"Mittar Pyare Nu Hal Mureedan Da Kehna"

The shabad "Mittar Pyare Nu Hal Mureedan Da Kehna" was composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Jungle of Machhiwara, during one of the most trying and difficult periods of his life. Historical Background The background to this deeply moving hymn is rooted in the events following the Battle of Chamkaur in December 1704. The Battle of Chamkaur: After leaving the fort of Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his small group of Sikhs were besieged by a massive Mughal army at Chamkaur Sahib. A fierce battle ensued where Guru Ji's two eldest sons, Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jujhar Singh, and most of his accompanying forty Sikhs (the Chali Mukte) were martyred fighting valiantly against overwhelming odds. Separation and Solitude: After the battle, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, separated from his family and followers, escaped into the dense Machhiwara forest. He was alone, exhausted, and resting under a tree near a well on a cold winter night. Martyrdom of Younger Sons: Around the same time, his two younger sons, Baorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, were captured by the Mughal forces and later brutally bricked alive in Sirhind for refusing to convert to Islam. His mother, Mata Gujri Ji, also passed away in captivity. Essence of the Shabad Despite this immense personal loss and extreme hardship, Guru Gobind Singh Ji recited this shabad, which is an expression of his unwavering love and deep spiritual connection to God (Waheguru. The shabad is a message to his "beloved friend" (God), telling Him of the "plight of His disciples". The core message is that without the divine presence, all worldly comforts are meaningless: Rich blankets are a disease. Living in a comfortable house is like living with snakes. Water pitchers feel like stakes and cups have edges like daggers. The shabad highlights that even in the most severe adversity, the Guru's faith remained constant, and he preferred the simple "bed of straw" (symbolic of hardship) if it meant a continued connection with the Divine. It is a powerful testament to the Guru's Brahm-gyan (divine knowledge) and his complete acceptance of God's will (Hukam) in all circumstances.

BLESSING AND CURSING

Good Morning!!! BLESSING AND CURSING Around the Year with Emmet Fox December 25 Life is a reflex of mental states. As far as you are concerned, the character that things will bear will be the character that you first impress upon them. Bless a thing and it will bless you. Curse it and it will curse you. If you put your condemnation upon anything in life, it will hit back at you and hurt you. If you bless any situation, it has no power to hurt you, and even if it is troublesome for a time it will gradually fadeout. Bless your body. If there is anything wrong with a particular organ, bless that organ. Bless your home. Bless your business. Bless your associates. Turn any seeming enemies into friends by blessing them. Bless the climate. Bless the town, and the state, and the country. Bless a thing and it will bless you. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” Isaiah 55-11

*Who Am I?*

*Who Am I?* After retirement, with no job, no routine, and a quiet house echoing with silence… I finally began to discover my true self. Who am I? I built bungalows, raised farmhouses, invested in ventures big and small, yet now, I find myself bound within four simple walls. From bicycle to moped, bike to car, I chased speed and style — but now, I walk slowly, alone, inside my room. Nature smiled and asked, “Who are you, dear friend?” And I replied, “I am... just me.” I’ve seen states, countries, continents, but today, my journeys stretch only from the drawing room to the kitchen. I learned about cultures and traditions, but now, I simply long to understand my own family. Nature smiled again, “Who are you, dear friend?” And I said, “I am... just me.” Once I celebrated birthdays, engagements, weddings in grand style — but today, look forward to having slept well and feel hungry Nature asked once more, “Who are you, dear friend?” And I answered, “I am... just me.” Gold, silver, diamonds, pearls — sleep quietly in lockers. Suits and blazers — hang untouched in wardrobes. But now, I live in soft cotton, simple and free. I once mastered English, French, Hindi — but now, I find comfort in talking in my mother tongue. I travelled endlessly for work, and now, I reflect on those profits and losses — measured in memories. I ran businesses, nurtured a family, built many connections, but now, my dearest companion is the kind neighbour next door. I once followed every rule, strived in education — but now I finally see what truly matters. After all of life’s highs and lows, in a quiet moment, my soul whispered back to me. Enough now… Get ready, O Traveller… It’s time to prepare for the final journey… Nature smiled gently, “Who are you, dear friend?” And I replied: “O Nature, You are me… And I am you. Once I soared in the skies, Now I touch the earth with grace. Forgive me… Give me one more chance to live… Not as a money-making machine, But as a true human being — With values, With family, With love.” 🍀 To all ‘Seniors' out there...

MADRAS AND MY GREAT GRANDFATHER

Here’s a historical overview of the area you asked about — Mylapore, Kutchery (Kuctheri) Road, and the place known locally (and historically) as Farhat Bagh — with context from colonial Madras’s layered past: ⸻ 📍 Mylapore — Ancient Roots of Madras/Chennai Mylapore is one of the oldest continuously inhabited parts of what became Madras (today’s Chennai). Historically it was an ancient port and settlement with mentions going as far back as the 1st century BCE. It had maritime connections with Romans and other Western traders and figures prominently in early Tamil and Christian traditions — including links with the poet Thiruvalluvar and the Apostle St. Thomas. Later it became a destination for Portuguese, Dutch, Golconda Sultans, and British colonial administration, before being incorporated into the Madras Presidency in 1749.  Mylapore evolved into a commercial and cultural hub in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially noted for its community of lawyers, intellectuals, and professionals during the British era.  ⸻ 🛣️ Kutchery Road (also seen as Kutcheri/Kuctheri Road) 📌 The name Kutchery comes from the Tamil/Urdu word “kutchery” (court / administrative office) — referring originally to nearby colonial courts or judicial administrative offices in the area.  • Function & character: Historically and still today, Kutchery Road is a lively thoroughfare in Mylapore, lined with shops, old establishments, commercial and residential buildings, and numerous heritage structures.  • Heritage and commerce: Walking tours and heritage walks often highlight this stretch as reflective of Mylapore’s mercantile past, with traditional shops (like country drug stores, shorthand institutes, ayurvedic dispensaries, and legacy businesses) still operating or in memory.  ⸻ 🌳 Farhat Bagh — Local Legacy on Kutchery Road Farhat Bagh is not a formal historic landmark commonly featured in most city histories, but it does appear in local recollections and heritage accounts as a named residence on Kutchery Road. Here’s what’s known from local sources: • Farhat Bagh appears on an old manse/gatepost along Kutchery Road with the name inscribed on it.  • It was associated with V. Ramadas, identified as Vemavarapu Ramdas Pantulu — a vakil (a lawyer) specializing in real estate and land rights during the early 20th century.  • He was involved in regional politics, speaking at the First Andhra Conference (1913) and supporting a resolution for a separate province for Telugu-speaking areas within the Madras Presidency — foreshadowing later movements like Madras Manade.  • He went on to be active in the cooperative movement, holding leadership roles in the Indian Co-operative Banks Association and founding editor of the Indian Cooperative Review in 1935.  • Local memory suggests that part of his residence/library may have been donated to the Institute of Co-operative Research and Service, though it is unclear if that was at Farhat Bagh itself.  👉 In short: Farhat Bagh seems to have been a named private residence of a prominent early-20th-century lawyer and community figure in Mylapore, whose name endures mainly through architectural remnants and recollections, rather than through formal historical records. ⸻ 🧠 Why the Name Matters The existence of a name like Farhat Bagh reflects: • Cultural blend: Gardens and residences with Persian/Urdu-influenced names (e.g., “Bagh” means garden) in colonial Madras hint at the cultural and linguistic diversity of elites in the city — often incorporating Hindustani, Urdu, and other influences. • Local prestige: Naming a property — Bagh suggests not just a home but a garden estate or compound, a mark of status during the colonial era. ⸻ 🗺️ Mylapore’s Broader Heritage While Farhat Bagh itself is a small part of Mylapore’s fabric, the neighbourhood around it includes: • Kapaleeshwarar Temple — a major ancient Dravidian temple around which much of old Mylapore evolved.  • Historic mosques and community traces pointing to Muslim influences and mixed heritage in Mylapore.  • Other heritage buildings, clubs, parks, and old institutes reflecting the long and layered colonial and pre-colonial history. ⸻ If you’d like, I can map nearby heritage landmarks or give you a walking tour guide for Kutchery Road and surrounding Mylapore!

Christmas

This is the season of miracles, Christmas miracles. This is the story of a miracle when Christmas came early on that day, 29th april, 2025. Just a day before I had set out with a few Mumbai based fellow bike riders for Sikkim, which was the venue for this year's Kawasaki Versys annual get together. After a night halt in Bhopal we set out for Varanasi, the second night halt enroute Sikkim. Due to a difference in settings on the GPS, I was guided through the city of Bhopal early morning while others took the by pass. Riding past the lake, clicking pictures, no traffic, it seemed like the perfect day, till I hit the highway. The bike wobbled. Puncture. I inflated the tyre, reached a roadside puncture guy and got the puncture fixed. Or so I thought. Within a kilometer the tyre gave way again, fortunately close to another puncture repair shop. I was told that the puncture was too big and will have to be patched from inside. Got it done. I was about 120 kms from Jabalpur and that seemed to be the nearest big city that would keep the big sized tyres that my 1000 cc bike needed. The other bikers were way ahead and kept calling. I discouraged them to turn back as they could not have helped in this situation. I reached Jabalpur by 12.45 pm. Right outside the entry of Jabalpur the tyre burst with a loud whoosh! Dragging the bike to a side I put it on a stand and approached a hardware shop right there. The helpful owner sourced the number of most of the big tyre dealers in Jabalpur and I started dialling numbers. Within half an hour I had discovered that the tyre size required for my bike was not available there. Riders approaching Varanasi called up ahead to see if it can be sourced there. Nothing. Ditto in Indore. The only options now available were to put the bike in a truck and send it back to Mumbai and proceed to Gangtok by other means or go back to Mumbai with the bike terminating the trip right there. As usual, in impossible situations, I smile, look up and hand the problem to God. Did the same now. I had called up a major tyre deal of Jabalpur called Mr. Vinamra Bhatia. He didn't have the tyre but was asking around. He called up in a while and put me on to another gentleman called Romy Saluja, another tyre dealer. Same problem, no tyre. A third gentleman called Mr. Parvinder Singh alias Bobby joined the party, he was also a rider and suggested that he will talk to a second hand tyre dealer who may have a tyre in good condition. Another half an hour of suspense and I got on to a conference call with all three of them. I was told that the second hand tyre dealer's shop has been shut for last 12 days as his father has expired and he being a staunch hindu, was supposed to remain bare foot, sleep on the ground, head shaved and not get out of the house till the 13th day. Back to square one! Bobby promised to call him up and explain the situation once. Fifteen minutes later I got a call from an unknown number. Sunny Shrivastav, the second hand tyre dealer entered the picture, asked for specifications, pictures of the tyre and minimal money. I gave him whatever he needed on phone. In the sweltering heat, at 3.15pm, a car with 4 people came and stopped outside the hardware store. Out stepped a man, clad in white dhoti, barefoot, head shaven. Sunny Shrivastav. I was taken aback knowing he was breaking all norms just to assist me. Why? I asked. 'Papa would have wanted me to...' He said simply and proceeded to show me a tyre lying in the boot of his car. 'Good for another 5000kms. You have nothing to worry' I was dumbstruck. Sunny and his boys got the bike to a work shop 3 kms away, replaced the burst tyre, got the wheel balancing done, treated me to a local thandai and got the bike ready after a road test of the tyre by 5.15pm. I thanked him profusely for not letting my Sikkim trip die out. I reached Varanasi at 1am in the night, after being in the riding suit and on the saddle for an incredible 21 hours non stop! Except for Sunny all the three other benefactors were just voices on the phone. Still are. Yet their warmth, their collective efforts to solve my problem will forever be etched on my heart. Jabalpur, was just the name of a town for me, just like any other town that you have heard of in a geographical context. Today it feels like home. A big shout out to all the four gentlemen and everyone else in Jabalpur... You have my love and respect for ever. Will never forget that hot, sweltering day in April... When Christmas came early🌹🌹🌹

Why did Balram, Vidur, and Rukmi not participate in the Mahabharata War?

Why did Balram, Vidur, and Rukmi not participate in the Mahabharata War? Balarama: Balarama decided to stay neutral and not get involved in the war. Balarama's relationship with Pandavas and Kouravas were equal. He left for pilgrimage a few days later and returned on 18th day of war. “O tiger among men! It is appropriate that you should know everything that I have said earlier in the kingdom of Virata, on the occasion of the wedding. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! It is for your sake that I sought to restrain Hrishikesha. O king! I said repeatedly that my relationship with both of you was equal. But Keshava did not accept the words that I had spoken. I cannot exist for an instant without Krishna. I will come to the aid of neither Partha, nor Duryodhana. After looking towards Vasudeva, this is the decision I have arrived at. You have been born in the Bharata lineage, one that is honoured by all the lords of the earth. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Go and fight in accordance with the dharma of the kshatriyas.” Source: Mahabharata translated by Bibek Debroy Chapter 670(7) Vidur: Vidur is not a trained fighter to participate in war. Vidur was a politician and was giving good advices to Dhritarashtra time to time. Vidur never participated in any war in his life time. Rukmi: Rukmi was rejected by both sides due to his arrogance. First he arrived at the camp of Pandavas and said that if they are afraid of Kouravas then they can take his help. “O Pandava! If you are afraid, I will stand as your aide on the field of battle. In the course of the war, I will help you so that your enemies will not be able to bear it. There is no man on this earth who is equal to me in valour. O Phalguna! When I have killed your enemies in battle, I will hand them over to you.” Arjuna was not happy with arrogant nature of Rukmi and rejected him. After getting rejected by Arjuna, Rukmi went to Duryodhana and boosted about himself in the same manner and again got rejected by Duryodhana. Rukmi then returned with that army, which was like an ocean. O bull among the Bharata lineage! In a similar fashion, he approached Duryodhana. Arriving there, that lord of the earth spoke in the same way. But since he prided himself on his valour, he was rebuffed there too. Source: Mahabharata by Bibek Debroy Udyoga Parva Chapter 818(155)

Hi, I am a Hindu brahman girl

Hi, I am a Hindu brahman girl and since childhood been very religious and did a lot of puja path (might have helped somehow subconsciously) but last year I went to vippassana and since then I am unable to get back on it. And lately everything in my life is falling apart including my mental health but even then I am unable to get back on it? I think it's because I left god. What do you think? What do I do?