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Devotion – The lost trait

One fine day, Narad rishi visited Lord Vishnu, who looked very sad.

Narad: “What happened Lord? Why are so sad?”

Vishnu: “I am sad with my devotees.”

Narad (surprised): “How come Lord? Throughout the land, millions of devotees visit your temple everyday.”

Vishnu smiles in his typical captivating manner and says: “Why don’t you check it out yourself Narad, and update me.”

It was a long time since Narad rishi visited the land of birth and death. So he sets off along with one of his celestial (Gandharva) friends – Santanu.

Santanu was designer of the mode of transport, i.e. flying chariots in heaven. So he had this desire to experience the mode of transport on earth. Both Narad and Santanu disembark at a bus stop.

As soon as the bus arrives, everyone pushes their way though without paying any heed to women or children.

They notice a stout man who shoves an old woman to get into the bus. Once in, he gets into a caustic argument with a young lady over a vacant seat.

Later, the same stout man is seen hurriedly climbing the steps of the temple.

Santanu is disturbed on seeing all this and tells Narad: “Naradji, if this man’s behavior is like this while visiting a temple, I wonder how he will be like at other times?”

Narad smiles “Maybe he’s in a hurry to fill his quota of sins and reach god. That explains why he’s in such haste. But the poor man does not realize that filling his quota of sins will not take him to god, but to hell.”

Santanu smiles.

While they climb the steps, Santanu notices a man giving alms to a beggar.

He tells Narad: “While majority of the crowd is ignoring the beggar, this man is displaying generous deed. Naradji, you have the power to read his thoughts. Can you tell the reason behind his benevolent gesture? He seems to be a good man.”

Naradji goes into a trance for a moment and smiles:

“That man is thinking that no one else is giving alms, so he will drop a coin and god will be happy with him more than others. He seems to be very pleased with himself and is still thinking about his gesture”.

Santanu: “What smugness! And I thought he was genuinely generous”.

Next, Naradji spots a drunken man and intimates Santanu. Santanu is shocked and says:

“This man has no respect for god. Then why is he coming to the temple?”

Narad: “He seems to have lost his way to the arrack.”

Santanu laughs and then looks curiously at a group of teenagers sitting on a bench.

Narad anticipates the question and goes into a quick trance.

Santanu looks eagerly at Naradji.

After a brief moment Naradji says: “Those boys there are planning for the booze party on the weekend”. Santanu is again shocked “Young kids drinking liquor and talking about it in the temple?! What has the world come to? Imagine they are the future.”

Narad: “Yes, future drunkards i.e., like the one we saw a while ago”.

There were quite a few young couples in the temple. Narad tells Santanu: “Majority of them is unmarried”.

Before Santanu could speak, Naradji interrupts: “I cannot tell you what they are talking about. Its absolute rubbish considering where they are right now.”

Santanu understands and continues climbing the stairs.

Naradji reads Santanu’s curiosity and briefs him one by one.

“You see that young executive? He’s thinking about different ways in which he can bash his boss. I tell you that guy has got tremendous imagination.”

“Those two rough looking guys, they are discussing on how to take revenge on few fellow rogues in their colony.”

“See those three ladies over there? One is bitching about her mother-in-law, other about her neighbor and the third about the kids who cause nuisance near her building.”

Santanu is dizzied at the mindset and conversation of the people in the temple and says: “Naradji, is there no one who’s thinking about God?”

Narad: “Very few. That old couple is chanting god’s name.” pointing towards top of the stairs.

Santanu: “Ah! Someone!”

Narad: “But they were not like that when they were younger. They belong to the breed, in vogue since last few decades, who believes spirituality is for the oldies.”

Santanu: “How ignorant! Who teaches them this crap?!”

Narad: “That’s the problem – No one. There are no proper teachers nowadays to give them right knowledge.”

Santanu’s eyes fall on one of the priests. Naradji smiles again: “Don’t have any misconceptions.”

Santanu: “I don’t. I can see that he offered handful of prasad (food offering) to the guy who dropped money in his platter; not so much to the others.”

Narad: “It’s programmed in his mind. He does it sub-consciously.”

Santanu: “And he’s so rudely asking the devotees to move on.”

Santanu gets disgusted with all this “Why is everyone like this. Those beggars there, how about them?”

Narad: “Well, they are very unhappy with the devotees these days.”

Santanu: “Ah! So they realize.”

Narad: “No, they are cursing because fewer people are giving alms nowadays.”

Santanu: “Oh! So generosity too has become scarce.”

Narad: “Most people find it fashionable to donate funds in the already rich temples.

And these funds instead of being properly utilized for benevolent deeds have now become earnings of the rich and the corrupt.”

Their conversation is disturbed by a commotion. A middle aged man and a shoe keeper were hurling vitriolic words at each other.

Santanu could take it no more, but before he could react Naradji held him and said

“You cannot change anything by throwing just two of them out of the temple. There are a lot more out there, not just here, but throughout the land. What is needed is a revolutionary change and till the appropriate person incarnates on this land, things will just keep deteriorating.”

Santanu nods and says: “I have had enough of it. Naradji, Let’s go back to heaven and apprise Lord Vishnu.”

Naradji smiles: “No need. Now I understand the meaning behind Lord Vishnu’s smile at my question.”

“There seems to be an ocean of devotees, but not a drop of devotion!”

Brahmachari - poem

Mai hoon ek masoom sa baal-brahmachari

naariyon se rakta hoon sau mile ki doori

har pal karta hoon uss Divy(a) ki vandana

umeed hai log samaj paaye meri Bhavana

mere rom rom mein bhasi hai Bhakti

Pooja hi hai meri sabse badi shakti

Shraddha mere dil mein hai virajman

Tubi meri Kavita sung hai har dauraan

jeevan mein honi chahiye ek Neeti

tub har cheez mein dikhegi Preeti                                    /* preeti -> affection/love */

Sneh(a) ki upastiti chamka de apni vidhi                         /* sneh(a) -> affection/love */

santushti se haasil hogi sabse anmol Nid hi 

jub jeevan bitaun Suruchi ke saath                                 /* suruchi -> great delight/elegance */

tub jaake hogi Dhanny(a) prapt                                     /* dhanny(a) -> bliss */

Seema ke dayare mein paaun ashvaasan                       /* ashvaasan -> relief */

koi nahi bacha jub Maya kare shaasan                         /* shaasan -> dominate/rule */

Shalini kabhi saath na chode safalta mein                     /* shalini -> modesty */

aur Shaanti sada basi rahe mann mein

issi rahasya ka hal mile Archana se                             /* archana -> worship */                   

roz Karishma ki aas jage mere dil se

mujhe hai bus Roshani ki talaash

vo Kiran jo mere andhkar ka karre vinash

uss Ankita ka mujhe hai khoj                               /* ankita -> distinguished; marked by lord */

jo meri Sadhana pe barsaye Saroj                       /* saroj -> lotus */

Prakriti se karta hoon mai pyar

uski khoobsurat Nisha laaye bahaar

Sheetal Sarita ki paawanta jub chehre ko kare sparsh             /* sarita -> river; paawanta -> purity */

Jhilmilati hui Tanu Palak kar deti mujhe vivash                         /* tanu -> delicate/slender */

Saare bhuvan mein Nikita ki anchal mei paun sukoon          /* nikita -> earth; vishisht -> distinct */

Amruta ke darshan se janmon ki tapasya huey sampoorna   /* amruta -> one who is immortal */

Rishta kitna bhi jode, subse anokhi hai Mitali                       /* mitali -> friendship */

Kainaat mein Priyank(a) hai hriday ko choone vali               /* priyank(a) -> loving act */

gyan ki dipti dagmagati hai din aur raat                        /* dipti -> light, generally from wick */

Vidya ka pravesh iss chanchalta ko karre samaapt      /* chanchalta -> unstable */

Bodh ki Jyoti jub vistar hoye jeevan mein                /* vistar -> enhance/expand; Bodh -> like Budha */

tub Nutan vichar ute mere mann mein                          /* nutan -> new, fresh */

ab yakeen hai,

ki amar hokar hi milegi Trupti

meri manzil hai paani Mukti

ek din haasil hogi meri Tamanna

issi Asha ko prapt karna hai mera Sapna

Committed girl - poem

Is it a crime to hit on a committed girl?

The predicament always left my head in a whirl

I met a girl who fitted exactly in my template

I envied her bloke who snatched my soul mate

Her characteristics were so immense

I can fill this page & fill supplements

But she was as committed as fish to water

Whether I'm Salman or Akshay didnt matter

My conscience made me feel evil

I was unsure if I was man or devil

Hence, my attempts were never full hearted

Soon she married & to her new home she departed

I carried on with life very downbeat

Why so early did i accept defeat?

But my heart skipped a beat couple of years later

I saw walking down the lane my future life partner

My sources revealed she was still single

This time i did not let my suspicion dangle

The truth was she had just severed a courtship

That was the cue to offer my humble friendship

The girl was lot more than just her looks

It was fate that led me into her good books

Soon attraction towards her cuteness subsided

And love for the person within superseded

I married her, & rest as they say is history

But this is never the end of any story

Marriage brought its own paraphernalia

Years led to dreary city & not utopia

One day I happened to meet my failed conquest

With her prince who looked like a clown at best

Time had drawn faint wrinkles on her face

Her weight seemed to have hammered her grace

I looked at myself & felt no better

A paunch that was only getting fatter

My own prize had the structure of an edifice

Which, the grind of life made me fail to notice

For all, life became a mundane run of the mill

With mortgage, groceries & payment of bills

There were too many sources for worriment

Children's exams, profession & petty arguments

Thoughts were full while aimlessly wandering

When my eyes fixed on a sight so intriguing

It was not the young couple flirting at a nearby park

It was the aura of an ascetic that was so stark

With serenity & calmness he was endowed

Invaluable traits that I was not bestowed

Who cares if hitting on committed girl is a crime

Now I envy the ascetic's effulgence so sublime !!

Colour Connotations - poem

What makes things look attractive

What makes nature so seductive

What differentiates elements around

What separates sky above, and ground

An old adage that sounds so rife

Colours bring objects to life

The world is full of violence

What we need is resilience

To try and overcome mistrust & vice

And make this world a living paradise

So let us wave the flag of white

Let peace & truce be our baton of light

If lust & greed are crevices

Then fear & weakness are diseases

That has gripped us more than once

And made us slaves of our sense

So let's imbibe the vigour of red

With strength & energy our lives should be led

Daily worries, miseries and rat race

How always we try to embrace

Why often do we fail to treasure

Life as a bead of small pleasures

Let’s not lead a life so shallow

Be happy & joyous, implies yellow

Destruction to planet is so rampant

How can one be so fervent

In obliterating fauna & flora

Causing devastation in plethora

Life & nature belongs to lord unseen

Let’s not take it in the spirit of green

The blanket of unfathomable sky

The vastness of oceans roaring by

Symbolises the broad heart & mind

When devoted to help human kind

It illumines the dormant soul in you

That’s when one has adorned blue

Life has its share of anxiety & apprehension

There are reasons enough to cause tension

Getting depressed is not a solution

What we need is a little introspection

Indigo is the colour of deep contemplation

It spurs profound insight & thought augmentation

There are hosts of other colours

That can effect our emotions

Whether it be peace or fervour

It influences our actions

Pink is the colour of love & beauty

It reflects calm & tender personality

Orange connotes enthusiasm & vitality

It stimulates creativeness & sincerity

Gold signifies prosperity & wisdom

It inspires success & optimism

Brown represents order & convention

It exhibits wholesome stabilization

Violet is associated with good judgement

It gives peace of mind and spiritual fulfilment

Grey denotes maturity and responsibility

It oozes feeling of security & dependability

Colours play a major role in daily existence

It can cheer as well as cause despondence

But for one fact we are all thankful

Colours make our world so beautiful!!

Where did I lose my peace? - poem

The yonder years of innocent childhood

Oblivious of the need to earn shelter and food

Climbing trees, swimming in lakes and what not

Never feeling the pressure of life within or without

But as I grew up and started learning what life is

I began to wonder, where I lost my peace

The adolescence years were full of fun

Bunking classes, hanging out with friends

Going to the cinema, chatting with pals

Was what my little world comprised in all

But when the pressures of exam ripped my mind piece by piece

I kept wondering, where did I lose my peace

The days of job were much too stressed

Pressure of work and tension from the boss

Day and night my mind just went for a toss

Desperate became my search for a lease

I cribbed, where the heck did I lose my peace

I searched for peace in discotheques

In pubs, bowling alleys and malls

In the end I spent a lot of bucks

Just to realize money can’t buy peace after all

My patience began to suffer as is

I shouted, where did I lose my peace

I took refuge in religious scriptures

Some of them proved to be high bouncers

I realized the need of a spiritual teacher

But where would I find a good seer or preacher

All these thoughts made my mind ill at ease

I began to doubt, will I ever recover my peace

Then out of the dark came a ray of light

When I learnt that others faced the same plight

Everlasting peace was still an illusion

Nevertheless it was still a consolation

That I was not the only sloppy chap

Who lost his peace way long back

Mehkaane ka chakna - poem

Humne jeevan mein bade bade sapne the sajaye

sapno mein khushiyon ke moti the samaye

inn khushiyon pe lag gayi kisi ki buri nazar

ab ye sapne mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

mann mera ek doobti hui kashti

aandhi aur toofan se ujdi hui basti

jub dil aur dimag mein bavander (cyclone) umad aaye

tub mann-samadhan mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

hatash manushya se poocho kya hai ek pal ka josh

hara hua ashiq jaane kise kehte hain hona madhosh

jub ashanti aur nirasha jeevan ke do pehlu ban jaaye

tub josh aur chain mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

kismat ne aisa thappad lagaya

ki dil kayi dino tak duggmagaya

jub takdeer sahaj (innate) shradha ko ghutna tikaaye

to vishwas mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

Sitaron ne racha aisa shadiyantra

vifalta ke changul mein hua partantra

jub paristiti insaan ko halaat ke bandhi banaye

to azadi mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

parikshram ka fal meetha hota hai

anjaam bigad jaye to dokha lagta hai

agar insaan ki kismat murja jaye

to mehnat mehkane mein chakne ke kaam aaye

kaun hai, jo nahi apnaana chahe imandari

agar safalta kaptiyon ka na kare tarafdari

par jub chor uchakke taraki pe taraki paye

tub sharafat mehkane pe chakne ke kaam aaye