Tag: prayer

End of the World!

On By ShivangiIn Blogs in General, Stories23 Comments

The travelling monk looked at the famous Il Gigante for a long, long time. His serene eyes were the colour of the ocean, while his orange robe gleamed in the sun. The beach was sparsely crowded and he found a quiet place to sit.

Sana, a middle aged writer, found the pensive monk as interesting as that colossal sculpture of Neptune towering above them. There was a strange, other-worldly glint in his eyes. She wanted to click his snap for her travelogue.

“Hello Sir, I am Sana, a tourist! Can I have a snap of yours, please,” she went near the monk and requested. He just smiled.

Perhaps, he did not know English language! She tried to communicate in a sign language. He smiled again, wrote something and gave her.

“The day this sculpture falls, the world will end. Every minute is important,” the note said.

Sana looked up, but the monk had vanished. A terrible gush of wind blew away the paper from her shivering hands!

This is my entry to the flash fiction challenge, Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers hosted by the lovely Priceless Joy. We are given a photo prompt and approximately 75-175 words with which to create our stories. This challenge is open to all who would like to participate. For more information, please CLICK HERE. Thank you Momtheobscure for the image!

The Lovely Lady on the Bench

On By ShivangiIn Blogs in General, Stories34 Comments

  

I see her everyday on that bench. It is curious that I have never seen her face. Her wrinkled hand rests at the back of the bench as she sits still, statue like. I am sure she would make an excellent model for a sculpture.

She has the bearing of royalty. Her dress, although plain, looks neat and a scarf covers her head. I don’t know what thoughts run through her mind as she sits there from morning till midday and then leaves unseen. Nobody accompanies her, no one takes her hand and sits by her for a while.

Today, I wanted to have a good look at the mysterious old lady. Also, I wanted to be of some kind of help.

I went out to meet her. She was crying. But the tears were not of grief but of gratitude. She was in deep conversation with God. She was with God! She needed no one!

This is my entry to the flash fiction challenge, Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers hosted by the lovely Priceless Joy. We are given a photo prompt and approximately 75-175 words with which to create our stories. This challenge is open to all who would like to participate. For more information, click HERE. Thank you Andy for the picture.

A Short Laughing Message for 2016

On By ShivangiIn Blogs in General, Uncategorized29 Comments

  
My Dear,

2015 slipped away like a fine muslin cloth! It is now time to bid Good Bye to the old year and welcome the brand New Year 2016. My first year of blogging has been incredibly delightful, all thanks to You! I have a world of good wishes for You but primarily, I wish You a year full of laughter. 😀

The Sanskrit book ‘Dasarupa’, a treatise on Dramaturgy, lists six types of laughter. They are:

  1. Smita – A sweet faint Smile
  2. Hasita – A smile slightly revealing tips of the teeth
  3. Vihasita – Gentle laugh in which mouth opens a little
  4. Upahasita – A little more pronounced laughter with some body movement
  5. Apahasita – Booming laughter that brings tears to eyes
  6. Atihasita – Doubling with uproarious laughter

I hope and pray that the New Year brings to you abundance of Joy every day – Smita with tea in the morning, Hasita in the breakfast hour, Vihasita during lunch, Upahasita post lunch, Apahasita in the coffee break and Atihasita during dinner time! Laughter, laughter and more laughter….:)

Stay blessed and healthy friends, see you in the New Year!

  
 

Did you know Sri Rama had a sister?

On By ShivangiIn Blogs in General36 Comments

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Yes, you read it right! Sri Rama had an elder sister Shanta (born of Dashratha and Kaushalya), who was given away for adoption to Kaushalya’s sister. To read in detail click here . There are a few other random facts I found out about Ramayana. I thought that since it is Dussehra time, the timing is just right to share!

For the benefit of non Hindus, let me first elaborate that the festival Dussehra is symbolic of victory of good over evil. Ramayana, the epic, written by sage Valmiki deals with the story and glory of Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Rama had killed the very powerful demon king Ravana, who had abducted his wife Sita, on this day. Since then, Dussehra is celebrated across India.

But there are a few lesser known facts which many do not know. I would like to share a few interesting ones I came across:

1)During the exile period of Rama, Laxman and Sita, Laxman never slept. He is, hence, also called ‘Gudakesh’ meaning one who has ‘defeated sleep’.

2) Laxman’s wife Urmila slept both his and her share of sleep so that Laxmana could protect Rama and Sita. It is said that she slept for 14 years and woke up when her husband returned to Ayodhya.

3)  Vashishta, the guru of Raghukul dynasty named Ram. He explained that the name Rama is a powerful mantra. It is made up of two beeja aksharas(alphabetical seeds): Agni beeja(Ra) and Amrutha beeja(Ma). Agni beeja energises the soul, mind and body. Amrutha beeja reinvigorates the prana shakti(life force) in all the body.

4) After killing Bali by using deceit, Lord Rama promised that Bali would have his revenge in his next birth. Bali was reborn as Jara the hunter who killed Krishna – the next reincarnation of Lord Vishnu.

5) Ravan, the demon king with ten heads was killed at the eve of Dussehra. His ten heads symbolises the ten sins within us. They are:

  1. Kama vasana (Lust)
  2. Krodha (Anger)
  3. Moha (Attachment)
  4. Lobha (Greed)
  5. Mada (Over Pride)
  6. Matsara (Jealousy)
  7. Swartha (Selfishness)
  8. Anyaaya (Injustice)
  9. Amanavta (Cruelty)
  10. Ahankara (Ego).

Hope you liked these lesser known facts of Ramayana. Allow me to wish you a happy and prosperous Dussehra. Festivities have just started  my lovely friends and the great thing is – this will last till Diwali ( and in some parts of India till Chath puja).

Wishing you great fun and festivity ahead!!!

Image courtesy Google