Tag Archives: destiny

POEM: BIRTHDAY GREETINGS-SHRAVAN

January 23, 2017ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, beautiful lines, ngo activity, poem, POETRY, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, Uncategorizedapollo hospital, bad times, birthday, cancer, destiny, gloom behind the smile, god, good times, greetings, january, kindness, lifelong, lifetime, ngo, remembrance, SHRAVAN, shravan charity mission, wishesshravancharitymission

DEAR SHRAVAN

I saw you here and I saw you there.

Even when,

I know all very well,

You aren’t really there,

And every year on this day,

You do send me to despair.

When I reflect,

I still can recollect,

Those lovely moments,

When you were born,

And I had thought,

We’ll be together lifelong,

But that was not to be.

In your fight for life,

I remember with gripe,

Seasons had come and seasons had gone,

Where time was kind but destiny was strong,

Though time fought well, yet destiny won,

As it snatched you,

With its divine intents.

Now that you’re gone,

There isn’t too much of a song,

Except for the noble mission,

That you had brought along.

You often come in my dreams,

That brings me loads of serene,

Is when, I willfully dream,

To serve those sick umpteens.

It is said,

Life is a mystery,

Where destiny is another name of cruelty,

But God is kind,

And time is like a serpentine.

And when I bring it upon myself,

I realise,

Your short span was indeed the mystery,

Where destiny pulled off the cruelty,

And between mystery and cruelty was God’s beauty,

But where time still meanders like the serpentine’s ferocity.

In this windswept life,

One more year goes by,

But I’m happy to tell you,

I’ve kept your mission alive.

So rest in peace,

For you have achieved your destiny.

***

In warm remembrance of our son’s birthday. Who left us some years back.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

***

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(Archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. Book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

Story of an Indian salesman who is lowly qualified but fights his ways through uncertainities to reach the top. A good read for all salesmen. Now available in Amazon.com

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

DOCTRINE OF KARMA AND REINCARNATION

September 6, 2016articles, column, short article, short story, snippet, Uncategorizedarticle, birth, desires, destiny, doctrine, emotions, fate, hinduism, jiva, karma, philosophy, rebirth, reincarnation, spiritual, story, vasanas, vices, virtueshravancharitymission

Why do Hindus believe in these two doctrines? One being karma and the other being reincarnation. Because these doctrines not only explain the unusual occurrences logically. They also shed light on day-to-day events of life. Hindus do not consider life and death to be mutually exclusive. But intertwined and inseparable. Like the two sides of the same coin. If there are disparities between two individuals at the time of birth, and if these disparities can be seen. Then the cause for these disparities must have preceded their births.

Karma: The word karma means “action.” In accordance with the cosmic laws of karma. Each individual reaps the fruits of his actions, performed in this lifetime or in former lives. This logically explains the disparities in creation, between various individuals, environments and situations. No deed, small or great, good or bad, can be without an effect—this essentially is the law of karma, the law of casualty. In fact one begins to feel as if it is Newton’s 3^rd law of motion—‘to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’ was drawn out of the doctrine of karma.
Karma is no fate. Fate implies helplessness in a human being, to determine his own destiny. The law of karma states that the individual is the creator of his own destiny, because his conscious choices in life determines his actions and the fruits thereof.
Reincarnation: Hindus believe that the jiva, or the individual being, travels from life to life. Acquiring bodies and environments best suited to exhaust his vasanas (vices) or innate tendencies that are expressed as desires, emotions, and actions. The exhaustion of vasanas allows the jiva to reach his ultimate goal: complete freedom from the cycle of birth and death through the realization of his true nature as the Self, or Brahman.

—synopsis from a book on Hinduism—by Chinmaya Mission Trust—

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

SHORT STORY: KING CHITRAKETU

August 8, 2015article, ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, storychitraketu, death, destiny, devrishi narad, fate, jealousy, karma, king, kingdom, kismet, life, lifetime, maharishi angiraj, queen, short story, soul, spiritual, story, tragedy, valuesshravancharitymission

THE STORY OF KING CHITRAKETU

Once upon a time there lived a very eminent king by the name of Chitraketu. He had many wives but no children. One day, Maharishi Angiraj landed up in his Raj-Bhawan. With his spiritual powers he deciphered, Chitraketu was very unhappy and even desperate for a child. So, he decided to perform a yagya to help his queen conceive. After the yagya was over he handed over the leftovers to the eldest queen Kritdhuti as blessings and decided to leave. While leaving, Maharishi Angiraj said—‘Hey Rajan! You will soon be blessed with a son but he will be the reason for both your happiness and sorrow.’

Maharani Kritdhuti was soon pregnant and at the opportune moment, the king was blessed with a son. With this Maharaj Chitraketu’s happiness knew no bounds. The whole kingdom was under celebrations, as after remaining issue less for such a long time, Maharaj Chitraketu was finally blessed with a child. Therefore, his love for the new born prince was boundless and was oozing all over his persona. Further, just to be in the company of his newly born child the king started spending more time at the residence of his eldest queen Kritdhuti. He once again started loving her immensely for having given birth to the baby boy. This resulted in the neglect of his other wives by the king himself, who now started feeling demoralised and even jealous of the eldest queen Kritdhuti. Soon, the situation aggravated to such a level that the younger queens lost their noble senses. The main reason for that was the king’s neglect because of the newly born child.

This led to a drastic consequence when all the neglected wives of the king consented to quietly poison the child and soon he died. Upon realising, the mammoth tragedy that had struck both the king and his Maharani Kritdhuti, Maharaj Chitraketu fell unconscious, next to the body of their child like an uprooted tree. The entire kingdom was now in a pall of gloom.

When, amid the cloud of sorrow and wail, two distinguished personalities arrived in the Raj Bhawan. Maharishi Angiraj this time was accompanied by Devrishi Narad. Upon coming to know of the tragedy, Maharishi Angiraj said to the king—‘Rajan (king) you are a great devotee of Brahmins and God. So, I was happy with you, and because of that I had come to you earlier, thinking, I would teach you the prowess to attain God’s darshan. But since it was written on your face that you desperately wanted a child, I instead, gave you a child as a blessing. Now that you have suffered the tragedy of losing your son, and there isn’t a tragedy, bigger than this, you would have known by now, that this world is a place, filled with sadness.’

King Chitraketu was still in mourning. He therefore could not understand the essence of Maharishi’s address. But he was spellbound at the sight of them. Devrishi Narad who was accompanying Angiraj could understand that, Chitraketu’s intense love for his child will not go like this. So using his divya-shakti (divine-power) he attracted the soul of the child and as it came he said—‘See my son! They are your parents and they are mourning for you. So please get into your body, to make them happy and start enjoying the royal life, as the son of the king.’ And, after this, everyone out there, clearly heard what the soul of the child had to say—

‘Devrishi they are my parents of which life? A soul does not have any parents, brothers or friends. Many a times I was their father and many times they were mine. Many a times they were my friends and even enemies. All these relations are because of your mortal body and as you leave your mortal remains behind, you also leave behind your relations. And then, everyone is all by himself and has to suffer, as per his karmas.’

The soul, after saying all this vanished from the scene. King Chtiraketu’s deep affection for his son after hearing the conversation started waning. After cremating him, with a fresh and sombre mind he appeared in front of Devrishi and Maharishi. Devrishi Narad, then gave instructions to commence the prayers and the puja of Lord Shesh Narayan, and with that, King Chitraketu got his darshan and soon he started on a long pursuit of spiritual knowledge and became a big scholar and was ranked as a Vidyadhar.

The story is from our mythology and gives a very bold message. That beyond your mortal life it is only your karmas that go with you and you are all alone after death. So, always insist on doing good deeds.

***

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Translated by Kamlesh Tripathi

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to contribute for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*****

CASUAL CAUSERIE: NO ONE KNOWS-WHO HELPS WHOM

August 1, 2015ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, casual causerie, causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, storyairlines, bengali, captain, casual, causerie, datta, destiny, dutto, goal, help, helping hand, hrd, indian, kaimon achain, karma, lessons of life, punjabi, short story, southindian, spiritual, story, virtuesshravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

NO ONE KNOWS—WHO HELPS WHOM

At an era, when there used to be long queues for domestic flights in India. My boss, who had once come visiting me. Got a sudden call from the HR Head. Asking him, to report back immediately for an urgent and important meeting at Head Office.

As luck would have it. There was no chance of getting a confirmed flight ticket before three days, as it was all jam packed. Therefore, there was every likelihood. That he would have missed the important meeting. So, we decided to take a chance at the airport. Those days nothing was computerized. Personal relations with airport staff and their whims and fancies mattered a lot. Therefore, he was carrying an open ticket. And in the middle of all the din and rush. The counter clerk had asked us to wait. Just in case of a last moment cancellation or a no show.

We were waiting patiently. When, I saw the captain of the aircraft hovering near the check-in counter puffing a cigarette. Those days we didn’t have smoking zones like today.

Suddenly, the counter clerk called for my boss, ‘Mr Datta.’ We quickly walked up to him. When he politely said, ‘Sorry Datta sahab. There is just no seat as the flight is absolutely full. Please take a chance tomorrow morning.’

I pleaded, citing the urgent meeting. As I could see the tension rising on my boss’s face. Is when the captain of the aircraft. Who was standing close to the counter walked up and said to the counter clerk. ‘Please issue him a boarding pass. Only, if he has cabin baggage. I will take him in the cockpit, since he has an urgent meeting.’

With that I guess Mr Datta’s day was made. When he happily said to me, ‘bye, and see you soon.’

After a month. I happened to be in the Head Office, on a visit. When I congratulated him on his well deserved promotion and casually asked about the flight that day. He remembered the captain in a pleasant way and this was what he had to say.

‘Arrey, I was extremely lucky. That the captain took me along with him, in the cockpit that day. Otherwise, I would have missed my appraisal meeting with the Marketing Director. But as the flight took off. The captain asked in Bengali,

“Kaimon achain, Dutto babu. Apni comfortable?”

And, before he could load on some more Bengali. I promptly replied, ‘sorry captain I am a Punjabi Datta. Not a Bengali Dutto.’

‘Oh-oh-oh sorry. But, I thought. I heard the counter clerk calling you as Mr Dutto and not Mr Datta. Anyways, sorry, sorry, very sorry, once again.’

By then the flight was more than airborne. After that we didn’t have any exchange of conversation in the flight. Though, on landing. I said goodbye to him. To which he didn’t respond warmly. But in his own subtle way he had ensured my promotion.

In life. You just don’t know who lends you a helping hand where, and who comes to your rescue.

*****

SHORT STORY: GUILT

July 19, 2015ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, casual causerie, causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, storydestiny, faith, ganga, god, gomti, granny, guilt, holy, kanpur, karma, lifetime, Lucknow, mother, promise, short story, spiritual, storyshravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

When I was young. My maternal Granny often used to remind me as an endearing edict. That when I die, take my mortal remains to the banks of river Ganga (Ganges) for cremation, considered, the ultimate holy grail. To the splendorous gateway of heaven, in Hindus. But I was not sure. If she ever realised, whether a ten year old kid understood, what she meant. Surely, I had no idea, of what a ‘cremation’ on the banks of river Ganga meant, until one day. I actually saw a dead body being cremated, while I was crossing river Ganga, at Kanpur in a train. And, that shook me as a teen.

My Mom, was her only issue. So, she understood her mother’s writhing trauma. That was encased in her subconscious, now for ages. And she often hovered around her. Sensing, Granny might repeat her request for Ganga, at the pangs of life beyond death.

For me, life continued as usual and with that my meandering rigmarole. In the guise of school, college, career and then raising a family. But, all this, didn’t deter her from placing her request, whenever she had an opportunity. And, as life flew. One day I lost my Mom, and with that Granny’s infrequent requests, became more like frequent holy warnings—that she be taken to the banks of river Ganga.

But, in the drift of life. For quite some time, I was posted away from my hometown. During that period, whenever I spoke to her. I did assure her a cremation on the banks of holy river Ganga. But when the destined moment came unannounced. I could not reach on time, and she was cremated on the banks of river Gomti in Lucknow. About eighty km before the banks of river Ganga.

That gave me a feel of intense guilt that continued lifelong. As if, between Gomti and Ganga, she had lost the battle because of me.

Ever since then years have passed. But she hasn’t complained to me. My guilt says she couldn’t reach heaven. Where my heart says, she smiles at me from heaven.

And today. I am returning from the banks of river Ganga. Where, I came to tide over my guilt. To request Holy Ganga, if not already, take her to heaven even now. And to offer my lifetime apologies to her. From the serene surroundings of holy Ganga. But I guess I came quite late. Because now even I have started thinking of the holy Ganga.

There are a few things that are non-negotiable in life: one happens to be death.

*****

SHORT STORY: DESTINY by DEFAULT

July 17, 2015short story, storycareless, destiny, faith, god, hillstation, hyper child, karma, life, lifetime, meticulous, midway, naughty child, short story, spiritual, storyshravancharitymission

Many years ago, Rishi a friend of mine was returning from a hill-station with his newly married wife, after his honeymoon. They were in a shared jeep—the old one, with a superstructure and canvass top having two longitudinal seats at the rear, facing each other along the length of the vehicle.

As all hill routes of those times. It was an uncomfortable journey, especially because of the narrow and single winding road, and that too with a plethora of hair-pin bends, and many of them, even without railings. It was drizzling low key that had shortened the visibility. But it appeared as if, both, the vehicle and the driver were not solely depending on visibility alone to course through, and were even delving some bit on their day-to-day, hands-on experience of the road.

In all, there were eleven people in the vehicle. Out of which three were in the front, that included, the driver, Rishi and his wife. Seven were behind. Out of which six were sitting on the longitudinal seats. Three on either side. they were two couples and two men. and last but not the least was a half standing, half sitting, restless, uncomfortable and a noisy kid of around ten to twelve years of age.

Even when the jeep was meandering down the road leaving everyone fatigued, giddy and somewhat tired the untiring kid was all over the jeep trying to reach up to the driver, to fiddle the gear lever and the steering wheel, and that was irritating the driver.

The parents of the kid appeared quite bindaas, and were not even attempting to calm their hyper-child.

After about fifteen minutes the jeep halted at the midway, to the railway station, which was a two hour drive from the hill-station.

Most cafeterias and dhabas were located within a span of about hundred metres on the straight road passing the midway, after which the road winded to an immediate right, where on one side you had climbing hills and on the other side a dangerous fall of about a thousand feet, where there were no railings. The roadside along the straight road was crowded with no space to park the car. So, the jeep driver took the vehicle closer to the immediate right and parked it there, which was quite close to the point where there were no railings in almost a routine fashion. He announced a stop of fifteen minutes that was quite sufficient to freshen up, followed by a cup of tea and some hot snacks that sounded awesome in the beautiful surroundings.

Everyone got off the vehicle except the lady in the rear seat who preferred to sleep, most likely on account of giddiness that had set in her, and giving her company was her middle aged husband.

The naughty kid was the first to finish his snacks, and soon came and sat in the vehicle without his parents. Soon from the rear seat he jumped over to the front seat and started swirling his hands on the steering wheel.

The man behind mildly warned him to return to his seat but that fell on deaf ears. Soon the kid started enjoying the steering wheel when his hands reached the gear lever, and unknowingly his foot to the clutch pedal, and with that the jeep got into neutral mode and slowly started rolling. The man behind realised what had happened, and so, he jumped and ran towards the dhaba to call the driver, perhaps he didn’t know driving himself. His wife was still asleep in the jeep.

The kid was still unaware of what had happened and about the ensuing danger. And as the vehicle slowly moved he started enjoying the feel of the vehicle even more as the steering felt light. The vehicle was now heading towards the fall.

Upon hearing the shout the driver edged out of the dhaba and with grim eyes saw his fortune rolling towards the steep fall. He darted and jumped inside trying to push the kid aside to stop the vehicle, but by then it was too late as the front wheels of the jeep had already waddled off the road, where it overhung for some moments and off it went taking the unlucky trio along with it. All the three had died in the mishap— The kid, the driver and the lady behind.

We often blame destiny for whatever goes wrong in our lives. But in this case wasn’t it a case of destiny by default?

For why were the parents of the kid so unconcerned about their hyper-child? In that one hour of journey they never reprimanded the child even once. Not even, when, he was irritating the driver while driving. And above all, they let the child go alone, to the vehicle parked alongside a dangerous fall. Therefore, all such parents who don’t reprimand their children at the initial stages of life need to introspect about the ghastly consequences they might have to face later on.

The middle aged husband realising the danger did not attempt to save his wife first, instead he thought of saving all— the kid, his wife and even the vehicle but in the process could save nothing. So should it be, help yourself first?

The driver knew about the hyper-child, yet he parked the jeep close to a dangerous point in all casualness. And he could have stayed away from the vehicle in those dying moments yet he pounced on it. So think before you jump.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

POETRY: THERE IS A STORM IN EACH LIFE

July 15, 2015poem, POETRYdefeat, destiny, emotion, failure, faith, health, illness, isolation, karma, life, lifetime, poem, poetry, recognition, spiritual, storm, success, virtueshravancharitymission

THERE IS A STORM IN EACH LIFE

There is a raging storm in each life,

That creates ripples in every life,

But without it there isn’t a life,

And so, be that as it may,

Storm touches the chord of every life.

While there is a tormenting storm in a failure,

There is a fizzy storm in a victory,

A heart-sinking storm in defeat,

And a sweet storm in success,

Well tailored a storm for each occasion.

While I face the storm of illness,

In the merry-go-rounds of my emotions,

Someone else faces the storm of healthiness,

In his own upbeatishness,

But yes there is a storm in each life,

Until he’s alive.

For there is an icy storm in isolation,

A competitive storm in company,

A celestial storm in recognition,

A soft storm in a priest,

And a nasty storm in a devil,

Nevertheless, there is a storm in each life and situation.

It has no face,

No voice of discord,

Offers no pleasantries nor badinage,

As it makes no sound,

And often enters through the back door,

As a vortex of a lifetime.

It often comes as a friend disguised as an enemy,

When it throws you off gear,

And shocks you to despair,

It hurts you proper yet it keeps you alive,

To learn the lessons of life,

And what more, for there is a storm in each life.

It doesn’t favour,

Doesn’t pick and choose,

Treats all equally,

And gives no one a breather,

And spares no one, not even a freshner.

Bigger the smile bigger the storm,

And behind every smile there is a storm,

Before every storm there is a smile,

And beyond the storm there is a wider smile.

And in my canvas of life, there wasn’t a moment,

When I never faced a storm,

But storms come and go,

Leaving behind the storm of life.

For you can disown your life,

But not the storm in your life,

And now when the storm stays away,

I wonder what next,

For there has to be a storm at every behest.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

Story of an Indian salesman who is lowly qualified but fights his ways through uncertainities to reach the top. A good read for all salesmen. Now available in Amazon.com

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

SHORT POEM BY A CHILD CANCER PATIENT: IN THE LAP OF GOD

July 9, 2015beautiful lines, poem, POETRY, quote, quotes and lines, spiritualcancer, child, child cancer, destiny, god, health, heaven, karma, oncology, poem, poetry, poor, sickness, song, sufferingshravancharitymission

IN THE LAP OF GOD

What was my wrong?

That you took away my song,

For when I opened my eyes,

I was in severe bites.

You taught me a lesson,

By plaguing me with cancer,

But I had not harmed anyone,

So why the torture?

As a child,

I had no devious past,

Yet you stepped on my present,

And took away my craft.

They call you kind,

They call you a forgiver,

Synonym for mercy,

But you left me in heresy.

Fear not my child,

For I’m with you every while,

And you are not alone,

In this vast world of mine.

For you are special,

In life’s battle,

And you are my messenger,

And you are my harbinger.

You puzzled me God,

You scared me God,

But after talking to you,

I am at peace God,

For I now know,

I am in your lap God.

***

By Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Share if you like it

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

Story of an Indian salesman who is lowly qualified but fights his ways through uncertainities to reach the top. A good read for all salesmen. Now available in Amazon.com

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

SHORT STORY: POVERTY

July 6, 2015causerie, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, storychildren, concern, curse, destiny, feelings, garibi, hunger, karma, parents, passenger train, poverty, railway station, short story, spiritual, story, tea vendor, unicef, warmthshravancharitymission

Once upon a time, there lived a poor and elderly couple that without fail used to visit the railway station of a small town every morning, as well as in the evening. There, they used to wait for a particular passenger train that used to arrive at six in the morning. The same train used to return at seven in the evening. When again, they used to wait for its arrival, and after the train left they used to return to their home empty handed.

But in the five minutes that the train halted the couple used to go into a tizzy. They used to go in opposite directions. One towards the engine and the other towards the end of the train. As if looking for someone, and day-after-day they used to call out the same name.

In the same platform there was a tea vendor who had had his tea stall there for many years now. He used to light his gas stove at 5 in the morning to make tea. His first customers used to be the ones out of the same passenger train, for which, this elderly couple, used to come and wait each morning and evening.

The tea vendor had watched the couple quite attentively for years every day while doing his brisk business. The passenger train was rarely late. And after midnight it used to be the first train in the morning.

One morning when the train arrived. The elderly couple as usual went in opposite directions, calling out the same name. But as the train trickled out of the platform. They came and sat near the staircase trying to catch their breath.

The tea vendor who used to watch them from a distance each day could not hold his inquisition that day. He walked up to the elderly couple and asked,

‘I have being watching you both, coming to this platform, without fail, for years now. What do you come here for? Are you looking for someone?’ He asked in a concerned tone.

Embarrassed, the couple looked at each other when the elderly man in a hesitant and guilty tone said,

‘Babuji some fifteen years back. In the same passenger train. We had left behind, three of our children, because we didn’t have money to feed them. So we come here looking for them. We shout for the elder one. Who was six then, thinking he might remember his name and respond, but till date we have not met with any success.’

This is poverty at its worst. It is a true story. In this life we often are upset over minor things, even when God has given us everything. Remember, destiny can be extremely kind to some, and extremely harsh to some others. So thank God, for each iota of goodness that you have in your life.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

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SHORT STORY: GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES

June 27, 2015ARTICLE SPIRITUAL, beautiful lines, column, short story, snippet, spiritual, spiritual article, story, Uncategorizeddestiny, faith, god, god helps those who help themselves, goodness, holy scripts, karma, kindness, mahatma, mythology, puran, purans, religion, river, short story, spiritual, vedas, virtueshravancharitymission

In primitive times there was a Mahatma who lived in a village located on the banks of a river. Where, many villagers, from in and around and even far off places used to come to him for help and advice.

One day a moorkh (simpleton) from the nearby village came to the Mahatma and started weeping. And, upon Mahatma’s enquiring about the cause he replied, ‘Guruvar, people in my village are very bad, they always misbehave with me. So what should I do to protect myself from such rogues. Please advice to help me out.’

Mahatma consoled him and politely said, ‘don’t you worry and have confidence in God, for he will set everything right.’ And upon hearing this, the moorkh was happy and soon he left for his home.

After a few months there were severe floods in the village when everyone started running helter-skelter to save themselves, but the moorkh was cool. He just climbed the roof of his house and started praying to God. And when the flood water started touching the roof a kind person spotted him and extended his hand to help him. But he refused to hold his hand and said, ‘I don’t trust you but I’m confident God will help me.’

In the meanwhile the flood waters had climbed further and reached up to his neck and seeing this, some people perched in a passing boat offered to help, by asking him to jump but he again refused and said, ‘I only trust God.’

After sometime he started drowning, when some kind people finally rescued him. They helped him back to consciousness. But the moorkh instead of thanking them, went up to the Mahatma and started complaining, ‘you had asked me to have faith in God, but this tip of yours nearly killed me, for he never came forward to help me.’

Mahatama smiled at him and sweetly said, ‘Hey you simple soul, in response to your prayers only these people and the boat were sent to you, to save you. But you refused to take any help. Even then God almighty who wishes and desires everyones welfare, to save you, sent some kind people, otherwise by now you would have been dead.’ But Mahatma was not finished as yet when he further sermonized, ‘always remember in response to your earnest prayers God will not come and do your “karma” for you. He has given you brains and you need use it.’

This story is from Puran (Hindu holy script) and conveys a simple message–“God helps those who help themselves.”

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases. Should you wish to donate for the cause the bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(CAN BE BOUGHT FROM ON LINE BOOK STORES OR WRITE TO US FOR COPIES)

*****

Shravan charity mission

Our NGO works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer: We cover our blog with short stories, children's stories, articles, book reviews, vignettes, spiritual, episodes, poetry, analysis, news report, general knowledge, quotes for the benefit of our readers.

Tag Archives: destiny

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POETRY: THERE IS A STORM IN EACH LIFE

SHORT POEM BY A CHILD CANCER PATIENT: IN THE LAP OF GOD

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SHORT STORY: GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES