List of My Favorite Romantic Novels and Prose.

My legs were paining severely. I could not get up from the bed. A dense cloud of fatigue has enveloped me. Why was I feeling so tired? I tried to recall my yesterday routine. What had I done that was causing me so much fatigue?

Exercising is the only time I have in my busy schedule to listen to audio books. The rest of the day is packed with Sadhanas, business work, work related phone calls and charity. After listening to the remaining ten minutes of ‘The Miracle of Mindfulness’ by Thich Nhat Hanh, I started a new audio book ‘Aavarana’ by S. L. Bhyrappa. It was one of the books recommended by Swamiji. I was walking while I was listening. I tempted one extra round so that I could listen to it furthermore. I was so engrossed listening this unique love story that I lost the count of my walking rounds. What a charm of a romantic novel! The books recommended by Swamiji are too boring, but they are gems of wisdom. Therefore, I tried my best to read them slowly and gradually. Even after reading just one page, I felt that I was done for the day. Nevertheless, this novel was just unputdownable. The narration was mesmerising and the narrator was telling the story in a very gripping way speaking clearly, appropriately emphasising the words by changing the tone and volume of her voice to match the emotion of the content. This romantic novel was a surprise for me! Earlier I was in the habit of reading romantic novels but from the past decade, I have been focusing more on the books related to yoga, spirituality, mythology, philosophy and business. All those years, I did not find the time to read about romance and my priorities in life changed. Or maybe it was an age factor! Now, I am an old fellow. 

After scorching heat when the first rains falls on the soil, the particular earthy sweet smell fills the whole environment. Similarly, after reading and listening to all those dull and uninteresting books for quite a long time, this love story was like a distinctive scent in the air, making me fresh and pleasant. The torrents began to fall from the clouds drenching me in love and romance! 

I am sharing the list of my favourite romantic novels and prose here.

1.      Ramayana by Maharishi Valmiki (It is an epic love story. It is the most ancient true love story between Lord Ram and Ma Sita. It was only the affection of Lord Ram for Her that He went through all those hardships- relentlessly searched Her in the forests, built a bridge of stones on the ocean and defeated the invincible Ravana, the king of Lanka. If He had married someone else this love story would not have happened. Therefore, it is a LOVE STORY more than a journey of virtue to annihilate vices. I have read its versions and adaptations like Adhyatma Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas by Tuilsidas, Ramayana by R. K. Narayana, Abhyudaya by Narendra Kohli, Ramayana: The Game of Life by Shubha Vilas, Ramayana by C. Rajgopalchari, The Book of Ram by Devdutt Pattanaik Valmiki’s Ramayana – Amar Chitra Katha and many more)

2.      Saheb Bibi aur Golam by Bimal Mitra (A lonely wife of a zamidar starts to drink alcohol to seek her husband’s love, time and company)

3.      Pavilion of Woman by Pearl S Buck (A forty-year-old woman withdraws from her life as wife in the physical sense and searches for a concubine for her husband even after the opposition from her husband.)

4.      Guide by R. K. Narayana (A guide who was unsuccessful in love with a reputed dancer searches for divine love by keeping fast to protect local people from calamity.)

5.      The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (A wife of five men falls in love with the sixth. Yes, I am talking about Draupadi!)

6.      Devdas by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay (A heartbroken lad pierced the forehead of his beloved with a sharp object to leave a permanent mark of their love as she was going to marry an elderly widower.)

7.      Gunahon ka Devta by Dharmaveer Bharti (A childhood love story that cannot blossom into marriage because of their non-expressive love and romance.)

8.      Mrignayani by Vrindavan Lal Verma (It is a love story of Man Singh Tomar, a married king and a brave gujjar girl for whom he constructed Gujjari Mahal. A romantic novel set up in the historical background of Gwalior.)

9.      The God of Small Things by Arundhati Ray (It is a family drama including an offbeat story of incestuous sex between fraternal twins and the love story of their mother.)

10.  The Lowland by Jhumpa Lehri (A story of two brothers who hold different political views, one joins naxalite movement and was killed by police and another went to America to live a peaceful life. On knowing about his brother’s death, he returned to India to soothe his shattered family. He offered to marry his brother’s love who was carrying his brother’s baby. He tried to help her in settling in America whereas she did not love him and was haunted by her past memories.)

11.  Umrao Jaan Ada by Mirza Hadi Ruswa (A strange twist of fate in the life of a tawaif who could have been a wife of a wealthy and handsome Nawab whom she loved intensely. However, unfortunately, another girl child in the same prison was mistaken as her and now that girl child after growing up enjoys the status of Nawab’s wife.)

12.  Kumarasambhavam by Kalidas (Most of you will consider Meghaduta (in which lover sends the message to his beloved through clouds) as a most romantic novel by Kalidas but I consider Kumarasambhavam as it about love and romance between Lord Shiva and Mother Paravati. It also explains about the birth of Kumara (Kartikeya). Ma Paravati cursed the author for writing obscene descriptions of her conjugal life. It is a postulate that this curse still persists and can cause havoc in the love life of anyone who reads it.)

13.  Gora by Rabindranath Tagore (It is an unparallel love story of two pairs of lovers. Along with romance, it includes nationalism, religion, philosophy and feminism. It is a powerful book dripping with ideas.)

14.  Gita Govinda by Jayadeva (It narrates the simple love of Radha and Krishna depicting deep ethos of devotion of individual soul and its yearning for God realization and finally it’s merging with the Supreme Soul. The religious fervour is combined with eroticism to overcome lusty desires.)

15.  Lajja by Taslima Nasreen (This novel is about the minority community Hindus in Bangladesh during the demolition of Babri Masjid in India. It is a story of a Hindu wife who loves her husband and accepts her celibacy after the people of different religion mutilated her husband’s genitals.)

16.  A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (The longest novel with detailed description set in post-independence India in which a young woman is trying to find a suitable boy to marry.)

17.  Nal Damyanti, Amar Chitra Katha (I read it when I was quite young, but this love story left a permanent mark on my mind. It is about Damayanti, a beautiful woman and her husband Nal, the king of Vidarbh who lost everything in gambling. In the forest, he tried to catch birds with his cloth, but birds flew away with it. Damayanti tore her garment in half and gave it to him to cover his naked body.)

18.  Gently Falls the Bakula by Sudha Murty (It is a heart touching story about how two people from different backgrounds fall in love with each other, get married and the events that shake their life.)

19.  Aavarana by S. L. Bhyrappa (A rebellious and free-spirited young woman marries a Muslim who was not progressive and liberal as she thought. He forces her to follow Islam and she sets to uncover India’s history about religion and its rigidity.)

20.  Rain by W. Somerset Maugham (It is a long story or a short novella. The list of love stories cannot be completed without including it, as it is one of the best works of Samersaut Maugham. On a ship, a missionary who tries to reform a prostitute, falls in love with her and commits suicide.)

Dear readers, which is your favorite romantic novel, prose or story?

Pic : Pixabay

Want to Be Initiated in TANTRA?

He gently lifted Om Swamiji’s left paduka, rotated it making a half circle and put it on the right side. Then slowly he picked up right paduka turned it around and placed it on the left side so that when Om Swamiji slipped His feet into padukas, they perfectly fit in without any discomfort. As Om Swamiji sat on the vaysapetha to deliver discourse, our eyes moved towards His radiant face and His magnetic smile. None bothered to notice that how tenderly Swami Vidyananda ji changed the positions of His padukas to avoid the slightest uneasiness and wastage of His time. He take care of Om Swami ji selflessly and with divine Bhava. That’s why he is foremost disciple of Om Swamiji and was initiated in the tradition of Sri Vidya, the highest of all tantras.

Swami Vidyananda Om ji very delicately adjusted Om Swamiji’s flaring robe many a times in this video (T:2:34:00 till end) in between His bhajan singing attending to His slightest need without even His asking for. He served Him whole-heartedly with love and reverence.  

In the book ‘Om Swami : As We Know Him’ when Om Swamiji was working outside on a cold night, Swami Vidyananda ji could not sleep in his room and patiently waited for His master. Om Swamiji stepped into his tiny room for the first time, He picked up the photo of Sri Ramakrishna’s photograph, looked at it as if two saints were talking and soon tears started flowing from His eyes wetting His cheeks. Next day, during his morning prayers, Swami Vidyananda Om ji had the darshan of Mother Divine in Bala Swaroop clad in green top and red dress wearing gold ornaments. He serves His Guru humbly, willingly, demurely, unquestioningly, enthusiastically, untiringly, warmly and lovingly. Therefore, Guru’s Grace Flows to him like the water cascades from the waterfall.

As we are thousands and thousands of initiates of Om Swamiji, it is close to impossible for all of us to serve Him. So, we can serve humanity. We can serve others selflessly, which purify our hearts so that God can dwell in. We can live for others.

First start with a family member, serve him or her as if you are serving Om Swamiji. Take care of small needs of that person just as Swami Vidyananda Om ji looked after His Guru. Serve with love and reverence. With time when you are comfortable then include more members of your inner circle in this seva karma. Serve your elders, parents, siblings, children and friends with divine bhava without expecting anything in return. Swami Sivananda said, “Feed the hungry, nurse the sick, comfort the afflicted, and lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful. God will bless you. Clothe the naked. Educate the illiterate. Feed the poor. Raise the downtrodden. The world is burning with misery and suffering. Wake up, O man! Serve! Serve with love. Serve untiringly. Attain the peace of the Eternal.”

Try to see your Guru in the members of your outer circle like guests, teachers, colleagues, juniors, house cleaners, servants, security guards and strangers and serve them as if you are serving your guru with utmost love and care. This is the moola mantra of success on the path of tantra.

Pic : Pixabay

Decline of Hinduism in India – 3

 

Second part is here.

“Thank God! I have read two books.” I thought after watching Om Swamiji’s video in which he shared the list of his favourite books. Under fiction category at number 3 and 4, he mentioned ‘Somanth’ and ‘Vashali ki Nagarvadhu’ by Acharye Chatursen which I have read many years back.

Almost two decades back when I started reading books, I first picked up short stories by Munshi Premchand and read almost all the stories written by him. One day, I shifted from stories to novel. Which novel authored by him I picked up, I could not recall now but I could not finish it because of too much elaborate description of poverty. On my mother’s recommendation, I started reading ‘Vashali ki Nagarvadhu’ by Acharye Chatursen. I liked his writing style and I went through almost all of his works including stories and novels. I could recall only a few names now like ‘Somnath’, ‘Vayam Rakshameh’, ‘Dharamputra’, ‘Takhte Taus’ and ‘Badi Begam’. Three incidents from his life are very famous which I am sharing here.

Before writing ‘Somnath’- a book about Somanth temple Acharye Chatursen sought an appointment to meet the famous Gujrati author, politician and lawyer ‘Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi’ who has recently published the book ‘Jay Somnath’ on Somnath temple. It was quite popular book at that time. Acharye Chatursen requested him to share the material on Somnath temple with him as he also wished to write a novel about it. He bluntly refused. Acharye politely requested again. This time the reply from the other side was rude. He felt hurt, came out of the office and decided that I would write such an excellent piece on Somnath temple that people would forget that K.M. Munshi has ever written a novel about Somnath temple. With extraordinary efforts, Acharye Chatursen made his determination come true. I had read both the works and Acharye Chatursen’s work is just amazing.

Once, Acharye Chatursen went to see his friend. When they were chatting, a young boy of near about six years of age came close to him and wished him ‘Namaste’. He noticed that boy was very weak, malnourished, had gloomy face and grey hair at such a tender age. He told his friend to feed the boy daily with ‘Amla ka murabba’. After six months, he visited his friend again and inquired about the child. The friend laughed and said, “As you enter the house the boy came near you to wish in between his play was the same guy.” Achaye Chatursen was surprised to see a total transformation of the child, he was now healthy, fit, had glowing face and with pitch-black curly hair. Acharye was also a famous Ayurvedic doctor.

He was married four times and all his famous works ‘Somnath’, ‘Vashali ki Nagarvadhu’ and ‘Vayam Rakshameh’ were written after his fourth marriage. I am not concluding here anything. ;) He had a ‘Loh Lekhani’ meaning an iron pen as he had boldly written about the ancient India, historical fiction and brutal truth about the repeated invasions on India. Have you ever come across any mention of Acharye Chatursen in any textbooks from first grade to Ph.d level? His name had been wiped out from the Hindi literature because of his bold writings supporting Hinduism.

Surprisingly, the great devotional work of great poets like Govind Swami, Vidyapati, Brahamdas, Keshvacharya, Puran Singh, Priyadas, Nabhadas, Gadhadar Bhatt, Gopal Bhatt Goswami, Govardhanacharye, Govinddas, Narharidas, Chaturbhujdas, Dhruvdas, Nanddas, Nagaridas, Nagaridas (Haridasi Sampradaye), Nahi Nagaridas, Vallabh Rasik, Biharindev, Madhavdas Jagannathi, Madhuridas, Rooprasik, Vitthalvipul Dev, Shivdeen Ram Joshi, ShreeBhatt, Sarasdas, Sevak (Dhamodardas), Hariram Vyas, Harivyasdev, Hitharivansh etc. have been wiped out from Hindi textbooks. The bhakti poetry is that which expressed love, devotion and deep affection towards God. Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and other deities are focused in such poetic works. It articulates spiritual love that engages both emotion and intellection. It helps in breaking attachments and in annihilating ego. It also does the revival, reworking and recontextualization of ancient customs. But, unfortunately our young generation is being deprived of deep love and affection for not only God but also friend –friend, parent-child and king-servant which resulted in emotional problems at tender age. They are taught dohas like ‘Pothi padh padh jag Mua, Pandit Bhaya na Koi!’ which infuse a feeling of impertinence for our scriptures. Therefore, no liking to read Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Bhagwat Gita, Ramayana and other works by great saints and sages. Sometimes, mere one line can act as a tiny bomb causing enormous damage and devastation to a system of beliefs.  

Pic : Pixabay

Decline of Hinduism in India - 2

First part is here.

Only one laughed loudly, the rest of the disciples in the hall were silent.

In a discourse, Om Swamiji was narrating about a video, which went viral about Ramleela played by AIIMS students. The students group acted as Ram, Lakshaman, Sita and Shorpanakha. In the skit, they used absurd language to address Lord Ram and Lakshman. They mocked at various scenes from Ramayana and made fun of Hindu deities. Moreover, Shorpanakha said to Lakshman, “Tu chez badi hai mast mast....” In the video, the audience clapped and laughed. And something similar happen when one disciple could not control her laugh on this mockery. Like the rest of the disciples, I was sad and angry at the same time.

While surfing on social media, we daily come across so many videos, clippings and jokes that directly or indirectly make fun of our deities, saints and sages. Like that disciple we consciously or unconsciously make a grave mistake of laughing at them. We can either make fun of our respected deities, sages and saints or can seek their blessings. Both cannot happen simultaneously. In Bollywood movies, this trend is more prevalent. In the second chart depicted by Swamiji the decline of Hinduism was shown from 1951 census. Are Bollywood movies responsible for this decline? We pay for tickets to watch movies, which unconsciously drag us away from our culture and heritage in the name of humour.

There is sharp decline after the T.V. became the most important member of our homes. In most of the T.V. serials, the jokes are targeted at our deities and depiction of our saints as wrongdoers who have all the vices. Consequently, filling the viewers’ hearts with hatred and disrespect for them. Tantriks are presented as addicts and womanisers instead of kind and compassionate beings. Saint Narad is presented as a muckraker instead of the great devotee of Lord Naryana who constantly chants divine name. We all know that Ram is maryadapuroshotam, with divine qualities and an obedient son who willingly left for the exile just to obey his father’s words. Rather he is depicted as a cruel person who banished his wife to forest with no valid reason. Lord Shiva is represented as a consumer of bhang. His simple living style and intense meditation practices are not highlighted.   

Dear readers, which was the last movie or T.V. serial you saw which filled your heart with love and devotion for our deities, saints or sages? I recollect the famous scene from Bahubali movie in which Prabhas lifted Shivlinga. So, it is better to watch Tollywood movies than Bollywood movies. ;)

To be continued ....

Third part is here.

Pic : Pixabay

Decline of Hinduism in India -1

The foreigners’ gang laughed but my heart cried!

One of the jolly person in the group commented that Swami Sivananda said, “An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory!” after writing more than 300 books. They all giggled on his intelligent joke. The person who cracked this joke was a great hath yogi who could practice toughest of yoga asanas holding them for quite a long time, he could do difficult mudras and bandhas with great ease, he was voracious reader, he was very kind, intelligent as well as truthful, he was good looking and above all he was happy-go-lucky person. My intuitive mind told me that despite of all his yogic qualities, he would never be able to grow spiritually by following the path of Hinduism because he mocked at the greatest saint. It was our last day at Sivananda Ashram. Later I came to know that he shifted to Buddhism.

Swami Sivananda said in Guru Bhakti Yoga, “Don’t cut jokes with Guru. If you cut jokes with him (gradually) you will lose reverence for him and you will feel equality with him.” In Siphon, a U-shaped tube is used to cause a liquid to flow upward above the surface level of reservoir to the lower level of the surface then the reservoir from which it came only by the gravitation pull. The liquid flows from higher level to lower level. If the level is equal then it does not flow. Same is with Guru Disciple relationship wisdom, knowledge, spiritual powers and Grace of Guru flow continuously if the level between the two is not equal. We always touch Guru’s Feet never shake hands with Him, right!

I am fun loving person who has the habit of cracking jokes all the time, therefore, to keep the Guru Disciple bond intact I have never commented on any of Om Swamiji’s post although I have written 164 posts on osdotme till now. Even in personal meeting, I constrained myself to speak as less as possible and to convey my meaning in the least possible words. I firmly followed Swami Sivananda’s words, “A sadhaka should not cut jokes before his Guru however great he (sadhaka) may be.” I try my best to never make fun of any saint, never crack jokes on my Guru’s post and under no circumstances pass any humorous comment in His presence.

To be continued....

Part 2 is here.

Pic : Unsplash

My Spiritual Experience in Dream

“It is so difficult to do this task, Swamiji!” I complained. “I do not get the time to sleep neither at night nor in the afternoon. I am sleep deprived most of the time.”

In March 21 Zoom Satsang, Swamiji assigned a task to us, “I just need to make some change in the pattern in your life. Actually, I give you a choice, either you go to bed 40 minutes early, or you get up 40 minutes early every day, no matter what.” I was going through a very hectic schedule at that time where there was no room to either get up early or go to bed early. However, to obey His command, I had to make some adjustments in my daily routine, and I slashed my sleeping timings by 40 minutes. I decided to wake up early by 40 minutes every day to do some extra chanting. As a result, I did not get enough sleep and I was sleep deprived most of the time.

One day, in my dream, I saw Om Swamiji in ochre robe, and I complained to Him about my present situation. I told Him that this task was difficult for me to do because of my jam-packed time schedule. He listened to my grievances patiently. He smiled. And as we all know, His smile can do wonders!

Yay! I did the task obeying Him like a true disciple.

Pic : Pexels

My Little Effort to Transform Someone’s Life

Will Mother Divine’s vahana (mount) lion come to shake hands with me on the last day of Sadhana?

This thought came to my mind after reading Sadhvi Vrinda Om’s blog on Sadhana App website where she had mentioned that an owl came to her balcony to kill pigeon on the last day of her Sadhana of Ma Lakhsmi. Seriously speaking, I was sure that a lion could not arrive as I live in a high rise building in a densely populated area. Mostly I had experiences after doing three-four sadhana to the last day of Sadhana. Somewhere in between it can happen anytime; I had to be just watchful. Before reading Sadhavi’s experience, I was totally unaware of the fact that a spiritual experience could take place even in the outside world. I thought that it could be experienced with only closed eyes. This time the Devi I was worshipping did not manifest but I was watchful in my external world that something would happen.

Since the past few days, water from RO water purifier was dripping from the bottom. I kept using it, ignoring the leakage. After two days, it stopped working. I was left with no other option but to call the company to send a repairing mechanic.  

The repairing mechanic instructed, “Madam, send the location of your house and the photo of the product.” I shared the information with him on WhatsApp. When he did not arrive at the appointed time, I called him. “Madam, my mobile is running low on battery, and it could shut down anytime. Please tell me the name of your society and your house number.” I waited and waited for some more time. He arrived 45 minutes late.

He thoroughly checked the parts and told me that all the parts needed to be repaired except the RO motor. I asked him to repair all the parts as I did not have the enough funds to buy a new one for me and it should be repaired immediately as water in my locality was highly polluted. He started changing parts with a lightning speed. He completed it. But there was leakage of water from the filter. He checked it again and did the needful so that it might not leak. Still water was dripping. He was taking more time than usual with the result that my prayer time was delayed. At 8:15 pm, I asked him to wrap everything in the next 15 minutes or come again tomorrow morning.

“I cannot come tomorrow.” He replied. “Tomorrow is my wife’s death anniversary, so I have to do some rituals.” To put a check on my temper I started talking with him. In the conversation, he told me that last year his wife died of cancer within one year of tying the nuptial knot. He took a loan of 30 lakhs to spend on her treatment. Out of which10 lakhs he repaid, and 20 lakhs was remaining. He started earning at a very young age and spent all his savings on his wife’s illness and in helping his in-laws. I paid him a one-month salary as a tip to help him to repay his loan.

I realized that he was tensed, depressed and was surrounded by negative thoughts related to his wife’s illness and death. He had a strange cloud of thoughts that if he got married again his dead wife would haunt him and would spoil his new married life. He stopped the leakage, assembled all RO parts and left my house within the next 15 minutes.

After finishing my prayers around 11:30 pm I checked RO. It was working fine. I went to sleep. At 1:30 am I went to the kitchen to drink water before starting my morning prayers. I was a bit surprised to find that RO water was leaking from the same place.

Next day, when he came, it was my last day of Sadhana. I had prepared prasadam. I offered him ghiya ki kheer. He ate it. Devi, Herself blessed him!

Till he was working on RO, I was working on him. I talked to him for more than an hour, convincing him that he would be married soon, all his miseries would end, and he would be able to live a happy and prosperous life. I tried my best to drag him out of his gloomy past memories. I told him that I could only help the genuine seekers who had prayed to God and cried hard for help. He said, “Yes that is true. I had prayed to every deity, saint and sage I had known.”  

In Ramcharitmanas, Ma Sita prayed to a particular form of Mother Parvati before Swayamvara. Mother blessed her “Sunu Siye satye ashish humari, pujahein man kamna tumari (सुनु सिय सत्य असीस हमारी। पूजिहि मन कामना तुम्हारी॥) Ma Sita was married to Lord Ram. The form of Mother Parvati whom Ma Sita worshipped; I was doing Sadhana of the same deity – Ma Katyayani!

“Soon he will be debt free and married!” I blessed and prayed for that repairing mechanic in my heart. I knew Ma Katyayani had sent him to my house so that I could absorb his pain and could transform his life. Om Swamiji says, “When a sadhak prays with fervor, he/she becomes the divine in that moment.”

Soon after he left my house RO was dripping again, he had to visit my house repeatedly to rectify it. Till now, he had visited my house thrice, but the situation was the same. But I felt that Mother Divine wished that I must bring a change in his life and frequent leakage of RO was just an incident so that he must be given a dose of positivity of my powerful words time after time so that he could breathe properly in a fresh air of happiness.

It was the most beautiful spiritual experience of my life when I wanted to absorb the pain of a person who was suffering for no fault of his own. It was my tiny effort to transform his life.

My feelings are now his healing!

Pic : Unsplash