The Story Teller

Dear Friend, Thank you for entering my life. I strongly believe in having "a person," and there is no better person to fit that description than you. For the last four years of my life, I have been through so many different stages, like graduating, struggling job career, a new life, and through all of the good and bad times, you have been with me. I couldn't thank you enough for that. I want you to know, I don't need a large group of friends when I have one that constantly reminds me all of the time that they are there for me in every way possible. I thought my whole life that I knew what a best friend was, but I was wrong. You've given those words a whole different meaning. Nobody could ever compare to you. I used to think a best friend was sleepovers, reckless activities, and spending every day together. I was wrong. A best friend is not seeing them all the time and still being so close it blows your mind or getting so excited to see the other one when ...

We're about to wrap a really good year. 2019 has brought me new friends and lots of experiences learnt. I'd like to be thankful for everything I've lived this year, and to everyone who's shared the ride with me.

Karna asks Krishna - "My mother left me the moment I was born. Is it my fault I was born an illegitimate child? I did not get an education from Dhronacharya because I was considered a non-Kshatriya. Parshuram taught me but then gave me the curse to forget everything since I was a kshatriya. A cow was accidentally hit by my arrow & its owner cursed me for no fault of mine. I was disgraced in Draupadi's swayamvar. Even Kunti finally told me the truth only to save her other sons. Whatever I received was through Duryodhana's charity. So how am I wrong in taking his side?" Krishna replies, "Karna, I was born in a jail. Death was waiting for me even before my birth. The night I was born I was separated from my birth parents. From childhood, you grew up hearing the noise of swords, chariots, horses, bow, and arrows. I got only cow herd's shed, dung and multiple attempts on my life even before I could walk! No army, no education. I could hear people saying I a...

Hanuman Chalisa - it's a poem of 40 stanzas and talks about the strength, generosity, intelligence of Hanuman. Every stanza of Hanuman Chalisa shows how the legendary figure surpasses everyone.  One of the most powerful deities, Hanuman is blessed with “Mrityunjay” from Lord Shiva that makes him immortal and thus has a special place amongst the Hindus. According to Ramayana and Hindu scriptures, Hanuman is portrayed as a man with a face of a monkey with ultimate strength and power like that of the Gods. As the famous saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibilities”, and with the power of Hanuman, he has become one of the main characters of the epic Ramayana.  Lessons from Hanuman Chalisa   Let’s talk about some of the qualities of lord hanuman that Hanuman Chalisa talks about:  1. Strength and Humility   Shree Guru Charan Saroj Raj, Nijamanu Mukuru Sudhaari; Barnau Raghubar Bimal Jasu, Jo Daayeku Fala Chaari; Buddhiheen ...

The Om symbol is present almost everywhere. It is in our prayers, in our workplaces, in our homes, on our t-shirts and in our yoga classes. But what does it mean? Where does it come from? These are important questions that we need to keep asking if we are to understand its real significance. Sometimes, a piece of knowledge is passed down through generations but not in its entirety. Where that knowledge or wisdom came from is equally important as what it actually is. So here is The Story of Om… How it started? It is said that Om (pronounced AUM) was made to be the culmination of everything – the point of all creativity. It was the ancient Rishis who would chant in Sanskrit. It is they who came up with this word to define unifying experiences – something that would bind everyone together with a common thread. And so, Om came to encompass everything, all emotions, words, sounds and beings. This is why Om increases your body awareness as you chant it. It flows...

Hanuman – the superhero, has the largest fan following all across the world, larger than any other superhero. Long before Superman and Batman came to save the world, Hanuman had already done his part and left a mark. The monkey god was born to King Kesari and Anjana. Since childhood, he was strong, fearless, patient, graceful, compassionate, humble and devoted. Did you know that Hanuman was blessed ‘Mrityunjay’ by Lord Shiva? Thus, while Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had to renounce and leave the world, Hanuman is immortal. This gives Him a special place amongst the Gods and Hindu culture. Hanuman was a great leader. His commendable leadership skills helped him in not only leading but also inspiring the army of monkeys to fight against the mighty Ravana successfully. Our favorite Hanuman sought knowledge from the Sun, his role model was Lord Rama and knew how to motivate his people and keep them going. He teaches us these super interesting life and leadership lesso...

Lord Ganesha is always depicted in a state of peace and harmony. But did you know, Ganesha is also a source of learning? Yes, everybody part of Ganesha’s body teaches us something. Each element of Ganesha’s body has its own spiritual significance.  1. Ganesha’s Head  Ganesha’s Big Head means “Think Big!” No wonder, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of wisdom. His elephant head indicates intelligence and distinct brainpower.  2. Ganesha’s Ears  Ganesha’s Big Ears mean “Listen more”. Ganesha’s wide ears denote the ability to listen to people who seek his help. Ears are also used to gain knowledge. They signify the importance of listening to absorb ideas.  3. Ganesha’s Eyes  Ganesha’s Small Eyes mean “Concentrate”. Ganesha’s eyes teach us to concentrate our mind, as only a person who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in life.  4. Ganesha’s Mouth  Ganesha’s Small Mouth means “Talk Less”. His ...

12 Things to Always Remember Throughout Your Life: #BeYou 1. The past cannot be changed So don’t let it hold you back. No matter how much you think about it or cry over it, there is no going back in time to fix it. Focus on how you will move forward instead. 2. Opinions don’t define your reality “Your life isn’t yours if you constantly care what others think.” Live your life the way you want. If someone has a bad opinion of you, that is not your problem. As long as YOU know who you are, that is all that matters. 3. Everyone’s journey is different There is no timeline for life. Go at YOUR pace and create a life that YOU enjoy. Some people choose to get married at 20 while others wait until they’re 30! Neither is right or wrong, we all just take different paths in life. 4. Things always get better with time “Time heals all wounds.” When something sad or difficult happens to us, it can affect every aspect of our lives. Just remember though, things DO get better. The su...

Shiva, the most important God in Hinduism and the crucial one in the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (another name of Shiva) who represent Creation, Preservation, and Destruction respectively. Shiva is a destroyer, not only the destroyer of the establishment when the judgment day comes but also the destroyer of misery and hurdles in life. Shiva is the “destroyer of evil and the transformer” within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. In Shaivism tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Being who creates, protects and transforms the Universe. He is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. Lord Shiva which is a ‘Hindi’ term has originated from a beautiful concept of E + Shav = Shiva (Shav = Dead, and E = Energy). It means when energy flows into the dead body; it starts to live, hence called as Shiva. Which only denotes, we’re all born Shivas. These laws are said to help us understan...

He is humble, dignified, a perfect personification of THE IDEAL HUMAN BEING . Lord Rama is the 7th incarnation of Lord Vishnu as a mortal being in this realm of reality. In a high juxtaposed way to his other avatar(Lord Krishna), Rama has marked his presence with an extremely mild attitude and very cool take on things. He stands an epitome for Truth, Justice and the true Hindutva. Learning Principles: 1. Honor Your Word One of the basic but strong messages given by Ramayana and the life of Lord Rama is rendering value to your own word. No matter what price you need to pay, but honoring your word is equivalent to worshipping the God within you.  In Ramayana, King Dasharatha sent his eldest son, Lord Rama on exile to honor the promise he gave to his wife Kaikeyi without knowing that she would make such a demand in a bid to pronounce her son Bharath as the next King of Ayodhya.  But a man of principles like Lord Rama didn’t question his fathe...

“I JUST DON’T HAVE THE TIME” An everyday, common phrase we all use. Here is a flip of perspective, to get us thinking. Imagine you had a bank account that deposited INR 86,400 each morning. The account carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Obviously, Draw out every Ruppe each day! We all have such a bank. Its name is Time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever time you have failed to use wisely. It carries over no balance from day to day. It allows no overdraft so you can’t borrow against yourself or use more time than you have. Each day, the account starts fresh. Each night, it destroys an unused time. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, it’s your loss and you can’t appeal to get it back. There is never any borrowing time. You can’t take a loan out on your time or against ...

There is a reason Shiva is called 'The Devo Ke Dev-Mahadev'. The peaceful looking master can transform into a destroyer, and can likewise be a bholenath. He has numerous shades to his identity and is one God who can really show us the shrewdness to live. There is more to Lord Shiva than just these capabilities. He is a man of discipline and principles. His entire character has some core principles that would do wonders if we can incorporate them into our daily lives. The seven things Lord Shiva represents: His Ash Smeared Body: Nothing lasts forever, even our body! Life is momentary, whatever is happening now is temporary and shall never last forever. If you have everything you wished for, enjoy NOW! If you are going through a hard time, Don’t Worry, It will be over!!! In a sentence – Simply live the NOW! Once, you understand this; you will never have to regret about your past or present again. However, it doesn’t mean that you completely give up on everything, just make...