फिर से एक सुनो

मैं तो हवा हूँ झोंकों में महसूस करना,
क़ीमत दिखना नहीं खुशबुओं में है रहना।

Eklavya - from a new perspective

In India we have a mythical(?) character Eklavya who came from a poor background  not much resources at his disposal and definitely no prior credentials but all he wanted was to learn the art of war and knowledge to use the arms meant exclusively for Royalties of the time. An art so specialized and exclusive that its proliferation would have endangered the interests of the state and its Kings.

Eklavya approached Dronacharya the teacher of this art and was rejected assertively although politely. He did not have the background or any future responsibilities that could be meted out to him for him to learn the art of Dhanurvidya (Archery). In today's World its like teaching and giving capabilities of building a Nuclear bomb to a person or a nation not responsible enough with not much stake to lose in case of its wrongful use. With no prior context, no history of schooling and no background required to step up would also drain and unnecessarily diversions that will be caused by including him in the class, Dronacharya thought. Eklavya's passion and his hidden and unpolished talent was ignored, there was no need for a follow up.

But Eklavya was Eklavya he persisted. He knew he did not belong to that club but knew he belongs to that art. He started stalking the teacher to his class and started watching and learning by hiding under thick foliage. Have you downloaded a copyrighted material an exclusive content that you need to pay to use? Have you been using a software that requires a license to use? Eklavya was not doing it to challenge the others, he was using to gain the knowledge he was interested in.

Eklavya did not have the quality of bow and arrows required to implement the knowledge he was gaining but what he was able to do with a simple hand made archery that many Princesses could not do in the club with their sophisticated arms except one Arjun. Eklavya would go back practice all day all night what he saw Arjun do. He remembered every intricacies that Dronacharya talked about that many simply ignored in the class that he did not. Eklavya was learning what lies in the heart of that art, the best practices, how to make the best use of it, how to achieve your goal with minimal resources than to shoot to kill an ant. Eklavya was indirectly challenging Arjun. To learn how to avoid a war and keep your interests intact makes you a better fighter than those who know how to use Guns. Eklavya became a much better Archer than all and he gained that not working in a team, not getting anyother brain to pick - he did it by watching and practicing. He would fail to use the sophisticated arms but knew how to hit the target with his simple ones. He filled the gaps in his knowledge with better designs. He did not need the strength to stop an incoming train, he knew to build a road that does not intersect the path of it.

Cheating is always caught sooner or later. Eklavya was caught by Dronacharya when he filled the mouth of a dog with arrows just enough just deep enough to not hurt the dog but make him stop barking. Such a precision was only possible by Arjun and there can not be another Arjun. Whoever is that precise and not a brother of Arjun could potentially pose a threat to him later. Dronacharya could not trust Eklavya's loyalty. Indirect may be he did learn from him and had to pay Dronacharya said and he asked Eklavya's right thumb as his fee. He decapitated Eklavya for ever.

Eklavya was rejected. He was rejected because he was the son of a Father who worked for a King opposing Krishna the friend and spiritual Guru of Arjun. Dronacharya though was impressed by Eklavya's desire to learn but his background was not in line with the interests of Arjun. Eklavya even without a thumb remained a potent Archer better than many but later killed in a battle with Krishna. Later Arjun and his cousin brothers split and had a war what is known as Mahabharath one of the most devastating war the World had seen. Arjun won, his character won, his piousness won - but there was no Eklavya to challenge him. 

Tu Maane Ya Na Maane

मेरा एक और उत्तर कुमार विश्वास को

कुमार विश्वास ने ट्वीट किया:
"तुम से बेहतर तो नहीं हैं ये नज़ारे लेकिन , तुम ज़रा आँख से निकलो तो इन्हें भी देखूँ"

तो मैंने भी उत्तर दिया:
संभल कर चलना ज़रा, आँख के आंसू से ग़म फिसलते हैं।
या तुम वो चले जो बंद आँखों से रस्ता ढूंढ लेते हैं ॥

I don't believe in Ghosts, but..

I am not insane, a little sleep deprived but definitely not insane and neither I believe in any out of worldly things that I can not explain either scientifically or by any practiced abstract science. Though what transpired in last 10 days was weird and strange enough - I think I experienced something Ghostly.

I like clean and antique things and usually end up buying it if I can afford it. I ended up buying this African Vase. It looked good matched with the color of our rest of furniture and I was attracted to it. We had a place for it and needed some more decoration so got a couple.

I have been working late lately and coming to bed only late in the night at times after 2AM. While calling the long day off as I slept in the bed with my wife and my kid both asleep I started playing Candy Crush, and suddenly felt a dark black figure in black drape with a little lighter face though still dark grey looking at me. It was the third day of me having only slept for three or four hours and I laughed at myself thinking if I was not believing on Ghosts.

As I checked my wife she was still asleep I felt something touched by a light gush of wind touching my arm by hair and with a sound "shoosh" gone. Yes I could sense something touched me and that figure was gone. I was not drowsy, neither sleepy but yes playing the game in dark and trying to sleep. I did not wake my wife and I did not tell her for next three days. I was not afraid and it did not scare me. I definitely thought it was just a wind coming out of the Window, hold on it was closed but still. I needed more sleep.

In the Morning I found this by the bed. It was part of this decorative piece I had bought that was put behind my Aquarium and in no way someone could have carried to the bedroom. Or may be somehow it did end up there I thought. I quietly took it and threw it out side our main door.

If I looked it now it does look like a figure with a face and if you spread the three legs as someone wearing a drape.

So far I somehow was laughing at myself and laughing at others who end up believing in Ghosts by a string of coincidences. I also told my wife after a couple of days and she suggested I throw the piece out. I did not.

Now what happened yesterday was weird and really strange. One of the two tube lights (brought together) started flickering and broke/fused by the late evening. The tube light is right behind where I had kept this piece I am talking about.

While I was working on my couch around 11PM while my floor fan facing me and a little towards this vase was when I saw the stems started shaking. It shook for good 3-4 seconds. Yes I am truthful not making it up. It shook but I did not check what could have happened. I thought one of the flowers might have fallen down or something. One of the tube lights was dead and I checked in the Morning all the flowers were intact.

Yes the wind from my fan could have done it, but this is a fan that I sitting just three feet away barely could feel much could possibly not shake a set of fairly rigid stems for that long. Once again the Windows were not open.

Now this was it. I told my wife about my experience and we all decided this was it. I disposed off the piece with its flower decorations. As I came back home, I still saw that three legged string by the main door. I threw it in the nearby shrubs and had a topic to blog.

एक और शेर

काफ़िर वो नहीं जो बुत में खुदा देखे,
वो जो न देखे नूर-ए-खुदा इंसा में।

मेरा एक और उत्तर

कुमार विश्वास ने लिखा-
"चराग कौन जला कर गया है चौखट पर, मै अपने घर में कोई और सा चमकता हूँ....!"

तो मेरा उत्तर ये है-
बंद कमरे में शायद सूरज भी न दिखे, चौखट पे रक्खे दिये से घर का पता तो चले।

एक और सुनिये

कुछ आदतें ख़राब ही अच्छी लगते हैं,
पुराने तो सिर्फ शराब ही अच्छी लगते हैं।
मुहब्बत के बारे में अब क्या कहूँ दोस्तों,
कुछ चेहरे ताहूर-ए-हिजाब ही अच्छे लगते हैं।

एक और सुनिये

हमें अपनों से नफ़रत है, बेगाने बस बदनाम होते हैं।
लिख लूँ मैं लाख़ शेर फिर भी दर्द मेरे गुमनाम रोते हैं।

एक और शेर का मेरा जवाब

एक कवियत्री हरजिंदर कौर को कुमार विश्वास ने re-tweet किया:
पलकें बंद हुई तो जैसे धरती के उन्माद सो गये,
पलकें अगर उठी तो जैसे बिन बोले संवाद हो गये

और मेरा जवाब उनके लिए:
पलकों को झरोखों सा न इस्तेमाल कीजिए,
दिल की कहानी को जुबां से बयां कीजिए!!

On Indian Cricket Teams Semi final entry

सात किया है नौ कर दे, अपने कप को लॉक कर दे!!

Standup Comedy