The Moon is Worth Two Suns

The Moon is Worth Two Suns

One day two Irishmen were talking about the sun and the moon and arguing as to which of the two was more useful. After long arguments one of them said, “Oh ! I know. The moon is worth two suns, because it shines at night when it is needed; but the sun shines in the daytime, when nobody wants it.”

A Lesson In Faith

A Lesson In Faith

A foolish young fellow once astonished an old clergyman by boasting. ‘’I don’t believe in anything I can’t see and understand,’’ he said.  “Do you believe there in such a country as France?’’ enquired the clergy-man. ‘’ Yes,’’ he said, “because, though l have never seen it, l know people who have.‘’ “Then you refuse to believe in anything that you or others haven’t seen ?’’ “Most certainly,‘’ said the youth. ‘’ Did you ever see your own brains?’’ “Of course not.’’ Do you know anybody who has seen them?

‘’ No.’’

“Do you think you have got any ?‘’

The young man knew that he was defeated and he hung his head in shame.

The Story Of King Deva Pala

The Story Of King Deva Pala

(Buddhist Traditions)

Sham S. Misri

Within the Indian Buddhist tantric tradition there were Seven Lineages which are: Matsyendra, Caurangi, Mina-pa, Goraksa and others. They were the important masters with the Lineage of Various Teachings. Among them Mina-pa was considered as the earliest master.

In Buddhist scriptures it is mentioned that within 'the eastern region' of the Indian sub-continent 'lived a king named Deva Pala'. But it is not sure whether this Deva Pala is the historical Deva Pala of the Buddhist following Pala dynasty.

The historical Deva Pala ruled the multi-regional Pala Empire and the Indian historian Jhunu Bagchi dates his reign to c.810 to 847 AD. If this is the Deva Pala of the Pala dynasty, the events featured roughly date prince Caurangi to the first half of the 9th century AD., or a little later.

The story continues with the fact that King Deva Pala 'had only one son' named Caurangi. When prince Caurangi was still a teenager his mother became ill. Just before she died the queen mother gave 'her last testimony' to her prince son. At this crucial juncture, the wise, Buddhist following queen mother stated to Caurangi:

       "All the happiness and misery of living beings arise from meritorious and unmeritorious actions. Even if acting from merit means you lose your life do not perform anything unmeritorious."

      With these words prince Caurangi’ s noble mother died. King Deva Pala was full of grief at her death. His ministers advised 'the king to marry a [new] queen'. Soon, they found a suitable young noble woman for king Deva Pala and the king was married again. But, Deva Pala was still grief stricken at the death of his noble wife and 'went to the forest to dispel his grief.

     Unfortunately the new young queen was left alone in the king's palace. Now, on 'seeing the young prince' she allowed 'lust to arise'. But mindful of his mother's last advise 'the prince refused' her advances. The new queen was 'embarrassed' that her lustful advances were refused and became angry and even afraid. The new queen subsequently thought of a plan to ease her fears and get her revenge on the noble prince and decided to carry 'out a deception'. After some time, on the return of the king Deva Pala from his forest retreat the new young queen pretended a sexual assault by the young prince. She 'cut herself her clothes...and lay naked' and ruffled 'on her bed'.

       The king did not question her explanation of a sexual assault by Caurangi (his son) and gave orders to his executioners to 'take the prince into the deep forest and cut off his hands and feet'. In the forest the executioners considered that it was 'not right to kill a prince' and decided to kill one of their own sons in his place. But the noble prince Caurangi rejected this course of action and by remembering what his mother had said on her death-bed he ordered the executioners to 'cut off his hands and feet'.

Meanwhile 'in that country was a great yogi named Acinta'. The adept yogi Acinta 'went among [some] herdsmen saying...there is a man with his limbs cut off...who is willing to go to him'. Among them was 'a small boy', Goraksa 'the son of a hawker.  He was willing to go to see if he could help this injured man. Goraksa saw the injured man and on returning to Acinta, the boy Goraksa said:

" It is as you say...."

Then Acinta replied: 'What do you have to eat and drink?

Goraksa replied, " The master of the herdsmen gives me enough to eat and drink I will take half to that man..."

Acinta replied: " Good. Take good care of him. His name is Caurangi."

In carrying out this task, Goraksa was proved to be a compassionate man as well as a caring servant who helped Caurangi for twelve years. During the final day of this last year Goraksa 'saw the prince standing' and 'asked how this could be...'.

Caurangi replied:

"A perfected master, skilled in means, brought me to realize (the intuitive experience of) emptiness (shunya), [voidness]. How wondrous it is to know the true nature of existing things and so be without attachment to the pleasures and pain!"

Then Caurangi rose up in the air and said to the cowherd Goraksa:

" You have been given instructions by me now practice them! "

However Goraksa replied: " I do not wish instructions. I [already] have a master who asked me to make [service and] offerings to you and I have acted accordingly."

Then Goraksa returned to guard his herd and then he awaited Acinta to return. On his return Goraksa recounted his experiences with Caurangi and this adept yogi rejoiced. Then Acinta sanctified the cowherd Goraksa and gave him the complete instructions. Goraksa meditated for a number of years and 'obtained the mahamudra-siddhi, the Accomplishment of the Great Seal'.

When this auspicious event happened Acinta returned again and said to Goraksa:

" Do not depart from this world until you awakened to enlightenment a hundred times a hundred living beings."

Why does a dog wag his tail ?

Why does a dog wag his tail ?

Sham M Misri

suppose one dog walk up to another, slowly wagging his tail from side to side . Dose this mean he wants to make friends ?  An expert on dog behavior has found a surprising answer . This kind of tail wagging is a sign that the dog has a habit of bossing over other dogs . If the newcomer is used to giving in, the two will perhaps get along together . But if the newcomer also gives a boss- dog wag , a

fight may easily start. If a dog wags his tail while it is tucked down close to the legs it shows that he is used to obeying.

Some tail wagging , of course , goes along with pleasure. But it is not something a dog dose because he wants to show how glad he is to see you . The movement of his tail starts automatically when his eyes tell his brain that you are there . Scientists have not done much experimenting to find what gives animals pleasure or how they show it different ways.

Marco Polo

Sham S Misri
Marco Polo travelled extensively with his family, journeying from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in China for 17 of those years. He had his father and uncle with him. Around 1292, he left China, acting as companion along the way to a Mongol princess who was being sent to Persia. Marco Polo’s stories about his travels in Asia were published as a book  known as The Travels of Marco Polo.

Marco Polo was unable to recruit the 100 priests that Kublai Khan had requested. Finally they were left with only two, who, after getting a taste of the hard journey ahead of them, soon turned back for home. The Polos' journey took place on, land and they had to pass through harsh territory. His memory for the places and cultures he witnessed was remarkable and exceptionally accurate. Hardships, of course, came his way. In what is now Afghanistan, Marco was forced to retreat to the mountains in order to recoup from an illness he'd contracted.

Eventually, Kublai Khan employs Marco as a special envoy and he sent him to far-flung areas of Asia never before explored by Europeans, including Burma, India and Tibet. After 17 years in Khan's court, the Polos decided to return to Venice. Their decision did not please Khan. They had to escort a Mongol princess to Persia, where she was to marry a Persian prince. In the end, Kublai Khan agreed to their request. They travelled by sea and the Polos left with a caravan of several hundred passengers and sailors. The journey proved traumatic, and many perished as a result of storms and disease. By the time the group reached Persia's Port, just 18 people, including the princess and the Polos, were still alive. After two years of travel, the Polos reached Venice. They returned home after two decades, and their return to their native land undoubtedly had its difficulties. Their faces looked unfamiliar to their family and they struggled to speak their native tongue. Marco died at his home in Venice on January 8, 1324. As he lay dying, friends and fans of his book paid him visits, urging him to admit that his book was fiction. Marco wouldn't relent. "I have not told half of what I saw," he said.

Marco's story has inspired countless other adventurers to set off and see the world. Two centuries after Marco's passing, Columbus set off across the Atlantic in hopes of finding a new route to the Orient. With him was a copy of Marco Polo's book. From his travels, Marco Polo amassed not only great knowledge about the Mongol empire but incredible wonder. He marveled at the empire's use of paper money, an idea that had failed to reach Europe, and was in awe of its economy and scale of production.

The King who was betrayed

The King who was betrayed

Sham S. Misri

Once there was a king who was betrayed by his wife. And he cast off his kingdom like a snake casts its old skin. The king abandoned everything, and turned his back upon the world. And he went away into the great southern forest, for he said: Let me go where I shall never again see a human face, or hear a human voice again. So day after day he went on into the unknown depths of that terrible forest, till after a time he found himself alone with his shadow among the giant trees. And then, all of a sudden, those trees came abruptly to an end. The king looked around, and he looked, and lo! he stood on the bank of a great river, whose water was studded as far as his eye could see with a countless host of lotus flowers that coloured that region blue. And every lotus had for its lover a great golden bee, that buzzed about it in order that each lotus might think itself alone beloved. And the king marvelled at the sight of that lonely lotus haunted, bee-booming river, and he lived there till he died, alone. And if the Creator could frame those fair flowers in the midst of that wilderness to live and die with never an eye to see, surely they were better than if they had all been gathered to fade upon the hair of a million queens.

There is no solitude, man can make friendship with nature if he or she is betrayed.

The story of Goddess Kheer Bhawani

(Tullamulla of Kashmir)

Sham S. Misri

Located in Kashmir, some Twenty-one kilometers from Srinagar, set in a grove of ancient Chinars is the shrine of Khir Bhawani. The temple rises from the surrounding waters of a spring, the colors of which are supposed to change according to the moods of the Goddess, thus predicting the fortunes of the state! We offer rice desserts called Khir there. The clear blue green spring surrounding the temple is in the middle of a garden of Chinars.

Kheer Bhawani is one of the mysterious springs situated near village of Tullamula. Near the main spring, a mulberry tree also grew here. The whole place round Tullamula is swampy and for miles around there are rice fields. The main spring dedicated to Goddess Kheer Bhawani has an irregular heptagonal shape with its apex called Pad (feet) to the East. The northern and the southern sides are longer than the western side, which is called Shirr (Head). In the center of the holy spring where once stood a mulberry tree, there is one marble temple. The water of the spring changes its color from red, pink, and orange, green, blue and has often light green, red rosy and milky white shades. Any shade of black color is inauspicious for the inhabitants of the valley. Bubbles have been observed which form the mystic Chakra on the surface of the water. We Kashmiri Pandits have great veneration for the holy shrine.

There is a story regarding the holy spring. When Ravana gets killed at the hands of Rama, the Goddess Bhawani orders Hanuman to carry her to Satisar-Kashmir along with 360 Nags. Hanuman selects the site and installs the Goddess in the Northern part of the valley. She comes to be known as Kheer Bhawani or Ragnya Bhagwati. Her favourite offerings consist of rice cooked in milk and sugar, and all other vegetarian forms of diet.

The existence of the holy spring comes to light among the people when one pious Brahmin named Krishna Pandit of Habba Kadal in Srinagar gets a vision wherein he is informed by a Deva to offer Puja to Kheer Bhawani in the swamps of Tulamula.  To locate the Goddess and her holy abode, he is asked to hire a boat at Shadipora, where from a snake guides him to the destination. Krishna Pandit does the same and is extremely happy when the snake guides him through the swampy and marshy land, until he reaches the hollow trunk of a mulberry tree. The snake makes a dip and disappears from sight. The saint takes the clue and after performing Puja pours milk which he has brought for this purpose. It is thus that the holy spring is discovered and is known to Kashmiris. It is believed that the discovery of the holy spring has been made on the 7th day of the bright fortnight of the month of June-July. Kashmiri Hindus come here on every Ashtami - 8th day of the bright fortnight of each lunar month and majority of Kashmiri Pandits consider Kheer Bhawani as their protector Goddess.

Tullamula is a sort of floating garden. The natives say that if they dig a hole in the ground, they find fish coming from the tributary of the Sindh which drains the place. The village is surrounded by the tributaries of the Sindh which carry water from the Amar Nath and Gangabal glaciers.

A large variety of wild flowers grow in the vicinity and the most common being Mentha sylvestris (Vena) which is used in worship and the sale of which brings money to the peasant population.  

There are many willows, poplars,  mulberry, elm trees and chinar trees on the main island. Water and vegetation is abundant. In summer, the birds nestling on trees produce melodious music. The golden oriole, the thrush, the ringdove, the paradise flycatcher, the bulbul are conspicuous by their song and plumage. In winter the wild fowl, the shoveller, the mallard, the gadwall, the widgeon, the teal, the paddy bird, the coot and such other birds are found in the Anchar Lake and round about the swamps.

Mention of this place is made in the Ragnya Pradurbhava. During the early period of the Epic Age, King Ravana rules Lanka. In order to gain power and glory he worships goddess Parvati who manifests herself to him in all her nine aspects. For some time he remains sober-minded and worships the goddess with all devotion.

But, when Shri Rama King of Ajodhya invades Lanka the generals of his army Sugrev and Hanuman kill King Ravana’s brother Kumbakaruna and his son Megnad. Ravana’s wife Mandudhari begs him to make peace with Shri Rama. He is sparked with rage and tries to invoke the blessing of the goddess by offering her various kinds of sacrifices. Thereupon the goddess, wrathful at Ravana’s misdeeds, curses him and orders Hanuman to take her to Sati Sar (Kashmir) on her vehicle along with 360 Nags. Hanuman selects a spot in the northern side of the valley within the space surrounded by the villages of Borus, Ahatung, Ladwun, and Wokur. Here he installs the goddess with all her satellites. She is called Khirbhawani or Raji Ragnya, exclusively preferring milk, sugar, rice and all vegetarian forms of offerings.

Kalhana in his Rajatarangini  says :

“When king Jayapida (850-88A.D.) of Kashmir was seizing the land of Tullamula, he heard, while on the bank of the Candrabhaga, that a hundred Brahmans less one had sought death in the water of that stream.”......

The ancient Tirtha of Tullamula, having the large spring is sacred to goddess Maharagnya.  The water of this miraculous spring changes colors, ascribed to the manifestation of the goddess. The Tirtha attracts large numbers of pilgrims.

About two and a half miles to the east of Tulamula is the village of Dudrhom on the main branch of the River Sind.

Mention has been made in the Rajatarangini of king Jayapida confiscating the lands of the Brahmans of Tulamula. The Brahmins troubled by the misdeeds of the Raja went in a body to see him. They were detained by the courtiers. Thereupon, they raised a hue and cry and were called by the Raja. They attacked him vehemently and one of them cursed him with the result that there and then a golden rod from the royal canopy fell on the Raja, causing him a wound which proved incurable and brought about his death. Since then the Brahmans of Tullamula are held in high esteem and represent a well-to-do people.

It is said that Ravana’s father Pulasti Reshi lived in Kashmir.  A big dharmshala lies on the north of the spring. It was built during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Later on, during recent times the road is black topped and is made fit for wheeled traffic.

It is said that this spring is surrounded by 360 springs. Most of these are covered with bushes and silted up.

Before the main spring came to be known the goddess was worshipped at Solur where under a Chinar tree a spring still exists. This spot is called Devot Wol Buin. One mile north-east of this island near Lodwan village is Ganesh Bal or Vodjen where Ganesh is worshipped. The other springs which are still known are: Ashta Rudhar to the south, Tsandar Nag to the south-east. Machi Nag, Naga Rad, Gokhin Nag are to the east.

Swami Vivekananda visited Khir Bhavani Devi and stayed there for seven days. He worshipped the Devi and made offerings to her with Khir. Every day he used to worship the Devi with 40 Kgs. of Khir as offering. 

Why Does It Happen?

Why Does It Happen?

Sham S. Misri

Why do we sometime see ring around the moon?

A big ring of light sometime appears around the moon. When this happens there is a thin cloud made of tiny ice crystals floating high in the air. Some of the light rays from the moon pass through or between the ice crystals. When these reach our eyes, we see the moon. But when other rays strike the crystals, a strange thing happens. Instead of going straight on, the rays are bent. When they reach our eyes, they seem to come from a circle that is much bigger than the moon.

This ring is called a ‘HALO’.

Rings appear around the sun, too, and for exactly the same reasons.

Lotus of Heart.

Lotus of Heart.

Sham S. Misri

Once there was a king with many wives, who were all unfaithful and untrue to him, but one. So having to go upon a warlike expedition, he gave each of them a lotus, and said: Keep this red lotus, and show it to me when I come again ; and its colour shall be a proof of thy fidelity. For I received it from the deity, and it will never wither, so long as thou art true to me alone. And then he went away. And as soon as he was gone, all those wives with one exception amused themselves with other men. And very soon they all looked to see their lotuses, and found them withered away and dead. And they all became afraid, being conscious of their guilt, except the one. Then presently news arrived that the king was coming back. And when he arrived, all his wives appeared to meet him, rejoicing and adorned, with protestations of affection. And the king said : Show me all your lotuses. And they showed them, each her own: and lo! they were all fresh and red as when he gave them. Only that one good wife gave him a withered lotus. And she said: O my lord, I know not how it is, that all these lotuses are fresh. For here is my lotus dead and withered, contrary to your order: and yet my heart has never thought of any man but you. Then all those other wives exclaimed against her, for they hated her: and they said : king, she is corrupt, and we all know it: and now here is the proof. But the king looked at them, and he laughed. And he said: O you fools, how could a lotus remain fresh for so many months? Now are you all condemned by your own endeavours to conceal your guilt. But she alone was acquitted by her heart, and did not fear the withering of her lotus: and she alone is pure, and worthy to be my queen. For the lotus that did not wither was the lotus of her heart.

Kindness to a dog

Sham S. Misri

Once there was a dog without an owner. And it had nowhere to go, and nothing to eat: but it scraped for itself a miserable subsistence from the refuse of chance, eating and drinking out of gutters: and it was very thin, and covered with sores and wounds : for every one that saw it cursed it and abused it and drove it about, beating it with sticks and pelting it with stones; so that living in terror of perpetual death, it carried its tail between its legs, and in its sad eyes hunger fought for the mastery with fear and shame. So it continued to live, until at last its end was near.

And one day when it was so weak that it could hardly walk, there came by it along the road a bullock cart, containing a number of women who were coming from a wedding feast. And seeing the dog, they all began to jeer at it. But one of those women got down from the cart, and going up to the dog with compassion in her heart offered it a piece of cake. And the dog looked at her with wistful eyes, not understanding; for in its whole life no one had ever done it a kindness of any sort. And after a while, it wagged, very gently, the very end of its thin tail, showing a sign of thankfulness to the woman.

Shivratri

Shivratri

Sham S. Misri

We have managed to avert calamity so far, but no one can avert destruction.

Shiva comes to visit us on Shivratri, a very important festival for us Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits in particular.

Shiva of the matted hair and live snake jewellery and ashes for the talcum powder  meditates atop  a snow clad mountain in a yogic pose, inanimate until the energizing  Female awakens him. His neck is blue from the poison it has imprisoned, and his only garment is loincloth of snow leopard skin . To Parvati he is the most desirable  man   she has ever seen. The Female is transfixed, this beloved daughter of a mountain king,

and she cannot move or be moved.

“Cosmic forces are at work,” says mother, “they are just doing the dance of creation”

There is nothing more important for a mother of a post pubescent girl than to collect her trousseau and then to keep watch over her and her dowery preparation.

“The king is enraged, how can his priceless daughter be given to a wandering ascetic with a begging bowl?. He weeps and cries  and rants and raves. He curses his wife for the way she has brought up their daughter”.

Mother narrates the story. I understand some of her phraseology, but I dare not question the authorship of the lyrical narrative.  I have no doubt that Shiva and Parvati speak fluent Kashmiri.  This she tells me every time.

“What happened?” I ask.

“What else?” This was going to happen, nothing could stop this union of two halves which make a whole. The mountain king held the wedding as if nothing had happened, as if Siva was the most eligible bachelor.

When the bridegroom arrived sitting on a bull the relatives shrieked with laughter. But Parvati was Goddess  and her father knew that now. Her father married her off as he should and Shiva and Parvati set up house in the Himalayas.”

Presumably this is where we found them and worshipped them. They belonged to us and we belonged to them.

But Shiva is unpredictable and he can turn everything to ashes just in the blink of his third eye. So we appease him by celebrating his marriage every year.  As seductive he was to the Female, his attraction to Parvati must have been equally overpowering. He became a regular fellow, gave up his asceticism, threw off his snakes , his smoking pipes and his ashes, and went  in for   traditional marriage, with in-laws and receptions and feasts and banquets. This is the part we like, and we being mortals, try to imitate the divine.

Kashmiri Pandits are Shiva believers. During summer in Kashmir, there is an influx from door to door ascetics from all over India heading for the phallic lingam in the Amarnath cave.  They rattle dried gourds  and cymbals  at our gates and loudly invoke Shiva, and we give them alms. Alms can be anything rice, lentils, fruits or money.

We hurry inside the house, because the ascetics are barely clothed, and secondly because they seem to be long to another cosmos. Sometimes we give them tea or food. When they sit , then they tell us some strange stories. When angered they can impale a person with their tridents . We have also heard that  when they reach Amarnath Cave of Shiva they meditate naked in the freezing temperature swearing garlands around their erect penises. 

The Lucky Crab

The Lucky Crab

 Sham S. Misri

Chris and his sister Curly went to market for a holiday with their mother. Their father had died when they were young and their mother had taken up a job . The children had always wanted to see the beach. The mother had saved some money over the years so that they could go to a sea side town and stay there for a few days. At last their long awaited dream was fulfilled.

One morning as the two children were playing on the beach they came across a wounded crab struggling to reach the water. They had been told that crabs brought good luck . They carried the crab home and asked their mother if they could keep him as a pet . The mother said, “ we’ll be going to our village after two days and you’ll both go to school. So, who will play with the poor animal then? It’ll feel very lonely. Go, put it back in the sea.” The children did not like the idea of going back so soon. But there was no more money to pay hotel bills, so they had to leave. They decided to carry the crab on their tiny spade and put it back in water.

They found a safe looking  corner near the shore, where the current was low gently put carb in between the weeds. As they separated the weeds to make room for the crab they saw some shining object lying under the water. It was a beautiful diamond ring . They picked it and ran home to show it their mother. Then the three went to the police station to report the matter. The sergeant said, “ This ring belong to very rich cloth merchant’s wife . There’s a big reward for it . you’ll get it because you’ve found the ring. “ The children’s happiness  knew no bounds. They knew that with the prize money they could extend their holiday on the beach.

Story of Two Kings

Sham S. Misri

Once there were two kings of the desert, called ‘Haya and Gaja ' : and they were deadly enemies. Once, Gaja set upon Haya, and killed his son and captured his wives and his capital and drove him away. So being reduced to extremity, Haya entered the service of Gaja, who did not know him by sight, as a personal retainer. And while he waited for an opportunity to revenge himself, Gaja was attacked and his army destroyed by a third king, and he fled into the desert, badly wounded, with only Haya for his companion, hoping to cross over the desert and get back to his own capital and be safe. So the two went together over the desert. And having but one skin of water, they could give "Horse" and "elephant."

One of their horses died. So they went on foot. Then Gaja said to Haya : There is hardly water in this skin to carry one man across the desert; much less for two: and now our fate is sure. And they went on, and day by day the water shrank. And Haya carried the skin. And one night, as Gaja slept upon the sand, Haya remained awake.

And he looked at the skin of water, and said:

One man could cross the desert on this water, but not two. And now my enemy lies there before me. So he sat in silence, with his naked sword in his hand, alone in the desert with the twinkling stars, watching Gaja as he slept, all night long. And in the morning they went on. And as the sun grew hotter, Gaja grew fainter, for he was weakened by his wound. And he said to Haya: Let us drink, even if we die. So they drank. But Haya put shut lips to the water, and took none into his mouth. And so they went on day by day, and Gaja drank the water. But Haya only put it to his mouth, and looked at it with glittering eyes, and lips closed like the door of death.

And at last there came a day, when Gaja said:

My wound has robbed me of my strength, and now I can go no further. Moreover, the water is done. Then Haya said : Be strong: it is but one day more. But Gaja said : you go on and save yourself, and leave me here to die. And he fell upon the sand, and lay in a half-swoon.

And then Haya stooped, and took him in his arms, and staggered on. And as he went, he grew giddy, and his senses wandered, and the desert danced before his eyes. And he heard in his ears the splash of water, and the drums of the desert rang in his head, and behind him the spirits of the region of death called to one another across the sand, and laughed and mocked him as he went like one going in a dream. So he struggled on in the loneliness, while his life receded away, withering like a flower in the burning fire of that angry sun.

And suddenly he heard in his dream the voice of Gaja, crying above his head: Lo! yonder is the city away before us, and now we are saved. Then Haya set him down. And he said : O King, I am Haya, and now I have brought you over the dusty death. And he fell with his face upon the sand, and went to the other world. But Yama saw that action and remembered it: and Haya rose in the next birth out of humanity and mortality and became a spirit of the air.

Then the said: The brave prince deserved his reward.

The Story of Anne Frank

Sham S. Misri

During World War II, the Nazis ruled Germany. They were led by Adolph Hitler who wanted everyone who was different to be killed or imprisoned. One brave girl Anne Frank lived during that tragic event. This girl became famous for her diary which later became a book. Anne Frank was a young girl and many people around the world respected her. She advanced from a hateful girl to a cultivated young lady. She gave everyone vivid details about the difficult times she had faced during the Holocaust. Anne wrote much informative wisdom in her well-known diary. She was a brilliant writer who had the ability to get readers to picture what she wanted to say. She was a brave girl because she stayed strong and did not panic during the Holocaust. She was a girl who changed the world which gave her an important role because she taught a valuable lesson to all - which was - to never give up and stay strong.

Anne and her family were Jews. It meant that they had to be killed or imprisoned according to Hitler. Anne and her family, afraid to get killed or captured went in to hiding for two years. During these two tough years, Anne, a raw and a little girl developed into a mature young lady. She was a bright-minded teenager who knew what was best for her life.

Hiding in a small attic from Nazis, she had many rules to follow ; It was, because, the Frank family did not want to get caught by Nazis. “During the day we mustn’t make any noise that might be heard downstairs.” However, Anne did not like all these rules but she was still capable of following them all. She was respected for her ability and would follow all the rules in the Secret attic. Anne knew that following the rules would save her from the Nazis which made her a smart girl. Anne kept going strong and stayed bold during the Holocaust which was why she was well known then. She had been the most successful women in her time.

She lived in a small attic with a group of people and would not get annoyed. She was a nosy and naïve girl who talked and asked many questions. Everyone in the attic tried to change her attitude by lecturing her, but Anne would only listen to herself. “I have a lot to put up with and have to pretend to be deaf in order to escape the old, much-repeated ticking-off and warnings.”

The people in the attic would say that Anne was the least favourite because she rebelled against people and was extremely talkative.

The attic is a small place to live in so people have a tiny bit of patience and get mad easily. Anne was usually the one who made the whole room angry with her behaviour.
One person who had big arguments with Anne was her mother, Mrs. Frank. Anne and her mother did not bond well; Anne liked her father more than her mother and would say that she only loved her father. Her mother would often get upset because Anne never went to her for any help. She had the right to only love her father because throughout the book, her mother did not seem to be greatly caring. Her mother kept trying to get Anne to love her but Anne just did not love her mother. Her mother understood Anne’s feelings but still got upset.

“I don’t want to be cross, love cannot be forced.” Anne kept trying to love her mother but just could not which shows she tried and never gave up.

Sage Durvaasa Curses Indra

Sage Durvaasa Curses Indra

Sham S. Misri

The famous short-tempered sage Durvaasa is a partial incarnation of Shankar. One day, he was wandering on the earth when all of a sudden, he happened to see an extremely divine beauty. She was wearing a garland of beautiful flowers. The sage requested the beauty to give him that garland. She presented the garland respectfully to the sage. The sage adorned the garland on his head and began to wander again. Right at that moment, he saw Indra riding on elephant and going somewhere in the procession of the gods. Unconsciously, sage Durvaasa put that garland around the neck of Indra but Indra removed it and put it on Elephant’s head. The elephant pulled the garland with his trunk and smashed it on the ground. This whole sequence of events angered Durvaasa who cursed Indra. "O Indra! You are so drunk with your extravagances that you dared to insult my humble gift. Hence, all your splendour shall be destroyed. You will lose all your wealth."

Indra at once descended from the elephant and began to request sage Durvaasa. Durvaasa said- "Indra! Forgiveness has no place in my personality. So, all your repenting is meaningless." Saying this, sage Durvaasa departed from the scene and Indra left for Amravati.

Very soon, the curse began to show its influence. With the loss of Indra’s luxuries, all the prosperity on the earth too began to decrease. Hermits too began to give up Yagya. All the human beings began to be guided by greed and gave up pious virtues.

And at a place where pious virtues have no room, Lakshmi too doesn’t stay there. She made her abode in the awful depth of the sea. Very soon, the demons launched an attack on the gods and drove them out of heaven. Indra along with other gods approached Brahma and told him the whole story. Brahma suggested them to take refuge at Lord Vishnu. He assured them that Lord Vishnu would definitely protect them. Brahma even accompanied the gods to Lord Vishnu. There, they together prayed Lord Vishnu and intimated Him about their suffering.

Pleased by their prayers, Lord Vishnu appeared before them and said- "I will definitely help you regain your splendour. Presently, do what I say. You reunite with the demons and convince them to carry out the churning of the sea. Then bring all kinds of herbs and put them in the sea. With the help of the demons, and using Mandaraachal as churner and Vaasuki, the Naag, as the rope to carry out the churning of the sea. Thus, you will recover ambrosia drinking which, all of you will become immortal and regain your strength."

Following the advice of Lord Vishnu, the gods reconciled with the demons and convinced them to carry out the churning of the sea. They together procured all kinds of herbs and put them in the sea. Then they began the churning using Mandaraachal Mountain. As soon as the churning began, Mandaraachal began to sink. Lord Vishnu took life of Kachchhap (the great tortoise) and bore the weight of the mighty mountain on His back. During the churning, Kamadhenu, the wishful cow was the first to emerge. It was presented to the sages as an aid for their Yagya. It was followed by the damsel, Vaaruni, Kalpavriksha (the wishful tree) after which, beautiful elves appeared. The Moon followed the elves and was taken up by Shiva on His forehead. During the churning, huge quantity of poison had also emerged. It was drunk by Lord Shiva and some parts of it were taken up by the serpents. In the end, Dhanvantari himself emerged from the sea carrying the urn of ambrosia.

It was during the churning itself that Lakshmi appeared once again from the sea holding lotuses in her hands. All the sages prayed her. Then taking bath with divine water, goddess Lakshmi took her seat in the heart of Lord Vishnu.

When the demons saw that Lakshmi had chosen Lord Vishnu’s heart as her abode, they got perplexed. They at once snatched the urn from Dhanvantari and ran away. Then a row broke out among them over the drinking of ambrosia. Each of the demons wanted to drink ambrosia in maximum quantity. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu also arrived there in the guise of an extremely pretty woman Mohini and took possession of the urn. Mohini had pleased the demons with her sweet smile while distributing ambrosia among the gods.

Thus, the gods came to drink ambrosia. When at last, the demons realised that they had been cheated they immediately attacked the gods. But since the gods had regained their strength, they soon defeated the demons without much ado. Afterwards, the gods prayed Lord Vishnu and returned to heaven to rule it. The world regained its majesty. After regaining his splendour, comforts and luxuries of the heaven, Indra prayed goddess Lakshmi with devotion and respect.

Pleased by the prayers of Indra, Lakshmi asked him to seek a boon. Indra said- "O goddess! If you are pleased with me, kindly bless me with a boon that first you will never desert this world and also that you will never desert those who worship you with this prayer." Lakshmi granted these boons.

Thus, Lakshmi had appeared as the daughter of Bhrigu and his wife Khyaati. Then second time, she emerged from beneath the sea during its churning. Thus, whenever Lord Vishnu takes an incarnation, Lakshmi accompanies Him. When God appears in divine form, she too takes a divine appearance. When God appears in human form, Lakshmi appears in human form also.

The King’s Parrots

Sham S. Misri

Once upon a time there was a king. He was fond of parrots. He told his courters to get him two parrots to be kept in the palace. The next day the king’s men set out in a jungle to find the parrots. They found two parrots living on a tree in the jungle. By their tricks they caught the two parrots and took them to the king. From the talks of the parrots, while the men were on their way to the palace, they could judge that one parrot was wise and the other was foolish. Somehow, they presented the parrots to the king. The king put them in a golden cage. At king’s palace the parrots got fine foods to eat. The parrots were given different types of nuts and grains to eat. The king played with the parrots and they became favorites of the court. After some time a hunter trapped a monkey and gave it to the king. Soon the funny monkey also became the king’s favorite.

One day the foolish parrot complained to the king: “ The monkey gets more attention that belongs to us.”

The wise parrot said, “ By what right does all attention belong to us.”

The foolish parrot replied, “Because we were so good, so loyal, so true, and never bit anybody.”

The wise parrot said, “Pleasure and fame, dishonor and pain, all come and go like a breeze, why should a little parrot grieve? “

As time passed the monkey did not seem so funny anymore. Soon he began to scare the children. The king became angry and ordered monkey back to the jungle. The parrots once again became favorites of the king.  

The foolish parrot sang with joy, but the wise parrot warned,

“Gain and loss, praise and blame

Pleasure, pain, dishonor, fame

Come and go like Spring,

Why should a little parrot sing?”