Paraadheen Sapnehu Sukh Nahin

                          "Paraadheen Sapnehu Sukh Nahin"
                                                 (Tulasi Das - Ram Charit Maanas)
One who is dependent on others, can not be happy even in his dreams. 
Whether we are slaves to others or our own beliefs and habits - it does not let us grow. 
While preconceived notions keep us restricted and imprisoned -
Freedom from acquired beliefs and dogmas allows us to embrace new ideas and ways to improve.

पराधीन सपनेहुँ सुख नाहीं

                                 पराधीन सपनेहुँ सुख नाहीं 
                                              (राम चरित मानस)

जो दूसरों पर निर्भर है, पराधीन है - वह कभी स्वप्न में भी प्रसन्न नहीं रह सकता।
चाहे हम दूसरों के गुलाम हों या स्वयं अपनी मान्यताओं एवं स्वभाव के आधीन हों - हम विकसित नहीं हो सकते।
पूर्व अधिग्रहित मान्यताएँ हमें प्रतिबंधित और कैद में रखती हैं - हमें विकसित नहीं होने देतीं।
पुरानी धारणाओं से मुक्त हो कर ही हम नए विचारों को अपना सकते हैं और जीवन में आगे बढ़ सकते हैं।

Happy Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti

To commemorate his contribution to India's struggle for independence, 

Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated across the country every year on 23rd January.

Today, in 2020, it will mark his 124th birth anniversary.

The Backward Law

'Wanting positive experience is a negative experience;
 Accepting a negative experience is a positive experience'. 

It's what the philosopher Allan Watts used to refer to as 'the backward law' -
- the idea that the more you pursue feeling better all the time, the less satisfied you become - 
as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place. 
The more you desperately want to be rich, the poorer and unworthy you feel, regardless of how much money you actually make. 
The more you desperately want to be sexy and desired, the uglier you come to see yourself, regardless of your actual physical appearance. 
The more you desperately want to be happy and loved, the lonelier and more afraid you become, regardless of those who surround you. 
The more you want to be spiritually enlightened, the more self-centered and shallow you become in trying to get there. 
                      ~  ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~  ~   ~
Simply put, the harder we work at something, the less effective we might be.
A great example of this could be insomnia - sleeplessness. 
The more you think about sleeping - the harder you try to sleep, the harder it becomes to fall asleep.
Another example can be of swimming. 
When you are trying hard to swim - to float -  you start to sink. 
If you relax and let go, let your body sink - your body fights against you to push you back toward the surface. 
Similarly, when we try to push our conscious mind toward spirituality, but the subconscious mind wants something else - when the conscious mind and the subconscious mind are in conflict, the subconscious mind always wins - and we fail to achieve what the conscious mind wants to accomplish. 
Therefore, do not force your mind for meditation and Sumiran. 
Instead, relax and let go of everything - all thoughts and efforts. 
Spirituality is a subject of the Subconscious - not of a conscious mind.
                        (Partially taken from the Web)

Concept of Hell in Hinduism

Question: Is there a concept of Hell in Hinduism?
Answer:   NO

According to western religions, God resides up in heaven, and the hell is below - under Satan's control.
Therefore, hell would be without God.

On the other hand, according to Hinduism, God is Omnipresent - All-Pervading. 
There is absolutely no place where God is not present.

Since hell is supposedly a place where God is not present, it means there is no such place as hell.
According to the Sanatan Dharma, logically, it simply can not exist as a physical plane. 
Heaven and hell are right here - in this life - 
in the form of pleasure and pain - joy and suffering - love and hatred. 

दुनिया का दस्तूर Duniya ka dastoor

अजीब है भगवान तेरी दुनिया का दस्तूर
जिसको गले लगाओ वो ही हो जाता है दूर

Ajeeb hai Bhagvaan teri duniya ka dastoor
Jisko galay lagaao - vohi ho jaata hai door 

The unbelievable story of Dr. Abdul Kalam - the late President of India

A MUST-READ Unbelievable information.

D. D. Podhigai telecast an interview with Mr. P. M. Nair, (retired IAS officer, who was the Secretary to Dr. Abdul Kalam when he was the President.)
 Mr. Nair authored a book titled 'Kalam Effect.
Summary of the points he spoke in a voice choked with emotion:

1. Dr. Kalam used to receive costly gifts whenever he went abroad - as it is customary for many nations to give gifts to the visiting Heads of State. 
Refusing the gift would become an insult to the nation and an embarrassment for India. So, he received them, and on his return, Dr. Kalam asked the gifts to be photographed and then cataloged and handed over to the archives. 
Afterward, he never even looked at them. 
He did not take even a single pencil from the gifts received when he left Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

2. In 2002, the year Dr. Kalam took over, the Ramadan month came in July-August. It was a regular practice for the President to host an iftar party. 
Dr. Kalam asked Mr. Nair, why he should host a party to people who are already well-fed, and asked him to find out how much would be the cost. 
Mr. Nair told it would cost around Rs. 22 lakhs. 
Dr. Kalam asked him to donate that amount to a few selected orphanages in the form of food, dresses, and blankets. 
The selection of orphanages was left to a team in Rashtrapathi Bhavan, and Dr. Kalam had no role in it. 
After the selection was made, Dr. Kalam asked Mr. Nair to come inside his room and gave him a cheque for Rs 1 lakh. He said that he was giving some amount from his personal savings for the party, and this should not be informed to anyone.

Mr. Nair was so shocked - he said: "Sir, I will go outside and tell everyone. People should know that there is a man who not only donated what he should have spent, but he is giving his own money also". 

Dr. Kalam, though he was a devout Muslim, did not have Iftar parties in the years in which he was the President. 

3. Dr. Kalam did not like the 'Yes Sir" type of people. 
     Once, when the Chief Justice of India had come and on some point, Dr. Kalam expressed his views and asked Mr. Nair: 'Do you agree?
 Mr. Nair said, 'No Sir - I do not agree with you. 
The Chief Justice was shocked - he could not believe his ears.  
A civil servant couldn't disagree with the President and that too so openly. 
Mr. Nair told him that the President would question him afterward why he disagreed, and if the reason was logical, then he would surely change his mind.

4. Once Dr. Kalam invited fifty of his relatives to come to Delhi, and they all stayed in Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
 He organized a bus for them to go around the city, which was paid for by him. No official car was used. Their stay and food were all calculated as per the instructions of Dr. Kalam. The bill came to Rs 2 lakhs, which he paid from his pocket. 
In the history of this country, no one has ever done it. 

Now, wait for the climax, Dr. Kalam's elder brother stayed with him in his room for the entire one week as Dr. Kalam wanted his brother to stay with him. When he left, Dr. Kalam wanted to pay rent for that room also. 

Imagine the President of a country paying rent for the room in which he is staying.
Anyway, this was not agreed to by the staff, who thought the honesty was getting too much to handle!!!.

5. When Kalam Sir was to leave Rashtrapathi Bhavan at the end of his tenure, every staff member went and met him and paid their respects. Mr. Nair went to him alone, as his wife had fractured her leg and was confined to bed. Dr. Kalam asked him why his wife did not come. He replied that she was in bed due to an accident. 
The next day, Mr.Nair saw a lot of policemen around his house and asked what had happened. 
They said that the President of India was coming to visit him at his house. He came and met his wife and chatted for some time. 
Mr. Nair says that no president of any country would visit a civil servant's house and that too on such a simple pretext.

The younger brother of APJ Abdul Kalam runs an umbrella repairing shop. 
When Mr. Nair met him during Kalam’s funeral,  he touched his feet, in token of respect for both Mr. Nair and Brother.

I (the author of this article) thought I should give these details, as many of you may not have seen the telecast.
Such information should be widely shared on social media.

The property left behind by Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was estimated as follows:

6 pants    (2 DRDO uniforms)
4 shirts    (2 DRDO uniforms)
3 suits      (1 western, 2 Indian)
2500    books 
1 flat (which he has donated)
1 Padmashri Award
1 Padmabhushan Award
1 Bharat Ratna Award
16 doctorates  
1 website
1 twitter account
1 email id
He didn't have any TV, AC, car, jewelry, shares, land, or bank balance.

He had even donated his last 8 years' pension towards the development of his village.

He was a real patriot and true Indian.
India will forever be grateful to you, sir.

                                        (From the Web)

There are so many exceptionally great and incredible people in every part of the world -
But most of us hardly know about them.

Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

Himaachhaadit parvat shrinkhlaa sajee dhajee hai 
Chahun or shvet see prakriti nistabdh khadee hai 
Nanhen nanhen shvet golon kee lagee jhadee hai 
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

log baag kambal kay neechay badan chhupaatay hongay
Simtay-sikuday naukar-chaakar chaai banaatay hongay
Kehtay hongay log - aaj to thand kadee hai 
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

Dal jheel ka paani bhee to jam gayaa hogaa 
Paryatkon ka aanaa jaanaa tham gayaa hogaa 
Laal chauk mein bhee na koyi bheed khadee hai 
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

Nishat - Shaalimar barf say dhak gaye hongay 
Chashme-Shaahi kay chashmay bhee jam gaye hongay
Dhartee lagtee hogee jaisay rajat jadee hai 
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

Qudrat nay husno-naaz say jisko navaazaa hai 
Us sarzameen ki yaad dil mein aaj bhee taazaa hai 
Bhoolay bisray khwaabon ki bhee lagee jhadee hai 
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

Rishiyon Muniyon kee ghaatee kyonkar ujdee hai 
Bar-ru-e-zameen firdaus* kee soorat kyon bigdee hai 
Kyon mazahab - millat ki vahaan diwaar khadee hai 
Jannat jaisee ghaatee kyon sunsaan padee hai 

Rab nay to sab bandon ko yaksaan banaayaa thaa 
Saanjhee dhartee - saanjhaa aasmaan banaaya thaa
Valiyon peeron nay prem ka paath padhaaya thaa
Aapas mein miljul kay rehnaa hee sikhaaya tha 

Na Hindu badaa hai - na Musalman badaa hai 
Insaaaniyat ka dharm hee duniya mein badaa hai 
Jang-o-jahad say zameen pay kuchh na bachega 
Chain-aman say rehnay mein hee sab ka bhala hai 

Nafraton say 'Rajan' kuchh bhee faayada nahin 
Bandon say vair - bandgee ka qaayada nahin 
Pyaar kee aatish jalaao - thand kadee hai 
Vaadiyon ko phir sanvaarnay ki ghadi hai
Sunaa hai aaj Kashmir mein barf padee hai !!

                                 'Rajan Sachdeva'


Himaachhaadit                               Covered with snow
Parvat shrinkhlaa                         Mountain range, Chain of mountains
Nistabdh                                        Quiet, Silent
Paryatk                                           Visitors
Rajat jadee                                    Silver plated, Covered with Silver
Ghaatee                                          Valley
Bar-ru-e-zameen firdaus            Paradise on the face of the earth
Majahb-0-Millat                           Religionism
Yaksaan                                          Equal, Similar
Jang-o-jahad                                 Wars, Fightings, Hostilities 

Aatish                                             Fire, Flame, Spark

Note :
There is a saying in Persian about Kashmir :
      *Cho bar Roo-e-zameen Firdaus ast
        Hamee ast - hamee ast - hamee ast 
If there is paradise on the face of the earth, 
This is it - This is it - This is it.

सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

हिमाच्छादित  पर्वत श्रृंखला सजी धजी है 
चहुंओर श्वेत सी प्रकृति निस्तब्ध खड़ी है
नन्हें नन्हें श्वेत गोलों की लगी झड़ी है
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

लोगबाग कंबल के नीचे बदन छिपाते होंगे
सिमटे-सिकुड़े नौकर-चाकर चाय बनाते होंगे
कहते होंगे लोग - आज तो ठण्ड कड़ी है
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

डल झील का पानी भी तो जम गया होगा
पर्यटकों का आना जाना थम गया होगा
लाल चौक में भी न कोई भीड़ खड़ी है
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

निशात - शालीमार बर्फ से ढ़क गए होंगे
चश्मे शाही के चश्मे भी जम गए होंगे
धरती लगती होगी जैसे रजत जड़ी है
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

क़ुदरत ने हुसनो-नाज़ से जिसको नवाज़ा है
उस सरज़मीं की याद दिल में आज भी ताज़ा है
भूले बिसरे ख़्वाबों की भी लगी झड़ी है
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है..!!

ऋषियों मुनियों की घाटी क्योंकर उजड़ी है
बर-रु-ए-ज़मीं फ़िरदौस *की सूरत क्यों बिगड़ी है
क्यों मज़हब -मिल्लत की वहां दीवार खड़ी है
जन्नत जैसी घाटी क्यों सुनसान पड़ी है
 
रब ने तो सब बंदों को यकसां बनाया था
सांझी धरती - सांझा आसमां बनाया था
वलियों पीरों ने प्रेम का पाठ पढ़ाया था
आपस में मिलजुल के रहना ही सिखाया था

न हिन्दू बड़ा है - न मुसलमान बड़ा है
इन्सानियत का धर्म ही दुनिया में बड़ा है
जंगो -जहद से ज़मीं पे कुछ न बचेगा
चैन-अमन से रहने में ही सब का भला है

नफ़रतों से 'राजन कुछ भी फ़ायदा नहीं
बंदों से वैर  - बंदगी का क़ायदा नहीं 
प्यार की आतिश जलाओ - ठंड कड़ी है 
वादियों को फिर संवारने के घड़ी है 
सुना है आज काश्मीर में बरफ़ पड़ी है !!

                           " राजन सचदेव  "

नोट :
*काश्मीर के बारे में फ़ारसी में एक कहावत है कि
                 चो बर रु -ए -ज़मीं फ़िरदौस अस्त
                 हमी अस्त - हमी अस्त - हमी अस्त
अर्थात :
               अगर धरती पर कहीं स्वर्ग है तो
                यही है -यही है - यही है 

I am rich and born in a high family

आढ्योऽभिजनवानस्मि कोऽन्योऽस्ति सदृशो मया।
यक्ष्ये दास्यामि मोदिष्य इत्यज्ञानविमोहिताः।।

Aadhyo-abhijanvaanasmi Ko anyo-asti sadrisho mayaa
Yakshaye daasyaami modishya itya-gyaanvimohitah
                              (Bhagavad Geeta 16 - 15)

I am rich and born in a high family -
Who else is there similar to me? 
I will perform noble deeds; I will give charity, 
and thus, I will rejoice -
Such are the thoughts deluded by ignorance.

Word-by-word meaning:
 आढ्यः  Aadhya                                 --  Rich
 अभिजनवान्  Abhijanvaan                --  Born in a high family
 अस्मि  Asmi                                        --   I am
 कः        Kah                                         --    who
 अन्यः     Anya                                       --   Else
 अस्ति     Asti                                         --    is
 सदृशः    Sadrishyah                            --    Equal
 मया       Mayaa                                    --    to me
 यक्ष्ये     Yakshaye                                --   will perform
 दास्यामि  Daasyaami                           --   I will give
 मोदिष्ये    Modishaye                          --    will rejoice
 इति          iti                                           --   Thus
अज्ञानविमोहिताः Agyaan vimohitah     -- Deluded by ignorance