Yeshwanth

Why words fail every time I listen to Thyagaraja ?  Why do I forget myself and the world around me when I play his krithis ? Sri Thyagaraja and his Bhakti are like flesh and nail; flower and fragrance; child and mother’s affection. Sri Thyagaraja's pieces which reflect different kinds of "rasa" are matchless for their excellence and richness of imagination, and they depict his deep sense of observation. His sweet songs are to say about the saddest thought and a melancholy note may pass on a sweet memory. As color can have different shades, the emotions he could portray are in a variety of shades. I love the way he depicts different kinds of Rama in his different Kritis. I wonder how he always dwelt in the immediate presence of Rama in his thoughts holding dialogues with Rama, getting angry with Him and pleading with Him to give him salvation. How is it humanly possible to think about just one thing throughout one’s life? I am not even able to think of a single thing...

Dharma is the Omnipresent law, the Archetype, the ideal. Dharma is the Way. Karma is the vehicle to tread the way. It is the means to be one with Dharma. It is the manifested dharma. If dharma is the order, karma is what keeps it alive. Karma exists in 3 fold manifestations - the knower, the knowledge, and the known. All these three dimensions of karma can exist in the following 3 climates or temperaments - Rajas, Sattva, and Tamas. Following words try to express the feel of Rajas:  Plurality, analysis, individuality, separation, alienation, arrogance, fear, stress, anger, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, disbelief, meanness, stinginess, prejudice, go getter, material efficiency. Following try to explain what constitute the Tamas:  Attachment to an individual, lust, attachment to having something or somebody, indulgence, laziness, driven by baser instincts, attachment to results, to profits, helplessness on the face of obstacles, rationalizat...

What is the newness of the year? Where is the freshness of it? We know that we have been growing from our babyhood to adulthood. We did grow, and there was moment-to-moment newness in our life, and we know that we are becoming newer and newer every moment. If that is the case, what is so special about New Year? At one second past midnight on January 1, the day will changed from Saturday to Sunday, usually an unremarkable transition of no special significance. But somehow we've decided that this change, which will end one year and begin the next, is different.Why does the start of the New Year carry such special symbolism? Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a pause, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. My teacher always says that New Year is a day, to tune the rhythm called SOUL, with best chords called EXPERIENCES and play the guitar called LIFE. Yes. This is the time to reflect upon ourselves, to review our mistakes and learn/unlearn...

My Dearest Grandma, Words can’t describe how much you are missed here. If heaven wasn’t so far away I would be up there in an instant. No matter what you will always be in our hearts. I knew I would think about you, but not being able to physically hold you or give you a kiss was driving me crazy. It’s so hard to be at our home when you’re not there.  Since the time I could walk, talk and remember, you were with me. You looked after me, fed me, defended me, and played with me. You told me Ramayana and Scenes from Krishna’s life as bed time stories so that I would go to sleep. You cooked me a delicious meal every day. You helped me always. You were with me for whole of life and suddenly you had to leave forever.   Not a single day passes without me thinking of you. Yesterday was your birthday and I could not sleep.  I want you to know that I think of you every day. I want you to know that I miss you more than anything, and I would give anything to tal...

Guess life is really a road marked by crossroads. It's not the long and winding stretches that will hurt us the most. It's the crossroads. We make a bad choice and it's a tumble and a rumble before we get back on our feet again. But we'll get back on our feet. We'll find ourselves. And then we’ll be off to our next adventure; Crossroads, I mean. Every journey taken always includes the path not taken, the detour through hell, the crossroads of indecision and the long way home. Very often in our lives we find ourselves standing at a major crossroad where have to make an important choice. It is at these crucial junctions that we need to make important decisions about matters that might have far reaching consequences in our journey and a long-lasting effect in our lives. I’m not talking about simple choices such as a car purchase or figuring out your weekend plans. I’m referring to the bigger decisions such as whether should marry or re-locate to another country, ...