ज़रूरी तो नहीं.... अरुण खोब्रागड़े

My new one, for you Raj

ना जाने क्या जिंदगी ढूंढ रही हैं,

जिंदगी होंगी आसान यह ज़रूरी तो नहीं।

हमने यूंही एक पत्थर उछाला तन्हा बैठे बैठे,

हर सवाल का होगा हल यह ज़रूरी तो नहीं।

ख्वाबों के समंदर में निकली है अपनी कश्ती,

किनारा मिलेगा यह ज़रूरी तो नहीं।

हाथों कि लकीरें हो यां माथे की शिकन,

हर कोई अपने अंजाम तक पहुंचे ये जरूरी तो नहीं।

दरों दीवार को बंद कर जो सर झुकाए रहोगे तुम,

खुशबू तुम्हारी दूर तक जाए यह जरूरी तो नहीं।

                              अरुण

Avinash Nichkawde : Sunday morning reminiscence.

Avinash Nichkawde, was an 'Alpha male' before the phrase was born in linguistic architecture. I suspect it was coined specifically for him. 

Flashback 1980. Our 'house' (Ahilya, if I recollect correctly) was looking for someone to participate in the high jump event. Unlike 4x100 etc where the blame of being beaten by Avinash's team could be distributed to many individuals, it would not be possible in a high-jump event. 

As described in the previous Mathuranath Sanskrit recitation episode, I have held this distinction of being elected / selected for all unwilling events. So, lo and behold, I was the 'nominated volunteer' for representing the house.

It is much later in life I found out, such nominations are made by teachers / bosses to score brownie points with higher bosses (Mr. Naeem in this case). 

_See, we didn't let a walk over happen_  or _I motivated a young fella to take up the challenge_ 

In any case I was sent for a toss or a high jump, if you please. 

I, true to my own motivations and emerging Carl Lewis की कसम type, practiced for the big day. Of course, I was staying 16 km away from school with no facilities.  I guess I was confident that Avinash had this distinct disadvantage of not having home food and as a hostel boarder and being next to the high jump pit would only make him take it easy. I was fuelled by the hare and tortoise tale.

Cometh the day and cometh the hour, I was in the classroom, doing what I was good at : looking vacantly through the teacher and through the blackboard too. Someone came and informed, that I was to report to the high jump pit for the inter-house competition. I was shocked! I wanted to study. Now. Like I've never needed education more. The teacher permitted and I left reluctantly. *That day, the world lost a great academic in the making.*

The place was full! With girls too!!

Will the shame be mine! 

Avinash was dressed for the occassion. You know, the shorts, shorter than anything I had seen. I was not undressed either. I was wearing the loose full-pant! 

I vaguely remember some teachers (Mr. Gangajaliwale or Mr. Sherekar I do not recollect) asking me if I had something more sporty. I wondered, what could be more honorable than wearing the school uniform. I just had to jump, right; not swim! 

The competition started. There were more participants than I had guessed. Obviously other teachers too had made the efforts to shine their respective self appraisal. 

The others competitors quickly fell through. Only me and the great Khali were left at the pit. At one point Avinash tipped the bar and I cleared!! I WAS THE WORLD. Then the Rules came into play. They always do, when you are winning, right. Wrong. 

In high jump, competitors are allowed three attempts to clear a height. For the naughty minds, I was doing the Straddle while Avinash was doing the (Dick) Fosbury (what else!) technique.

In the next jump, Avinash soared over the bar by a mile. I knew my fate. I've no memories of the next height jump. On the appointed day we  collected our prizes.

Ever since, I've held, that coming second is way better than coming first. During my training at Naval Academy this theory was PROVEN. If if you came in the first enclosure after a long distance run, you were subjected to more 'training' till the last enclosure boys reached many minutes later. वो कहानी फिर सही.

Avinash, wishing you a happy wedding on 19 April 2024 (I will vote for you). 

Best wishes from a Best man. 

Human Race &Cycle of Destruction

Human race
Is Nature’s programmed creation….
to ensure the cycle of destruction.
So, let’s soldier on.

Swami Unohoo

Morning reminiscence.... Sanskrit Recitation Competition

It was class IX, X or XI.

XI academically unlikely, but then anything is possible.

Evidently, with great difficulty three names were mustered. Three only, in a school full of students studying Sanskrit! 

Evidence that there was GREAT difficulty is getting participants was; that I was the third name. 🤓 

For decades it has remained a mystery 'how me'! Why me?  I surely displayed no special acumen!! 😏

Only now I recollet that my elder brother was proficient and much liked by the Sanskrit teacher. So maybe she took a chance. I still kick myself for not protesting enough. But such are divine interventions. 😌

Mathuranath and Laxminarayan were the other two participants. 🙏🏽🙏🏽

To me, in those days, Suprabhatam and Shri VishnuSahasranam were 'something' 'South Indians' listened-to in the early morning without fail. Growing up in the 'colony', it was  sometimes 'irritating' and but useful during exam times!🤭

Laxminarayan recited his 'thing' with great authority. But, what stuck with me was the devotion in delivery of Mathuranath. I think mellifluous is the word. 😌

I do not recollect who recited what, but I recited only 10 assorted shloks out of The Gita. And for my effort I  was awarded the Third prize. Remember, there were only 3 participants!! 🥹

I thank my father, who was very sound with The Gita, for choosing the 10 assorted shlokas. They are the only 10 which remained with me till 2016. Only thereafter, I've attempted to read up The Gita with some purpose. I've not been able to go beyond chapter 2. It is so very enriching that I cannot go forward without assimilating it first.

I've held, Mathuranath recited Shri VishnuSahasranaam. And ever since I've had this urge to figure out what Shri VishnuSahasranaam was all about.

Sometimes in the 1990's I obtained a copy with translations to pursue understanding it. But military training and Naval 'regimen' took over. The next excuse was 'grihast aashram'.  

Finally, after swallowing the anchor, I've restarted my effort to 'figure out' ShriVishnuSahasranaam. *And what a delight it is* *!!*

I expect to skim the top of it by the time I'm 80. The depths, I think, may take many 'kalps' and 'janms'. 

Thank you Mathuranath. 🙏🏽

मंत्रोच्चार में कोई कमी ना रखें

 ** मंत्र का अर्थ है, एक शुद्ध ध्वनि ** 

मंत्रोच्चार में कोई कमी ना रखें | 

कदापि | 

 *मुख से मंत्र ध्वनि सही ना निकाल सकें तो मंत्र को मन में पढ़ें या सुनें* | 

यह उदाहरण सर्वश्रेष्ठ है. 

रावण के चंडी पाठ में यज्ञ कर रहे ब्राह्मणों की सेवा में ब्राह्मण बालक का रूप धारण कर हनुमानजी सेवाकार्य करने लगे।

हनुमानजी की नि:स्वार्थ सेवा से प्रसन्न होकर ब्राह्मणों ने हनुमानजी से वर माँगने को कहा। इस पर हनुमान ने आदरपूर्वक कहा कि प्रभु, यदि आप प्रसन्न हैं तो जिस मंत्र से यज्ञ कर रहे हैं, उसका *एक अक्षर* बदलने का मैं आपसे निवेदन कर रहा हूं।

हवन में लगे हुए ब्राह्मण हनुमानजी की मंशा को समझ नहीं सके और उन्होंने उनको तथास्तु कह दिया। 

मंत्रोच्चार में हनुमानजी ने कहा कि आप जयादेवी भूर्तिहरिणी में ' *ह* ' के स्थान पर ' *क* ' का उच्चारण करे। यह मेरी इच्छा है। 

इसका अर्थ है *भूर्तिहरिणी* यानी कि प्राणियों की पीड़ा हरने वाली और ' *_करिणी_* ' का अर्थ हो गया प्राणियों को पीड़ित करने वाली, जिससे देवी रुष्ट हो गईं और रावण को पराजित कर उसका विनाश कर दिया। 

हनुमानजी ने श्लोक में ' *ह* ' की जगह ' *क* ' करवाकर रावण के यज्ञ को सर्वकल्याण की जगह सर्वनाश में बदल दिया।

*मुख से मंत्र ध्वनि सही ना निकाल सकें तो मंत्र को मन में पढ़ें या सुनें* |

Hiding Behind the Pelorus Ship's Illumination

 *विडंबना* 

कभी एकांत में सोचता हूँ.... 1990 के दशक की बात.... 

Wardroom me Proceedings और कुछ अन्य futuristic विदेशी magazine....

और साथ ही पढ़ रहा हूँ Tom Clancy और Future Shock जैसी किताबें .... 

और असलियत में भाग ले रहा हूं exercise me, कि, how to illuminate ship to pass off as a merchant man..... 

बचपन बीत गया और भी चोर पुलिस का खेल रहा हूं.... ऐसा लगता था.... 

बेचारे LO की दशा आज भी याद आती है

 *उन दिनों मेरी परिस्थिति विडंबना की रही होगी या विरोधाभास की*

Capt Chafekar One Man Army

 https://sites.google.com/site/onemanarmymaker/achievers

Serial 181

Erroneous year 

Actual year of training under Captain Chafekar  is 1986