Tag Archives: earth

SHORT STORY: THEOGONY: Clash of the Titans

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    Theogony is the genealogy, birth, and the making of the pedigree of Greek Gods. It is a poem by Hesiod, an ancient Greek poet who lived during 8th – 7th century BC, describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods. It is written in the Epic dialect, a form of ancient Greek language, developed and used, as a literary language in the epic poems of ancient Greek.

    According to Hesiod’s Theogony, at the outset of time, there was only Chaos. Dense darkness, covered everything, until the Earth was born out of Chaos and with the Earth came the mountains, the sea, and then the sky (Uranus) along with the sun, the moon and the stars. Later Uranus and Earth came together and gave birth to the Titans. But Uranus was scared that one of his children would take over his throne. So he enclosed each one of them in the depths of the Earth. But his son, Cronus, the strongest of the Titans, defeated him and became the world leader. He married Rhea, who gave birth to two gods and three goddesses: Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia and Demeter.

    But Cronus inherited the same fear as his father. In a manner, just like the “Kans Mama” in Mathura, who killed Devaki’s children, because he was scared that he might be killed by them? Cronus believed that one of his offspring would later take over his throne. So, when they were born, he swallowed them. (Just like the Nigas swallowing Lord Vishnu but in a different context). However, Rhea was also expecting a sixth child, but fearing, it would share the same fate as her other children, she secretly gave birth on a mountain in Crete (a Greek island in the Mediterranean), and hid the new born there. She named the child Zeus. She also tricked Cronus into thinking he swallowed this child too, by giving him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which Cronus swallowed thinking it was his new born.

    The Nymphs, as mentioned in the Greek mythology, took care of Zeus and fed the baby with milk of a goat. When Zeus grew up, he found his father and tricked him into drinking a mixture of wine and mustard, which caused him to disgorge the contents of his stomach. And with that, Zeus’ older brothers and sisters came out of Cronus fully grown! This is how the great Titanomachy (a series of battles) began—the war between the Titans and the Gods, with Zeus as their leader. This titanic battle lasted for ten years. The gods defeated the Titans and threw them into Tartarus, a dark and gloomy place, as far from the earth as earth is from the sky. Then the Gods fought with the Giants for the dominance of the world. The Gigantomachy lasted a long time as well. But the gods were again victorious. Thus, Zeus became the ruler of the whole world and he and the other Gods settled in Olympus. 

    The Gigantomachy was probably the most important battle that happened in the Greek mythology. It was a fight between the Giants or Gigantes, sons of Rhea and Uranus, and the Olympian gods who were trying to overthrow the old religion and establish themselves as the new rulers of the cosmos.

    Difference between Gods and Titans. In short, they are all deities, but of different generations. The word “Titan” is used to denote a class of mythological entities that existed, before Gods were born, and Titans are usually used, to describe, the creation of the world. … Gods are the children of the Titans.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US that includes Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada, Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be the undying characteristics of Lucknow. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K.)

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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

Short stories and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; Indica, 15.8.20; The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; Happy Days, November 15, 2020; The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15,2020;

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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SHORT STORY: THREE QUESTIONS

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    King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. This made a certain courtier very jealous. Now this courtier always wanted to be chief minister, but this was not possible as Birbal filled that position quite adequately and efficiently.  One day Akbar praised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made the courtier very angry and he said that the king praised Birbal unjustly and if Birbal could answer three of his questions, he would accept the fact that Birbal was intelligent enough. Akbar as always wanting to test Birbal’s wit readily agreed to the suggestion.

    The three questions were:

  1. How many stars are there in the sky
  2. Where is the centre of the Earth and
  3. How many men and how many women are there in the world.

    Immediately Akbar asked Birbal the three questions and informed him that if he could not answer them, he would have to resign as chief minister.

    To answer the first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheep and said, “There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on the sheep’s body. My friend the courtier is welcome to count them if he likes.”

    To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said, “this is the center of the Earth, the courtier can measure it himself if he has any doubts.”

    To answer the third question, Birbal said, “Counting the exact number of men and women in the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier friend here who cannot easily be classified as either. Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number.”

Moral of the story: No matter how difficult the question is there is always an answer or a way out.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now 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

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT TREES

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    Over the course of its life, an average tree can absorb a ton of carbon dioxide. Only about one in a million acorns makes it all the way to becoming a mature oak tree.

    Trees form by far the bulk of Earth’s biomass. In life and in death trees contribute to the biosphere by making oxygen, moving water, storing carbon dioxide, enriching soil with dead  and decaying parts, and recycling the nutrients that life on Earth depends on.

    Trees are vascular plants that develop a single woody stem known as a trunk. Generally, trees grow to 15 feet or taller. Trees differ from shrubs, which are shorter and usually have multiple stems. Trees span the three botanical groups that represent vascular plants—pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.

    Gymnosperms and angiosperms propagate by seeds. In the former type, seeds are exposed, or naked, on a structure such as a cone; on the latter, they are within the ovary of a flower. Pteridophytes, on the other hand, are seedless vascular plants such as the tree fern.

    Not all parts of a tree are alive at one time, especially, in mature trees. Keeping so much mass alive all the time would require more energy than a tree’s system could handle. The inner core of the trunk, called the heartwood, is composed of out-of-commission xylem that no longer transports water throughout the tree. Similarly, the oldest layers of phloem, which transports the food manufactured through photosynthesis, form the outer, dead bark of the tree’s surface.

    In between the heartwood and bark lies the tree’s sapwood, its living energy-storage tissue.

WHY DO LEAVES CHANGE COLOUR?

    As days grow shorter and temperatures cooler, deciduous trees prepare for winter dormancy. Lacking sufficient light and water, photosynthesis shuts down, and trees must live off food stored during the growing season.

    In spring, leaves lay the groundwork for their demise. A special layer of cells forms at the base of each leaf, called the abscission or separation layer. Its work is to transport water to the leaf and take food, created by photosynthesis, back to the tree.

    In autumn, the cells of this layer begin to swell and the bottom of this layer forms a corklike substance that eventually cuts off all transfer between leaf and tree. Meanwhile, the top of the layer begins to disintegrate, making it easy for the leaf to detach.

    As photosynthesis ceases, the leaves lose their chlorophyll, which gives them their green colour. Without chlorophyll, other colours emerge. Yellow and orange, for example, are normally present in the leaves but are overshadowed by the chlorophyll. Maple-leaf red occurs because glucose remains when photosynthesis shuts down. Drab oak-leaf brown represents wastes left in the leaves.

A TREE FROM AGES PAST

    The long-needled Wollemi pine is a survivor from the age of dinosaurs. While fossil records made the 200-million-year-old species known to us, it was believed to be extinct. Then, in 1994, an Australian parks officer found a single tree in the Blue Mountains in Wollemi National Park. Subsequently, a hundred adult trees were counted there. Conservation efforts funded in part from the sale of saplings go to save and strengthen the species.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now 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

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

BRIEF HISTORY OF CONTINENTS

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CONTINENTAL AREAS

ASIA: 17,208,000 SQUARE MILES

AFRICA: 11,608,000 SQUARE MILES

NORTH AMERICA: 9,449,000 SQUARE MILES

SOUTH AMERICA: 6,880,000 SQUARE MILES

ANTARCTICA: 5,100,000 SQUARE MILES

EUROPE: 3,841,000 SQUARE MILES

AUSTRALIA: 2,970,000 SQUARE MILES

    Out of the total earth area, around one-third is land, and balance two-third is water–ocean. Yet, the major land divisions—the continents—are the ones that give shape and physical identity to the planet.

    The seven continents represent some 57 million square miles in area, portioned unequally among them. They range in size from Asia, being the largest, to Australia, being the smallest. Although Europe and Asia form one large mass, they are usually regarded as two continents, mainly due to the cultural differences between their peoples.

    The seven continents as they appear today represent just one episode in an ongoing scenario of the wandering land masses. It is a process whose history dates back to the initial formation of continental material on Earth’s crust almost four billion years ago—a process called ‘plate tectonics.’

    The crust and the top portion of the mantle form a rigid shell around the planet that is broken up into 16 large sections known as plates. Heat generated inside Earth is distributed through convection current which causes the plates to move slowly. This sort of movement has been going on for hundreds of millions of years.

    Most geologists believe that the ‘continents’ were created when vast plates of rock collided, forcing one to slide under another in a process called ‘subduction.’ The crust then melted and formed magma, or molten rock. Erupting to the surface, the magma built volcanic islands that eventually fused with other islands on adjoining plates—becoming the first continental material.

HOW WERE CONTINENTS FORMED

    As Earth’s continental masses grew bigger, moving all the while, they shifted in relation with each other and coalesced into different arrangements over hundreds of millions of years. The current configuration of continents is just a temporary one in the eons-long process of the plate tectonics.

    Three times during the past billion years, drifting landmasses have merged to form supercontinents.

    In between these stages of continental drift, they split into smaller landmasses before recombining again. Scientists predict that a new supercontinent, ‘Pangaea Ultima,’ will eventually form, 250 million years from now.

TERMINOLOGY 

CONTINENT: Comes from the Latin continens, “held together.” One of Earth’s seven large masses of land.

TECTONICS: Comes from the Greek tekton, “builder.” Study of the changes in Earth’s crust and the forces that produce such changes.

SUBDUCTION ZONE: The oceanic trench area in which the seafloor ‘underthrusts’ an adjacent plate, dragging, accumulated sediments, downward into Earth’s upper mantle.

ALFRED WEGENER THE EARTH SCIENTIST

    German Earth Scientist Alfred Wegener (1880-1930), was among the first to use balloons to track air currents. He participated in expeditions to Greenland to study polar air circulation but became better known for his theory of continental drift. People had already noticed that the coastlines of western Africa and eastern South America seemed to match, but Wegener found evidence that the continents had been joined: because of similar fossils from both sides of the Atlantic and tropical species in Arctic areas. He posited the existence of a supercontinent, Pangaea (All Lands) that eventually broke up, and he presented his ideas in the Origin of Continents and Oceans—but few believed him. In the 1950s and 1960s, studies of the ocean floor demonstrated a mechanism for crustal movement, is when Wegener’s theory of continental drift gained acceptance.

BRIEF HISTORY OF EARTH

500 MILLION YEARS ago, a chunk broke off a single continent. Shallow waters spawned the first multicellular creatures.

300 MILLION YEARS ago, some of today’s mountains formed. A new ice age covered Earth’s southern regions.

225 MILLION YEARS AGO, the earliest dinosaurs roamed a single continent that stretched from Pole to Pole.

100 MILLION YEARS ago, cracks across the one continent, known as Pangaea, formed rifts that evolved into oceans.

50 MILLION YEARS ago, a climate changing meteor crashed into Earth and the highest mountains began their uprise.

20,000 YEARS ago, ice sheets a mile deep gouged out the Great Lakes and then receded, raising sea levels.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now 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

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: THE CAVE AND THE LIGHT

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    There was once a cave that lived underground as most caves do. The cave had spent its entire life in darkness. It had never seen light. One day, a voice came up to him and said, ‘Come up … into the light. Come up … and enjoy the sunlight.’

     ‘I don’t know what you mean by light. All I have ever known and seen is darkness.’ The cave replied. ‘Come and see it for yourself,’ said the voice again.

    The cave mustered up enough courage and climbed slowly up from the depths of the earth. Suddenly, it reached the top of the earth and was surrounded by magnificent light, the likes of which he had never seen before in its life.

    ‘This is beautiful,’ said the cave. And after enjoying the light for a while the cave said to the sunlight, ‘Now it is your turn to come with me and see the darkness.’

    ‘What is darkness?’ Asked the Sunlight. The cave answered, ‘come and see it for yourself.’ The Sunlight decided to visit the cave’s home. And as the Sunlight entered the cave, it said. ‘Now show me where your darkness is.’ But with the Sunlight there was no darkness to be found.

    What the anecdote illustrates is the power of light. Wherever there is light there can be no darkness. Whenever we feel we are in the dark spell of our life, we need only to tap into the light of our soul.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now 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

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

SHORT STORY: THE FOOLISH HARE

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The Foolish Hare

    One day a little foolish hare was sitting under a fruit tree, and was deeply immersed in his own thoughts. As a matter of habit he mostly took quick decisions without giving a second thought. One day he got a brainwave. “What’ll happen to me when the earth comes to an end?” At that very moment a fruit fell from the tree. Off ran the foolish hare as fast as his legs could carry him. He thought that the noise of the fruit falling on the ground was that of the earth breaking to pieces. He ran and ran, not daring to look behind. 

    “Brother, Brother,” called another little hare that saw him running, “please tell me what has happened!” 

    But the little hare ran on and on and did not turn to answer. So, the other hare ran after him calling louder and louder, “What has happened, little brother, what has happened?” 

    Unable to withstand the repeated call of the fellow hare, the little hare stopped for a moment and said, “The earth is breaking into pieces!” Upon hearing this the other hare started running even faster, and then a third hare joined them and then a fourth and a fifth till a hundred thousand hare started racing through the fields. And they raced through the forest and valleys. Upon hearing that the earth was coming to an end even the deer, the boars, the elks, the buffaloes, the oxen, the rhinos, the tigers, the lions and the elephants, all ran wildly with them. 

    But among them lived a lion that was very wise. He knew everything that happened in the world. He came to know that so many hundreds and thousands of animals were running away because they believed that the earth was breaking into pieces. He thought, “This earth of ours is far from coming to an end. But these poor creatures will die if I don’t save them. In their fright they might just run blindly and drown in the sea.” 

    So, he ran at such a pace that he reached a certain mountain which lay in their path. As they passed by the mountain he roared three times, so loudly that they stopped. All stood still, close to each other, trembling. 

    The great lion descended from the mountain and approached them. “Why are you running at such a pace?” he asked. 

    “The earth is breaking to pieces”, they replied. 

    “Who saw it breaking to pieces?” he asked. 

    “The elephants”, they replied. 

    “Did you see it breaking?” he asked the elephants. 

    “No. we did not see it. The lions saw it,” they replied. 

    “Did you see it?” he asked the lions. 

    “No. the tigers saw it”, they replied. 

    Then the lion asked the tigers, “Did you see it?” 

    “The rhinos saw it”, they replied. 

    But the rhinos said, “The elks saw it.” 

    The elks said, “The bears saw it.” 

    The bears said, “The oxen saw it.” 

    The oxen said. “The deer saw it.” 

    The deer said. “The hares saw it.” 

    And the hares said, “That little one told us that the earth was breaking.” 

    “Did you see the earth breaking?” He asked the little hare. 

    “Yes lord,” replied the hare. “I saw it breaking.” “Where were you when you saw it breaking?” He asked. 

    With a trembling voice the little hare replied, “I was sitting beneath a fruit tree and thought, “What will happen to me when the earth comes to an end?” And at that very moment I heard the noise of the earth breaking so I ran.” 

    The wise lion thought for a moment. He was sitting under a fruit tree. Certainly the noise he heard was that of a fruit falling on the ground. “Ride on my back, little one,” he said, “and show me where you saw the earth break.” 

    The little hare jumped on his back and the great lion flew to the place. But as they approached the fruit tree, the little hare jumped off. So frightened was he to return to the spot. And he pointed out the tree to the lion, saying, “Lord, there is the tree.” 

    The great lion went to the tree and saw the spot where the little hare had been sitting and the fruit which had fallen from the tree. “Come here little one”, he called. 

    “Now where do you see the earth broken? 

    Little hare looked around. He saw the fruit on the ground. Now he knew there was no reason for his fright. He jumped once again on the lion’s back and away they went to the hundreds of creatures who were awaiting their return. 

    The lion then told the great multitude that the noise the little hare had heard was of a fruit falling to the ground. And so all turned back, the elephants to the valleys, the lions to the caves, the deer to the river banks and the little hare to the fruit tree. The little hare was foolish and had brought trouble to all animals. 

    MORAL: Beware of rumours … especially whattsapp rumours. And being foolish is dangerous for oneself as well as others.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. 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

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now 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

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 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. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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BEAUTIFUL LINES & INTERESTING THOUGHTS

column, General awareness & Knowledge, general knowledge, interesting facts, quote, quotes and lines, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

Kamlesh Tripathi

 

 

  • Mind without heart, intelligence without conduct, cleverness without goodness are tools, but only for mischief.
  • Behave the way you can always behave—Annonymous.
  • Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody—Benjamin Franklin
  • I would not wish any companion in the world but you—Shakespeare.
  • The Rig Veda tells us: “Let noble thoughts come to us from everywhere.”
  • “Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied.”
    ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
  • “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
    ― Jalaluddin Rumi
  • “One thing you can’t hide – is when you’re crippled inside.”
    ― John Lennon
  • Justice as Lord Atkin said is “no cloistered virtue”
  • Sometimes words that fail to make their effect at the time are remembered later—Agatha Christie
  • Give your clients the earliest delivery consistent with quality—whatever the inconvenience to us—Arthur Nielson
  • Opportunities present themselves every day. You just have to be alert and ready to act.—MARK OSTROFSKY, US ENTREPRENEUR
  • Sometimes it’s worse to win a fight than to lose—Billie Holiday
  • The best of us must sometimes eat our words—JK Rowling
  • The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation—BERTRAND RUSSELL
  • What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and value of nothing—Oscar Wilde
  • Slow down and steady up—annonymous
  • All work and no play/makes Jack a dull boy. To which the cautionary response goes ‘All play and no work/ Makes Jack a mere toy.’ TOI Editorial
  • Don’t talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave—Wilson Mazner, US playwright
  • Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgement- Mario Puzo- Godfather
  • We’ve seen over time that countries that have the best economic growth are those that have good governance- Ramez Naam US writer
  • A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue, That’s why there are so few good conversations- Truman
  • History does not repeat itself exactly but, as Mark Twain put it, it often rhymes.
  • If you have built castles in the air … now put the foundations under them—Henry David Thoureau
  • Margaret Thatcher’s warning that those standing in the middle of the road get run over.
  • The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation—Vladmir Lenin.
  • Carlyle- the history of the world is but biography of great men.’ Some so called great men have their hands deep in blood.
  • Boris Pasternak author of Dr Zhivago called silence the best sound on earth’
  • The greatest obstacle to excellence is you! A caddy once told a champion golfer, “There’s a perfect shot waiting out there. All you have to do is to get yourself out of the way.”
  • In short, I will part with anything for you but you- Mary Wortley Montagu, Writer.
  • There are good times and there are bad times, but one must never forget the hard times—Annonymous.
  • When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry—William Shakespeare.
  • Kritam Lokham Purushoabhijayte- Man himself builds his own world.
  • The boxer Muhammad Ali refused to wear his seat-belt on a plane. “Superman doesn’t need a belt,” he insisted. Tying his belt for him, the stewardess replied, “Superman doesn’t need a plane either.”
  • Exhibitionists: at a wedding they want to be the bride. At a funeral the corpse. Julius Caesar who was an incorrigible egotist, was kidnapped when he was a child. He was held for a ransom of 11,000 gold pieces. Horrified exhorted his captors to raise the sum to 250,000 gold pieces so as to preserve his prestige.
  • You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out—Warren Buffet
  • The whole of western science has developed from Greek philosophy. It stands on the foundations of Greek Philosophy, and one of Greek philosophy’s basic beliefs is that time travels in a straight line.
  • The bread that falls off your plate nearly always lands on the buttered side.
  • Evil manners live in brass, but our virtues we write in water.
  • There is a Mexican saying that we die three deaths: the first time we die is when our bodies die. The second is when our bodies are lowered into the earth, out of sight. The third time we die is when our loved ones forget us.
  • Being different and thinking different makes a person unforgettable. History does not remember the forgettable.- Suzy Kassem, US writer.

 

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THE BLISS OF AYURVEDA

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

 Posted by: Kamlesh Tripathi

ayurveda

According to Ayurveda everything in this universe comprises of various proportions of five basic elements (The panch mahabhutas): Space—Akasha, Air—Vayu, Fire—Agni, Water—Jal and Earth—Prithvi.

    The boundless combination of five elements gives rise to our staked individuality. And once there is a comprehensive knowledge of this ethereal combination in ourselves, we’ll be able to maintain a beneficial balance and harmony within ourselves. And wherever this balance is there; vibrant health is there.

Our natural constitution, more precisely the qualities we are born with, is called Prakriti. Qualities are important, not their statisitics. In Ayurveda, there is no generalised criteria, for maintaining health, individuality and individual constitution is more important. Some people need warm atmosphere, others prefer cooler atmospheres. Each one is a different individual. Ayurveda works with individual qualities of the person. Mind, body, and behaviour are consistently packaged together in subtle ways that are revealed only by knowledge of the five elements as dosas and gunas.

The predominance of elements (space, air, fire, water and earth) gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) and dosas (vata, pitta and kapha) at the time of conception and during gestation decides the natural constitution of that individual. Prakriti is formed from the subtle qualities of the five elements. Vata is a combination of the subtle elements of air and space, pitta of fire and water and kapha of earth and water. Once this proportion is set, generally it remains permanent for the lifespan of the individual, but the best out of a person can be brought out through spiritual practice, like meditation, breathing and good association.

“Pra” refers to before, beginning, commencement, source or origin, in different contexts. “Kriti” means creation or to do. Therefore, Prakriti on the whole means ‘the first formed nature’ or ‘the original form of the being.’

If we understand the subtle qualities of air and space we will find qualities which are light, dry, cold, clear and moving. These are the main qualities found in a person with vata constitution, or Prakriti. In the same way, we find the subtle qualities of fire and water are hot, sharp, oily and liquid. These are the main qualities of a person with pitta constitution or Prakriti. A person of Kapha Prakriti has the subtle elements of earth and water and gives them qualities that are solid, cool, slow, liquid and dense.

Benefits of knowing Prakriti

By understanding the qualities of our natural constitution, or Prakriti, we are able to understand ourselves, how to live our life and to understand people around us, with awareness. Unlike western medicine, that aims, at only, physical, and mental health. Ayurveda, wants to lift every aspect of life to a higher level. Personal relationships, work satisfaction, spiritual growth and social harmony are all linked to mind and body very intimately. Therefore, they can be influenced through Ayurveda if its knowledge goes deep enough.

Prakriti plays an important role in understanding our health and how we function in the world and our relationship to others as well as ourselves. We become aware what health problems may occur based on knowing our Prakriti, or natural constitution. We become aware of certain like types of food, situations and seasons that affect our well being and are able to effectively manage these factors and promote health. One can take proper care, change or adjust diet and adopt daily and seasonal routines.

Additionally, prognosis of disease with respect to Prakriti is possible. In this way, knowledge of Prakriti is useful and helpful to maintain health.

And knowing your Prakriti can help you live a better life through a suitable diet, appropriate lifestyle, assessing your strengths and weaknesses, anticipating disease and preventing it, healthy interaction with friends and family.

A person is normally a combination of three constitutions. Few people can say their constitution is pure vata, pure pitta or pure kapha. And usually a person is a combination of vata, pitta, or kapha playing a dominant role, while the other two play secondary roles.

So you may find you are a P-K person, that is, pitta is dominant, while kapha is secondary and so on. Or a V-P person, with vata dominant and pitta secondary, and likewise all combinations are possible.

(Excerpts from a book on Ayurveda)

POETRY: EERIE WAYS OF TIME

POETRY, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

TIME 2 TIME 3 TIME

 

EERIE WAYS OF TIME

 

In the spate of times,

It was always a mix of good and bad times,

but all of it was time’s time,

For I never owned an iota of time,

And time appeared to me like a borrowed rhyme.

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And in this erratic world of mine,

No one could rule over time,

And having conquered the world,

One still lost to time.

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While I cursed bad times,

I longed for good times,

But this eerie family of time,

Never gave me a steady time.

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In certain moments aeons happened,

And in certain aeons, only moments could happen,

But in the graph of time,

Everywhere every time something always happened.

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 It never let me rest,

As it never rested itself,

Always kept me on my toes,

Even when it had no toes.

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Ageless, speechless, soundless,

Colourless, odourless, shapeless, stareless,

Yet it combats the mightiest,

and saves the daintiest.

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It has no religion,

No place of worship,

No country it belongs to,

And no planet it comes from.

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Yet when I look back,

I find I was never without time,

Whether good or bad,

Nevertheless, I was always in the company of time.

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And then one day it smiled and said,

I am your friend, your mentor and your mirror of life,

For when you do good to others I make you smile,

And when you hurt I make you cry.

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And in times of crisis,

I am the biggest healer,

And as you tread your journey,

I follow you as your healer.

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So learn to respect thy time,

As you won’t go far if you waste time,

For good time is scarce,

In this world of crime.

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And whether this way or that way,

Time will take care of you either way,

And as time says,

Those are my eerie ways.

***

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share if you like it

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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)

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

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