These are words that I heard at home, but are not in popular use any more.
ਤਰਖਾਣ - तरखान - Tarkhaan - Carpenter
ਬਜਾਜ - बजाज - Bajaj - Cloth Seller
ਹੜ - हड़ - Hadd - Flood
ਲਾਊਡੇ ਵੇਲੇ - लौडे वेले - Laude vele - Dawn
ਤਰਕਾਲਾਂ ਵੇਲੇ - तरकालां वेले - Tarkalaan Vele - Dusk
ਮਾਹੀ/ ਮਾਹੀਵਾਲ - माही/माहीवाल Mahiwal / Mahi - Goatsherd / Shepherd / Cowherd
और फिर मैंने
तुम्हारी नाप के कपड़े पहनने छोड़ दिए
और अपना नाप
दर्जी को दे आई।
And then
I stopped tailoring myself
to fit you.
तने से तीली बनी
तीली से दियासलाई
दियासलाई माचिस भरी
टके-टके में पाई।
तना
कुछ भी बन सकता था
मूर्ति, कुर्सी, बिस्तर
पर वह
माचिस बना।
यह किस्मत का सोना नहीं
भाग्य का उदय होना था।
माचिस
बहुरूपी अवतार की कोई देवी है
जो वह रूप धारण कर सकती है
जिसकी आवश्यकता हो
क्रांति
आशा
प्रकाश
विश्वास
माचिस
कुछ भी बन सकती है
बच्चों का खेल
तिनकों का घर
किसी तस्वीर का
मनोहर पुल
आरती की प्रथम क्रिया
अर्थी को अंतिम प्रणाम
माचिस
सब हो सकती है
घर बसाने वाला चूल्हा
घर उजाड़ने वाली बीड़ी
दोनों
माचिस पर निर्भर
माचिस होना
किस्मत का सोना नहीं,
भाग्य का उदय होना था।
Rough translation
The trunk
could have become anything
a comfortable chair
a bed
but it became
a matchbox.
It was not
the end of life
It was
the rise of destiny.
A matchbox
is a Goddess
that takes the form
that is needed
by the world.
it can be
a revolution
hope
light
faith.
A matchbox
can be anything.
Children's matchstick riddles
and tiny matchstick houses
or the beautiful bridge
on a painting sublime
The start of the arati
the final goodbye
to a cremation pile
A matchbox
does everything.
The hearth that keeps a home
and the cigarette that destroys it
Are both no use
without the match.
Oh, to be a matchbox,
And rule the world!
The date on the book reads - 3rd July, 1977. That was the year i was born! Someone was reading this book that year!
The book is a thriller from the word go. It is perhaps his second book or something, because the cover mentions another book.
The plot revolves around a psychoanalyst who is marked for death and a classic case of hunted becoming the detective to find out who is behind the attacks.
The various threads come together. Some of the maturity that we see in later works is missing, but the crisp dialogues and one liners to live by more than make up for it.
I would recommend this book. It can be read in one go, and its wonderful.
Oh yes, there is some criticism of the fact that the book believes in curing homosexuality, but pls remember.. this is 1977.
Today, I worked as if i am going to die tomorrow.
You know, that distinct feeling u have when you just know something very bad is about to happen?
That one.
So, I washed (by hand, in Delhi winters) a 8 kilo polyfill duvet.
Ran 2 loads of laundry.
Cleaned up the spice cabinet (mostly bcs i was looking for the red chilli powder that the cook was not supposed to have but was distinctly present in my dal tonight).
And also, cleared up my accounts.
And now, Waiting for Tomorrow.
एक बार, बहुत दिनों तक तुम्हारा कोई खत नहीं आया। उन दिनों फोन नहीं हुआ करते थे। मैं तुम्हारे परिवार से नहीं थी, तो तुम्हारे मुतालिक कोई तार भी मुझ तक नहीं पहुंचना था। पता नहीं था कि तुम लाम पर जीते हो या मर गए।
पर एक दिन मुझे समझ आ गया - न तार चाहिए, न फोन, और चिट्ठी भी ना आए तो कोई बड़ी बात नहीं। तुम जीते हो या मर गए, ये जानने के लिए किसी तीसरे की कोई ज़रूरत ही नहीं है।
बहुत महीनों बाद, तुम्हारी चिट्ठी आई। तुम जिस काम पर भेजे गए थे, वहाँ से कोई सन्देस भेजने या पाने की इजाजत नहीं थी।
"तू डरी नहीं?" तुमने चिट्ठी में पूछा था।
"डरना क्यूँ था?" मैंने जवाब भेजा।
**************
There was this time when there were no letters from you - for a long time. This was before we had phones.
I was not a part of your family, so no telegrams about you would reach me. Nor news from your family.
We had no idea if you were alive or dead.
And then, one day, I realised - I don' t need a phone call, telegram, or even letters from you to know if you are alive or dead.
We finally got a letter from you - after months. You were alive (of course), and were on a project which required zero contact with anyone.
You explained this in your letter, and then asked, by way of placating, "I hope you did not fear for me."
I wrote back, "Why would I fear?"
************
इक बड़े मज़े की बात है, ज़रा सुनियो जी
मीठे मीठे जज़्बात हैं, ज़रा सुनियो जी!
तुम देती हो पूरणपोली, मैं खाता मीठी रोटी
तुम देती हो ताना, मैं पाता प्रेम का बाना
तुम लाज से होतीं गुलाबी, मन हो जाता नवाबी,
बस ऐसे हों दिन रात जी, ज़रा सुनियो जी!
जब होती कभी लड़ाई, तुम करने लगतीं कढ़ाई
जब होता प्रेम संवाद, तुम बिछा देतीं अनुराग
सुबह को झिड़की शाम को, मेरी पसंद की साड़ी जी
बस ऐसे हों तकरार जी, ज़रा सुनियो जी!
इक बड़े मज़े की बात है, ज़रा सुनियो जी
मीठे मीठे जज़्बात हैं, ज़रा सुनियो जी!
This lyrical poem is written in response to a prompt given on a poetry group. The prompt is - Silent Conversation.
This is a new format for me. I don't usually write lyrical content that can be recited (not sung) to a meter.
Only in one place is the meter broken, but I am happy with it. If a better alternative comes to mind later, will change.
Since the CONgress got voted in Karnataka and Telangana, there has been hajaar debate in India on North and South Indian voters and how North and South Indians are inherently different.
So, I thought I might as well list a comparison between north and south Indians.
Here goes:
*****************
North Indians depend on their sons to take care of them in old age.
South Indians depend on their sons to take care of them in old age.
***********
North Indians do not educate their daughters so they can be married off easily.
South Indians educate their daughters so they can be married off easily.
**********
North Indian films have women doing pelvic thrusts and gyrations to bawdy lyrics.
South Indian films have women doing pelvic thrusts and gyrations to bawdy lyrics.
*********
North Indians believe that South Indians are strange.
South Indians believe that North Indians are strange.
***********
North Indians give dowry to their daughters.
South Indians give dowry to their daughters.
********
North Indians follow the caste + religion system.
South Indians follow the caste + religion system.
*****************
North Indians believe in Mother Goddess in many forms - Vaishno. Durga, Amba...
South Indians believe in Mother Goddess in many forms - Minakshi Ammal, Chamudeshwari, Mariyamma...
**********
North Indian dalits+ converted buddhists want reservations.
South Indian dalits + converted christians + converted buddhists + converted muslims want reservations.
************
North Indians believe South Indians are space scientists or IITians.
South Indians believe North Indians are businessmen or crooks.
*************
North Indians know Hindi and want to learn English.
South Indians know English but don't want to learn Hindi.
*************
North Indians want daughters-in-law to adjust to their family and culture.
South Indians want daughters-in-law to adjust to their family and culture.
********************
North Indians love South Indian food as a specialty.
South Indians love North Indian food as a specialty.
********************
North Indian women wear sarees. Men wear dhotis.
South Indian women wear sarees. Men wear veshtis (also a wraparound lower garment like the dhoti, but the South Indians think it is somehow more dignified than the North Indian version of wraparound).
*********
North Indian parents get their self-concept from children being obedient and successful in life.
South Indians parents get their self-concept from children being obedient and successful in life.
*****************
North Indians spend lavishly at weddings and funerals, but the bulk of the expense goes towards feeding others.
South Indians spend lavishly at weddings and funerals, but the bulk of the expense goes towards gold necklaces that are longer than the bride and groom.
***********
North Indians go to a wedding to eat and gossip.
South Indians go to a wedding to eat and gossip.
*************
North Indians break traffic rules when they can.
South Indians break traffic rules when they think they can.
**************
North Indians are loud because they think they are God's gift to mankind.
South Indians are soft-spoken because they think they are God's gift to mankind.
*************
North Indian men beat their wives.
South Indian men beat their wives.
*********
North Indians vote for 'people like us'
South Indians vote ONLY for 'people like us'.
(Regional parties are far stronger in the Southern states)
*****************
North Indians think South India is hostile for young adults and North Indian young people.
South Indians think North India is unsafe for women.
************
North Indians think South Indians are well-educated.
South Indians think North Indians are illiterate.
******************
In short, they are both hypocrites, shallow, and generally xenophobic, racist, and painful.
Being an Indian, I have lived in both - North and South.
And my experience of both has been good or bad, independent of location. It has always been about the people.
On a more serious note, i think the fact that South Indians only read English media, which is funded extensively by George Soros, and they have a much higher religious conversion rate than North India, has a lot to do with the victory of the Congress than any real manifesto reading. No one put that education to use reading any manifestos.
************
There is someone who hurts me and other people - intentionally, and all the time.
I feel vindictive. I want to stop their toxic behaviour. What should I do?
Answer:
If they are only inflicting pain on everyone around them, imagine how much torment there must be in their own soul? Even sadists who actually feel happy after torturing others, depend on that torture to feel happy. For a very basic emotion - happiness, they have to depend on others!
Let me give you another example. A dog that is biting anyone that approaches it, is itself in pain. A dog at peace will not bite. It will take food, reproduce, and sleep.
So, if someone is biting everyone's head off, hurting other people, they are not at peace at all. No greater torment can be wished upon them than they are already suffering.
What is the only way to make a biting dog stop biting?
It is to stop its pain. When the pain is over, then it will see that all it needs to be happy is food, water, sleep, reproduction. It is the same with sadistic, toxic people. The only way to stop the hurt that they are causing others is to wish that their own hurting stops. Only then can they realise how useless hurting others is.
Let me give you one more example. We might think that a terminally ill patient would be very grateful to their caretakers - because those people are letting go of their healthy lives just to provide care and pain relief. Usually, work like that takes a lot of love. But what really happens is that the person being cared for is usually irritable, grumpy, and all round pain to be with. Why? Are they not aware of the sacrifice of the caregiver? Of course they are! But they are in pain 24*7! That pain makes them detest the whole world and their own lives. It all comes out on the caregiver, who is closest at hand.
What is the way to end this abuse? It is for the patient to be pain free. That is the only way. No amount of explanation or realisation will change the behaviour of the patient while they are in constant pain. You might reduce caregiving to "teach them a lesson." What effect will that have? The exact opposite, no?
When someone is going through suffering or tough times, it is a result of their karma, or part of their destiny - या कर्मफल या नियति।
When we try to help them, it can be for two reasons - 1. It is part of their karmic balance with us that we have to step in and help at that time. Very rarely is this the case with healers. 2. We are trying to alter their karma or their destiny.
But as we do know, it is not possible to alter either the karma or the destiny. A temporary reprieve from pain will only add more karma debt to the person.
पर हम जानते हैं, कि कर्मफल और नियति, दोनों बदले नहीं जा सकते। इन्हें बदलने की चेष्टा करने का अर्थ है, अपना भार और बढ़ाना।
कठिन है उस समय मदद न करना जब हम किसी को तकलीफ में देखें। संवेदनशील हृदय के लिए और भी कठिन है।
परंतु उसे निष्ठुर होना नहीं, तटस्थ होना कहते हैं।
पीड़ा क्षणिक है, यह जानना एक बात है, और पीड़ा का अनुभव करते हुए इस बात को समझ पाना, बिल्कुल दूसरी बात। जब पीड़ा उन्हें होती हो, जिनसे हम प्रेम करते हैं, तब और भी कठिन है, उनके कर्मफल में हस्तक्षेप न करना। इसी लिए हम सिद्ध हो कर भी अपने घर वालों के लिए सिद्धि का प्रयोग वर्जित करते हैं।
We think that miracles are rare events - perhaps happening once or twice in a lifetime.
We might even think that this is an understanding based on data.
Let's sit and think, shall we?
When we shave or wax, remember that one stubborn hair that refuses to come out? In a massacre of hair from roots, that one remains ... alive. If not a miracle, what is it?
The child who stands up to answer the teacher, and suddenly, as soon as s/he stands up, the answer comes to them in a flash... how does that happen?
The person who gets up in the morning with a song in the head - randomly, boards the bus, and finds the same song is playing - how?
You crave a dish and miraculously, that dish reaches you.
The paper goes bad but the marks are good.
You fall but escape with just a few scrapes.
You tend to all plants equally, but some blossom, and some wither. Why?
A child in a house turns out to be a prodigy.
The truth is, life is full of miracles. Some, we observe. But most others, we take for granted.
If we think of miracles as rare events, the solution is not to learn spiritual powers.
It is, my friend, a very simple solution - Observe more. Be more mindful. Be more present.
And slowly, you will find yourself living on a planet that is full of miracles of all kinds.
And once again, I have blabbered too much.
I always hate opening my mouth and not knowing when to shut it.
But these are curious days and curious times.
Still. The Entire Diwali pooja was rotten. And this, for someone who decided to not give another human that kind of power over their lives. So much for resolution. Now for the other kind of resolution - the kind that happens on its own. We make peace with distances and come to terms with absences.
**********
It is always apparent
when it is imminent
And yet
the end of a friendship
takes us rather by surprise.
Grief
like seasons
must be lived through.
************
Good while it lasted.
Better when it was good.
Best to leave it behind.
Poetry is the bridge that connects you to yourself.
You can go and come as often as you like. It is always there.
Even when abandoned, the bridge stands. So long as there is an other end to get to, the bridge remains.
Your soul has a home. The right words, the right touch, the right person - they can all take you there. They are all bridges that connect you to yourself. But I like poetry best. :)
अगर तुम कभी परियों के साथ खेले हो,
तो तुम जानते हो
कि परियाँ भय नहीं जानतीं
अटखेलियाँ जानती हैं
इच्छा पूरी करना जानती हैं
हँसाना जानती हैं।
अगर तुमने कभी प्रेम किया है
तो तुम जानते हो
कि प्रेम स्वार्थ नहीं जानता
समर्पण जानता है
कंधे पर हाथ रखना जानता है
साथ देना जानता है।
अगर तुमने कभी दिवाली मनाई है
तो तुम जानते हो
कि दिवाली अंधेरा नहीं जानती
मीठी रीत जानती है
अमावस को उजास करना जानती है
नव वर्ष देना जानती है।
और अगर तुम ये सब नहीं जानते,
तो तुमने
कभी दिवाली नहीं मनाई
प्रेम नहीं किया
और परियों के साथ भी नहीं खेला है।
और तब तुमने सचमुच
जीवन कुछ कम जिया है।
Rough translation:
If you have played with fairies
even once
You know
that fairies do not know fear.
They know gentle laughter
Granting wishes
being mischievous
If you have loved
even once
you know
that love does not know selfishness.
It knows surrender
companionship
support.
If you have celebrated Diwali
even once
you know
that Diwali does not know darkness
It knows laughter
converting a new moon night into light
And heralding the start of a new year.
If you do not know this
then you have not
celebrated Diwali
loved
or even, played with the fairies.
And then, my friend,
you have lived
a little less.
This is a short poem from the heart of a newly wed bride, who doesn't know how to get alone time with her husband in a full household. (Image by Bing AI. Not the best. But not too bad. )
इक बुझारत लिखां
कल्ले होण बारे
लौडे वेले, मोमबत्तियाँ बाल के बैन
सारे घर वाले
बुझारत बुझन
हल की?
तू।
**********
एक पहेली लिखूँ
एकाकीपन पर
शाम होने पर
घर के सब लोग
रोज़ की तरह
एक दूसरे से पूछें
पहेलियाँ
मेरी पहेली भी आए
और उसका हल भी कोई सुझाए
- तू।
************
पंजाब में रात को समय बिताने के लिए एक दूसरे से पहेलियाँ बूझी जाती थी, चुटकुले सुनाए जाते थे, और किस्से भी।
कविता उस practice पर आधारित है
In Punjab, after sundown, to kill time, families used to sit in the courtyard and share jokes, riddles, etc.
This is the practice referenced in the Punjabi original. The Hindi version has some explanation. The English translation would be inadequate, but here goes an effort:
Let me make up
a riddle about
loneliness.
Every evening, as the family gathers around
to share jokes and riddles
let them ask
my riddle too.
And let someone
figure out the answer:
You.
**********
Most things won't happen, Larkin said,
But this one will: We will be dead.
The saddest thing, in each context,
Is knowing that we could be next.
Some take the bus, some take the train,
Some die in sleep, the rest in pain
But of one thing we can be sure:
All die imperfect, each impure
Some wishing that they had been better,
Others worse, but no one deader.
Shoes left, like Buddhists, at the door:
Those won't be needed anymore.
- Thanks to Mohit for sharing this on the poetry group.
Patient: Doctor, my legs cramp up suddenly for no reason. A few times a month. No pattern, no trigger. Just a sudden leg cramp that goes away on its own after about 10 minutes.
Doctor: Ok, let me run some tests.
A week later:
Patient: Well?
Doctor: Oh, those tests came out clean. Let me run some more tests.
A month later:
Doctor: You have ILCS.
Patient: What's that?
Doctor: Idiopathic Leg Cramp Syndrome.
Patient: What does that mean?
Doctor: It means you have leg cramps, and we have no clue why.
**********
Today, I got a strange message in meditation.
हम प्रेम और शक्ति को विरोधाभासी समझते हैं। जहां प्रेम है, वहाँ शक्ति का क्या प्रयोजन, और जहां शक्ति प्रदर्शन है, वहाँ प्रेम कैसे हो सकता है? वैसे ही जैसे हम सरस्वती और लक्ष्मी को विरोधाभासी समझते हैं।
पर ऐसा है नहीं। कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम नहीं कर सकता। वह प्रेम की कामना कर सकता है, प्रेम का भ्रम भी पाल सकता है। पर प्रेम करने, और पाने के लिए मनोबल और सक्षमता दोनों चाहिए। कमज़ोर व्यक्ति के पास दोनों नहीं है।
कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम नहीं पा सकता। प्रेम पाने के लिए हृदय और जीवन में स्थान आवश्यक है। वह स्थान बनाने के लिए अपने जीवन पर उतना नियंत्रण होना चाहिए। समुद्र के सतह पर तैरता लोटा अपनी इच्छा से एक बूंद पानी भी ग्रहण नहीं कर सकता। उसी प्रकार कमज़ोर व्यक्ति प्रेम से घिरा होने पर भी, उससे वंचित रह सकता है।
इसलिए, शक्ति और प्रेम विरोधाभासी नहीं, एक दूसरे के लिए आवश्यक हैं। एक दूसरे के पूरक हैं। प्रेम शक्ति के बिना नहीं पाया जा सकता, और शक्ति प्रेम के बिना बेमानी है।
We are not headed towards WW3. We are IN world war 3.
If the rockets have not landed in our courtyards yet, it is because this is India.
US, which has stayed on the sidelines for over a year on the Ukraine war, ordered direct hits into Syria.
The UN is among the best paymasters in the world.
What are those big fat salaries used for in the event of an actual war?
To pass resolutions.
It was not an entirely new path, but one that was being walked after years. Everything was uncertain. And largely unknown - because, well, paths change. Even ruins don't remain the same year after year. And foot trails among jungles have a way of vanishing.
A week had passed, 10 days perhaps.
The message was clear - one just needs to go through this. Why? No answer.
***********
A book appeared. The author had sent a personal copy.
Small-ish book. Just 60 pages. Short form prose and haiku poetry.
I opened it and started reading. And stared in disbelief.
The Universe had just sent me the Illustrated Guide to the Path.
**************
I am still speechless at the miracle of it.
Ishq Leasing Services
हर तरह के प्रेम की
किफायती, पुरानी, और
भरोसेमंद दुकान!
Short-Term, Long -term
गहरा, casual
सब मिलता है एक जगह
फिर क्यूँ ढूंढें यहाँ वहाँ?
हमारे पास आइए,
मन की मुराद पाइए!
हर हफ्ते नई गर्लफ्रेंड
का पैकेज डील है
न टिन्डर, bumble, हिन्ज
न फोन न texting
बस शुक्रवार की रात को
नई गर्लफ्रेंड पाइए,
और डिस्को में ले जाइए!
"सुबह गुड मॉर्निंग कहे, और
रात को आधा घंटा बातें कर ले"
- हमारा bestselling पैकेज है
सस्ता, बढ़िया, और टिकाऊ!
दोपहर को भेजे प्रेम संदेश
और आपकी कामयाबी की कहानियाँ सुने
हफ्ते में 3-4 रात
ऐसा product भी available है
चिंता ना कीजिए,
पैकेज कभी भी change कर सकते हैं
आज serious हो कर
कल emotions की range कर सकते हैं!
सबसे बड़ा फायदा
बसा रहे परिवार!
Have your cake and eat it too,
यही हमारा सार!
तो देर भला किस बात की?
आज ही नाम लिखाइए!
अपनी पसंदीदा girlfriend
अपने साथ ले जाइए!
नाम रखिए सदा याद
हम हैं इश्क का इमदाद!
Ishq Leasing Services!
Ishq Leasing Services!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/2022/10/22/a-designed-death--where--when-the-world-allows-it/?sh=4dc76aa77b3d
हम किसी की आमद से पहले, उसकी रुखसती की तैयारी करते हैं।
तुम्हारी आदत पड़ गई तो?
हमारी लड़ाई हो गई तो?
तुमने शहर छोड़ दिया तो?
क्या फायदा?
दुख की तैयारी करने से, दुख हल्का नहीं होता। तब भी उतना ही दुखी करता है। दुख की तैयारी करने से, आज का सुख कम होता है।
याद आ रही है? जा कर मिल आओ।
लतीफा सुनाना है? सुना दो।
एक ये ज़ख़्म ही काफ़ी है मिरे जीने को
चारागर ठीक न होने की दवा दे मुझ को
**************
चारागर ख़त्म भी कर कार-ए-नफ़स अबके बरस
तू तो कह देता है बस अबके बरस अबके बरस
*********
- ~ बालमोहन पांडेय
For some weeks now, I have been going over the old diaries.. typing out what needs to be preserved and throwing out the rest.
And realised that i have not written a journal of thoughts in forever.. and how much it helps to just write.. even if one does not ever read them again..
Much water has flown under every bridge, of course, but each of those posts are as fresh as if it was yesterday. I remember each of these events vividly while reading about them.
So, maybe, it is time to journal again, not just on the bad days, but also on the good ones?
एक पथिक था। चलते-चलते उसे प्यास लगी। उसने एक कुँआ ढूंढा। किनारे पर पनिहारिनें पानी भर रही थीं। उसने एक से कुछ पानी मांगा। प्यास बुझाई, और आगे चला।
थोड़ा आगे जा कर दोबारा प्यास लगी, दोबारा कुंआ ढूंढा, पनिहारिन से पानी मांगा, पिया।
पथिक ने किसी पनिहारिन से नहीं कहा, "लाओ, अपना मटका मुझे दे दो, मैं उठा लेता हूँ।"
प्रेम का भी ऐसा ही है। जब हमें प्रेम की व्याकुलता होती है, तब हम पास के कुंए पर किसी भी पनिहारिन से थोड़ा सा पानी पी कर उस समय की प्यास बुझा लेते हैं। फिर अगला गाँव, अगला कुंआ।
******************************
सदा ही संभव है, कि एक मटकी सर पर उठा कर चला जाए। रेगिस्तान में लोग करते भी हैं - मशकें उठा कर चलते हैं। पर ज़रखेज़ जगहों पर मटकी उठाने की ज़रूरत नहीं।
जब हम आध्यात्मिक मार्ग पर चलते हैं, तब भी, आज ये सत्संग, आज वहाँ गुरुजी, आज ये पूजा, कल वो। सब जल प्यास बुझाते हैं, पर अगर मटकी अपने साथ ही हो, तो किसी और पर कोई निर्भरता नहीं रहती। उस से ये रहता है कि थोड़ा संयम से चलना पड़ता है। अपने आप स्थिरता आ जाती है, सौम्यता भी। किसी और की प्यास बुझाने का मन भी।
और अगर कुंआ ही मन में खुद जाए तो? अगर अपने भीतर की हर प्यास को बुझाने का सोता मन में ही हो तो?
ऐसा कभी नहीं होता। निरंकारियों के लिए भी नहीं। कुंआ सदा से सब का है। उस में निजता नहीं है। हो ही नहीं सकती।
क्या अपनी मटकी उठा लेना पनिहारिनों से मांगने से बेहतर है?
अपने अपने चरित्र पर है। किसी को स्थिरता नहीं चाहिए, नित नूतनता ही चाहिए। ऐसे लोग सर पर मटका नहीं उठा सकते। उठाना भी नहीं चाहिए। वे सदा ही जल के भिक्षु रहेंगे, पर उनकी प्रकृति ही ऐसी है।
जब मांग मांग कर थक जाएँ, तब अपना मटका उठा लेना चाहिए।
I hate to admit it.. but Shiv Kumar Batalvi's beautiful poem - Ik kudi jida naa Mohabbat, has been translated into music by many singers, but none that touched my heart.. until this one...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZh7my_RASk
आओ माँ
मैं बतलाता हूँ
तुमको एक कहानी
दूर कहीं पर एक नदी थी
और नदी में पानी।
नदी का पानी झर झर झर झर
नदी के पत्थर गोल
नदी किनारे बच्चे खेलें
पिट्ठू, किरकट, और बॉल
एक दिन, जाने किधर से
नदी में पहुंचा एक मगर
पहले उसने मछलियाँ खाईं
फिर तीर पर की नज़र
छोटे छोटे पशु
पहले उसकी पकड़ में आए
पर इतने पर भी उसका
पेट न भर पाए
कैसे कहूँ माँ, उसने वहाँ
क्या त्रासदी बनाई
रात तो छोड़ो, दिन में भी
कोई नदी ना जाए भाई!
एक दिन, कुछ बच्चों ने
एक तरकीब सुझाई
गाँव वालों के मन को
बहुत ये टिड़कम भाई
एक लकड़ी का लंबा डंडा
सिरे से दिखता मछली जैसा
बीच में से चिरा हुआ
स्प्रिंग बटन से ऐसे फैला
डंडा पानी में बिठाकर
गाँव वाले बैठे कुछ दूर
रंग बिरंगी मछली देखे
मगर, तो खाने को मजबूर!
जयूं ही मगर ने मछली दबोची
स्प्रिंग दबा, डंडा खुल गया
मगर का मुंह खुला का खुला
दर्द के मारे छट-पट हुआ
बस, इसी की थी प्रतीक्षा
टूट पड़ा फिर सारा गाँव
मगर को सबने मार भगाया
बेचारे के पड़े कितने घाव!
गाँव में फिर से वही नदी थी,
वही जल, वही पत्थर गोल
लेकिन बच्चे समझ गए थे
नदी किनारे का अब मोल!
उन्होंने लड़ कर जीता था
नदी का वह पाट
खत्म हुई अब मेरी कहानी
ताली बजाओ मिला कर हाथ!
- 02 June 2018
Charming the Hearts of Men is a 2021 film.
How this treasure of a film was undiscovered is beyond me.
Grace Gordon comes back to her hometown after her father's death and starts a journey towards bankruptcy because her father was.. well, not well-off. In fact, buried in debt is closer to the truth than buried in earth.
As a woman, I had to love the film. Ruth and her daughter, the Congressman, Jubilee, Viola, and Walter.. all the characters are so beautifully drawn!
When Viola stands in the segregated pub and asks - What About Us? - Time stops for every viewer.
The cinematography, costumes, and art direction make this film a visual treat. The dialogues, while not as brilliant as one would like, are adequate (actually, less than adequate).
The film is brilliantly written. The actors carry that rather heavy burden very well. Each character comes alive.
From the Avon lady to the first cafe to end segregation, Grace Gordon carries the day. Somewhere in between, she also manages to convince a Congressman to include women in the Civil Rights Bill, 1963.
This film is a delight.
Here is the story, reproduced from Humans of Bombay. It breaks my heart so bad. The helplessness you feel when you realise that your child can go to a private or govt college and be shamed, bullied, killed even.
TW: Suicide
“Aditya was just 19; our only child. He was the kindest soul we knew. He was great in studies; his teachers always saved his notes. On some days, he wanted to become an athlete & on some, a pilot. But then, he opted for Computer Science in PES University. He was confused if he should get a job or move to the US for Masters. I used to say, ‘Do what your heart says, I’ll always be there.’
Last month, he appeared for his 2nd semester. He was excited for his vacation after; we’d just bought a new TV. He’d made a watchlist of movies. Everyday before his exam, he’d read the Gita & light a diya. But on 17th July, it all changed.
He left the house for his exam. I went to the office & my wife got busy with chores. Around 11:45, she got a call from Aditya saying, ‘Mom, I’d forgotten to put my phone in the bag during the exam. I swear I wasn't copying.' He said they yelled at him that it’s better to die than to copy. He asked her to come as the teachers had summoned her. She was made to wait for an hour. His phone was off. Someone mocked her saying, ‘You’re the malpractice mom? Your malpractice son was cheating.’ She was then shooed off saying, ‘He must be out with his friends!’ After pleading a lot, she was told, ‘A kid has jumped off from the 8th floor, identify him!’
She called me, ‘Aditya is dead.’ An hour later, when I saw Aditya, I broke down.
We filed an FIR. We kept thinking of that time when in school, we used to hear news about kids committing suicide. So we'd often talk to Aditya. He said, ‘Are you mad? I'll never kill myself!’ We didn't know that years later, we’d be sitting in the police station, for him.
We saw the CCTV footage. He was taken into a room that had no CCTV by 4 staff members. We've no idea what happened there. Even after 40 days, no one is arrested.
Channels were running headlines, ‘Boy caught copying, jumped off the building.’ It wasn't true; we had to put out our side of the story. Our state government has appointed a committee to investigate. We need more policies across schools & colleges. What happened wasn’t new, but Aditya needs to be the last 1 to have suffered. And to ensure that, we’ll fight till our last breath."
This was not a suicide. This was a murder.
The staff at PES University murdered this bright, brilliant child.
As a parent, whichever college we pick up, a child has died, a child has been bullied, a child has been put in danger. Don't call them suicides. No 17-year-old wants to die. They are made to believe that they have no future. We, the generation that has failed Mother Earth herself, have the audacity to tell a child that he has no future. We, the generation of corrupt citizens who sell their votes for freebies, have the audacity to tell a child that he lacks integrity.
I have no idea what those 4 sick people said to that child inside that room, but I wish them fair justice.
This is the PES University: https://pes.edu/about-us/
What is the point of waiting
for the tears of the sun?
They will not come.
and the parched soldiers
of hatred's army
will go home
deprived
of the universal healer
- the nectar of love
They will return
to their sunburnt homes
tired, unquenched, infertile.
The dry walls of those houses
will look to them
As a child
looks at a bankrupt father.
- Feb 23, 2004.
Long, long ago
there was the fable of the
Princess of the Sun.
And a master.
The Princess, when conquered,
opened her hair,
to let the sun rays
illuminate her cave.
And the Master
Struck by the light
Called forth
His most potent essence
to impregnate the sun.
with unlimited power.
But the womb conspired
against this plan
to scorch the world.
It changed
the heart of the embryo
and what emerged
was their laughing daughter
- The Moon.
- Feb 2, 2004
चुप। और चुप।
और भी चुप।
जैसे कुछ कहना
अपनी ही आत्मा का
चीर हरण हो
और जैसे
कोई भी सोच
कंकड़
- शांत, सपाट पानी में।
सृष्टि मौन में
कितनी पूरी लगती है।
और सृष्टि मौन में
कितनी मृत है।
- Feb 2, 2004
Silences of the sea
do not mean
All is unmoving - stationary.
It only means
that noises
cut each other out.
before they can reach us.
Holy sermons
do not mean peace.
They only mean anguishes
that extinguish
each other
before the surface
can be reached.
Peace
is just the art of
Cross Fires.
- Feb 2, 2004
@Vyasa1968 has compiled the following figures on internal security in India:
I had compiled the below. The UPA regimes were the worst from internal security perspective. Terrorists were literally running amock in the country. Plus Manmohan Singh meeting Yaseen Malik seen in conjunction with these below events, any wonder why Modi rode a Tsunami in 2014 and 2019. 1. 2005 Delhi bombings – 70 dead 2. 2006 Varanasi bombings – 28 dead 3. 2006 Mumbai local train bombings – 209 dead 4. 2006 Malegaon bombing – 40 5. 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing – 70 dead 6. 2007 Hyderabad bombings – 42 dead 7. 2008 Rampur CRPF camp attack – 8 dead 8. 2008 Jaipur bombings – 80 dead 9. 2008 Ahmedabad bombings – 56 dead. 10. 2008 Delhi bombings – 33 dead 11. 2008 Assam bombings – 81 dead 12. 2008 Mumbai terror attacks – 171 dead 13. 2010 Pune bombing – 17 dead
Let the numbers speak.
***********
1. The debur film of Dev Anand was:
A. Baazi
B. Saat Hindustani
C. Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar ke
D. Hum Ek Hain
2. Which of these was based on a novel by R K Narayan?
A. Guide
B. Mohan
C. Stage
D. Munimji
3. Which of these is the correct set of the heroines who played the Teen Deviyaan in a film by the same name?
A. Nanda, Kalpana Mohan, Simi Garewal
B. Nanda, Nimmi, Simi Grewal
C. Nanda, Asha Parekh, Nutan
D. Kalpana Mohan, Asha Parekh, Padmini
4. Who was the leading lady opposite Dev Anand in Solhavaan Saal, a film largely based on an English film called It Happened One Night?
A. Nimmi
B. Waheeda Rahman
C. Sitara Devi
D. Simmi Garewal
5. The iconic song "Jeevan ke safar mein Rahi" is from which Dev Anand film?
A. Pocketmaar
B. Munimji
C. CID
D. Baaazi
6. How many brothers did Dev Anand have?
A. 2
B. 3
C. None
D. 1
7. Main Zindagi ka Saath Nibhata Chala gaya - the song, is from the film Hum Dono. It is sung by Mohd. Rafi and composed by Jaidev. Who wrote this song?
A. Sahir Ludhianvi
B. Vijay Anand
C. Gopaldas Neeraj
D. Majrooh Sultanpuri
8. What was Dev Anand's Production House called?
A. New Cinema
B. Gemini Movies
C. Navketan
D. Rajshri
9. Dev Anand never got the Dada Sahab Phalke Award.
True
False
10. Dev Anand married a co-star. Which one?
A. Kalpana Mohan (Teen Deviyaan)
B. Kalpana Kartik (Baazi)
C. Suraiya (Vidya)
D. Waheeda Rehman (Guide)
Answers in the first comment. .Enjoy!
Main kal subah BP ki dawai lena bhool gayi. Par BP ne bhi mujhe shaam ko jaa kar yaad dilaya!
***********
All these incessant spam calls we get are helping one company very much. That company is ....Trucaller.
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करवाचौथ एक ऐसा पर्व है जिसे मनाने वाले, और न मनाने वाले, दोनों खुश होते हैं। मनाने वाले पति प्रेम से, न मनाने वाले पेट पूजा से।
*******
Learn from the mistakes of others - you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
*****
People will believe anything if you whisper it.
*
Tact is the ability to close your mouth before someone else wants to.
***
Sometimes its hard to tell whether you are carving a niche for yourself or digging a hole!
************
There was a time when the artist had to suffer. Now, its the viewer.
***********
I'd like to apply for a credit card. I am tired of my cheques bouncing all over the place.
**
To err is human. To forgive, infrequent.
*
Gather ye rosebuds where ye may, florists are very expensive.
***
Anybody who can still do at 60 what s/he was doing at 20, wasn't doing much at 20.
****
Nothing can spoil a class reunion like running into the guy who has all his hair, married your girl, and made his money from computers.
****
Tolerance is based on patience, respect, and the suspicion that the other fellow may be right.
****
The problem with doing nothing is, you never know when you are done.
***
No two people are exactly alike, and chances are, both are glad of it.
******
life isn't a bed of roses or a bowl of cherries. Its a bunch of raisins - raisin' kids, raisin' hell, and raisin' money.
***
Now that I finally have it all together, I've forgotten where i put it!
***
Nothing is impossible for those who don't have to do it themselves.
***
If at first you do succeed, try to hide your astonishment.
****
Ideas are a lot like children - our own are wonderful!
******
A well-adjusted person is someone who can make the same mistake twice without being nervous.
*******
The trouble with work is - its so daily.
*******
Constructive criticism is when I criticise you. Destructive criticism is when you criticise me.
********
God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things.
I tried to walk without a dream, and I fell down.
***
A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do, because she is enchanged with all the wonderful things her grandchildren do.
**
At most jobs you can make a living. Its making a life that matters.
****
Life is fragile - handle with care.
*****
The real productive ups and downs are getting up in the morning and getting down to work.
***
The door to the human heart can only be opened from the inside.
***
Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.
*****
The best thing to do behind a person's back is to pat it.
*** *
When you make your mark in the world, watch out for people with erasers.
********
Grief may be able to take care of itself, but to get full value out of joy, you must have someone to share it with.
****
People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.
*******
Happiness is not something you get. It's something you do.
*********
Happiness vanishes when envy appears.
******
The best rule of thumb for character is to remember that if you can't be big, don't be little.
******
Average is as close to the bottom as the top.
********
The happiest misers are the ones who can save up every friend that they have.
*****
You will never get ahead of anyone you are trying to get even with.
*********
Live so friends can defend you but never have to.
****
Earth is here so kind,
Tickle her with a hoe
and she responds with a harvest.
*****
Great souls have wills, feeble ones have wishes.
*******
Humility is a strange thing - the minute you think you've got it, you've lost it.
********
What makes us happy is not our position, but our disposition.
*********
The reason so few people recognise an opportunity is that it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
***********
The greatest underdeveloped territory in the world lies under your hat.
**********
Everything comes to those who wait - if they work while they wait.
*****
If you blame others for your failure, do you credit them for your success?
**
There is no better exercise than reaching down and lifting someone up.
***
A faultless person is possible only in a faultless world.
***
The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.
*******
Everyone smiles in the same language.
*****
If you sow kindness, you reap a crop of friends.
***
Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.
Bukowski is an author who handles pain, disappointment, and other dark emotions easily.
So, it is with a lot of expectation that one picks up a novel (novella?) by this author.
Writing a review whose headline is "Damp Squib" feels bad.
One is not sorry for the time one lost reading the book cover to cover (though the last pages before the final cover were harder to get through than the ones closer to the front cover.)
The book is, to put it simply, inane. It has neither a story nor much telling. In brief, it can be summed up as: I drank. I fucked someone. I made some money. I drank some more. And oh, the world is full of idiots. I am not an idiot.
Its a short book. I suspect that is because even the author realised there is only so much "I drank. I earned. I fucked." that you can put in a book.
I'd call it pulp fiction, but pulp fiction would feel insulted, and i have no intention of hurting the feelings of a genre that is, at the very least, entertaining - which is more than one can say about this book.
मुझे इतना भूल जाना
कि जब याद करो,
तो बस अच्छी बातें ही याद आयें।
मुझे इतना याद रखना
कि जब बिल्कुल भूल जाओ
तब तुम्हारे सपनों में आने लगूँ।
अपना ख्याल रखना। मैंने कुछ गलत कह दिया हो तो माफ करना।
किया।
क्या?
माफ किया।
मैंने क्या गलत कहा, ये भी बता दो।
तुमने कहा, "अपना ख्याल रखना।"
ये गलत था?
हाँ। सरासर गलत। ख्याल रखने की क्रिया बनी ही एक दूसरे के लिए है।
जब ख्याल रखने की जरूरत होती है, उस वक़्त कुव्वत नहीं होती। जब कुव्वत होती है, तब जरूरत कहाँ होती है?
I work from 4 pm to 3 am every day.
And then? Do you watch Netflix?
No, then its death by fatigue. Once upon a time, they had a dessert called 'Death by chocolate' at a dessert shop in Bengaluru. I should have understood then that this industry is about to create some rather innovative deaths.
सुनो...
कहो ...
कहने के लिए कुछ मिला कहाँ ?
लेकर अपने अपने हिस्से के सपने
सब गुम हैं
अपने ही किसी खुद के साथ।
कोई उन सपनों को दिखा रहा है
उम्मीद की नई धूप
कोई कर रहा उन पर से
शहर के धुएँ की परत साफ!
कोई भागे चला जा रहा है
उनके संग
बर्फ के उस पार।
पर तुम अभी भी
कांच के इन टूटे टुकड़ों को
लगा रहे हो अपने ही दर-ओ-दीवार पर
करेंगे तुम्हें ही लहूलुहान
और उसे भी
जो दूर गली में
देख रहा है एकटक
अपने सपने में
तुम्हें।
- poet unknown
- I have grown more fond of this poem in the recent past bcs i read it everyday.
वो कदम टूट गए जो तेरी महफ़िल की तरफ
सोते सोते भी मचल जाते थे चलने के लिए
***********
मुझको थकने नहीं देता ये ज़रूरत का पहाड़
मेरे बच्चे मुझे बूढ़ा नहीं होने देते
**************
ये एक अदा रुलाएगी हमें तमाम उम्र,
जाते हुए न प्यार से यूं मुस्कुराइए
*********
poets unknown
******
Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
********
The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.
खुशी है या गमों का सिलसिला है
न जाने व्यक्त की मुट्ठी में क्या है
मेरी आँखें लगी हैं आसमानों पर
सुना है आसमानों पर खुदा है
जहां से जब भी खुद को जोड़ता हूँ
मेरे अंदर कहीं कुछ टूटता है
तेरे हिस्से में तेरी मंज़िलें हैं
मेरे हिस्से में मेरा रास्ता है
-poet unkown
Diplomacy: Laying another's life for one's country.
********
The duties of our leaders great who occupy the thrones
Are to address gatherings and lay foundation stones.
***********
Minister: A person who causes a mini-stir wherever he goes.
*********
Flattery is like cologne water - to be smelled, but not swallowed.
************
Joint Account: An account in which one person deposits and the other withdraws.
*******
Money: The mint makes it first, and it is up to us to make it last.
*****
Optimism: A cheerful frame of mind that enables the kettle to sing though in hot water up to its nose.
************
I don't know who wrote these witty quotes. They are all from my childhood diaries.
***************
Life begins at 40, but only a fool would wait that long.
***
Calories don't count. They multiply.
****
Floods are rivers too big for their bridges.
*********
The good thing about growing old is that you only have to do it once.
********
Shock absorbers in buses are called passengers.
*****
If you think a dog can't count, try putting three biscuits in your pocket and giving your dog only two.
****************
The modern economy has changed many a nest's egg into chicken feed.
******
We are born with mouths open and eyes closed, and we spend our entire lives trying to reverse that mistake of nature.
*********
Compromise is the art of dividing the cake so that everyone thinks they got the largest piece.
********
Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one. And then, you will have a chair to sit on.
*******
The last thing one knows in constructing a work is what to put first.
*******
For every problem, there is a neat, simple solution, and its always wrong.
********
When all else fails, read the instructions.
****
GOD is real, unless declared as an integer.
**********
In any collection of data, the figure most obviously correct, beyond all need of checking, is the mistake.
************
The solution to a problem changes the problem.
*********
When the bad has become worse, the cycle will repeat itself.
*****
Grapevine: The only communication system in no danger of being replaced by electronics.
**********
Hospital: A place where a patient's friends meet to tell him their symptoms.
**********
- dont know who has written or said these quotes.
