Something peculiar about this Binary Star

If you have attended south Indian Hindu marriages, or seen marriage photo albums, one particular scene would be common across. The groom and bride look towards the sky, pointing hands to a particular direction as directed by the priest who is besides them. This seems sort of funny on the out set. Here are two people, gazing towards day sky pointing at "something" which they obviously cannot see. An outsider may even shrug this as one more silly superstition.

As a kid, I always wondered why the priest was making the couple to do this particular act. When I promptly checked with my elders, I got to know the story of Arundhati and Sage Vashistha. Well, that's a nice story and wonderful to set an example for happy married life. So, the "ritual" has a highly meaningful reason and very romantic as well. :)

Photographer clicks few pics. relatives and friends around would tease the couple and everyone is happy. Most of us, would limit our understanding at this stage itself. Right? But, just take a moment of time, and think about this. Here is a "Binary star" located in a constellation "Ursa Major". Also, there is something very peculiar about this particular stars - Alcor and Mizar. Generally, in a binary star, one star revolves around the other. However, in this case, these revolve around each other. That's where the example for an ideal couple lies. To revolve around each other and not be a one side dominant relationship. Such deep meaning hidden in such simple gestures. 

Even more astounding fact is that these practices have been followed here since time immemorial. For at least thousands of years! So, this is what it REALLY means - our astronomers, identified a particular binary star which is revolving around each other and named it after Arundhati and Sage Vashistha. They did this a LONG time back. We can only imagine how strong our ancestors astronomy knowledge and strengths would be.

There are so many such instances, that speak about the ancient sciences and poetic way of putting it to common men. Most of which, we still feel are superstitions. 

Que Sera, Sera - Whatever will be, will be

If we ask ourselves, what is the one aspect of life that you keeps us on our toes each day rearing to go and what is the one aspect of life that frightens us the most? I would say, that answer for both questions is the same - 'The Unpredictable Nature of Life'.

I find it very fascinating, that each day, each minute is a new experience which we have never felt before.  Each day, we have a chance thrown at us to achieve something wonderful. At the same time, we cant take anything for granted and be complacent. There are always a divine set of parameters that cant be controlled by us mortals. Space-time continuum may not behave in the same way as we want it. One may quote Murphy's law for the same. 

Doris Day, a blessed singer recorded a song 'Que Sera, Sera' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azxoVRTwlNg) which means - 'Whatever will be, will be' . (Today happens to be her 91st birthday anniversary as well :) Happy Bday Dear Dorris!) It continues to say, 'Future is not ours to see.." Such simple words, yet having very deep meaning. Even may well parallel some of the similar thoughts of Sanskrit philosophy on this topic. 

There a poem in Sanskrit literature that talks about the same topic. 

गत शोकं न कुर्वीत |

भविष्यं नैव चिन्तयेत्|| 

वर्तमानेषु कार्येषु |

वर्तयन्ति विचक्षण: ||

Don't repent over past incidents, nor spend too much time wondering about your future prospects. The wise men are the ones who work purposefully in the present without any distractions.

This thought process attracts several critics who counter - 'Learn from past', 'Have farsightedness', "Work with futuristic goals in mind". But, when one re-reads the verses, he may recognize that it is inclusive of all these, and understood (read between lines).

After all this introspection, the conclusion we reach need not be explained by just materialistic/rational or a spiritual/meta-physical monism but, a sum total of all. 

As thought by Krishna, we need to live in this world like a Lotus leaf, "Grows in water, but never moistened by water". Let us lead a life - "Hands to Work, Heart to God". Above has been explained very well in "Paper on Hinduism" by Swami Vivekananda.

Hello my digital ears! Missed you since long

Well, its been a long time. It always is like that. Post after a long time with a promise to update the blog regularly and then before long, it ll be a long time since last post. :P That's life, i guess.

I missed my digital ears, the one who listens to any thing i say :) the place, where i can virtually look back and understand my thought process and where i went wrong before.

Swami Vivekananda quotes in his speech at World Parliament of Religions - "Child is Father of a Man". Indeed, we learn from our past and that experience alone can teach us to be better person today and days to come.

Varun has come a long way since a teenager who started this blog to a person in mid twenties. A better man than he ever was before.

Best Wishes

Worth a Fall

This year's Raksha Bandhan was a special occasion for me as i had gifted my sister bicycle from my own pocket. It was astonishingly satisfying and i felt good abt myself...

til abt half a week back, Chaitra my sister was still on one foot while on bicycle... and all of a sudden a few days back, she had none of her 2 small feet on ground! Yes. She had learnt to cycle... :)
While she was learning she fell many times.. few times in the same place... yet she stood up and tried her best to learn... and today she has learnt...
All i can say is Its worth the fall.... :)

Funny Incident in College

I was online, googling and was totally engrossed in it along with chatting with my friend who was sitting besides me... and suddenly.. i heard a cry for help from behind...followed by huge burst of laughter !!!It was in my College, Computer Networks Lab !!

And the cause of the cry from behind was a small 3.5 inch long RAT !!! hehehe :D
Yes!! It was a rat...

As i turned back, the poor rat which had got into the last row of the lab was puzzled by us the people in its home :D so it had to take drastic measures to escape from people who were actually scared of it... lol

its always strange that smallest of things give us biggest of trouble...

Most of my classmates were jumping around their seats when the rat headed towards them... few MEN came fwd to SOLVE the situation.. but alas, their bravery was short lived as the rat came near them, they jumped with all the fear in the world !!

And then the rat was getting tired.. but it could nt stop, it had to try to escape.. and we had to get rid of it...
all in all it was a catch 22 situation....

ther was a lot of chaos in the lab for those 10 minutes... while the people who were near the rat were scared, others enjoyed the weakness of their peers... each taking turns...

While all this was going on , i had returned back to my companion lovely old google :) but... somethng drived me to join the fun and enjoy the moment...

so i set out to do somethng...i didn know wat to do initially... bt i realised only thng whch i can do is to CATCH the RAT :) yes... i really wanted to catch the rat and put it in a safe place...

so i took the last page of my only note book i had brought to class, and went in search for the little mice..
within 2-3 minutes... i was able to corner it and then bring it out in open and i put my paper over it and carefully caught it by the tail .... :) then friends took few snaps of me slong with the rat :) :)

i put it out of lab in a safe place away...
Mouse happy and we also happy :) :)

When i came back into the lab... i was cheered by a round of applause .. made me feel gud...
:) Thanks to the rat, i found a reason to smile.....