Homme's Curses Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Homme’s Curses

Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

Man gets totally disparate and helpless when he cannot go to any place he likes at any time in any weather, though he has sufficient resources to do so. Likewise he can’t use and get things that he has paid for. Similarly when a man cannot meet the people whom he wants to meet, though he has sufficient time, resources and money to buy a ticket to get to that place. The height of helplessness is when he cannot use a thing that he had bought from his money, and even if that thing gets untidy he has soaps and detergents and even a domestic help whose salary he pays from his pocket. Let the anger, frustration, resulting from this disparate situation, pent up in mind flow like a molten lava from an erupting volcano though it may do harm by burning the surroundings but it may do much more harm if it remains closed inside, so let it flow freely and fully so as to achieve the state of harmony after a period of anarchy or to achieve catharsis after a catastrophe.

I wanted to undertake a journey with a noble aim to collect material to write the life story of my mother as a tribute to that noble and great lady but I was brutally and cruelly denied this opportunity by the so called friends, relatives and near and dear ones that has put back my project by six months atleast if I am fortunate enough to undertake this journey in next couple of months. Perhaps I may never complete it within the current life span and more over I feel defeated rather vanquished when I am unable to fulfil the promises made to the people though as a player I have been taught to accept defeat gracefully with dignity but this loss of face has resulted in the loss of my credibility now no longer those people will believe in me whom I had promised that the I will return soon after a gap. Only God knows whether I will be able to achieve my dream project of paying tribute to my noble mother( though everybody’s mother is a noble lady) in this life. I am also not sure whether God will grant me another human life in next birth enabling me to complete this project. My only hope is to complete this project in this life and so I pray to Almighty to give me health, energy and adequate resources in this life to finish this noble filial task, Amen !.

A Strange Theft Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

A Strange Theft

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

A few days ago a strange incident took place in my neighbourhood. In the colony where I reside thieves showed heart to bring a motorised cycle rickshaw to transport the booty of their loot. However their enterprise fell short of success due to waking up of a neighbour named Arshinder Singh in time, who was better known by his childhood nickname Lony. Earlier also he had thwarted the attempts of theft by waking up and alerting the people in time and thus frustrating the attempts of the burglars. They were so much disturbed over his repeated interference in their enterprise due to his habit of insomnia that they have started considering him as a former thief and have also started of making him a partner in their enterprise. This fellow was so much well known by his nickname that even the postman who brings regularly for him also knows his name to be Lony as it is difficult for the people to pronounce rather the tongue twister Arshinder. Even his neighbours refuse to recognise him by his real name as they only know him by his nickname Lony and return a number of letter that come in his real name if he is not around as very few people in the neighbourhood know his real name.’

Coming to the main point of the incident. Due to waking up of Lony thieves had no option left but to make an honourable retreat and they even left behind their vehicle that they had brought to facilitate the transport of their booty. In the morning Chief of the Thieves outwitted them by reaching the police station earlier than them to lodge a protest of his missing vehicle along with merchandise in it from his home. Had the Chief of the Thieves had remained contented by complaining about his missing vehicle only it would have been alright but he was trapped in his own greed when he also complained about his missing goods. SHO sent a constable to investigate the matter and they soon found his missing vehicle outside the house where Lony lived. Police called the pliant in order to hand over his recovered vehicle bur before that Lony had a look at the complaint that mentioned the missing goods as well in the complaint along with the rickshaw. When Lony pointed out that to the constable he asked the Chief Thief to give the details of missing goods mentioned by him along with documents. When he was unable to do so and showed his interest only in getting back his vehicle, the constable again took him to police before SHO for further investigation into the matter. Now the Chief Thief was in trouble as he was unable to give the details of his missing goods along with the vouchers. He had tried to have a first laugh by acting smart by complaining in the police station earlier than the people of our neighbourhood bur now he was preparing himself to laugh from the other side of the body. It was due to keen sixth sense shown by Lony by getting up in time and alerting his neighbours during the night and his keen eye that spotted the list of goods mentioned by the Head of the Thieves in his complaint during the day that brought the real culprit to justice.

On Time: Courtesy Natural Intervention Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

On Time : Courtesy Natural Intervention

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

I am an infrequent and casual member of the Pickle Ball Game Club. Whenever I have time and proper temperament I visit the club to play a couple of games of this new sport. One day an interesting incident took place when I received a message on my mobile phone to reach the club to play a game of Pickle Ball at 6.15 p.m with a person of some eminence who was interested in playing this nascent game. I was too busy that evening to keep an eye on the inbox messages of Whats App. Next morning when I looked up in the message box of my Whatapp account after going through the newspaper cursorily I spotted this message and after reading it thought that I had missed the opportunity to have a game with this celebrity as I did not see the message a day earlier.

But my sixth sense took me to the club in the morning despite the knowledge that due to my negligence I had missed the opportunity of playing a couple of games with this person of eminence. As I entered the club I was pleasantly surprised when one of my club fellow introduced me to a new person who wanted to play the game. During the game it was another pleasant surprise to know that he was the same person who was supposed to play in the evening a day earlier but some thing withheld him to come in the evening so he decided to come in the morning next day instead. After the gruelling game in equally gruelling temperature of nearly 35 degrees even in the morning I came to know that due to sand storm and a light drizzle that person could not come to the club in the evening a day earlier as planned and so he was there in the morning to play with us. I was glad to know that I had not missed the opportunity rather I was on time due tot he courtesy of natural intervention in the form of sand storm and rain that withheld him to come to the club in the evening a day earlier.

Vande Bharat- Vande Railways- Kudos Indian Railways Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

 

Vande Bharat- Vande Railways- Kudos Indian Railways

Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

A few days ago I had an opportunity to travel in the latest version of Indian Railway train popularly known as Vande Bharat. This made me realise the great leap in the journey of the growth of Indian Railways that had taken place in the last few decades. Of course reaching this stage of development is the output of hard work, grit, determination of railway engineers, staff and the workers. I remember that in my childhood days steam engines, running on coals, used to pull the train. In those days that is seventh decade of twentieth century it used to take three days long journey to cover the distance of about one thousand kilometre from my father’s working place in Rajasthan to my parent’s ancestral villages in Punjab. Trains were slower and often ran behind their schedule by 6 to 8 hours and it was popular a joke about Indian Railways those days that a train moved into its destination station exactly on time. Taking it to be credit Railway staff of the station congratulated the driver and guard of the train for keeping the time. They were baffled as to why people were congratulating them as they were neither retiring from service that day nor they had been promoted. When they came to know the cause of celebration their reply was that this train is not on time but 24 hours behind its schedule and it is yesterday’s train that has entered the station.

As in those days trains were pulled by steam engines, running on coal, so it used to emit a great cloud of dark smoke from its chimney and its soot used to deposit on the clothes and faces of the passengers travelling in it making them nearly irrecongizable. Before proceeding further another popular joke of those days related to railways. Once a ticket checker asked a lady about the age of her identical twin children as to know who is the elder one and who is the younger one. Ticket checker was taken aback by her curt reply “ first of all I’ll need some water to wash their faces and remove the dark coal soot from their faces then only she will be able to tell as to who is younger and who is elder one”. Even the railway coaches used to have wooden planks to sit or sleep which used to be quite inconvenient and uncomfortable. In short it used to bone jolting journey even in the reservation coaches of Indian trains.

Gradually the steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives that improved the speed and punctuality of the trains to some extent and the berths and seats at least in reservation coaches became more comfortable as wooden planks were replaced by rexin covered seats and berths. And with time the diesel locomotives were replaced by electricity run engines that increased the speed of the trains further and the punctuality level of the trains enhanced further. Railway journey became all weather comfortable and pleasant by the introduction of 3^rd Air Conditioned coaches that nearly became affordable for the common man. It not only provided Air Conditioning for all weather whether it is summers or winters but it even provided bedding and blankets so now for the passenger there was no need to carry holdalls and beddings. Earlier people used to think twice before undertaking a railway journey in extreme weather but now Air Conditioned coaches, particularly 3^rd AC coaches, has made journey possible in any kind of weather as it is affordable for the common man too. This class is growing popular day by day as a result of which railway is introducing more and more of such coaches at least in the major trains. I personally feel that railway journey as better than even the air travel as planes are still beyond the reach of common man and it is nearly a torture to sit for a long period of 8 to 9 hours in a sitting posture in an aeroplane whereas in the sleeper class of Railways you can move around, lie down and sleep. Though there are sleeper buses also now on the major routes but I consider railway journey as better than air conditioned sleeper bus as it does not provide the facility of toilets to the passengers travelling by it.

Not only trains have improved on the level of punctuality and comfort but it has also made remarkable strides in the level of cleanliness at the stations also due to introduction of the latest cleaning machine and other gadgets. Even on board the railway staff are providing services like that of house keeping taking care of the comforts of the passengers by cleaning the trains at regular intervals by brooming, spraying mosquito repellents and other pest control. Gone are the days when flies, mosquitoes and even rodents used to be your co passengers in the coach and that too without paying the fare. The level of services even at the station has also improved with time by introduction of lifts and escalators at least at the major railway stations. Going from one platform to another to catch the train, using the overhead cross over bridge used to be an uphill task for the senior citizens and the feeble, weak and disabled people and even young children. I must acknowledge the development in luggage industry in making the journey of a passenger comfortable, convenient and pleasant by introducing stroller luggages that has reduced the dependence of passengers on coolies as these luggages can be wheeled easily for quite a long distance of even one kilometre.

Travelling that day by Vande Bharat I felt that certainly railways have traversed a long way from the days of steam engines to Vande Bharat that is the latest version of totally Air conditioned Chair Car with low floor steps nearly reaching at the level of the platform making it easy and convenient even for old and disabled passengers to board and get down from the train, its automatic sliding doors and the state of art vacuum bio toilets and push back comfortable seats with convertible folding table placed in front of each seat to take meals and even use it as writing table during the journey. It has also enhanced the safety of the passengers as once its doors are closed they cannot be opened and it is announced clearly and loudly that doors are being closed. This has reduced the accidents caused due to boarding or getting down from moving train. Though it is good that railways provides meals also to the passengers but its level needs to be improved a bit even in the meals of Vande-Bharat by making stringent supervision of the meals in order to improve its quality. Certainly the growth and development in Indian Railways in the last fifty years have brought out only these words from Indian passengers- Vande Indian Railways, Salute to all the people who have contributed in growth and development and Kudos Indian Railways.

Sholaram's Nightmares Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

Shola’s Nightmares

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

This incident was narrated to me by one of my friend Sholaram, who got mild infection and as per Doctor that could possibly be Corona that could prove to be fatal. However, Doctor prescribed him a number of medicines hoping that one of them would hit the target and cure Sholaram as was the convention of those days that physicians employed every available arrow in their quiver in the hope that one of them would hit Corona virus. It was due to effect of the medicines that Sholaram had a series of nightmares that he related to me.

Nightmare- I

After a few days his illness enhanced and he was taken to the hospital in a sanitised vehicle and equally sanitised stretcher and quarantined to a special ward where everybody was wearing a mask or a transparent plastic shield. Every medical staff was staring him with fear and horror as if he was not a human being but a live time bomb that would explode if they came too near it. They literally threw medicines at him as they did not want to get contagion that pay ruin their families and life. Nobody not even your close relatives, friends, well wishers and even family members refused to get near him. As they were also behind cloth or plastic masks so they could not even utter a few words of encouragement that could help in his early recovery. All they would do was just to wave their hands as if to bid adieu to him from this beautiful blue planet as they would too afraid to come near to him fearing that if they get the fatal infection they might have to accompany Sholaram to the next world of the dead. Though doctors were trying their best to give best possible medical aid but as his position was deteriorating day by day so it appeared to Sholaram that now his days in this world were numbered and Lord of Death Yama had ordered his deputies to bring his soul from the earth.

Nighmare-II

In the world of the dead there was chaos and anarchy as the the souls were crowding at the gate of the world of the dead and there were very few couriers of deaths who were facing uphill task in handling the souls who had come in such a large number from the earth after the spread of pandemic. Most of the messengers of deaths were absconding from their duties as the news from the earth had reached here also that this contagion is going to remain ever if infected. It was true that it could not kill the Yamduts, but they did not want to spend the rest of their tenure here with consistent coughing and and heaving like a furnace die to weak lungs. Many Yamduts have applied for their privileged leaves that even Lord of Death could not deny them. The only fellow available for providing service were contractual workers who could not take any leave for a long time. However they were also getting cautious and had started wearing masks and transparent plastic shield besides their horned helmets. In fact they had started giving more importance to masks and shields and other protective gears than their horned helmets. They could forget to wear their helmets sometimes but they never forgot to put on their masks. Due to the shortage of staff the work in the world of the dead had nearly come to stand and still and most of the work bringing souls from the glebe and the files of their souls so as to get the orders from Lord Yama had nearly stopped due to this crisis.

Nightmare-III

Meanwhile on the earth it was either the result of the prayers of the family members or the good wishes of his friends and well wishers that the condition of Sholaram changed for the better. He started responding positively to the medication and his condition started improving day by day. And then finally that great day came when physicians announced him perfectly normal and healthy and he returned from the hospital to his home. It had appeared like a miracle to him and it seemed to him that his file had also been ordered to be brought before the God of Death but due to pandemic the work had nearly stopped in the world of the dead too and so his file could not be signed and Yamaduts could not get this orders signed by the God of Death, as the news of Corona had spread even here like a wild fire and even Yamaduts did not want to risk everlasting illness of coughing and heaving like a furnace to feeble lungs and so Sholaram’s life got spared and he returned back to his home- a healthy and smiling man.

 

Illusory World Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Illusory World

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

Sometimes illusions lead us to believe to take even rope for a snake in the darkness and when it turns actually to be a rope it is believed that due to a miracle serpent has been turned into a rope and almighty has saved us. One such incident happened when one of my friend Muthu in the darkness of the room put his shirt in the reverse manner- back portion in the front at the back and back at the front. He discerned it when he found the buttons at his back. As he was in hurry and had no time to change the position of his shirt so he called his room mate to button up his shirt from behind and without listening and saying anything rushed outside, took his bike and dashed towards his workplace. As he was in a hurry so he jumped a couple of even red traffic lights, however at the third light it dawned on him that he ought to respect the traffic rules so he stopped on red light but here he collided with another vehicle coming from the other side who had jumped red light as perhaps he was in hurry too to reach his destination. Result of the collision was that Muthu fell on the ground and got unconscious. The other vehicle driver Swamy Narayan got out of his vehicle and saw the result of that collision that a bike and a rider was lying on the ground. He saw that the victim of the impact head was in another direction. It did not occur to him that the victim of the collision might have worn his shirt in the reverse manner. Thinking that the impact has caused the head to move in the opposite direction to the rest of the body, so Swamy Narayan tried to straight the neck of the victim by giving a jerk, but then it occurred to him that victim should ge immediate medical assistance. So he took him to the nearest clinic where Dr. Sunder examined Muthu and found that there was no serious injury to him and he had swooned due to the shock of the impact. Swamy Narayan came to see the patient and found to his great relief that the head of the victim has come in the right direction. He thanked the doctor profusely and asked how did he change the direction of his head that was in opposite direction at the time of collision. Doctor Sundar told him to relax as there was no change of position in his head due to impact only the victim of the impact had worn his shirt in opposite manner. So Muthu came back of senses after some time Dr. Sunder who introduced him to Swamy Narayan who had collided with him but he had brought him to the hospital. Muthu also felt that there was no serious injury on his body, only there was a sharp pain in his neck. Doctor consoled him that he would get right soon of the pain in the neck while Swamy Narayan thanked God that he left his efforts to straighten Muthu’s neck other wise he would have died not due to collision but due to broken neck, so whatever appears may not be real.

Another incident that happened with me other day that I put my shirt inside out in the early hours of the morning and unfortunately at the time power supply was disrupted. Normally whenever I put my shirt I close the buttons on the cuffs. When I searched for a couple of buttons on my left cuff I found them to be mission. To my utter dismay and amazement I also found the couple of buttons missing on the right cuff of the shirt. And when I searched nearly half a dozen buttons at the from of my shirt I failed to find even a single one. I was totally lost as to what is happening to the things as last night when I hung my shirt in the wardrobe it had all the buttons intact. How it could happen that all the buttons are missing within the span of six to eight hours of night. I gave a cry of wonder, surprise and amazement as a result of which my partner Roma came into the room and I told her everything as quickly as I could in halting speech. She also touched the cuffs and front part of my shirt and found that buttons were missing. Then she suddenly understood the matter and asked me to put off my shirt and she straightened it and asked me to put it back again. I complied with her instruction and then she slowly brought me from darkness into the light of the grey morning. And again it appeared a miracle to me that as soon as I came from darkness into light buttons started appearing both on my cuffs and front part of my shirt. It did not occur to me in darkness that I might have put my shirt inside out.

Rubaiyats and Other Poems by Bhai Nand Lal Tr. Dr. K.S. Kang

 

Rubaiyats and Other Poems by Bhai Nand Lal

Bhai Nand Lal was renowned persian scholar of 17 th century who got venerable place in the court of Guru Gobind Singh ji as one of his 52 renowned court poets. Though Bhai Nand Lal was born in Ghazni, Afganistan and then migrated to Peshawar and even worked for Mughal Government under Aurangzeb, but fearing persecution leading to possible conversion Bhai Nand Lal took shelter of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib and rose to eminence to become one of the distinguished poet in the court of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Rubaiyat in persian poetry is a verse form consisting of four line stanzas normally dealing with the ultimate question of life and death while imparting an Epicurean style philosophy of not taking things seriously like Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam translated by Edward Fitzgerald. Rubaiyat questions our deeply held beliefs about God and heaven while focussing on the kind of spiritual transcendence usually found in Sufi literature. It was invented by Persian mathematician, philosopher, astronomer and poet Omar Khayyam from Neyshapur in North Eastern Iran. The many compositions of Bhai Nand Lal have been written to be recited read aloud and studies. Like crystals, they sparkle with all the colours of the rainbow and each sentence contains worlds upon worlds of poetic treasures. As we hold these crystals in our hands, they capture us with their mystery. Transparent and clear they open doors to the wonder of inner spaces and longing for the beloved Satguru. It is for this reason that Alexander Von Humboldt who translated some of Bhai Nand Lal’s works in his work The Pilgrims Way says Nand Lal “...was among the masters who could put in verse what he felt deep within”. He follows a classical line of persian poets such as Hafez, Saidi, Rumi and the like who had mastered the subtler elements of the persian language and wrote deep beautiful poetry on the mystical aspects of path they travelled upon. Bhai Nand Lal carries the same legacy and wrote in the great classical metres of persian poetry such as Rubaiyat and Ghazals, etc as well as the Indian classical metres such as Dohra and Chapuai. The metre and rhythm chosen by Bhai Sahib for his various writings were specifically chosen to enhance the message and mystical feelings he was trying to impart. They are like the whispers of two lovers in a crowd. If you allow them to caress your ears and penetrate your heart they will surely take you to places where your spirit will be at home, at the lotus feet of the Eternal Satguru.

Dr. K. S. Kang

Translator

Rubaiyats by Bhai Nand Lal

I

The person, who in His devotion has turned head into his feet, has unfurled His flag in the sky.

and Glebe of Nine parts. In this world, His entry(birth) and exit (death) is a cause for celebration,

Nand Lal is that man’s slave who has realised the path of truth.

II

He is blind who has not recognised Him, he has wasted away his life in illusory world.

Though he exists in world as he has taken birth and dies in the woes of unfulfilled desires.

His coming into the world is a woe, who has not created a friend for himself in heaven.

III

In your eyes is His dwelling, this body is the throne and crown of the Sultan.

Any greedy person, brimming with worldly desires, cannot tread this path of love and truth.

This path is related to the head of the Man.

IV

Every heart gets straight away on the path of His lover.

Believe it God, himself, has assumed the form of his lover.

Not even a single straw is without His endorsed mercy.

V

This entry into and exit form the world is nothing more,

than inhale and exhale of the breath. Wherever I look there is nothing save Him,

as without Him there is nobody neither in the past nor in future.

VI

Every person who wants to meet Him,

whose state is the highest in both the worlds,

O’ Goya your beloved doesn’t care for anything in both the worlds,

how can he become a Laila’s lover.

VII

God’s men-sages and saints- who have come into this world,

They have come to show path to the distracted souls in the world,

O’ Nand Lal if you have eyes with a wish to behold Him,

then know that these sages and seers are nothing but His images.

VIII

In our faith we don’t worship anything else.

Intoxicated from head to feet, I don’t feel joy,

I don’t forget Him even for a single breath (instant),

I don’t recollect anything except him- higher or lower.

IX

If you become His man even a bit, is much better than

the crowns of thousand rulers. Nand Lal is His slave,

this declaration does not need any evidence.

X

Every one in this world desires for money and wealth,

those who have horses desire for elephants and gold.

Everyone desires these things from Him but Goya desires only His blessings

of uttering His name ever.

XI

From head to foot the entire body is full of His light,

Human body reflects it like a mirror that is flawless,

Believe it to be true that He remains aloof from common people,

to illumine the hearts of enlightened persons.

XII

This precious life has been ruined, how will this ruined house relocate,

till Satguru blesses Him with his Hand on his head,

O’ Nand Lal till then how your woe ridden heart can remain happy.

XIII

When the ruthless foe has decided to kill me, my heart is enjoined with Almighty,

Enemy is thinking of how to torture and kill me,

While I am thinking of His will that will prevail.

XIV

What have I got from the life, utterance of His name is the only discovery,

from all the materials of both the worlds. The existence of affection is a huge hurdle,

when I have risen above it I have found Him.

XV

Dust of your abode has given has given me a panacea,( Mamira)

wealth has helped me to get fame in this world, I don’t bow before anybody,

as I have seen His picture within my heart.

XVI

Nand Lal has got it by uttering His name,

from where can I get this brimful cup of joy.

Without the desire to meet Him every man is not so fortunate,

to get that precious wealth that has been achieved by me.

XVII

O’Nand Lal till when will you live in this world,

sometimes you feel ashamed, sometimes you embarrass others,

sometimes you oppress, at other you bear. Till when like a hound you will fight

over the bones when the world and worldly people know that one day you will regret it.

XVIII

O’Goya if you want to see His fame then renounce all the greed,

not even the smallest iota of it. These eyes do not see what is hidden within you.

Behold sans eyes that, that you wish to see.

XIX

When God is manifest, men what are you finding ?

When God is in His abode, where are you wandering,

These both the worlds are signs of your wealth (Maya),

implying he utters only Almighty’s name from his tongue.

Some Other stanzas by Bhai Nand Lal

1

O’Breeze, don’t bring even my dust from His abode lest my friend

will say you are moving everywhere.

2.

I bow before the land and the sky,

as a few people, who utter His name, are sitting on it.

3.

In temple and mosque there is none besides Him in the veil,

Even in the different stones the fire is the same.

4.

You will get everything under the miraculous tree,

and in the communion with Saints, Sages and Seers,

you will get Him.