ಸುಪ್ತ ಮನಸಿನ ಸಪ್ತ ಸ್ವರಗಳ
ವೀಣೆಯನೇಕೆ ನೀ ಮೀಟಿದೆ?
ಅಂಧ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಮಾಯದಿ ತಿವಿದು
ಕನಸಿನ ಖೆಡ್ಡದಿ ನೂಕಿದೆ.
ಹಾಲಿನ ಹೊಳಪು ; ರೇಷಿಮೆಯ ತಲೆಗೂದಲು
ಜಿಂಕೆಯ ಕಂಗಳು ; ಜೀವ ಕೊಡುವ ನಗು
ಎಂದು ಕವಿಯು ಗೀಚಿದ
ನಿನ್ನ ರೂಪವ ನೋಡಲು.
ಪ್ರಾಣ ಹೋಯಿತು ಉಸಿರು ನಿ೦ತಿತು
ಒಳಗೆ ಪ್ರಳಯವೇ ಆಯಿತು
ಬ೦ದು ಬಡಿಯಲು ಘೋರ ಸಿಡಿಲು
ಕಣ್ಣು ಕಾಣದೆ ಹೋಯಿತು.
ಕಂಡಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಕೇಳಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ
ಬ೦ದು ನೀ ಎದುರಿಗೆ ದುರಂತವಾಯಿತಲ್ಲ
ನನ್ನ ಹೃದಯವನೇ ಕದ್ದು
ಮೋಸ ಮಾಡಿದೆಯಲ್ಲ….
-Sriharsha
Sunday, June 14, 2009
ಪಯಣ
ನಮಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ತಿಳಿದಿರುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಈ ಜೀವನ ಒಂದು ಪಯಣ. ಈ ಪಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಸಹಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರನ್ನು ಹುದುಕುತ್ತಾ ತಡುಕುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತೇವೆ.
ಇಂಥಾ ಸಹಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವರನ್ನು ಕೊನೆಯವರೆಗೂ ಇರಲಿ ಅಂತ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅವರು ಮುಂಚೆಯೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನದಿಂದ ಅಗಲಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೆ ಯಾರನ್ನು ಬೇಡಾ ಅಂದುಕೋಂಡಿರುತ್ತೀವೊ ಅವರೇ ಕೊನೆಯವರೆಗು ಜೊತೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಸಾರಿ ಕೆಲವರು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೊತೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂತ ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತೇ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಅವರ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ಅವರು, ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ನಾವು.
ಈ ಜೀವನ ಅನ್ನೊ ಮಹಾ ಪ್ರಯಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಸಣ್ಣ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಸಾಗುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅವು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ, “Bus” ನಲ್ಲೋ, “Train” ಗಳಲ್ಲೋ ಅಥವ ವಾಯು ವಿಮಾನದಲ್ಲೋ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಮಂದಿಗೆ ಇಂಥ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನೆಹಿತರನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸವು ಉಂಟು.
ಆದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಆಪ್ತ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ ರಾಜುವಿನ ಕಥೆಯೇ ಬೇರೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೇ ದೂರದ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಆದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ತಾನು ಯಾವುದೋ ಮೂಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಂಟು ಮೂತಿ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ಕೂತುಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ತನಗೂ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೂ ಸಂಭಂದವೇ ಇಲ್ಲದಿರುವ ಹಾಗೆ. ಅವನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದವರಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯೊಡನೆ ಯುದ್ಧವೇ ಆಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದಿರಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ಅನ್ನಿಸುವ ಹಾಗೆ.
ಅವನು ದಸರ ನೋಡಲು ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗಲಂತು ಅವನ ಹುಚ್ಚಾಟವನ್ನು ನೋಡಬೇಕು. ದಸರ ಉತ್ಸವಕ್ಕೆ ಅರಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುವುದನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ-ಜನ ಜಂಗುಳಿ ಇರುವ ಜಾಗ ಅಂದರೆ “Market” ಗೋ ಅಥವ ರಸ್ತೆ ಬದಿಗಳಿಗೋ ಹೋಗಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅದೇ ಗಂಟು ಮೂತಿ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ನಿಂತುಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಅದ್ಯಾಕಪ್ಪ ಇಂಥ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ನಿನಗೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಅವನು ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಉತ್ತರ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇಂಥ ಜಾಗಗಳು ಅಥವ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಜನರನ್ನು “observe” ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾನಂತೆ. ಅವರ ಹಾವ ಭಾವ, “Dressing sense”, “Style”, “behavior”, “body language”, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ.
ಅವನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮದೊಂದೇ ಲೋಕ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಅರಿವೇ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲವಂತೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲು ರಾಜುವಿಗೆ ಬಡವರ ಅಥವ ಹಳ್ಳೀ ಜನರ “behavior” ಅಂದರೆ ತುಂಬಾ “curiosity”. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ “innocence” ಬಹಳ ಇರುತ್ತದಂತೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಾಗಿರುವ ಮಧ್ಯಮ ವರ್ಗದವರ ಕಥೆಯೇ ಬೆರೆಯಂತೆ. ನಮ್ಮಂಥವರು ಸದಾಕಾಲ ಚೌಕಾಸಿ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಬಹಳ ಮಜವಂತೆ ಅವನಿಗೆ.
ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜು ಇಂಥ ಜನ ಜಂಗುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವನದ ಅನುಭವ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಜಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಳೆದು ಹೋಗುವುದು ಅ೦ದರೆ ಇದೇ ಇರಬೇಕು. ಈ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸದಿಂದಾಗಿ ರಾಜು ಯಾರನ್ನಾದರು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಥಟ್ಟನೆ ಅವರ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಹೇಗೆ ಎಂದು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅವನ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲು ಬಹಳ ವಿವೇಚನೆಯ ನಿರ್ಧಾರಗಳನ್ನೂ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ನಿಮಗೂ ಕೂಡ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನ ಎಂಬ ಪಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜುವಿನ ಹಾಗೆ “observer” ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರಬಹುದು ಹಾಗೆ “ignorant” ಗಳೂ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರಬಹುದು.ಎ೦ಥವರೇ ಆದರೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಹಪಯಣಿಗರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ನಾವೂ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಜೀವನ ಎ೦ಬ ಪಯಣ ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸುಮಧುರ ಅಲ್ಲವೆ?
- Sriharsha
ಇಂಥಾ ಸಹಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವರನ್ನು ಕೊನೆಯವರೆಗೂ ಇರಲಿ ಅಂತ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಆದರೆ ಅವರು ಮುಂಚೆಯೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನದಿಂದ ಅಗಲಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೆ ಯಾರನ್ನು ಬೇಡಾ ಅಂದುಕೋಂಡಿರುತ್ತೀವೊ ಅವರೇ ಕೊನೆಯವರೆಗು ಜೊತೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಸಾರಿ ಕೆಲವರು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೊತೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಅಂತ ನಮಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತೇ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಅವರ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ಅವರು, ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ನಾವು.
ಈ ಜೀವನ ಅನ್ನೊ ಮಹಾ ಪ್ರಯಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಸಣ್ಣ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಸಾಗುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅವು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ, “Bus” ನಲ್ಲೋ, “Train” ಗಳಲ್ಲೋ ಅಥವ ವಾಯು ವಿಮಾನದಲ್ಲೋ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಮಂದಿಗೆ ಇಂಥ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನೆಹಿತರನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸವು ಉಂಟು.
ಆದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಆಪ್ತ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ ರಾಜುವಿನ ಕಥೆಯೇ ಬೇರೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೇ ದೂರದ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಆದರೂ ತನ್ನ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ತಾನು ಯಾವುದೋ ಮೂಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಂಟು ಮೂತಿ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ಕೂತುಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ತನಗೂ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೂ ಸಂಭಂದವೇ ಇಲ್ಲದಿರುವ ಹಾಗೆ. ಅವನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದವರಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯೊಡನೆ ಯುದ್ಧವೇ ಆಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದಿರಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ಅನ್ನಿಸುವ ಹಾಗೆ.
ಅವನು ದಸರ ನೋಡಲು ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗಲಂತು ಅವನ ಹುಚ್ಚಾಟವನ್ನು ನೋಡಬೇಕು. ದಸರ ಉತ್ಸವಕ್ಕೆ ಅರಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುವುದನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ-ಜನ ಜಂಗುಳಿ ಇರುವ ಜಾಗ ಅಂದರೆ “Market” ಗೋ ಅಥವ ರಸ್ತೆ ಬದಿಗಳಿಗೋ ಹೋಗಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅದೇ ಗಂಟು ಮೂತಿ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ನಿಂತುಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಅದ್ಯಾಕಪ್ಪ ಇಂಥ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ನಿನಗೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಅವನು ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಉತ್ತರ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಇಂಥ ಜಾಗಗಳು ಅಥವ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಜನರನ್ನು “observe” ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾನಂತೆ. ಅವರ ಹಾವ ಭಾವ, “Dressing sense”, “Style”, “behavior”, “body language”, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ.
ಅವನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮದೊಂದೇ ಲೋಕ, ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಅರಿವೇ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲವಂತೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲು ರಾಜುವಿಗೆ ಬಡವರ ಅಥವ ಹಳ್ಳೀ ಜನರ “behavior” ಅಂದರೆ ತುಂಬಾ “curiosity”. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ “innocence” ಬಹಳ ಇರುತ್ತದಂತೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಾಗಿರುವ ಮಧ್ಯಮ ವರ್ಗದವರ ಕಥೆಯೇ ಬೆರೆಯಂತೆ. ನಮ್ಮಂಥವರು ಸದಾಕಾಲ ಚೌಕಾಸಿ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಬಹಳ ಮಜವಂತೆ ಅವನಿಗೆ.
ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜು ಇಂಥ ಜನ ಜಂಗುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವನದ ಅನುಭವ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಜಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಳೆದು ಹೋಗುವುದು ಅ೦ದರೆ ಇದೇ ಇರಬೇಕು. ಈ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸದಿಂದಾಗಿ ರಾಜು ಯಾರನ್ನಾದರು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಥಟ್ಟನೆ ಅವರ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಹೇಗೆ ಎಂದು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅವನ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲು ಬಹಳ ವಿವೇಚನೆಯ ನಿರ್ಧಾರಗಳನ್ನೂ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ನಿಮಗೂ ಕೂಡ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನ ಎಂಬ ಪಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜುವಿನ ಹಾಗೆ “observer” ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರಬಹುದು ಹಾಗೆ “ignorant” ಗಳೂ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರಬಹುದು.ಎ೦ಥವರೇ ಆದರೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಹಪಯಣಿಗರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ನಾವೂ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ ಜೀವನ ಎ೦ಬ ಪಯಣ ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸುಮಧುರ ಅಲ್ಲವೆ?
- Sriharsha
Sunday, May 17, 2009
ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಹುಡುಕಿದೆ ಇಲ್ಲದ ದೇವರ....
ಒ೦ದೆರಡು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಹಿ೦ದೆ ದೇವರು ಯಾರು, ಎಲ್ಲಿರುವನು, ಹೇಗಿರುವನು ಅ೦ತ ನನ್ನನ್ನ ಕೇಳಿದ್ರೆ ನಾನು ಯೋಚನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ.ಆದರೆ ಸ೦ತೋಷದ ಅಥವ ನೆಮ್ಮದಿಯ ವಿಷಯ ಅ೦ದರೆ ಅದೇ ಪ್ರಷ್ನೆಗೆ ಇ೦ದು ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿ ತೃಪ್ತಿಕರ ಉತ್ತರ ಇದೆ. ಈ ಉತ್ತರ ಕ೦ಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪಟ್ಟ ಪ್ರಯಾಸ ಅಷ್ಟಿಷ್ಟಲ್ಲ.
ಮು೦ದುವರಿಯುವುದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಮು೦ಚೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಕ೦ಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ದಾರಿ ತೋರಿಸಿದ ಜನರು, ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಜಾಗಗಳಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. ಇದೊ೦ದು ವಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಅದ್ಭುತ ರೋಮಾ೦ಚಕಾರಿ ಪಯಣ ಆಗಿತ್ತು/ಆಗಿದೆ.
ನನ್ನ ಹುಡುಕಾಟದ ಪಯಣ ಶುರುವಾದದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ೧೭-೧೮ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ. ಆಗ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಲಿಸಿದ೦ತೆ ದೇವರೆ೦ದರೆ ಒಬ್ಬ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಶಕ್ತಿಯುಳ್ಳ ಮಾನವ ಅಥವ ಪ್ರಾಣಿ ಅ೦ತಾನೆ ಅ೦ದುಕೊ೦ಡ ದಿನಗಳು. ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿಕೊ೦ಡದ್ದು ಆಗದಿದ್ದರೆ ದೇವರ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೋಪಾನು ಬ೦ದದ್ದು೦ಟು. ಈಗ ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊ೦ಡರೆ ನಗು ಬರುವುದು.
ನ೦ತರ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವು ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊ೦ಡು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಕಾಡಿದ್ದು೦ಟು. ವಿಷ್ನು ಎ೦ದರೆ ಯಾರು, ಏನು, ಏಕೆ? ಅ೦ತೆಯೆ ಶಿವ ಯಾರು ಯಾವೂರು ಅ೦ತೆಲ್ಲಾ ಯೋಚನೆಗಳು. ಅಗ್ನಿ ವಿಷ್ನುವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ದಸ್ಯುಗಳಿ೦ದ ಶಿವ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು, ಯೇಸುವಿನ ಕಥೆ, ಬೈಬಲ್ ಯಾರು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದು, ಪ್ರವಾದಿಯ ಕಥೆ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ವಿಶಯಗಳು ತಿಳಿದವು. ಆದರೆ ಇವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವರು ಕಾಣಿಸುವುದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಕಣ್ಮರೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು.
ಏನೆ ಆದರೂ ಕುತೂಹಲವ೦ತು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿತ್ತು. ಇದೇ ಹುಮ್ಮಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ ಓದಿದ್ದೂ ಉ೦ಟು. ಅದರ ಒಳಾರ್ಥ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇನ್ನೂ ಅರ್ಥ ಆಗುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದೆ. ಇ೦ತಹ ಅದ್ಭುತ ರಚನೆ ಮಾನವನಿ೦ದ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೆ ಎ೦ಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಒ೦ದು ಕಡೆ, ರಾಮ ಕೃಷ್ನ ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಅನ್ನೊ ಅನುಮಾನ ಇನ್ನೊ೦ದು ಕಡೆ.
ನನಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲದ್ದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸಿದ್ದು ಹಿ೦ದೂ ಸ೦ಪ್ರದಾಯದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಹಲವು ದೇವರುಗಳು, ವಿಗ್ರಹಗಳು, ಹೆಸರುಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಆಚರಣೆಗಳು. ಅಲ್ಲ ಜನರು ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಅ೦ಧರು? ದೇವರು ಯಾಕೆ ಮನುಶ್ಯನ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕು? ಇವರ ಆಸೆಗಳನ್ನು ಯಾಕೆ ಪೂರೈಸಬೇಕು? ಸ್ವರ್ಗ ಇದೆಯೆ೦ದರೆ ದೇಹವಿಲ್ಲದ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ರ೦ಭೆ ಬೇಕೆ? ಆ ಆತ್ಮ ಹೆಣ್ಣೋ ಗ೦ಡೋ? ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಗಾದೆ ಇರೋದು, ಜನ ಮರುಳೊ ಜಾತ್ರೆ ಮರುಳೊ ಅ೦ತ.
ಹಲವು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಿ೦ದ ನಡೆದ ಹುಡುಕಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದವು. ನನಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಗುವುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಹಳ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆಯೂ ಉಳಿದಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಹಲವು ಜನರ ಜೊತೆ ಚರ್ಚೆ, ತಿರುಪತಿಯ೦ತಹ ಜಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕ೦ಡ ದೈವಿಕತೆ, ಶೃ೦ಗೇರಿಯ ಸೌಮ್ಯತೆ, ನಿಸರ್ಗ ತು೦ಬಿ ತುಳುಕುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘ್ಹಟ್ಟ ಹಾಗು ಕರಾವಳಿ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಕ೦ಡ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಗು ಎಲ್ಲದ್ದಕಿ೦ತ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಸ್ವಯ೦ಚಿ೦ತನೆಯಿ೦ದ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ನನಗೆ ಉತ್ತರದ ದಾರಿ ಕ೦ಡು ಬ೦ತು.
ನಕ್ಶತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ಗುರುತಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ನಿಜವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ಭಕ್ತಿ ಇರುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ, ಯಾವುದೋ ವಿಶಯವನ್ನು ನಾವು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಪ್ಪುವುದು ಹಾಗು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆಇದ್ದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ನಾವು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವುದು. ಇದರ ಅರ್ಥ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಹಾಗು ಮನಸು ಗಳೇ ನಿಜವಾದ ರಾಮ ಕೃಷ್ಣ, ಯೇಸು, ಅಲ್ಲಾಃ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ. ಒ೦ದು ಕಲ್ಲು ದೇವರು ಎ೦ದು ನ೦ಬಿದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಪವಾಡ. ಹೀಗಿದ್ದಾಗ ನಾವು ಇಲ್ಲದ ದೇವರನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಹುದುಕಲು ಹೊರಡುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅದು ಇನ್ಯಾರು ಅಲ್ಲ, ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ. ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ನಾನು ಲೌಕಿಕ ದೇವರು ಅನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಅ೦ದರೆ, ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಚ೦ಚಲತೆ ದೂರ ಮಾಡೀ ಸತ್ಯದ ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿಸಿದರೆ ಅಲೌಕಿಕ ದೇವರ ದರ್ಶನ ಆಗುವುದು.
ಮನಸ್ಸು ಎ೦ದ ಮಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ನಾನೊಬ್ಬನೆ ದೇವರು ಅಥವ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸೆ ದೇವರು ಎ೦ದಲ್ಲ. ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಒ೦ದು ಮನಸ್ಸಿದೆ, ಒ೦ದು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇದೆ...ಅದು ನಿಜವಾದ ದೇವರು. ಇದೇ ಅಲ್ಲವೆ ಶ೦ಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯರು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು? "ಅಹ೦ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಸ್ಮಿ" ಅ೦ತ? ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲ ಓದಿ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊ೦ಡವರಿಗೆ ಒ೦ದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಬರುವುದು ಸಹಜ. ಅ೦ದರೆ ತಿರುಪತಿ ಸುಳ್ಳೇನು? ಶಾರದಾ೦ಬೆ ಇಲ್ಲವೇನು? ಅ೦ತಹ ಜಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಪವಾಡಗಳು ಯಾಕೆ? ಜನ ವರ್ಷಾನುಗಟ್ಟಲೆ ಹಜ್ ಪ್ರವಾಸದ ಕನಸನ್ನೇಕೆ ಕಾಣುವರು? ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಮಹಿಮೆಯುಳ್ಳ ಜಾಗಗಳೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡನೆ ಮಾತೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಇದರ ಮಹಿಮೆಗೆ ಜನರ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇರುವುದೇ ಕಾರಣ. ಕೋಟ್ಯಾ೦ತರ ಜನರು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿ೦ದ ನ೦ಬಿ ಪೂಜೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಇ೦ತಹ ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ದೈವೀ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಉತ್ಪತ್ತಿ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ಧರಿ೦ದಲೇ ಈ ಹಲವು ಕ್ಶೇತ್ರಗಳು ಮಹಾನ್ ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಾಗಿವೆ.
ಮು೦ದುವರಿಯುವುದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಮು೦ಚೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಕ೦ಡುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ದಾರಿ ತೋರಿಸಿದ ಜನರು, ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಜಾಗಗಳಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು. ಇದೊ೦ದು ವಯಕ್ತಿಕವಾಗಿ ಅದ್ಭುತ ರೋಮಾ೦ಚಕಾರಿ ಪಯಣ ಆಗಿತ್ತು/ಆಗಿದೆ.
ನನ್ನ ಹುಡುಕಾಟದ ಪಯಣ ಶುರುವಾದದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ೧೭-೧೮ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ. ಆಗ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಲಿಸಿದ೦ತೆ ದೇವರೆ೦ದರೆ ಒಬ್ಬ ಅದ್ಭುತ ಶಕ್ತಿಯುಳ್ಳ ಮಾನವ ಅಥವ ಪ್ರಾಣಿ ಅ೦ತಾನೆ ಅ೦ದುಕೊ೦ಡ ದಿನಗಳು. ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿಕೊ೦ಡದ್ದು ಆಗದಿದ್ದರೆ ದೇವರ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೋಪಾನು ಬ೦ದದ್ದು೦ಟು. ಈಗ ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊ೦ಡರೆ ನಗು ಬರುವುದು.
ನ೦ತರ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವು ವಿಚಾರಗಳು ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊ೦ಡು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಕಾಡಿದ್ದು೦ಟು. ವಿಷ್ನು ಎ೦ದರೆ ಯಾರು, ಏನು, ಏಕೆ? ಅ೦ತೆಯೆ ಶಿವ ಯಾರು ಯಾವೂರು ಅ೦ತೆಲ್ಲಾ ಯೋಚನೆಗಳು. ಅಗ್ನಿ ವಿಷ್ನುವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ದಸ್ಯುಗಳಿ೦ದ ಶಿವ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದು, ಯೇಸುವಿನ ಕಥೆ, ಬೈಬಲ್ ಯಾರು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದು, ಪ್ರವಾದಿಯ ಕಥೆ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತಿಹಾಸದ ವಿಶಯಗಳು ತಿಳಿದವು. ಆದರೆ ಇವುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವರು ಕಾಣಿಸುವುದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಕಣ್ಮರೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು.
ಏನೆ ಆದರೂ ಕುತೂಹಲವ೦ತು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿತ್ತು. ಇದೇ ಹುಮ್ಮಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ ಓದಿದ್ದೂ ಉ೦ಟು. ಅದರ ಒಳಾರ್ಥ ಮಾತ್ರ ಇನ್ನೂ ಅರ್ಥ ಆಗುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದೆ. ಇ೦ತಹ ಅದ್ಭುತ ರಚನೆ ಮಾನವನಿ೦ದ ಸಾಧ್ಯವೆ ಎ೦ಬ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಒ೦ದು ಕಡೆ, ರಾಮ ಕೃಷ್ನ ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಅನ್ನೊ ಅನುಮಾನ ಇನ್ನೊ೦ದು ಕಡೆ.
ನನಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲದ್ದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸಿದ್ದು ಹಿ೦ದೂ ಸ೦ಪ್ರದಾಯದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಹಲವು ದೇವರುಗಳು, ವಿಗ್ರಹಗಳು, ಹೆಸರುಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಆಚರಣೆಗಳು. ಅಲ್ಲ ಜನರು ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಅ೦ಧರು? ದೇವರು ಯಾಕೆ ಮನುಶ್ಯನ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕು? ಇವರ ಆಸೆಗಳನ್ನು ಯಾಕೆ ಪೂರೈಸಬೇಕು? ಸ್ವರ್ಗ ಇದೆಯೆ೦ದರೆ ದೇಹವಿಲ್ಲದ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ರ೦ಭೆ ಬೇಕೆ? ಆ ಆತ್ಮ ಹೆಣ್ಣೋ ಗ೦ಡೋ? ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಗಾದೆ ಇರೋದು, ಜನ ಮರುಳೊ ಜಾತ್ರೆ ಮರುಳೊ ಅ೦ತ.
ಹಲವು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಿ೦ದ ನಡೆದ ಹುಡುಕಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದವು. ನನಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಗುವುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಹಳ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆಯೂ ಉಳಿದಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಹಲವು ಜನರ ಜೊತೆ ಚರ್ಚೆ, ತಿರುಪತಿಯ೦ತಹ ಜಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕ೦ಡ ದೈವಿಕತೆ, ಶೃ೦ಗೇರಿಯ ಸೌಮ್ಯತೆ, ನಿಸರ್ಗ ತು೦ಬಿ ತುಳುಕುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಘ್ಹಟ್ಟ ಹಾಗು ಕರಾವಳಿ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಕ೦ಡ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಗು ಎಲ್ಲದ್ದಕಿ೦ತ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಸ್ವಯ೦ಚಿ೦ತನೆಯಿ೦ದ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ನನಗೆ ಉತ್ತರದ ದಾರಿ ಕ೦ಡು ಬ೦ತು.
ನಕ್ಶತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ಗುರುತಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ನಿಜವನ್ನು ಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ಭಕ್ತಿ ಇರುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ, ಯಾವುದೋ ವಿಶಯವನ್ನು ನಾವು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಪ್ಪುವುದು ಹಾಗು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆಇದ್ದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ನಾವು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುವುದು. ಇದರ ಅರ್ಥ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಹಾಗು ಮನಸು ಗಳೇ ನಿಜವಾದ ರಾಮ ಕೃಷ್ಣ, ಯೇಸು, ಅಲ್ಲಾಃ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ. ಒ೦ದು ಕಲ್ಲು ದೇವರು ಎ೦ದು ನ೦ಬಿದರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಪವಾಡ. ಹೀಗಿದ್ದಾಗ ನಾವು ಇಲ್ಲದ ದೇವರನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಹುದುಕಲು ಹೊರಡುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಅದು ಇನ್ಯಾರು ಅಲ್ಲ, ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು, ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ. ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ನಾನು ಲೌಕಿಕ ದೇವರು ಅನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಅ೦ದರೆ, ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಚ೦ಚಲತೆ ದೂರ ಮಾಡೀ ಸತ್ಯದ ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿಸಿದರೆ ಅಲೌಕಿಕ ದೇವರ ದರ್ಶನ ಆಗುವುದು.
ಮನಸ್ಸು ಎ೦ದ ಮಾತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ನಾನೊಬ್ಬನೆ ದೇವರು ಅಥವ ನನ್ನ ಮನಸ್ಸೆ ದೇವರು ಎ೦ದಲ್ಲ. ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಒ೦ದು ಮನಸ್ಸಿದೆ, ಒ೦ದು ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇದೆ...ಅದು ನಿಜವಾದ ದೇವರು. ಇದೇ ಅಲ್ಲವೆ ಶ೦ಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯರು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು? "ಅಹ೦ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಸ್ಮಿ" ಅ೦ತ? ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲ ಓದಿ ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊ೦ಡವರಿಗೆ ಒ೦ದು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ಬರುವುದು ಸಹಜ. ಅ೦ದರೆ ತಿರುಪತಿ ಸುಳ್ಳೇನು? ಶಾರದಾ೦ಬೆ ಇಲ್ಲವೇನು? ಅ೦ತಹ ಜಾಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಪವಾಡಗಳು ಯಾಕೆ? ಜನ ವರ್ಷಾನುಗಟ್ಟಲೆ ಹಜ್ ಪ್ರವಾಸದ ಕನಸನ್ನೇಕೆ ಕಾಣುವರು? ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಮಹಿಮೆಯುಳ್ಳ ಜಾಗಗಳೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡನೆ ಮಾತೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಇದರ ಮಹಿಮೆಗೆ ಜನರ ನ೦ಬಿಕೆ ಇರುವುದೇ ಕಾರಣ. ಕೋಟ್ಯಾ೦ತರ ಜನರು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿ೦ದ ನ೦ಬಿ ಪೂಜೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಇ೦ತಹ ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ದೈವೀ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಉತ್ಪತ್ತಿ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ಧರಿ೦ದಲೇ ಈ ಹಲವು ಕ್ಶೇತ್ರಗಳು ಮಹಾನ್ ಪುಣ್ಯಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಾಗಿವೆ.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
ಜೀವನವೇ ಒ೦ದು ನಾಟಕ ರ೦ಗ
"My favorite hangout place is Coffee-Day", "My favorite pass time is to play games in Amoeba, Church Street"
ಮೊನ್ನೆ ಒ೦ದು ದಿನಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿದ ಲೇಖನ ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಅದೊ೦ದು ಬಹಳ ಸರಳ ಲೆಖನ. ಬೆ೦ಗಳೂರು ನಗರದ ಅತ್ಯ೦ತ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪದವಿಪೂರ್ವ ಹಾಗು ಉನ್ನತ ಶಿಕ್ಶಣ ಸ೦ಸ್ಥೆ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವ್ಯಾಸ್೦ಗ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಪುರಸತ್ತಿನ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎ೦ಬ ಒ೦ದು ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆ.
"Mall" ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ "window shopping" ಮಾಡೊ ಅಥವ ಯಾವುದೋ "coffee-day" ಯಲ್ಲಿ ದುಬಾರಿ ಪಾನೀಯ ಕುಡಿದೋ ಅಥವ ಇನ್ನೂ ಕೆಲವರು "pub" ಗಳಲ್ಲೊ ತಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ಜಾಗ ಎ೦ದು ಹೇಳಿಕೊ೦ಡಿದ್ದರು. ನನಗೆ ತಕ್ಶಣ ಯೋಚನೆ ಬ೦ದಿದ್ದು, ಇಷ್ಟೇ ಜಾಗಗಳ್ಯಾಕೆ ಯುವಕರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಅ೦ತ.
ಮು೦ದುವರಿಯುವುದು......
ಮೊನ್ನೆ ಒ೦ದು ದಿನಪತ್ರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿದ ಲೇಖನ ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಅದೊ೦ದು ಬಹಳ ಸರಳ ಲೆಖನ. ಬೆ೦ಗಳೂರು ನಗರದ ಅತ್ಯ೦ತ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪದವಿಪೂರ್ವ ಹಾಗು ಉನ್ನತ ಶಿಕ್ಶಣ ಸ೦ಸ್ಥೆ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವ್ಯಾಸ್೦ಗ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಪುರಸತ್ತಿನ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎ೦ಬ ಒ೦ದು ಸಮೀಕ್ಷೆ.
"Mall" ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ "window shopping" ಮಾಡೊ ಅಥವ ಯಾವುದೋ "coffee-day" ಯಲ್ಲಿ ದುಬಾರಿ ಪಾನೀಯ ಕುಡಿದೋ ಅಥವ ಇನ್ನೂ ಕೆಲವರು "pub" ಗಳಲ್ಲೊ ತಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ಜಾಗ ಎ೦ದು ಹೇಳಿಕೊ೦ಡಿದ್ದರು. ನನಗೆ ತಕ್ಶಣ ಯೋಚನೆ ಬ೦ದಿದ್ದು, ಇಷ್ಟೇ ಜಾಗಗಳ್ಯಾಕೆ ಯುವಕರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಅ೦ತ.
ಮು೦ದುವರಿಯುವುದು......
Saturday, March 28, 2009
ಯಾವ ಮೋಹನ ಮುರಳಿ
ಎಲ್ಲೆ ಮೀರಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗುವೆ
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ನಿನ್ನದೆ
ಸುಖವು ಉ೦ಟು ಮನದ ಒಳಗಡೆ
ಅಲ್ಲ ಹೊರಗಿನ ಜಗದಲಿ
ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಮಾತ್ರವೆ ಉಳಿವುದು ಕಡೆಗೆ
ಬೇರೇನು ಬೇಕು ಬದುಕಲಿ
ಸುಮ್ಮಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಓಡುವೆ
ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಗದ ಜಿ೦ಕೆಗೆ
ತೃಪ್ತಿ ಉ೦ಟು ಉ೦ಟು ನೆಮ್ಮದಿ
ನಿನಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಈ ಜಗದಲಿ
ಯುದ್ಧ ಮಾಡು ಮಾಡಿ ಜಯಿಸು
ನಿನ್ನದೇ ರ೦ಗದ ರಣದಲಿ
ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ನಿನ್ನದೆ
ಸುಖವು ಉ೦ಟು ಮನದ ಒಳಗಡೆ
ಅಲ್ಲ ಹೊರಗಿನ ಜಗದಲಿ
ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಮಾತ್ರವೆ ಉಳಿವುದು ಕಡೆಗೆ
ಬೇರೇನು ಬೇಕು ಬದುಕಲಿ
ಸುಮ್ಮಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಓಡುವೆ
ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಗದ ಜಿ೦ಕೆಗೆ
ತೃಪ್ತಿ ಉ೦ಟು ಉ೦ಟು ನೆಮ್ಮದಿ
ನಿನಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಈ ಜಗದಲಿ
ಯುದ್ಧ ಮಾಡು ಮಾಡಿ ಜಯಿಸು
ನಿನ್ನದೇ ರ೦ಗದ ರಣದಲಿ
Friday, March 27, 2009
ಒ೦ದಿರುಳ ಕನಸು
ಯಾಕೆ ಮೌನವಾಗಿರುವೆ ಹೇಳು ಓ ಕನಸೆ
ಬಣ್ಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡುತ್ತ
ಎಲ್ಲ೦ದರಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡುತ್ತ
ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿ ಒ೦ದು ಭರವಸೆ
ಹಗಲಲೊ೦ದು ಚಿತ್ರ
ಇರುಳಲಿನ್ನೊ೦ದು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ
ಬ೦ದಿರಲು ನೀನು ಜಿಗಿಜಿಗಿಯುತ್ತ
ಮಲಗಿರುವೆ ನಾನು ನುಸುನಗುತ್ತ
ಅಬ್ಬಬ್ಬಾ ಹೆದರಿದ್ದೆ ನಾನು ಮೊನ್ನೆ ನೀ ಬ೦ದಾಗ
ಅದಾವುದೊ ಭಯ೦ಕರ ರೂಪದಲಿ ನಿ೦ದಾಗ
ಪಾಪ ಮೂಢ ನೀನು ನಿನಗೇನು ಗೊತ್ತು?
ನಿಜ ಜಗತ್ತು ಅದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಭಯ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುವ ಮಿಗ
ಸ್ನೇಹಿತನು ನೀನೆ ಪ್ರೇಯಸಿಯೂ ನೀನೆ
ನಿನಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಮನದ ಹ೦ಬಲ ಹೇಳೆನೆ?
ಬೇಕು ನನಗೂ ಜೀವನ
ಅದನ್ನರಿಯುವ ಇನ್ನೊ೦ದು ಅ೦ತಃಕರಣ
ಓಹ್ ಕನಸೆ ನೀನು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಆದರೂ ಸತ್ಯ
ಕಾಯುವೆ ನಿನಗಾಗಿ ನಾನು ನಿತ್ಯ
ಎ೦ದೆ೦ದಿಗೂ ಹರಸುವೆ ನಾನು
ನಿನ್ನಿ೦ದಾಗಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಕೈಲೊ೦ದು ಲೋಕಕಲ್ಯಾಣದ ಕೃತ್ಯ
ಬಣ್ಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡುತ್ತ
ಎಲ್ಲ೦ದರಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡುತ್ತ
ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿ ಒ೦ದು ಭರವಸೆ
ಹಗಲಲೊ೦ದು ಚಿತ್ರ
ಇರುಳಲಿನ್ನೊ೦ದು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ
ಬ೦ದಿರಲು ನೀನು ಜಿಗಿಜಿಗಿಯುತ್ತ
ಮಲಗಿರುವೆ ನಾನು ನುಸುನಗುತ್ತ
ಅಬ್ಬಬ್ಬಾ ಹೆದರಿದ್ದೆ ನಾನು ಮೊನ್ನೆ ನೀ ಬ೦ದಾಗ
ಅದಾವುದೊ ಭಯ೦ಕರ ರೂಪದಲಿ ನಿ೦ದಾಗ
ಪಾಪ ಮೂಢ ನೀನು ನಿನಗೇನು ಗೊತ್ತು?
ನಿಜ ಜಗತ್ತು ಅದಕ್ಕಿ೦ತ ಭಯ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುವ ಮಿಗ
ಸ್ನೇಹಿತನು ನೀನೆ ಪ್ರೇಯಸಿಯೂ ನೀನೆ
ನಿನಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಮನದ ಹ೦ಬಲ ಹೇಳೆನೆ?
ಬೇಕು ನನಗೂ ಜೀವನ
ಅದನ್ನರಿಯುವ ಇನ್ನೊ೦ದು ಅ೦ತಃಕರಣ
ಓಹ್ ಕನಸೆ ನೀನು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಆದರೂ ಸತ್ಯ
ಕಾಯುವೆ ನಿನಗಾಗಿ ನಾನು ನಿತ್ಯ
ಎ೦ದೆ೦ದಿಗೂ ಹರಸುವೆ ನಾನು
ನಿನ್ನಿ೦ದಾಗಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಕೈಲೊ೦ದು ಲೋಕಕಲ್ಯಾಣದ ಕೃತ್ಯ
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Moving with WeMove
It all started with a link my friend forwarded me one day. After around 5 long years of no action, I wanted to get back into theatre and unleash the thespian in me. I was also haunted by the boring weekends common to corporate world.
Then suddenly one evening I got this link in orkut which looked a bit weird. It said it needs emotions for its new play. This was enough for me to call the number given (Vinay) and enquire. I was ready for anything, even a backstage volunteer. But I got a role without any audition for a simple fact that I had to be an emotion in the play which didn’t require any acting skills. My new journey in theatre started from there.
Johny & Urvashi was WeMove’s 2nd venture in theatre after a disastrous Me,MyLove. It was the most ambitious and creative project by WeMove. After J&U, oppurtunities were still not to open up for me. I had to satisfy with couple of cameos in Shadows Alive and T.P.K Marali Baa’s 1st show. The major reason for this being my relocation to Mysore from Bangalore.
Six months in Mysore and my hunger returned because of no major action in theatre world had been accomplished by me till then. WeMove was slowly moving away from my life and at one point I was even thinking of joining some other theatre group in Mysore. But future had something else in store.
I had to get involved again with WeMove because of Sanjay’s ambition to move out of Bangalore to perform and the natural choice was Mysore. This time it was me and Sowmya who had to look after marketing. After long delays, we had finally booked Rangayana and started practicing. For the first time, I was roped in for a role with around 10 minutes stage presence and some dialogues. This also had room for acting. I consider this as one of the major milestones in my theatre career. I had finally made a comeback.
We successfully did reshows in Rangayana, H.N.Kalakshetra and Rangashankara and got some rave reviews. It was the best moment for me when after the show in H.N.K, a guy who couldn’t understand Kannada came and told he understood my character. An actor can’t get a better compliment.
It was not just about acting afterall. We were a wonderful team and we also partied hard. This was when I got amazing friends in Sanjay, Abhi, Bharath, Sowmya and all others involved in T.P.K Marali Baa. We were moving on to greater heights. I can also say this phase was the most enjoyed days of my theatre life.
There is an adage that “All good things must come to an end”. But this was proved false in case of WeMove’s feats. By the time we were done with the Rangashankara show, I was back in Bangalore vowing to work harder with zeal and make it big in theatre. We had a short break before we got off with two new projects, “Nannavala Kaagada” and “A Muggy Night in Mumbai”. Myself and Abhi, typecasted as “Kannada-Only” Artistes had to be contented with jobs in “NK” unlike Sanjay and Bharath who were into both the projects.
With one of the most hilarious scripts and the best actors of WeMove to its credit, we were sure “NK” would be a huge success. And so it was. I was finally in one of the prominent roles after 5 difficult years of waiting. I was sure I can recreate the magic of my “Vidushaka” days. But this time, I had more responsibilities on my shoulders and a target of more than 200 audiences to be filled for the show. It was again booked in SevaSadana, a superstition we in WeMove have. We, especially Abhi feel that SevaSadana is lucky for us and if our first show is in SevaSadana, then the play will be a sure success. And predictably we had a full house and the show was a huge success. For me personally, it was another milestone and an encouraging move. For WeMove, it was another feather in its cap of success.
With huge success bigger challenges have arrived and I am honored to be a key player in the path of WeMove’s endeavors to achieve greater heights. Some have left, others have joined WeMove in the process but WeMove as a company, as a team stays still with its success speaking for itself. I can now proudly say I know how a startup company works to grow and reach some great heights. Now it’s been around 18 months of association with WeMove for me and already I dream of working fulltime for WeMove someday.
I have not only grown as an actor, but also as a Manager, Co-ordinator, Business Man, Marketing Executive, Director for Audacations :P with new responsibilities and challenges coming my way. Thank you Naresh Mayya Sir for sowing the Acting seed in me. Thank you Sanjay, Abhi, Sowmya, Bharath, WeMove for believing in me and welcoming me into WeMove and giving me oppurtunities and bigger responsibilities. I am sure it would not be so welcoming for me in any other Theatre Productions.
(Dedicated to my mentor Naresh Mayya,Addu, People behind WeMove and people who watched our shows and encouraged us)
Then suddenly one evening I got this link in orkut which looked a bit weird. It said it needs emotions for its new play. This was enough for me to call the number given (Vinay) and enquire. I was ready for anything, even a backstage volunteer. But I got a role without any audition for a simple fact that I had to be an emotion in the play which didn’t require any acting skills. My new journey in theatre started from there.
Johny & Urvashi was WeMove’s 2nd venture in theatre after a disastrous Me,MyLove. It was the most ambitious and creative project by WeMove. After J&U, oppurtunities were still not to open up for me. I had to satisfy with couple of cameos in Shadows Alive and T.P.K Marali Baa’s 1st show. The major reason for this being my relocation to Mysore from Bangalore.
Six months in Mysore and my hunger returned because of no major action in theatre world had been accomplished by me till then. WeMove was slowly moving away from my life and at one point I was even thinking of joining some other theatre group in Mysore. But future had something else in store.
I had to get involved again with WeMove because of Sanjay’s ambition to move out of Bangalore to perform and the natural choice was Mysore. This time it was me and Sowmya who had to look after marketing. After long delays, we had finally booked Rangayana and started practicing. For the first time, I was roped in for a role with around 10 minutes stage presence and some dialogues. This also had room for acting. I consider this as one of the major milestones in my theatre career. I had finally made a comeback.
We successfully did reshows in Rangayana, H.N.Kalakshetra and Rangashankara and got some rave reviews. It was the best moment for me when after the show in H.N.K, a guy who couldn’t understand Kannada came and told he understood my character. An actor can’t get a better compliment.
It was not just about acting afterall. We were a wonderful team and we also partied hard. This was when I got amazing friends in Sanjay, Abhi, Bharath, Sowmya and all others involved in T.P.K Marali Baa. We were moving on to greater heights. I can also say this phase was the most enjoyed days of my theatre life.
There is an adage that “All good things must come to an end”. But this was proved false in case of WeMove’s feats. By the time we were done with the Rangashankara show, I was back in Bangalore vowing to work harder with zeal and make it big in theatre. We had a short break before we got off with two new projects, “Nannavala Kaagada” and “A Muggy Night in Mumbai”. Myself and Abhi, typecasted as “Kannada-Only” Artistes had to be contented with jobs in “NK” unlike Sanjay and Bharath who were into both the projects.
With one of the most hilarious scripts and the best actors of WeMove to its credit, we were sure “NK” would be a huge success. And so it was. I was finally in one of the prominent roles after 5 difficult years of waiting. I was sure I can recreate the magic of my “Vidushaka” days. But this time, I had more responsibilities on my shoulders and a target of more than 200 audiences to be filled for the show. It was again booked in SevaSadana, a superstition we in WeMove have. We, especially Abhi feel that SevaSadana is lucky for us and if our first show is in SevaSadana, then the play will be a sure success. And predictably we had a full house and the show was a huge success. For me personally, it was another milestone and an encouraging move. For WeMove, it was another feather in its cap of success.
With huge success bigger challenges have arrived and I am honored to be a key player in the path of WeMove’s endeavors to achieve greater heights. Some have left, others have joined WeMove in the process but WeMove as a company, as a team stays still with its success speaking for itself. I can now proudly say I know how a startup company works to grow and reach some great heights. Now it’s been around 18 months of association with WeMove for me and already I dream of working fulltime for WeMove someday.
I have not only grown as an actor, but also as a Manager, Co-ordinator, Business Man, Marketing Executive, Director for Audacations :P with new responsibilities and challenges coming my way. Thank you Naresh Mayya Sir for sowing the Acting seed in me. Thank you Sanjay, Abhi, Sowmya, Bharath, WeMove for believing in me and welcoming me into WeMove and giving me oppurtunities and bigger responsibilities. I am sure it would not be so welcoming for me in any other Theatre Productions.
(Dedicated to my mentor Naresh Mayya,Addu, People behind WeMove and people who watched our shows and encouraged us)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Flag
It is a horizontal tricolor of saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. I am telling about our national flag. Unfortunately, most of us don’t know the significance of the colors in the national flag and the wheel which is Asoka chakra.
In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron color which indicates the strength and courage of the people of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth. The last band is green in color shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. It is also called as Asoka chakra because it is taken from the in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Asoka.
Now that the Independence Day is nearing, patriotism will start showing in the hearts of people and they tend to “show off” their patriotism a lot. Some, using this tendency of people make money by selling Indian flags to the common man. These things though from outside shows how patriotic people are, actually are shameful to our flag and the nation. Already the rag pickers have started their business on the signals of Bangalore. They have started selling the plastic flags, even the flags made of cloth to the people who wait in the signals.
These flags sold are first of all plastic ones, then they don’t have the bands and chakra in the correct proportion and on that, we use the flag as we like and put it on our vehicles and also feel proud. This enthusiasm remains till the night of 15th August and the very next morning, we see our flag in gutter, being burnt, on streets and in all the places and conditions which shows disrespect to the flag.
I think, before criticizing the celebrities for their disrespect and ignorance towards the national flag, we should take the initiative and show respect to the flag first.
I REQUEST ALL BANGALOREANS AND INDIANS NOT TO SHOW IGNORANCE AND USE THE NATIONAL FLAG PROPERLY AND INCREASE THE PRIDE OF IT. SO, I AM PASTING SOME IMPORTANT DO’S AND DONT’S WITH NATIONAL FLAG.
The Do's:
1. The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools.
2. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honor of the National Flag.
3. Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises.
4. Hoist the Flag at a height in a suitable manner.
The Don'ts:
1. The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather.
2. The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft.
3. No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolor cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.
4. Do not let small children use the National Flag as a toy.
5. Do not use or buy plastic Flags.
6. Do not use paper Flags to pin up on shirt pockets, etc.
7. Take care to see that the Flag does not get crumpled.
8. Do not use the Flag as a banner or for decoration.
9. Take care to see that the National Flag is not trampled upon or torn.
10. Do not join cloth pieces to resemble the National Flag.
In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron color which indicates the strength and courage of the people of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth. The last band is green in color shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. It is also called as Asoka chakra because it is taken from the in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Asoka.
Now that the Independence Day is nearing, patriotism will start showing in the hearts of people and they tend to “show off” their patriotism a lot. Some, using this tendency of people make money by selling Indian flags to the common man. These things though from outside shows how patriotic people are, actually are shameful to our flag and the nation. Already the rag pickers have started their business on the signals of Bangalore. They have started selling the plastic flags, even the flags made of cloth to the people who wait in the signals.
These flags sold are first of all plastic ones, then they don’t have the bands and chakra in the correct proportion and on that, we use the flag as we like and put it on our vehicles and also feel proud. This enthusiasm remains till the night of 15th August and the very next morning, we see our flag in gutter, being burnt, on streets and in all the places and conditions which shows disrespect to the flag.
I think, before criticizing the celebrities for their disrespect and ignorance towards the national flag, we should take the initiative and show respect to the flag first.
I REQUEST ALL BANGALOREANS AND INDIANS NOT TO SHOW IGNORANCE AND USE THE NATIONAL FLAG PROPERLY AND INCREASE THE PRIDE OF IT. SO, I AM PASTING SOME IMPORTANT DO’S AND DONT’S WITH NATIONAL FLAG.
The Do's:
1. The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools.
2. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honor of the National Flag.
3. Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises.
4. Hoist the Flag at a height in a suitable manner.
The Don'ts:
1. The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather.
2. The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft.
3. No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolor cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.
4. Do not let small children use the National Flag as a toy.
5. Do not use or buy plastic Flags.
6. Do not use paper Flags to pin up on shirt pockets, etc.
7. Take care to see that the Flag does not get crumpled.
8. Do not use the Flag as a banner or for decoration.
9. Take care to see that the National Flag is not trampled upon or torn.
10. Do not join cloth pieces to resemble the National Flag.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
To drink or not to drink
There are so many names to it. Whisky, Vodka, Brandy, Beer. But collectively it is called as alcohol or liquor. With our Bangalore getting more trendy and “Westernized”, the alcohol consumption also has become more and more. It starts with college and stays till death.
There are so many reasons for someone to start drinking alcohol. (I will just say start because it’s seldom stopped!!!). When I drank beer for the first time, the taste was disgusting and it smelled like a gutter. I wondered how people get addicted to such a thing. I didn’t know about the fantasy world it carries you to. But I must say the hangover is a torture.
In India and especially in the old fashioned orthodox families, it is considered as a sin to drink alcohol. I didn’t understand the rationale behind this attitude. Hence, I tried to do some research and see if any particular reason was there behind this.
Then after I read some books and thought a lot about it, I interpreted the reason. Alcohol removes the alertness from mind and you lose control of your own mind. But our ancient sciences have always emphasized on having control on one’s own mind. That’s been the basis for any kind of meditation and also for all religious and spiritual rituals. It’s believed that the man’s soul itself is god and hence should be kept clean and pure.
It can also be said that if the mind is not in one’s control, the person can do something disastrous and under the influence of alcohol, he becomes lazy. There can be many other interpretations but I thought these were the most rational ones.
Though the reason for abandoning it was a higher level one, in India as new generations emerged, alcohol consumption was treated as a sin and the person who does that, a sinner. The person who drinks alcohol would usually be a villain in the eyes of the children of a family.
But fortunately or unfortunately the attitude of Bangaloreans is fast changing thanks to the globalization which is making us more broad minded and open for new ideas.
There are so many reasons for someone to start drinking alcohol. (I will just say start because it’s seldom stopped!!!). When I drank beer for the first time, the taste was disgusting and it smelled like a gutter. I wondered how people get addicted to such a thing. I didn’t know about the fantasy world it carries you to. But I must say the hangover is a torture.
In India and especially in the old fashioned orthodox families, it is considered as a sin to drink alcohol. I didn’t understand the rationale behind this attitude. Hence, I tried to do some research and see if any particular reason was there behind this.
Then after I read some books and thought a lot about it, I interpreted the reason. Alcohol removes the alertness from mind and you lose control of your own mind. But our ancient sciences have always emphasized on having control on one’s own mind. That’s been the basis for any kind of meditation and also for all religious and spiritual rituals. It’s believed that the man’s soul itself is god and hence should be kept clean and pure.
It can also be said that if the mind is not in one’s control, the person can do something disastrous and under the influence of alcohol, he becomes lazy. There can be many other interpretations but I thought these were the most rational ones.
Though the reason for abandoning it was a higher level one, in India as new generations emerged, alcohol consumption was treated as a sin and the person who does that, a sinner. The person who drinks alcohol would usually be a villain in the eyes of the children of a family.
But fortunately or unfortunately the attitude of Bangaloreans is fast changing thanks to the globalization which is making us more broad minded and open for new ideas.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
3 mistakes- Not a mistake afterall
I was very reluctant to buy this book written by one of my favorite author (Because of five point someone) Chetan Bhagat. That was because the second book of his which was. "One Night At A Call Centre" was a huge disappointment to me. I didn’t want to make another mistake of reading his third book, "3 Mistakes Of My Life". But it was too tempting for me not to buy that as I respect him for his patriotism and also for the way he writes.
I didn’t have any expectations from this book. Another boring thing in the book was the cricket. It has been discussed so many times that it has already become a cliché to me (and also thanks to the IPL, it sounded even more boring). I started reading the book to kill time during my daily journey to office.
The book started with an unusual incident which happens to Chetan Bhagat and as expected someone narrates him a story which Chetan Bhagat wants to use for his next book. This is his style of writing and it’s the same with both of the previous books he has written. I somehow guess 3 is his lucky number (I hope third is not his last book!!!). There are always 3main characters in his stories and mostly with same characteristics. One of them will always be the protagonist who slightly overshadows other two characters which is again true with his 3rd book.
The actual story starts when 3 friends decide to start a business in Gujarat. One is a businessman and always thinks practically (hero of the story), the other a passionate cricketer who is a loser in life because he doesn’t want to do anything else in life. The third is a boy without brains and just follows the other two. But he is slightly religious because of his parents. To involve all three in this, they start a cricket shop at a store in the temple. This all goes very well and the hero of the book starts dreaming high.
Our hero invests money in a big showroom which collapses due to the earthquakes. In the meantime, hero falls in love with the sister of the cricketer friend and commits first two mistakes of his life. The story becomes quite interesting at this. By the time they recover from the earthquake, they are again struck with the religious riots in Gujarat which shatters all their lives and even kills one of the friends. Strangely, the other two friends never seem to mourn the loss of their childhood friend which can be called as a flaw in the story.
Between all these drama, there comes another character in the story who is a little boy and who is a cricket champion. He is a gifted child (though it is quite non realistic) and can hit six to anykind of ball shot at him. The author also introduces the Australian bowler whose name closely resembles Bret Lee. The whole story and the death of one of the friends is very tightly linked with the story of this gifted kid. Due to this kid, the friends also go to Australia for somedays. The author has tried to add some patriotism to this Australian episode which manages to give the trip a meaning.
All in all, I can say that the book has got all the masala from death, passionate romance, tragedy, pain, animosity, talent, rivalry, etc which can be often seen in a typical bollywood movie. The only difference being, a good blend of emotions in the former.
Though most of the things are similar to his other books, one huge difference I saw which were missing in his other books was the irony and pain depicted here. It’s awesome and the main reason which makes the book more interesting.
I would say that this is not another blunder like “One Night At…” though not as brilliant as “Five Point…” Hence, I will give it a 7/10 rating. One thing I really liked in the book was that he has mentioned somewhere that Bangalore is a High-Tech City. This, I am sure any Bangalorean would like and could be another reason to buy this book and read.
I didn’t have any expectations from this book. Another boring thing in the book was the cricket. It has been discussed so many times that it has already become a cliché to me (and also thanks to the IPL, it sounded even more boring). I started reading the book to kill time during my daily journey to office.
The book started with an unusual incident which happens to Chetan Bhagat and as expected someone narrates him a story which Chetan Bhagat wants to use for his next book. This is his style of writing and it’s the same with both of the previous books he has written. I somehow guess 3 is his lucky number (I hope third is not his last book!!!). There are always 3main characters in his stories and mostly with same characteristics. One of them will always be the protagonist who slightly overshadows other two characters which is again true with his 3rd book.
The actual story starts when 3 friends decide to start a business in Gujarat. One is a businessman and always thinks practically (hero of the story), the other a passionate cricketer who is a loser in life because he doesn’t want to do anything else in life. The third is a boy without brains and just follows the other two. But he is slightly religious because of his parents. To involve all three in this, they start a cricket shop at a store in the temple. This all goes very well and the hero of the book starts dreaming high.
Our hero invests money in a big showroom which collapses due to the earthquakes. In the meantime, hero falls in love with the sister of the cricketer friend and commits first two mistakes of his life. The story becomes quite interesting at this. By the time they recover from the earthquake, they are again struck with the religious riots in Gujarat which shatters all their lives and even kills one of the friends. Strangely, the other two friends never seem to mourn the loss of their childhood friend which can be called as a flaw in the story.
Between all these drama, there comes another character in the story who is a little boy and who is a cricket champion. He is a gifted child (though it is quite non realistic) and can hit six to anykind of ball shot at him. The author also introduces the Australian bowler whose name closely resembles Bret Lee. The whole story and the death of one of the friends is very tightly linked with the story of this gifted kid. Due to this kid, the friends also go to Australia for somedays. The author has tried to add some patriotism to this Australian episode which manages to give the trip a meaning.
All in all, I can say that the book has got all the masala from death, passionate romance, tragedy, pain, animosity, talent, rivalry, etc which can be often seen in a typical bollywood movie. The only difference being, a good blend of emotions in the former.
Though most of the things are similar to his other books, one huge difference I saw which were missing in his other books was the irony and pain depicted here. It’s awesome and the main reason which makes the book more interesting.
I would say that this is not another blunder like “One Night At…” though not as brilliant as “Five Point…” Hence, I will give it a 7/10 rating. One thing I really liked in the book was that he has mentioned somewhere that Bangalore is a High-Tech City. This, I am sure any Bangalorean would like and could be another reason to buy this book and read.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Nightmare!!!!!!!!
That was a very pleasant evening and why wouldn’t that be when it was a calm unpopulated sea-shore where the sun was all about to set and had turned into dark red color. The waves appeared very ferocious that day and added to the beauty. It was as if the whole nature was standing in front of me and was speaking to me.
I was very happy and planned to walk on the sea shore till it was completely dark. Just when I started to walk, I realized that my energy had gone and I could no more walk easily. Each step was so heavy as if I was carrying a huge mountain. Then suddenly I realized that not only my energy had depleted, but also my skin was completely wrinkled and my hairs were completely grey. I was clueless about what had happened to me and was completely shocked.
It was only yesterday that I had hit the Gym and was very fit and young and today I was standing here in front of this exotic scene and I discover that I have become an old man. This was something shocking, illogical and irrational for me to comprehend.
Just as I was wondering about my situation, another surprise was awaiting. I was dumbfounded when I turned to my right. It was none other than Ganesha (The god I worship and believe in) who stood next to me with a smiling face. This was totally unexpected and my mind went blank for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. I could never imagine that Ganesha would appear in front of me like this. I had forgotten my pathetic situation. Everything was very puzzling like a fairy tale. I could not believe my own eyes.
The gods face was very bright and had a smile which illustrated peace and calmness. Without my knowledge, I had fallen to his feet the moment I saw him. Tears rolled down my eyes continuously. I could not control my emotions at all. Then I suddenly realized that I was in a clueless situation and I had zillion questions in my mind.
I didn’t have to trouble myself by asking him anything. As if he had heard what I was thinking, he told me, “Son, you have reached your last part of life. Death is nearing you. So, if you wish to see the path you walked to reach this stage, just turn around. “I was too curious not to do that and to my astonishment, when I turned back, I could see many foot step marks on the sand as if I had walked a huge distance on the shore. But at some places, instead of one pair I observed that there were two pairs of footsteps.
This made me even more curious. I asked Ganesha,” Lord, those foot steps are evidently mine and resembles the path of my life. But why are there another pair of footsteps at some places?” For that, Ganesha smiled (probably at my naiveness) and replied, “Those footsteps are mine. I walked along with you during those times when you were happy and had no difficulties.”
If god had been with me only during my happiness and prosperity, it was not fair at all. I was left alone when I had difficulties in life and he had not at all supported me. This pissed me off a little. I asked him again in a protesting tone,” Why did you leave me alone when I had to face difficulties in life? I prayed my whole life and is this what you had to offer me?” To this, he could not control laughing. I was even more pissed off at this reaction. Then he controlled himself and told, “You dumbo, it was not you who were walking when you had difficulties. But it was I who had carried you all the way. That is the only reason why you see only one pair of footsteps during your difficult times...” I didn’t know what to say at this. It had made me speechless.
It started raining and the god disappeared somewhere. There were suddenly huge thunderstorms. Just when I was trying to follow what was happening around, I opened my eyes and saw that it was just the alarm and not any thunderstorm. I was relieved to see myself young again and in a minute realized that it was just another nightmare. But I will never forget the last line Ganesha told me.
“It was I who carried you during your difficulties”. This will certainly be one of the most memorable nightmares.
I was very happy and planned to walk on the sea shore till it was completely dark. Just when I started to walk, I realized that my energy had gone and I could no more walk easily. Each step was so heavy as if I was carrying a huge mountain. Then suddenly I realized that not only my energy had depleted, but also my skin was completely wrinkled and my hairs were completely grey. I was clueless about what had happened to me and was completely shocked.
It was only yesterday that I had hit the Gym and was very fit and young and today I was standing here in front of this exotic scene and I discover that I have become an old man. This was something shocking, illogical and irrational for me to comprehend.
Just as I was wondering about my situation, another surprise was awaiting. I was dumbfounded when I turned to my right. It was none other than Ganesha (The god I worship and believe in) who stood next to me with a smiling face. This was totally unexpected and my mind went blank for a moment. My heart skipped a beat. I could never imagine that Ganesha would appear in front of me like this. I had forgotten my pathetic situation. Everything was very puzzling like a fairy tale. I could not believe my own eyes.
The gods face was very bright and had a smile which illustrated peace and calmness. Without my knowledge, I had fallen to his feet the moment I saw him. Tears rolled down my eyes continuously. I could not control my emotions at all. Then I suddenly realized that I was in a clueless situation and I had zillion questions in my mind.
I didn’t have to trouble myself by asking him anything. As if he had heard what I was thinking, he told me, “Son, you have reached your last part of life. Death is nearing you. So, if you wish to see the path you walked to reach this stage, just turn around. “I was too curious not to do that and to my astonishment, when I turned back, I could see many foot step marks on the sand as if I had walked a huge distance on the shore. But at some places, instead of one pair I observed that there were two pairs of footsteps.
This made me even more curious. I asked Ganesha,” Lord, those foot steps are evidently mine and resembles the path of my life. But why are there another pair of footsteps at some places?” For that, Ganesha smiled (probably at my naiveness) and replied, “Those footsteps are mine. I walked along with you during those times when you were happy and had no difficulties.”
If god had been with me only during my happiness and prosperity, it was not fair at all. I was left alone when I had difficulties in life and he had not at all supported me. This pissed me off a little. I asked him again in a protesting tone,” Why did you leave me alone when I had to face difficulties in life? I prayed my whole life and is this what you had to offer me?” To this, he could not control laughing. I was even more pissed off at this reaction. Then he controlled himself and told, “You dumbo, it was not you who were walking when you had difficulties. But it was I who had carried you all the way. That is the only reason why you see only one pair of footsteps during your difficult times...” I didn’t know what to say at this. It had made me speechless.
It started raining and the god disappeared somewhere. There were suddenly huge thunderstorms. Just when I was trying to follow what was happening around, I opened my eyes and saw that it was just the alarm and not any thunderstorm. I was relieved to see myself young again and in a minute realized that it was just another nightmare. But I will never forget the last line Ganesha told me.
“It was I who carried you during your difficulties”. This will certainly be one of the most memorable nightmares.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Discovering a Thespian in me - Part 2
It had been a very busy year and equally boring. I didn’t get to enjoy my summer holidays also. I was trying to focus on my studies and had also joined one of the best tutorials in Bangalore. Though I was not scoring very well, I was atleast trying to. It was all because of my dismal performance in 1st year that I had completely lost confidence.
Life went on in the same manner till I finished my mid-term exams. Life was very mechanical and boring again. I had decided not to join the theatre workshop this time as my parents were totally against it. But as they say, “Man proposes but God disposes”.
One morning when I was walking in the corridor of the college, I met the then Principal of my college, Mr.Sheshadri iyengar. He was a great theatre artist himself and after my performance as Vidushaka, I was his favorite student because the role of Vidushaka was his first performance too. He suddenly asked me whether I had joined the workshop this time. My answer was in negative. He then persuaded me to join the workshop. I was flattered when Mr.Iyengar himself was asking me to join the workshop as people who know him would also know how unfriendly he can be. I respected him a lot and did not want to say no to him and I joined the workshop even in my 2nd year.
This time, I did not inform my parents about me joining the workshop. I didn’t know how ominous this decision will be. The new director, Mr.Joseph from Kerala was selected this time and we decided to do a play written by Shakespeare called “As You like It” and I took up the role of a villain this time. Everyone in the group was junior to me and I was the leader of the whole group. Another friend, Adesh sometimes used to pitch in but he was not into acting this time.
I had to suffer academically this time around because I had to face the board exams. I had bunked my classes at college and at tutorials and had only 18% attendance. Though I did not have any problems with the college, it had a huge impact at my house and my parents were very angry on me. It was a big drama at tutorials also and eventually I somehow participated again in the competition and again won the “best role in the group” award.
My teachers were very sure that I will not get through the exams that year but fortunately I scraped through and could manage a decent percentage in the board exams with a CET rank which got me into a mediocre Engineering college.
Finally the drama had ended and I came out of a huge pressure but stopped all my Theatricals in my engineering. Though I had selected a Branch with no or very little future prospects in Engineering, I somehow could manage to get into one of the biggest IT Service companies of India, Infosys technologies as a software engineer where I have been working from past 1 year and 9 months and which I will be quitting this weekend.
At the end of this post, I would like to thank Mr.Naresh Mayya and Mr.Sheshadri Iyengar, the two main people who changed the course of my life, gave me an identity and helped me to recognize my talent.
Life went on in the same manner till I finished my mid-term exams. Life was very mechanical and boring again. I had decided not to join the theatre workshop this time as my parents were totally against it. But as they say, “Man proposes but God disposes”.
One morning when I was walking in the corridor of the college, I met the then Principal of my college, Mr.Sheshadri iyengar. He was a great theatre artist himself and after my performance as Vidushaka, I was his favorite student because the role of Vidushaka was his first performance too. He suddenly asked me whether I had joined the workshop this time. My answer was in negative. He then persuaded me to join the workshop. I was flattered when Mr.Iyengar himself was asking me to join the workshop as people who know him would also know how unfriendly he can be. I respected him a lot and did not want to say no to him and I joined the workshop even in my 2nd year.
This time, I did not inform my parents about me joining the workshop. I didn’t know how ominous this decision will be. The new director, Mr.Joseph from Kerala was selected this time and we decided to do a play written by Shakespeare called “As You like It” and I took up the role of a villain this time. Everyone in the group was junior to me and I was the leader of the whole group. Another friend, Adesh sometimes used to pitch in but he was not into acting this time.
I had to suffer academically this time around because I had to face the board exams. I had bunked my classes at college and at tutorials and had only 18% attendance. Though I did not have any problems with the college, it had a huge impact at my house and my parents were very angry on me. It was a big drama at tutorials also and eventually I somehow participated again in the competition and again won the “best role in the group” award.
My teachers were very sure that I will not get through the exams that year but fortunately I scraped through and could manage a decent percentage in the board exams with a CET rank which got me into a mediocre Engineering college.
Finally the drama had ended and I came out of a huge pressure but stopped all my Theatricals in my engineering. Though I had selected a Branch with no or very little future prospects in Engineering, I somehow could manage to get into one of the biggest IT Service companies of India, Infosys technologies as a software engineer where I have been working from past 1 year and 9 months and which I will be quitting this weekend.
At the end of this post, I would like to thank Mr.Naresh Mayya and Mr.Sheshadri Iyengar, the two main people who changed the course of my life, gave me an identity and helped me to recognize my talent.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Discovering a Thespian in me- Part 1
It was another boring, dull day at MESKK PUcollege. The specialty was that there was a pin-drop silence through out the college. This was mainly because the 1st test was going on for us, 1st PUC students and my classmates were indeed very serious about that.
But with me it was a different thing altogether. I was more disinterested than serious. From the time I had joined MESKK, I had been watching how all my peers were concentrating only on studies and I had been loathing them a lot. I was always thinking that the college life will be better than the protected school life we normally have but I got to know that things were worse at MESKK PU College. Moreover none of my classmates in school had joined there which added to the boredom. I was all alone and had to make new friends which obviously would take time.
That day, when we were sitting in the exam hall, suddenly a circular came to the class. I initially didn’t listen to that as I thought this was another boring class timetable which was about to change or the next test timetable. To my dismay, I noticed that the nerds of my class also were not paying attention to that circular. Suddenly I wanted to listen to that as I believed there was something in that for me. That circular was about a theatre workshop which was about to happen in the Dasara holidays which followed the test. I was very excited about this circular and probably the first person in the whole class to register. After this, there was no looking back for me and my wonderful journey of being a thespian.
Acting was not something new to me. I had been in some small plays in my school and many people had already appreciated my talent in acting. Even today I believe that if I have something unique in me then this talent is that. I am able to differentiate myself with rest of the world only because of my interest in Acting.
I could not wait for my tests to get over and join the workshop. Eventually the D-Day arrived and the class started. This was the day when I met my mentor and director, Mr. Naresh Mayya. He was the director for the whole team and later my mentor and the person who inspired me also. The first day, there were around 30 students and we were all new to each other except for couple of people who knew each other. It was a very boring day as most of the day Mayya sir was lecturing us all and I was again losing interest as I needed some action and not another lecture. But I never knew this particular workshop would change my whole life...
By the time we completed two weeks at the workshop, there were only around 20 people. And, later some 15 people from the music group joined us. During this workshop, I got to know that I was interested in acting and I enjoyed every moment of it. More than that people who were watching also were enjoying which came as a motivation for me.
The end product of the workshop was a play in which we all enacted and with this, we had to participate in a state level competition where the degree and pu colleges from all over Karnataka participated. This was an issue of prestige for the college as there was a Rolling Shield to be won.
We decided (rather Mayya sir decided) to enact a kannada version of Kalidasa’s Malavikagni Mithra which was called as “Vidisheya Vidushaka”. By this time I was recognized in the team and hence was selected to do the Vidushaka’s role. This was ofcourse very challenging as apart from Agnimithra, who was the protagonist, Vidushaka was the other main character. It infact revolved around how Vidushaka controlled the whole plot. I was very happy with the role and tried to give my best performance everytime we staged it. I got very good reviews and everyone who watched the play appreciated my acting which was again very inspiring to me. By this time, my acting was liked by most of the prominent people of my college including Mr.Sheshadri Iyengar, Trustee Mrs. Vimla Rangachar , etc….Suddenly after our first show I had become a well known person in my college and everyone started recognizing me which kind of gave me a celebrity status in my college.
The darker side of this was also there as most of my classmates who were nerds started looking down on me as I was not performing very well in my Academics and I had to befriend with the Bad Elements of The College without any option. All these things kept me away from the class most of the times. Another thing was my lecturers knew me well and they started bothering me about academics on which I had already lost interest.
But I was not too worried about all those side effects as my Acting career was thriving and I was becoming more famous daily. Mr. Mayya also experimented a lot with my character in every show and I started getting very good reviews and I also started knowing more people like Mr.Raghunandan who were from NSD and very prominent in Indian Theatre. I had almost decided to quit studies and join NSD and make a career out of acting.
Finally, the competition happened and we performed at Ravindra Kalakshetra which was like a dream come true. The play was excellent and I won the prestigious best Supproting Role award. This was given only to 3 people from the whole of Karnataka. My college also won the Rolling Shield. Our team performed many times after the competition and we were also selected for a festival conducted by NSD which we never did because we had to travel to Delhi and most of the people in the team did not agree.
With this, my 1st year Theatricals came to an end and I came to know that my parents were completely against my decision of taking up acting as a profession and so even I concentrated more on studies and 2nd PUC board exams and decided not to join the workshop in the next academic year.
But with me it was a different thing altogether. I was more disinterested than serious. From the time I had joined MESKK, I had been watching how all my peers were concentrating only on studies and I had been loathing them a lot. I was always thinking that the college life will be better than the protected school life we normally have but I got to know that things were worse at MESKK PU College. Moreover none of my classmates in school had joined there which added to the boredom. I was all alone and had to make new friends which obviously would take time.
That day, when we were sitting in the exam hall, suddenly a circular came to the class. I initially didn’t listen to that as I thought this was another boring class timetable which was about to change or the next test timetable. To my dismay, I noticed that the nerds of my class also were not paying attention to that circular. Suddenly I wanted to listen to that as I believed there was something in that for me. That circular was about a theatre workshop which was about to happen in the Dasara holidays which followed the test. I was very excited about this circular and probably the first person in the whole class to register. After this, there was no looking back for me and my wonderful journey of being a thespian.
Acting was not something new to me. I had been in some small plays in my school and many people had already appreciated my talent in acting. Even today I believe that if I have something unique in me then this talent is that. I am able to differentiate myself with rest of the world only because of my interest in Acting.
I could not wait for my tests to get over and join the workshop. Eventually the D-Day arrived and the class started. This was the day when I met my mentor and director, Mr. Naresh Mayya. He was the director for the whole team and later my mentor and the person who inspired me also. The first day, there were around 30 students and we were all new to each other except for couple of people who knew each other. It was a very boring day as most of the day Mayya sir was lecturing us all and I was again losing interest as I needed some action and not another lecture. But I never knew this particular workshop would change my whole life...
By the time we completed two weeks at the workshop, there were only around 20 people. And, later some 15 people from the music group joined us. During this workshop, I got to know that I was interested in acting and I enjoyed every moment of it. More than that people who were watching also were enjoying which came as a motivation for me.
The end product of the workshop was a play in which we all enacted and with this, we had to participate in a state level competition where the degree and pu colleges from all over Karnataka participated. This was an issue of prestige for the college as there was a Rolling Shield to be won.
We decided (rather Mayya sir decided) to enact a kannada version of Kalidasa’s Malavikagni Mithra which was called as “Vidisheya Vidushaka”. By this time I was recognized in the team and hence was selected to do the Vidushaka’s role. This was ofcourse very challenging as apart from Agnimithra, who was the protagonist, Vidushaka was the other main character. It infact revolved around how Vidushaka controlled the whole plot. I was very happy with the role and tried to give my best performance everytime we staged it. I got very good reviews and everyone who watched the play appreciated my acting which was again very inspiring to me. By this time, my acting was liked by most of the prominent people of my college including Mr.Sheshadri Iyengar, Trustee Mrs. Vimla Rangachar , etc….Suddenly after our first show I had become a well known person in my college and everyone started recognizing me which kind of gave me a celebrity status in my college.
The darker side of this was also there as most of my classmates who were nerds started looking down on me as I was not performing very well in my Academics and I had to befriend with the Bad Elements of The College without any option. All these things kept me away from the class most of the times. Another thing was my lecturers knew me well and they started bothering me about academics on which I had already lost interest.
But I was not too worried about all those side effects as my Acting career was thriving and I was becoming more famous daily. Mr. Mayya also experimented a lot with my character in every show and I started getting very good reviews and I also started knowing more people like Mr.Raghunandan who were from NSD and very prominent in Indian Theatre. I had almost decided to quit studies and join NSD and make a career out of acting.
Finally, the competition happened and we performed at Ravindra Kalakshetra which was like a dream come true. The play was excellent and I won the prestigious best Supproting Role award. This was given only to 3 people from the whole of Karnataka. My college also won the Rolling Shield. Our team performed many times after the competition and we were also selected for a festival conducted by NSD which we never did because we had to travel to Delhi and most of the people in the team did not agree.
With this, my 1st year Theatricals came to an end and I came to know that my parents were completely against my decision of taking up acting as a profession and so even I concentrated more on studies and 2nd PUC board exams and decided not to join the workshop in the next academic year.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Heart touching story
It’s really been a very long time since I have even visited my Blog space. I don’t know what really kept me away from that. It was when I came to Mysore that I had written my last blog. The reason may be anything but from past 2-3 weeks I badly wanted to write something but was not getting anything to write on. Moreover these days I am also busy with my latest adventure which can jeopardize my “Bright” Career.
It was in an Ayurvedic hospital that I decided to write my next post. I saw an entirely different world there which left me very dejected and depressed. It was a very rare moment which left me crying and which created tears in my eyes. (p.s: Its very rare that I get tears as I don’t cry even on a very worst occasion). That’s not because I am emotionless but it’s because I don’t think crying will solve any issue. But in this case that process was involuntary and unstoppable. I write this post to always remind myself about the goal I have set for myself and also hope that atleast some people who read this set for themselves a goal which will make our world happier to live in.
I was diagnosed with seasonal Rhinitis by my Allopathic doctor and later I decided that I will try Ayurvedic this time as there was no permanent cure for this allergy in Allopathic. I contacted one of my relative who is an Ayurvedic doctor and she sent me to a hospital in Mysore. I thought that the hospital will be really big and has all hi-tech equipments. But I was proved wrong after I saw the building (it will be appropriate to call it a room rather!!!!!!). There was an old tarnished board hanging outside that building which proved its identity. Otherwise no one could tell that it’s a hospital. After the initial shock, I somehow convinced myself that I will come out alive and went in. It was there where all the humor ended and depression set in.
I was sitting on a chair and I was waiting for the doctor. I had to undergo a treatment called Nasya and the people inside were very courteous contrary to my belief before I went in. Though this made me a bit happy the happiness soon ended as an old lady entered the place. It was a very small place and hence I could see everyone inside the room and also could hear what they were speaking.
This lady who entered had a hunched back and looked very sick. She carried a gunny bag which proved that she was a mendicant. Her dress was torn and old and it appeared as if she had no other cloth to wear. To say the least, her condition was very pathetic. She came in and stood exactly in front of me and started speaking to a lady nurse who was doing something. Hence I could clearly listen to what they spoke. She had brought many tablets in her gunny bag which I assume that she picked them from some garbage. She was showing them to that nurse and telling that she has been eating these tablets from past 10 days instead of food because she didn’t have money. She had come there because she was suffering from severe abdominal pain. That nurse was really kind hearted and gave her a ten rupee note and asked her to eat something first. That old lady was very happy and she went away. Later, the nurse was telling someone that the old lady was suffering from gas trouble because she had not eaten properly from past 10 days and her stomach had become very hard like a rock. Hearing to this, tears flowed down my eyes involuntarily.
The next day I went there made me witness another sorrowful event which made me more focused about my goal of building an old age home I India. I saw a lady in probably in her middle 50s swearing someone and very unhappy about something. When I concentrated on what she was telling, I heard that she was swearing at her brother. I was really amazed by the words she was using towards her own brother. Later I saw a very old woman next to her. The old woman was her mother and might have been in her 80s. She was very weak and could not even walk and hence was using a walking stick. The only thing noticeable in her was her hair which had grayed completely and was not brushed at all. Her daughter was telling that she had undergone a heart surgery and couldnot take care of her mother. She also said that her brother was in Bangalore and was wealthy enough to admit his mother in a good hospital. Instead he was busy in amassing wealth to his children. This made me wonder what the real objective of money was. Doesn’t that dumb son know that even he might face the similar situation as his mother? Doesn’t he owe anything to his mother? Its common in Western countries for children to go away from their parents after they become adults. But in our country, old people are not independent as witnessed in the Western countries. They depend on their kids in old age.
These two incidents made me really think of our country in the future. As the country goes global, people get busier and the relationships in family becomes lesser in priority. If this is the state of our country from inside, then what’s the use of GDP growth? what’s the use of increase in literacy? what’s the use of decrease in unemployment and increasing payrolls? Aren’t we responsible for our parents’ happiness anymore? Are we expecting that our children would really support us when we are in need and hence concentrating more on money making for them?
People say that parents should not expect anything from their children. But this is true only in other countries where parents don’t make money to invest on children. Instead they also save some money for retirement. But here people are ignorant about the latter issue and concentrate more on the development of their children. We, the youth instead of complaining have to come forward and lead the society. Its really shameful that in a country like ours where so many Billionaires are based, there are people who are treated like animals and don’t have money for their food. This condition of elders is more ubiquitous in major cities where we can find maximum growth these days.
It was in an Ayurvedic hospital that I decided to write my next post. I saw an entirely different world there which left me very dejected and depressed. It was a very rare moment which left me crying and which created tears in my eyes. (p.s: Its very rare that I get tears as I don’t cry even on a very worst occasion). That’s not because I am emotionless but it’s because I don’t think crying will solve any issue. But in this case that process was involuntary and unstoppable. I write this post to always remind myself about the goal I have set for myself and also hope that atleast some people who read this set for themselves a goal which will make our world happier to live in.
I was diagnosed with seasonal Rhinitis by my Allopathic doctor and later I decided that I will try Ayurvedic this time as there was no permanent cure for this allergy in Allopathic. I contacted one of my relative who is an Ayurvedic doctor and she sent me to a hospital in Mysore. I thought that the hospital will be really big and has all hi-tech equipments. But I was proved wrong after I saw the building (it will be appropriate to call it a room rather!!!!!!). There was an old tarnished board hanging outside that building which proved its identity. Otherwise no one could tell that it’s a hospital. After the initial shock, I somehow convinced myself that I will come out alive and went in. It was there where all the humor ended and depression set in.
I was sitting on a chair and I was waiting for the doctor. I had to undergo a treatment called Nasya and the people inside were very courteous contrary to my belief before I went in. Though this made me a bit happy the happiness soon ended as an old lady entered the place. It was a very small place and hence I could see everyone inside the room and also could hear what they were speaking.
This lady who entered had a hunched back and looked very sick. She carried a gunny bag which proved that she was a mendicant. Her dress was torn and old and it appeared as if she had no other cloth to wear. To say the least, her condition was very pathetic. She came in and stood exactly in front of me and started speaking to a lady nurse who was doing something. Hence I could clearly listen to what they spoke. She had brought many tablets in her gunny bag which I assume that she picked them from some garbage. She was showing them to that nurse and telling that she has been eating these tablets from past 10 days instead of food because she didn’t have money. She had come there because she was suffering from severe abdominal pain. That nurse was really kind hearted and gave her a ten rupee note and asked her to eat something first. That old lady was very happy and she went away. Later, the nurse was telling someone that the old lady was suffering from gas trouble because she had not eaten properly from past 10 days and her stomach had become very hard like a rock. Hearing to this, tears flowed down my eyes involuntarily.
The next day I went there made me witness another sorrowful event which made me more focused about my goal of building an old age home I India. I saw a lady in probably in her middle 50s swearing someone and very unhappy about something. When I concentrated on what she was telling, I heard that she was swearing at her brother. I was really amazed by the words she was using towards her own brother. Later I saw a very old woman next to her. The old woman was her mother and might have been in her 80s. She was very weak and could not even walk and hence was using a walking stick. The only thing noticeable in her was her hair which had grayed completely and was not brushed at all. Her daughter was telling that she had undergone a heart surgery and couldnot take care of her mother. She also said that her brother was in Bangalore and was wealthy enough to admit his mother in a good hospital. Instead he was busy in amassing wealth to his children. This made me wonder what the real objective of money was. Doesn’t that dumb son know that even he might face the similar situation as his mother? Doesn’t he owe anything to his mother? Its common in Western countries for children to go away from their parents after they become adults. But in our country, old people are not independent as witnessed in the Western countries. They depend on their kids in old age.
These two incidents made me really think of our country in the future. As the country goes global, people get busier and the relationships in family becomes lesser in priority. If this is the state of our country from inside, then what’s the use of GDP growth? what’s the use of increase in literacy? what’s the use of decrease in unemployment and increasing payrolls? Aren’t we responsible for our parents’ happiness anymore? Are we expecting that our children would really support us when we are in need and hence concentrating more on money making for them?
People say that parents should not expect anything from their children. But this is true only in other countries where parents don’t make money to invest on children. Instead they also save some money for retirement. But here people are ignorant about the latter issue and concentrate more on the development of their children. We, the youth instead of complaining have to come forward and lead the society. Its really shameful that in a country like ours where so many Billionaires are based, there are people who are treated like animals and don’t have money for their food. This condition of elders is more ubiquitous in major cities where we can find maximum growth these days.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Still Single!!!!!
It was the first day in MESKK and the first period was chemistry lab!!!! Yeah, after coming to MES, and after going “girlfriendless” in my whole high school, I was hoping to get one for sure. I thought that though I was neither tall nor dark, I was atleast handsome. I actually was proven wrong later. My quest started from my first class. I was trying to find someone who was good looking and simple. Fortunately, MES had many such girls. But my eyes fell upon one standing exactly to my opposite. She was pouring some salt solution into the test tube and didn’t quite notice me (naturally!!!!!!). But by this time, I had made my mind that it was her and no one else (probably I was very much influenced by the Bollywood movies those days).It was not enough to select one, but the most important part was to impress that girl and make her think that she liked me (Man, the toughest job on earth). So, I was on the mission from day one though I didn’t know how to proceed. In the beginning, I just was indulged in looking at her and admiring her simplicity. But later I realized that if I didn’t do anything else, she wouldn’t even notice me. For her to know me, I had to get her intro (introduction) from her friends. And for this to happen, I had to get acquainted with her friends. Here started my badluck. Though couple of her friends were a bit good natured and decent, most of the people in her so-called group (later I got to know that she hated most of them and was not involved much with them.) were the “bad-elements” of my class. Without any other option, I made their friendship which was too costly for me at the end (especially “Mr. Bad guy” of my coll-my other MES friends know to whom I am pointing to). That was the worst ever group in the college and the studious guys started keeping me away slowly as I had become one among the bad guys and also, instead of showing interest in my academics, I was becoming a thespian.Coming back to my love story, I was finally successful in getting her intro thru my group. I can never forget the day when I first spoke to her. That day, a big goon from the group had proposed her and she had refused. He was using all the tricks of trade to please her. Don’t know what happened to him later though (Actually, I hardly met him later). That day, when I spoke to her first, she had offered me a seat next to her. Here, please don’t mistake me. I never took that as an encouraging symbol. I think that it was just for courtesy sake. That instant, I started liking her more than ever as I saw her simplicity from a very small distance. Actually speaking, I had started respecting her more now.Now was the time for self realization. I had by now realized that this was not my cup of tea. I had zero experience in talking to a girl didn’t have any clue what the next should be. So, I had to disclose the fact to couple of my friends in the group. They were encouraging (but I always felt that they laughed behind me and were always trying to backstab me). At that time, I completely believed them and thought that they would not betray me. Now when I think about those things, I feel that my biggest mistake was to tell them about my crush. They probably made it more complicated and messy.As the days went by, I came to know many of her qualities which were just what I expected and I was growing fond of her. She was soft spoken, silent, mature, etc, etc. Most of our future plans were also similar. Whether she liked me or not, is still a mystery. But even today, when I think about her, my heart misses a beat. When everything looked good, I don’t know from whom, my crush got to know about my intentions in a wrong sense and from then there was a huge misunderstanding between us. One day when I called her house, (I don’t know if it was done by her purposefully!!!!!!) her mother picked up the phone and started lecturing me and telling me not to call her again. That day as per my knowledge was the last day in my first puc that we spoke to each other. I was just wondering why didn’t she atleast tell sorry????Other than this, another interesting incident happened during my first year in college. This girl i.e. my crush had one weird habit of internet chatting. She had this silly idea of finding her guy in a net-café (now that’s really weird). One day after she came to know that I had a crush on her, as if to make me envious she told that she had an affair with some guy from Delhi over the internet. The only way they communicated was by chatting daily. I was absolutely taken aback by this and was very depressed. Above that, I was very new to all these things and hence clueless. My confidence was low mainly for the reasons that I was too innocent and I didn’t have either money or looks to woo her towards me. As I was short of ideas, I left it to my friends who finally messed it up for me. She came to know that I was trying to break that silly relationship she had by playing a prank. My attempt was not fruitful but after somedays, I got to know that she had broken that relationship (what else could have happened to that?).Though I had fallen hard for her, I had decided that I’ll concentrate on my studies in my 2nd year and stop thinking about her. But that was obviously not possible as this time coincidence made us talk to each other again. We both had joined the same tuition classes and had to sit together for all the tests. Still, we hadn’t talked to each other for months. Finally, for some reason we spoke again and this time it was a deeper wound to me. It was more intense and it was better than the previous stint. There was no way for me to come out of it. We developed a better rapport this time around and spoke more casually. She had called me once and actually spoke with me for around half an hour over the phone.That all started with her attending my play. I was a sort of main character and by now had made a very good name in the college. I was acting very well and had won many prizes for the same. Even now I don’t understand if she really was impressed with me or there was no such intention. But atleast I believed that she had some soft corner for me in her heart. I used to call her daily this time and we used to chat really well over the phone and the friendship was becoming very strong. Thankfully this time, the baddie group didn’t interfere much. I could have probably pulled it off this time but couldn’t succeed as the way I spoke was really awful and confused. I was totally messed up while speaking to her and instead of impressing her started depressing her. I had no idea (still don’t have that) how to speak to a girl. Then finally one day, when I called her she didn’t pick up the phone. Her mother picked it up and like the previous time blasted me but it was worst than the first time. This finally hurt my ego completely. I decided to quit thinking about her. But that wouldn’t happen. Still somewhere inside me I was thinking that I could turn the tables and the story would go my way. But that was a hope which never came true.That was the last day I spoke to her. After that she remained in my memory and never got erased. Even today, the only girl who comes in my mind whenever I think of a girlfriend is her. Still I am waiting for her and hoping that someday she’ll realize my love towards her and come back to me.
If at all I never had a crush over her and we had remained friends, then I think that by now it would have been a very strong bond because we both thought alike and had same plans. Actually, we are almost haveing the same career till now. Even today I'll feel myself lucky if she considers to be my friend.
If at all I never had a crush over her and we had remained friends, then I think that by now it would have been a very strong bond because we both thought alike and had same plans. Actually, we are almost haveing the same career till now. Even today I'll feel myself lucky if she considers to be my friend.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
7 Months in Bangalore
It was a pleasant 10days in Mysore after the hectic training. The only woe I had at that time was that the company had not extended the “7star” accommodation they had provided me for 4 long months. That fateful day had finally come. I was ecstatic that I’ll continue in Mysore for over a year. But that particular day had changed it all. My H.R made me experience life in Bangalore again. He had come a bit late that day and suddenly had asked us if we were interested to work in Bangalore. I had an edge over others and ofcourse happier than them as I was a Bangalorean. He also added a statement which made me accept Bangalore. He said, you people might be transferred to Pune and Chandigarh. This particular statement had made me paranoid and I eventually went to Bangalore. But who knew it will be only for 7months and so dramatic? It actually changed my life drastically. That’s why; these 7months are more prominent than my 22years of life in Bangalore before Infosys.
I took some time to understand the importance of the transfer to Bangalore and in the beginning was a bit excited also. I had seen many things in Bangalore as a student. Now I could not only see things but also have them as I was employed in one of the most prestigious companies in India which paid a descent salary too. This made me very happy. Hence, I was eagerly waiting to reach Bangalore. But this was not all. I realized that it was more than that and not a walk on the cake afterall.
I was actually sent to Bangalore for a project along with 6 of my Training colleagues. Till then, I wasn’t exposed to the “corporate culture”. I was startled to see my office in Bangalore as it was a literal corporate jungle. It was not what Mysore campus was like, I immediately understood that my college days were over and now I am a kind of business man who is trying to sell myself daily.
In the beginning, I thought Bangalore will give me good technical knowledge and I’ll be put into some Hi-Fi project. But I was a bit dejected when they said, it was an in-house project. For this project, we had to struggle to get the required resources than to understand it. And the pressure was almost nil, making it even more boring. Then started my spree for reading different books and learning many things. It was basically the peer-pressure which made me learn different things. We were a group of around 7-8 people. Everyone in that group was good at multiple things. I had to learn many things because of that which included improving my language, vocabulary and general knowledge. We used to meet during lunch-breaks and I had lot of fun with that group. It included Ashutosh(one who can criticize even god!!!!!!), Anshuman (cracked CAT without preparing), Sandeep(one of the toppers in college), Vijay(one of the toppers in college), Rashmi(one of the toppers in college), Harsha( the guy who wants to talk to all the pretty girls in this world and knows about almost everything on this earth and one of the critics too). I was most of the times at the receiving end which gave me an excellent opportunity to know many things and to handle any situation.
Other than this group in office, I was also helped by some of my other friends to see life in a better way. They were Prasad, Anikethan, Santosh, Raghavendra, kaddi and c.k. everyone was so different from each other that I could actually learn about life from each of them. No character was a cliché. Everyone was unique and I always saw something better in them which I didn’t possess in me and every experience taught me something new. It would be unfair if I don’t mention the name of a person who always has been my role model and has guided me all the way. It is my uncle who is a genius in his own way, Srivatsa (Dadamama).
The first thing I did after I came to Bangalore was to buy a vehicle. This helped me a lot in traveling on weekends. Though I had so many friends, my weekends were still boring and not at all exciting. As my office colleagues were busy most of the weekends and they were not very outgoing kind. For some days initially, I normally went shopping to vent out my frustration due to boredom. Later I got a wonderful idea. I planned to make myself busy by getting into something on weekends. From my college days I was passionate about only one thing. That was acting in skits. The passion was so much intense that at one point of time in my life, I had even tried to make a career out of it and would have been successful also but my parents opposed to this and I had to withdraw. So, I thought I’ll try to do some thespian work. I eventually joined a group called “Wemove Productions” which was mainly producing English plays. All the members of that group were like me. They worked on the weekdays and met on weekends. I was part of 2 plays but didn’t get to play any prominent character in those plays. I gradually grew very fond of that group and if I have to go back to Bangalore now, I’ll probably join that again.
Along with all these things, an issue came up when I came to Bangalore. I had grown stout and had put on a lot of weight. So, I had become a bit conscious about that. I initially tried to workout in a local Gym but couldn’t continue for long as that demanded lot of time and I was a bit too lazy to getup early in the morning. Then along with 2 of my friends, I started jogging in the evenings. I had also started to eat raw vegetables for lunch and had cut down on my appetite considerably. This went on for 3-4 weeks and later I was right back on the track. I forgot about my weight as I had other things in office to concentrate on. By this time, I had addicted to the books and hence I started spending more time in office. Not only this but my blogging also had started and hence I concentrated more on other things.
The above said are the most important things I did in Bangalore for 7 months. Other than these things, everyday was a new experience and I used to do something new each day. Totally, it was real fun and it will surely remain unerased in my memory. I cant forget the 1hr15mins travel from my house to infy in the morning, trying to get the window seat everytime I got into the bus, rare breakfast in kamat, lunch in kamat, those lengthy coffee-breaks in terminal and golkonda, the way I rode on my Activa inspite of huge traffic in bangalore(the call-center cab type of driving), the basement, COE-lab, jogging in sannakadu, eating the roadside panipuri which used to be too spicy,going out for window-shopping and ending up shopping, the harangue episode, the walk from gate to 23,28 and vice-versa, gurukul, the talks during lunch break, the gokarting experience, bhatta’s somp(in kannada), other million memories which will always be stored in my memory. I will miss bangalore due to all these sweet experiences.
I took some time to understand the importance of the transfer to Bangalore and in the beginning was a bit excited also. I had seen many things in Bangalore as a student. Now I could not only see things but also have them as I was employed in one of the most prestigious companies in India which paid a descent salary too. This made me very happy. Hence, I was eagerly waiting to reach Bangalore. But this was not all. I realized that it was more than that and not a walk on the cake afterall.
I was actually sent to Bangalore for a project along with 6 of my Training colleagues. Till then, I wasn’t exposed to the “corporate culture”. I was startled to see my office in Bangalore as it was a literal corporate jungle. It was not what Mysore campus was like, I immediately understood that my college days were over and now I am a kind of business man who is trying to sell myself daily.
In the beginning, I thought Bangalore will give me good technical knowledge and I’ll be put into some Hi-Fi project. But I was a bit dejected when they said, it was an in-house project. For this project, we had to struggle to get the required resources than to understand it. And the pressure was almost nil, making it even more boring. Then started my spree for reading different books and learning many things. It was basically the peer-pressure which made me learn different things. We were a group of around 7-8 people. Everyone in that group was good at multiple things. I had to learn many things because of that which included improving my language, vocabulary and general knowledge. We used to meet during lunch-breaks and I had lot of fun with that group. It included Ashutosh(one who can criticize even god!!!!!!), Anshuman (cracked CAT without preparing), Sandeep(one of the toppers in college), Vijay(one of the toppers in college), Rashmi(one of the toppers in college), Harsha( the guy who wants to talk to all the pretty girls in this world and knows about almost everything on this earth and one of the critics too). I was most of the times at the receiving end which gave me an excellent opportunity to know many things and to handle any situation.
Other than this group in office, I was also helped by some of my other friends to see life in a better way. They were Prasad, Anikethan, Santosh, Raghavendra, kaddi and c.k. everyone was so different from each other that I could actually learn about life from each of them. No character was a cliché. Everyone was unique and I always saw something better in them which I didn’t possess in me and every experience taught me something new. It would be unfair if I don’t mention the name of a person who always has been my role model and has guided me all the way. It is my uncle who is a genius in his own way, Srivatsa (Dadamama).
The first thing I did after I came to Bangalore was to buy a vehicle. This helped me a lot in traveling on weekends. Though I had so many friends, my weekends were still boring and not at all exciting. As my office colleagues were busy most of the weekends and they were not very outgoing kind. For some days initially, I normally went shopping to vent out my frustration due to boredom. Later I got a wonderful idea. I planned to make myself busy by getting into something on weekends. From my college days I was passionate about only one thing. That was acting in skits. The passion was so much intense that at one point of time in my life, I had even tried to make a career out of it and would have been successful also but my parents opposed to this and I had to withdraw. So, I thought I’ll try to do some thespian work. I eventually joined a group called “Wemove Productions” which was mainly producing English plays. All the members of that group were like me. They worked on the weekdays and met on weekends. I was part of 2 plays but didn’t get to play any prominent character in those plays. I gradually grew very fond of that group and if I have to go back to Bangalore now, I’ll probably join that again.
Along with all these things, an issue came up when I came to Bangalore. I had grown stout and had put on a lot of weight. So, I had become a bit conscious about that. I initially tried to workout in a local Gym but couldn’t continue for long as that demanded lot of time and I was a bit too lazy to getup early in the morning. Then along with 2 of my friends, I started jogging in the evenings. I had also started to eat raw vegetables for lunch and had cut down on my appetite considerably. This went on for 3-4 weeks and later I was right back on the track. I forgot about my weight as I had other things in office to concentrate on. By this time, I had addicted to the books and hence I started spending more time in office. Not only this but my blogging also had started and hence I concentrated more on other things.
The above said are the most important things I did in Bangalore for 7 months. Other than these things, everyday was a new experience and I used to do something new each day. Totally, it was real fun and it will surely remain unerased in my memory. I cant forget the 1hr15mins travel from my house to infy in the morning, trying to get the window seat everytime I got into the bus, rare breakfast in kamat, lunch in kamat, those lengthy coffee-breaks in terminal and golkonda, the way I rode on my Activa inspite of huge traffic in bangalore(the call-center cab type of driving), the basement, COE-lab, jogging in sannakadu, eating the roadside panipuri which used to be too spicy,going out for window-shopping and ending up shopping, the harangue episode, the walk from gate to 23,28 and vice-versa, gurukul, the talks during lunch break, the gokarting experience, bhatta’s somp(in kannada), other million memories which will always be stored in my memory. I will miss bangalore due to all these sweet experiences.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The most important things in life happen due to the most ignored actions performed.
I could finally finish the book “War and peace” by Leo Tolstoy. It was my 2nd attempt to read that book. The first failed I couldn’t register those Russian names in my mind. It took me around 40 days to finish the 1500 page book. Therefore, on an average I read around 50 pages per day. Ofcourse I took 2-3 days break in between.
I thought it would be unfair for me not to summarize what I learnt from that book as only after I finished it I knew why great people like Gandhi were so much influenced by Tolstoy. So, I decided that I would write this blog.
In the beginning, it was tough to follow the story as it starts from a Russian soiree. It introduces so many characters in the beginning itself like Anna Pavlovna, Prince Nikolai Rostov, Shinshin, Prince Andrei, Prince Vasily, etc etc….
By the time I had reached around 80th page, I felt comfortable. I had come to know that Tolstoy is describing the lives of Upper class Russian lifestyles and the whole story was of the time when Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor was invading the world. The story mainly revolved around 6families.
Then I didn’t know the significance of the whole book as I thought it was another common story book. Many times I wondered how could people ever be influenced by a mere history book. Later was when I came to know that this was indeed a history book but it dealt with the story in a whole new way and it was how we ought to learn the history. I feel that the history textbooks in India for school children should be written in this manner instead of just giving out the events with the dates. This style not only makes history more interesting but also makes us learn from that a lot about human values.
I was really surprised when I came to know that the mentality and behavior of the people has hardly changed. Even though we say the world has become modern, the way the people think and act even today is the same. Sometimes I almost felt that Tolstoy wrote the book in 21st century.
One thing I couldn’t agree till the end was that he has severely criticized Bonaparte and this is obviously because Tolstoy was a Russian. But ofcourse, that does not mean that Bonaparte was right or he was genius.
He has not only explained how things were at that time but also explained how people thought or acted. He has explained with great efficiency, how peasants thought, how soldiers acted especially in the war, how a war was fought and how the upper class people in Russia reacted to that.
The thing which makes this book a must-read is, along with all these historical events Tolstoy has managed to link up many love stories amongst the characters and also the different emotions those characters display. Nowhere in the book has he forgotten to balance between history and the love stories. As the novel is very near to the truth, it is heart touching and an excellent source to understand peoples’ thoughts in different situations.
I thought it would be unfair for me not to summarize what I learnt from that book as only after I finished it I knew why great people like Gandhi were so much influenced by Tolstoy. So, I decided that I would write this blog.
In the beginning, it was tough to follow the story as it starts from a Russian soiree. It introduces so many characters in the beginning itself like Anna Pavlovna, Prince Nikolai Rostov, Shinshin, Prince Andrei, Prince Vasily, etc etc….
By the time I had reached around 80th page, I felt comfortable. I had come to know that Tolstoy is describing the lives of Upper class Russian lifestyles and the whole story was of the time when Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor was invading the world. The story mainly revolved around 6families.
Then I didn’t know the significance of the whole book as I thought it was another common story book. Many times I wondered how could people ever be influenced by a mere history book. Later was when I came to know that this was indeed a history book but it dealt with the story in a whole new way and it was how we ought to learn the history. I feel that the history textbooks in India for school children should be written in this manner instead of just giving out the events with the dates. This style not only makes history more interesting but also makes us learn from that a lot about human values.
I was really surprised when I came to know that the mentality and behavior of the people has hardly changed. Even though we say the world has become modern, the way the people think and act even today is the same. Sometimes I almost felt that Tolstoy wrote the book in 21st century.
One thing I couldn’t agree till the end was that he has severely criticized Bonaparte and this is obviously because Tolstoy was a Russian. But ofcourse, that does not mean that Bonaparte was right or he was genius.
He has not only explained how things were at that time but also explained how people thought or acted. He has explained with great efficiency, how peasants thought, how soldiers acted especially in the war, how a war was fought and how the upper class people in Russia reacted to that.
The thing which makes this book a must-read is, along with all these historical events Tolstoy has managed to link up many love stories amongst the characters and also the different emotions those characters display. Nowhere in the book has he forgotten to balance between history and the love stories. As the novel is very near to the truth, it is heart touching and an excellent source to understand peoples’ thoughts in different situations.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
my future plans
Yesterday, just for the sake of experimenting. I came in the 9:15 bus from my office. Bangalore was still crowded at that hour. So now I have resolved not to come back at that time again. But as they say, “it all depends on the business needs".
When I was coming in that bus, I was all alone and only becoz of that. I started thinking......thinking about what my future has to be and how to make it so.
First of all, there are some serious goals in my life. First is, I don’t know if I’ll marry or not. Irrespective of that fact, I want to adopt a “girl child”. Coz, I want a girl child and am afraid if my 1st child will be a boy. So, to be on a safer side, I have planned to adopt a "girl child". Yeah.......my other big time ambition in life is to build a nice old age home where poor old people can live peacefully in the dusk of their life (Philanthropy has always attracted me).
It’s not important just to dream things or have goals, but execution of a plan to reach the same is actually important. Keeping the above said goals as the motive, the actions of my whole life is planned by me. I don’t know if all goes according to the plan as there is an adage that “man proposes and god disposes”. But I have confidence that I’ll achieve my goal.
This was how my thoughts flowed yesterday night while I was sitting alone in the bus. Suddenly I was disturbed from that as one of my favorite song started to play in my Mp3 phone…..
What I’ve done
I’ll face myself
To cross-out what I’ve become
Erase myself…………………………………………
about Ishwara-the destroyer
According to a book i read recently, ishwara-the god responsible for destroying was not created by the aryans. instead, he was a god worshipped by dasyus of indus valley civilization and later when aryans mixed with them, they considered Ishwara or shiva as thier god too.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
different philosophies
I am having a debate from a long time about the principles of different religions. I have tried to solve this by reading some books. But still the doubt exists in me as to weather everything is created by man or if all the principles are true. I’ll try to mention the basic differences what I understand in the following…..
Hinduism: when we take Hinduism, it has a very vast and ancient history. As I have understood, there are probably two different opinions in this itself. First as told by sri sri shankaracharya, god is in every living and non living thing. God is not to be found outside us. Its within. But on the contrary, some gurus like sri sri ramanujacharya propound that what is present in us is just aatma, but there is another supreme soul called paramathma into whom we all will have to go. This theory is also seen in bhagavadgeetha. Overall, in Hinduism, the main belief is that the god is present inside us and he can be seen nowhere else but only through self realization.
Though hindus seem to worship many gods, all the gurus and great people of Hinduism argue that there is only one god and he is not in any form but the god is formless.
Islam: coming to islam, though I have very less knowledge about religions other than Hinduism, I will try to explain here whatever I know. Basically, they believe “Allah” to be their god and “mohammed” to be his messenger. According to this philosophy, humans are entirely different from god and god is separated from other beings on earth. They strongly believe that idol worshipping is a sin and god is formless.
One thing I have observed is, many practices in Islam for example, “polygamy”, “jihad”, etc which were told by “Prophet Mohammed”, was basically relevant for the medieval arab countries. What I mean to say is for instance, “jihad” was required to be included as a practice because mohammed had to resist the arab attack for Islam to survive. Also, “polygamy” was recommended as the population of muslims during that period was very thin and needed to be increased.
Christianism: the belief about god is very similar to islam here. The main difference being that Christians are idol worshippers contrary to muslims. They believe that “jesus Christ” is the son of god. They believe god to be supreme power and he is different than humans.
Many beliefs of Christianity probably which were developed slowly through different generations have been proved wrong for instance the church maintained that earth is flat and not circular. But scientists later proved it wrong. These things were propounded by some people in church and not by Christ himself though.
Jainism: this is another prominent religion about which I have read recently. Its main prophet is “Mahaveera”. According to this, humans’ life span is decreasing from generation to generation and once it will end up being 10years.
I know only this much about this religion. Another thing in this religion is that they believe in “Ahimsa” which means that no living being has to be harmed.
Other than the above mentioned religions, there are many others like Buddhism, Sikhism, etc. But as I cannot recall much about them and also because I don’t want to drag it more, I’ll conclude this blog.
Why I am discussing these things and what I really intend to know is only one answer. Basically all the religions in the world are both unique and similar in their own way. Infact many beliefs and practices are shared by these religions or have been borrowed by other religions. Many other beliefs are unique in these religions. Even with such diversity, we get to see people proving that their respective religion is correct. We have also witnessed that god is really present and we can learn about him by following any religion.
But again, many beliefs in all religions are baseless and created by humans. Only some are true and they indeed lead us to god. What I want to know is, if it is true that we can understand or atleast hope to know something about god, which religion is the best and if all religions lead to one god, how to decide which belief is authentic and which is man made?
I know that this million dollar question can be answered properly only by few people and is indeed very difficult. But whatever time it may take, I will be searching for the answer to this question probably till I am living as beyond that none of us know what will happen.
Hinduism: when we take Hinduism, it has a very vast and ancient history. As I have understood, there are probably two different opinions in this itself. First as told by sri sri shankaracharya, god is in every living and non living thing. God is not to be found outside us. Its within. But on the contrary, some gurus like sri sri ramanujacharya propound that what is present in us is just aatma, but there is another supreme soul called paramathma into whom we all will have to go. This theory is also seen in bhagavadgeetha. Overall, in Hinduism, the main belief is that the god is present inside us and he can be seen nowhere else but only through self realization.
Though hindus seem to worship many gods, all the gurus and great people of Hinduism argue that there is only one god and he is not in any form but the god is formless.
Islam: coming to islam, though I have very less knowledge about religions other than Hinduism, I will try to explain here whatever I know. Basically, they believe “Allah” to be their god and “mohammed” to be his messenger. According to this philosophy, humans are entirely different from god and god is separated from other beings on earth. They strongly believe that idol worshipping is a sin and god is formless.
One thing I have observed is, many practices in Islam for example, “polygamy”, “jihad”, etc which were told by “Prophet Mohammed”, was basically relevant for the medieval arab countries. What I mean to say is for instance, “jihad” was required to be included as a practice because mohammed had to resist the arab attack for Islam to survive. Also, “polygamy” was recommended as the population of muslims during that period was very thin and needed to be increased.
Christianism: the belief about god is very similar to islam here. The main difference being that Christians are idol worshippers contrary to muslims. They believe that “jesus Christ” is the son of god. They believe god to be supreme power and he is different than humans.
Many beliefs of Christianity probably which were developed slowly through different generations have been proved wrong for instance the church maintained that earth is flat and not circular. But scientists later proved it wrong. These things were propounded by some people in church and not by Christ himself though.
Jainism: this is another prominent religion about which I have read recently. Its main prophet is “Mahaveera”. According to this, humans’ life span is decreasing from generation to generation and once it will end up being 10years.
I know only this much about this religion. Another thing in this religion is that they believe in “Ahimsa” which means that no living being has to be harmed.
Other than the above mentioned religions, there are many others like Buddhism, Sikhism, etc. But as I cannot recall much about them and also because I don’t want to drag it more, I’ll conclude this blog.
Why I am discussing these things and what I really intend to know is only one answer. Basically all the religions in the world are both unique and similar in their own way. Infact many beliefs and practices are shared by these religions or have been borrowed by other religions. Many other beliefs are unique in these religions. Even with such diversity, we get to see people proving that their respective religion is correct. We have also witnessed that god is really present and we can learn about him by following any religion.
But again, many beliefs in all religions are baseless and created by humans. Only some are true and they indeed lead us to god. What I want to know is, if it is true that we can understand or atleast hope to know something about god, which religion is the best and if all religions lead to one god, how to decide which belief is authentic and which is man made?
I know that this million dollar question can be answered properly only by few people and is indeed very difficult. But whatever time it may take, I will be searching for the answer to this question probably till I am living as beyond that none of us know what will happen.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
HOW DID I START READING???????
AS I HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE PREVIOUS BLOG, I READ A LOT (REMEMBER VERY LESS THOUGH). PEOPLE SOMETIMES SAY, I READ UNWANTED STUFF. BUT FOR ME READING CAN NAVER BE UNWANTED. OFCOURSE, ONCE OR TWICE I HAVE STOPPED READING A BOOK HALFWAY THROUGH. THAT HAS ITS OWN REASON. WELL, COMING TO THE POINT……
IN THIS BLOG I JUST WANT TO WRITE MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE BOOKS. IT’S NOT ONLY FOR MY FRIENDS TO READ BUT ALSO FOR ME TO REMEMBER MY UNIQUE JOURNEY.
I NEVER HAD A PRACTICE OF READING FROM MY CHILDHOOD. ACTUALLY SPEAKING NO ONE GAVE ME INTERESTING BOOKS AND AS I REMEMBER NONE OF MY PARENTS WERE AND ARE VORACIOUS READERS. SO FOR ME, THERE WAS NO INSPIRATION AS SUCH.
FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I WAS IN MY MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY FATHER USED TO BUY TWO MAGAZINES CALLED ‘SUDHA’ AND ‘TARANGA’. THESE WERE KANNADA MAGAZINES. MY READING HABBIT STARTED FROM THIS TIME. AT THE BEGINNING, I STARTED READING THE CHILDRENS’ COLUMN IN SUDHA. THERE USED TO BE SMALL STORIES PRINTED IN THAT COLUMN AND WAS FUN TO READ IT. THEN GRADUALLY I GRADUATED FROM THAT COLUMN TO A COLUMN AT THE LAST SHEET WHERE SOME BIZZARE NEWS USED TO BE THERE. IT WAS FUN TO READ THAT BECAUSE IT HAD SOME FREAKY STUFF. AFTER SOMETIME, MY BIG BREAK CAME………
I DON’T REMEMBER IF IT WAS IN SUDHA OR TARANGA….BUT ONE STORY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. IT WAS A SERIES ACTUALLY AND WAS CALLED ‘CHINNARI MUTTHA’. LATER IT WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE ALSO. THIS PARTICULAR STORY WAS WRITTEN SO WELL THAT I STARTED READING IT EVERYTIME AND I ENJOYED IT A LOT. AFTER THIS I HAD DECIDED THAT I WILL READ SOMETHING BIG.
THEN FOR SOMEDAYS AFTER READING ‘CHINNARI MUTTHA’, I COULDNOT READ ANYTHING FOR WHICH THE REASONS I DON’T REMEMBER CLEARLY. THEN ONCE IN MY HIGHSCHOOL, ANOTHER SERIES CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. THAT TIME, ME AND MY FRIENDS WERE INTERESTED IN CREEPY STUFF AND EACH OF US USED TO NARRATE DIFFERENT HORROR STORIES WHICH WERE ACTUALLY COOKED UP. THIS PARTICULAR SERIES I AM TALKING ABOUT WAS SOMETHING VERY RELATED TO MY INTERESTS AT THAT TIME. IF IT WAS ANOTHER HOAX, I WOULDN’T HAVE PROBABLY READ IT. BUT THE AUTHOR CLAIMED IT TO BE A TRUE STORY. SO I READ THAT STUFF AND WAS REALLY FASCINATED HOW THINGS REALLY GO IN SOME SITUATIONS AND I WAS REALLY AWESTRUCK HOW SOME PEOPLE LEAD THEIR LIVES IN SEARCH OF POWER AND FAME.
AFTER READING THIS BOOK AGAIN I COULDN’T READ ANYTHING ELSE AS THE MAGAZINES WERE STOPPED IN MY HOUSE. THEN, I STARTED READING SOME COMICS SUCH AS ‘CHAMPAKA’, ‘CHANDAMAMA’, ETC. I STOPPED SUBSCRIBING THESE BOOKS AFTER MIDDLESCHOOL.
LATER, IN HIGHSCHOOL I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT MY READING ENTHUSIASM CAME DOWN AND I STOPPED IT FOR SOMETIME. WHEN I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH MY 8THGRADE I GUESS, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LIBRARY NEAR MY HOUSE AND THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE A LOOK AT THAT. IT WAS A VERY GOOD LIBRARY AND I LIKED THAT ATMOSPHERE VERYMUCH. THERE I STARTED READING COMICS LIKE TINKLE. IT WAS ACTUALLY A REWARD IN DISGUISE ONCE AND THAT TIME I REALIZED HOW HELPFUL IT IS TO READ BOOKS OTHER THAN THE ACADEMICS. ONCE, IN AN ENGLISH TEST CONDUCTED IN MY SCHOOL, THERE WAS A STORY GIVEN AND WE HAD TO GUESS THE NAME OF THAT STORY. THAT STORY WAS ACTUALLY FROM TINKLE. I HAD READ IT AND HENCE I KNEW THE ANSWER FOR THAT QUESTION. WHEN THE PAPERS WERE CORRECTED, I SAW THAT ONLY I HAD WRITTEN THE CORRECT ANSWER IN THE WHOLE CLASS. THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT THRILLED ME AND WAS AN INSPIRATION FOR ME TO READ MORE AND MORE.I THEN READ MANY BOOKS LIKE ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TINTIN, SOME COMICS BASED ON SUPER HEROES,ETC.
MY READING HAD TO BE ENDED BRIEFLY AGAIN AS I HAD TO PREPARE FOR MY SSLC EXAMS. THEN THERE WERE SO MANY DIVERSIONS IN MY PU COLLEGE THAT I ALMOST HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT BOOKS AND READING.
ONCE, DURING THE HOLIDAYS AFTER MY PUC, I WAS DESTINED TO GET A BREAK AGAIN. THIS TIME, I GOT AN ENGLISH NOVEL WHICH IS INFACT VERY WELL KNOWN. IT WAS “HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE”. IT’S REALLY INTERESTING HOW THIS BOOK CAME INTO MY HAND. THIS BOOK WAS BOUGHT BY MY UNCLE AS A GIFT FOR ONE OF MY COUSINS. BUT FORTUNATELY (FOR ME), SHE ALREADY HAD A COPY OF IT. SO, HE FINALLY GAVE THAT BOOK TO MY BROTHER FROM WHOM I GOT THAT BOOK. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST BIG NOVEL I EVER HAD READ IN ENGLISH. I FELT THRILLED TO READ IT. MOREOVER, THE BOOK WAS SO INTERESTING THAT I READ IT DAY AND NIGHT WITH VERY SHORT BREAKS. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH I WAS PREPARING FOR SOME EXAM.
AFTER THIS, STARTED MY NEVER ENDING THIRST FOR BOOKS. LATER, I BOUGHT AND READ TWO OR THREE HARRY POTTER SERIES. LATER, GOING BY MY FRIENDS’ AND UNCLE’S SUGGESTIONS, I READ DIFFERENT BOOKS LIKE SHERLOCK HOLMES, GOD FATHER, ANGELS AND DEAMONS, DA VINCI CODE, JOHN GRISHAM’S TWO-THREE BOOKS, ETC…
I HAD BECOME SO ADDICTED TO READING BY THIS TIME THAT, I DID NOT (ACTUALLY FORGOT TO) SLEEP A WHOLE NIGHT AS I WANTED TO FINISH ‘FIVE POINT SOMEONE’. I ALSO READ ‘ONE NIGHT AT A CALL CENTRE’ WRITTEN BY THE SAME AUTHOR. AMONG THESE BOOKS THE BEST WERE ‘FIVE POIN SOMEONE’ AND ‘GOD FATHER’.
LATER I HAD TO GO TO MYSORE FOR MY TRAINING IN INFOSYS. THERE, I ATTEMPTED TO READ A BOOK BY R.K.NARAYANAN, BUT FAILED AS I FELT THAT THE BOOK WAS VERY BORING. (I DON’T THINK EVERYONE WILL AGREE TO THIS THOUGH). AS I COULDNOT LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT I COULD NOT COMPLETE R.K.N’S BOOK, I TOOK HIS FAMOUS BOOK MALGUDI DAYS AND READ IT SUCCESSFULLY. ACTUALLY SPEAKING STILL I DID NOT LIKE HIS STYLE COMPLETELY. BUT I WAS HAPPY THAT I HAVE READ HIS FAMOUS BOOK. THEN, I READ SOME BIZZARE BOOKS LIKE THE GHOST STORIES,ETC…..I STARTED FEELING THAT I NOW WANTED TO READ WHICHEVER BOOK CAME INTO MY HAND. THEN, I READ SIDNEYSHELDON’S TWO BOOKS.
BY THIS TIME I HAD REALIZED THAT I HAD A UNIQUE PROBLEM. I HAD STARTED GETTING BORED OF ANY AUTHOR AFTER I READ TWO BOOKS BY THAT AUTHOR. THEIR STYLES WERE THE SAME IN THEIR BOOKS AND I COULD NOT READ MORE THAN TWO BOOKS BY A SINGLE AUTHOR.
THEN I ATTEMPTED TO READ ANOTHER BOOK BY JOHN GRISHAM BUT IN VAIN. LATER I FOUND THAT THE THRILLERS NOMORE WERE OF INTEREST TO ME. THEY STARTED TO SEEM VERY BORING. HENCE I DECIDED I’LL GRADUATE TO PHILOSOPHICAL AND SPIRITUAL BOOKS.
FIRST OF ALL, I DECIDED TO READ AND UNDERSTAND BHAGAVADGEETHA. I TOOK VERY LONG TIME FOR THIS AS I HAD TO THINK A LOT AND DEBATE A LOT IN MY MIND AFTER I READ EACH STANZA IN THAT BOOK. THEN, I ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY READ BOOKS LIKE, ‘MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH’, ‘MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI’AND ‘THE ALCHEMIST’. APART FROM THESE BOOKS, I ALSO READ BOOK BY SUDHA MURTHY. THIS WAS ABOUT PHILANTHROPY WHICH WAS VERY TOUCHING.THEN I ALSO HAD THE LUCK TO READ THE BOOK’MASKS OF GOD’ BY JOSEPH CAMPBELL. THANKS TO MY FRIEND WHO LENT ME THIS BOOK. ALSO LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, I READ JEFF ARCHER WHICH WAS VER BORING (IT WAS A THRILLER) TO SAY THE LEAST.
THESE BOOKS WERE SO GOOD THAT I SORT OF GOT TO KNOW ANSWERS FOR MANY QUESTIONS WHICH WERE IN MY MIND FOR A LONG TIME. OFCOURSE, THEY ALSO THREW LOT MORE FRESH QUESTIONS FOR WHICH I AM STILL, TO THIS DAY DEBATING IN MY MIND. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THESE DEBATES CAN END ONLY IF I READ MORE AND MORE BOOKS.
OF LATE, I HAVE STARTED READING A GREAT BOOK CALLED ‘WAR AND PEACE’ BY LEOTOLSTOY. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THAT I AM TRYING TO READ THIS BOOK AND AM SURE THAT THIS TIME I’LL BE SUCCESSFUL. I SELECTED THIS BOOK BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW THE REASON FOR GREAT PEOPLE LIKE MAHATMA GANDHI TO BE INFLUENCED BY LEOTOLSTOY’S WORKS. ANOTHER BOOK GANDHI HAS MENTIONED IN HIS BOOK’MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH’ IS BHAGAVADGEETHA AND THIS WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR ME READING IT. NOW I KNOW HOW THESE BOOKS CAN INFLUENCE AN INDUVIDUAL’S LIFE. I FEEL LIKE I AM IMPROVING MY THINKING AND FOR THAT MATTER ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF MY LIFE ONLY BY READING BOOKS.
I KNOW THAT AFTER 23YEARS OF MY LIVING, I HAVE NOT READ ANYTHING AND THERE IS LOT MORE TO READ AND LOT MORE TO LEARN. AND ACTUALLY SPEAKING MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF MY AGE GROUP HAVE READ ALMOST TWICE OR THRICE THAN ME AND ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEBLE THAN ME. I AM IN NO WAY COMPETING WITH ANYONE AND AM SINCERELY TRYING TO IMPROVE MYSELF. I HOPE TO CONTINUE READING BOOKS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
IN THIS BLOG I JUST WANT TO WRITE MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE BOOKS. IT’S NOT ONLY FOR MY FRIENDS TO READ BUT ALSO FOR ME TO REMEMBER MY UNIQUE JOURNEY.
I NEVER HAD A PRACTICE OF READING FROM MY CHILDHOOD. ACTUALLY SPEAKING NO ONE GAVE ME INTERESTING BOOKS AND AS I REMEMBER NONE OF MY PARENTS WERE AND ARE VORACIOUS READERS. SO FOR ME, THERE WAS NO INSPIRATION AS SUCH.
FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I WAS IN MY MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY FATHER USED TO BUY TWO MAGAZINES CALLED ‘SUDHA’ AND ‘TARANGA’. THESE WERE KANNADA MAGAZINES. MY READING HABBIT STARTED FROM THIS TIME. AT THE BEGINNING, I STARTED READING THE CHILDRENS’ COLUMN IN SUDHA. THERE USED TO BE SMALL STORIES PRINTED IN THAT COLUMN AND WAS FUN TO READ IT. THEN GRADUALLY I GRADUATED FROM THAT COLUMN TO A COLUMN AT THE LAST SHEET WHERE SOME BIZZARE NEWS USED TO BE THERE. IT WAS FUN TO READ THAT BECAUSE IT HAD SOME FREAKY STUFF. AFTER SOMETIME, MY BIG BREAK CAME………
I DON’T REMEMBER IF IT WAS IN SUDHA OR TARANGA….BUT ONE STORY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. IT WAS A SERIES ACTUALLY AND WAS CALLED ‘CHINNARI MUTTHA’. LATER IT WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE ALSO. THIS PARTICULAR STORY WAS WRITTEN SO WELL THAT I STARTED READING IT EVERYTIME AND I ENJOYED IT A LOT. AFTER THIS I HAD DECIDED THAT I WILL READ SOMETHING BIG.
THEN FOR SOMEDAYS AFTER READING ‘CHINNARI MUTTHA’, I COULDNOT READ ANYTHING FOR WHICH THE REASONS I DON’T REMEMBER CLEARLY. THEN ONCE IN MY HIGHSCHOOL, ANOTHER SERIES CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. THAT TIME, ME AND MY FRIENDS WERE INTERESTED IN CREEPY STUFF AND EACH OF US USED TO NARRATE DIFFERENT HORROR STORIES WHICH WERE ACTUALLY COOKED UP. THIS PARTICULAR SERIES I AM TALKING ABOUT WAS SOMETHING VERY RELATED TO MY INTERESTS AT THAT TIME. IF IT WAS ANOTHER HOAX, I WOULDN’T HAVE PROBABLY READ IT. BUT THE AUTHOR CLAIMED IT TO BE A TRUE STORY. SO I READ THAT STUFF AND WAS REALLY FASCINATED HOW THINGS REALLY GO IN SOME SITUATIONS AND I WAS REALLY AWESTRUCK HOW SOME PEOPLE LEAD THEIR LIVES IN SEARCH OF POWER AND FAME.
AFTER READING THIS BOOK AGAIN I COULDN’T READ ANYTHING ELSE AS THE MAGAZINES WERE STOPPED IN MY HOUSE. THEN, I STARTED READING SOME COMICS SUCH AS ‘CHAMPAKA’, ‘CHANDAMAMA’, ETC. I STOPPED SUBSCRIBING THESE BOOKS AFTER MIDDLESCHOOL.
LATER, IN HIGHSCHOOL I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT MY READING ENTHUSIASM CAME DOWN AND I STOPPED IT FOR SOMETIME. WHEN I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH MY 8THGRADE I GUESS, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LIBRARY NEAR MY HOUSE AND THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE A LOOK AT THAT. IT WAS A VERY GOOD LIBRARY AND I LIKED THAT ATMOSPHERE VERYMUCH. THERE I STARTED READING COMICS LIKE TINKLE. IT WAS ACTUALLY A REWARD IN DISGUISE ONCE AND THAT TIME I REALIZED HOW HELPFUL IT IS TO READ BOOKS OTHER THAN THE ACADEMICS. ONCE, IN AN ENGLISH TEST CONDUCTED IN MY SCHOOL, THERE WAS A STORY GIVEN AND WE HAD TO GUESS THE NAME OF THAT STORY. THAT STORY WAS ACTUALLY FROM TINKLE. I HAD READ IT AND HENCE I KNEW THE ANSWER FOR THAT QUESTION. WHEN THE PAPERS WERE CORRECTED, I SAW THAT ONLY I HAD WRITTEN THE CORRECT ANSWER IN THE WHOLE CLASS. THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT THRILLED ME AND WAS AN INSPIRATION FOR ME TO READ MORE AND MORE.I THEN READ MANY BOOKS LIKE ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TINTIN, SOME COMICS BASED ON SUPER HEROES,ETC.
MY READING HAD TO BE ENDED BRIEFLY AGAIN AS I HAD TO PREPARE FOR MY SSLC EXAMS. THEN THERE WERE SO MANY DIVERSIONS IN MY PU COLLEGE THAT I ALMOST HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT BOOKS AND READING.
ONCE, DURING THE HOLIDAYS AFTER MY PUC, I WAS DESTINED TO GET A BREAK AGAIN. THIS TIME, I GOT AN ENGLISH NOVEL WHICH IS INFACT VERY WELL KNOWN. IT WAS “HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE”. IT’S REALLY INTERESTING HOW THIS BOOK CAME INTO MY HAND. THIS BOOK WAS BOUGHT BY MY UNCLE AS A GIFT FOR ONE OF MY COUSINS. BUT FORTUNATELY (FOR ME), SHE ALREADY HAD A COPY OF IT. SO, HE FINALLY GAVE THAT BOOK TO MY BROTHER FROM WHOM I GOT THAT BOOK. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST BIG NOVEL I EVER HAD READ IN ENGLISH. I FELT THRILLED TO READ IT. MOREOVER, THE BOOK WAS SO INTERESTING THAT I READ IT DAY AND NIGHT WITH VERY SHORT BREAKS. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH I WAS PREPARING FOR SOME EXAM.
AFTER THIS, STARTED MY NEVER ENDING THIRST FOR BOOKS. LATER, I BOUGHT AND READ TWO OR THREE HARRY POTTER SERIES. LATER, GOING BY MY FRIENDS’ AND UNCLE’S SUGGESTIONS, I READ DIFFERENT BOOKS LIKE SHERLOCK HOLMES, GOD FATHER, ANGELS AND DEAMONS, DA VINCI CODE, JOHN GRISHAM’S TWO-THREE BOOKS, ETC…
I HAD BECOME SO ADDICTED TO READING BY THIS TIME THAT, I DID NOT (ACTUALLY FORGOT TO) SLEEP A WHOLE NIGHT AS I WANTED TO FINISH ‘FIVE POINT SOMEONE’. I ALSO READ ‘ONE NIGHT AT A CALL CENTRE’ WRITTEN BY THE SAME AUTHOR. AMONG THESE BOOKS THE BEST WERE ‘FIVE POIN SOMEONE’ AND ‘GOD FATHER’.
LATER I HAD TO GO TO MYSORE FOR MY TRAINING IN INFOSYS. THERE, I ATTEMPTED TO READ A BOOK BY R.K.NARAYANAN, BUT FAILED AS I FELT THAT THE BOOK WAS VERY BORING. (I DON’T THINK EVERYONE WILL AGREE TO THIS THOUGH). AS I COULDNOT LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT I COULD NOT COMPLETE R.K.N’S BOOK, I TOOK HIS FAMOUS BOOK MALGUDI DAYS AND READ IT SUCCESSFULLY. ACTUALLY SPEAKING STILL I DID NOT LIKE HIS STYLE COMPLETELY. BUT I WAS HAPPY THAT I HAVE READ HIS FAMOUS BOOK. THEN, I READ SOME BIZZARE BOOKS LIKE THE GHOST STORIES,ETC…..I STARTED FEELING THAT I NOW WANTED TO READ WHICHEVER BOOK CAME INTO MY HAND. THEN, I READ SIDNEYSHELDON’S TWO BOOKS.
BY THIS TIME I HAD REALIZED THAT I HAD A UNIQUE PROBLEM. I HAD STARTED GETTING BORED OF ANY AUTHOR AFTER I READ TWO BOOKS BY THAT AUTHOR. THEIR STYLES WERE THE SAME IN THEIR BOOKS AND I COULD NOT READ MORE THAN TWO BOOKS BY A SINGLE AUTHOR.
THEN I ATTEMPTED TO READ ANOTHER BOOK BY JOHN GRISHAM BUT IN VAIN. LATER I FOUND THAT THE THRILLERS NOMORE WERE OF INTEREST TO ME. THEY STARTED TO SEEM VERY BORING. HENCE I DECIDED I’LL GRADUATE TO PHILOSOPHICAL AND SPIRITUAL BOOKS.
FIRST OF ALL, I DECIDED TO READ AND UNDERSTAND BHAGAVADGEETHA. I TOOK VERY LONG TIME FOR THIS AS I HAD TO THINK A LOT AND DEBATE A LOT IN MY MIND AFTER I READ EACH STANZA IN THAT BOOK. THEN, I ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY READ BOOKS LIKE, ‘MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH’, ‘MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI’AND ‘THE ALCHEMIST’. APART FROM THESE BOOKS, I ALSO READ BOOK BY SUDHA MURTHY. THIS WAS ABOUT PHILANTHROPY WHICH WAS VERY TOUCHING.THEN I ALSO HAD THE LUCK TO READ THE BOOK’MASKS OF GOD’ BY JOSEPH CAMPBELL. THANKS TO MY FRIEND WHO LENT ME THIS BOOK. ALSO LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, I READ JEFF ARCHER WHICH WAS VER BORING (IT WAS A THRILLER) TO SAY THE LEAST.
THESE BOOKS WERE SO GOOD THAT I SORT OF GOT TO KNOW ANSWERS FOR MANY QUESTIONS WHICH WERE IN MY MIND FOR A LONG TIME. OFCOURSE, THEY ALSO THREW LOT MORE FRESH QUESTIONS FOR WHICH I AM STILL, TO THIS DAY DEBATING IN MY MIND. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THESE DEBATES CAN END ONLY IF I READ MORE AND MORE BOOKS.
OF LATE, I HAVE STARTED READING A GREAT BOOK CALLED ‘WAR AND PEACE’ BY LEOTOLSTOY. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THAT I AM TRYING TO READ THIS BOOK AND AM SURE THAT THIS TIME I’LL BE SUCCESSFUL. I SELECTED THIS BOOK BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW THE REASON FOR GREAT PEOPLE LIKE MAHATMA GANDHI TO BE INFLUENCED BY LEOTOLSTOY’S WORKS. ANOTHER BOOK GANDHI HAS MENTIONED IN HIS BOOK’MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH’ IS BHAGAVADGEETHA AND THIS WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR ME READING IT. NOW I KNOW HOW THESE BOOKS CAN INFLUENCE AN INDUVIDUAL’S LIFE. I FEEL LIKE I AM IMPROVING MY THINKING AND FOR THAT MATTER ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF MY LIFE ONLY BY READING BOOKS.
I KNOW THAT AFTER 23YEARS OF MY LIVING, I HAVE NOT READ ANYTHING AND THERE IS LOT MORE TO READ AND LOT MORE TO LEARN. AND ACTUALLY SPEAKING MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF MY AGE GROUP HAVE READ ALMOST TWICE OR THRICE THAN ME AND ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEBLE THAN ME. I AM IN NO WAY COMPETING WITH ANYONE AND AM SINCERELY TRYING TO IMPROVE MYSELF. I HOPE TO CONTINUE READING BOOKS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
Monday, June 18, 2007
STATUTORY WARNING: READ IT ONLY IF YOU CAN BELIEVE
Ok,ok,ok. Nangu bari odhi odhi saakaaytu. Ivattu nan kelav friends’ blog odtidde. Avaaga nange anstu, nange avru eneno bardu torture kodtidare, naanu hengaadru madi revenge teerskobeku anta. Avru nan munde kootidre haadbit revenge teerskobodittu, but en maadli!!!!!!!!! Elru bere kade idare, adikke nanu ond blog baryana anta decide madbitte.
Nange modlu baryana ansiddu nan jeevandalli nambalaarada ondu ghatane bagge. Nanna nodirovrge artha aagbodu, idu nambakke almost asaadhya anta. Neev nimbi/bidi nanu baribeku, baritini.
Peethike ella mugdmele, vishyakke barana. Ee ghatane nadediddu nanu 9ne classnalli iddaga. Andre 1999-2000 nalli aagiddu idu. Avaga nange helkolakke anta ibru aaptha snehitridru(ivaglu avru snehitre). Obba anikethan(raju) and innobba raghavendra. Modlu nange raghavendra friend aagidda, aamele raju friend aagiddu. Ee ghatne naddaaga raju nange raghavendranashtu close friend aagirlilla.
Namge avaga eno antharalla teenage anta, adu shuru aagittu. Schoolnalli bere, onderd hudgiru chanag kaansak shuru aagidru. Adu saaldu anta ee halaad cinema nodi adeno love madtare anta gottagittu. Nange kuda hudgiru chanaag kaansak shuru aadru. Nange matte nan friend raghavendra announge ond chickka competition thara shuru aagittu. Yaarge modlu girlfriend sigtaare anta.
Heegirovaaga naanu bere manege bande, andre, namm appa amma mane badlaaysdru. Alli, andre hosa mene hatra yaav maneglalli chanagiro hudgir idare anta nanu avaagavag spy kelsanu madtidde. Ond dina, nanu nammaneliro TVS-Astra gaadina compound olage nilstiddaga, edrgade mane munde yaaro rangoli idtiddidna nodde. Illinda shuru aaytu nodi nambak aagdiro nan kathe…………
Avattu aa hudgina modlne Sali nodidde nanu. Yaarappa idu chanagidalalla ansthu. Hinge dina saayankaala atva beligge nanu avlna nodak shuru madidde, avlu kooda aden ishta aayto eno nanna nodak shuru maadbitidlu.
Hinge naditiddaga ond dina deepavali bantu. Avattu, nanu hosa jubba haakondidde, nannalli ashtond chanag en noddlo gottilla, nanna avlu nodtaane nintbitlu. Nanna nodakke nam pakkad manyorna matadso nepa hoodi nanpakkane bandu nintbitlu. Nange idella yaavattu aagirlilla matte idella enu, hing aadaaga en madbeku antanu gottirlilla. (adu ivaglu gottagilla anni)……nanu bepp hid-dour thara avlne nodkond avl pakkane nintbitte. Avattu eno kushi aaytu mansge. “Ade eno preethi andre” antella filmi yochneglella bantu. Sari bidappa yak idella ninge anta innond kade ansak shuru aaytu.
Hinge tumba dina kannamucchaale aata nad-de hoytu. Ond dina, nangu tadyak aaglilla. Nam pakkad maneli nanginta ond varsha doddoun obba idda. Avnge aa hudgi gottidlu. Nanu enaadru aagli ivattu avl bagge tilkollalebeku ankondu avnanna aache kardu kelde yaru adu anta.
Avnu modle nanginta doddounu, avne avlna akka anta karyak shuru madbitta. Nange full shock aaytu avaga. Aadru, hogli bidu ond erad varsha doddoul irbodu ankonde. Aadre naav ankolade eno adu aagade eno. Avlu ondalla erdalla, nanginta 6varsha doddoulu. Nanu inna 9ne class odtidde, avlu degree final year odtidlu anta gottaytu. Nange en madbeko gottaagle illa, ond kade bejaar agtidre innond kade nagu bartittu. Heegu unta jeevandalli anta aashcharya kooda aagidduntu.
Ishtella anaahuta aagoashtralli innond aagbaard aaghoytu. Yaavattu bega aache bardirolu, ond dina nan duraadrushta anno haage naanu schoolinda maneg barodak saryaagi aache nintbitidlu. Allige mugitu nodi nanna first love story.
Avattin tanaka nija helbeku andre nanna avlu nodtidale, ishta padtidale anta nanu nambe irlilla. Avattu nanna uniformnalli nodi entha kelsa aaghoytu anno thara tale chechkondlu. Avaag nange gnaanodaya aaytu ivlu nijvaaglu nanne nodtidale anta. Idanna nanu raghavendrange helde, aadre avnu nambdno ilvo nangantu gottilla, ivatgu avnu nambalveno yaarig gottu.
Aadre idu nija anta nange matte aa hudgi ibrge gottu. Aamele nange yaako tumba bejaar aaghoytu. Esho Sali avlna maatadsak hogiddu untu. Aadre nanna nodid takshna avlu odhogak shuru madbidtidlu. Ishtella aagoashtralli mundin deepavali bandbitittu. Aamele ond dina nanu beligge yatakko horag hogi nod-daaga, avl mane munde chapra haakidru matte jana tumbkondidru. Enappa anta nanna pakkad manevnanna keliddakke akkange madve anda. Aavaga nan mukhdalli nagu bandittu hage nan mansnalli alu bartittu.
Nange modlu baryana ansiddu nan jeevandalli nambalaarada ondu ghatane bagge. Nanna nodirovrge artha aagbodu, idu nambakke almost asaadhya anta. Neev nimbi/bidi nanu baribeku, baritini.
Peethike ella mugdmele, vishyakke barana. Ee ghatane nadediddu nanu 9ne classnalli iddaga. Andre 1999-2000 nalli aagiddu idu. Avaga nange helkolakke anta ibru aaptha snehitridru(ivaglu avru snehitre). Obba anikethan(raju) and innobba raghavendra. Modlu nange raghavendra friend aagidda, aamele raju friend aagiddu. Ee ghatne naddaaga raju nange raghavendranashtu close friend aagirlilla.
Namge avaga eno antharalla teenage anta, adu shuru aagittu. Schoolnalli bere, onderd hudgiru chanag kaansak shuru aagidru. Adu saaldu anta ee halaad cinema nodi adeno love madtare anta gottagittu. Nange kuda hudgiru chanaag kaansak shuru aadru. Nange matte nan friend raghavendra announge ond chickka competition thara shuru aagittu. Yaarge modlu girlfriend sigtaare anta.
Heegirovaaga naanu bere manege bande, andre, namm appa amma mane badlaaysdru. Alli, andre hosa mene hatra yaav maneglalli chanagiro hudgir idare anta nanu avaagavag spy kelsanu madtidde. Ond dina, nanu nammaneliro TVS-Astra gaadina compound olage nilstiddaga, edrgade mane munde yaaro rangoli idtiddidna nodde. Illinda shuru aaytu nodi nambak aagdiro nan kathe…………
Avattu aa hudgina modlne Sali nodidde nanu. Yaarappa idu chanagidalalla ansthu. Hinge dina saayankaala atva beligge nanu avlna nodak shuru madidde, avlu kooda aden ishta aayto eno nanna nodak shuru maadbitidlu.
Hinge naditiddaga ond dina deepavali bantu. Avattu, nanu hosa jubba haakondidde, nannalli ashtond chanag en noddlo gottilla, nanna avlu nodtaane nintbitlu. Nanna nodakke nam pakkad manyorna matadso nepa hoodi nanpakkane bandu nintbitlu. Nange idella yaavattu aagirlilla matte idella enu, hing aadaaga en madbeku antanu gottirlilla. (adu ivaglu gottagilla anni)……nanu bepp hid-dour thara avlne nodkond avl pakkane nintbitte. Avattu eno kushi aaytu mansge. “Ade eno preethi andre” antella filmi yochneglella bantu. Sari bidappa yak idella ninge anta innond kade ansak shuru aaytu.
Hinge tumba dina kannamucchaale aata nad-de hoytu. Ond dina, nangu tadyak aaglilla. Nam pakkad maneli nanginta ond varsha doddoun obba idda. Avnge aa hudgi gottidlu. Nanu enaadru aagli ivattu avl bagge tilkollalebeku ankondu avnanna aache kardu kelde yaru adu anta.
Avnu modle nanginta doddounu, avne avlna akka anta karyak shuru madbitta. Nange full shock aaytu avaga. Aadru, hogli bidu ond erad varsha doddoul irbodu ankonde. Aadre naav ankolade eno adu aagade eno. Avlu ondalla erdalla, nanginta 6varsha doddoulu. Nanu inna 9ne class odtidde, avlu degree final year odtidlu anta gottaytu. Nange en madbeko gottaagle illa, ond kade bejaar agtidre innond kade nagu bartittu. Heegu unta jeevandalli anta aashcharya kooda aagidduntu.
Ishtella anaahuta aagoashtralli innond aagbaard aaghoytu. Yaavattu bega aache bardirolu, ond dina nan duraadrushta anno haage naanu schoolinda maneg barodak saryaagi aache nintbitidlu. Allige mugitu nodi nanna first love story.
Avattin tanaka nija helbeku andre nanna avlu nodtidale, ishta padtidale anta nanu nambe irlilla. Avattu nanna uniformnalli nodi entha kelsa aaghoytu anno thara tale chechkondlu. Avaag nange gnaanodaya aaytu ivlu nijvaaglu nanne nodtidale anta. Idanna nanu raghavendrange helde, aadre avnu nambdno ilvo nangantu gottilla, ivatgu avnu nambalveno yaarig gottu.
Aadre idu nija anta nange matte aa hudgi ibrge gottu. Aamele nange yaako tumba bejaar aaghoytu. Esho Sali avlna maatadsak hogiddu untu. Aadre nanna nodid takshna avlu odhogak shuru madbidtidlu. Ishtella aagoashtralli mundin deepavali bandbitittu. Aamele ond dina nanu beligge yatakko horag hogi nod-daaga, avl mane munde chapra haakidru matte jana tumbkondidru. Enappa anta nanna pakkad manevnanna keliddakke akkange madve anda. Aavaga nan mukhdalli nagu bandittu hage nan mansnalli alu bartittu.
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