, always. He meant that what needs doing, needs to be done. Where does the question of others appreciating or according what you do arise to protect your countrymen?
Funnily enough, most of the TV channels called in to interview and opine who they thought were experts in the area: film makers!!!!! What is the authority of Mahesh Bhatt, Sanjana Kapoor and like on the subject??? Interestingly, Sanjana voiced that we shouldn't be calling it a war because in a war we know who's the enemy, here we don't. Well, did Sanjana know sitting in her cosy house that our security experts, on their toes at the moment, didn't know who the attackers were? In what capacity did she have such information? Of all the terrorist attacks made on India since Kashmir dispute, don't we know who's been behind them? Well, in any case, with or without the knowledge of people you were fighting, the scale was warlike and was in fact a war. If it wasn't, it should lead to one. How long will we try to tag ourselves as a country that never attacked anyone; although such a war would be a defence, not an attack? What did we gain for showing such resilience? More attacks, perhaps!
Both of these film/ stage personalities had the brains to blabber some more nonsense when faced with the question whether they'd agree to have more security checks at airports, etc. They said that there are ways to keep the security intact without additional individual checks or frisking! The only people who would refuse to be checked at critical entry points are the people who are involved in some kind of illegal or immoral activities or those that live secret lives for shameful reasons. There's no better explanation to it. Imagine the IQ level of people who voice such things, who do not want to give away some of their privacy for the safety of the country; also imagine the IQ level of the people who interview such people on the crucial matters such as India's safety! These people not only do not understand the meaning of democracy but also abuse the system. There's something that you can do to voice this... sign petition here please.
It was voiced by a British security expert that, just because the attackers are proven to have come from Pakistan, doesn't mean that Pakistan knew about it and is to be held responsible! Interesting; very absurd reasoning coming from a country that went ahead and bombed the life out of Iraq on account of WMDs and then "apologized" calling it a *bluff*, but interesting. The logic went on.. just because 911 terrorists were Saudi nationals didn't mean that US should attack Saudi. Wrong thinking, isn't it? What is important is not whether the country knows that their nationals are attacking others but whether they are housing their training camps, willfully still. If there's no cleansing of known outfits, its got to be willful support then. If there is willful support, there has to be a hand in terrorism.
Striking another chord, the religious vote-bank politics of not punishing the people that are held in a terrorist attack, let alone those that pop-up during follow-on investigations, has made the political power in this country stoop to such a disgusting level that no person in India feels safe when the country is led by such people, not only outside but even indoors! On one TV channel, the party in opposition was questioned for having searched for ideology and/ or religion behind terrorism here. The reply was interesting... I will name the person and party since I personally see it as the only hope for India's sane survival, it was BJP's spokesperson Chari. He replied that its incorrect not to talk of religion behind these terrorist attacks, since the very partition of the nation into two countries was on the basis of religion!!! See the irony?
I've just a couple more points to make, which is what I feel to be the somehow related and possibly the root cause of our insecure existence today. Our political system has given birth to a corrupt lifestyle not only among government servants at all levels from the peon to the highest, but also among regular public. Most of us will not care about what the repercussions are of a small immoral act for some kind of a bribe, be it sharing secure information from within the company/ institution, secrets of one another, lending a hand to steal, not being a responsible citizen by reporting first hand suspicious behaviour, not taking timely action on anything, or whatever. When we have to compare with countries, we should do so for their moral development... the country's worth lies in taking care of its own people, be it against other countries or the bad men within. We don't learn from countries such as US and UK that have less corruption or that they don't just lie about anything and everything the way we do! This kind of corrupt and untruthful behaviour is what poses a threat to graduate into a bigger unsolvable problem. A corrupt person at any level is a definite threat to the nation's security.
vande mAtaram
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