Post from long ago.

 Long long ago nobody knows how long ago.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

This is an inspiring poem. On the surface it’s about Aragorn, the rightful heir of Gondor. Yet it really conveys how people who lose their way can still bounce back in life.

You never intended to go off-track, right?

It just happened overtime, you say?

People lose their way often because they take the path of least resistance. What they fail to understand is that this actually involves the most pain.

As we grow older some of us find it harder to rationalize our choices. A sense of dissatisfaction permeates our lives. We’d like to change our situation, but oftentimes we no longer have a vision of our own.

No life purpose = no motivation.

The back burner is no place for dreams.

The moral of Tolkien’s poem is you can have a great destiny ahead of you assuming you (eventually) take action to rightfully claim what is yours.

You’ll notice Tolkien’s poem starts off with another famous line ~ All that is gold does not glitter. This is ‘borrowed’ from Shakespeare, the greatest writer of all time.

All that glitters is not gold.

The Merchant of Venice has the line all that glitters (or glisters) is not gold.

O hell! what have we here?

A carrion Death, within whose empty eye

There is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing.

All that glitters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told:

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold:

Gilded tombs do worms enfold.

The Bard is the best-known writer to have expressed the idea that shiny things aren’t necessarily precious. Yet, it stands to reason that others before him had coined the idea.

Everything is adaption, a connecting of dots.

Writers paraphrase all the time.

For instance, it is a truth universally acknowledged that all writers love to adapt famous quotes (you saw what I did there, right?).

Inspirational quotes have the power to change the way we feel about our lives.

Often instantly. As writers, that’s why we find them so appealing.

Brain Tracey said it best:

You grow either flowers or weeds in the garden of your life, whichever you plant by the mental equivalents you create.

Here are a few quotes that encapsulate the varied dimensions of mindset I explore in my writing.

Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. — Mother Teresa

This quote reminds us that small acts of kindness aren’t small when you consider the knock-on effect. People doing good deeds send out ripples into the world. Those ripples are significant in creating positive social change!

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. ―George S. Patton

Most people don’t set out believing they will fail. Yet, it’s tough out there. When things don’t go to plan, you need the strength to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.

Our greatest fear should not be of failure… but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter. ―Francis Chan

People often set goals based on what others think. Instead of pleasing others, think about what you care about, and set goals that achieve what is important to you.

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ― George Bernard Shaw

Your mindset is a secret weapon. It can make or break you. When you have the right mindset you can cruise along effortlessly. When you have the wrong one you may feel stuck (or worse) in life.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. ― Mark Twain

Conventional wisdom says you needn’t do something if it makes you uncomfortable. Most people choose safety over uncertainty. But do safe choices always bring you happiness in life?

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. ― Babe Ruth

Doubts and fears can be hard to let go. The truth is if something scares you, you should do it because it scares you. Trust me, you are capable of a great deal more than you realize!

Life is trying things to see if they work. ― Ray Bradbury

Productivity is a recurrent theme in my writing. Taking action (any action!) is better than endlessly preparing, or worse doing nothing at all.

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly. ―JFK

Creators of all stripes take risks. The best ones hardly think about failure. The bar is set high and they expect to fail over and over before they get it right. That’s what experimentation is all about!

Character is destiny — Heraclitus

If you chose to look for downsides in life, you will find them. When you cast things in a positive light, you can create opportunities for yourself.

As always it comes down to mindset.

The last word

Taking advice from those who have gone before is a smart move. After all, the problems we face today are not new as the quotes prove; it is the normal human condition.

What is your favourite inspirational quote? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.

L P

 The day of celebration of  Lord Pandurang's visit to Bidar (Dindi) 

Damaji Pant was a great devotee of Lord Vitthal. He was pious, kind hearted and spent most of his time in Harichintana. He was appointed by the king of Bidar as the caretaker of a warehouse where grain was stored. As the story goes, there was once a severe drought in that region due to which people and cattle were dying of starvation.

One day, during lunch, a Brahmin visited Damaji’s residence and as courtesy would demand Damaji offered him lunch. Damaji learnt from the Brahmin that his family was starving in Pandharpur. On hearing this, Damaji promised to give some grain to the Brahmin. After lunch, two bullock carts were loaded with rice for the Brahmin. On his way home, the Brahmin was attacked by hungry masses who looted his gift. On asking, he informed the people that Sant Damaji of Mangalwedha had gifted him with the rice. Hearing this, all the people rushed to Damajis house with great expectations.

They prayed to Damaji to give them some grains during this difficult time. Sant Damaji’s heart melted to see the starving men and with his wife’s suggestion, he distributed grains from the royal granary to the poor people without permission from the king. Though Damaji gathered a lot of well wishers through this act of kindness yet a Kannada clerk who worked for the same king at Mangalwedha was jealous of Damaji Panth. He immediately went to Bidar and informed the king that grains from the royal granary has been distributed at will by Damaji. The king was enraged by this news and ordered his soldiers to capture Damaji.

The soldiers arrived at Damaji’s residence and showed him the king’s order to capture him. Damajipant was unmoved, but requested them to take him to Bidar via Pandharpur. The soldiers agreed and when they arrived at Pandharpur, Damaji wished to take bath in the river Chandrabhaga and wanted to pray to Lord Vitthal thinking that it would be the last time, he was going to see his god. There, he intently looked at the Lord and told him, that was the last he could be seeing him.

Lord Vitthal came to rescue his devotee immediately disguised as Vithoo Mahar. Lord Vitthal arrived at the court of the king carrying a huge load on his back. He showed a letter written in the handwriting of Damajipant to the guards who let him in.

He introduced himself as Damajipant’s servant and told the king that there was a great deficiency of grains all over Mangalwedha and the adjoining areas due to famine and that Damajipant had sold all the grains for a very high price and has earned huge profits. He gave the huge bag of gold coins to the king and the letter written in Damajipant’s handwriting to the king and requested him to issue a receipt for the same.

The king was astonished after checking the authenticity. He asked the people working in his treasury to count the money. The money was uncountable and amounted to several lakhs. The king felt ashamed about the hasty decision that he had taken about the arrest of Damaji believing in a false allegation from an employee. The king thanked Vithoo Mahar, issued a receipt to him and also presented ornaments, a horse and an elephant and rich clothes to be handed over to Damaji. Vithoo Mahar took everything and went to Mangalwedha and gave it to the family of Damajipant and disappeared.

While these incidents were taking place, Damaji was on his way to Bidar and was not aware about any of the happenings. When Damaji reached Bidar, the king was surprised to see him but greeted him with great affection and extended his sincere apologies. When Damaji was narrated the whole incident that had taken place, he immediately understood that Lord Vitthal had come to his rescue. He resigned from his job as he did not want to trouble the Lord again. He distributed all the gifts among the poor which were extended to his family by Lord Vitthal. Damaji thereafter moved to Pandharpur and serve the Lord there till the very end.

Rules of B

 The difference between a devotee and a non devotee is that which is between the bee and the fly.

the bee only gathers to make honey wheras the fly only rests on wounds and filth.

the choices you make define you.

Have you ever wondered why you hear bees buzzing? Buzzing is the sound of a bee’s beating wings. Bees have two wings on each side of their body, which are held together with comb-like teeth called hamuli. These teeth allow the two wings to act as one large surface and help the bee create greater lift when flying.

Bees have two sets of wings, one larger outer set and one smaller, inner set. In each set of bee wings, the large and small wing is connected with hamuli, which are kind of like hooked comb teeth. In order to beat these wings, a bee has muscles that cause its thorax to squeeze in two directions: both up-and-down, and left-and-right. The bee alternates these rhythmic thorax pulsations, kind of like how we breathe, but instead of pulling in air, these pulsations cause the bee’s wings to beat back and forth. This also allows bees to beat their wings very quickly and fly.Honey bees can beat their wings over 230 times per second. Scientists used to think that a bee’s wings were rigid, making bees kind of like little planes that moved hard wings up and down. But bee wings are fairly small for their body size, so even at 230 beats per second, rigid wings wouldn’t be able to let bees fly. For many years, scientists couldn’t understand how it was possible that bees could fly. But then, using high-quality video that could show the bee wing beats in slow motion, they finally figured it out. Understanding bee wings was key to figuring out how bees could fly. Their wings are not rigid, but twist and rotate during flight. Bee wings make short, quick sweeping motions front and back, front and back. This motion creates enough lift to make it possible for bees to fly. Some other insects have a longer motion from front to back and a slower wing beat. The slower beat makes other insects more efficient, meaning they can get more lift with less work. So why might bees use an inefficient way of flying? Scientists think that the style of flying bees use lets them carry heavy loads when needed. That ability comes in handy a lot for honey bees, who carry nectar and pollen from flowers back to the nest.

Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn’t know a thing about life.”.

Bees form an important link in our food chain and that’s why we celebrate National Honey Bee Day every year on the third Saturday in the month of August. This day share with your family and friends catchy honey bee slogans, bee quotes, bee sayings to bring more awareness about saving bees. Save the bees messages and wishes, bee saving slogans and taglines are what you need to share on this day.

Charitamrith

māṁ cha yo ’vyabhichāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Those who serve me with unalloyed devotion rise above the three modes of material nature and come to the level of Brahman.

Having explained the traits of those who are situated beyond the three guṇas, Shree Krishna now reveals the one and only method of transcending these modes of material nature. The above verse indicates that mere knowledge of the self and its distinction with the body is not enough. With the help of bhakti yog, the mind has to be fixed on the Supreme Lord, Shree Krishna. Then alone will the mind become nirguṇa (untouched by the three modes), just as Shree Krishna is nirguṇa.

Many people are of the view that if the mind is fixed upon the personal form of God, it will not rise to the transcendental platform. Only when it is attached to the formless Brahman, will the mind become transcendental to the modes of material nature. However, this verse refutes such a view. Although the personal form of God possesses infinite guṇas (qualities), these are all divine and beyond the modes of material nature. Hence, the personal form of God is also nirguṇa (beyond the three material modes). Sage Ved Vyas explains how the personal form of God is nirguṇa:

yastu nirguṇa ityuktaḥ śhāstreṣhu jagadīśhvaraḥ

prākṛitairheya sanyuktairguṇairhīnatvamuchyate (Padma Purāṇ)[v3]

“Wherever the scriptures refer to God as nirguṇa (without attributes), they mean that he is without material attributes. Nevertheless, his divine personality is not devoid of qualities—he possesses infinite divine attributes.”

This verse also reveals the proper object of meditation. Transcendental meditation does not mean to meditate upon nothingness. The entity transcendental to the three modes of material nature is God. And so, only when the object of our meditation is God can it truly be called transcendental meditation.

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣhṭhāham amṛitasyāvyayasya cha
śhāśhvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya cha

I am am the basis of the formless Brahman, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal dharma, and of unending divine bliss.

The previous verse may give rise to the question about the relationship between Shree Krishna and the formless Brahman. It was previously stated that the all-powerful God has both aspects to his personality—the formless and the personal form. Here, Shree Krishna reveals that the Brahman which the jñānīs worship is the light from the personal form of God. Padma Purāṇ states:

yannakhenduruchirbrahma dheyaṁ brahmādibhiḥ suraiḥ

guṇatrayamatītaṁ taṁ vande vṛindāvaneśhvaram (Patal Khand 77.60)[v4]

“The light that emanates from the toe nails of the feet of the Lord of Vrindavan, Shree Krishna, is the transcendental Brahman that the jñānīs and even the celestial gods meditate upon.” Similarly, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:

tāṅhāra aṅgera śhuddha kiraṇa-maṇḍala

upaniṣhat kahe tāṅre brahma sunirmala (Chaitanya Charitāmṛit, Ādi Leela 2.12) [v5]

“The effulgence emanating from the divine body of God is described by the Upaniṣhads as Brahman.” Thus, in this verse, Shree Krishna unequivocally confirms that the panacea for the disease of the three guṇas is to engage in unwavering devotion to the personal form of the Supreme Lord.

Salt

 Be the salt!

If you were to cook 3 cups of rice, would you add 3 cups of salt to it? Certainly not!

So, in every preparation of Rice, the grains of Rice always outnumber the Salt, 

yet a little Salt makes a huge difference / impact in the overall outcome.

In the room in which you currently are, look up at the ceiling... 

What is the size of the bulb compared to the size of the room? It is probably a ratio of 1:5000.

Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is flipped on.

If I am the Salt of the earth, and the light of the world, then "little me" has the ability to make big things happen..

Sometimes, because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of evil or wrong-doers, we then 

choose powerlessness, and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

LITTLE doesn't mean insignificant.

You are significant. Your presence should make a BIG difference. Stop waiting to be on the side of the majority. 

They may be the majority, but they are the trivial majority, and you are the impactful minority.

They are the RICE of the world, and you are the SALT of the world..

They are the ROOM and you are the LIGHT.

Make your influence felt!

You are the world's seasoning, to make it beautiful...

So if we can just do the right seasoning to  make even one life beautiful our life is worth living. 

Onwards and Upwards! 

Be the SALT in someone's life today . . .

Tagore once asked.. 

“Who is there to take up my duties?” asked the setting sun. The world remained dark and silent. With joined palms said the earthern lamp, “I will do what I can, my master!”

Kevat

 Guha requests Lakshmana to take rest, duly expressing his readiness to guard Rama and his consort by keeping awake the whole night. Lakshmana expressed his unwillingness to lie down in the presence of his elder brother and sister in law and preferred to remain awake. He spends night talking with Guha, voicing grief for his royal father as well as his affectionate mothers.

tam jaagratam adambhena bhraatur arthaaya laksmanam |

guhah samtaapa samtaptah raaghavam vaakyam abraviit || 2-51-1

Distressed with anguish (to see Rama and Sita lying on the ground) Guha said to Lakshmana, the scion of Raghu, who kept awake, through sincere love, for the protection of his brother Rama.

iyam taata sukhaa shayyaa tvad artham upakalpitaa |

pratyaashvasihi saadhv asyaam raaja putra yathaa sukham || 2-51-2

 “Here is a comfortable bed made for you, my friend! Relax well comfortably on it, Oh, prince!”

ucitah ayam janah sarvah kleshaanaam tvam sukha ucitah |

gupti artham jaagarisyaamah kaakutsthasya vayam nishaam || 2-51-3

 “All of us are habituated to hardships. You are habituated to comforts. We shall keep awake this night, for the protection of Rama”

na hi raamaat priyatarah mama asti bhuvi kashcana |

braviimy etat aham satyam satyena eva ca te shape || 2-51-4

 “For, none is dearer to me than Rama in this world. I speak the truth and swear to you by truth.”

asya prasaadaat aashamse loke asmin sumahad yashah |

dharma avaaptim ca vipulaam artha avaaptim ca kevalaam || 2-51-5

 “I hope to acquire abundant acclaim and supreme merit in this world as also full reward of wealth, by the sole grace of Rama”

so aham priya sakham raamam shayaanam saha siitayaa |

raksisyaami dhanus paanih sarvatah jnaatibhih saha || 2-51-6

 “As such, I along with my kindred, shall protect my dear friend Rama who is reposing with Sita in every way, with bow in hand.”

na hi me aviditam kimcit vane asmimh caratah sadaa |

catur angam hi api balam sumahat prasahemahi || 2-51-7

 “Nothing is indeed unknown in this forest to me, where I wander continually. We can able to withstand even a vast army too, comprising of four parts (elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry).”

laksmanah tam tadaa uvaaca raksyamaanaah tvayaa anagha |

na atra bhiitaa vayam sarve dharmam eva anupashyataa || 2-51-8

Then, Lakshmana replied to Guha as follows: “Oh, sinless Guha! Being protected by you, who keep your duty alone in view, all of us are fearless in this land.”

katham daasharathau bhuumau shayaane saha siitayaa |

shakyaa nidraa mayaa labdhum jiivitam vaa sukhaani vaa || 2-51-9

 “When Rama, the son of Dasaratha is lying on the ground with Sita, how is it possible for me to sleep or to enjoy the pleasures of life?”

yo na deva asuraih sarvaih shakyah prasahitum yudhi |

tam pashya sukha samvistam trinesu saha siitayaa || 2-51-10

 “See that Rama, who cannot be vanquished in combat even by the gods and demons combined, now sleeping profoundly on the grass along with Sita.”

yo mantra tapasaa labdho vividhaih ca parishramaih |

eko dasharathasya esa putrah sadrisha laksanah || 2-51-11

asmin pravrajitah raajaa na ciram vartayisyati |

vidhavaa medinii nuunam ksipram eva bhavisyati || 2-51-12

When Rama- who is endowed with similar characteristics as Dasaratha, uniquely beloved, the son obtained by Dasaratha by virtue of his chanting of several sacred texts and austerities and by various undertakings (in the form of sacrificial performances) has gone to exile, the king will not live long and the earth will become surely widowed forthwith.

vinadya sumahaa naadam shramena uparataah striyah |

nirghosa uparatam taata manye raaja niveshanam || 2-51-13

Having cried out in a high-pitched tone, the women having exhausted, will have fallen silent and I am sure that a profound stillness reigns in the palace.

kausalyaa caiva raajaa ca tathaiva jananii mama |

na aashamse yadi jiivanti sarve te sharvariim imaam || 2-51-14

 “I do not expect Kausalya, Dasaratha and my mother all of them to remain alive for this night.”

jiived api hi me maataa shatrughnasya anvaveksayaa |

tat duhkham yat tu kausalyaa viirasuur vinashisyati || 2-51-15

 “By looking forward to meet Satrughna, my mother might even stay alive. But it will be painful if Kausalya who has given birth to a heroic son, dies.”

anurakta jana aakiirnaa sukha aaloka priya aavahaa |

raaja vyasana samsristaa saa purii vinashisyati || 2-51-16

That city of Ayodhya, filled with devoted people, hitherto a source of joy and which brought pleasure to the world, when seized with agony over the king’s death, will perish.

katham putram mahaatmaanam jyeshhtham priyamapasyatah |

shariiram dhaarayushhyaanti praanaa raajjno mahaatmanah || 2-51-17

 “How, in the absence of his magnanimous and the first born son, will the vital airs in the body of the generous king be maintained?”

vinashhte nripatau pashchaatkausalyaa vinashishhyati |

anantaram cha maataa.api mama naashamupaishhyati || 2-51-18

 “After the death of king, Kausalya will die. My mother also will die thereafter.

atikraantam atikraantam anavaapya manoratham |

raajye raamam aniksipya pitaa me vinashisyati || 2-51-19

 “Having failed to install Rama in the kingdom, failed forever, which was the most cherished wish of his heart, my father will leave this world.

siddha arthaah pitaram vrittam tasmin kaale hi upasthite |

preta kaaryesu sarvesu samskarisyanti bhuumipam || 2-51-20

 “Those who are fortunate will consecrate our deceased father and the king in the course of all funeral rites, when the hour has struck.

ramya catvara samsthaanaam suvibhakta mahaa pathaam |

harmya prasaada sampannaam ganikaa vara shobhitaam || 2-51-21

ratha ashva gaja sambaadhaam tuurya naada vinaaditaam |

sarva kalyaana sampuurnaam hrista pusta jana aakulaam || 2-51-22

aaraama udyaana sampannaam samaaja utsava shaaliniim |

sukhitaa vicarisyanti raaja dhaaniim pitur mama || 2-51-23

People will joyfully move in the capital belonging to my father and the city with its quadrangular places allocated at lovely sites, and well- aligned roads, rich in mansions of well-to-do men, temples and royal palaces adorned with the foremost of courtesans, its chariots horses and elephants that obstruct the roads, the musical instruments that resound there- full of all blessings and crowded with merry and well fed men, well- provided with gardens and royal parks and bright with festivities carried on under the patronage of associations.

api jiiveddhasharatho vanavaasaatpunarvayam |

pratyaagamya mahaatmaanamapi pashyema suvratam || 2-51-24

Will Dasaratha remain alive? After returning from exile, can we see the high-soled king Dasaratha of noble vows again?

api satya pratijnena saardham kushalinaa vayam |

nivritte vana vaase asminn ayodhyaam pravishemahi || 2-51-25

Can we safely return to Ayodhya, after completion of the exile in the forest along with Rama who is faithful to his promises?

paridevayamaanasya duhkha aartasya mahaatmanah |

tisthatah raaja putrasya sharvarii saa atyavartata || 2-51-26

While the high-soled Lakshmana thus lamenting, stood on ground, afflicted with anguish as he was, that night rolled away.

tathaa hi satyam bruvati prajaa hite |

nara indra putre guru sauhridaat guhah |

mumoca baaspam vyasana abhipiiditah |

jvaraa aaturah naagaiva vyathaa aaturah || 2-51-27

While Lakshmana (son of Dasaratha), who was concerned with the welfare of the people; was thus speaking the truth out of his affection for his elder brother (Rama), Guha, overcome with agony and oppressed with adversity shed tears like an elephant tormented with fever.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye ayodhya kaande ekapamchaashah sargah

First.

Thanks for this share. I first learnt about 4000 after I heard this verse from our family vadyar who used to come home for tirumanjanam and I had made appam that day.

from neerattam of periya alwar.