Tag Archives: kamlesh tripathi

‘THE HAPPY PRINCE’ AND ‘THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT’

December 27, 2023Uncategorizedegypt, folktale, frost, heart, italian, italo calvino, kamlesh tripathi, karma, leaden, majesty, Oscar Wilde, shirt, short story, shravan charity mission, spiritual, statue, swallow, the happy man's shirt, the happy princeshravancharitymission

They say the world has become a better place to live. But the ‘Happy Prince’ is not alive to see it. So is the swallow, who carried out his last orders, but died in the frost, at his feet, before he could escape to Egypt. In the end, the lead metal statue of the ‘Happy Prince’ cracks in agony but his leaden heart still beats for his kingdom and its citizenry. But are there any such rulers left in this world, anymore? Well, they are more or less extinct. I appreciate the handsome author Oscar Wilde, who wrote such a moving allegory in the prime of his youth. Whether he was inspired by any such prince in the late 19^th century or he imagined one to be is another question, but by writing this tale the author created a quintessential role model of a ruler.

In contrast to Oscar Wilde’s ‘Happy Prince’ written in the 20^th century, Italo Calvino retold an Italian folktale: ‘The Happy Man’s Shirt.’ It is the story of the only son of a king who is always unhappy and therefore it won’t be wrong to call him the ‘Unhappy Prince. The reason for his unhappiness is unknown. The king struck by the love for his son wanted to know the reason for his son’s unhappiness so he issued a decree, and from every corner of the earth came the most learned philosophers, doctors, and professors to treat him. They examined the unhappy prince and advised the king to look for a happy man who is happy through and through, and exchange his son’s shirt with his. The same day the king sent his ambassadors in all directions in search of the happy man, but in vain. At his wit’s end, the king went hunting. There he heard a man singing a refrain. The king stopped in his tracks. He thought ‘Whoever sings in this manner is bound to be happy!’ The song led him into the vineyard, where he found a young man singing and pruning the vines.

‘Good day, Majesty,’ said the youth. ‘So early and already out in the country?’

‘Bless you! Would you like me to take you to the capital? You will be my friend.’

‘Much obliged, your Majesty, but I would not even consider it. I wouldn’t even change places with the Pope.’

‘But why not? Such a fine young man like you . . .’

‘No, no, let me tell you. I’m content with just what I have and I want nothing more.’

‘A happy man at last!’ thought the king. ‘Listen, young man. Do me a favour.’

‘With all my heart, Majesty, if I can.’

‘Just wait for a minute,’ said the king, who, unable to contain his joy any longer, ran to get his retinue. ‘Come with me! My son is saved! My son is saved! And he took them to the young man. ‘My dear lad,’ he began, ‘I’ll give you whatever you want! But give me . . . give me . . .’

‘What, Majesty?’

‘My son is dying! Only you can save him. Come here!’

The king grabbed him and started unbuttoning the youth’s jacket. Suddenly he stopped, and his arms fell to his sides.

The happy man wore no shirt.

Both narrations create classic role models. One was written in the late 19^th century and the other earlier but retold by Italo Calvino in the 20^th century. One uses the king and the other a humble citizen to create role models. One derives happiness by serving his people the other through peace and contentment and the Swallow by serving his master till the end.

A round of applause to the fountainheads of such thought processes.

***

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

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, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include 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 at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

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; It is also available for reading in the 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, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

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 at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

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

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21^st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23;

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23;

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

A peep into Ancient Egypt

December 21, 2023UncategorizedAmmut, ancient egypt, Anubis, calendar, giza, god, hatshepsut, kamlesh tripathi, khufu, madrid, mummies, natron, nile, nile river, Osiris, pharaoh, pyramid, shravancharitymission, spain, sphinx, story, tutankhamun's tombshravancharitymission

Ancient Egypt has always been an enigma. If you peek into the past, it took Howard Carter years of research before he found Tutankhamun’s tomb. The door of this tomb had been closed for almost 3,000 years. It contained treasures. Its discovery exhibited one of the greatest civilisations in history.

The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world. Egypt is a hot and dry desert. The Nile flows right through it. It used to flood Egypt every year. The flood water, left behind thick soil called silt. It was good for growing crops. People settled along the Nile more than 7,500 years ago. To keep track of planting, they designed a calendar based on the Nile’s annual flood pattern. The calendar had a year of 365 days divided into 12 months and three seasons. We use this calendar even today.

The Egyptians used the Nile as a highway. Their boats sailed up and down the river. They carried merchandise to trade in other countries. Gradually ancient Egypt grew into a powerful civilisation. It was one of the most powerful in the history of the world. It lasted for nearly 3,000 years, from 3150 B.C. to 30 B.C.

The rulers of ancient Egypt were called pharaohs. People believed that the pharaoh was their God on Earth. He or she was all-powerful and made all the laws of the land. They owned the land and everything on it. They also ensured that the Pharaoh appeared young and fit, no matter how he or she looked in real life.

Ramses II was one of ancient Egypt’s most important Pharaohs. He ruled for 65 years and built more monuments than any other king before him. Tutankhamun only ruled for 10 years. But he’s famous because he was buried with more than 5,000 treasures like thrones, jewellery, a gold coffin, and a chariot.

Most pharaohs were men, but not all. For a long time, the experts didn’t know that pharaoh Hatshepsut was a woman. That’s because she ordered statues and paintings to show her as a man with a beard and taut muscles.

Some pharaohs ordered massive structures called pyramids to be built. The pyramids graced the pharaohs. One was the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. It was the tallest structure in the world for more than 3,800 years. It was 481 feet tall and took 20 years to build. The Egyptians created the Great Sphinx to guard the pyramids. A sphinx is a made-up creature with a lion’s body and a human head. Egyptians carved sphinx statues to guard important areas.

The workers who built the pyramids did not have machines. Experts feel they cut huge stone blocks from quarries. They were then dragged to the boats and floated down the Nile. Thereafter, they hauled the stone blocks up the ramps and placed them on the pyramid. In 1999, an ancient town near the pyramids was discovered. Long ago, this town was home to workers who built the pyramids. The area was bigger than 10 football fields. The pyramids weren’t just buildings. They were tombs. A Pharaoh was buried in each of the large pyramids. Smaller pyramids nearby held the bodies of their family members.

Not all mummies were human beings. Egyptians sometimes made mummies of animals too, like cats. Mummies of dogs, hawks, and even crocodiles have also been discovered. The body of a human or an animal that has been dried and wrapped before burial is called mummies.

Egyptians believed in life after death. They wanted to make sure their dead relatives would have everything they might need in the afterlife. So they stocked their tombs with food, clothes, furniture, and jewellery.

The experts felt that the first mummies were made by accident. Egyptians buried their dead in the desert. The hot and dry sand killed the bacteria that caused the body to break down. So instead of rotting, the bodies dried out. Not everyone was mummified. The process was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it. The Egyptians believed that if a person’s body was preserved, his or her soul would live forever. So they studied these natural mummies. They learned how to make bodies last for centuries. This process was called mummification.

To make a mummy, ancient Egyptians would insert a hook into the dead person’s nose, pull out the brain, and throw it away. Then they removed the liver, stomach, intestines, and lungs. They sealed them in canopic jars (special containers). The heart was left in place. Egyptians didn’t think the brain was important. They thought the heart was the source of wisdom. Next, they would pack the body with natron, a type of salt, to soak up moisture. The body was then left for 40 days after which the natron was removed from the dried body, and the body was filled with rags to shape it. Finally, the body was wrapped in layers of linen. An Egyptian mummy now lies in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid, Spain.

After a person died, Egyptians believed that he or she would travel to the next world and appear before the god Osiris. Osiris was the judge and lord of the dead. The person’s heart would then be weighed on a golden scale against a feather, called the feather of truth. If the heart weighed less than the feather, the person could live on forever in paradise. The wolf-headed god Anubis weighed the heart. The demon Ammut with a crocodile head waited to see if the heart was judged unworthy. If so, he would eat it up.

Some interesting facts about Egyptians: The Egyptians thought many animals were connected with the gods, from cats to cobras, to crocodiles. Many ancient Egyptians shaved their heads. They did this to keep lice away and stay cool in the heat. They often wore wigs to cover their bald heads. The Egyptians grew a lot of grain. Bread and porridge were the main meals of most people. Many mummies wore masks made to look like the faces of the dead. That way the dead person’s spirit could find its body again. Of the seven big, important structures from history called the “wonders of the ancient world,” the Great Pyramid is the only one still standing. The Egyptians invented makeup. Both men and women wore it. They believed that wearing makeup gave them the protection of the gods.

Gods and Goddesses were important in the everyday lives of ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians believed in more than 2,000 of them. They had a god for everything, from daily chores to a safe journey to the afterlife. Each one needed to be worshipped. Horus was the god of the sky. Horus had a falcon-head. In each claw, he holds an ankh, the symbol of life. The god of Thoth had the head of an ibis, a type of bird that once lived in Egypt. Thoth was the god of writing and science. Bes protected Egyptian families from snakes and scorpions. The Egyptians thought the god Bes also scared away demons.

Ancient Egyptians thought illness happened when the gods got angry. Doctors used spells to drive away demons. But they had medicine, too. Some didn’t work, like an eye cream that included bat blood. But other medicines did. Many medicines included honey, a natural germ-killer. From the making of mummies, the Egyptians learned a lot about how the body worked. Egyptian doctors could stitch wounds, heal broken bones, and perform minor surgeries using blades. The first female doctor was an ancient Egyptian named Peseshet. She practiced medicine when the great pyramids were built, around 2500 B.C.

The Egyptians weren’t just ahead of their time in medicine. They also knew a lot about math. They had to: Otherwise, their tombs and temples would have toppled without it. The temple of Hatshepsut was designed so that the rising winter sun would shine on the statue inside. They invented a number system based on zeros and ones that are still used to program today’s computers.

They also studied the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. The Great Pyramid’s four sides exactly face north, south, east, and west. Many Egyptian temples are aligned along the path of the rising sun.

Egyptian craftsmen made beautiful paintings, sculptures, jewellery, and furniture. They filled the tombs of loved ones with these treasures. Art gives us clues about what life was like in ancient Egypt. It shows how people dressed. It also shows what kinds of jobs they had and what they did for fun.

The ancient Egyptians loved board games. Some pharaohs were even buried with their favourite games.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

POEM: MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 19, 2023UncategorizedBethelehem, choir, christmas, jesus, kamlesh, kamlesh tripathi, masses, merry christmas, reindeer, santa claus, shravan charity mission, sledge, spires, spiritualshravancharitymission

MERRY CHRISTMAS

In the middle of winter,

I witness the magic of Christmas,

With all its celebrations,

And all its jollifications.

There is a village in Utopia,

That lies in the distant north,

Far … far away,

Where … Elves are never seen,

Making toys for Christmas Eve,

But from where,

Santa brings,

Umpteen Christmas gifts.

They say,

The elves,

Aid the Santa Claus,

In the making of those,

Lovely toys.

Tales of the Flying Reindeer,

Through the night sky,

Laced with twinkling stars,

Across the snowy mountains,

In the magical sledge,

Is the man dressed in red,

Who is called Santa Claus.

After arriving,

Santa presents,

The waiting children,

Those lovely gifts,

Amid, the jingle bells,

On Christmas Eve.

In the cracking winters,

Appears the snowman,

Who lives for a while,

To lend flavour to Merry Christmas,

Then fades away with the changing seasons.

In the Nativity of Jesus,

On the birth of Christ,

Bethlehem brightens up,

His followers liven up.

The church bells in the steeple,

Begin to ring,

The carols begin to sing,

Masses are held,

Choirs are staged,

The spires turn alive,

Jingle bells fill the sky,

And each time a bell jingles,

An angel gets its wings.

The streets are illumed,

The markets are decorated,

There is festivity around,

And you see people moving around.

It is cakes, pastries and the wine,

Music and dancing times,

No matter what,

I always come home for Christmas.

The magic of Christmas never ends,

Its greatest gifts are family and friends,

It’s not a time nor a season but a state of mind,

So Merry Christmas my friend.

Poem written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

Immorality exposes the Chink in the Armour

December 18, 2023article, causerie, column, fable, facts, short story, storyachilles, asura, bhasmasur, chink in the armour, god, kamlesh tripathi, karma, mohini, ram, ravan, Shiva, shravan charity mission, spiritualshravancharitymission

The very idiom “chink in one’s armour’ refers to an area of vulnerability. There is no denying the fact that each one of us has a ‘chink in our armour’. Even the most powerful person on earth has a chink in his armour. Destiny bestows a chink in everyone’s armour that subjugates a Vardan (boon) if the person becomes immoral. This is when the armour reveals the chink. Traditionally the idiom is used to refer to a weak spot in a figurative suit of armour. The usual meaning is similar to that of the ‘Achilles heel’.

There was once an asura who with his marathon tapasya and devotion was able to please Lord Shiva. In return, he obtained from him the powerful ‘Vardan’ to burn anyone to ashes the moment he placed his hand on his head. The asura came to be known as Bhasmasur because he could reduce anyone to ashes by his mere touch.

Bhasmasur was indeed delighted by this vardan of Lord Shiva. So he decided to try out, his newly acquired power, on Shiva himself. When Shiva learnt of his intention he fled in horror and sought the help of Lord Vishnu, who transformed himself into Mohini the renowned apsara to distract Bhasmasur. Overwhelmed by lust, Bhasmasur begged Mohini to marry him. Mohini agreed but laid down a condition that only if, Bhasmasur could dance like her. Bhasmasur agreed to her condition. During the dance, Mohini touched her head. The deluded Bhasmasur, blinded by desire, copied her, and he put his hand on his head too and was burnt to ashes, much to the delight of Lord Shiva.

Achilles, in Greek mythology, is the hero of the Trojan War, a central character in Homer’s Iliad. He is the son of Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons, and the Nereid, or the sea nymph, Thetis. Achilles was brave, handsome, and the greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War. According to Homer, Achilles was brought up by his mother Thetis at Phthia a city in Greece with his inseparable companion Patroclus. Thetis the mother of Achilles dipped Achilles as a child in the waters of the River Styx, which made him invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him—which is called the proverbial “Achilles’ heel.” Achilles was invulnerable all over except for one heel that remained untouched by the water of the River Styx.

According to the legend, after the Trojan War, the Trojan prince Paris at the request of his sister Polyxena ambushed Achilles. Paris shot a fatal arrow into Achilles’ vulnerable spot … the heel. Paris was avenging his brother, Hector, whom Achilles had killed.

In the Mahabharat, Gandhari made a single purposeful exception to her blindfold when she removed it to shield her eldest son Duryodhana. She poured all her power into her son’s body in one gaze, rendering Duryodhana’s entire body, except his loins, as strong as a rock. But Krishna foiled Gandhari’s plan by asking Duryodhana to cover up his private parts before meeting his mother. Later on their decisive encounter on the eighteenth day of the Kurukshetra battle, Bhima smashed Duryodhana’s thighs, a move both literally and figuratively below the belt, breaking the rules to kill him.

In the Lanka War in Ramayan, Vibhishan’s knowledge about the secrets of Lanka proves invaluable to Ram. Vibhishan freely divulges many secrets that become key to the success of Ram’s attack. In the climactic battle between Ram and Ravan, when Ram is unable to kill Ravan, he reveals the secret of Ravan’s invulnerability to Ram. He tells Ram that Ravan has stored the nectar of immortality (amrit) in his belly and it is necessary to dry it first and then kill him. With this knowledge, Ram is finally able to kill Ravan.

A boon is not an easy object to handle. It comes with a lot of responsibility. Use your brains if you need to copy someone. And if your karmas are immoral no amount of boon, Raksha or Suraksha Kavach or armour will be able to save you.

***

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

THE SHILLONG TIMES

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

THE MAGIC OF READING

December 13, 2023Uncategorizedauthor, book, francis bacon, kamlesh tripathi, karma, of studies, reading, shravan charity mission, shravancharitymission, spiritual, studying, writingshravancharitymission

Published 11th December in The Assam Tribune. There is no other magic like reading. Enjoy the article

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: Learn it the John Milton Way

December 13, 2023Uncategorizedadam, areopagitica, eve, garden of eden, god, john milton, kamlesh tripathi, karma, paradise gained, paradise lost, samson agnoistes, shravan charity mission, shravancharitymission, spiritualshravancharitymission

Article published in the Sunday Shillong Times on 10th December 2023. We all must learn how John Milton turned his personal tragedy into his life’s biggest opportunity,

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

THE STORY OF THUMBELINA

December 8, 2023Uncategorizedbutterfly, children's story, god, kamlesh tripathi, karma, mole, moral, short story, shravancharitymission, swallow, Thumbelina, toadshravancharitymission

Once there was a woman who didn’t have any children. She wanted a girl. One day, an old woman came to see her. She said, ‘Plant this seed and soon you’ll have a little girl.’ The woman planted the seed and very soon there was a flower from the seed. When the flower bloomed out came a little girl. The woman took the little girl to her home. ‘You are as little as my thumb,’ said the woman, ‘so I’ll call you Thumbelina.”

Thereafter the woman looked after Thumbelina, and Thumbelina was happy. One day, a toad saw Thumbelina playing. ‘What a pretty girl!’ Exclaimed the toad. ‘I will take her home with me and get her married to my son.’ And the toad took Thumbelina away. She put Thumbelina on a lily leaf and went to look for her son.

Thumbelina was very unhappy. She didn’t want to marry a toad. She wanted to be back at home. Just then, a butterfly flew by.

‘Please help me … please help me. The toad wants me to marry her son, but I want to go home.’ Cried Thumbelina. The butterfly flew down to the lily leaf. Thumbelina jumped onto the butterfly’s back, and together they flew into the woods. Thumbelina was very happy in the woods. She stayed there all summer. But when the winter came, all the butterflies flew away and Thumbelina was left all alone.

Soon, a mouse came by. ‘Please help me. I’m cold and I don’t have a home.” said Thumbelina.

The mouse said, “Come and live with me. The winter is very long and very cold. Soon there won’t be any food for you. So you marry the mole. He has food.”

Thumbelina was unhappy again. She didn’t want to marry the mole and live down in a dark tunnel with him. Soon the mole came. He said, ‘Come and see my little home in the tunnel. You will be happy to live there.’ Thumbelina went to see the mole’s home. In the mole’s tunnel, Thumbelina saw a swallow who was hurt.

“All my friends flew away when winter came. Now I’m left all alone.’ Said the swallow. Thumbelina looked after the swallow all winter. When summer came, the swallow felt better and he flew away to be with his friends. Once again, Thumbelina was left all alone.

“Soon it will be winter. I will have to marry the mole and live down in his dark tunnel again,” thought Thumbelina. But just then, Thumbelina’s swallow flew down to her and he chirped. ‘Come … come with me. I will take you to the Land of Summer.”

Happy, Thumbelina jumped onto the swallow’s back and they flew away. The Land of Summer was full of flowers. In each flower, there lived a little boy or a girl, just like Thumbelina.

“Thumbelina, you are one of us,” they said. “Come and live with us!”

They took Thumbelina to see their prince.

The prince asked, “Will you marry me, Thumbelina?”

Thumbelina said, “Yes.”

And Thumbelina and the prince lived happily ever after.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

THE MAGIC OF READING, WRITING, STUDYING & BOOKS

December 6, 2023Uncategorizedart, books, food, francis bacon, india, inspiration, kamlesh tripathi, moral, of studies, photography, poetry, reading, shravancharitymission, spiritual, story, studying, THE GUSH OF EMOTION-WRITING, travel, writingshravancharitymission

Reading, writing, studying and books have an interdependent relationship. Author Francis Bacon in his famous essay titled ‘Óf Studies’ wrote something cardinal about studies, ‘Crafty men contemn them, simple men admire them, wise men use them; for they teach not their own use, but that is a wisdom without them and above them won by observation. Read not to contradict nor to believe, but to weigh and consider.’ In the lines above, the author conveys that individuals with a cunning nature despise studies whereas simple men admire studies. The value of any study lies in its utility. The wise people apply these studies in their practical lives. Studies do not teach their own use. It is the role of the intellect and wisdom to learn the usage of studies. Francis thought that a man should not read just to oppose, challenge and fight with others.

He further says, ‘Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read but cursorily, and some few to be read wholly and with diligence and attention.’ The author here is conveying that books should be read according to their importance in practical life. In the first category are the books that are ‘to be tasted’. This means that these books are just worthy of a quick reading. They are to be read for fun, and delight. This is so because when we read them, we do not seek some deep knowledge – for example, reading a comic book. In the second category, he places those books that are meant ‘to be swallowed’. These books hold widely accepted knowledge that cannot be opposed – for example the laws of gravity in science. You just have to accept them the way they are. The books in the third category are those that should ‘be chewed and digested’. This indicates that they contain philosophical ideas that should be read slowly and thoughtfully and we need to understand and imbibe them. Such books raise the bar of the reader’s thought process and enrich his intellect and they impact you long time. The reader can extract more than the actual content available in these types of books. I’m not too sure if the Holy Scriptures would come under the third category so I would like to place them in the topmost category. They are the core of our faith. We read them again and again and each time we learn something new from them. They impact us daily and over generations.

About reading and writing, Francis writes, ‘Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning to seem to know that he doth not’.

By reading educative books a person gains knowledge about a variety of topics says Francis Bacon. Reading helps a person comprehend and explore areas which are otherwise too difficult to be explored by a common person. It expands the imagination of the mind and helps in conceiving ideas that might help in the progress of the world. In this manner, he is able to realize his full potential as a human being. Conferring with people helps to remove personal narrow-mindedness and biases. It also eradicates a lack of foresight in a person. Conversation with others makes one assess the possible benefits and drawbacks of a situation. His open-mindedness helps him to become a responsible man. This mentally prepares him to lead others and be ready to face future events. Writing is a creative process, which is also very scientific. It makes one precise and meticulous. The rules of grammar and punctuation, if not studied or followed properly, may lead to the twisting of the meaning completely. The same is also a fact in the case of vocabulary. Therefore, writing contributes to making people ‘exact’ or ‘precise’ in their actions.

But the tragedy is only the lucky get to taste the magic of reading, writing, studying and books.

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY

December 6, 2023Uncategorizedadam, areopagitica, blindness, books, charles dickens, don quixote, eve, french-literature, god, hannibal, john milton, kafka, kamlesh tripathi, karma, moral, paradise lost, paradise regained, samson agonistes, satan, serpent, shravancharitymission, spiritual, story, virginia-woolf, william cowpershravancharitymission

Milton became blind in both eyes in the year 1652. He was just 43 then. But despite his blindness, Milton did not hang his boots. His blindness forced him to dictate his verses and prose to amanuenses, who then copied them out for him. Apart from his towering literary accomplishment, Milton has one more accomplishment where he stands out which is the overcoming of his blindness to continue writing. Though he had achieved due fame and recognition even before he became blind when he wrote his celebrated book Areopagitica in 1644 to condemn the pre-publication censorship, his works after he turned blind were also masterpieces. Areopagitica is among history’s most influential and impassioned defences of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Milton acknowledged that books can harm. He opined that books are not dead items. They contain a potency of life in them. They are as active as the soul who has written them, whose progeny they are. They are as vigorous as the Dragon’s teeth. He who kills a Man kills a reasonable creature who is God’s image; but he who destroys a book kills reason itself, rather kills the image of God.

After Milton turned blind he published another masterpiece, his life’s best. This was the epic poem titled ‘Paradise Lost’ in 1667, written in blank verse at a time of immense religious flux and political upheaval. It addresses the fall of man, including the temptation of Adam and Eve plotted by the fallen angel Satan and God’s expulsion of them from the Garden of Eden. The poem opens with the lines: “Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death into the World, and all our woe.” The ‘first disobedience’ comes about when the devil, in the form of a serpent, tempts Eve to take and eat some fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Eve then tells Adam what she has done and he too tastes the forbidden fruit.

English poet William Cowper, in one of his letters, addressed to one William Hayley describes his dream about Milton. He places Milton in high esteem and asks Hayley, what would he give up to have such a dream about Milton. Further, describing Milton he writes in the letter ‘He was gravely, but very neatly attired in the fashion of his day, and had a countenance which filled me with those feelings that an affectionate child has for a beloved father’. He further writes, while dreaming I first wondered, where was he, hiding for so many years. I was overjoyed to find him still alive. I was exuberant to find myself in his company and I finally accosted him. I spoke to him about ‘Paradise Lost’ and told him the long story of when I first discovered it and how it affected me as a schoolboy. Milton then grasped my hand and charmed me. I feared I might fatigue him by talking too much. I thought he was some two hundred years old, so we took leave of each other. His person, and his manner, were all so perfectly characteristic, that I’m forced to think an apparition of him could not represent him more completely. Such was Milton’s charm.

Milton’s rendezvous with literature continued further when in the year 1671, along with the publication of his title ‘Paradise Regained’ he added ‘Samson Agonistes’ which is a tragic drama. (On the title page of ‘Paradise Regained A Poem’ he added Samson Agonistes). The drama commences in medias res (in the middle of things). Samson (the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites) has been captured by the Philistines and has had his hair, the mainstay of his strength cut off and his eyes cut out. Samson is now “Blind among enemies, O worse than chains”. Near the beginning of the play, Samson humbles himself before God by admitting that his power is not his own: “God, when he gave me strength, to show withal / How slight the gift was, hung it in my hair”.

When Samson dies the speech of Samson’s father over his death is no inappropriate epitaph for Milton himself … ‘Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail/ Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt, Disparate, or blame, nothing but well and fair, And what may quiet us in a death so noble’.

In writing the poem and choosing the character of Samson as his hero, Milton perhaps was also illustrating his blindness, which afflicted him in his later life. Yet, he overcame it with his literary miracles.

The 9^th of December is Milton’s birthday.

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

SHORT STORY: ONE WAY TICKET OF THE RABBITS

November 22, 2023Uncategorizedeagle, fables, fish, forest, fox, kamlesh tripathi, karma, log, moral, rabbits, rains, river, short story, shravan charity mission, spiritual, story, tortoiseshravancharitymission

Once there were two ambitious rabbits who wanted to visit the sea. It was a difficult task because the sea was far off but they were determined to do so. They figured out that the river that passes through the nearby forest empties into the sea after a winding course. So they approached their friend tortoise and asked him if he would take them to the sea. But the tortoise refused as it was quite an uphill task carrying both of them on his back, all the way to the sea and then getting them back. Moreover, he had also been to the sea earlier so the proposal was not very attractive for him.

One day the two rabbits saw a log floating in the river. They decided that if they were able to sit on it somehow, the floating log would take them straight to the sea and their journey would be effortless. So they plunged into the river and quickly swam across to the log and merrily went and sat on it. In this manner, their journey to the sea commenced. But a clever fox was watching this drill from the riverbank. He couldn’t understand, why the rabbits went and sat on the floating log and where were they going. He thought once they return to the riverbank he would have them for his meal so he kept following them, and the log too kept floating and so did the rabbits perched on it.

Meanwhile, an eagle who was flying in the sky also saw the two meaty rabbits and thought there was a nice meal waiting for him. But the two rabbits were unaware of the impending danger, one from the sky and the other from the riverbank. Soon it started raining heavily and it became cold. With the heavy showers, the flow of the river intensified. The river ahead was now winding so the floating log was pushed towards the bank of the river and it got stuck there. Now the rabbits didn’t know what to do. They had no choice but to wait there. Soon they apprehended that an eagle might attack them so they went and hid in a burrow. The fox too, who was following them was on the verge of pouncing on them but the two rabbits ran in different directions to confuse the fox. Finally, they got rid of the fox somehow.

Thereafter, they explored the vicinity and got some food to eat. Later, when it stopped raining the current of the river lessened and the log started drifting towards the centre of the river and the rabbits climbed back on it for their remaining journey to the sea. They were now feeling more confident that they were able to stave off so many dangers.

After a few days, the two rabbits perched on the log finally reached the estuary—where the river meets the sea. Upon witnessing the grandeur of the sea the two rabbits felt exuberant that they had finally made it after hoodwinking the eagle and the fox and after braving the heavy showers. But after a couple of seasons and after enjoying and immersing in the beauty of the sea they felt homesick and thought of returning home. So they decided to wait near the estuary for another log to take them home but sadly none came. They asked a passing fish about the log that would take them home. The fish replied nothing goes upstream from the sea on its own. The log will only come down with the flow of water and will not go up. Then how do we go home asked the rabbits.

‘You can swim your way up or you can walk your way back to your home. But be cautious there are crocodiles in this river and a whole lot of predators in the forest.

The moral of the story: It’s nice to be ambitious enough to go on a daring journey but before setting out, plan your return journey well in advance. It is not known whether the rabbits decided to settle in the estuary fearing the return journey or dared to return home where the deadly eagle and the cunning fox were waiting for them. So never travel with a one-way ticket even if the ticket is for the mystique moon.

***

Written by Kamlesh Tripathi

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

Like it and Share it

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

RHYTHM … in poems

MIRAGE

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

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

BHAVANS JOURNAL

SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

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

*****

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: kamlesh tripathi

‘THE HAPPY PRINCE’ AND ‘THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT’

A peep into Ancient Egypt

POEM: MERRY CHRISTMAS

Immorality exposes the Chink in the Armour

THE MAGIC OF READING

OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: Learn it the John Milton Way

THE STORY OF THUMBELINA

THE MAGIC OF READING, WRITING, STUDYING & BOOKS

OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY

SHORT STORY: ONE WAY TICKET OF THE RABBITS