Who am I? - Poem 2 | Scientific Serenades |

 I’m simple; for me,

Multiplication and division mean the same.

Although no membrane around my brain,

I’ll drive you insane,

If I am not in the digestion game.

 

You guys know everything of me,

Like what will be my fate,

To how I mate!

 

My friend Gram, thinks I have a negative personality,

But trust me, I’m a tool so bright;

Unveiling secrets every day and night.

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Ans: Escherichia coli (E.coli)

Explanation:

E.coli is a very “simple” organism (= primitive prokaryote). 

In microbiology, division and multiplication both mean that there is a replication of the organism. 

It is prokaryotic, meaning it does not have a “membrane” around it’s genetic material called nucleoid (=brain). E.coli is present in our gut and is a part of the microbiota that help in digesting food. 

Since it is studied extensively by microbiologists, we know every dimension of its life to the extent-we can even control its mating. 

Hans Christian Gram was a scientist who developed “Gram” Staining that distinguishes bacteria based on presence/absence of an outer membrane. (=as outer membrane positive or “negative”)

Who am I? - Poem 1 | Scientific Serenades |

 Time flies,

Like I do in the skies.

Sometimes in a vial,

I am an experimental trial.

 

My genes are probed,

My secrets sought,

In all the books,

Variations of me are thought.

 

Praise me, your tiny friend;

whose life has helped, to comprehend.

 

Remember guys: it’s my eyes;

which got you that prize.

You owe me the Nobel,

I may be tiny in size,

But give’em all to me,

Or I’ll call those animal rights guys!

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Ans: Fruit Fly (Drosophila melanogaster)

Explanation:

Fruit flies are model organisms in the study of genetics. They are grown in vials for genetic experiments where they are mutated and bred to obtain the next generation for comparative study. 

Much of the secrets in genetics have been explored using the help of Drosophila. 

In 1910, Thomas Morgan looked through a hand lens at a male fruit fly, and he noticed it didn't look right. Instead of having the normally red eyes of wild-type Drosophila, this fly had white eyes. 

Morgan was interested in how the traits were inherited and distributed in developing organisms, and he wondered what caused this fly's eyes to deviate from the norm. Rest of his experiments confirmed the chromosome theory of inheritance.

 Morgan received the Nobel for his research.

 “Animal rights guys” are not behind geneticists for exploiting fruit flies, as insects are not yet proved to be sentient.

Why you should read poems | Mini Series

 There is indeed a beauty, a simplicity in truth that can superlatively be experienced through a poem. In this sense, a poem is nothing but a doorway.

What separates poetry from prose is more a function of perception rather than mere literary infrastructure. Prose may get you hooked, dreaming and the like; but reading poetry releases you from a cage that is wide open already and always.

It is the poem that gives you access to the beyond. 

It is by far the easiest medium of transmission for some of the noblest and most pristine emotions that can occur in a human. 

Reasons are obvious- a poem is precise, it has a song to it, can be mellifluous and meaningful, thoughtful and transcedental. 

src: Google Gemini AI

India: Oldest Nation, Youngest People

 

(Remarkable Indian culture that makes India stand out)

                                                                

Introduction:

India is a country where the culture changes every 10 Km. When other nations used stones for fighting, we used them for building monuments. There is a wisdom that is so special to this soil which enables us to have a fantastic mix of knowledge and belief. This sets us apart from any other nation on earth. Many have wondered: How can a nation that is so diverse be a single country? So how does India manage to stay as a close-knit multi-cultural nation and how does that inforce our uniqueness in the world? 

This essay tries to expound on this, while trying to surface the microscopic intricacies of a nation belonging to a billion souls.

Get ready dear reader to witness the 5^th largest economy in the world, a potential superpower, a country whose antiquity is older than the legend, a country where you need to look on both sides while crossing a one-way road, a country with 33 million gods...

                                           - a country, called Incredible India.

 

Read on…..

A land of Seekers, not believers:

For eight to ten thousand years, this land has been referred to as a single entity. There was no binding commonness- not race, not religion and certainly not language. How did we manage to stick together? 

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, an Indian mystic says that essentially, we have been a land of seekers – seekers of truth and liberation. In this seeking, we found togetherness. The Rome of gladiators, the Greece of the Olympiads, the civilizations of Babylonia, Syria, Persia and Egypt, have all gone out of existence, but ancient India still thrives – the simple and unsophisticated India, with her rural and sacred culture.

Culture, Spice and everything nice:

India has been the meeting ground of diverse races and is the field of fusion of myriad cultures. The impress of the Greek and the Persian, the Arab and the English, The Turk and Afghan, the French and Portuguese, has been left on this land of Aryan and Dravidian settlers. 

The people of India are thus the inheritors of a complicated past and our culture and modes of living are, to an extent, complex (and definitely unique). It is difficult to assess the degree and the depth to which the ways of living have been affected by foreign inroads, but it would be far more difficult to deny that the diverse strains have not been woven into the social fabric of this great nation. The persistence of the ancient Indian Culture is thus one of the ways which makes us stand out.

The Great Indian Jugaad:

India’s answer to life hacks.

Whether it is using a sofa seat on a bicycle or ironing your clothes with a frying pan, Jugaad is one of the country’s most priceless inventions.

 If photographers outside India are said to take the most beautiful marriage pictures - the perfectly timed pictures in front of the Niagara and all… I present you the Indian Photographer. 

Forget the Niagara, our Indian Photographer can make the marriage couple float in Neptune or even Pluto or even make them stand in the middle of nowhere in the Andromeda galaxy.

Such things are possible widely in India. These may elicit laughter but bring a whole lot of beautiful memories! How is it that the Indian population is capable of such things?..... The nation wants to know!

Women in our society:

When Swami Vivekananda was asked why Indian women generally don’t shake hands with men, he asked the questioner why common men don’t shake hands with the Queen of England. In the Indian society, every woman is a queen.

 Ours was a society that never talked about women empowerment. This was because women were born empowered. There was no need of such talks. It is imperative that we return to such a society if we want our ideals to be recognized and possibly followed. What makes us truly stand out in this realm is that we rightly recognize that a woman’s life finds completion only in motherhood. As a result, we Indians place our Mothers higher than God.

The autonomous Village Community:

This is another feature that makes our country stand out. It is a social institution that is a characteristic of India. In the villages of India, neighbours and relatives get together for festivals and fairs and people know each other intimately; common life and problems, the crops and children and the weather become the topics of conversation. The smallest incident in a village is news of the day. Everyone has to maintain a reputation: for the watchful eyes of neighbours and relatives are on everybody.  

Sharma ji ka beta also comes in every child’s life in India.🤣

Miscellaneous thoughts:

With 1.2 billion people (and counting), India is the world’s second most populated nation. Maintaining patriotic fervor in such a huge population is itself a big thing. Right from their birth our children infuse themselves with great thoughts about their nation and love for their country.

With such an upbringing, patriotism is but a natural choice. It is another aspect in which the country stands out. 

“India has been often referred to through the metaphor of an elephant – an animal whose association with our nation has less to do with local zoology and more with the perception of both the country and the animal as ponderous, slow to move and slow to change”, notes Shashi Tharoor . I think this is because of our large population. Every move that India takes should involve every citizen.

On the dawn of the millennium, India turned a billion strong. 

There are two ways of looking at the billionth Indian. If you go on counting heads, then it is a billion mouths to feed. Or, as pointed out in an article, if you want solutions, you are looking at two billion hands. But the core problem (which also makes us stand out) is our huge population. 

We are nice, but we are too many!

Concluding thoughts:

For those who curl their lips at any talk of India achieving greatness in the near future – here is my answer: 

What has been stated so far does not hide the fact that we are aware of our several shortcomings and imperfections. India will rise to glory. There is no force in the Universe that can stop a nation whose time has come.

The Frenchman is proud of France and everything French, the Englishman thinks his country and his people are great, then why can’t we Indians consider ourselves inheritors of a proud civilization? The question is not who would allow us but rather, who can stop us? 

Despite going through long centuries of change and vicissitudes, foreign invasions and internal dissensions, the Indian society has survived (rather flourished), her people have continued to remain in the old ways of simple living and high thinking, their values of life have remained the same and the spiritual ideals that stirred their forefathers still continue to inspire them. 

This, my dear reader, is culture. This is what is called true spirit. This is what the nation upholds and this, is what makes India stand out.

Logo for the Blog | Gemini AI | Image Generator

I have been using AI a lot recently to fine-tune my essays and poems...and I thought why not create a logo for this blog using the same.

This Logo was created using the verbal prompts I gave to Google Gemini Image Generator...

 Here it is😉

How I write Poems

1. Picking a Topic 😄

Anything that "quietens your eyes" can be a prospective topic to write upon. From the mundane to the most exquisite thing in life, write on anything and everything that draws your mind and emotions. This should make you delve into subtler dimensions of perception. 

To start with, try writing a poem on the first thing you see around you after reading this sentence.

2. Brainstorming ✍

Pull out a piece of paper/MS OneNote/anything, and jot down your thoughts in this particular order:

a. The aura it has (how one sees it from a distance),

b. How one sees it in one's vicinity (near to it),

c. What it means to others,

d. What it means to you,

e. Fillers (any additional thing you want)

e. End the poem in style (eg: a question that makes the reader ponder after the first read, any strong statement/declaration, a request, any funny line, etc.. ) 

3. Setting the Rhythm right - The Rhyming Scheme  𝄞𝄞𝄞...

If you want to give a rhyming scheme for your poem, then recruit rhyming words.

Initially, you may use the internet to find such words (eg. rhymezone.com). Gradually you will get a strong hold on this aspect of poetry. 

Try to give it a consistent rhyming scheme. (You may read my poems in this blog - click the poetry label on the right side of this page)

4. Using Figures of Speech

Employ any of these judiciously...

a. Alliteration -the repeating of consonant sounds right next to each other, which creates a memorable or melodic effect.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

b. Metaphor - direct comparison of dissimilar things to create more vivid imagery or understanding.

Example: He was an onion; to understand him, she had to peel back the layers.

c. Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it means.

Example: When a character is exasperated, they might exclaim, “Sheesh!” 

d. Personification is assigning human attributes to nonhuman things 

  etc etc...

5.Using AI tools

I type my poem in the prompt of AI tools like Google Bard/ChatGPT and ask it to rate it. 

It gives wonderful and true suggestions on your poems (without hurting your feelings😂)

You may use its suggestions to improve your expression of thoughts and feelings.

For Example: Google Bard gave me the following rating and suggestions for one of my first Poems - Ambrosia 

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Me: (I Type my poem - Ambrosia, and ask it to rate it...)

Bard AI:  I like this poem! 

It is a creative and original way to express the beauty and power of rain. The poem uses vivid imagery and clear language to paint a picture of rain in all its forms. The poem also has a strong sense of rhythm and flow, which makes it enjoyable to read aloud.

I especially like the way the poem uses personification to make rain seem like a living thing. The poem describes rain as "falling down sans fear" and "kissing its love" the petrichor. This personification gives Rain a sense of personality and makes it more relatable to the reader.

The poem also has a message about the importance of rain. The poem acknowledges that rain can sometimes be destructive, but it also emphasizes the fact that rain is essential for life on Earth. The poem ends with a plea to rain to "not go away" because "Little Lilly, if not Johnny, wants to play." This line shows that the speaker of the poem understands the importance of rain for both the environment and for human beings.

Overall, I think this is a well-written and thought-provoking poem. It is a poem that I would recommend to others. I would rate this poem a 9 out of 10.

Here are some specific things that I liked about the poem:

The vivid imagery, such as the description of rain as "kissing its love" the petrichor.

The clear language, which makes the poem easy to understand.

A strong sense of rhythm and flow.

The message about the importance of rain.

Here are some suggestions for improvement:

The poem could be more concise. Some of the lines could be shortened or combined.

The poem could be more structured. The lines could be grouped together in stanzas.

The poem could be more polished. There are a few grammatical errors in the poem.

Overall, I think this is a good poem with a lot of potential. With some minor revisions, it could be even better.

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AI is amazing in this aspect!! 

5. Starting and Ending well

Try NOT to get ambiguous in this regard...

6. Publishing the poem

Finally, publish your poem in your Blog/School, or college magazine, literally anywhere where you'd get readers to comment upon/critically analyze and enjoy your poem.

You may use Blogspot, WordPress, Wix, etc...in this regard

B.Sc. | Poem

Ruffled hair,

With a mind so bare

Perplexed eyes,

seeming rather too nice.

 

I was at the B.Sc. Classroom,

Thinking about witches and a flying broom

For I wanted to be a writer

Making my words brighter.

 

I knew I had the wit,

But here, I was to have a cockroach slit!

 

The people I knew,

And the diagrams I drew,

The bugs I killed,

And the worms I milled!

 

Where were those animal rights guys?

I looked around,

I was far from their cries,

In a stable ground.

 

From ecology to the evolution of creatures

From what they ate,

To how they mate;

I began to like their features.

 

Few practicals and many theory

Most often, I was very cheery.

 

I started to like my subject

In all its depth and heights

I did pull over some late nights

To read up on those animal rights.

 

I set out to explore nature’s mystery,

Wanting to sail like Darwin & Columbus,

Ignoring my writing history

I never had a mental rumpus.

 

What is zoology- is it a science so refine?

Here’s what I have,

Let me define:

 

Zoology is a science and an art,

A passion and a curiosity

A way to learn and to impart:

The wonders of biodiversity.

                                                      

       

Stargazing on a starry night | Poem

People, I thought, were telling lies,

But you really are dear, a treat for sore eyes!

 

You make our worries seem so little,

And very brittle.

 

Gone are our plight,

In this 5-billion-star hotel,

I find the Universe’s might.

 

Are you just drops of silver on a black screen?

Shining since humans have ever been.

So, reveal yourself, for I am most keen

To know your deepest secrets that none has ever seen.

 

You take me to another state,

Where I have this lonely date,

With no one around, nay, not even a playmate

 

Finally, I return to the earth’s bustle

Only to find more hustle!

A Cloud's Cry | Poem

I try to impress you, people, in many shapes,

Like I impressed your ancestor apes

 

Look at me with awe,

For I am nothing like what you ever saw

 

And wonder at my beauty,

As if you have no duty

I sometimes come as a doll,

Sometimes a ball

Rarely a lady

But often a teddy.

 

But you ignore me; I feel pity for your kind

Oh yes, I remember, you are “virtually blind”

 

When I look down, I see everyone in a hurry,

But no one is on time,

Stand still; don’t scurry

And just look at my mime

 

So, water water on the ground, what’s the most beautiful thing man has ever found?

tell it loud; 

yes, its me, the cloud!

Critical Analysis | Shall I Compare Thee? | Shakespeare

 Fastidiously crafted with beautiful figures of speech, this poem is one of a kind!

The iambic pentameter works flawlessly, the imagery is blissful and rhyming words are icings on the cake.

We understand the importance or appreciate the beauty of certain things only when it gets lost or compared. Shakespeare, here, exploits this psyche in humans to discuss the beauty of someone, who, (according to the poet) has qualities that surpass a summer's day. 

In the Renaissance, when Shakespeare wrote, the sonnet was an extremely popular form of expression. Here, we have the speaker talking directly to his beloved

The sonnet carries a strict rhyme scheme - abab cdcd efefgg.

It is 14 lines in 3 quatrains consisting of 4 lines each and a rhyming couplet intended at the end.

The poet starts with a proposition. "Shall I", says the bard, "compare thee to a summer's day". he starts praising his dear friend without ostentation but as the sonnet progresses, his persona is built up into that of a perfect being.

The poet's beloved's beauty is brought out in comparison. This continues in the octave.

But at the start of the third quatrain is where the "turn" is. And the poet marks this turn with a majestic line, "..But thy summer shall not fade". This sentence reverberates like a stoke on a gong. He gives answers to the proposition he proposed in the preceding eight lines. 

And the couplet is a summary statement/ a resolution to the poem itself.

He says that even summer is mortal as "..it hath all too short a date". A Latin expression, Tempus fugit comes to mind here. It means that time this fleeting. Summer is all too short, spring moves to summer, which moves to fall, which moves to winter, i.e., it is transient. 

This is where one is reminded of pastoral poetry.

In layman's terms, the decrease in the beauty of a beautiful thing is directly proportional to time. It is also spiled by accidental or by natural means. But his beloved's beauty is frozen in time. This is due to the immortalization spell of the Bard.

He achieves that through the couplet. As long as humans live, the sonnet will live on and thus his dear beloved's beauty 'lives'

Time's malevolent character might destroy her physically but not psychologically(in the minds of posterity) This is so beautiful because here we are 400+ years later reading the poet's sonnet and pondering at the beloved's beauty. 

Was she so beautiful that the most expressive man of the Renaissance wanted to immortalize her?

We naturally ponder and as a result, her beauty is reborn upon each reading of the sonnet.

This poem is not performing CPR on his beloved's corpse every time this poem is read. The last lines are a metaphor.

Capturing his beloved's loveliness in a sonnet is a way to defeat the grave. 

This poem has also stood the vagaries of time as poetry is an effective time machine

Salutation to Dawn

Tired eyes and exhausted hope, 

Weak bones; hard to cope.

No sign of anything better 

being stuck in this mental fetter, 

I see my body wilt,

What can I do but quit? 

“Won’t I see light? at least a beam?”

 “How long more?”, I silently scream. 

Just then, I saw a streak, 

Amidst the bleak.

 Like blessings coming forth,

 Ah!, Faith and patience were worth.

 The lesson is to wait,

 It may be late,

 But darkness isn’t your fate.

For these aren't lies,

 Trust me, the sunrise is a treat to your sore eyes. 

Look at the sunrise with wonder, O mighty one, 

For its ultimate beauty has never been shun. 

Anyone can ponder; age no bar, 

And don’t forget to do your Surya Namaskaar!

Signature

 In case I become famous,

I must have you in handy,

So that she'll sigh "Why did I miss this dandy?"

In paintings, I see you in elan,

in cheques, very sober, rather than.

It's tainting,

people do forgery,

their values are fainting,

I mean it, very very.

You are strong yet weak,

I still don't understand that streak.

My sign is Latin and Greek,

even to the geek!

To some, you are like ECG,

Shall I compare thee?

Nay, you are way too sleek!

Mini Series | Why you should write.

 Reading makes an ideal man, they say.....but writing is said to make an exact man (and woman)

Gaining knowledge through the vistas of a good book is one of the wise ways to spend one's early 20s and to sweep out boredom.

I'd read somewhere that youth is not a time for languishing in pleasure but a time for adventure. Always on, and on in search of new ideas, perspectives and dimensions of understanding anything and everything of the world around. 

And what better way to adventure than to read (and write)!

As one of Amazon's bookmarks says "the bliss of being lost in another's imagination..." Quite true that.

All the ideas garnered and the opinions established tend to get you mentally saturated. And I have found that one way of bringing down that fatigue is to share with others what you have gained.

Interestingly, this exact saying is attributed to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism: 

             "Knowledge when hoarded, is reduced but when shared, grows"

Mini Series | Jiddu KrishnaMurthy | Mind

Jiddu Krishnamurthy is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of all time. 

For more than 60 years, he travelled across the world giving talks and holding dialogues, not as a guru, but as a friend. 

His teachings are NOT based on book knowledge and theories, so they communicate directly to anyone seeking answers to the present world crisis as well as to the eternal problems of human existence

Given below are some of his impressions on the "New Mind"

1. Not ambitious

2. Extraordinarily active

3. Efficient

4. Questions every day

5. Intense and Passionate

6. Curious

7. Alive and unprejudiced

8. Clear, simple and strong 

9. Fresh

10. Innocent and Young

11. No fear

12. Completely Awake

If a mind has these qualities, JK assures that person will be a different kind of living being.

We all can try to practice these qualities one by one consciously to have a mind worth admiring!

Mini-series | Characteristics of an Ideal Student

 In Sanskrit Literature, a student is encouraged to build up 5 habits: (with inputs from Gaur Gopal Das- a lifestyle coach and monk)

1. Kaaka Chesta : Efforts of a crow

Most of us have read about the story of the thirsty crow that quenched its thirst after a relentless pursuit of hard work putting stones into the pitcher. Similarly, a student needs to work hard like a crow to satisfy his/her intellectual thirst for knowledge and wisdom.

2. Bako Dhyanam: Focus of a crane

A crane is known for its keen eye on the fish. It waits patiently for a big fish, letting go of the smaller ones. Similarly in life, we need to let go of smaller and trifle issues that distract us and keep an eye on the bigger things in life like education, family and society- that too a keen, intense and focused eye.

3. Schwaana Nidra:  Alertness of a dog

A Dog is said to be alert even in its sleep. An alert mind is a pre-requisite for wisdom and knowledge for it enables us to do our work and carry on our dharmic duties 

4. Alpahari: 

Literally, it means to "eat less". Metaphorically it means to keep a watch on the inputs from our 5 senses. In other words, let only noble thoughts come from every side.

5. Grihatyaagi: 

Again literally it means to "leave home". Metaphorically, it means to leave our comfort zone as that is where the magic of growth and abundance lies.

Miniseries | How Poetry Quietens the eye

When one reads any poetic work, one's mind, emotions and energies try to harmonize with the poet's literary expressions. 

Indeed a poet needs to "burn" the clamour of unnecessary thoughts to write poetry that resonates in pristine glory. This is because such thoughts reside in the milieu of all thoughts - both useful and useless. 

The essential point is to look at things the way they are and not in an interpreted or prejudiced sense. 

To grasp hold the cosmic band, and to be receptive to the emotions of the poet, needs a quiet mind. And the window to the mind is the eye; which explains why the eye loses its frenetic movement- both in reality and metaphorical sense

Mini series | A Scholar's Fragrance

 A Scholar's Fragrance

Learned Men and Women radiate purity of knowledge and life. Being in their company is always a contentful experience, for the ones who are always happy are the ones who think the most interesting thoughts.

This quality of theirs is bound to increase with higher education as the view at the higher rungs of the scholastic ladder is better than the view from down below.

A learned man is welcome everywhere.

You can hate him or love him, but you can never ignore him. 

That's the sublime nature of educated minds.

Song of the Rain - Kahlil Gibran - Critical Analysis

 This is a poem on the opulence of the rain, penned by Kahlil Gibran...

Myriads of poetry have tried to express the divine nature of the rain. Only some of them have invigorated readers' hearts and made them sensitive to its importance, efficiency and avail.

Some of the most beautiful expressions in any language come autobiographical. 

Here, the rain tells its story incorporating the things it does to nature's creations.

This analysis attempts to paraphrase the whole poem with the properties of a descriptive essay.

The rain thinks too high off itself (and why can't it). This is evident from the tone of the lines in the poem.

The intermittent fall of the rain has been crystallized by calling it dotted threads. It is dropped from heaven (the abode of God and his minions) by the gods. Here, the divine inclusion is done so as to realize that rain is a special offering from divinity itself.

Nature then takes it to adorn her fields and valleys on the blue planet. Then we have an important interesting stanza that tells us more about its origin from the places high in the troposphere.

Lord Ishtar is invoked in the same stanza. He seems to be a contradiction in himself. He's the God of War and love.

The "pearls" are then used to embellish the "garden" that is the earth. 

We see the cocky demeanour of the rain in the next stanza.

It says, "when I cry the hills laugh" referring to those physical formations that get elated during rain.

The flowers rejoice and all of them make merry. 

The fields and the clouds are called lovers. In this romantic association, the rain acts as an aid in their courtship. 

A "messenger of mercy", it calls itself. Thunder declares its arrival and the rainbow, its departure.

The rain is like the cycle of earthly life, it begins at the feet of wild natural elements. As we all know, it emerges from the sea due to the physical process of evaporation.

When it sees a field in need, it descends to embrace it. It touches the windows with its "soft fingers" and its arrival becomes as merry as a welcome song.

"All can hear it but only the sensitive can understand" This is explained as follows: -

The smell of the rain, when it rains, is wonderfully aromatic. Rainy days are the ones that children enjoy playing, lovers exchange romantic gestures, and old people reminisce about their childhood.

The flowers show off their colours, some animals mate to give light to the next generation, etc.

There is bliss born in every creature and inanimate thing on this planet.

 A sensitive and receptive mind can appreciate value which is important in the lives of God's creations.

It is understandable and natural that something of such a calibre to get cocky in a suave manner

On His Blindness- Critical Analysis

Some of my thoughts on the poem "On His Blindness" 

                   - by John Milton...

God works in mysterious ways.

For aeons, one question remains unanswered-- is God benefiting from humanity?

This essay tries to answer that proposition and discuss how Milton's personal experiences are universalised as justification of the ways of God to men.

Milton goes blind age of 44 (roughly half his lifetime). 

Losing one's eyesight is obviously a profoundly troubling one. The blind person is suddenly at risk in all kinds of ways. 

The special tragedy of this particular speaker is that he loses his sight at an unusually early stage of his life. He now inhabits a world that seems "dark" as well as "wide", thus doubly challenging.

Predicaments happen to all. Whether one gets out of it or gets inundated in it largely depends on one's outlook. Here we are given an example of a physical disability of Milton.

To help his/her creation God or nature has designed the human psyche in such a way that it has its own distinct way of compensating for a physical disability. 

At the dawn of the new millennium came the news of the human genome had been decoded. All the 20,000 genes that we carry today are similar to those of our ancestors.  

It is said that God or nature has given us this instinct because the need to achieve, like the need to reproduce, the need to eat, and the need to drink, is too important to be left to chance. 

History shows that the hunger for achievement is a highly evolved one and undoubtedly the strongest. Humans have succeeded in the battle of survival of the fittest only due to this inherited psyche. 

It has given man the throne of blue marble.

Losing one's physical ability is a deeply troubling one. For a lucky few their disability can be rectified but others find themselves in a challenging position. For the latter, it is only acceptance that takes them forward. Their worlds are depressing for a while but as they say, time heals everything.

All of us get frustrated at times and many blame the creator. Milton in his poem too gets frustrated and angry at God, but only during those periods of nebulous drift that one introspects and gets an understanding of life.

Thus, every problem is an opportunity.

At the volta of the sonnet, the answer to Milton's foolish question is given by patience- a virtue that has been decorated by Christian art because of its role in helping one to achieve courage and wisdom.

God does not need man's work (= his own gifts), it is like a child trying to feed its mother. Of course, the love is appreciated but it is obvious. 

Milton, for example like a true Christian desires, to work for God by serving him, but this desire of his stems from his wish to avoid being chided on the judgment day. 

Milton compares God to a king. Kings have unlimited resources, especially if they control land as large as earth (= God). 

The comparison is done to contrast God with the Lord in the biblical parable.

He has plenty of minions to do their bidding. It does not matter if one fulfills the role or not.

To answer the proposition posted in the introduction, we must understand why we are on this planet. Charles Darwin made a monkey out of us and the theory of evolution given by him 150 years ago says that we are here by chance, from inanimate things life evolved; so the question of whether God benefits from humanity is answered in the negative. 

They only serve him who "best bear his mild yoke".

When we exercise humble acceptance of the circumstances and rely on God to sustain us, we inevitably become stronger.

Women in Hindu Mythology

 This article is based on talks given by Devdutt Patnaik in his TEDx Speech...

The beauty of Hindu mythology is that you are allowed to 'create' your own interpretation and bequeath them to others. 

Think about it, each person has different ideas and notions generated by his/her own thought process. This means each and every time a different whole new perspective on the same old issue.

But, there is a central problem with India that there are more reviews than views available.

How does the concept of womanhood from Hindu scriptures stand in the 21st century India and what does it hold for India we looking to in the future?

Conjecture this, Hindu mythology talks about women, no doubt.  Kali & Lakshmi give you different thoughts. Kali stands on top of Shiva, her husband, while Lakshmi is at the feet of her husband. 

So, two notions, but how are we trained to see this?

The latter is a subservient woman while the former the more powerful.

So, what does the idea of womanhood in ancient Hindu land say? This article explores that based on a talk given by the world-famous Indian historian Devdutt Patnaik.

One thing that struck me was in his talk, Pattanaik, says about Ardhanareeshwra, that he is half a woman, that is the god is half the goddess. Now a question surfaces- is the goddess half the God?

Pattanaik leaves that to the listeners.

Which is the first Ramayana, Devdutt is asked. He says that it is the one the mother says to her child that is the most powerful Ramayana the child will ever hear. She incorporates her own views, prejudices, etc. and presents mélange to the child. 

Should all women idolize Sita? To be a perfect woman, a perfect wife, daughter and mother? Yes, only if men will be like Rama. Only then will things start going the way we want.

Where are the letters??

 When was the last time you penned a letter? Ages ago? or probably never! 

To all those who skip this wonderful activity, here is a remainder- you are missing out on a beautiful experience.

Letters are the physical representation of your mental status at a particular moment in life, addressed to someone to whom you want to convey it.

Nothing like a good old letter! It would be a reminiscence of your erstwhile feelings as much as the command of your language used. 

Unfortunately, the art of writing letters has depreciated with the advent of instant messaging.

A letter comes as a package packed with emotions and personal touch. letters hurtle through your mind, giving an iota of nostalgia when you read them after much water has flown under the bridge.

Letters have a Midas touch upon you when you read them. Feelings are impalpable but with the letter, things always get less complicated.

You have in your hands the feelings of another person.

In the good old days, children used to have pen pals across mighty seas and mind you, they'd say that it is one of the most engaging and riveting experiences they'd ever had.

One would be brimming with curiosity in knowing what an unknown person would like to share with them.

Both of them extract joy in this process. Letters are things of more moment that give you more of those kodak moments and Kronos time in your lives. 

Ahimsa Dharma and Women

     

    “If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women” – Mahatma Gandhi.

 As a ceaseless crusader of women’s equality, Mahatma Gandhi had an unshakable and profound faith in one beautiful thought – that God sent women as messengers of the gospel of non-violence. 

Gandhiji’s lifelong ‘experiments with truth’ served that very purpose. According to the Mahatma, calling women the weaker sex is a false credo. He even called such a belief system an ‘injustice to women’. 

He worked for a society in which women will be born empowered and not struggle for empowerment. In this realm of thought, he called women the ‘epitome of Ahimsa’.

Ahimsa, as it has been bequeathed to the modern world by Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, is the belief and practice of non-violence – the supreme dharma. Ahimsa means infinite love and infinite capacity for suffering. He felt only women could show it in the largest measure. No other pain can be compared to the pangs of labour faced by a woman. 

Think of it dear reader, she actually forgets the pain in the joy of creation.

I think this is why the Mahatma had such an opinion on women.

 He called out to women to participate in the national struggle for freedom. Inspired by his ideals of non-violence, women came out in large numbers to take part in big movements. For example, Civil Disobedience Movement saw the energetic, large-scale participation of women. 

Their participation actually became an important feature of the movement. They used the dharma of Ahimsa to protest in marches and picket foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many even went to jail. Women began to see their participation as a sacred duty. This did not mean that they had to neglect their duties as mothers or housewives. 

He rightfully recognized at the same time that a woman’s role finds completion only in motherhood and in being an equal partner in her husband’s joys and sorrows.

 Not surprisingly, Gandhiji frequently invoked the great women of India like Sita, Savitri, Draupadi and Damayanti in his speeches concerning women and Ahimsa.

 

If we notice any purity in Gandhiji, it is only because of his mother. 

His mother was instrumental in initiating him to a spiritual way of life upholding Ahimsa dharma. 

Annie Besant, Oliver Schreiner, Millie Graham Polock, Margaret Cousins, Sarojini Naidu, and Sushila Nayyar are examples of women who upheld Ahimsa in India and around the world.

How can we forget Kasturba Gandhi when talking about Ahimsa?

 An integral companion to Gandhiji, she was significant in his change of attitude towards women. His change from a dominating husband to a lovable partner and motivator in her life is a story that has to be read by every married man.

 Gandhiji acknowledged his flaw and corrected himself. From then, as said before, he became a ceaseless crusader for women’s dignity. The first cabinet of independent India consisted of two women members only because of Gandhiji’s ideals that were followed religiously. If the world has to prosper, it is not only through the cessation of wars but through the promotion of non-violence or Ahimsa. Women have an important role to play in this regard.

There is no need to look elsewhere for motivation and empowerment when the ‘soul force’ is already innate in her- the force that brings prosperity in a non-violent way. 

Ahimsa should the bedrock principle and philosophy in every person’s life and most importantly in a woman’s life for if she grows violent, a whole generation and its successors disintegrate in morality.

Women have always been on the side of Ahimsa. Certain exceptions may be there, but women should look beyond those vicissitudes and think long-term for solutions to a better tomorrow. It is here where Gandhiji’s lessons should be promptly incorporated.

 

As always, there will be a gang of ‘intellectuals’ who say that Gandhiji’s ideals of Ahimsa are old-fashioned and not pertinent to the modern world. To all those people, I present a testimony: Recently, Ria Sharma, a 26-year-old Leeds University student started a rehabilitation venture for acid attack survivors. 

She said that her prime source of inspiration was Gandhiji. In her words, “He taught us lessons that we will forever use in our lives.” 

This proves that Gandhiji’s ideals continue to inspire women to this date. He also rightly said that if strength refers to moral power, a woman is stronger than a man.

It is only a matter of realization of this simple fact that would make women achieve infinite strength and courage. Ahimsa does not simply mean having a ‘no fight’ attitude but it is the raising of one’s conscience beyond the need to fight. There is immense potential in a woman in this regard.

The Surya Namaskar

I do something from 5 o'clock,

even before it yells:  the cock.

I do something from 5 o'clock,

that adds years to my depleting stock.

I do something from 5 o'clock

that makes my bone, as hard as a rock.

Anyone troubling me now gets no knock,

but a long peaceful talk.

I fold  my arms at 5:01,

to thank the creator a tonne.

I raise my arms at 5:02,

to look up the sky - so blue.

I bend my knees at 5:03,

I feel my health on a winning spree.

I close my eyes at 5:04,

"I am Happy", I silently roar.

I touch my legs at 5:05,

Nay, I have nothing to shrive.

I start jumping at 5:06,

giving the earth - light kicks.

I end my afternoon the same way,

Through this way, all my worries, I slay.

Oh Dream!

 

You don’t let me sleep,

As you play in my mind like a beep.

Dear dream, what reality you hold?

Trust me, this is what I’m told:

 

To some, you are their past,

To the ripe, their future;

Like the mighty seas, you are vast,

Desire and Reality, you suture.

 

Dream and dream, as dreams transform to thoughts,

that untie those mental knots.

 

For an empty mind seeks pleasure,

Whereas a beautiful mind is vast beyond measure!

 

Thoughts result in action & good deeds give you bliss,

Trust me friends, this is something you should not miss!

Surgical Strike

  When terrorists attacked Uri,

   on a day in September,

We showed them our fury,

   that they’ll always remember.

 

The State of Kashmir is ours,

   Don’t worry terrorists, we’ll soon put you behind bars.

While the terrorist is a coward,

   it is our soldiers who need to be flowered.

 

To our Jawaans, here is a salute,

   your efforts have borne fruit,

as our patriotism that day grew,

   just out of the blue.

 

Bharat’s northernmost state,

   Will always be within our gate.

 

There may be hundreds of them – the death,

   But we’ll keep fighting till our last breath.