2022

When I first started writing this post, it was quite pensive and nostalgic. I am not feeling like that today. So I deleted the draft paragraphs. Today, I am feeling quite upbeat. Actually, since the last few days. I suppose that is life - कभी धूप और कभी छाँव। Anyway, I am glad the year is ending on a happier note.

I am not going to talk about the year gone by - there were good things, there were bad things. What has happened, has happened. The only way is forward. No one knows what 2022 holds for us. It could be the best of times, it could be the worst of times. We can only try and then hope that it all works out.

And honestly, those are the only two things we can ever do - try and hope. Perhaps, hope is not the right word. Hope implies expectation. Is pray a better word? Or perhaps, the ideal thing would be to try and then accept whatever the outcome may be.

In any event, the year is (almost) over. I wish and/or pray and/or hope the very best for all of you. Thank you for sticking around.

I don't know what 2022 will bring, but Happy New Year anyway! :)

Lots of love,

Chota Shakespeare

Gita Jayanti

Today is Gita Jayanti. On this day, the Gita was revealed by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. More than 10 years ago, I had written an article on the Bhagavad Gita. Thanks to Internet Archive, the article is still available for reading. I re-read it and I must say I am quite proud of my younger self. The article encapsulates a lot of my thoughts on the text.

But this post is not about my earlier article. It is about renewing the pursuit to study and experiencing the concepts mentioned in the text. 

Verse 20 of the Bhaja Govindam (composed by Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya) mentions the Bhagavad Gita. It says:

भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता ।

सकृदपि येन मुरारिसमर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥ २०॥ 

20. To one who has studied the Bhagavad-Gita even a little, who has sipped at least a drop of Ganga water, who has worshipped at least once Lord Murari, there is no discussion (quarrel) with Yama, the Lord of Death.

[Translation by Swami Chinmayananda ji]

Last year when I was in Mt. Abu, Swamiji explained this verse. In this verse, Bhagwan Shankaracharya says that even a little study of the Gita goes a long way in the journey to liberation. To explain this better, the reference of Ganga water is also given. Ganga is sacred to Hindus. It is believed that Ganga's waters washes away our sins. All waters of the Ganga are purifying and sacred. There is no qualification regarding quantum i.e.: you must have a glass full of Ganga water and then you will be purified. Or that you must bathe 100 times and then you will be purified. Or that the purifying character of the water exists in certain parts of the river and does not exist elsewhere. The whole Ganga is purifying. Even a drop of the Ganga purifies. This is precisely why during ceremonies, a drop of Ganga water is added to the kalasha and thereafter the entire kalasha water is deemed to be purfied. 

The same is true for the Bhagavad Gita. All of it is purifying and sacred. Every part of it - every chapter, every shloka, every word, and every alphabet is pure and sacred. Just as one drop of the Ganga purifies; similarly, one alphabet of the Gita purifies. 

Thus, while attempt must always be made to study and imbibe the entire text; the same should not deter us from starting the study of the Gita. If you can't study the entire text, start by taking up the study of one chapter. If you can't study one chapter, start by taking up the study of one shloka. If you can't take up the study of one shloka, take up the study of one word of the Gita. If you can't take up the study of one word, take up the study of one alphabet of the Gita. But start you must.

And continue it. If possible, do it everyday. If not, once a week. If not, once a month. But do it.

If you can't study it, recite it. If you can't recite it, hear it. But take out the time. Make the effort. Take the first step.

I cannot explain how much the text has helped me. I have been studying it since over a decade. And each time, it offers something new. It has the answers to our struggles. We must make the attempt to search. Rest you leave to God. 

Earlier this year, I had started reading and sharing the translation of one verse of the Gita every day. Of course, after sometime I stopped; mostly out of my tamas. I hope that today that enthusiasm can be renewed and we can (re)start our study and experimentation of the Holy Gita.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Not Hindu Enough

Most of you know that I have resigned from political writing. Yet, sometimes, the activist / anarchist / naxalite / left liberal in me wakes up from its slumber and urges me to write. So here is a post on the recent Fabindia controversy regarding their collection/advertisement campaign- Jashn-e-Riwaaz. I know I am a little late to the party, but to whom do I owe promptness?

At the outset, I am not a linguist and I am not a cultural / history expert. This post is also not about those things. This post is on first principles.

Fabindia, a popular brand for traditional attire in urban India, posted a tweet (now deleted) about its new festive collection - "Jashn-e-Riwaaz" (Celebration of Tradition). The name of the collection was in Urdu. The timing and the description of the tweet gave the impression that the collection was for the festival of Deepavali.

Soon after the tweet, #BoycottFabindia started trending on social media. It can be quite difficult to find out the origins of a Twitter / Social Media trend. In the instant case, the 'origin' appears to be a tweet by Mr. Tejasvi Surya, who is a Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South constituency. 

His tweet read as follows:

Eventually, Fabindia recalled the advertisement.

I did not hear of all this until a colleague told me about it. Initially, I disbelieved it. Then, when I learnt that Fabindia had actually withdrawn the campaign / collection, that's when disappointment set in.

I had a couple of thoughts regarding the Mr. Surya's tweet and the events that followed:

On Language

1) Firstly, what is 'Abrahamisation'? I googled and I could not find any crystallised definition of this alleged process. I am guessing that it is an alleged process by which a particular faith (and its traditions and beliefs) are converted / aligned to Abrahamic faiths. If that be the case, it baffles me that the Urdu terminology of 'celebration of tradition' leads to such conversion. Is calling Diwali "The Festival of Lights" in English lead to conversion of Hindu festivals? Is calling Christmas "बडा दिन" in Hindi lead to Hinduisation of Christian festivals? The mere reference to a particular festival of 'Faith A' in a language that is widely spoken by members of 'Faith B' cannot possibly lead to conversion of Faith A into Faith B.

2) Secondly, the tweet is hurtful to Hindus that speak/teach/learn Urdu, as it typecasts them as non-Hindus/lesser Hindus. It may come as a surprise to Mr. Surya, but there are Urdu speaking Hindus. My grandparents were survivors of partition and came to Delhi, after leaving their everything in (present day) Pakistan. They spoke and read Urdu. I fondly remember my maternal grandfather reading an Urdu newspaper in Delhi, as late as the 1990s. My mother tells me that she would try and copy the script to impress her father. My paternal grandfather used to sign in Urdu. I have old documents of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (as late as the 1970s) which are also in Urdu. My wife did a thesis on an Urdu poet. Merely because we speak/write/study Urdu, are we "less Hindu"? Mr. Surya's comment is hurtful to my grandparents and my memory of them. In fact, if anything, this whole idea that all Hindus must speak a particular language and dress in a particular manner is antithetical to ethos of Hinduism. A Hindu's dharma is determined by various factors such as her context, birth, place, station in life etc.

On Attire:

3) Thirdly, what is traditional Hindu attire? For men, is a Nehru jacket traditional? Is a chudidaar traditional enough or should one only wear a dhoti? Is a stitched dhoti not traditional enough? Is even a kurta traditional, as some suggest that it came from Central Asia? Is a Jodhpuri/bandhgala suit even traditional? For women, is a blouse traditional? Where does it end? Where does it begin? One thing is for certain, calling out people on their clothing is not a core Hindu value.

4) Having said that, let's examine the image. I fail to see what is non-traditional about a saree or a suit or a kurta or a Nehru jacket? One of the objections was that the women are not wearing bindis. But I saw the video - THEY ARE WEARING! Anyway, even if they are not, does the absence of a tilak or a bindi take away the Hindu-ness of a Hindu? I don't tilak my forehead everyday - Am I 'less' Hindu?  

On Accusations:

5) Further, Mr. Surya's tweet ascribes motives to Fabindia i.e.: the whole campaign was a deliberate (a word he uses twice) attempt on Fabindia's part towards the abrahamisation of Hinduism. This is not a small accusation. It accuses a renowned brand of calculatedly designing a campaign through which it can convert Hinduism, that the objective of Fabindia is to undermine Hinduism and that Fabindia is necessarily anti-Hindu. All of these accusations are made on the basis of one video. I suppose that's how politics works - one video and no evidence. This is purely anecdotal, but I think Fabindia has probably had the contrary effect. It has significantly contributed in bringing 'traditional' Indian attire in the everyday wardrobe of urban Indians.

6) The remedy suggested by Mr. Surya is that the brand must suffer a boycott. A boycott is not a small action - it is a collective decision to disengage with an entity. It should be deployed with caution; as otherwise, the seriousness of a boycott is severely diluted. Why such intense hate for an average advertisement campaign? The last time this country boycotted a form of attire was during the freedom struggle. English goods and garments were burnt and deliberately not purchased. It is hilarious that 70+ years hence, an elected member of Parliament suggests that we should boycott a brand that sells 'traditional' Indian attire. 

7) During my debating days, I was taught that ad hominem was not a fair or valid response to an argument. But this is politics. Here, ad hominem is fair play. The message of Mr. Surya's tweet is poorly (or not at all) reflected in his persona. His cover photo on Twitter is in non-traditional attire. He does not wear a tilak. He tweets in English, which is a language far more alien to India and Hinduism vis-a-vis Urdu. If anything, Mr. Surya's tweet was a (deliberate?) misadventure.

On Free Speech:

8) I am not for a moment suggesting that Mr. Surya did not have the right to tweet/express. I am a free speech person, everyone should be allowed to speak/express themselves. But I was saddened to hear that Fabindia recalled the advertisement. I understood their motivations. They were probably scared that it was a matter of time that an FIR would be registered against them, their executives would be arrested and denied bail and their stores would be vandalised. If I had such a grim picture in front of me, I would also recall the ad. Why should a prudent businessman fight the battles of free speech? I felt sad that they recalled (possibly) under fear and not under the conviction that there was an error. It is sad to see free speech die like this. 

9) I saw the whole video advertisement. There is one place where the word "fake" is used. As a Hindu, I felt 'maybe' that should not have been used. But given the protagonist's age and state of mind, the usage of the word could be justified. IF ANYTHING, that could have been avoided. But I did not see it as very serious. For a long time, people of all faiths have heard many things about their Gods and texts.  It is your faith and shraddha that matters and not what anyone else has to say. Hinduism has withstood much more over thousands of years. A clothing brand does not have the power to shake the foundations of Hinduism with a less than 5 minute advertisement campaign. To imagine so, would amount to giving too much power to the clothing brand and ascribing too much weakness to Hinduism. [Addendum: The above was struck out later, when it was pointed out that I had misheard the advertisement]

10) An alternative point of view of the campaign could be that Hinduism assimilates all. It assimilates and accepts all languages - Hindi or Urdu. It assimilates and accepts all people and allows them to celebrate her festivals.  It assimilates and accepts all clothing, as what matters is the Essence. Hinduism is not about one language, one way to dress, one way to celebrate etc. The Oneness that  Hinduism upholds is that of You and God. The Oneness of All. Instead of being hung up on attire and language (which is what Mr. Surya's tweet does), we would do well on focussing on the Oneness that lies within. In my opinion, Mr. Surya's tweet causes far more damage to Hinduism and Hindus vis-a-vis an ephemeral advertisement.

I am reminded of the words of Swami Vivekananda - "There is a danger of our religion getting into the kitchen. We are neither Vedantists, most of us now, nor Paurânics, nor Tântrics. We are just "Don't-touchists". Our religion is in the kitchen. Our God is the cooking-pot, and our religion is, "Don't touch me, I am holy". If this goes on for another century, every one of us will be in a lunatic asylum."

ॐ

Being 30

Song: Maithreem Bhajata by M. S. Subbulakshmi

Recently, I turned 30. It's a milestone birthday. Anyone who knows me, knows that the number 13 is special to me. Thus, it is only appropriate that when I turned 30 (the phonetic cousin of 13), that I write something that merges both. And so, in this post I will list down 13 meditations for the 30 year old (though to be honest, it works for all ages). I must be candid. I am not an authority to give meditations or any advice for that matter. But you know I am preachy.

I have tried to practice some of these (especially recently) and I have found them to be quite 'free-ing'. My friends would testify that my preaching here is not truly practiced by me. But I am trying.

All of us are complex beings with multiple facets to our personality. We have bondages and quirks that we aren't even aware of. At 30, I felt that there was a need to 'unlearn'. To let go of the past impressions and ideas and in a sense to start anew. 

I hope that you will find them useful as well. These may sound repetitive, but I had to complete the count of 13! :P

1. Forgive (yourself): To err is human. The reality of life is that mistakes happen. We are not all-knowing and often we make judgment errors. Sometimes these errors cause material discomfort (such as loss of money, property etc.) and at other times they cause emotional discomfort (such as a heartbreak, regret etc.). It's okay. Hota hai. More often than not, we think we are doing the right thing and in hindsight think otherwise. Koi baat nahi. Forgive yourself. Accept and own up that you made a mistake and that you were in the wrong. If it can be remedied, pursue that. If someone has been wronged, apologise to them. Koi tumhari ego/self respect kum nahi hogi. In any event, close your eyes, see your actions objectively and forgive yourself. Sometimes I say this to myself - "Koi baat nahi Rohan, abh ho gayi galti, abh bas jo kar skate ho woh karo!" Don't live in the shame of your errors. Live in the prospect of your wondrous capability.
   
   
2. Forgive (others): If you can err, so can others. Readily forgive. In the Netflix series Love, Mickey tells Gus that resentment is like holding hot coal - in the end, only the person resenting will burn. They may or may not have asked for your forgiveness, but that is immaterial. Holding a grudge will not solve anything. Instead, it will only remind you of the pain. Let it go. How? Close your eyes. Think of the person that you believe wronged you. Now try and think of their side of the story. Perhaps, they were going through a bad time/day. Perhaps, they were acting out of some childish obsession. Now, ask yourself, if you've seen this kind of behaviour in yourself. It is quite likely that you have - perhaps in a different degree. Forgive them - at some point, you have probably committed the same mistake. If you see yourself in them, forgiveness will come naturally.
   
   
3. Identify (yourself): I think this is by far the most important. Identify yourself - with all your curves and edges, without any moral or pre-conceived lens. You have to see yourself for who you are. [I am not referring to the Infinite Self, but the mash-up of mind and intellect]. It is truly liberating when you are honest with yourself (be honest with others also). Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes. Let the thoughts come. Examine each of them. Enquire from yourself why a particular thought is coming. Trust me, you will find the answers. The naked self frees you, as you have now understood yourself and your feelings. In the movie Call me by your name, Elio's father says - "We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new." Don't bury yourself or your emotions. Examine them. Feel them. You will be more free if you do that vis-a-vis simply burying them. In knowledge lies quietude. It may take multiple sessions of 45-60 minutes to do this. I have tried it and I have benefitted. Knowing yourself frees you.
   
   
4. Judge (not): Once you have identified yourself, accept others for who they are. Don't judge others for their actions. Don't hold them in contempt. We hardly understand ourselves and our actions. In that background, it is futile to even attempt to understand someone else. We don't know what they are going through (or went through). Who are we to pass judgment on others? Free your mind from the clutter of these judgments. Imagine yourself as the all encompassing space. It accommodates everyone. You can too.
   
   
5. (Be) Compassionate: The world has much misery and needs much compassion. Donate. Help others. Take out time to serve the world. Selfless action is meditation. There is no dearth of opportunity. Remember - Aur bhi dukh hai zamaane mai mohabbat ke siwa, aur bhi raahatein hai vasl ki raahat ke siwa.
   
   
6. Reflect (a lot): Building on # 3, spend a little time with yourself everyday. Without the phone. Without the company of others. Listen to your mind and thoughts - they will bring forth matters that are bothering them. Once you know what is bothering you, you can attempt to untangle it. The mind and intellect work very hard and are your most precious tools. Give them attention. In my experience, great clarity comes when time is spent with one's own thoughts.
   
   
7. (Go) Crazy: Live. Be crazy. Sometimes a little craziness also frees you. Like dyeing your hair. Or shaving your hair (anywhere!). Or dancing on the street (or alone in your room). Or bathing in the rain. Or having 'brownies'! It is important to occasionally do uncharacteristic things, as they help you identify your character. Don't be like me, saying NO all the time! Sometimes, say yes.
   
   
8. Love (yourself): Take care of yourself. Don't wait around for someone else to take care of you. If you want balloons on your birthday, buy them - don't wait for your best friend to throw a surprise birthday party. If you want a bachelors party, organise it. If you want to go on a trek, go. Pamper yourself. You can't live your life contingent on others. Take out time for yourself for doing things you like to do. It will keep you sane (and thus free). In the same spirit, your sense of self-worth/respect must come from yourself. It cannot be contingent on fulfilling the (un)realistic expectations of someone else. It feels good when we impress others. But, to my mind, true satisfaction comes when we have impressed ourselves. 
   
   
9. Love (others): A dear friend of mine remarked that the human heart has infinite capacity to love. It took sometime to wrap my head around this, but now I agree. We are loving beings. Our love is not meant to be rationed. It is meant to flow from us to the world. Imagine our love to be the baad-e-nau-bahaar, the roses to be other persons and the rose fields to be the world. Just like the gulshan ka karobar continues because of the baad-e-nau-bahaar, in the same way, the world sustains through love (To understand this reference, see Faiz Ahmad Faiz's ghazal - Gulon Mein Rang Bhare). Each time we act, we have a choice i.e.: to act out of a place of love. Make that choice. Act out of love, kindness and respect. Don't be mean. Don't be hurtful. Don't say harsh words. They are as human (and thus flawed) as you are.
   
   
10. Let it be: Somethings can't be changed. We control very little in the world. In fact, one could argue that we control nothing. So focus less on the results/outcomes. Focus on your actions (and reactions). That we can control. The universe's response - you let that be. Rejecting the universe's reaction isn't going to change it - that's denial. In the same spirit, lower your expectations. Everyone is already burdened by their own expectations. They do not need the burden of your expectations as well. Imagine if you were under the pressure of fulfilling everyone's expectations and impress them - How would that feel? You won't like that and so nobody else does either.
    
    
11. Compare (lesser): Don't compare yourself to others. All of us are unique. All our circumstances are different. Our upbringings are different. Our backgrounds are different. No comparison will ever be accurate. However, compare (and not compete) yourself to your previous versions. See your changes. Reflect on the journey of your life. You have seen so much, endured so much. Spend some quiet time reflecting on the journey of your life and it will give you much clarity on the journey ahead. 
    
    
12. Speak (carefully): Gossip less! Measure your words carefully - they can hurt. I have learnt it the hard way that even jokes can hurt. So don't say hurtful things, no matter how much you are hurting. You never know when your words will come true, so speak carefully.
    
    
13. Relax: Theek hai yaar. Ho jaayega sabh. Ek do saal late ho jaayega, expectation se thoda kum hoga. Thodi haar hogi. Thodi jeet hogi. Koi baat nahi. Duniya nahi khatam ho jaayegi. Roz roz ka stress lene se acha thoda kum mile, woh theek hai. Fir at least jo mila hai usko toh enjoy kar paaoge. Take a chill brownie or ice cream or payasam. Relax. Relax your goals/timelines, if it's becoming stressful/too much. Relax your do's and don't/rules, if they feel like a heavy burden - including those above (don't do anything illegal though). And smile more! I have found that when you physically smile, the heart smiles too. A smile goes a long way in dissipating our troubles.

I am trying to be a better 30 year old. Hopefully, I will be. I wouldn't have been here and this post won't have been possible without the love and support of my family (especially Mum), teachers and friends. 

Thanks to them!! Cheers to them! This is dedicated to them :)

2014, Durham

PS: Some of the ideas may seem similar to School of Life videos. I watch them often and find them to be very helpful.

A Birthday Playlist

Those close to me know that Janamasthmi is special to me. This blog has seen multiple posts on the occasion of Janamasthmi. In 2011, I even described it as the best day of my life. In 2015, I wrote about various writings on Bhagwan Shri Krishna.

So what do I have to offer in 2021? This year, I have curated a playlist of my favourite Shri Krishna bhajans. I cannot sing for you, but I can certainly share good compositions with you. I wish I could sing beautifully for God. I am somewhat lethargically pretending to learn. Maybe one day I will manage to sing.

Until then, in no particular order:

1. Madhurashtakam by Dr. Subhadra Desai sung in a Raga Maala i.e.: the Raga changes after 2 verses. The rendering of the fifth and sixth verses in Raga Yaman are my favourite.
2. Jamuna Kinaare Mora Gaon by Pt. Mukul Shivputra. I love the part when it says - मली मली के स्नान कराओं
3. Kaun Gali Gayo Shyam by Dr. Prabha Atre. I have heard this countless times and even today when I hear it, I can intensely feel the longing for Krishna.
4. Krishna Nee Begane by Aruna Sairam. This bhajan is in Kannada. This rendition was apparently sung live at India Gate. It have heard it so many times that I have started to pick up the Kannada!
5. Mharo Pranam by Kishori Amonkar. This is a classic. Meera's love for Krishna is unparalleled. We shy away from making the smallest sacrifices for God, and here was Meera, who sacrificed everything!
6. Govind Damodar Madhaveti by Pt. Jasraj. Sometimes when I want to feel enthused with energy, I play this on my way to work. It's so powerful!
7. Aage Krishna Paachhe Krishna by Mokshi Sethi. Everywhere I see, there is Krishna - what an amazing feeling. Close your eyes and imagine there is Krishna in front of you and see how your heart reacts. Now, think if He was everywhere you looked.
8. Om Namo Bhagavate by Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar. I have had the good fortune of hearing this live. It was surreal - almost trance like. The rare times when you are totally lost in the music.
9. Bhaja Govindam by M.S. Subbulakshmi. I am true Vedanti and so this has to feature here. You have seen Bhaja Govindam references innumerable times. Bhaja Govindam! Bhaja Govindam!
10. Mana Mohan Shyam by Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande. I heard this only last week and it instantly became special to me. Ashwini ji has such a unique way of singing.
11. Manmohan Man Mein Ho Tumhi by Mohd. Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur. I came across this when listening to the radio. Sometimes radio really surprises you. What an incredible find!

I hope you like these. Here is the link to the entire playlist.

May Krishna always be with you.

The Beloved Self

The other morning, while commuting to work, I heard the song Laila Laila from the movie Andhadhun. The words that caught my attention were मेरे दिल के, दिल के, दिल के भी दिल मे है तु. Translated it is - You are in the heart of the heart of the heart of my heart. The words are spoken by a lover to his beloved.

These words reminded me of a beautiful imagery that is described in the Kathopanishad (Verse 12, Valli 1, Chapter 2):

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति ।

ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते । एतद्वै तत् ॥ १२॥

12. The Being (Purusha), of the size of the thumb, resides in the body. 

Knowing Him as the ruler of the past and the future, one does not want, by virtue of that knowledge, to save the Self. This indeed is that.

[Translation by Swami Gambhirananda]

The commentary by Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya, as explained in the texts and discourses of spiritual masters, on the above verse describes the imagery. The Self (i.e.: God) is declared to be residing in the middle of the (gross) body. This 'middle' is found roughly 10 fingers above the navel (i.e.: close to the biological heart). The heart area is in the shape of a lotus (हृदयपुण्डरीकं). The size of the heart space is equivalent to first joint of the right hand thumb (अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः). Within the lotus heart, there is an opening (छिद्र). In that opening, lies the internal organ or seat of thinking and feeling (अन्तःकरण - unfortunately, there is no adequate word for this in English and the word 'internal organ' is used in this post. In Swami Harshananda's A Dictionary of Advaita Vedanta, it is defined as - it is the internal organ or instrument by which we experience thinking, feeling and willing and are able to remember things. Though sometimes loosely called as mind (manas) or intellect (buddhi), it is more basic, of which these two are only aspects. Citta (mind-stuff) and ahankara (egoism) are two more aspects, making four in all). The Self is said to reside in this internal organ and Its presence is experienced when the internal organ is quiet/at peace (शांत).

The verse describes a method of mediation with the heart space as the focus area. There are multiple layers in the mediation (i.e.: the gross body to the heart to the opening to the internal organ), just like the aforementioned song. In both the situations, the layers are described to indicate the idea of the innermost i.e.: the beloved and the Self are the innermost.

But, why the heart? Why not the legs, hands, liver, eyes etc.? Biologically, the heart is the foremost organ and its cessation is closely linked with death. Quite apart from that, it is also the seat of emotions (as this is where the mind, an aspect of the internal organ, is said to reside). This is not just a philosophical idea, but a lived experience, as this is where the pain is actually felt. The heart space is also the place where the presence of the Self is more easily experienced. Try it. Try focussing on the heart space and you will feel a sense of peace and calm. In fact, there is an entire movement called Heartfulness.

Thus, the importance of the heart in love.

[Some of you may remember the reference to the heart cavity in an earlier post, where also a verse from the Kathopanishad was mentioned. As you would have guessed, I am currently listening to the discourses on the Kathopanishad from Swamiji. The above explanation of the verse is also drawn from Swami Maheshananda Giri ji's commentary on the Kathopanishad. 

The Upanishads are replete with references about the Self residing in the heart. Perhaps, one day, I will compile them all. Who knows - maybe that's the book I will finally end up writing. For the moment, I will only say that a similar reference also appears in the Svetasvatara Upanishad- see Verse 13, Chapter 3.]

I was also reminded of another Shloka from Kenopanishad (Verse 2, Part 1). Over there, Brahman is described as the ear of the ear, the eye of the eye etc.:

श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रं मनसो मनो यद्

    वाचो ह वाचं स उ प्राणस्य प्राणः ।

चक्षुषश्चक्षुरतिमुच्य धीराः

    प्रेत्यास्माल्लोकादमृता भवन्ति ॥ २॥

2. Since He is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of the speech, the Life of the life, and the Eye of the eye, therefore the intelligent men after giving up (the self identification with the senses) and renouncing this world, become immortal.

[Translation by Swami Gambhirananda]

The song mentioned above also employs similar phraseology, where the residence of the beloved is described in the heart of the heart etc. In the above verse, the Ultimate is described as that which enables the ear to hear, the mind to feel, the speech to speak, the eye to see etc. In that sense, the Self is the director of everything. In the words of Swami Gambhirananda - "There does exist something which is known to the intellect of men of realisation, which dwells in the inmost recess of all, which is changeless, undecaying, immortal, fearless, and unborn, and which the Ear etc. of even the ear etc., i.e.: the source of their capacity to act." Thus, once again, the addition of degrees is aimed at conveying the idea of the innermost.

I am reminded of two Bhajans that also mention the indwelling Self. The first one is a Kabir Bhajan - Haman Hai Ishq-e-Mastana, Haman Ko Hoshiyari Kya. The Bhajan has been beautifully sung by Pt. Madhup Mudgal ji. Do listen - it also has line by line translation. The following verses are relevant to our discussion here:

जो बिछुड़े हैं पियारे से,

भटकते दर-ब-दर फिरते

हमारा यार है हम में

हमन को  इंतजारी क्या?

Those who are separated from their Beloved, wander from place to place

My Friend is in me, why do I need to wait for Him?

The Bhajan emphatically states that God is the Beloved. It also reiterates that God/Brahman is most conveniently experienced within us. The Beloved that we seek can never be separated from us.

As I write this, I am also reminded of another Kabir Bhajan (which was originally not contemplated in this post)- Ik dui hoy unhain samujhavaun. This one has been sung by Ashwini Bhide Deshpande ji. The feelings invoked in this Bhajan are quite different from the previous one. While the former conveys feelings of love, this one conveys feelings of dispassion (वैराग्य) and the utter blindness of the world. The relevant verse is:

घर की वस्तु नजर नहि आवत,

दियना बारि के ढूँढत अन्धा

The Thing inside the house, one does not see

Lights a lamp and searches blindly outside

The inside and outside here are with reference to the gross body (described as the house). It describes our endless search for things in the external and material world, when in fact, the most precious Thing is inside us. A word of caution regarding inside/outside. By stating that God is inside, it does not imply that He is not outside. He is more conveniently experienced inside. Also, it should be borne in mind that the more subtle an object, the more vast it is. The more gross an object, the more limited it is. Thus, despite It being the innermost and subtler than the subtlest, it is by far the most vast.

The other Bhajan, which my wife beautifully sang last year during the lockdown, is Bheetar hai sakha, tera sakha. The chorus of the Bhajan is:

भीतर है सखा तेरा सखा मन लगा के देख ,

अंतःकरण में ज्ञान की ज्योति जला के देख |

Your Friend is within, focus your mind and see (just try),

Light the lamp of knowledge in the internal organ and see (just try).

The reference to the Friend here is to the Self/Brahman/God. The message of the Bhajan is - just try and focus your mind and you shall experience It. Once again, It is within. Look within.

The reference to the Lord residing within us also comes in the last verse of the Bhaja Govindam. In this verse, Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya blesses all his students, that they may be able to discipline their sense organs and mind and thus become liberated:

गुरुचरणाम्बुजनिर्भरभक्तः

संसारादचिराद्भव मुक्तः ।

सेन्द्रियमानसनियमादेवं

द्रक्ष्यसि निजहृदयस्थं देवम् ॥ ३१॥ 

31. O Devotee of the lotus feet of the teacher! May you become liberated soon from the samsara through the discipline of the sense organs and the mind. You will come to experience (behold) the Lord that dwells in your own heart.

[Translation by Swami Chinmayananda]

In the end, I would like to mention one last verse from the Guru Geeta that is found in the Skanda Purana. In this verse, Lord Mahadeva (Shiva) addresses Goddess Parvati and says to her:

मम रूपासि देवि त्वमतस्तत्कथयामि ते ।

लोकोपकारकः प्रश्नो न केनापि कृतः पुरा ॥ 

O Parvati, You are My very Self. For your satisfaction I shall tell you (what you have requested Me to say). Your question was put with a view to doing good to all; no one else has put it to Me so far.

[Translation by Prof. J. N. Sharma]

The above verse brings us back to Laila Laila. In the song, the lover says that his beloved resides in the heart of the heart etc. We saw above that the Self also lies within the heart of the heart etc. and is the innermost. Thus, the beloved and the Self occupy the same lotus heart space. The Bhajans make it clear that the Self is the Friend and the Beloved. And, finally, here is Lord Mahadeva addressing Goddess Parvati as His very Self.  Thus, stand united the beloved and the Self.

May you and your beloved always be with the Self.

Hari Om Tat Sat

[Painting by Mokshi Sethi]

Freedom

Today is Independence Day and so thoughts naturally gravitate towards the idea of freedom. In the past couple of years, and more so after becoming a lawyer, I realized the ease with which our freedoms can be taken away. Demonetization saw a restriction on our freedom to spend our own money. The continued use of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in India shows that the powers that be, can even use illegal provisions to curtail free speech. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the most drastic restrictions, especially on our ability to work and to move freely (albeit legitimately). I am not suggesting that all restrictions by the State are unreasonable, arbitrary, and not in accordance with law. These are matters for the courts to decide. I want to point out that independence from a foreign imperialist power does not necessarily imply that we are now absolutely free. The State (and the Corporates) exercise much control over us, sometimes justified, sometimes not, sometimes we realise and sometimes we don’t. In fact, one could even argue that States today exercise much greater control over their people vis-à-vis 100 years ago. It is all very Animal Farm-ish.

Now before I start sounding like an anarchist, let me clarify that I am not a votary of jungle rule. I believe that for there to be order in the world, restrictions are necessary. The nature of these restrictions varies in cultures, communities, and regions. Adherence to these restrictions is ensured by creating a punishment for their non-compliance. The restrictions are also characterized as duties. The question – “Why must I do my duty?” is answered in terms of morality and/or religion and/or ‘you ought to’ (or their variations), depending on the culture, community and/or region. At the cost of sounding cliché, the jungle freedoms are compromised/ceded in favour of restrictions to ensure order in society. Therefore, in society (whether governed by a foreign imperialist power or not), there will never be full freedom.

The natural question from the above is – “Can we ever be free?”. Death is not freedom. Those who believe that body is all that there is, for them, after death, nothing exists. In non-existence, there is no concept of bondage or freedom. For those who believe in a soul or some sort of other world, there is again no freedom, for you simply transmigrate into another world or time; to be bound by the rules of that world or time. 

Vedanta, on the other hand, gives the promise of freedom from all bondage (liberation or Moksha). Vedanta promises freedom from fruits of action (कर्मबंध) and repeated births and deaths (जन्मबंध). The promise is also not made for a future time or place, but that liberation can be found here and now, in this birth itself. All that needs to be done is the removal of the error that I am this combination of body, mind, and intellect. Once this error is removed, the Truth will shine forth i.e.: I am Brahman, I am All. In that state, there is endless bliss. That liberation is true liberation.

I would like to end with one of my favourite verses from the Bhaja Govindam:

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं

पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् ।

इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे

कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ॥ २१॥

Again birth, again death and again lying in mother’s womb – this samsara process is very hard to cross over. Save me, Murari (O destroyer of Mura) through Thy infinite kindness.

[Translation by Swami Chinmayanada]

On this Independence Day, I am going to begin an online Vedanta course. I hope that today you too would take one step towards the ultimate independence.

Hari Om Tat Sat

[2015, Law Faculty, Delhi University, I-day celebrations]

कैसे जाने दे तुम्हे

[In the previous post, I mentioned about the composition that was running in my head - Aise na jao Nand Lal. Finally, gave it some shape and form. Thanks to Mokshi for helping me with this. Hope you are all well and safe.]

 कैसे जाने दे तुम्हे कान्हा

तुम बिन लागे यह जग सूना

न मिलना तो हैं मुझे मंज़ूर

पर तुम न जाना कोसों दूर

सोचती हूँ दिखोगे जमुना किनारे

तुम्हारी छव में बसे है सुख सारे

तुम्हरे लिए सब जग हारा

इस प्रेम के आगे हर कुछ खारा

लेकिन जाना है तो जाओ, हो गयी तुम्हारी जीत  

पहले खुद में लीन करो, सुनाओ वो गीत !

Don't go like that!

 [This is a short poem composed on a whim. I received an email and the sender had used the words - "Don't go like that!" in their email. And just like that, I wanted to compose a poem using that phrase. Initially, I started with a song - Aise na jao Nand Lal, but it proved to be quite difficult. Perhaps, another day. The poem may seem abrupt / incomplete. However, I hope the feelings and message (of what has been written) comes across. I hope you're all keeping well and safe.]

The student says:

Don't go like that!

The road is treacherous,

The problems unknown and continuous;

Humour my attachment and fear,

My intellect is not clear;

Stay a few more days,

Wait till the end of this phase!

The teacher says:

O Son, it is time to go!

By nature the world deceives,

It has no capacity to relieve;

Free yourself from this tracheary,

The world is a hall of misery;

Pursue That and That alone,

And nothing will then be left to moan.

O son, arise and awake!

There is nothing to be afraid,

When all is His handmade;

Discard the crutches of attachment,

Hasten slowly towards enlightenment;

Reign in the mind through the intellect,

Contemplate on Him to remove their defects.

O son, act now, do not delay!

Blink of an eye and years will pass,

Distractions increase and continue to harass;

Each age has its comforts,

Pleasing now, only to then hurt;

Recognise That Thou Art!

Look within, in the cavity of your heart!

Lost my laptop

Sometimes devices become very dear to us. This blog has seen the loss of my iPod, my Motorola Q9 and the newest in the series is my MacBook Air. 

I stupidly left it in the Delhi to Kathgodam Shatabdi. I cannot believe I was that careless. Now I am just hoping some kind human being tries to contact me to return it.

It does not help that there are thousands of Rohan Chawla. I just hope that this post helps.

Universe, if you have my laptop, please help it come back to me. Please. 

Take care guys. Hoping the best for all of you.