The Whispers Of My Heart

Life is not only a great masquerader, it has multiple faces. It is not possible for one to understand different moods of life. In my fifty years of stay on this planet, I have seen life in different frames of mind. The following composition of mine is about the varied tempers, hues of life: (a) पहने है एक अजीब नकाब सी जिंदगी के हैं कई रूप, पर्दानशीं (b) कभी जिंदगी है सुरमई शाम सी कभी है कड़कती धूप भी (c) कभी छीन लेती है हर एक खुशी कभी जिंदगी है बहुत मेहरबां भी (d) कभी बरसाती है बरकतें बेशुमार कभी देती है बेहिसाब तिश्नगी भी Meaning of Urdu words :पर्दानशीं : concealing behind veil, सुरमई : grey coloured, बरकतें : blessings, तिश्नगी : strong desire. Translation : (a) The life and it's various faces are hidden behind a mask, veil. (b) Sometimes, this life is cool, grey coloured evening. At other times, it is like a scorching sun. (c) Sometimes it snatches away all the happiness, sometimes the life becomes very generous. (d) Sometimes the life showers cop...

Recently the festival of "Karvachauth" was celebrated with much fanfare by the married women. Many ladies uploaded their beautiful pictures along with their husbands on social media. I have noted that some of my friends, relatives who are either divorced or whose husbands have died, felt more lonely, painful by seeing the merry making married woman. For these friends of mine, I have written few lines : देखा है मैने सूरमा भरी आँखों को आंसू छिपाते हुए देखा है मैने मेहँदी लगे हाथों को मातम मनाते हुए  बता मेरे दोस्त, किस शख्स को कभी गम नहीं होता कहां खुशी रहती है, उदासी का आलम नहीं होता I have seen the black, beautiful eyes concealing tears. I have seen the beautiful hands grieving. O my friends, show me a person who has not experienced turbulences in life. O my friends, show me any place where there is only happiness and no sorrow resides. ~ Sanjay Gargish ~

Few days back, a "free obesity check camp" was organized by a famous private hospital near Chandigarh. Are these health check camps organized by such "concerned" hospitals really free? I have discovered that these camps are usually eyewash, intended to inveigle, entrap the credulous valetudinarians for bariatric surgeries, expensive treatments. Instead of encouraging the obese to shun their sedentary lifestyles, spend time in sports or gymnasiums, these hospitals, looking more like five star hotels, are out to fleece gullible, sickly people. They charge exorbitant consultation fee, conduct unnecessary diagnostic tests, do expensive operations that are not required, prescribe costly medicines for the diseases that do not exist at all! I remember the time when general physicians (G.P.s) prescribed medicines only by examining the pulse, tummy, without any ultrasound or X-ray. They charged very nominal fee. Writers not only understand human psychology well, ...

"अहं ब्रह्मास्मि" is the pith of all the Hindu scriptures, philosophical treatises that I have studied till date. Simply put, the phrase means "I'm Brahma". In other words, there is no difference between जीव (soul) and परमात्मा (supersoul or god). A drop of seawater has the same saltiness, minerals as is found in the Sea itself! However, under the influence of "माया" (illusion), a soul has forgotten it's true identity, nature. It considers this काल्पनिक संसार (imaginary world) as real. Under the sway of मायाशक्ति (illusions), a soul gets itself attached to all the mundane things, beings. This fondness for the transitory world brings nothing except miseries, glooms and dejections. I opine that the whole purpose of spirituality is to wake a soul out of deep hypersomnia, to make it realize that सुकून (peace) can only be found by freeing oneself from the clutches of मायाशक्ति (illusions). There are only two ways to unshackle oneself from ...

About two years back, while jogging, I came across a gentleman who introduced himself, "Sir, I'm Lt Commander Trilochan Singh from Indian Navy. I have been seeing you jogging regularly, religiously since 1994. Inclement weather has failed to put a damper on your routine. Your jogging has inspired me and many of my comrades." The retired Lt Commander Trilochan is now a good friend of mine. We occasionally meet over a cup of coffee and have a hearty conversation. Yesterday, while jogging, I met a young man of about 25 years. He stopped his motorcycle by my side, got off and touched my feet. He asked his wife to do the same. I was a bit stunned by the behavior of the young couple. "Sir, have you forgotten me. I am Shiraj. The same boy whom you had given one hundred and thirty rupees, many years ago." The year was perhaps 2004 or 2005. While jogging, I saw a wretched boy of about 10 years old , wearing tattered clothes and bare feet. When I asked about the r...

"On weekends, I like to do lots of shopping in big, swanky malls" quipped one of my acquaintances. Another friend of mine is rather gregarious. He likes to meet his friends, relatives during his free time. You see, the idea of happiness is highly subjective, it varies from person to person. By disposition, I'm essentially an introvert. Though I meet people, I'm somewhat a private person. बदला ना अपने आप को, जो थे वही रहे मिलते रहे सभी से मगर, अजनबी रहे ( I have not been able to change myself. Though I meet all, to all I'm still a stranger.) Well, I really crave for some solitary moments with myself. During these quite moments, I relish to have conversation (गुफ़्तगु) with myself over a cup of tea. I firmly believe that going against one's grain is the root cause of all the discomfort, unhappiness. Few months back, an acquaintance coerced me into accompanying her to the show of a "famous" punjabi singer. At the show, I saw people bec...

I want to share my new गज़ल (poem) with my friends. Hope you like my new composition. (a) तूफ़ान-ए-हवादिस में अक्सर फंस ही जाता हूं मैं एक शीशा हूँ, हर पत्थर से टकराता हूँ मैं (b) मुझे रूला कर वोह हंस ना पाता है जब रोते हुए भी बहुत मुस्कुराता हूँ मैं (c) कई पुराने गमों को दफन करने की ख़ातिर शाम होते ही मयखानें पहुंच जाता हूँ मैं (d) यार की बाहों में आखिरी हिचकी आए कुछ इस तरह से अपनी मौत चाहता हूँ मैं Meaning of Urdu words : तूफ़ान-ए-हवादिस : storm of misfortunes , दफन : bury , यार : beloved/ the almighty. Translation : (a) Like a piece of glass attacked on all sides by stones of different sizes, I often find myself in the midst of a storm of misfortunes. (b) Any person who makes me cry would not be able to laugh at my miseries. This is because I smile a lot even during my miserable, tough times. (c) In order to bury my old sorrows, I have to go to the pub in the evening. (d) I wish to take the last breath in the arms of my beloved/ the almighty. That's how ...