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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHRAVAN

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Shravan Tripathi (23.1.93-24.2.2009)

SHRAVAN TRIPATHI (23.1.93 – 24.2.2009)

Dear Shravan. On your 28th birthday, I’m flooded with warm and gratifying memories of yours. Not years ago, when you were alive, but now yes, you do, remind me of King Chitraketu’s son, who expired, soon after he was born, but sermonised his father into the biggest lesson of the world in just a day, and that was. ‘All relationships are, because of your mortal body, and as you leave your mortal remains behind, you also leave behind, your relations—it sounds harsh. Thereafter, everyone is all by himself and has to suffer, as per his karmas.’

They say a God’s day is equivalent to 12 human years. You lived for 16 years. Your short life span taught me many things in that one-an-a-half, God’s days. You’ve been through all the dimensions of life—prime being the frontiers of birth and death. Birthday is of course a celebration—but death a huge frustration, especially, for the ones left behind. How tricky is life. No matter, how much you plan, life has its own plans. ‘Do not plan anything. Things will take their own course.’ Says Osho. The sixteen years that I spent with you were par-excellence. From your babyhood, childhood to your teens it was just fantastic. And how the family together fought the battle of cancer is something we can’t forget.

Your sad and untimely demise takes me yet to another iconic story. Yeh Mahabharat se hey. At the end of 12 years in exile in the forests, time had come for the Pandavas to live in Agyat Vas—incognito. One day, while searching for the mysterious deer, Yudhishtir, was exhausted and thirsty. His brother Nakul, thus ventured out, to fetch water for him where he found a beautiful lake. The lake was devoid of any living creature except a crane (Baka). When he attempted to take water from the lake, the crane spoke, “Listen Nakul! The water of this lake will turn into poison if you take it without satisfactorily answering my questions.” But Nakul defied the crane and drank the water and died on the spot. So did, Yudhisthir’s other brothers, when they went, looking for Nakul. Finally, Yudhistir followed, in desperation to find his brothers. He arrived at the same lake where he was interfaced with the same crane who revealed himself as a Yaksha—a spirit. Yudhistir answered all the questions of Yaksha and then had the water and even got his brothers back. Well those were the powerful men of those times about which I can only visualise and dream. I wish I had the answers to get you back even when you weren’t the Nakul who drank that water.

But more than that there is this story that really inspires me. 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 up slowly from the depths of the earth. Suddenly, it reached the top of the earth and was surrounded by the magnificent light, the likes of which he had never seen before in his 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.

In your short life span you came as that sunlight, and you did spread so much light, the nimbus of which can be seen and felt even now. What else Shravan? Rest in piece.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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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)

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(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

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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;

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STORY: PARMESHWAR VS THE PRIDE OF DEVTAS

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

Once there was a war between Devtas (Demigods) and Asurs (Demons). And in that war by the grace of Supreme God Almighty Devtas achieved victory. Asurs who perpetuated in destroying the decorum of God Almighty and the religious scriptures lost in this war. Albeit, this great victory was because of the blessings of God Almighty, Devatas could somehow not comprehend the real reason for their victory. They thought it was purely because of their own power and might, and that no one else had anything to do with it. But Supreme God Almighty did not lose time in understanding the arrogance of Devtas. And, to put down their false pride he soon appeared in the form of a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Yaksha (broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots.)

Devtas could not understand this quaint form of God, looking like a Yaksha and were awe struck. They sent Agni-Devta (Fire-demigod) to find out about Yaksha. When Agni reached there, Yaksharoop (God in form of Yaksha) asked him, ‘who are you?’ Agni said—‘you don’t know me. I’m famously known in the world as ‘Agni-Devta.’ Yaksharoop then asked—‘You call yourself famous and powerful—but what kind of power do you yield?’ Agni replied, ‘I have the power to burn the entire universe into ashes.’ Upon hearing such arrogant words from Agni Yaksharoop kept a small straw in front of him and said—‘kindly burn this.’ Agni tried but couldn’t. He tried again and again but failed each time. And finally in anger he burst into flames from his toe to his head, yet he couldn’t burn the straw. In the end he got extremely frustrated and embarrassed and returned where he came from and told the Devtas, ‘I couldn’t find anything God like in that Yaksha.’ It was a blatant lie.

Thereafter, Devtas decided to send Vayu-Devta immediately to check on Yakshaswaroop. But he again asked, ‘who are you and what kind of power do you possess? Vayu-Devta replied, ‘In this entire universe I’m known as Vayu-Devta. I’m almighty and with my power I can make anything in this universe fly.’ At this Yakshaawaroop pointed towards the same straw lying on the ground and asked him to fly it. Vayu-Devta utilized all his strength but could not even move it by an inch and in the end filled with shame he too returned to the Devtas. When devtas enquired, ‘what happened, could you find out who this Yaksha is?’ he sadly replied, ‘I couldn’t?’

Finally Devtas politely requested Devraj Indra, ‘God! You alone can delve deep in this matter regarding Yaksha?’ Indra-Devta acceded to their request and said, ‘very well’ and left to meet Yakshaswaroop but before he could even reach him he had disappeared from there. But noticing the devotion and inquisition with which Devraj Indra had come, Bhagwati Goddess Uma suddenly appeared in front of him. Indra asked, ‘Mother! Who is this Yaksha?’ Bhagwati Uma replied, ‘This Yakshaswaroop is the Supreme God Almighty. You may not know, but only with his blessings and lilashakti (divine mesmerization) Asurs were defeated in that great war that you fought, and let me tell you, Devtas only had a minimal contribution in that great victory, but you all were not aware of this and dwelled in false pride and arrogance. And, therefore, only to smash the destructive pride in you Devatas, Supreme God Almighty has emerged in the form of Yaksharoop. You all need to understand that in this universe the might of the warriors, the strength of the mighty, the enlightenment of the litterateurs, the meditation of tapasawis (Sages in deep meditation) and the energy of the energetic; all of this comes only from only one source and that is the Supreme God. And through his divine plays emerges the righteous powers of which you get only few droplets. He is the nerve centre of all the happenings in the universe and he alone is the ruler of the universe in the real sense. And therefore priding about oneself is only misleading.’

Bhagwati Uma’s words were an eye-opener for Indra-Devta. He was embarrassed on his mistake and the mistake of other Devtas. And after returning he narrated the actual reason of their victory and that made all the Devtas realize their false pride and that in turn made them happy.

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SHORT STORY: WHEN YOU PROTECT DHARMA, DHARMA PROTECTS YOU

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

dharma yaksha yaksha1

    The story relates to Mahabharat.

    During vanvas (forced exile into forest). Pandavas, were spending time in the Datya forest. Where, while roaming around, they felt thirsty. Is when Dharmraj Yudhistir climbed a tree. To see if there was any water in the vicinity. At one spot he could see a lot of greenery. That gave an indication as if water was around. He then requested his youngest brother Nakul to get some water from that place. And in obeyance, Nakul left immediately.

    Soon, he found a lake brimming with clear blue water. But the moment he went down to drink some. He heard a loud voice warning him, ‘do not dare to have the water from this lake. For I have established my authority on it and it belongs to me. First reply, to my queries before you even touch it.’

    Nakul, was extremely thirsty. He, therefore, did not pay attention to the warning. That the Yaksha (nature-spirits, usually benevolent) perched on a tree was passing. But the moment he tasted the water. He fell down and soon expired on the spot.

    Back here, in the Pandav’s camp. There was a bit of restlessness now. As Nakul had still not returned. Worried Yudhistir, then sent Sahdev after Nakul. He too heard the warning of Yaksha. But tried to drink the water, ignoring his advice and died on the spot. In the same manner. Yudhistir then sent Arjun and Bhimsen. But they too came one by one and met with the same fate.

    Yudhistir soon realised. That all his four brothers had not returned from the lake. From where they had gone to get water. He therefore, readied himself to go there, suspecting something was wrong in spite of his being tired. Soon, he was there. But upon seeing his valiant brothers lying dead. He went into a deep gloom. After mourning and wailing for sometime on the bodies of his brothers. He felt thirsty. When, he too decided to have water from the lake. Yaksha, who was still there. First tried to stop him from having water in the disguise of a crane. But when Yudhistir asked him, ‘who are you?’ He then dawned the form of a Yaksha and appeared on the tree top.

    When, peaceful and saint like Yudhistir said—‘Revered Yaksha! I do not want to acquire anything that doesn’t belong to me. You have laid down your authority, on the water of this lake. So let it be yours. If you want to ask any questions, please ask. I will try and reply to the best of my ability.

    Thereafter, Yaksha asked many questions. Yudhistir, replied to all of them correctly. Satisfied with the answers. Yaksha said, ‘Rajan! (King) you have correctly answered, to all my questions. Therefore, I grant the life of one of your brothers. So, whom do you want alive, out of the four?’

    Yudhistir replied, ‘kindly grant life to my younger brother Nakul.’

    Yaksha in a surprised tone asked—‘you are wandering in life without a kingdom in these dense forests. Where, you need to wage a fierce battle against your enemies to protect dharma. In such a situation you are not asking for the life of your most powerful brother Bhimsen or Arjun. Who are the best fighters in the world. On the contrary you are asking for the life of Nakul. Why so?’

    Dharmraj Yudhistir said—‘Respected Yaksha! The bliss of ruling a kingdom. Or the torture of vanvas depends on your fate and destiny. But a human being shouldn’t abrogate dharma. One, who protects dharma, is protected by dharma itself. And that is why I won’t deviate from the path of dharma. Kunti and Madri, both are my mothers. I am Kunti’s live son. And, I want the lineage of my second mother Madri also to remain intact. Therefore, I am requesting you to bring back Nakul to life. So that both the mothers have at least one child alive.

    Yaksha said–‘Yudhistir you are very knowledgeable and liberal in matters of interpretation, modesty and dharma. Therefore, I am happy with you and may God give life to all your four dead brothers. I happen to be your father ‘Dharma.’ I had come to see how you were doing and to test your love for dharma.’

    And, in the manner Yudhistir tried to protect dharma. Dharma too protected Dharmaraj Yudhistir. When all his four brothers got up, as if from deep sleep.

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