To Blog or Not to Blog is the Question

This edition of Madhushala to the Madhu-baala (the intoxicating girl)

11. jaltarang bajta, jab chumban
karte pyaale ko pyaala,
veena jhankrut hoti , chalti
jab runjhun saakibaala
daant dapat madhuvikreta ki
dhvanit pakhaavaj karti hai
madhurav se madhu ki madakta
aur badhaati madhushaala

The poet is getting into playful mood here. He says when the two glasses of wine strike one another , its is as if the sound of Jaltarang(a musical instrument) and the walk of winebearer’s (and the ensuing sound of the anklet and the various other jewellery she is wearing) is like the sound of veena(another classical Indian instrument) , the scoldings of the wine seller is like the sound of Pakhavaj(another Indian musical instrument). The poet says all these makes the wine even more intoxicating in a Madhushala(tavern).

As an aside, to all those people, who crib at the premium (400% or more) extracted by a pub now do you understand?

12. mehendi-ranjit mrudul hatheli
par maanik madhu ka pyaala,
anguri avgunthan daale
svarn-varn saakibaala,
paag bainjani,jaama neela
daanth date peenevaale;
indradhanush se hodh lagaati
aaj rangeeli Madhushaala

The poet here describes Madhushala, saaki’s red mehendi-colored red soft-hands in which she is carrying the diamond’ish wine cup, fair skinned saaki with the grapes(flowers) nicely braided in her hair. Further the drinker with a purple turban, and his blue cup is getting scolded by the saaki. (not sure about this interpretation) . This lively Madhushala(tavern) in its vivid colors is competing with the rainbow.

13. haatho mein aane se pehle
naaj dikhaayega pyaala,
adharo par aane se pehle
ada dikhaayegi haala,
bahuterre inkaar karega
saaki aane se pehle
pathik, na ghabra jaana, pehle
maan karegi madhushaala

Before coming to your hand the cup will play around and before the wine touches your lips it will also show some grace ,the saaki before coming to you will also show some shyness .Addressing the traveller, the poet says despite all this, dont worry Madhushala will always welcome you.

14. lal sura ki dhaar lapat si,
keh na ise dena jwalaa
fe-nil madira hai mat isko,
keh dena ur ka chhaalaa
dard nashaa hae is madira ka,
vigat smritiyan saaqi hai
peeda mein anand jise ho,
aaye meri madhushaala

The poet says that the flow of red wine is like that of flames, dont call it fire. This is the frothy wine dont call it the abscess of heart .The pain is its intoxicant and old memories are its saaki (wine-bearer), only one who enjoys pain is welcome to Madhushala.

My interpretation : Old memories of your loved ones will keep coming back as saaki to give you constant pain (wine). So start enjoying pain .

15. jagti ki sheetal haala-si
pathik,nahi meri haala,
jagti ke thande pyaale-sa
pathink,nahi mera pyaala,
jvaal-sura jalthe pyaale mein
dagdh hruday ki kavita hai
jalne se bhaybheet na jo ho
aaye meri madhushaala

The poet says in my Madhushala you wont find the wine or the cup as cold as you see elsewhere. In the cup the wine is in flames , like poems from a broken heart. So, O traveller come to my Madhushala only if you are not afraid of burning.

My Interpretation : The poet is warning people that life is not as easy as one thinks. So get ready to be burned if you want to come to my Madhushala(life).

16. bahti haala dekhi , dekho
lapat uthaati ab haala,
dekho pyaala ab chuthe hi
honth jalaa denewaala;
‘honth nahi, sab deh dahe, par
peene ko do boondh mile’-
aise madhu ke deewano ko
aaj bulaati madhushala

The poet says that look at the wine which is bursting into flames, and as soon as the cup touches lips it burns it. The Madhushala is calling for all those wine crazy drinkers who say ‘ Not just lips,even if the whole body is burned , I want just two drops of wine’

17. dharm granth sab jalaa chuki hai,
jiske anthar ki jwalaa
mandir, masjid, girje sab ko,
tod chuka jo matwaalaa
pandit, momin, padariyon ke,
phandon ko jo kaat chuka
kar sakti hae aaj usi ka,
swaagat meri madhushala

The person whose inner fire has burned down all religious scriptures one who has demolised all religious structures temple,mosque and church, one who has broken himself free of pandit, imam and preist , only that person is welcome to my Madhushala.

There are two great Indian pastimes one is gossiping and the other is giving advice, naah Pak-bashing comes a distant third .

And I can bet these two are at their zenith(or is it nadir) in my friends case.

Every Tom,Dick and Harry , who hasnt called her in a gazallion years now feels morally obligated to call her and show his/her immense care and wisdom he/she has gained through his/her learning of scriptures and having walked on this ‘third rock from the sun’ for a longer time than her.

And then following the great Indian tradition of taking-it-all-lying-down, comes the various advices ‘ Everyone takes and gives dowry’ , ‘We cannot thrust our ideals and principles on someone else’ ‘Its been happening like this for ages and we have to accept it’ ‘They expect to get some money for their sons marriage’ , ‘Dont worry we elders will take care of the dowry, you just enjoy life’ ‘Life is too valuable to fritter away like this’

And when all these pieces of advice hit the wall , they threaten ‘You will remain unmarried if u carry this attitude’ , ‘You will bring bad name to your family’ , ‘ You got to listen to your elders else you will rot in hell’ and sundry.

And I bet this is what is happening in the gossiping circles, which has speed that can surpass that of light (sorry Einstein). ‘I knew she had this kind of attitude since she was a kid’ , ‘This girl is so arrogant, she uses all big words’ , ‘Its her parents, who didnt know how to bring her up ‘ , ‘She listens to no one and thinks that some prince will come to rescue her’.

Listening to all this makes me puke twice, both times on them, once for their gossiping and the next one for their giving advice.
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Excerpts from a mail from my friend

Guys would always argue that they incur expenditure in providing food, clothing and shelter to the girl they’d marry, which otherwise, should have been borne by the girls family. When I asked them why they go for educated and working women, they say, they want an educated girl, ‘cos their children would be intelligent, and they don’t want their wife to be working, at the same time, they don’t mind if she wants to work !!

Well, marriage is not a service agreement, but an agreement of love and commitment. It’s a bridge between two families, acquainting strangers. Interlocking it with greed is simply SICK.

Well the story of my friend has taken interesting turn. She is now being convinced by the groom that he will pay for the dowry but she accept the proposal. But my friend is stubborn for she says she is not fighting for this piddly amount, but for the concept of male-female equality that the grooms family need to accept.

Meanwhile the groom’s Dad wants to directly talk to the bride and get the issue resolved. So my friend is travelling all the way to talk to the groom’s Dad this weekend over the issue of dowry. Never before has this happened in the known history of this vast country. Is history silently getting created ?

In other news on this front, my friends family including uncles/aunts/cousins are up in arms against her to accept the proposal without further ado. Her best friends have deserted her. Everyone calling her has been telling her about the great Indian tradition and how they themselves have given and accepted dowry and that she is childish enough to fight it. Under these circumstances she only has tacit support from her brother to count on. Can she brave the storm ?

This story has become so interesting that I am planning to buy the rights from my friend to write a book . In my dreams. I am waiting with bated breath to know the end of the story and I pray to God that she wins. Amen

One of the great Indian traditions which has existed from time immemorial, and is still thriving in this 21st century India having shed its old name,dowry , and having acquired lots of new and funky euphemisms. Surprisingly and shamefully, it has wide-spread support even among highly-educated, filthy-rich, newly-westernised and the so-called-intellectual society. If you hear these people they will go to any lengths to justify the existence of this evil. I am sorry they dont even consider it evil, its called a custom/tradition and what not and I wonder whether this society is progressing or rapidly plunging into Stone Age.

Its under these circumstances when a girl stands up and refuses to be part of any such evil and tells the guy and her own family to ‘take a hike’ ,that one wonders if this is a fire in the pan or the spark that will ignite the forest.

This is what one of my friends just did and I say this to her ‘U go girl’. She tells me and I concur, its not the amount of money , which in her case was piddly, that the groom’s side asks for but its the whole concept of male-female equality that this society has to wake up to. The latest that I have heard is that she has now asked for kanya-shulkam (dowry) from the grooms side. The wheel has turned the full circle. Atta girl !!!. Hats off to u .

What if this is not splashed in the headlines of the Slimes of India, sorry Times of india, it shows what these chicks, sorry girls, are made up of .

As one of my other rebel friend aptly summed it
‘Courage, Sacrifice, Determination, Commitment, Toughness, Heart, Talent, Guts. That’s what we gals are made of. To hell with SUGAR ‘n’ SPICE.’

Had no school this weekend . Hurrah . Had the whole weekend all to myself for the first time in more than a year. Decided not to tell any of my friends that I dont have school this weekend, so escaped their calls Saturday .Moreover had no CPU at home so no internet , thanks to the robber(see earlier posts). So decided why not have a no-technology weekend no cellphone calls, no internet and no TV. Didnt pick up any calls over the weekend. All in all had the best weekend in over a couple of years. Read a book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ by Yogananda Paramahansa, played guitar and soccer.

‘Autobiography of Yogi’ has been long due on my list of books. I rememeber one of my old flames suggesting it to me, and I mocked her on what would an atheist like me do with a book like this? Then one of the days in a bar in my drunken state, one of the chicks asked me if I read this book. I was so piqued that I told her that the only Indian book I have ever read is the Kamasutra, and went so far as to suggest that it was one of my ancestors who wrote it . Needless to say the only position I was in was a BAD one. Then one of my good friends suggested it to me saying that there is a lot of stuff in it and some of the chicks dig it. Now it all made some sense to me .

So I finally decided that this weekend is the weekend. The story started off in a very lovey-dovey-and-ah-so-happy-family and oh-I-am-such-a-rebel and I was like please dont do the David-Copperfield type of crap(ala Salinger in Catcher in the Rye). Still decided to slug it out as it was raining outside and my skating plans were not materialising anytime soon. Amazingly, the story took off with his meeting various saints and His description of how they were able to perform all the cool stuff that they were doing and story of each saint had some kind of philosophy in it. The story then goes into His search for a guru, which takes him to various places and how He finds His guru. The story now focuses on His studies with His Guru, Sri Yukteshwar and his studies at school , the accounts of both I found to be very uninteresting.

The story goes well where He is not talking about Himself but about other saints. The stories of Babaji, the immortal Yogi-Christ of India and His teaching of the long lost Kriya Yoga to his famous disciple Lahiri Mahasya are amazing. The back-bone of the whole book seems to be the Kriya-Yoga which Yogananda Paramahansa took to the masses both in the east and west. His mastery of Bible and various religious Indian texts, his ability to draw parallels between the two religions, and scientific explanations of the various phenomenon kept me hooked onto the book. But the best part of the book is His explanation of the science of Kriya Yoga .

His fascination of the West has perplexed me throughout the book and some of His accounts didnt exactly seem credible. I skipped the last 10 chapters of the book as I figured out (all by myself) that there is nothing more He has to say which I want to listen to.

What this book did do for me was

1. Renewed interest in Hinduism and Yoga. For me Hinduism was the gazallion Gods and superstitions, the utterly materialistic priests and the fanatics .This book has completely changed my blasphemic attitude towards Hinduism.

2. Gave a scientific explanation of the lives of saints and Yogis.

3. Somehow showed me that Hinduism is more atheist and scientific than I am (sad but true)

With this renewed interest and a week before my classes begin , I plan to read ‘Idiots Guide to Hinduism’ to know more about Hinduism.

My Inner voice says ‘Shame on you Rock you were a born Hindu and have lived in that country for better part of your life and now you have to read Idiots Guide. I guess it is for people like you ’

The full book can be read on the net at
http://www.thenazareneway.com/Autobiography_of_a_Yogi/

Here are the poems 6 to 10 , I will try to arrange these into one logical group.

6. madiraalay jaane ko ghar se,
chaltaa hae peene waalaa
kis path se jaaoon asamanjas,
mein hae woh bholaabhaalaa
alag alag path batalaate sab,
par maen yeh batalaataa hun
raah pakad tu eka chalaachal,
paa jaayaega madhushaalaa

The poet says that the drinker has taken off from home for the wine-house. But the poor chap is unsure of which route to take .Everyone asks him to take a different route to take ,but the author appeals ‘Take just one route and follow it religiously and you will find the house of wine’

The poet is slowly getting into some philosophical/preaching route here , here the house of wine is ones goal and although one will be distracted by others to take a different paths but one should stick to one path and one will achieve ones goal.

7. chalne hi chalne mein kitna
jeevan, hai , bitha daala !
‘door abhi hai’, par kehta hia
har patha bathlaane vaala;
himmat hai na badhu aage ko
saahas ahi na-firu peeche;
kimkarthavyavimud mujhe kar
door khadi hai madhushaala

This is the continuation of the last stanza, the traveller says that I have been travelling for the better part of my life , but everyone I meet has been telling me ‘its(tavern) still far’. I dont have the strength to go forward nor the courage to go back . The traveller says that the Madhushala is at a distance and is not letting me do any other tasks.

This person has probably listened to other people and has been led astray by them and hence he says that even though he has been pursuing his goal for a long time, his goal looks too tough to attain.

8. mukh se tu avirath kahta ja
madhu,madira, maadak haala,
haatho se anubhav karta jaa
ek lalit kalpit pyaala,
dhyaan kiye jaa man mein sumadhur,
sukhkar, sundar saaki ka;
aur badha chal, pathik , na tujhko
door lagegi madhushaala

The poet advises the drinker that he should constantly utter words of wine (as if one utters the word of God) , feel an imagniary cup with his hands , imagine the sweet and beautiful wine-bearer and keep walking , he will find that the tavern is not too far.

The poet comes back to advice this lost person that he should constantly think about his goal and go for it, then the goal will seem very achievable.

9. madhira peene ki abhilaasha
hi ban jaaye jab haala
adharo ki aaturta mein hi
jab aabhasit ho pyaala
bane dhyaan hi karte-karte
jab saaki saakar, sakhe,
rahe na haala,pyaala ,saaki,
tujhe milegi madhushaala

The poet says that when drinking of wine becomes an obsession, your lips can feel the cup, you can imagine the wine-bearer then o friend even though there would be no wine,cup or wine-bearer you will still find the tavern.

Its very difficult for me to interpret the philosophy but I guess the poet here is saying that if one can feel for ones goal one is going to surely achieve it .

10. sun kalkal chhalchhal,
madhughat se girti, praanon mein haalaa
sun runjhun runjhun jal vitaran,
karti madhu saki baalaa
bas aa ponhche door nahin kutchh,
chaar kadam ab chalna
chahek rahi sun peene-waale,
mahek rahi le madhushaalaa

The poet here urges the drinker by telling him not to give up, for cant you hear the sound of wine falling from the wine-pots and giving life to the other drinkers or cant you hear how the intoxicated wine-bearer is moving like a river. He is telling the drinker that the tavern is just a stones throw away. Listen to all the cheers of the drinkers and smell the pleasant tavern.

The poet here is urging the goal-seeker not to give up, when the goal is very much achievable.

I was thunking today morning as i was driving to work about how I miss the sea-shores here in this mid-west and how it will be cool to sit on the sand and watch the waves and the boats and the ships in a distance and watch all the nice babes and read a book, probably Robinson crusoe , read it long time back and what a book except for the ending? I always felt that the life of Robinson Crusoe was the life of most of the adventurous men.

In this book, Defoe depicts the life of a middle class irreligious man ,Robinson Crusoe, whose dad tells him to play it safe and not take any risks and live an almost tasteless life and that adventures are only for the rich or for the poor. (so true of all confrontations between a son and a Dad).

Defoe says that one has to choose between adventure and security and its impossible to have both. ( Bungee jumping anyone) . Defoe has compared sea voyage to the risks one takes in life and the failures and travails one encounters by undertaking such a journey.

But Robinson crusoe gets restless of his dull life and decides to take up sea-travel without telling his parents. As soon as he gets on his voyage he regrets leaving the happy life, but still doesnt want to go back, showing that he lacks confidence as well as clarity of thought. After a tough storm he is dumped by the captain at a seaport. He somehow makes to London and then convinces another captain to take him on seavoyage again. This time he is captured by pirates and sold as a slave. He somehow escapes along with another boyslave and in this voyage, he gets stronger and more decisive.

Finally he is rescued by a ship.

Crusoe shows his hypocrisy by selling the boyslave to the captain but later regrets it. He is taken to Brazil where he works hard and now owns huge plantations of tobacco and has gotten far richer than the other planters .But again he becomes restless for a sea-voyage and undertakes it. This time his ship crashes and he is alone in a cast-away island. I guess this is where the story of ‘Cast Away’ starring Tom Hanks comes from. The story is more or less like the movie , a story of survival,a will to survive.

A few notable points . First, he promises to himself that he wont be materialistic but still goes to the wrecked ship and gets all the riches.(so true, most people wants to be less materialistic but still pursue materialism with a zeal) Second, on this desolate island he finds religion. He finds solace in God, sort of a physchological crutch. (Is this how man found God ? ).Third, he seems to identify with his father ( I remember a famous quote, When a man understands that his dad was right , he already has a son who thinks he is wrong). Fourth, he pets some animals to keep company and be subservient to him(is this why man pets animals ?).Fifth, he starts to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.(Every man does that late in his life). One very moot point was he now has lot of money but all he craves for is a pipe and he cant get it .(oh how true of everyones life?)

He finds some foot-prints of humans and although he should be happy , he is scared . May be rightfully he thinks that they might be savages. He rescues one of the victims of savages ,enslaves him , teaches him religion and English . A very funny point during one of the conversations is raised by the slave ‘Why cant devil be beaten if God is stronger ?’(I still cant understand this) .

After this the story becomes all cloogy and there is nothing philosophical that Defoe has to say. A good read to follow this might be Gulliver Travels.

One can read Robinson crusoe on the web at
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DefCru1.html

Been busy with a lot of stuff . School is off for a couple of 10 days . Have recieved a lot of mail regarding my initial post some nice, some not so nice, some restive asking when I will start. So here I am back to my Madhushala and all that nice stuff.

For all you teetotallers, let me once again re-iterate that the author here doesnt elevate alcoholism, but the poet uses the Madhushala(House of Wine) to talk about life in general and also preaches about some stuff. Also before I start, everyone will interpret this poetry in a very different way and this is my interpretation

As Mr. HarivanshRai Bacchan himself says in one of his stanzas

“Jiski jaisi ruchi thi, usne waise dekhi madhushala”

( One will interpret Madhushala as one wishes or as one has experienced life)

The very first post I am dedicating it to my very intellectual friend with whom I suddenly cant see i-2-i on an issue.

1. Mrudu bhaavo ke anguro ki
aaj bana laaya haala
priyatam, apne haatho se
aaj pilaaonga pyaala ;
pehle bhog laga loo tujhko
fir prasad jag paayega
sabase pehle tera swagat
karti meri madhushala

The author here welcomes the reader to his book by telling him/her that he has made this wine(book) with great care and love just for him/her and that he will himself will offer this wine.

2. pyaas tujhe to, vishv tapaakar
poorn nikaalonga haala,
ek paanv se saaki bankar
naachunga lekar pyaala
jeevan ki madhuta to tere
upar kab ka vaar chuka
aaj nyochavar kar doonga mai
tujhe par jag ki madhushaala

The poet here again is telling the reader that he will go to any extents, like boiling this world to make wine or dance on one leg with an empty cup, to make this collection of Madhushala pleasing to the reader

3. priyatam, tu meri haala hai ,
mai tera pyaasa pyaala,
apne ko mujhme bharkar tu
banta hai peenevaala;
mai tujhko chak chalka karta
mast mujhe pee tu hota
ek doosre ko ham dono
aaj paraspar madhushala

The poet is still in welcome mood. He says that the reader is the wine and he himself is the cup and by filling the cup , the reader will become an alcoholic . Also by having the reader(wine), the author (cup) is brimming with joy and that the book(Madhushala) is incomplete without the author and the reader.

4. bhavukta angur latha se
kheench kalpana ki haala
kavi saaki bankar aaya hai
bharkar kavita ka pyaala
kabhi na kan bhar khaali hoga
lakh piye do laakh piye
paathak gan hai peene vaali
pusthak meri madhushala

The authors asks the reader to let his imaginations run wild,as if u r drunk while reading this book. The author says he is the wine-bearer and he is passing on his poetry(wine-filled cup) in this Madhushala (world). The author here is getting a little egoistic and praising himself by saying that even if u have(read) this wine(poetry) a million times it will not go empty (with meaning)(I for one will agree, it is replete with meaning) He finally reveals that this book is the Madhushala and the readers are the drinkers.

5. madhur bhaavnaaon ki su-madhuar
nitya banaata hoon haala
bharta hoon is madhu se apne
antar ka pyaasa pyaala
utha kalpana ke haatho se
svayam use pee jaata hoon
apne hee mein hoon mai saaki,
peene vaala , Madhushala

The author says that he has been making wine(poetry) of all the nice feelings and experiences of his life. He has been filling his inner self with this wine and has been consuming it through his imaginations. The authors declares that he himself is the wine-bearer, drinker and the Madhushala.

And while I am at it as Mr Bacchan himself says “let your imagination run wild” . One sher(urdu poem) comes to my mind

Ghalib chuti sharaab par ab bhi kabhi-kabhi
peeta hoon roz-o-abr shab-e-mahtaab mein

Ghalib says that he has quit drinking, but he does only on two ocassions when there are clouds during the day or if there is moon at night.

Its cloudy here today and a prediction of a clear night

One more on quitting this time on quitting smoking

Mark Twain once said ” Quitting smoking is easy, I have quit a million times” .

My passport was found . Yahoooooo. It was found lying on the street by the cops and took a long route to me, but it did find me.

My theory still holds that it must have been one of my countless female fans Why would she return it to me ? May be she might have heard of the famous Richard Bach saying.

“If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.”

My house got broken into over the weekend and I lost some stuff. The cops asked me whom I suspected could have done this. I told the cops that i might have to think who could have done this and after lots of thought i have this theory. It must have been one of my countless female fans . Here is the reason why

1. She took my camera , which had lots of my photos.
2. She took my CPU , which again had lots of details of my life. She might have wanted to know where she fits in .
3. She took my diamond ring as a souvenir. She must have thought it must have been for her.
4. She took my passport so that I dont go away from her.

LOL .

On a serious note “I am a simple man with nothing to lose” and the thief must be regretting his/her decision to rob me.