Revelation from Great Gurudev

Often I call my stories masterpieces and appreciate the beauty, subtlety and profundity of the book and its clear elegant prose. You must be amazed to think that I am haughty or too proud of my skill and intelligence. In point of fact it is not I who wrote these stories but a revelation from great Gurudev dictated them to me. Whenever I read the book again, I wonder if it was written by me. However, if you want to make the most of the book, I would recommend you to read it over and over again.

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Hard Work is Fundamental to Success

Hard work is fundamental to success but responsibility, self-restraint, determination and logical mind are four vital keys to it. Since wasters lack these qualities, poverty tags along with them. And if someone comes forward to alleviate their misery, they are certain to be disappointed because no one on the earth can do it unless they provide them lifelong support.
Karamchand dragged his cot under the old banyan tree which, though had very few leaves left on its branches as he had sold them to forage vendors twice in the last few months, was the only thing outside his ramshackle house that could afford him some shelter from the afternoon sun. He had sold his lactating cow a few weeks after it had calved. All he had as the dairy cattle was a buffalo which was dried off. He had sold off his food surpluses too. Now that he was bored with roti and salt, he wanted to purchase some vegetables. He lay on the cot, pondering on what to sell. His thoughts went to the trees, but he had already sold those ones which were saleable. Suddenly it struck him that he still had two fig trees with newly developed leaves. His eyes shone with happiness.
Soon after he heard a voice say: ‘Hello, .....
Read Snippets of Life Music and see what happened next.

Recollections of Childhood Spent in a Village

Read the extract from a story in ‘Snippets of Life Music’ and feel the recollections of childhood spent in a village.
“Threshing floor,” Deep repeated, looking up from his food and turning to me with a dreamy look in his eyes. “Oh it brings back bitter-sweet memories for me. I had to drive a pair of oxen, yoked together, round and round in circles over a circular bed of dried wheat plants in the heat of the midday sun and to continue doing it until dusk. Sometimes my father would harness the animals to a threshing sledge and ask me to drive them, standing on the runners, so that the stems and husks might be crushed and seeds could be separated from the straw faster. It was sort of a very exhausting job because we had to work in the blistering afternoon sun and the dry blades or bristles on the glumes of spikelets made tiny cuts in the skin. Sometimes I was so tired of the merry-go-round of the job that I longed for someone else to do that for me. But my father, on the contrary, would go off, leaving me to carry on alone. I could do nothing except look out for someone in the vain hope that he would replace me. By then my father would return and instead of relieving me he would start turning over the sheaves. Sometimes when my inner voice prompted me to do my revision, I would implore him to drive the oxen for some time. But he often went mad at me and commanded me to get on with that. The harvest and threshing season during the summer vacations required the most concentrated labour activity. I was not allowed a break, even if I had hay fever. Anyway, it was all a tough life but not always without charm. A good many people would gather at the threshing ground after the sun went down and the evening cooled off. We would sit on the soft circular carpet of the trodden out straw in groups. The grown-ups told us fascinating stories of kings and queens of ancient India and with that we would forget the hard day’s work. After dinner, we would come back to that bed of nature and fall into a deep dreamless sleep which no king had ever had on their royal....

Feedback on My Book

I have had a lot many startling and positive #feedback on my book ‘#Snippets of Life Music’ from my #readers over the phone, via email and social media. Whoever reads the book appreciates the amazing flights of imagination, the new perspective it gives and the impression it leaves. Some of my friends have asked for my own opinion about the book. I tell them with absolute certainty that the sea of time cannot drown it – since it is archetype of a classical work, it will certainly get a place among ageless books. Just read the following excerpt from a story in my book and see how it includes #universal facts about human life.

A Heated argument over God and Religion

Here is an excerpt from a story in ‘Snippets of Life Music’. You will certainly find that the book is really a very fine buy or it is what you have been looking for: 

‘Maybe you’re right, as religion is the first product of human civilization. But it would be unfair to take politics to be religion now.’

‘However, you can’t refuse to accept the differences that exist between different religious communities.’

‘Yes, social organization differs between the different groups of believers. Also, members of a group get used to their own culture which makes it difficult for them to adjust to different approaches. But then, it doesn’t cause them to become fanatical about religion until they are provoked by politics.’

‘Then why don’t you say that religion and politics are jointly liable to ethnic tensions?’

‘Why do you limit religion only to civics? After all it also includes spiritual values and worship of God whose pursuit gives a feeling of serenity and health. Some suffer from pain, some from anxiety, some are after the money and thus problems continue to prey on the minds of all, only a devotee of God smiles in self-fulfilment.’

‘Only a devotee of God smiles,’ said the atheist, echoing his words mockingly. ‘Lastly, you could not but reveal your hypocrisy. Ha ha ha!!!’

‘You people are so negative about everything!’ retorted the priest indignantly. ‘Just fear divine retribution and learn to respect the environment. God created the world and surrounded us with beautiful things and people. All’s well with the world, brother!’

‘What does God mean – perhaps a piece of stone? Oh well, an imaginary flash of light is often referred to as divine, isn’t it? What a load of superstitious nonsense!’

Next to the priest sat a strong lad of about twenty. ‘Watch your tongue, you!’ he bellowed at the atheist.

‘So you’ll shut my mouth!’ snorted the atheist.

‘I’ll wrench your neck if you tried to disparage God like that!’

Another young man got up with a face like thunder. ‘Wrench his neck if you are brave enough to!’ he said threateningly. ‘Well, that priest has been shooting his foul gob off about his religion – first, tell him to shut up.’

‘To hell with religion,’ blustered the first boy, standing up, ‘it may be your property or his. But nobody’s going to badmouth God!’

Both the priest and the atheist were fazed by the way the two lads started to argue. They could not but stare aghast at them.

‘Mind your language, young man!’ the second boy warned. ‘Nobody would believe you value God above money?’

‘You won’t say anything stupid if you know what’s good for...!’

‘Oh, stop arguing you ...'

Lord Ram's Birthday

यह संसार तुम्हारा मैया
हम सब तेरे तेरी धरती
तेरा आगन तेरे पक्षी ।
सूरज चंद्र तुम्हारे सेवक
सागर तेरा सरिता तेरी
नभ तारों की महिमा तेरी ।
कुछ ऐसा है नहीं कहीं पर
किसी और का हो सकता है
सब पर तेरी सतत कृपा है ।
गति तेरी स्थिरता तेरी
इच्छा तेरी परिवर्तन में
शक्ति तुम्हारी काल चक्र में ।
त्रैलोक्य स्वामिनी माता मेरी
हृदय भक्ति से भर दे मैया
पार लगा दे मेरी नैया !

Ramnavmi

Once baby Ram was lying on the swing hanging from the ceiling of a balcony in the grand palace of Ayodhya. There was a vast garden around the palace. Monkeys, birds, bears, elephants, lions and all sorts of wild animals had their abode in it. They were jumping and playing, making weird noises. Ram was very happy to see their silly ways. He, however, would not have liked them had they been reciting Vedas instead, because He is the maker of both good and bad, right and wrong, high and low, big and small and so. He loves everything that adds to the beauty of the world and hates all that grows to be too powerful to be creative. He was a beloved son, a loving brother, a dutiful husband; and He is also a kind and merciful king but a dangerous enemy to those who harm his devotees or the Creation. Wish you all a Happy Ram Navmi!

Chitrakoot is the beauty of the earth because sri Ramji stayed here with his brother Laxaman and his wife Maa sita for eleven years. It looks here like Nature had been asked to update its form ever after. 03-10-2011

Wish you all a blissful Ram Navami that marks the Birthday of the world's ideal personage Lord Ram!

Young Heart to Dance

Here is an excerpt from a story in #mybook #SnippetsofLifeMusic. Each word produces #musicalnotes which induce a #youngheart to dance to the tune they make:

Procrastination Results in Terrible Events

The narrator has to purchase an electric fan and a takht (a piece of furniture that consists of a cot-size flat top supported by four legs) which he and his family need as a means of relaxing them in the evenings. Every day he goes to his office with a determination that he will come back home with them, but as he reaches there he gets deeply involved in his work, ignoring all that. And thus when he leaves his office, he forgets all about what he had decided to do. He not only suffers the sultry weather but also listens to his wife’s bitter reproaches on reaching home. Here is an excerpt from the story in ‘Snippets of Life Music’. You will certainly find that the book is really a very fine buy or it is what you have been looking for.

Psychological Horror Story

Here is an #excerpt from my #storybook ‘#Snippets of Life Music’. You will certainly find that the book is really a #finebuy or it is what you have been looking for. #TheGirl 

“What happened next?” asked Harish, looking at him anxiously.

“I walked forward,” he continued, “towards a group of people with a view to listening to them; but as I edged closer, I saw a girl in white standing by them on the grassy slope. She was stunning. My eyes riveted on her face. She gave me a quick, upward glance then lowered her eyes. Then again she shot me a sideways glance as she turned to the right. Now I slid down the slope and came face to face with her. The charm of her beauty and vivacity eventually led me to feel a surge of love and desire for her.”

“Did she look like your Annu?”

“Exactly. At first I mistook that girl for her. But shortly afterwards, her strange behaviour aroused my suspicion. Anyway, our eyes met for a split second and we both looked away. My clumsiness embarrassed me, but after a short while she beckoned to me, swooping down the slope. At first I could not gather the courage to go near her but after her repeated signals, I stepped forward to reach her and to my surprise, she eluded me. The further I moved forwards, the further she stepped backwards. But as I halted, she too did the same, giving me an enchanting smile. I thought perhaps she wanted to be alone with me, so I began to walk again, but for all my efforts I could not get closer to her this time too.”

“It’s strange how you could not chase after her!” shot back Harish in surprise.

“I couldn’t indeed,” Jay enthused. “Instead, after a few minutes’ walk, I turned to look back and found that we were a long way from the people standing near the train. I thought it was not safe for us to go any further in the secluded forest around midnight. I finally stopped but, you know, she came up to me and held me by my arms. Her soft grip felt like some angel had taken me under her care. She pointed to a large flat rock a few yards away ....”

मैया मुझे तू हृदय लगा ले

मैया मुझे तू हृदय लगा ले
मुझ में प्यार अपार जगा दे ।
तुझे कभी भी भूल न पाऊँ
तेरी सेवा में सुख पाऊँ ।
तू ही सच्ची मैया जग की
तू ही जग महारानी सच्ची ।
किसी को भूखा नहीं सुलाती
दुखी-दीन सबको सहलाती ।
सबकी इच्छा तृष्णा तू ही
पूर्ति और संतुष्टि भी तू ही ।
सबका केवल तुझसे नाता
सब बच्चे औ तू ही माता ।
-Ramesh Tiwari

Slums in India

In most countries people have improved their life style with modern sanitary facilities, but India has never paid any attention to it, considering it to be an unimportant thing. There is seldom a residential area where slum dwellers are not found. Our people never feel embarrassed to pass water in an open public place. They drop all semblance of dignity when they pour dirty water from their roof tops. They spit out gutakha anywhere they choose quite unabashed. Snippets of Life Music has a one-act-play (Clean India) which gives a vivid picture of how the common people of India are given to unhygienic practices and also shows them up.

Wondrous Tales

A poor peasant and a wealthy merchant both lead simple and austere lives. One is penniless so his living standards are reduced; the other has deliberately chosen to live a simple & strict life in order to become wealthy. Read the detailed description in ‘Snippets of Life Music’.

Dr Pragya Tripathi

I and Sri Bajrang Kumar Mishra ji went around to Dr Tripathi’s today and experienced the full measure of their hospitality. The Doctor couple are really very affable and courteous. I presented them with my book ‘Snippets of Life Music’ in token of my thanks. I wish Dr Pragya Tripathi every success in her political career and Dr Ravinandan Tripathi in his career as a highly esteemed surgeon.