Category Archives: Spiritual

Nepal Earthquake: How can you help (in the short & long run)?

By: Keyur Seta

The deaths and casualties in the Nepal Earthquake are continuing to go high. According to latest reports, the death toll has now surpassed 4000 with many thousands injured. So, naturally, the help needed should be directly proportional to the magnanimity of the tragedy.

The Indian Army and a whole lot of social groups and independent volunteers are selflessly fighting day in and day out to repair the damage and help out those who are injured and stranded. The Government of India too is taking special care to make sure all the help is provided during Nepal’s hour of crisis.

But when the intensity of the crisis is so high, no help is enough. Hence, it becomes our moral responsibility to make whatever little effort to restore the situation in Nepal. If we can’t visit the affected areas personally, we can surely be there in spirit by donating as much amount as we can.

Volunteers helping

You can make a contribution to Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund in the following ways:-

The headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission at Belur Math in West Bengal are collecting funds for the Nepal Earthquake.
Phone: (91-33-) 2654-1144/1180/5391/8494/9581/9681
Email: mail@belurmath.org

Save The Children, an NGO, is providing help to the many children affected by the earthquake.
Phone: (Toll Free) 1.800.728.3843 (8:00am-5:00pm EST, M-F)
Online Donation: Click HERE

International Association for Human Values (IAHV) is also collecting funds for the tragedy.
Online Donation: http://www.iahv.org/in-en/nepal-earthquake-relief/

Friends Service Council Nepal is an organization situated in Kathmandu, Nepal which is working with respect to the tragedy.
Contact Online: http://www.fscnepal.org/contact-us/
Phone: +977-1-5201497
Email: fsc@wlink.com.np

Goonj, an Indian NGO, too is working for the rehabilitation of the victims.
Contact online: http://goonj.org/
Phone: 011 – 41611244 & 9810032527

Facebook is also doing its bit in collection fund for the tragedy.
Visit FB’s Nepal tragedy page here – https://www.facebook.com/nepalearthquakesupport

But what about the long run?

But an ideal way to help in the long run will be by making sure such devastating tragedies never take place ever. This might sound outrageous to some but I feel it is futile to blame Mother Nature for this because such tragedies are an outcome of our own greed. We have destroyed forest after forest and many other aspects of nature in the name of development and progress. Towers after towers are created without paying heed to nature.

Any development at the cost of nature or ecology is not development. It is downright destruction or violence. And since every action has a reaction, incidents like Nepal earthquake, Kashmir and Uttarakhand floods and other such incidents keep happening and, unfortunately, will continue so, if we don’t do anything in this regard.

But, you might ask, what can we do? Well, there is plenty we can do to, at least, make sure the condition of our planet isn’t worsened further.

Here are some ideas:

Picture: Prsindia.org

– Plant trees or saplings anywhere and everywhere you can.

– Avoid Firecrackers as they violently pollute the environment at an enormous level. Parents themselves should sensitize their kids about it.

– Minimize the use of cars. If you are young and fit, use as much of public transport as possible. Many of you might label me crazy but there is no other alternative to reduce traffic and pollution or to, at least, make sure it doesn’t increase further. The traffic and pollution has already crossed insane levels. Use carpooling to the maximum. Metro Rail is a major boon in this regard.

– But the above option is possible only if our government and authorities improve the condition and efficiency of our public transport systems. There should be more local trains with more bogies. Some years ago, a very lengthy B.E.S.T bus used to run on Mumbai roads. But they have stopped it for reasons best known to them. Such buses will prove to be a major boost.

– Ban deforestation or cutting trees completely. We have destroyed forests and trees enough. We should follow the policy of not a single tree being allowed to cut down.

– Make laws to minimize creation of new industries. Preserving nature is more important than making new products and inventions.

– Make sure the industrial waste is properly decomposed and not dumped carelessly into the sea or rivers.

– Ban polluting or littering into rivers even at a micro level.

Only resorting to the above and many other options will help in sustaining Mother Nature. If we ignore these measures, we should be ready for more massive earthquakes, floods, etc. The equation is simple – If we destroy nature, we can’t expect nature to bear it lying down. This is Nature’s Law and not the man-made judicial laws, so it can’t be tweaked as per our whims and fancies.

I recently read on Facebook – Nature doesn’t need us. We need nature.

Book Review: Ramayana: The Game Of Life – Shattered Dreams

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Author: Shubha Vilas

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Shattered Dreams is the second book in the six part series Ramayana: The Game Of Life by author Shubha Vilas. The first book, Rise Of The Sun Prince, succeeded in narrating the early childhood of Lord Rama in an enchanting manner (read its review HERE). The author has continued the good work in the second book. This time, Vilas has also overcome the challenge of presenting sad and serious turn of events with so much optimism and pleasantness.

The story commences when Rama is 25 years old. He is married to Sita while Laxmana is married to Urmila. Ayodhya is going through its happiest period until King Dasharata, Rama’s father, starts seeing disturbing dreams. Worried and anxious, Dasharata hurriedly organizes Rama’s coronation as the new king of Ayodhya.

Picture: Amazon.com

However, Dasharata’s dream is shattered after Rama, Sita and Laxmana are forced to go into exile due to the trick played by the evil Kaikeyi, who dreams of seeing his son Bharata on the throne of Ayodhya. Will Dasharata be able to bear separation from his beloved Rama? Will Bharata accept the throne presented to him through treachery?

Rama’s exile is looked upon as a sad incident and rightly so. But the author has presented the episode and its consequences in a positive and hopeful light. Of course, the reader does feel sad by the turn of events but Vilas’ idea of looking at the positives even in a super tragic situation moves your heart.

The character traits and wisdom of Rama, Sita and Laxmana largely help in this. But in the end, you are most awestruck by the wisdom and humility of Bharata. Normally, Ramayana is more about the greatness of the divine couple and their servant. But after reading Shattered Dreams, the youth, its target audience, will consider Bharata equally great. His love, respect and devotion for Rama will overwhelm you long after finishing the book.

Talking about the language, Vilas has continued from where he left in the first book. It is a smart example of rich language that resorts to utter simplicity. This ensures that the book will be an easy read for English literature lovers as well as for those not much into English reading. Except for few dragged portions before the exile, the pace is fast throughout. The gripping drama peppered on every situation makes sure you are always glued.

Now, some minor issues. Going by the story and events focused, the book shouldn’t have been 387 pages long. The theory that a woman should worship her husband and should always be dependent on him shouldn’t have been glorified. The series is written for today’s youth, so such regressive, patriarchal ideas should at least have been limited. The words of wisdom at the end of the page are inspiring and enlightening. However, on few occasions, that portion is too long.

Overall: Shattered Dreams is a must read for mythological lovers, especially if you have read the first book in the series. It provokes anticipation for the remaining parts.

Details:

Publishers: Jaico Books

Genre: Mythology

Pages: 387

Price: Rs 350 (available at discount on Flipkart)

The World Remade: Instead of remaking films, let’s remake the world!

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By: Keyur Seta

I am participating in the #TheWorldRemade activity at BlogAdda in association with India Today #Conclave15

Nainital (Picture: Wikipedia)

No matter how happy, peaceful or wealthy a person is, he or she will certainly have big problems with not few but a lot of aspects of the world and rightly so. I too fall in the same category, naturally. So, how about remaking this world our way? BlogAdda in association with India Today Conclave has provided this opportunity of jotting down your idea of a perfect world. Although this is just imaginary, the very thought of creating a world as per my wishes is enough to bring a wide grin on my face.

I firmly feel that God or Nature had made a perfect, harmonious world. It is we the people who have destroyed or are destroying it by going against nature. In my opinion, going against nature is one of the worst forms of violence. So a large part of my creation of the world will focus on going as per the rules of the nature. And when I say nature, it is not just restricted to our surroundings or ecology.

So here are the points that determine the world remade by me:-

Fundamentalism: All human beings have the same flesh, bones, blood and organs and feel happy and sad at the same things. In other words, nature hasn’t created any difference between humans. So any idea, people, group or association encouraging division among human beings or advocating one religion will be discarded and the people responsible will be strictly punished. Naturally, people from terror groups will be awarded severe death sentence without any delay.

Picture: Elsieisy.wordpress.com

Casteism: A glaring social evil is ‘caste’, according to which people are classified higher or lower without any fault or effort. In my world, not only the word caste will be abolished but all groups that represent castes or sub-castes would also be banned. Matrimonial columns in newspapers and matrimonial websites will be barred from the mention of caste. Any discrimination or encouragement of caste will be strictly penalized. Needless to say, all caste or community based reservation will be abolished. In short, the word ‘caste’ will be reduced to ashes.

Ecology: We have destroyed forests, open lands, rivers and many other natural gifts. I would put a huge impetus on strictly not destroying nature by any means. Of course, we need industrial development but not at the cost of nature. Any development aimed at harming the natural surroundings and ecosystem can never be labeled as development; that’s outright destruction.

There would be measures to curb all types of pollution and a large amount would be spent on it. Only special eco-friendly firecrackers would be allowed. Pollution created in the name of religious festivals will also be abolished.

Women Issues: Rapists will be punished as per the middle-eastern style. I don’t see any other way of inducing fear in the minds of potential rapists. Even sexual harassment or so-called harmless eve-teasing will be categorized under serious crimes. Nature hasn’t created any difference between men and women in terms of strength. Any idea describing women as the weaker sex will be banned and anyone advocating this idea will be punished. Such passages found in any religious book will also be edited out.

Picture: Thesojo.net

Parents of to-be brides will be encouraged not to feel inferior in front of ladke wale. Any such attempt from the latter will be dealt severely. Indirect acts of dowry will also be considered a serious offense. A family found guilty of forcibly marrying off their daughter will also be penalized although in a minor way.

Poverty: I believe poverty is largely an outcome of unequal distribution of income. Super rich individuals or organizations (including places of worship) earning more than a particular amount will be made to donate a tiny percentage of their income to the needy. Even such a minute amount can go a long way in diminishing poverty. Continuous efforts in various other ways will be put to eradicate poverty.

Picture: Fastcompany.com

Medical Bills: From what I have observed in the last few years, I feel it is an unofficial crime for the poor or lower middle-class to fall sick. If a person is saved from a serious illness, he will still die while paying an abnormal amount to the hospitals and for medicines. I would prefer my world to give access to proper healthcare to all irrespective of his or her social class. This slow killing will be looked upon as one of the most urgent matters to deal with.

Law & Order: It seriously hurts to see our hard-working policemen earn less than peanuts. In my world, their wages will be raised to an enormous level. Along with the cop, his family members too sacrifice a lot so even they would be taken care of. Something more than Fast Track Courts will be placed to make judiciary processes way faster.

Corruption: This will be considered a very serious offence and the wrongdoers will face strictest of punishment; definitely not the easy way corrupts are treated in the current times. All political parties will be compelled by law to disclose every penny from their funding.

Smoking: There would be ways chalked out to ban smoking. If not, there at least would be serious restrictions on the selling of cigarettes.

Picture: nerhrt.wordpress.com

Right to Peace: I am sure this phrase is never heard before from any government in the world, which is truly unfortunate. This surprises me immensely as I firmly believe everyone has a right to stay peacefully in his or her home. All kinds of noises in public places would be banned in my world, including those made in the name of carrying out ‘religious’ festivals or practices.

Subsidy to art: Sorry, I can’t keep films and plays away. Independent films aiming to promote a social cause or present a social wrongdoing will be given subsidy along with entertainment tax abolition. There will be massive efforts made to revive the art of theatre all over India. The reason for this point is that these mediums have a large reach out, which can help spread noble messages.

There are many, many more things that need to be changed in this world. This is just an overview.

Kala Ghoda Festival 2015 Photos

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By: Keyur Seta

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is back in 2015, like every February. Although the place is thronged by people from all walks of life, it is the art lovers who wait for every February just to get a high for the artistic keeda inside them.

Here is a Photo Tour by one such art admirer:

(Click on the photos to enlarge.)

Book Review: The Krishna Key – Much more than a novel!

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Review By: Keyur Seta

Rating: * * * *

On the surface, author Ashwin Sanghi’s The Krishna Key is a chase-oriented action thriller. But deep within, it is much, much more. The author has managed to enlighten about the glory of India’s ancient civilization while narrating a modern tale set in today’s times. The end result is a unique mixture of spiritual enlightenment and page-turning thrill.

The Krishna Key revolves around Ravi Mohan Saini, a historian in his 40s and scholar of sorts when it comes to epics like Mahabharata. He gets the shock of his life when he is accused of murdering his childhood friend Anil Varshney, an archeologist and linguistic expert. Varshney was on the verge of discovering a secret related to Lord Krishna, buried 5000 years ago.

Picture: Flipkart.com

Taarak Vakil, who considers himself as Kalki Avatar, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, has committed the crime on the orders of Mataji. Out of nowhere, Saini gets a chance of proving himself innocent. For this, he needs to discover hidden meanings into ancient scriptures by traveling various places of importance. During the course of his secret investigation, Saini also tries solving the question of the existence or proof of Lord Krishna.

The Krishna Key gets you hooked from the very first sentence itself. It is an example of an interesting and intriguing story narrated in an un-put-down-able manner. There are regular twists, which become more thrilling due to Sanghi’s manner of disclosing them. A few chapters are smartly left hanging, adding more excitement. The extended climax makes sure the book ends on a spiritually enlightening manner instead of mere action.

What makes the book more appealing is that he has managed such high quality of narration despite using simple words and sentences. So it manages to catch the interest of a person from vernacular background as well as someone interested in rich literature.

But the biggest reason that sets The Krishna Key apart is the ancient disclosures that it presents. They aren’t mentioned just for the sake of it. Sanghi has given references of a long list of real findings about the Vedic age and woven them intelligently around a fictitious tale. And most of these findings will truly amaze you and make you feel proud of our civilization. Although few appear unwanted, they are so fascinating that you don’t really mind it.

Here are few of them without spoilers:-

– The same planetary movements that were seen on the day the Mahabharata war took place were also seen on 9/11.

– Russian Professor A A Gorbovsky found an ancient skull on the site where Kurukshetra war took place. After studying the skull, it was found that it is 5000 years old and, most interestingly, it emitted nuclear radiations, indicating nuclear weapons being used in the Mahabharata war.

– Rigveda mentions that sun travels 2,202 in half a nimesha. Hence, sunlight travels at 186000 miles per second. The modern calculation of speed of light comes extremely close to 186000.

– J Oppenheimer quoted Bhagavad Gita after first successful test of atom bomb.

– Badshahnama, the complete account of Shah Jahan’s reign, mentions his beloved wife as Arjumand Banu Begum instead of Mumtaz Mahal.

– The dome at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and its surroundings are modeled on Shiv Linga. As real Shiv Lingas emit radiation, it is necessary to pour water on it from time to time. Water is poured on BARC dome for the same reason.

– This is just the tip of the iceberg. The total of such findings and lesser known facts easily go up to more than 100.

Amidst such positives, the book also has its share of negatives. A number of incidents and turns fall in the masala Hindi movie genre. Few mysterious questions remain unanswered. At times, there is an overdose of knowledge, which slightly shifts focus from the main story and increases the length. Thankfully, these points don’t hinder much of the enjoyment.

Overall: Ashwin Sanghi’s The Krishna Key is much more than merely a thriller novel.

Author: Ashwin Sanghi

Pages: 475

Price: Rs 125

Publisher: Westland Ltd.

Genre: Thriller

Cover: Artistic and intriguing

Author Shubha Vilas: Shivaji gained knowledge from Ramayana and Mahabharata

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By: Keyur Seta

He also speaks about airplanes during Ramayana era and other interesting things related to mythology during the launch of his book Shattered Deams.

Author Shubha Vilas explained the importance of epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata by highlighting that such books were the only source of learning even for great emperors. “Shivaji Maharaj gained knowledge and wisdom only from these epics. How can a great emperor like him rely only on two books? So I feel it is now time to show how exciting and enlightening these epics are.”

He was speaking at the launch of his book Shattered Dreams, the second in the six part series on Ramayana. The first titled Rise Of The Sun Prince released last year. Prominent columnist Anil Dharker was the guest at the event, which took place at the Kemps Corner branch of Crosswords in Mumbai on Thursday.

Shubha Vilas (centre), Anil Dharker (right). Picture: Newssuperfast.com

Vilas spoke about the mixture of entertainment and enlightenment produced by such epics. “The heart requires entertainment but mind requires enlightenment. When there is a mixture of both, it becomes a complete experience.”

In his book, Vilas has described an airplane called Pushpak Vimana. There have been a lot of talks and debates currently over whether there were airplanes in India thousands of years ago. So, obviously, Vilas was asked about this. His answer became the highlight of the event.

“NASA has appointed two Sanskrit scholars on their payroll. Their job is to interpret Vedic texts, especially Vimana Shastra, which was written during Ramayana by Maharishi Bhardwaj. Vimana Shastra has detailed descriptions on how to make a flying machine. So, if NASA believes in it, there has to be some truth in it,” he said.

By referring to his book, Vilas also described the dissatisfaction among people these days. “Villagers look for something more promising in cities, city dwellers look at America for the same reason and Americans look at the moon. The wise prefer to be satisfied in the existing.” He also criticized the attitude of people living in cities when it comes to reading epics. “They ask, what is in it for me and how will it help me if I invest two hours in it?”

During the course of the discussion, Dharker pointed out about the growing interest among authors in mythology. “Few years ago, you (Vilas) wouldn’t have thought about writing such a book. Also, nowadays publishers have opened up to different types of literature. It is good that people like Shubha are modernizing our epics and teaching life lessons through it.”

When life presented her with muck, she grew a lotus

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By: Keyur Seta

(This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus. Under this activity, we have to write about a woman who, after being just a wife, went on to join a profession.)

For those grown up in late 80s and 90s, like I was, it was a normal thing to see a woman either choosing to be a wife or a hardworking professional. Through the society, films and advertisements, we were always indirectly told that a woman can’t play both the roles. If she starts working somewhere after finishing college, it is obvious that she will have to give up her career after she gets married to serve her family and raise kids.

But no society can escape change and India is no different. The aforementioned notion about women has changed quite a bit over the years as now she chooses to be a working professional along with being a wife. However, the change is far from complete. There is still a long way to go before the regressive ideologies get completely washed out.

Picture: Thesundayindian.com

But be rest assured, we are reaching there slowly but surely. There are a number of unknown faces going through such self-realization. I would like to highlight the story of one such woman, whose name I am not aware of.

Many a times, we come face-to-face with real-life inspiring stories in the most unexpected situations. Had anybody predicted that I would hear an inspirational tale while I was looking after my grandmother when she was admitted in hospital, I wouldn’t have believed that person. But this is exactly how it happened in mid-2013.

The protagonist of the story is the caretaker or helper at the hospital, someone who works under the nurse. We found her to be cheerful and, energetic and full of life; someone who always smiled and happily chit-chatted even while doing petty jobs (petty on paper but difficult in reality). But some smiles are earned after prolong periods of sorrow and grief. Her case wasn’t different.

We came to know about her dark past after she narrated it to my granny after building a rapport with her over the days spent. Belonging to the lower strata of society, she was one of the many unpaid maids disguised as housewives. But the biggest pain in life was her drunkard husband. Staying with a man who regularly consumes alcohol and creates havoc can make any wife experience hell on earth.

Picture: Toledoblade.com

Her case was even worse since her husband faced serious health issues and was strictly advised to keep away from the bottle. But temptation can make anyone logically blind and he too fell under this category. Despite being urged to stop his habit, he didn’t. The outcome was his untimely death, leaving behind his wife, two small kids and his mother. The woman’s grief was coupled by a frightening question of who will run the house and feed everyone.

Instead of looking for answers from and caring about anyone, she answered it herself by deciding to work at this hospital. Although she didn’t tell this, it is quite obvious that the initial period would have been terribly tough to deal with. But here she is today, smiling her way through the tedious and thankless job and feeding her family. When life presented her with muck (keechad), she grew a lotus in it.

There are many out there constantly proving or trying to prove the regressive theories wrong.

R K Laxman: Rest In Peace revolutionary cartoonist

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By: Keyur Seta

‘Common Man’ is no ordinary title. The term has given a unique and respectful identity to a large majority of Indians falling into the middle-class and upper middle-class category. They may be divided by religion, caste, language, region or what not, but they stand united under the umbrella of ‘Common Man’.

This title has given them a voice. It has highlighted the fact that the betterment of India can only take place when the life of people falling in this category is bettered. This can be seen from the fact that the main agenda of each political party in India is to serve the Common Man. Whether they have been able to achieve it is a different story. Hence, it won’t be an overstatement that ‘Common Man’ is a revolutionary title.

Picture: Fullonsms.com

Today, the person who coined this title breathed his last. India’s greatest cartoonist R K Laxman returned to heavenly abode at a Pune hospital after a prolonged illness at the age of 94. May his soul Rest In Peace.

There is no doubt that he was an excellent cartoonist; easily the best the country has seen. However, he has influenced my life more by his ‘Common Man’ feature. In fact, I live this theory every moment as it has become the most important philosophy of my life.

Needless to say, the name of this blog is solely influenced by Laxman’s ‘Common Man’. Although I also considered Naseeruddin Shah’s character in A Wednesday while naming it, the germ of this philosophy was created by Laxman. Today, the name of my blog has played a large role in whatever little acceptance it has received from readers, friends and well-wishers. All thanks to R K Laxman!

The man has passed away but his legacy of ‘Common Man’ will be kept alive in various ways. The ‘Common Man’ might fail every now and then but he will never get tired.

R K Laxman’s Common Man. (Picture: Students.smcm.edu)

His masterpiece sketch of Malgudi Days (Picture: Universityexpress.co.in)

Vivekananda gave me another birth: Kangana Ranaut

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By: Keyur Seta

Actress Kangana Ranaut has spoken about herself during her innumerable interviews. However, very few of us know that she considers Swami Vivekananda as her biggest inspiration and motivation. She spoke about this little known aspect about her life during the 153^rd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda at Ramakrishna Mission, Mumbai.

Kangana Ranaut. Picture Source: Sonam Budha @sonambudha1

“There was a time in my life when I couldn’t face tough situations. I was a lot confused about a lot of things. One day, my Yoga Guru gave me few books on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. That changed everything. His book on Karma Yoga provided me with a lot of inspiration. Only I can understand how his teachings gave me another birth. I am Vivekananda’s product,” said Kangana with a broad smile.

She added, “I always wanted to connect with R K Mission. I am happy that I finally got a chance to be here and speak.”

As always, the address by Swami Sarvalokananda, secretary of RKM Mumbai, contained messages for the youth. “When Swamiji went to the west, he used to proudly say that he is from India. But today’s youth show a lot of hesitation to reveal that.” While speaking on leadership, he said, “We need servant leadership.”

Arunagiri Mudaaliar, Chairman and Chief Mentor of E Cube India, pointed out how Vivekananda’s teachings also help management students. “His most important teaching which the management students adhere to is – Before managing external environment, manage yourself internally.”

Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor at BARC and Dr Srikumar Banerjee, from the Atomic Energy Commission, Mumbai also spoke about the relevance of Vivekananda’s message in today’s times.

A large number of school and college students were invited for the event since Vivekananda’s birthday is also celebrated as National Youth Day in India. This time, his birth tithi coincided with his birthday.

Lessons from Mahabharata – Episode 3: Can money alone bring peace?

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(This is the 2nd episode of the series ‘Lessons from Mahabharata’. The sole aim of this series is to highlight that the many messages given in the greatest epic are completely relevant even today and will be forever… Click HERE for the previous episode.)

By: Keyur Seta

The basic necessities of any human being are food, clothing and shelter. To fulfill these basic needs, it is essential for him or her to earn money. Hence, each one of us is into some profession or the other to make sure we keep earning to survive. But how much money is enough even after being able to live life comfortably? Or rather, is money ever enough?

We regularly come across people who are so rich that even their next few generations can live a decent lifestyle without having to work. But despite that, they aren’t satisfied. They continue to devise newer methods to earn even more. If you ask them the reason for their obsession to make more lakhs or crores, their standard answer is – To be happier! But happiness comes from a state of peace or absence of conflict. So can money surely being peace of mind?

Yudhishthir crowned the king. (Picture: Wikipedia)

Now let me present you with some interesting facts. There have been thousands of studies and surveys suggesting that the rich and the super-rich are more depressed than anyone else or are more prone to be depressed. But there is more to it. Many of these studies also suggest that suicidal tendencies are found the most among the wealthy lot. So naturally, psychiatrists come across a lot of people from this class suffering from depression.

I personally know quite a few super rich individuals who are depressed. I also know one such person who committed suicide few years back after being trapped into depression. Similarly, I have also witnessed some very well to do individuals getting treated for depression.

This, obviously, throws light on few important points – If money is enough to bring peace and happiness, why such large numbers of wealthy individuals are falling into depression? Worse, why some of them are ending their lives despite such a fat bank balance? If money is enough to bring happiness and peace, these people, leave alone committing suicide or even being depressed, should not be even close to depression.

This aspect is also seen in the great Indian epic Mahabharata after the war of Kurukshetra. As the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas, Yudhishthir, being the eldest of the Pandava brothers, was crowned as the King of Hastinapur. But was he or the other four Pandava brothers – Arjun, Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev – able to enjoy the fruits of the kingdom?

Despite being the rulers of the richest kingdom in the country, the Pandavas, especially Yudhishthir, weren’t happy or at peace simply because it was achieved after the annihilation of their own cousins, grandfather (Bheeshma), teacher (Drona), brother (Karna) and friends. Plus, thousands of warriors who fought for the Pandavas too had lost their lives on the battlefield.

When a kingdom is achieved after such terrible carnage, it becomes meaningless. So the Pandavas were just unable to enjoy its fruits as they were feeling remorseful. Hence, they retired to heavenly abode. I am not at all trying to say that the war shouldn’t have been fought. It was absolutely necessary to preserve Dharma by not allowing the Kauravas to succeed in their evil ways. I am just pointing out that wealth doesn’t mean much in the presence of inner conflict and remorse.

Now let us look at a fictional example. Mr X is the CEO of a big business empire. But his personal life is in disarray. His health is deteriorating while his family members are constantly into conflict. On the other hand, Mr Y is an executive earning a moderate income. With a healthy lifestyle, loving wife and obedient children, he is happy in his own little world.

So who of the two is richer? You decide.

Pandavas on their way to heaven. (Picture: Goelweb.com)