The Whispers Of My Heart

 "Srimad Bhagavad Gita" holds a very special place in my heart.  Infact it is the only book that I always keep beside my pillow.  Whenever in a distress, dilemma, I invariably turn to Lord Krishna's gospel.  Like bright sunshine, the श्लोक (stanzas) of "Srimad Bhagavad Gita" dissipate the gloomy clouds that envelope me.  In the following stanza, Lord gives the secret knowledge of soul to His disciple and friend, Arjuna :  नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः।  न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः।।   Weapons, fire, water and air are incapable of cleaving, burning, wetting and drying the soul or self.  The self is eternal.  It is stable, immovable and primeval.  In other words, it is unchanging, unshakable and ancient.  "Srimad Bhagavad Gita" has inspired many of my compositions, like the following one :  नादान हो तुम जो कहते हो कि मैं मर जाऊंगा  बहता दरिया हूँ साहब, समंदर में उतर जाऊंगा  You are naively thin...

 A deeply spiritual person, once my father counselled me, "Son, any material thing or being that provides some solace, is also the fountainhead of manifold miseries. Beware of this dangerous trap, my son." I ruminated over my father's wise counsel, astonishingly found it absolutely faultless.  Though airconditoners provide transitory relief from sweltering heat, they also cause many diseases like arthritis, respiratory problems, allergies, wrinkles.  Inflated ego and indolence invariably accompany wealth, causing one's downfall, poor health.  Pampering their children pleases parents.  Often these very children either flee to foreign countries to earn dollars, leaving their aged parents behind to fend for themselves or dump them in old age homes. This is especially true in the contemporary times.  I believe, have written :  हरि के नाम को भूलकर, तू जो करे है भोग विलास  खारे पानी से बुझी कब मूर्ख, आब-ए-हयात की प्यास  आब-ए-हयात : nectar.  O ...

Renowned हकीम (physician) Lukman was the pioneer of Unani system of medicine. He had deep understanding of maladies, their effective cures. Lukman intensely admired, respected Mother Nature, from whom he learnt many a thing. He often caressed, conversed lovingly with plants for hours. It is said that the plants reciprocated his affection by revealing their uses, medicinal properties to him! One can enrich one's life only by venerating, living in harmony with Mother Nature. In her peculiar ways,  caring Mother Nature also warns human beings about the imminent perils. Various studies have proved that animals, birds become aware of the impending catastrophe beforehand, give warning signals. Birds start flying low before a hurricane. Ants start leaving their mounds before an earthquake. I believe, have written : नदियों की कलकल, भौंरों की गुंजन, तितलियों की गुनगुन यक़ीनन ये सब कह रहे है कुछ, ज़रा ध्यान लगा कर सुन The burbling rivers, the soft whispers of the butt...

The spate of suicides across the country has upset me. Not only the celebrities, even the ordinary people are mindlessly resorting to harakiri. I consider the people who have chosen to bid adieu to the world, not only cowards but also unenlightened. Hindu, Buddhist, Jain religious scriptures explicitly state that happiness and miseries in one's life are the results (फल) of one's own deeds (कर्म). Suicide simply means destroying body. The life or the soul (आत्मा) is indestructible. With the destruction of the body, a soul takes another abode so as to enjoy or suffer the remaining consequences of good or bad karmas. Believe me, there is no way to escape from the effects of one's actions! Eminent poet Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq has aptly written : अब तो घबरा के यह कहते हैं कि मर जायेंगे, मर के भी चैन ना पाया तो किधर जायेंगे Now you are saying that you are very miserable, will end your life. But tell me, if you do not find solace even after death, then where would ...

With the killing of his son Abhimanyu by Kauravas in the great war of Mahabharata, Arjuna started crying inconsolably, went in a deep grief. At that juncture, Lord Krishna revealed to Arjuna the mystery of the cycle of birth and death. In "Sri Bhagavad Gita", Lord Krishna sermonized Arjuna : "Dear Arjuna, souls are unborn, indestructible. Just as one throws away one's old, tattered clothes and wears new clothes, likewise, souls take on new bodies whenever the existing bodies become unfit due to illnesses, old age, wear and tear. Relations exist as long as bodies exist! They change with new bodies. Both you and Abhimanyu have taken umpteen births before. In one of his previous births, Abhimanyu was your friend while in another you were his son! There is no use grieving over the body, made up of five elements (पंच-भूत) namely the fire, earth water, wind and ether as the body is destructible, bound to become a heap of dust - sooner or later". I ha...

I strongly believe that no amount of good company can reform a bad person. A bad person, replete with vices, reforms on his own, unaided.  An opportune time comes when he cognizes that his spite, wickedness are infact more damaging to him. With this realization a sea change takes place in him. Valmiki was doing sins, looting, killing people so that his family members could live comfortably. When he discerned that only he, none of his kith and kin, had to pay for his wrongdoings, he mended his ways. He turned to spiritualism, became a renowned saint (महर्षि) and wrote the well known Sanskrit epic,  "Ramayana". Well, I have written the following lines to support my viewpoint : अच्छी संगत का गर असर होता तो ऐ हुज़ूर खुशबू आती गुलाबों सी, ख़ारों से भी ज़रूर ख़ार : thorn Good company seldom changes a bad person. Alhough the thorns and roses coexist together, they are intrinsically distinct. Unlike the velvety texture and sweet aroma found in the roses, the...

In the name of religion, gullible people are exploited in umpteen ways, in the present times. Fake religious leaders not only swindle the hard earned money of their impressionable followers, but also exploit them - sexually as well as physically. Believe me, majority of the contemporary religious leaders are plain fraudsters, owning vast business empires. During my spiritual odyssey, I have interacted with, listened to, many saints Astonishingly, I have discerned that all the authentic spiritual persons : (a) believed in simple living, hid themselves away from the public gaze as they wanted no distractions in their meditations, introspections. (b) gave very little importance to their perishable, physical bodies. Swami Ramakrishna Paramhans had throat cancer. He was an ardent devotee of Goddess Kali and interacted with Her on regular basis. One of his pupils once asked, "Master, Why don't you request Goddess Kali to cure you of your cancer ". Ramakrishnaji s...