A Journey To Discover Life

This fascinating story of Tulabharam first originated in Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya. It is believed that the story was written by his court poet using Krishna as a metaphor for their own king, who was a namesake, whose first wife thought he gave more importance to the second. Nowhere before that was this story originally found, and most interestingly, Tulabharam became quite a ritual in medieval India after this story, especially in the courts of the Mughals and Rajputs. Satyabhama  was the second wife of Lord Krishna. He married her after his marriage to Rukmini. Proud of her nature, Satyabhama was very confident; her husband's heart was hers, and she had full control over him, unlike his other wives. Every girl dreamt of his  Leela,  but she was the one who stole his heart by helping him kill the  rakshas . Her arrogance was such that she told his 16000 other wives that she was his chief consort.  Narad   Muni  seemed amused wa...

The rainy season was giving way to autumn as a procession of elephants, horses, and carriages moved through the Vindhya forestlands at a careful pace. It had been a week since their last stop at Airikina Nagar, and the forestland was thickening. They had to be careful; the soldiers strode on with their spears raised, senses alert. The rain had delayed them too long. Horses often slipped on the flooded, muddy roads, and the delay was making the newly appointed Viceroy of Avanti Nagar impatient. The forestland of Sal, Tendu and Saja trees was slowly beginning to turn yellow as the crispy leaves rustled in the breeze. He would have hunted leopards and tigers on the way had it been a pleasure trip. Bears were often spotted near water bodies where they stopped to quench their thirst and rest for the night. Antelopes were hunted by soldiers for meat, and rations were refilled on the way at Kakrehta. The grey clouds were occasionally hovering over the autumn blue sky, offering showers of reli...

The great Rishi Saunak and his students had once gathered at the Naimisharanya at the beginning of the Kali Yuga to save themselves from the effects of this age. Here, Ugrasrava Sauti, the great Sage and son of Sage Lomharshana, came to meet them. He surprised them with stories of King Janamejaya's strange Swarpa Yagna and the strangest tales he heard from Maharshi Krishna Dwaipayana Vyas Dev there, at this strangest of events. The eager Rishis asked Sauti about the story of Bhrigu and Agni. Bhrigu was a powerful Rishi. His wife was Puloma, the Daughter of Daksha Prajapati and granddaughter of Brahma. One day, when his wife was pregnant, he left her in the darkness of the awaiting dawn to go for a dip in the holy Ganges far away. She was alone in the hut when a Rakshasa attacked her. Scared and alone, Puloma cried helplessly for aid. Her beauty had mesmerised the animals who wanted to marry her by force. The demon leader took her into the hut and shut the door. But inside the hut, ...

The shopping mall echoed with a noise. The buzz grew silent. Fear crept in. Until somebody shouted, " It's just a Balloon!" The buzz grew again, the shopping continued, the romantic couples continued their walks, and the food court filled up with the aroma of the orders... A few decades back, people used to laugh carefree at a balloon bursting or a tyre booming in the streets or in various crowded areas. Now, in the back of everyone's head, a loud noise always brings the same thoughts... Another year, another city, another crowded place, Several innocent lives. They don't spare religious places either. For the sake of mankind? Religion? Politics? Power? They only know. Who are they? Nobody knows. It is said that the demon Kaali, who ushered in KaliYug, decided to reside in a few things. Addiction, Wealth, Desire, and Anger are some such things he resides in. This is KaliYug, where an innocent child's balloon makes adults fear the extremes. What is dharma here?...

The Beginning: The kingdom was buzzing with the news of an anticipated war. The Pandavas rejected their lands and Indraprastha by Yuvraj Duryodhan. Everyone knew a big battle was to be fought, yet everyone feared speaking of it. The news reached the lands of Aryavarta like wildfire, and every king was in a talk with his ministers over which side to choose, whose win could benefit them. Meanwhile... Away from this tense atmosphere in the Andarmahal of the Palace sat a princess. Her wedding was being planned, and her maids and friends were all busy planning the decorations. They giggled in excitement, talking about how she is the luckiest girl in the world to marry the bravest of warriors in the land, the son of Arjun.  She seemed absent-minded as she stood on the Palace balcony overlooking the city. She was a teenager with dreams of love... and here she was about to get married, but had never seen her husband. The Gods seemed to hear her. She turned to look at why her Sakhis had sto...

Independence is not merely about a free country, a flag, a democracy or a monarchy as the power seat of a region. It is a feeling and a choice. Entitlement to one’s own opinion and rights. Often, a reason to reform. Independence is about individuality and mass. As we grow up, we often write essays on “My Inspiration.” The word inspiration is, in reality, deeper than we understand at that young age and is more often than not merged with our childhood ideas of an ideal man, an idol, or someone who helps us, namely, our own teachers or parents. Some of the students even mug up essays that tell the tales of the lives of Swami Vivekananda or Mahatma Gandhi. But it takes us years, or even perhaps a lifetime, to be mature enough to know and understand the true meaning of inspiration and idol. When we do, it is then that we choose ones that appeal to our morals, thoughts and souls. I remember Independence Day as a child. Every 15 th  of August used to be about our locality dressed up in a ...

  T he Trinity was in a dilemma. The  Dwapar  Yug has lost its value. Its consequences needed to be faced.  Kaali Yug  needed to be ushered in. Once again, it was time for  Vishnu  to take human form and purify the earth of all evils. Ram had removed evil from the Treta Yug; it was now time for Krishna to be born. A meeting was called for all  Devas  and  Gandharvas, Demons  and  Nagas  who reached  Swarga Lok . Vishnu spoke to the eager crowd that gathered to hear the Trinity. Vishnu “It’s time again, all devas; it’s time to remove evil from Dwapar once and for all… I have decided it’s time to take birth as an Avatar once again. You all have helped Ram usher in Dwapar, and I hope that you volunteer to do the same with Krishna.”  He added, happily looking at his family in the crowd,  “Laxmi will join me as Yajnaseni Draupadi, and Anant Naga as my elder brother Balaram.” “I have already heard that you have bl...