From my childhood, all forms of art - be it dance, music, stitching, knitting, drawing, drama were part of my daily schedule. And now, after so many years, when i look back at what i have achieved in life, apart from just professional success as a software engineer, these so called "extra curricular" talents are the actual ones that make me feel satisfied and as a "special" person.
When people ask me "You dance?? You sing ?? You stitch ?? Wow...", it makes me feel elated and a sense of gratitude goes out to my parents who aspired to see me as an all rounder and hence provided me a chance to learn everything......and my teachers who taught me all this.
I was not born with a silver spoon but everything in life came pretty easily to me, thanks to my parents' never-say-die attitude. They were prepared to do their best to make us happy people...
Coming to my art, the most cherished talent i feel is the art of my expression that has come to me through dance. It has helped me take a new turn in understanding people, their expressions, situations and I succesfully respond to all of them. Also what dance has taught me is the power of silence. A danceuse remains silent throughout the dance. Yet she conveys a lot of meaning through her eyes and body. Not that being silent helps a big deal. But people should learn to keep quite when they HAVE to. Opening up unnecessarily makes way for lot of arguments.....this too i learnt after lot of experiences.
Music, another art form, which runs parallel to dance for me, is something that has given me the power to voice out. I have never been an introvert ever since. Stage fear kind of disappeared the moment i started to sing. I have performed shows in many places, as a child and even when i grew up. Singing made me feel powerful and equipped. And as they say, music releases so many toxins and tension that body becomes very light and easy.
As a high school student studying in Tamilnadu, i faced lot of tension, competition & study pressure in academics. My parents were desperate to make me an engineer at any cost but i was to get a free seat in a decent college, for which marks were vital. With everyone getting 95 and 96%, it was a tough job for a OC candidate for me......
Music was the only thing that gave me the relaxation i needed at that level and it made me unwind pretty fast and later come back to the same level of seriousness.
I would really suggest people at high stress levels to take up either singing or listening to music or learning some instrument at free intervals.
As a kid, i did my schooling in Calcutta where "Work education" or Art classes, were in vogue for school kids. West Bengal was already a land of arts. I was taught Yoga, hand stitching, wollen knitting, crotia, making handkerchiefs, scarves etc.
This was a 4-yr schedule along with regular subjects. And now, till date, i havent forgotten even a thing that i have learnt, thanks to my sound basics and dedicated teachers.
Now, i have settled down as a professional in the software industry and a married person that too. These small things that i know make me go a long way in planning small things for my household as well as making my people feel proud for what i have in me.
For instance, I do my own embroidery on my clothes, I do up design patterns on pillows, bedspreads, hankies, make Crotia covers, wollen knitting etc, making small money purses, etc etc which may seem silly at times but are my way of personalising my things.
I sing when i am free and my family is proud about that. I have performed many shows in temples, stages and functions.
Cooking, i feel is another form of art, which is by far the most useful art i have come across. I have learnt my basics from my parents and
Thanks to all this talent, I also used to head the music club & fun club at my workplace.
What i would like to convey through all this, is that, life is a long journey. Just family, studies and career is not everything in life.
A person's worth is calculated by not just his salary but the value he brings to the table as an all rounder.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Managing your boss........
BOSS - Not the bachelor of Social service sorts that i am going to talk about..... This is our real world, real-time boss :-)......
Most of us keep wondering about this person called Boss... He might have been your best friend till yesterday and the day he/she becomes your superior, the entire vision changes in a minute...
A few lucky ones have a great rapport with their managers...... but there are quite a few who never manage to make it click....
Invariably, when people think of managing someone at work they think of it as a one way street. They think of their boss managing them. Yet, in my small little experience of 4 yrs, I've found that bosses also need to be managed.
Bosses need to be managed by their people because they often over- or under- manage them. For example, they over-manage by micromanaging and continually checking on a project's status. They under-manage by not giving their people enough direction, detail or feedback.
These kinds of problems occur for a number of reasons. Managers are often promoted from technical positions and they have rarely been trained to have good people skills. Many times, they also don't have any good role models for what a manager should do. And they rarely get feedback as to how they're doing.
So, if you have a boss who over- or under- manages you, what can you do to get what you need from him or her? How can you effectively manage your boss? Can't figure out what makes the boss tick?
Bosses need to be managed by their people because they often over- or under- manage them. For example, they over-manage by micromanaging and continually checking on a project's status. They under-manage by not giving their people enough direction, detail or feedback.
These kinds of problems occur for a number of reasons. Managers are often promoted from technical positions and they have rarely been trained to have good people skills. Many times, they also don't have any good role models for what a manager should do. And they rarely get feedback as to how they're doing.
So, if you have a boss who over- or under- manages you, what can you do to get what you need from him or her? How can you effectively manage your boss? Can't figure out what makes the boss tick?
Ask yourself these 10 questions and you may arrive at a better understanding of the boss -- and a better work life for yourself.
What is your boss trying to accomplish?
What are your boss's goals? (These may be different from what the boss is trying to accomplish.)
What does your boss want you to accomplish -- and how does that relate to question #1?
Is your boss ambitious or content?
If your boss is ambitious, is it about substance or recognition -- or both?
Why is your boss the boss? Why did they pick your boss for the job?
Are you more ambitious than your boss?
What do you want out of your current position -- and is this compatible with your boss's goals and ambitions?
Do your goals advance your boss's ambitions -- or conflict with them?
What kinds of problems most worry your boss? What kinds of victories most please your boss?
What is your boss trying to accomplish?
What are your boss's goals? (These may be different from what the boss is trying to accomplish.)
What does your boss want you to accomplish -- and how does that relate to question #1?
Is your boss ambitious or content?
If your boss is ambitious, is it about substance or recognition -- or both?
Why is your boss the boss? Why did they pick your boss for the job?
Are you more ambitious than your boss?
What do you want out of your current position -- and is this compatible with your boss's goals and ambitions?
Do your goals advance your boss's ambitions -- or conflict with them?
What kinds of problems most worry your boss? What kinds of victories most please your boss?
But if you are of the "dont care" types, remember that some day you will be the boss. You too will understand.. Until then just 2 mandatory rules before signing off:
1. Boss is always right
2. If boss is wrong, please refer to rule # 1......
:-) :_) I dont know why....but i love these 2 rules....... all time classic....
God hasnt made a boss out of me yet ;) so I am also following the above 2 rules.
Why you SHOULD be a Vegetarian?
Here's Why You Should Be One
People ask me why I am a vegetarian. I almost invariably say, "Because I am!" That normally cuts the conversation short.
There were times when I would start explaining why ... but the enquirers were almost always meat eaters. Within seconds, they would attempt to put me on the defensive.
Some felt guilty - "I really wish I could do what you do! It would be very hard to survive! It must be so hard for you."
Others remarked, "But you eat vegetables ... what's the difference?"
Sometimes people start conversations but they don't wish to hear what you really have to say. I sense that and I tell them that we don't need to justify our respective beliefs to each other.
I am not a preacher. I don't seek to convert anyone.
I have a choice and so do you. If you are sensitive and not open minded, exercise your choice and stop reading right now!
I choose not to eat anything with eyes, limbs, ears, and noses – anything that moves or that will be born with such features. Anything with five senses.
By eating animals, I would be eating someone's mum, dad, son, daughter, brother, sister or partner. On an evolutionary scale, I would have progressed just one step ahead from being a cannibal.
I would be deluding myself by thinking that an animal can be killed humanely so that it doesn't suffer. You can't kill humanely. Humane killing is an argument advanced by morons for morons - not by or for enlightened spiritual beings. You may kid yourself about humane killing to lighten your guilt.
However, killing remains the ultimate sin.
What if someone else murdered the animals on my behalf? Would I eat meat? No. If you get someone else to do your dirty work, your karma is still tainted. In fact, doubly so.
Take, for instance, the wealthy person who adorns himself or herself with ivory. In essence, he or she causes the murder of the elephant. The poacher kills, the designer crafts the ivory, the salesperson sells it. They are all tainted with murder. But the instigator attracts bad karma on a cumulative basis.
If I get the butcher to slaughter an animal for me, in spiritual terms, I would still be the killer.
Look at an animal in the eye. Do you have any compassion? Are you merciful? Do you believe in karma? Do you believe that we are spiritual beings or just glorified omnivores? Do you believe in causing as little harm as possible as you continue your journey to enlightenment?
Do you give a damn?
If yes, then let's be friends and share our bread.
People ask me why I am a vegetarian. I almost invariably say, "Because I am!" That normally cuts the conversation short.
There were times when I would start explaining why ... but the enquirers were almost always meat eaters. Within seconds, they would attempt to put me on the defensive.
Some felt guilty - "I really wish I could do what you do! It would be very hard to survive! It must be so hard for you."
Others remarked, "But you eat vegetables ... what's the difference?"
Sometimes people start conversations but they don't wish to hear what you really have to say. I sense that and I tell them that we don't need to justify our respective beliefs to each other.
I am not a preacher. I don't seek to convert anyone.
I have a choice and so do you. If you are sensitive and not open minded, exercise your choice and stop reading right now!
I choose not to eat anything with eyes, limbs, ears, and noses – anything that moves or that will be born with such features. Anything with five senses.
By eating animals, I would be eating someone's mum, dad, son, daughter, brother, sister or partner. On an evolutionary scale, I would have progressed just one step ahead from being a cannibal.
I would be deluding myself by thinking that an animal can be killed humanely so that it doesn't suffer. You can't kill humanely. Humane killing is an argument advanced by morons for morons - not by or for enlightened spiritual beings. You may kid yourself about humane killing to lighten your guilt.
However, killing remains the ultimate sin.
What if someone else murdered the animals on my behalf? Would I eat meat? No. If you get someone else to do your dirty work, your karma is still tainted. In fact, doubly so.
Take, for instance, the wealthy person who adorns himself or herself with ivory. In essence, he or she causes the murder of the elephant. The poacher kills, the designer crafts the ivory, the salesperson sells it. They are all tainted with murder. But the instigator attracts bad karma on a cumulative basis.
If I get the butcher to slaughter an animal for me, in spiritual terms, I would still be the killer.
Look at an animal in the eye. Do you have any compassion? Are you merciful? Do you believe in karma? Do you believe that we are spiritual beings or just glorified omnivores? Do you believe in causing as little harm as possible as you continue your journey to enlightenment?
Do you give a damn?
If yes, then let's be friends and share our bread.
Why one should choose to be a Vegetarian, as per Hindu Dharma?
For many Hindus, vegetarianism is more than a way of life, it is a tradition. Vegetarianism can also be realized as a daily ‘sadhana,’ or spiritual practice, for a vegetarian lifestyle becomes a practice of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence in thought, speech and action.
Vegetarianism Not a Must for Hindus
Though vegetarianism is associated with Hinduism, it is not true that even a majority of Hindus are vegetarian, nor is it a condition of Hinduism to be a vegetarian. In fact, it is stated in the “Manusmriti” (5:56), “There is no sin in eating meat… but abstention brings great rewards.” So, one cannot state, “I am a vegetarian because I am a Hindu.” Stating this may also imply that all Hindus are vegetarian, which is not true.
In this case, why are some Hindus vegetarian and some are not? It is believed that before India was invaded by outsiders (Vedic era) the majority of Indians were not meat eaters. Influences of outsiders (i.e., Aryans and Muslim invaders) came to change that. It was also common practice for the ‘Kshatriya’ caste (warriors) to eat meat as it gave more strength and set the mind up ‘more’ for fighting. This may seem odd, after all how can eating meat make one feel ‘more’ predisposed to violence i.e., anger, aggression, fighting moods, etc. This stems from the philosophy of ‘himsa’ or violence.
So is meat-eating violence ?
By partaking in eating meat, especially in the old days before prepackaged, supermarket foods, and fast food, one had to think of where to find the animal, how to kill it, how to prepare it for consumption, and then how to cook, eat and preserve it. Hence, the whole process of eating animals was ‘himsa,’ because one had to think of all this, possibly speak of it (planning the killing, etc.) and act on it by killing, preparing and eating the animal. In Indian history, we have the seminal example King Ashoka (circa 273-232 BC), who - from being a ruthless warrior - not only became a Buddhist, but also promoted ahisma and vegetarianism in his later life.
When we eat the flesh of a dead animal, we not only partake in ‘himsa’ in our own spirit, but we can also become affected by the spirit of the dead animal. In order to have been eaten the animal had to die. In dying, it felt pain, it struggled, cried, tried to continue living as long as possible. Since it was slaughtered, it died in fright, pain, mental and emotional anguish and struggle. Then it has to be skinned, gutted, processed and packaged to end up on a plate, decorated and consumed in human pleasure. In human pleasure, one does not think of the pain of the once living animals on the plate. Hence partaking in eating meat, one is not just ingesting and digesting protein and nutrients, but the feelings of violence which erupted in the animal from its unnatural death.
The “Mahabharata” states: "The purchaser of flesh performs himsa by his wealth; he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does himsa by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing. He who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts of the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells, or cooks flesh and eats it-all of these are to be considered meat-eaters." (“Mahabharata,” 115:40)
Similarly, vegetarianism and ahimsa can be realized through the old adage “treat others as you would like to be treated.” Swami Dayananda, in his “The Value of Values” connects this to ahimsa and vegetarianism by stating that we should not think of ‘somebody’ being our dinner if we do not want to be ‘somebody’ else’s dinner.’
Further, the “Mahabharata” (18.113.8) says: “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one's own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Yielding to desire and acting differently, one becomes guilty of adharma.”
Humans, unlike other animals that work on instinct alone, have the god-given ability to make conscious choices about the food they enjoy, ingest and digest. This food, in turn helps to fuel our bodies and keep us in good health emotionally, mentally and physically. Food that robs us of energy, such as heavy products that are hard on digestion, like meat, weigh us down emotionally, mentally and physically, even if we do not realize this immediately.
These are the major reasons, all related to ‘ahimsa,’ why Hindus naturally take to vegetarianism as a daily ‘sadhana’, and abstain from eating flesh.
Vegetarianism Not a Must for Hindus
Though vegetarianism is associated with Hinduism, it is not true that even a majority of Hindus are vegetarian, nor is it a condition of Hinduism to be a vegetarian. In fact, it is stated in the “Manusmriti” (5:56), “There is no sin in eating meat… but abstention brings great rewards.” So, one cannot state, “I am a vegetarian because I am a Hindu.” Stating this may also imply that all Hindus are vegetarian, which is not true.
In this case, why are some Hindus vegetarian and some are not? It is believed that before India was invaded by outsiders (Vedic era) the majority of Indians were not meat eaters. Influences of outsiders (i.e., Aryans and Muslim invaders) came to change that. It was also common practice for the ‘Kshatriya’ caste (warriors) to eat meat as it gave more strength and set the mind up ‘more’ for fighting. This may seem odd, after all how can eating meat make one feel ‘more’ predisposed to violence i.e., anger, aggression, fighting moods, etc. This stems from the philosophy of ‘himsa’ or violence.
So is meat-eating violence ?
By partaking in eating meat, especially in the old days before prepackaged, supermarket foods, and fast food, one had to think of where to find the animal, how to kill it, how to prepare it for consumption, and then how to cook, eat and preserve it. Hence, the whole process of eating animals was ‘himsa,’ because one had to think of all this, possibly speak of it (planning the killing, etc.) and act on it by killing, preparing and eating the animal. In Indian history, we have the seminal example King Ashoka (circa 273-232 BC), who - from being a ruthless warrior - not only became a Buddhist, but also promoted ahisma and vegetarianism in his later life.
When we eat the flesh of a dead animal, we not only partake in ‘himsa’ in our own spirit, but we can also become affected by the spirit of the dead animal. In order to have been eaten the animal had to die. In dying, it felt pain, it struggled, cried, tried to continue living as long as possible. Since it was slaughtered, it died in fright, pain, mental and emotional anguish and struggle. Then it has to be skinned, gutted, processed and packaged to end up on a plate, decorated and consumed in human pleasure. In human pleasure, one does not think of the pain of the once living animals on the plate. Hence partaking in eating meat, one is not just ingesting and digesting protein and nutrients, but the feelings of violence which erupted in the animal from its unnatural death.
The “Mahabharata” states: "The purchaser of flesh performs himsa by his wealth; he who eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does himsa by actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms of killing. He who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts of the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells, or cooks flesh and eats it-all of these are to be considered meat-eaters." (“Mahabharata,” 115:40)
Similarly, vegetarianism and ahimsa can be realized through the old adage “treat others as you would like to be treated.” Swami Dayananda, in his “The Value of Values” connects this to ahimsa and vegetarianism by stating that we should not think of ‘somebody’ being our dinner if we do not want to be ‘somebody’ else’s dinner.’
Further, the “Mahabharata” (18.113.8) says: “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one's own self. This, in brief, is the rule of dharma. Yielding to desire and acting differently, one becomes guilty of adharma.”
Humans, unlike other animals that work on instinct alone, have the god-given ability to make conscious choices about the food they enjoy, ingest and digest. This food, in turn helps to fuel our bodies and keep us in good health emotionally, mentally and physically. Food that robs us of energy, such as heavy products that are hard on digestion, like meat, weigh us down emotionally, mentally and physically, even if we do not realize this immediately.
These are the major reasons, all related to ‘ahimsa,’ why Hindus naturally take to vegetarianism as a daily ‘sadhana’, and abstain from eating flesh.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The world of mobiles
Today belongs to a small handheld device which almost controlls a man's bioclock, tasks, appointments, reachability & his entertainment - The mobile phone. Guess this is what scientists in older times dreamt of .... something which becomes a replacement for a secretary + alarm + gaming.Yes true indeed! Nowadays, mobile phones are ruling the roost and one can see that every person around has this with them. Thanks to the over-publicity and raining offers and competitions, mobile companies are vying with their offers and tying up with SP's to get the customer hooked. Well, i m one such gadget fan and love to have the best of tech in my hand. I remember well when i started my career as a software engineer, mobiles were getting familiar among people and not many had them.....no you neednt imagine some 1996 or so ..I m talking abt 2003. By many i meant students, drivers, autofellaws, almost everyone including the temple priests.....My father gifted me a Nokia 2100 to me then. After 2 yrs, this phone seemed too outdated and oldfashioned. Well, some may claim that mobile phones are like gold. The older, the better.... but sorry guys! I say the contrary.
One needs to be in touch with the latest technology....but another irony is that technology keeps changing at the drop of a hat and mobiles are so many out there and MONEY SO LITTLE.......doesnt everyone face this?And so, being a software engineer also gave me the guts to change my job in 2 yrs as well and here I was in a bigger MNC, a bigger workplace, more salary and i wanted to splurge in the treat of getting this job........my fiance got me a 2300 (Mind you, FM was just picking up & ppl already hooked on to it). This was my phone for another year after which i got married and my hubby's bday coming near. Like all other newly wed brides, i wanted to gift my hubby a good mobile phone coz he had lost his phone.Meanwhile he was adjusting with another ok-sorts phone.....And so i exchanged my mobile and bought a 6600 which was a rage amongst youngsters then! i had to spend 4k out of my pocket apart from my old mobile....and that was the end of my 2300. Later, since i didnt have a good mobile, my hubby got me a LG phone with the "latest" features......but soon i found that he was more interested in my mobile than his mobile and so i shifted to his 6600 one fine day! Now, thanks once again to my mobile-changing ways and my latest possession is the Sony Ericcsson Z550i.Well, life hasnt changed much but journey from a ordinary mobile to a flip model is a lot of change.Features are pretty much the same......but looks arent! And thats what the world moves on........................Right from fairness creams, clothes retailers, jewellery, shoes, frenzy etc.....everything is about looking good......
But some people , as i already said never like to change their mobile phones no matter how outdated it is & how non-valuable its depreciation would have become. Well, mobile phones have become a matter of solicitation and subject to fancy, rotating SIM cards & extra bucks.....but BUT but......if people dont mind going to parlours to shed weights in dozens of kgs, goto beauty clinics to get "glycolic peels & derma -abrasions" done to get dead skin and ageing eliminated, just coz they want to FEEL good..... My opinion is that - changing your mobile phone is also about Feeling good.Just like your watch, your dress and your hairstyle speak abt ur character, the mobile is very soon going to become a statement! So watch out..... As of me, i m still getting used to the traditional questions from colleagues "why sony, why not nokia" types of them!!!! Huh! !!!
Life of a working woman
I have been married for the past 2.5 years now and have been wondering of late whether it is just me who is having all the trouble in the world managing my job & my well-designed & maintained home. Well, I know most women always crib & yet advise that its a man's world out there and we women are the ones who have been given the golden opportunity to 'adjust' to situations. I am a software engineer by profession and just like any other techie, i get to spend a minimum of 10 hours 'for' my profession.
Mornings are like a mad rush as if to catch some last train to earth from Mars. You get to prepare the breakfast, keep a prying eye on the maid servant, clean the house almost simultaneously, plan for lunch & if lucky dinner also. Whoever said that women have just 2 hands....are perhaps kidding.The office space is not much heartening either. Work keeps coming and apart from that u have unrealistic deadlines and people who never seem to attribute the fact that a working women is as busy as her male counterpart. So when the world seems to appreciate a man coming late or a man working extra to bring himself some extra bucks or a promotion, why is it that a working wife is always shunned for spending an extra hour at work or coming an hour late to office? why is she labelled as a 'career woman' if she gives preference to work for some period in her life? Does that mean all men are "career men'"?
And then after a tiring day at work (as tiring for women as it is for men), you've got to rush back home just in time to cook rice and something "tasty" for dinner....if u are capable it is just another quality that a working wife has and if the wife doesnt know cooking, the wife is considered good for nothing.(I think its a very good quality coz atleast then the husband gets to know what it means to work and cook DAILY).
And if you thought this is all in the day.....the night has just begun dear :-) ! Now, I am not trying to blah-blah about the routine life of a working woman at home nor am i trying to prove that all men are bad or this world is unrealistic. Its a fact after all and I guess God once again (I think God is also a man) gave us women the power to suffer, cry , forget and start life fresh once again from the next morning as it was a day before.Some argue that women are born to bear - whether it is the brunt of someone's imperfect ways, caustic tongues of family, husband's demands or kids!!!! Like as if someone asked God while creating human beings "You have given us all good. Now what if we have to face something unpleasant in life.? " And then God said " Here's my invention son - The woman. She bears it all for her man". .
This might seem too sarcastic or philosophical but thats how it is.....hard to digest. All said and done, this is just a blog and am just penning my thoughts out here. There might be many of u who might just about agree with me or some who feel that i m thinking crap. Atleast we have got a brain of our own and can fortunately reason out our lives why the world is like this? People want a "working girl" as their wife. Why ? Is it just for monetary support or do they also feel that the wife/bahu has her own life and dreams like themselves ?
-Aparna10/7/2007
Chain mail, Link letters - A matter of disgrace to God and us
Hey folks, by now, reading the title you might have figured out what i was attempting to write about. Most of us have received many times, spam mails/chain/link mails which take the name of GOD (any religion be it), quote a few holy hymns and demand that if this mail is forwarded to 10 people in next 1 hour, something good will happen within 1 week etc etc.
And most of us, succumbing to the divine obligation, whether out of greed or loyalty or in the name of God, just forward it. For those who do that, it is just a matter of clicking the "Forward" button. Little do they actually judge the situation and see it with their true eye.
One has to understand the fact that any god/godessess/ divine incarnations such as Sri Saibaba do not need to resort to blackmail to spread HIS name by promises of wealth and warnings of punishment.
As is the nature of GOD, “Ahambhava heenam prasannaatma bhavam (one without ego and one who is ever kind)” God himself has stated in holy scriptures that, the purpose of his incarnation is to bless the devotees with his grace, “My mission is to give blessings”. He also said that he would never be angry with any one. The grace of saints like Baba is ever falling on us as a waterfall, but it is our ignorance which acting as an umbrella obstructs us from receiving it in the full measure. If we surrender to GOD with the felling of exclusive love for him only and single-minded devotion, the obstruction is removed and we receive his grace in full measure. To think that one will get the divine grace by passing on the letter to 10 or 20 people, and to do that with a feeling of fear is foolish. It is an insult to the divine god that he would be angry if we do not do that and will, like devil harm us. It is those who do not even know the basics of spiritual sadhana or the teachings of God who initiate these letters. Some seek to justify this by saying,” What they are asking us to do is to write the holy name of God and spread the message to all.
A few people would ask - What harm is in that? What do we lose by doing so?”
It is sheer delusion to believe that to pass along such anonymous letters, like a coward, would constitute service to GOD. It seeks to degrade us to the level of the ignorant persons so lacking in self respect that we would stoop to the level of sending anonymous letters like cowards. Any encouragement given by us to this foolish practice would be a transgression against the tradition of devotion to GOD. My only advice to those who receive these letters is- tear them up and consign them to the waste paper basket or delete them.
Prettiest hands in the world !
Our Mother Baba said, "I immediately thrust My hand into the furnace and saved the child. I do not mind My arm being burnt, but I am glad that the life of the child is saved" in Sri Sai Satcharitra , Ch. VII. A little boy sat with his parents in their cozy home. He said to his mother, "Mama, you have the kindest, prettiest face in the world! I wish I could look at it forever!"
As he uttered these words, his glance fell on her hands. They were twisted out of shape, badly deformed. "Why mama!" he exclaimed, "Yours must be the ugliest hands in the world! I can't bear to look at them!" The father took the little boy on his knees. "Let me tell you a story," he said gently. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was sleeping peacefully in his cradle when the cradle caught fire." "What happened to the baby?" asked the boy.
"The nurse who was suppose to take care of the baby, ran away in alarm," the father continued. "But the mother saw the fire and rushed to save the baby. She found it was impossible to lift the baby though the surrounding flames, without hurting him. So she beat the fire out with her own hands. "Her hands were badly burnt. It took months before they could heal. Even then, they were left badly scarred." "What a brave mother!" the little boy exclaimed. "Do you know who she was?" the father asked. "She was your mother! Her disfigured, scarred hands were the ones that saved your life!" The little boy turned to his mother with tear touched eyes and kissed her hands, again and again.
"Mummy, these are the prettiest hands in the world!" he said, through his tears. Indeed, there is nothing more beautiful than a mother's love!
Monday, July 9, 2007
The story behind my beautiful name
I am from a middle class Telugu brahmin family from Hyderabad.
As we Indians have this tradition, a kid is named usually on the 21st day of birth or thereafter and the entire family, friends and community gathers for this auspicious ocassion.
South Indians are infamously known for prefixing many names of their favorite gods, godesses, ancestors, or even someone they admire. The list sometimes is so long that the poor kid might have a dozen names before his/her actual first name begins.
And so, as they fondly joke, you might find some people with 5 to 6 initials in their name.....and immediately it comes to mind how many names he would have been named after...
For instance, P.S.V.N.K.L.M.R. Sarma would have been P. Sri Venkata Naga Krishna Lakshmi Murari Ratnakara Sarma........... :-).....ohhh this is just the beginning...
Fortunately, i didnt have to go through so much gruelling on my 21st day.... famously known as "namakaranam" which means naming ceremony.
My name is Aparna and there is a beautiful story behind that name, which I would love to share with you all. My dad said the name 'Aparna' in those days struck little modern plus it was a name that his favourite actress had - Aparna Sen. He thought if he had a baby girl he would name her 'Aparna' which he apparently did. But there is another story about the name.
Reborn again to the mountain king Himavanth as Uma, Parvati always wanted to have Lord Shiva as her husband. She used to go to the icy caves where he lived and meditated and brought him food and served him. But Shiva was so preoccupied in himself that he never noticed her at all. Parvati did not know how to win his heart so she called upon the God of Love, Manmadha and his consort Rati. They transformed his cave into a pleasure garden and the God of Lust fired his arrows of desire into Shiva's heart.
Shiva was furious than lovesick and in his anger opened his third eye and burned Manmadha to ashes. Rati seeing her husband die in that manner, pleaded Parvati to bring him back. Parvati assured her that when she would marry Shiva, Manmadha would come alive. She now knew that it was more important than ever to become Shiva's wife because, without the God of Love, there would be no creation, no man no women and the world would cease to exist.Parvati now sorted for a more stern way to win Shiva's heart. She thought doing severe penance to prove that her love for him was true might melt his stonecold heart and then he might marry her. Very determined, she went to the forest and did rigorous Tapas. She put her mind to Shiva and chanted his name. She wore nothing to protect her tender body and she never moved. Insects and creatures crawled over her skin thinking her to be a rock. She did severe fasting, eating nothing, not even a single leaf, hence the name. A - without and Parna - leaf. Aparna the leafless one.
Impressed by her determination, Lord Shiva accepts her and they both are united in one. God of Love Manmadha becomes alive and there is harmony in the world. Thus, Aparna brings back the balance to the world. Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati are perfect for each other because she calmes him down and he attains the balance of Yoga and Bhoga with her.
Another fact that perhaps only my close family knows is that my name is not just Aparna.....it is Aparna Swathi Suhasini....
I was born on 1st July in Swathi Nakshatram (ruling star at time of birth) and hence my maternal grandparents decided to suffix the star name Swathi (which is also a very famous name in India) to my first name. Now it was time for my paternal grandpa also to show his naming skills............ He was a great fan of the then bengali theatre actress Suhasini (i honestly dont know who she is ) and also a devotee of Durga Ma. And so he named me Suhasini...
My parents, not to let anyone down, hence put 2 more names to my first name. Thus was born my 3-names saga...
I always love to be called Aparna.........but for some reasons, i also love my other 2 names. Unfortunately, no one wishes to call me so, though i have on many occassions requested them to do so..... My hubby dear thinks Suhasini is too "oh-my-god-what-a-name" and Swathi sounds like he is calling some other lady. Valid excuse but poor me :(
On my paternal front, all my first cousins have been named on the alphabet A as a sentiment. The second name has been framed as per their star or time of birth.
And hence, calling each of my cousins would fill an entire name column for the alphabet A......
Neverthless, I always feel Aparna is a great name - then, now and forever !
Aparna
9/7/2007
As we Indians have this tradition, a kid is named usually on the 21st day of birth or thereafter and the entire family, friends and community gathers for this auspicious ocassion.
South Indians are infamously known for prefixing many names of their favorite gods, godesses, ancestors, or even someone they admire. The list sometimes is so long that the poor kid might have a dozen names before his/her actual first name begins.
And so, as they fondly joke, you might find some people with 5 to 6 initials in their name.....and immediately it comes to mind how many names he would have been named after...
For instance, P.S.V.N.K.L.M.R. Sarma would have been P. Sri Venkata Naga Krishna Lakshmi Murari Ratnakara Sarma........... :-).....ohhh this is just the beginning...
Fortunately, i didnt have to go through so much gruelling on my 21st day.... famously known as "namakaranam" which means naming ceremony.
My name is Aparna and there is a beautiful story behind that name, which I would love to share with you all. My dad said the name 'Aparna' in those days struck little modern plus it was a name that his favourite actress had - Aparna Sen. He thought if he had a baby girl he would name her 'Aparna' which he apparently did. But there is another story about the name.
Reborn again to the mountain king Himavanth as Uma, Parvati always wanted to have Lord Shiva as her husband. She used to go to the icy caves where he lived and meditated and brought him food and served him. But Shiva was so preoccupied in himself that he never noticed her at all. Parvati did not know how to win his heart so she called upon the God of Love, Manmadha and his consort Rati. They transformed his cave into a pleasure garden and the God of Lust fired his arrows of desire into Shiva's heart.
Shiva was furious than lovesick and in his anger opened his third eye and burned Manmadha to ashes. Rati seeing her husband die in that manner, pleaded Parvati to bring him back. Parvati assured her that when she would marry Shiva, Manmadha would come alive. She now knew that it was more important than ever to become Shiva's wife because, without the God of Love, there would be no creation, no man no women and the world would cease to exist.Parvati now sorted for a more stern way to win Shiva's heart. She thought doing severe penance to prove that her love for him was true might melt his stonecold heart and then he might marry her. Very determined, she went to the forest and did rigorous Tapas. She put her mind to Shiva and chanted his name. She wore nothing to protect her tender body and she never moved. Insects and creatures crawled over her skin thinking her to be a rock. She did severe fasting, eating nothing, not even a single leaf, hence the name. A - without and Parna - leaf. Aparna the leafless one.
Impressed by her determination, Lord Shiva accepts her and they both are united in one. God of Love Manmadha becomes alive and there is harmony in the world. Thus, Aparna brings back the balance to the world. Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati are perfect for each other because she calmes him down and he attains the balance of Yoga and Bhoga with her.
Another fact that perhaps only my close family knows is that my name is not just Aparna.....it is Aparna Swathi Suhasini....
I was born on 1st July in Swathi Nakshatram (ruling star at time of birth) and hence my maternal grandparents decided to suffix the star name Swathi (which is also a very famous name in India) to my first name. Now it was time for my paternal grandpa also to show his naming skills............ He was a great fan of the then bengali theatre actress Suhasini (i honestly dont know who she is ) and also a devotee of Durga Ma. And so he named me Suhasini...
My parents, not to let anyone down, hence put 2 more names to my first name. Thus was born my 3-names saga...
I always love to be called Aparna.........but for some reasons, i also love my other 2 names. Unfortunately, no one wishes to call me so, though i have on many occassions requested them to do so..... My hubby dear thinks Suhasini is too "oh-my-god-what-a-name" and Swathi sounds like he is calling some other lady. Valid excuse but poor me :(
On my paternal front, all my first cousins have been named on the alphabet A as a sentiment. The second name has been framed as per their star or time of birth.
And hence, calling each of my cousins would fill an entire name column for the alphabet A......
Neverthless, I always feel Aparna is a great name - then, now and forever !
Aparna
9/7/2007
My first blog
As i sit down to create this blog space of mine, i feel a rush of ideas to fill in.........and i hope i have this forever :_)..........But as most bloggers always admit, it is a probability of 55% that they experience this blogging fever on any given day....
The day is fine....it is the first day of the week......and best news is there is no work and no one to boss over me as of now...... and so it is time to blog....
People have expressed their thoughts over a period of time through articles, media, speech, letters and now blogs. I have no such serious intentions but the thought of writing something on a topic that sounds funny, interesting or worth a thought for me, indeed inspired me to create this account of mine......... and damn it..... the first step itself was worth stumbling...... no matter how many blog names i chose, all were taken ! and so i chose finally this URL........... do keep in touch and do let me know ur feedback..... your comments are most welcome...... and as for me, i m just a beginner...... i will learn to swim this tide as well......
Ciao for now....
Aparna
09/07/2007 (I have taken a resolution to use the DD/MM/YYYY format from now for clear reading purposes).... check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_format if you really had something to know about the various date formats.
The day is fine....it is the first day of the week......and best news is there is no work and no one to boss over me as of now...... and so it is time to blog....
People have expressed their thoughts over a period of time through articles, media, speech, letters and now blogs. I have no such serious intentions but the thought of writing something on a topic that sounds funny, interesting or worth a thought for me, indeed inspired me to create this account of mine......... and damn it..... the first step itself was worth stumbling...... no matter how many blog names i chose, all were taken ! and so i chose finally this URL........... do keep in touch and do let me know ur feedback..... your comments are most welcome...... and as for me, i m just a beginner...... i will learn to swim this tide as well......
Ciao for now....
Aparna
09/07/2007 (I have taken a resolution to use the DD/MM/YYYY format from now for clear reading purposes).... check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_format if you really had something to know about the various date formats.
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