Book Review : The Trees of Dehra by Ruskin Bond

                         

'The Trees of Dehra' by Ruskin Bond, is a collection of short stories woven in Dehra, a beautiful hill station in India now known as Dehradun. It vividly portrays the natural beauty and peaceful life of the hills. The author's love for bountiful flora is reflected in each and every story, as he shares anecdotes and memories from his childhood days. The mentionable trees are willow, pines, coconut tree, oaks, maplewoods, chestnut tree, rhododendrons, coral tree, jackfruit tree, sal, banyan tree, deodars, the cherry tree etc. He gives the humane touch to these soft leafy colossuses as he talks about the walking trees as well as friendly trees.

This book is an interesting read as it highlights the benevolent nature in the form of gentle giants. A must read/ listen for a nature lover. 

Aaditya Hrudayam of God Sun in Amaravati Temple in Sadhana App

Surprisingly, today I was not in a mood to chant Aaditya Hrudayam. Every Sunday morning after sunrise I chant it along with a video from YouTube. From the past few weeks, the advertisement had started appearing right in the middle of the Stotra which was disturbing my concentration and was turning me off. The flashing advertisements before the start or after the end of the Stotra could be skipped or watched without getting distracted. 

Aaditya Hrudayam is a very powerful hymn from the Ramayana by Sage Valmiki which was recited by Lord Rama before his battle with Ravana. Lord Rama was exhausted on the battlefield, and the sage Agastya advised him to recite the Aaditya Hrudayam Stotra, which would help him defeat Ravana and emerge victorious. It is composed of 31 verses, all of which are powerful mantras. Reciting this Stotra with devotion and faith can help a devotee overcome various obstacles, bring success over enemies, and get rid of illness and gain good health. It has magical powers to remove negative energies from the surroundings and provide protection from evil forces. It also helps in purifying the mind and soul of the worshipper. Performing the Abhishekam with this powerful Stotra is said to bring immense benefits, like good physical and mental health, bringing materialistic and spiritual success and removing negative and evil forces. The ever radiant and generous Sun God who is considered the source of all life and energy, can bestow blessings on his devotees to help them overcome any obstacles in their life.

I decided to check if Sadhana App had Aaditya Hrudayam (8min) in Lord Sun Temple. I clicked on various options and found it in the Abhishekam section. I tapped the button and started praying to God Sun. I mentally offered the following ingredients like water, gangajal, milk, water, yogurt, fragrant oil, gold, red cloth, red garland, incense, dhoop, ghee lamp, betel nuts, paan, small pot, gemstones, dry fruits, flowers, handheld bell, handheld lamp with love and devotion to my beloved deity. 

The pure water and sacred gangajal were poured on the statue which signifies purity and cleansing of not only the deity but oneself. The fresh milk and yogurt were offered as a symbol of nourishment and sustenance, while the fragrant oil, incense, and dhoop filled the air with a fragrance, creating a tranquil environment. The glittering gold and gemstones were presented to bless the devotee with wealth and prosperity. At the time of sunrise the sun appears red in color towards the horizon therefore while worshipping a rising sun, red colored things were offered like vibrant red cloth, sacred red garland and scented red colored flowers. They all symbolized opulence. The betel nuts were offered to enhance prosperity in the materialistic world and paan were given for wish fulfillment. Both had spiritual as well as medicinal properties. 

I watched in awe as the Aarti lamp was lit and created a flickering flame. It was not the flame of fire rather it was the flame of knowledge and wisdom which ignited in me. And as I focused on it, a sense of clarity sprang inside me. Offerings of dry fruits and flowers were made, and the ringing of the handheld bell continued to add a sense of rhythm and harmony to the environment. The handheld lamp was lit representing the inner illumination.

As I walked away from the magnificent white colored and golden striped grand temple, I was overwhelmed with the sense of peace and gratitude. The Abhishekam while chanting to Aditya Hrudayam of God Sun in Amaravati Temple in Sadhana App was truly an unforgettable experience.

Gratitude to the World I Belong!

Without any entry ticket how will I go in and enjoy the fair? I was standing outside the main gate of Pragati Maidan, Delhi to enter the World Book Fair. The ticket can only be purchased through Paytm but I did not use UPI mode of payment. There were no tickets available on cash payment on the main gate but they were available on the gate entry from the metro station. The distance between the two gates by road was a few kilometers. I requested a young girl who was accompanied by her mother to buy tickets for me. She gave the screenshot of tickets to me and I handed over the money to her with thanks. As she had helped me I must help somebody in need, with this promise to myself I entered the book fair.

A saint in an ochre robe was searching the books in a rack of a reputed publisher stall. He picked up a book, shuffled it, took two steps towards the billing counter and then hesitantly came back and put the book back on the shelf. Earlier he made up his mind and then he reluctantly brushed aside the idea. I noticed all this. I went up to him and politely said, "It would be my pleasure to give you a book of your choice." He balked at my suggestion. I requested again, "It will be an honor to give you a gift - a book in this book fair." When I insisted, he accepted my offer. He picked up the same book from the shelf which he had placed there a moment ago. He explained, "This is 'Panchtantra ki kahaniyan' (Stories from Panchtantra) which is too costly and does not fit in my budget but I was yearning for this book for a very long time. I will be pleased if you give me this book."

I smilingly handed over the book to him after completing the purchase. His face lit up. He thanked me numerous times. He invited me to his ashram in Haridwar and shared the address and his contact number with me.

“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!” - Neil Gaiman

It was my way of expressing gratitude to the world for helping me when I was in need.

Pic : Unsplash

Two Golden Classics - Teesri Kasam and Mare Gaye Gulfam

Have you ever heard a story or watched any movie in which the name of the hero and heroine are the same? Recently on Audible, I heard the story 'Mare Gaye Gulfam' by Phanishwarnath Renu. He was one of the most influential writers of modern Hindi literature. The Bollywood movie 'Teesri Kasam' was based on this love story. 

In this story, both the central characters are namesakes. 'Hira' is the name, 'Hiraman' for the male protagonist and 'Hira Bai' for the female protagonist. In the movie, the role of Hiraman was played by Raj Kapoor, the biggest showman of the period whereas the dancer Hira Bai's role was played by Waheeda Rehman, a Bharatnatyam dancer. This story is set in post-Independent India. Hiraman took two vows after he faced difficult situations in life that he would never carry black marketeer or bamboo in his bullock cart. Soon after his marriage, his wife died and after that he was a single man. One day, he got the chance to carry Hira Bai as a passenger in his bullock cart. He took care of her and sang songs to pass the journey time. He fell in love with her while travelling. Later, he met her and tried to convince her to leave her profession and to live with him. She refused. His heart was broken and he took his third vow that he would never carry any female dancer in his cart.

It is a musical movie. The evergreen songs of the movie are 'Chalat Musafir', 'Duniya Bananewale', 'Maare Gaye Gulfaam', 'Paan Khaaye Saiyaan Hamaaro', 'Sajanwa Bairi Ho Gaye Hamaar' and 'Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo'.

So, what would you like to do - listen or read the story by author Phanishwarnath Renu or watch the movie produced by lyricist Shaliendra?

Recitation of Hanuman Chalisa in Sadhana App

Today it was different!. It was Hanuman Jayanti. It was His birthday! :) I wished to worship Him in a unique way. I logged in to the Sadhana App, clicked the option of Kishkindha Temple. I entered the magnificent temple of Lord Hanuman, the mystical and ancient architect mesmerized me. The screen displayed various options like yagna, abhishekam, nitya pooja, japa and sadhana. I tapped on nitya pooja and then clicked on Hanuman Chalisa (10 min). I daily chant Hanuman Chalisa in just 2 minutes like a machine. I was excited to learn to do nitya pooja of my favorite deity Lord Hanuman in 27 steps. The Hanuman Chalisa was sung in a melodious voice, soothing to ears which enhanced devotion. I started mentally offering the following ingredients like ghee lamp, incense, water, milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, sugar, panchamrit, perfume oil, cloth, sacred thread, jewellery, honey pot, fragrant oil, rice, flowers, dhoop, handheld lamp, naivedyam, paan, fruits, coconut, aarti lamp, pradakshina lamp and garland to Lord Hanuman while murmuring the chant. 

I very lovingly offered each of the sacred ingredients, each has its own significance and importance in the ritual - water and milk symbolize purity and cleansing, yogurt and honey offer sweetness and nourishment, the panchamrit - a blend of milk, yogurt, honey, sugar, and tulsi leaf - represents the five elements is a divine elixir for the gods. I lit the incense and dhoop, their fragrant smoke filled the temple with a heavenly aroma. The luminosity of the handheld lamp removed the clouds of ignorance from my mind as I recited the Hanuman Chalisa, feeling the presence of the divine Hanuman in every verse. I offered naivedyam - a traditional offering of delicacies, fruits, coconut, and paan - to the deity, a gesture of gratitude for the blessings received. The lamp's flame glimmered in my hands, casting flickering shadows on the temple walls as I performed the aarti, absorbing the sacred energy in this divine moment. Finally, I completed the ritual with a pradakshina - a circumambulation of the altar. And adorned Lord Hanuman with a red garland with a feeling of peace and fulfillment in my heart. As I left the temple, I carried with me the divine blessings and energy of Lord Hanuman. Now, I was connected with Him in a more profound way.

The experience was so special that I decided to do Hanuman Chalisa daily in Sadhana App instead of robotic recitation.

My Spiritual Experience of Watching Live Telecast of Sri Hari Bhagwan's Birthday Celebrations from Sri Badrika Ashram

Tears welled up in my eyes as I mentally visualized my Guru - Om Swamiji and touched His Lotus Feet. I practice it every time as soon as He finishes the discourse without missing a single time. But today was a different experience. As I touched His Feet in my imagination, I also thanked Him for explaining astral travel in simple words. My emotions stirred up as He had blessed me with astral body experience on Aug, 21 which resulted in the emotional flow of salty water from my eyes. I experienced this on 04.04.23 while watching the live telecast of Sri Hari's Birthday Celebration from Sri Badrika Ashram.

Before Aarti was started my eyes were already overflowing with tears, wetting my not so chubby cheeks. As I looked towards Sri Hari Bhagwan, I felt that not only me but He was also crying and His chubby cheeks were wet with tears. 

"Oh my Bhagwan, Please do not cry." In my mind, I was repeatedly saying while trying to wipe the non-stop flow of tears from His Large Lotus Petal Eyes. I forgot to dry my face with a handkerchief. I was now focusing on His tears, wiping them as gently as possible with my soft hands. I felt immense pain in seeing His Face moistened with tears. And I cried more. 

I was crying, He was crying, we both were crying because we were not two but only One!   

My Spiritual Crying While Watching Live Telecast of Sri Hari's Aarti from Sri Badrika Ashram on 03.04.23

As soon as Om Swamiji blew the conch, I started sobbing gently. While He was singing the Aarti of Sri Hari Bhagwan in Sri Badrika Ashram and I was watching the live telecast in my home on 3 April, 23, my sobs turned into crying. During the whole period of singing glories of Lord Sri Hari, I was shedding tears along with loud sobs. The ever benevolent Ma Lakshmi is Mother Nature. Today, instead of scarlet red She was dressed in sea green. Like Nature, She nurtures all beings like a mother taking care of babies. She represents trees, plants, creepers, shrubs, herbs, pastures and all greenery in nature. She also appears as the sun, clouds, moon, river, lake, mountains and soothing breeze. She blesses everyone with wealth, prosperity, name and fame, good fortune, power, health, beauty and fertility. 

I was absorbed in the ever benevolent form of Ma Lakshmi, crying for Her motherly affection. As nature blesses us with uncountable things, I was asking Her to shower Her love in numerous ways on me. I was crying hard like an infant whose mother had not attended her for a long time. I was yearning for Her presence, Her love, Her affection, Her compassion, Her tenderness. All of a sudden, I felt a gentle touch on my head. Did She appear to bless me? 

My continuous loud cries aroused my mother in the adjacent room who was reading a book about Jim Corbette's adventures. She came to my room and gently put her right hand on my head, trying to soothe me, making me comfortable, convincing me that she would always be with me in my cries as well as my laughs.

I had always worshipped her as Ma Lakshmi! :)