Greetings and New Blog!

Hello everyone! Long time, no see; I know! My bad! I'm going to continue my future endeavors with blogging on the following blog. Hope to hear from y'all there. Thanks for all the support and feedback!

http://randommusingsofascholar.wordpress.com/

MOMENTS!!!

A moment; that’s all it takes for life to swiftly turn;

A chance meeting, a glance to make the heart churn!

Eyes that smile with the depth of secrets untold,

A visage with humility written all over it;

Lips that sparkle with the elixir of immortal folds!

It’s barely an event and yet a phenomenon;

Shakes all you hold dear with sheer charisma!

Beauty is joyous but not all things beautiful are;

And yet only some manage to pierce the soul,

Such is their cruel yet magnificent power!

That moment transforms you; alters your vision;

And you recognize it deep down; the connection!

Despite the mind saying; “Oh you’re in trouble”;

Your heart turns asunder with the tactile emotions;

And it's difficult to evade the glorious bubble!

The deepest impressions are made, not by beauty though;

But by a disposition so soft it seems unique and ethereal!

That deadly culmination of humility, respect and mettle;

Touches the soul, overwhelms the very core;

The very foundations of your seamless personality!!

Funny how that one moment is so omnipotent;

And so strange when the other one is indifferent!

Although it hurts to know the dream's unattainable;

The moment lives on, the glances continue;

With soft yearning in the heart’s troubled terrain!

For it is moments like these that define who we are;
That drive the strife to claim the golden flower!
The flower of love, the oasis of warmth and trust;
Seemingly inappropriate, that elusive yet natural reaction;
That sparks a lively hope, sustaining which is a must!

If not in this life, in this world, in this precious moment;
Perhaps in another; you might live the perfect sonnet!
Until that blissful instant though, there're soft sighs;
Adoration, enchantment and admiration from afar;
Because moments transcending magic in reality always suffice!!

SEEK THE ULTIMATE TRUTH DEEP WITHIN YOURSELF!

Life is a constant struggle for survival of the fittest, for the realization of goals which are personal or societal, individual or collective, mundane or significant. We, as a civilization, are constantly engaged in the pursuit of excellence, success and affluence. In this mad rush towards attaining what is often a lofty target, we seldom realize the importance of small but precious moments and little but lasting joys. We keep moving at such a rapid pace that life and its subtle nuances, emotions and their impacts, relationships and their verity pass us by in an ethereal blur only to be recalled with a twinge of guilt and nostalgia when it’s too late to make amends. We never pause to reflect upon what we really want, what our inner selves strive for and what our souls cry out for. What lies ahead is critical for it inspires and urges us on; so is what lies behind us for it strengthens us and molds our characters and personalities. But more important still is what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” This eternal quote by one of the most eminent poets of all time transcends ages and cultures and keeps resonating in the very thread of human evolution and progress.

The sands of time are cruel, omniscient and never ceasing; always rotating with a cruel and unforgiving velocity. If we lose track of moments gone by or yet to come, it’s an acute treachery to ourselves and those whom we dearly love. If, however, we lose sight of who we are and what we stand for, what our values are and what defines us; we lose the very fabric of our being and become marionettes in the ever-moving kaleidoscope of time and space. Therefore, it’s of paramount significance to give as much, and if possible more, time and thought to looking deep inside our minds and souls, and gorging the depths of our feelings, aspirations, our moral and intellectual fibers; to seek and find within us that which we so frivolously take for granted; that paradigm oasis of knowledge of the self, of one’s own soul, of the ultimate engine that drives our actions. It is a sad yet resounding truth that though we constantly keep analyzing and interpreting the world around us, we seldom pay any heed whatsoever to self – introspection. Pablo Neruda has most vehemently emphasized the need for keeping quiet every once in a while, tuning out the minutiae of our surroundings and taking a deep dive within our souls to gain that all elusive of secrets –the knowledge of our own selves, of what lies within us.

It has been reiterated by wisdom both ancient and modern that self – introspection and self – analysis are the easiest and safest modes of meditation, of reaching a state of pure spiritual bliss and attaining an almost perfect harmony with one’s soul. For all that we can ever dare to lose; parting from our own identities or our perceptions of the same is probably the worst farewell imaginable, but one which with very little effort can be prevented. Hence, we must try not to get blown away by the ceaseless tornadoes of highs and lows, of successes and failures, of dreams fulfilled and crestfallen aspirations, of unrest and contentment. On the contrary, we must be able to always read between the lines of what is transpiring around us and try not to let it overwhelm our pursuit of that which transcends excellence; which has been treasured by our ancestors and will be coveted by our descendents; that which is more divine than any supposed act of devotion to the Almighty; that supreme Pandora of immeasurable wealth and contentment; the golden orb of light called self knowledge. We must be actively engaged in and dedicated towards the attainment of that knowledge for it is simultaneously the most accessible and yet the farthest of destinations; all that is needed is grit and determination to keep it in sight and within grasp while we wander on the crossroads of time and space and fall prey to the vicissitudes of yesterdays and tomorrows. If we succeed in doing that, in maintaining that balance of what lies within us and what lies beyond; we may very well acquire what the Upanishads have called the ultimate salvation; what sages and great thinkers have termed pure, unadulterated bliss and enlightenment.

What was and what will be are trivial to what lies within;

Never let go of that precious yet overlooked rainbow of bliss;

For there is no light that shines brighter than that of self illumination;

That knowledge which is divine, which leads to eternal salvation!!     

WIMBY GLORY BECKONS!!

It's been your backyard, your home, your sanctuary, your kingdom,

You've raised the hallowed turf to unparalleled heights, given it freedom!

You belong here, rule here, it's the destination of the biggest dreams,

It's where you were first crowned, where you realised your childhood dream!

And yet they doubt you, say it's not in you to conquer the famous greens again,

That you are over and done with, no longer the victor at the Wimby terrain!!

But deep inside, even they know how preposterous their designs and claims are,

For they know, you can and will reclaim your glory here, rise beyond par!

Time has proven that champions never back off, never settle in the dust,

They rise again and again like phoenixes, redefining themselves & their very crust!

We've never had any qualms or doubts, have always believed in you, the best,

And you have always strengthened that belief, come out successful in every test!

The time has come, for you to reclaim your beloved crown,

To recreate history, relive the cherished victory sounds pound!

To re-kiss that trophy that says ''single handed champion of the world'',

To reunite the Championships with the Champion, immortalise the very word!

For it is in victory, that talent and perseverence shine the brightest,

Where humility, greatness and strength of character are rewarded at the highest!

Though victory defines success and glory, it's the effort that counts the most,

So win or lose, we love you regardless, to you we'll always raise the first toast!!

All the very best at Wimbledon 2012, Rogi!!!! ALLEZ!

THE TEMPESTUOUS TRIUMPH!!!!!

Dear Aastha, This one's dedicated to you............


Howling waves drifted the innocent maiden away,

Farther from the ship, her crew, her heart astray!

In vain did she attempt at fight and subterfuge,

To no avail, went her cries for safety, wails for refuge!

For her journey didn’t begin as tempestuous,

It was in fact an unplanned change of course!

Fair yet young, carefree and yet torn asunder,

She was being taken away by the ocean’s cruel throes!

No hope in sight, she prayed and gasped aloud,

The growl of the waves swallowed the sound!

A shade of green caught her sight, the waves treacherous,

Her spirit was in shambles, her body crying and ravenous!

Destiny didn’t pay any heed, action was the need,

She made her decision, rooted deep the gritty seed!

For it was either the lively shore or the deadly tempest,

Only one way to triumph over the morbid unrest!

And so she took control, started the long, perilous swim,

Like a jelly fish, her legs seemed glued, her wild energy dim!

But try hard she had to and try harder she did,

For surrender wasn’t an option, that wasn’t her will!

Countless nautical miles to the island she swam,

Out of breath, short on life-force, to the trees she ran!

And that was when all colors hued, life turned black,

‘Ah Good’, she mused, ‘finally Mr. Blue’s been sacked’!

She woke up to the light of a bonfire, alert and alarmed,

The face in front of her made her cry out the most sacred psalm!

She couldn’t believe that destiny had truly rewarded her grit,

For her captain greeted her, her heart in a flutter, emotions adrift!

They’d found her, she’d won, the tempest had been beaten,

She thanked her guts, her true grit, that’d made the lifesaving decision!

The ordeal taught her to believe, to never give up,

The elixir of hope and determination was served by the bitter syrup!!

This was actually quite a delightful first for me! Not the poem; but the time, venue and mood of its composition.
My first experiment with exam composing! Having completed the paper twenty minutes earlier today and not being allowed to leave the examination hall till the scheduled three hours were up (which was a first again), all I could think about (after checking the paper twice) was a nice old doodle, but the inner poetess had other, um, ideas and so there went nothing........ 


Actually it's not all that bad, considering it was written by a mind stupefied by three hours of finger-breaking and mind-boggling writing of well, a subjective paper! Maybe I should do this exam composing thing more often....... 

SUCCESS MUST BESTOW HUMILITY!!

Countless experts, priests, politicians, artists and the average nobodies have defined success and its implications in diverse terms and forms. But, how can success be defined and put into concise and eloquent words is a mystery which remains yet unsolved. I think one can perceive success as the achievement of one’s goals, the fulfillment of one’s potential and the attainment of a state of contentment. It's a testament to one's efforts and endeavours and an immortal yet transient tribute to human excellence and persistence.

As many definitions of success vary, so do its impact on different individuals. Some believe success to be the end-point of all of their efforts and stop striving for better. Worse still, some believe being successful gives them the undisputed right of being arrogant, vain, preposterous and disrespectful towards others; that success creates a halo of invincibility and immunity from all things undesirable and obtrusive. Yet, there are others who do not let success alter their personalities and perceptions of life, those who don’t let success cloud their minds or achievements pull them in the treacherous bowels of vanity.

Some would argue the former kind of “Success addicts” are better than the latter ''Success saints'' but I strongly disagree. I opine that one’s achievements, successes and self- fulfilling circumstances should rather make them appreciate life more, value people higher and revel in humanity more than before. As a gifted scholar once said, "Being humble is being human", that humility is a core characteristic of humanity and that anything contradicting the same is an unholy and inhuman abomination of humanity. Humility makes one a better person, a balanced intellectual, a  sensible person and a more compassionate member of the society. In fact, success combined with humility is a golden and lethal combination that has the virtuosity of making one reach unimaginable and unprecedented heights. 

There are many examples in history which bear testimony to the power of humility in enhancing a person’s life and multiplying his/her success. Let’s take sports legends Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer for instance. Both of these gentlemen have reached the pinnacles of success in their respective sporting disciplines and have established themselves as role models for many an aspiring geniuses. Despite being who they are, they’re humble to the core. Tendulkar always makes time for his admirers and Federer, with an equal intensity, politely greets his fans, colleagues, superiors and the media. They attribute all this to their upbringings and value sets but much more has aided them in retaining such success for such long periods of time and wearing the thorny crown of success with such panache and elegance. 

In the corporate vista, Bill Gates, the founder Chairman of Microsoft Corporation and an exemplary entrepreneur, remains true to his roots and humble nature to this day. He’s engaged in multiple philanthropic projects and has pledged half his wealth to be donated to charity over a course of time after his death. There are countless such people who’ve taken success in the most righteous manner and have imbibed the virtue of  humility to become materially, emotionally and spiritually richer and more content. On the contrary, when people use success as an excuse to become worse versions of themselves and treat others as inferior and insignificant, its’s the beginning of a painful end for them; one that's beyond their wildest fears. 

Thus, success should be accepted with humility, realism and prudence; its bounties should be shared and its burdens borne with care. For the garland of roses that is success can almost effortlessly transform into a crown of thorns and surely that's not a very successful consequence of success. So be humble and be human. Don't drive success to your head, don't let it overwhelm your psyche or overcome your better angels! Remember, you're the driver of your prosperity, the nurturer of your intellect, an active part of your society and a building block of the future of your civilization! Honour them all! 
STAY HUMBLE, STAY HUMAN!!

Keep yourself grounded,  for peace of mind and clarity!

If you take success to your head, life would become a vanity!!
Vanity is the first step to destruction, to the path of insanity!
Accept success with humility and increase contentment's longevity!!

BEFRIEND PAIN AND EMBRACE REALITY!!

Life is a tumultuous journey with all its twists and turns where affections returned and unrequited love, success and failure, ecstasy and agony exist in a perfect conundrum of duplicity and diabolic congruence. Pain, alas, is an incontrovertible part of life and the suffering and anguish it entails never fail to uproot our deepest strengths and suppositions of indifference and invincibility. We all think we're immune to it, above and beyond its reach, too strong to let it touch our oh-so powerful psychological armor. But, are we really? Who do we think we're fooling with such irrational reasonings and displays of utopian bliss? 


The answer lies deep within our consciences and keeps echoing in the most sacrosanct recesses of our psyches. By building a protective web of indifference and immunity around our heads, we set off to conquer the world, but the real endeavor is the conquest of our own inhibitions, flaws and constraints and in the pursuit of the same, we live in constant denial of all the failures and the pain they engender. Ayn Rand once said, ''Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.'' But how long can denial be the source of happiness and what kind of a happiness that really is, one born out of constant lack of self-introspection and escapism from altercations with reality.

So, the question that arises here is 'Is pain a foe to be feared or a friend that helps us embrace reality and accumulate real happiness?' I opine that it is the latter, a source of truth and realization of our true characters and strengths and the inexplicable transformer of our restricted sensibilities. If we lose a loved one or meet with unexpected and undesirable ends in any venture, it is absolutely unwise and self - deprecatory to deny the pain and suffering and live in an escapist and seclusive illusion of perfection and happiness. It is much more advisable and realistic, though not as feasible (and sadly so), to confront the reality, feel the pain, analyze the lessons and come out stronger and better from the experience. 


Pain lets us explore the very extremes of our passions, dilemmas, internal conflicts and stability and, therefore, is a trusted ally in our journeys towards our respective goals. If we alienate pain and in turn, ourselves, we'll be none the wiser from what caused it and will continue on untouched, unaltered and ever - restricted by the feeble attempts of lying to ourselves. The iconic Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran once remarked, ''Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.'' I concur with this statement and believe that pain is a true reminder of truth, a harbinger of reality, a means to bring out the better angels of our nature and to extricate us from hazy, illusionistic viewpoints. 


Accepting pain is not pessimistic or weak, rather it's the testament to strength, realism and intellectual progress. It's better to confront reality (and, in turn, pain) than escape from it, because it'll keep staring you straight in the eyes no matter how long you try to avoid its glare. So, let's face it and be done with it. There really is no point in stagnation and denial! Life's a river of emotions and pain is an omni-present bend in the ravine, you can't cross the river without braving the painful bends and you aren't meant to either, not the easy way.
In conclusion, the following verses say it all!!!

Do we live and die and suffer and mop in vain,

Is there a rationale for the agony that drives us insane?

Is it worth the sighs, the tears, the silent defeats and disdain?

Yes, it is, for if it weren't, there'd be many a gains without pain!

Pain is a perennial friend, a mirror of extreme emotions,

It takes us deep within, makes us realize our innate strengths!

Denying the obvious and abstaining from acceptance does no good,

Accept and befriend pain, it's the fuel that drives us to be who we should!!