Hari Om!
Over the next few blog entries, I'll try and write on some of the greatest stanzas from Vairagya Shatakam, a wonderful treatise of a hundred verses on vairagya that resulted from viveka, out of disgust of worldly things, of kAminikancan, to Bhartrihari, elder brother of King Vikramaditya. I've refered to the translation of Sw. Madhavananda of Ramakrishna ashram.
kshAntaM na kshamayA gRhocitasukhaM tyaktaM na saMtoSataH
soDhA duHsahashItavAtatapanakleshA na taptaM tapaH
dhyAtaM vittamaharnishaM niyamitaprANairna shaMbhoH padaM
tattatkarma kRtaM yadeva munibhistaistaiH phalairva~ncitAH (VS-6)
We've forgiven, but not out of forgiveness (but out of our incapacity to right our wrongs); we've renounced the comforts of home life, but not out of contentment after satisfaction (but as an exile from home in quest of riches); though we've suffered inclemencies of weather, cold and heat so difficult to bear, still they are not religious austerities that we've undergone; with subdued vital forces, night and day have we brooded on money and not on the feet of Siva; thus we've performed those very acts which the saints do perform, but of their good effects we've deprived ourselves.
We sin a great lot, but justify it to social order and circumstances and in comparison to others, we think of ourselves as a superior lot. With that thinking comes self-forgiving attitude to overlook all our wrongdoings and considering ourselves pure-hearted thence, instead of leaving the bad once and for all and taking to satsanga. Most of us, rather people like me, consider leaving home and hearth as a great sacrifice. But shameful as it is, its not done to be content with what little we may find outside home, but to earn riches and better home into luxurious living. Even so, the temperature variations that we cope up with in our yearning for more money has nothing to do with titikshA that needs to be developed in seeking the feet of the Lord. Bhartrihari then goes on to say that we've done in bits all that saints do but with a pathetic intention and therefore, neither does it term as any kind of tapas nor does it bring good results.
om tat sat
Justuju jiski thhi
While going through some old backed up data, I found the song Justuju jiski thhi from Umrao Jaan. I don't remember having heard this song at all earlier, but I liked it so much as to listen to it over and over again. For some reason, I feel this song also talks of my wasted life in the past 2-3 years. There's a difference in how I listen to songs versus the way others do, perhaps, wherein I see the philosophical depth of the song even where it doesn't belong. Bilgi, a friend of mine, once said that he listens even the love songs as if they were dedicated to Sai! This is akin to the Sufi culture where the Lord is perceived as the beloved.
Justuju jiski thhi usko toh na paayaa humne
Is bahaane se magar dekh li duniyaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Tujhko rusvaa na kiyaa khud bhi pashemaan hue
Ishq ki rasm ko is taraah nibhaayaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Kab mili thhi kahaan bichdi thhi hume yaad nahi
Zindagi tujhko toh bas khwaab mein dekhaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Ae adaa aur sunaaye bhi toh kyaa haal apnaa
Umra kaa lambaa safar tay kiyaa tanhaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Strange and contradictory as it may seem to the above song, I also came across another song that stands for the ray of hope for each and every individual on his journey. I came across this song, Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi, first in the movie Sangharsh (where the villain sings it) and didn't know that it originally belongs to Phir Subah Hogi. The song goes as:
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
In kaali sadiyon ke sar se
Jab raat ka aanchal dhalkegaa
Jab dukh ke baadal pighlenge
Jab sukh ka saagar chalkegaa
Jab ambar jhuumke naachegaa
Jab dharti nagme gaayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Jis subah ki khaatir jug jug se
Hum sab mar markar jeete hai
Jis subah ke amrit ki dhun mein
Hum jeher ke pyaale peete hai
In bhuuki pyaasi ruuhon par
Ek din toh karam farmaaegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Maana ke abhi tere mere
Armaano ki keemat kuch bhi nahi
Mitti kaa bhi hai kuch mol magar
Insaano ki keemat kuch bhi nahi
Insaano ki izzat jab jhuute
Sikko mein na toli jaayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi
Justuju jiski thhi usko toh na paayaa humne
Is bahaane se magar dekh li duniyaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Tujhko rusvaa na kiyaa khud bhi pashemaan hue
Ishq ki rasm ko is taraah nibhaayaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Kab mili thhi kahaan bichdi thhi hume yaad nahi
Zindagi tujhko toh bas khwaab mein dekhaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Ae adaa aur sunaaye bhi toh kyaa haal apnaa
Umra kaa lambaa safar tay kiyaa tanhaa humne
Justuju jiski thhi...
Strange and contradictory as it may seem to the above song, I also came across another song that stands for the ray of hope for each and every individual on his journey. I came across this song, Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi, first in the movie Sangharsh (where the villain sings it) and didn't know that it originally belongs to Phir Subah Hogi. The song goes as:
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
In kaali sadiyon ke sar se
Jab raat ka aanchal dhalkegaa
Jab dukh ke baadal pighlenge
Jab sukh ka saagar chalkegaa
Jab ambar jhuumke naachegaa
Jab dharti nagme gaayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Jis subah ki khaatir jug jug se
Hum sab mar markar jeete hai
Jis subah ke amrit ki dhun mein
Hum jeher ke pyaale peete hai
In bhuuki pyaasi ruuhon par
Ek din toh karam farmaaegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi
Maana ke abhi tere mere
Armaano ki keemat kuch bhi nahi
Mitti kaa bhi hai kuch mol magar
Insaano ki keemat kuch bhi nahi
Insaano ki izzat jab jhuute
Sikko mein na toli jaayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi
Woh subah kabhi toh ayegi
Thoughts 94
94. The mind is trained by freewill in the waking hours, by destiny (karma) in dreams and is put to rest in deep sleep.
Terrorism in India
(In case you come across any suspicious activity, any suspicious movement or have any information to tell to the Anti-Terror Squad, please take a note of the new ALL INDIA TOLL-FREE Terror Help-line '1090'(Please reconfirm this no. in your area, you may end up calling Senior Citizens' Helpline instead! Delhi Police lists this as an ATS helpline while Mumbai and Bangalore use it for senior citizens! As usual, communication-gap between different states). Your city's Police or Anti-Terror squad will take action as quickly as possible. Remember that this single number 1090 is valid all over India.
This is a toll free number and can be dialed from mobile phones. The identity of the caller will be kept a secret.
Please try to make every citizen of India aware about this facility)
I don't remember when I picked the newspaper last and didn't see terrorists blast off a city or town area in India! Some months back, it was Jaipur, Bangalore, Gujarat, some weeks before, it was Delhi, yesterday, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and just now its Tripura!!! There is something seriously wrong with India... make that the Indian govt. There's no use in blaming terrorists if we can't do anything to secure Indian lives and property. The world woke up on 911; India has had so many 911s and of even many times the impact thereof, but now it looks like we've got habituated to it. However, that we don't believe in going to war shouldn't mean we can't do things on a war footing. In fact, its time we treat terrorism as a topmost priority and start budgeting towards *eliminating* it. I've always felt that India has more security issues within than at borders. Anyway, even having tight border security is no use if we have such loose refugee policy; India is becoming a refugee camp of sorts, not only helping those in need, but even those who want to contribute to bombing India apart! Also what good is reaching out a helping hand to neighbours so that they can find work and a place to stay in India, never to return back, and pushing more Indian nationals jobless and possibly even leaving some of them to be exploited by terrorists, gangsters and naxalites? Its just a thought to ponder on. We have never been a country that attacked anyone for any gain and have always retaliated in dire straits. But we know from history of having been looted and raped to no end by invaders after offering help, refuge, a friendly gesture, etc, over centuries by French, British, Portuguese, Greeks, Afghanis, etc. The new age invasion is similar, but the mechanism in which the country is taken to ruins is different. Then the demarcation of enemies was clear, now its difficult to identify the enemy within. Then we had a culture to be proud of, to protect, and that culture helped identify those outside the culture indicating the enemy. Now, our culture is lost due to repeated invasion by many, in many ways, some even unknown to the new generations due to rotten history books we were and are schooled in, that are full of lies and cooked-up stories by the poisonous Western minds then such as Max Muller, William Jones, Macaulay, Mountbatten, etc. They were no less than today's terrorists, since they laid the foundation of damage by taking away the Indian culture, albeit standing apart as a different populace.
And do yourself a favour; at least watch a movie called A Wednesday, a Hindi movie starring Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. I did guess how the movie would turn out to be in the very beginning, but still that made me watch it twice already. The dialogues do bring back feelings that most Indians carry within themselves, wake up to voice them every time there is a terrorist act (like I do this with blog now) and then sleep again, be it "by force or choice" [sic], thanks to the useless, good-for-nothing, govt of India. For some, it could be an eye-opener; for me, it wasn't since I myself have extreme opinion of everything in life. To me, a terrorist like Afzal is not to be fed on tax payers' monies behind bars. If the govt doesn't have the guts to do the right thing, we'd rather throw away the entire legal system, if there is one still left in India, and get back to barbarian society of jungle raj.
Its not too late to learn from Israelis on how to protect themselves, and at least train each Indian the military way compulsorily for a few years, both to prepare the individual as well as for one to learn to respect India and everything Indian.
This is a toll free number and can be dialed from mobile phones. The identity of the caller will be kept a secret.
Please try to make every citizen of India aware about this facility)
I don't remember when I picked the newspaper last and didn't see terrorists blast off a city or town area in India! Some months back, it was Jaipur, Bangalore, Gujarat, some weeks before, it was Delhi, yesterday, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and just now its Tripura!!! There is something seriously wrong with India... make that the Indian govt. There's no use in blaming terrorists if we can't do anything to secure Indian lives and property. The world woke up on 911; India has had so many 911s and of even many times the impact thereof, but now it looks like we've got habituated to it. However, that we don't believe in going to war shouldn't mean we can't do things on a war footing. In fact, its time we treat terrorism as a topmost priority and start budgeting towards *eliminating* it. I've always felt that India has more security issues within than at borders. Anyway, even having tight border security is no use if we have such loose refugee policy; India is becoming a refugee camp of sorts, not only helping those in need, but even those who want to contribute to bombing India apart! Also what good is reaching out a helping hand to neighbours so that they can find work and a place to stay in India, never to return back, and pushing more Indian nationals jobless and possibly even leaving some of them to be exploited by terrorists, gangsters and naxalites? Its just a thought to ponder on. We have never been a country that attacked anyone for any gain and have always retaliated in dire straits. But we know from history of having been looted and raped to no end by invaders after offering help, refuge, a friendly gesture, etc, over centuries by French, British, Portuguese, Greeks, Afghanis, etc. The new age invasion is similar, but the mechanism in which the country is taken to ruins is different. Then the demarcation of enemies was clear, now its difficult to identify the enemy within. Then we had a culture to be proud of, to protect, and that culture helped identify those outside the culture indicating the enemy. Now, our culture is lost due to repeated invasion by many, in many ways, some even unknown to the new generations due to rotten history books we were and are schooled in, that are full of lies and cooked-up stories by the poisonous Western minds then such as Max Muller, William Jones, Macaulay, Mountbatten, etc. They were no less than today's terrorists, since they laid the foundation of damage by taking away the Indian culture, albeit standing apart as a different populace.
And do yourself a favour; at least watch a movie called A Wednesday, a Hindi movie starring Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. I did guess how the movie would turn out to be in the very beginning, but still that made me watch it twice already. The dialogues do bring back feelings that most Indians carry within themselves, wake up to voice them every time there is a terrorist act (like I do this with blog now) and then sleep again, be it "by force or choice" [sic], thanks to the useless, good-for-nothing, govt of India. For some, it could be an eye-opener; for me, it wasn't since I myself have extreme opinion of everything in life. To me, a terrorist like Afzal is not to be fed on tax payers' monies behind bars. If the govt doesn't have the guts to do the right thing, we'd rather throw away the entire legal system, if there is one still left in India, and get back to barbarian society of jungle raj.
Its not too late to learn from Israelis on how to protect themselves, and at least train each Indian the military way compulsorily for a few years, both to prepare the individual as well as for one to learn to respect India and everything Indian.
guru AgyA
Here's one of Pandit Jasraj's renderings that I liked: guru AgyA.
Raga: Sindh Bhairavi
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye
jo guru cAhe jo guru cAhe so hi so hi kariye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye...
guru ki mahimA aparamapAra
akshara om mein karata vihAra
guru caranana vraja mastaka dhariye
bhavasAgara hasa-hasake tariye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye...
Raga: Sindh Bhairavi
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye
jo guru cAhe jo guru cAhe so hi so hi kariye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye...
guru ki mahimA aparamapAra
akshara om mein karata vihAra
guru caranana vraja mastaka dhariye
bhavasAgara hasa-hasake tariye
guru AgyA mein nisa dina rahiye...
Shauk hai
Some months back, I think way back in Jan, Smita-di had sent me a song. I'd heard it back then once and I didn't particularly give attention to the lyrics. Or maybe the mood was quite different to notice those lyrics. However, while backing up some data off the laptop today, I came across this song. And I think I heard it some 6 times back to back already! So here's thanking di for the song yet again. AFAIK, the song is from the movie Guru, try it some time.
raat kaa shauk hai
raat ki saundhi si
khamoshi kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
subah ki roshani
bejubaan subah ki O gungunaati
roshani kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
sansani naavalon kaa
ishq ke baavalon kaa
sansani naavalon ishq ke baavalon
barf se khelte
baadalon kaa shauk hai
kaash ye zindagi khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti
raat kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
neend ki goliyon kaa
khwaab ki loriyon kaa
neend ki goliyan khaab ki loriyan
bejubaan O uski
boliyon kaa shauk hai
kaash ye zindagi bin kahe bin sune so gayi hoti
subah ki roshani bejubaan subah ki O gungunaati
roshni kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
raat kaa shauk hai
raat ki saundhi si
khamoshi kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
subah ki roshani
bejubaan subah ki O gungunaati
roshani kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
sansani naavalon kaa
ishq ke baavalon kaa
sansani naavalon ishq ke baavalon
barf se khelte
baadalon kaa shauk hai
kaash ye zindagi khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti
raat kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
neend ki goliyon kaa
khwaab ki loriyon kaa
neend ki goliyan khaab ki loriyan
bejubaan O uski
boliyon kaa shauk hai
kaash ye zindagi bin kahe bin sune so gayi hoti
subah ki roshani bejubaan subah ki O gungunaati
roshni kaa shauk hai
O shauk hai O shauk hai
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
For a while now, I've been staying indoors and trying to do nothing much at all that I intended to do. Instead I'm even taking a break from this journey that hasn't begun yet! In this break, I intend to continue as long as I can set a discipline of putting the entire past behind me and begin a new schedule of things. This plan is going to be untied to any of the plans anyone made. Getting back to the break... I've been watching a lot of movies, those that I had in a bunch of DVDs that I carried while wandering in the over past two wasted years and those that I collected during the time from various sources. These make up the reruns. Add to that the new ones that I find every few days. Anyways, today I reran Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, a movie that left a mixed impression on me the first time I saw it. Other than known reasons for which the movie received critical acclaim, that I liked as well, I hated it for the unnecessary carnal relations painted onto the character of the female lead. Today too, it left back a similar feeling. But apart from that a new thing came to my mind: most of the lives are screwed up by circumstances and wrong decisions that one regrets in life, having no way of going back. Thats the saddest part for some. For others, like me, for example, the saddest part is that they don't regret the past, but a future that is bleak based on a wasted present! In their hands lies the future, but they can't work on it due to circumstances that they are tied to, bound by and responsible for, themselves! So what are they to do then? I wish I'd answers. Some I know feel that I do have all the answers. Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Till I find and act on my own answers, here's a lovely song Bawra mann from the movie... (I just read this while publishing and I realize that I sounded like an RJ there) :)
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bawri Hain Baatein
Bawre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bawri Hain Baatein
Bawri Si Dhadkaane Hain, Bawri Hain Saansen
Bawri Si Karwaton Se, Nindiya Door Bhaage
Bawre Se Nain Chaahe, Bawre Jharokhon Se, Bawre Nazaron Ko Takna
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawre Se Is Jahan Main Bawra Ek Saath Ho
Is Sayani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho
Bawri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bawra Ek Raag Ho
O, Bawri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bawra Ek Raag Ho
Bawre Se Pair Chahen, Bawre Tarano Ke, Bawre Se Bol Pe Thirakna
Bawra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawra Sa Ho Andhera, Bawri Khamoshiyan
Bawra Sa Ho Andhera, Bawri Khamoshiyan
Thartharati Lo Ho Maddham, Bawri Madhoshiyan
Bawra Ek Ghoonghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataye, Bawre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana
Bawra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bawri Hain Baatein
Bawre Se Mann Ki Dekho Bawri Hain Baatein
Bawri Si Dhadkaane Hain, Bawri Hain Saansen
Bawri Si Karwaton Se, Nindiya Door Bhaage
Bawre Se Nain Chaahe, Bawre Jharokhon Se, Bawre Nazaron Ko Takna
Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawre Se Is Jahan Main Bawra Ek Saath Ho
Is Sayani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho
Bawri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bawra Ek Raag Ho
O, Bawri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bawra Ek Raag Ho
Bawre Se Pair Chahen, Bawre Tarano Ke, Bawre Se Bol Pe Thirakna
Bawra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Bawra Sa Ho Andhera, Bawri Khamoshiyan
Bawra Sa Ho Andhera, Bawri Khamoshiyan
Thartharati Lo Ho Maddham, Bawri Madhoshiyan
Bawra Ek Ghoonghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataye, Bawre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana
Bawra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Quoting Phaedrus
(Originally noted a few months back in a repeat reading of Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, I've nothing more to add since the author of the book puts it perfectly well)
Mountains like these and travelers in the mountains and events that happen to them here are found not only in Zen literature but in the tales of every major religion. The allegory of a physical mountain for the spiritual one that stands between each soul and its goal is an easy and natural one to make. Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships. Some travel into the mountains accompanied by experienced guides who know the best and least dangerous routes by which they arrive at their destination. Still others, inexperienced and untrusting, attempt to make their own routes. Few of these are successful, but occasionally some, by sheer will and luck and grace, do make it. Once there they become more aware than any of the others that there’s no single or fixed number of routes. There are as many routes as there are individual souls.
Mountains like these and travelers in the mountains and events that happen to them here are found not only in Zen literature but in the tales of every major religion. The allegory of a physical mountain for the spiritual one that stands between each soul and its goal is an easy and natural one to make. Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships. Some travel into the mountains accompanied by experienced guides who know the best and least dangerous routes by which they arrive at their destination. Still others, inexperienced and untrusting, attempt to make their own routes. Few of these are successful, but occasionally some, by sheer will and luck and grace, do make it. Once there they become more aware than any of the others that there’s no single or fixed number of routes. There are as many routes as there are individual souls.
Expectations from life
Hari Om!
(Originally written a couple of weeks back)
Its stupid to expect that life has anything to offer at all. I don't necessarily mean that in a negative sense, but it ain't optimistic either. The optimists are prone to shocks like no one else, while the pessimistic miss all the fun and adventure. There's a realistic line that one needs to draw, cross over it knowingly for all the fun and just not have hopes high. If the hope was low, you're in for a pleasant surprise when something good comes your way. You'll have readied for the bad news anyway. Of course, its said in the adage Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but thats not really what I mean. Give up that living on hope and instead *just* live. Plain living, no add ons of hope, make it much better. It wastes no time in planning post failures. Have plans, not that you need none, but have more than one. Contingency planning is more important than the original blueprint since you've got to be just too lucky to get everything right the first way everytime. Just switch plans when things go wayward and dump everything and go on a new unplanned plan if they go haywire. But just work towards the goal. As long as the direction is right, the pace is immaterial.
(Originally written a couple of weeks back)
Its stupid to expect that life has anything to offer at all. I don't necessarily mean that in a negative sense, but it ain't optimistic either. The optimists are prone to shocks like no one else, while the pessimistic miss all the fun and adventure. There's a realistic line that one needs to draw, cross over it knowingly for all the fun and just not have hopes high. If the hope was low, you're in for a pleasant surprise when something good comes your way. You'll have readied for the bad news anyway. Of course, its said in the adage Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but thats not really what I mean. Give up that living on hope and instead *just* live. Plain living, no add ons of hope, make it much better. It wastes no time in planning post failures. Have plans, not that you need none, but have more than one. Contingency planning is more important than the original blueprint since you've got to be just too lucky to get everything right the first way everytime. Just switch plans when things go wayward and dump everything and go on a new unplanned plan if they go haywire. But just work towards the goal. As long as the direction is right, the pace is immaterial.
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