War - now and then...

 

Ever wondered how the whole Ramayana could have been avoided if only Hanuman had picked up Sita instead of setting Lanka on fire???

To be true, i like Ravana more than Rama.. if i have my Indian mythical history right, Ravana was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva... he got the Power, immortality and supremacy from the God Brahma himself... he got the weapons from Lord Shiva, again a God...

not that he left this country people to die out of hunger and thirst either... myth has that the country was so beautiful and prosperous that the roads were laid of gold, that there were tree orchards every where and that no traveler went thirsty or hungry... myth has that once when an ascetic asked for alms, thinking he will get gold, he got Iron pieces... in the view of abundance of gold availability, the king thought iron was more valuable... such was the prosperity...

accepted that he coveted on Sita, wife of another person... but who in this world doesn't do that now-a-days??? :-P They blame that he bought the doom over him because of his cruelty and greed... it seems he overtook all three worlds there by angering the gods... ok he took over you but i saw no Rama or Vamana appearing when Alexander the great was ruling and taking over the whole world... they didn't even give us a glance when our own Asoka, the Great almost captured the whole of India...

See.. first the Gods give Ravana the whole power.. Ravana goes uses his powers to the whole extent.. they send a woman who teases him on her Swayamvar... he gets irritated and owes to take revenge.. they send another God in the form of a mortal.. make him marry the earlier said Female... Ravana kidnaps the Female and the now-mortal-man-god sends a Monkey god to give a report of the situation... he instead sets the whole island on fire,claiming it is full of demons and demoness-es... out-breaks a war to destroy peace and threaten the whole nation...

once the war is over the now-mortal-man-god is not even happy with his wife.. he goes on to suspect her loyalty(puke..) and asks her to step into the Fire...  even after that he doesn't believe her and asks his brother to "miss" her in the forest... and he does jalsa happily in his kingdom without any female-hindrance... 

Now where have i heard this story in near future??? Something about funding all the weapons, then getting insecure that they may over take and finally destroy by raising petty issues.... ring any bell??

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This post has been selected as a  Spicy Saturday Pick by blogadda, folks...

 Go check it out here...

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P.S 1 # the doodle is by my dear friend Rosh, who pens here and here...
P.S 2 # this is solely my view and at times Rosh's... so save ur "get over..its plain myth" or some smart ass comment to that effect... u may just hurt urself trying to argue with me, while i sit back and read you with an amused smile...

P.S 3 # Cheers to life :-) enjoy ppl

Karna - Part 2 of Mahabharata Series

One character i loved since my childhood... note the past tense...

that being said, lemme quote something Nachi said today...

there are certain things that i do like about him...kind of idolized him as a kid. but then, the Mahabharata was all about the particular situation...a general holistic view gives a much different interpretation... he pretty much was the 'standard' for principles and morality...

 i go with Nachi completely... as a whole person i love Karna for his principles, for his ever lasting friendship with Duryodhana, for his generous heart... but wen i take smaller incidents here and there, it hurts to know no one is perfect... 

i feel,he brought his own downfall and death... Karna did everything to learn things, he gets equally cursed by everyone... first he disguises as a Brahman to learn from the reverent guru Parashuram, only to be cursed that he won't remember whatever he had learnt at the most crucial moment of need... but here i laud his patience and tolerance for such excruciating pain..not everyone is capable of this... 

then is the curse by a Brahman for killing a helpless cow... and finally the curse from the Goddess Earth.. but i find the last curse pretty ridiculous... ain't we are all taught that Earth is the epitome of patience.. wen she can tolerate millions of humans, animals and machine stomping over her , she cudnt withstand Karna taking her in his hand for a little girl's sake.. *&^%$ OUCH!! one version says Lord Krishna instructs Goddess Earth to swallow his left wheel during the war... I think i ll go with this version...

one thing i clearly couldn't digest was calling Panchaali as an whore during the cheer-haran... wat more, ordering her cheer-haran in front of the whole court... seriously!! this was the prime thing that turned me against Karna...  Nachi says "well Karna is sort of in a dilemma... should he stick to his principles and morality or step in and object...his sense of loyalty to Duryodhana absolute, him being the only man to accept him and laud him for who he was, a charioteer's son...and still make him a king...".. but that gives him no right to order a woman to be stripped in public...like hell, it doesn't... Piyu says "thats why he was shown no mercy from Lord Krishna in the final battle".. wah wah!!

Nachi says again "Remember she is the same woman he had fair and square won the hand in marriage by shooting the fish but rejected by her"... Rejection demands such a punishment huh?? i don't think so..

As the war approaches Karna goes on a charity spree and is justified that at the end of the day, your good deeds are ur life savior... ummm.. i ll give him the benefit of doubt here... but seriously...

two things i love abt Karna is his friendship with Duryodhana thru thick and thin and his loyalty to his adopted parents Adhiratha and Radha.. his firmness in calling himself Radheya when Kunthi asks him to represent himself as Kaunteya was applaudable..

Ok fine.. i accept i am presently arguing with myself if i like Karna or not... but as i say always no one can be classified as a good or bad person.. its the situations that make them good or bad.. :-)

Coming up next is a post on My Karna...My Zahir...a person who i love more than anything in this world whose life is very much similar to Karna... only hitch there was no Rat in Karna's life :-P

Bheesma - Part 1 of Mahabharata series

I have been reading this adaptation on Mahabharata lately... Its Paanchali's Version called the "The Palace of Illusions"...Previously, whenever i tot abt Paanchali, she came across a coy homely wife of 5 men who toiled along with them in forest for 12 + 1 yrs... i had assumed that Paanchali means wife of 5 (paanch)..least did it strike me that she was the Daughter of Paanchal and the name had more meaning than the superficial one... as i read the book, i come to love, hate, pity, envy, wonder,fear,respect her... As Draupadi introspects about herself, i find myself introspecting about my life.. i am tending to identify myself with her... i am becoming more of her day by day..

but this post is not abt her... its not abt her Husbands, the Pandavas either... No its not abt  the wrath Paanchali brought either.. this is abt a line i read today morning in the book...

Bheesma while on his bed of arrows says to Karna" ... even then a woman was the cause of my downfall..." ummmm... Dude, slap slap slap , wake up!!!!

First some prelude:
Bheesma, in his previous birth, is one of the 8 brothers,the celestial Vasus... His wife, on a visit to earth along with the brothers fixes her sight on the divine cow Nandhini, which provides everything to her owner... this cow belongs to sage Vashista...Vasu thinks the sage won't let him have Nandhini and steals the cow...

when the sage comes to know of this curses all 8 of them to take birth as human forms on earth... wen they beg and plead to free them of the curse, he says that apart from Prabhasa, all other brothers will be killed just after their birth but Prabhasa will have to bear the curse completley... yet after further pleading and goading he is given the boon of being the greatest  warrior on Earth...

well.. accepted... but wen did the wife persuade him to steal the cow??? all she said was she likes the cow and desired to have it as her own... there are better ways to acquire it rather than stealing...

Main story :

King Shantanu takes up a river goddess(Goddess Ganga) as his wife.. she lays a condition that she ll marry him only if he refrains from asking questions about her doings.. fine with Shantanu and all's fine till the kids start taking birth.. the king keeps quite till she drowns 7 of the 8 kids she gives birth to.. while she attempts to drown the 8th kid , the king intervenes and Ganga leaves forsaking the kid and the king... now this kid is the warrior Bheesma/Devavrata... 

Then King Shantanu takes a liking for a tribal princess Satyavadhi.. her father refuses saying their kid won't have the right to throne hence he won't accept this marriage.. the ever generous Bheesma takes an oath of celibacy...

now our great Bheesma goes in search of wife for his half-brother and succeeds in kidnapping Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, the 3 princesses of Kasi... now our Princess Amba is in love one king Salya... wen she meets Bheesma 's brother, she conveys this.. Now this half brother of Bheesma says that he can't embrace a lady who has already embraced another person in her heart and sets her free.. wen she returns back to king Salya , he humiliates her and refuses to take her saying she was publicly taken by Bheesma and he is her rightful husband... wen she returns back to Bheesma he points to his celibacy vow and refuses her...

Raged Amba does a penance towards lord Shiva and gets a boon in the form a garland.. according to Lord Shiva whoever wears the garland get the power of killing Bheesma... she goes from king to king to make him wear the garland but everyone refuse fearing Bheesma's wrath... frustrated Amba throws the garland at Drupada's(the king of Panchala) palace and dies...

Enter Shikhandini, Drupada's Daughter... she in her playfulness takes down and wears this garland... now this girl is Amba in her previous birth and she is reminded of her history .. Shikhandini goes to the forest and thru prayers and even greater penance transforms into Shikhandi, a guy, so as to kill Bheesma...

well ultimately at the battle, Shikandhi aids Arjuna for the death of Bheesma...

At his death bed Bheesma gives out this advise to Karna when he confesses his love for Draupadi " In this lifetime , i never trusted a woman. I stayed away from them as much as i could. And even then a woman was the cause of my downfall.. Take an oldman's advice: Put Draupadi out of your mind and concentrate on war"

well wat the @#%$, i say.. Bheesma Kidnapped Amba.. Bheesma Refused to take her hand... Bheesma brought his downfall himself and he blames it on woman... i don't understand really... u go on doing stuff and ultimately blame it on the woman.. very fine..

when Draupadi meets Bheesma for the first time, he welcomes her with open arms and calls her his dearest grand-daughter.. yet when she calls for his help during her cheer-haaran, he turns deaf ears...wat in the world was this?? 

not just Bheesma each and every character in Mahabharata, or in that case any taken epic of India treats and blames women like objects rather than a being..  even the older woman (more of it to come later)  behave in such manner.. i clearly don't understand this... why this oppression of woman... 


I am all raged up now...

on a different note., I loved Doctor's Caption for the yday's Doggie Pic.. wat say folks so he wins a gift hamper from the Rat... anyways c ya folks...


Psst : doc.. are u at d same Kannur address or u shifted.. if so Txt me ur new address.. will send u ur gift

Movies and d Baffled Rat...

i have seen checking out the movies, i missed out for a week now.. irrespective of the reviews, i am just indulging myself in this movie marathon...

the otherday i was watching Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd... i already knew that this movie dealt with knick-knacks of relationships.. i had no issues with the bengali couple rediscovering their Lost love after marriage... nor did i have a problem with the movie addicted Pinky's over sweetness and fantasy land, not even her screeching voice disturbed me... man, i was even ok with the marriage of convenience btw Madhu and Bunty.. I loved Oscar and Naheed's mature love and even Hitesh-Shilpa-Jignesh love triangle didnt irritate me much, but i shud accept it sounded creepy wen everytime Shilpa goes "GOd..  help me this one last time, i wont ask u again" routine... But wat the hell.?? wat was that?? The characters Aspi and Zara??? wr did they come from?? Superheros?? Choke choke splutter har har.. wat was that??? seriously.. one moment i was grinning over the sweetness and d next moment i was sitting with this incredible expression on my face.. Priceless, i say, Priceless... that too Abhay deol!! man i had High respects for this guy!! how can he let me down like this??

other day it was "Arthur and the Minimoys".. now those who now me will certainly know abt my fascination for Animated Movies.. completely loved this one.. Madonna's voice made me drool over the princess.. ok don't get me wrong here...:-P and i wud have happily accepted the Aspi and Zara character here rather...

Ah!! "The Mirror has two Faces"... this clearly bowled me over... the movie says a relation is a mixture of Love, Commitment, Lust and little bit of everything... Barbara is d ugly duckling transforming magically from the heavy, frustrated to the confident woman... Jeff Bridge with his own theory abt marriage and sex makes, u laugh out loud yet impresses u with his protective and caring nature... his love for Barbara, and the inability to show it clearly moved my stone heart... but Wat the hell was Pierce Brosnan doing there... i clearly have no idea abt him.. i wud rather prefer him as Bond comeback...

this was another crap movie, i watched yday nite.. .Mera Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye... i cud very well understand the House Wife's frustration wen she discovers her husbands illicit relation and strives to make her own life.. but wat was that Khwab character played by Randeep Hooda... Just wen i come to like him and the Juhi girl, they go and play this character... the first scene that features him as an Adonis asking for a cup of coffee had me literally laughing out loud and rolling abt on my bed.,.. Please guys spare us the horror.. but thinking again we need such specimens for a laugh or two..

P.S # Ppl i am readin this "The Palace of Illusions" by Divya Bannerjee and am completely bowled over.. i really want to lay my hands on Manu Samhitha or Manu smrithi.. anyone knows wr i can get a copy of the transcript.. i already have the original version on Mahabharatha.. its these Manuscripts i want... please please let me know ppl...

the Phoenix raises out of words...

Currently, i am Obsessed with Danny,  Chicken Momos, Sleeping, Panchaali and Manu samhita lately... Lolzzz.. i have been asked asked to list down 5 of my obsessions by Phoenix and this is d eternal list.. :-D

i am lurking in blogsville since July 07... my initial blog page isn't public anymore.. and i have so much crap lying there waiting to see daylights... i get blog ideas at most odd times including while on bed watching TV, while riding the elevator, while sitting on the commode etc... i instantly store the keyword in my mobile drafts section (that's outbox for the uninitiated).. i once tot of doing a post a day routine for a yr... but lot many obstacles came over to disrupt that... neva mind.. i am still here..

i am a BIG foodie... ppl have strong mis-conceptions given my near zero size figure but thats becoz of something else.. i eat everything that i fancy... ranging from tasteless bland diet food to baby formula to exotic meat to fattening potatoes and cheese.... if thats edible it goes inside me...  my colleagues tease me for being on an eternal diet and recommend taking my diet plan to my buddy M...M sums it all in not so many words, "if i take her diet chart, i'll end up being double the size wat i am now!" :-P

any and every form of it... i just shimmy around at my place.. had started learning Bharatnatyam as early as age 8... learning forms of western for past one year.. i love hip-hoping the Best... wud love to learn Tap dancing especially after seeing a contestant of "So u think u can Dance" go tapping arnd to the beats of "Way I are" - Timbaland... Man we did freestyle Jazz on that.. i never tot Tap dancing on it..

anything that printed on a paper and is bound by a cover qualifies as a book for me.. hating a Genre doesn't stop me from reading it.. i reserve my comments till i finish it... same goes for movies and my foodie habit... i still remember d first book my Papa got for me... now i have a huge collection.. i realised this while shifting house last month... every surface was filled with books and while unpacking i dound books stashed away by me at unlikely places.. a book tot long lost emerged from my utensils carton.. :-P

i know i have a long way to go... but watever i do, i just love 'em all... somehow learning the techniques from someone else feels fake.. to me clicking is mainly wat ur heart thinks... i have been known to click pics using my Dad's Point n shoot during my chilhood.. the results are a treasure which my father denies to share with me.. and i don't share with him , wat i  click now-a-days.. Tit for tat u see :-P







The Rat...

I hath new shoes...

New Mules from Mochi only... spent a fortune on it but looks good na.. thats y bought it.. also showing off  at the party yday nite... serves rite for that M.. lady showing off her new necklase.. i only know that she picked up from a second hand market, Khatri only...He he he.. dont admonish my english now... blame on Moni Mohsin and her book "The Diary of a Social Butterfly" ;-D... hilarious book i say.. u really need to  read this book for a good laugh, eventhough i took time to grip on the language used...

Saw DEV D yday with P... My first sentence 5 min into d movie was, "Wat!! Leave something to my imagination yaar!!" MUST WATCH.... It has everything u cud have dreamt in ur wildest dreams... P was confused to see Chanda dressed as Nurse, school girl and such things... now how to explain this fetish thing to this under-age girl... :-D welcome ending... i know i know, i am a sucker for Happy endings...

 Wat was funny was the interlude with the Counter guy (CG) at the Cineplex...
D Rat: 2 Tickets for Dev D
CG : Ummm... ID card plz..
D Rat: (flashes her, rather throws her credit card and office id)
CG: One that shows ur bday
D Rat: (Flips the Office id to reveal the mystery news)
CG: he he he he... u don't look like a ** old...
D Rat: (now gets y all this drama and grinzz widely)
CG: Sorry but really u look like a 16 yr old and (turning to P) u like a 25 yr old..
P: (Nearing Volcanic Eruption) How dare u....
:-P really!!! he made my day.. not to mention P is 5-6 years younger than me in reality...


the party,yday nite, was d perfect way to end the day... Wat more, i got to show off my new mules and a new chic designer Salwar Kameez... went with the whole gang of my colleagues as the host was a colleague too... suddenly D sees a awesome chick wrapped in a Blue saree, standing at the Noodle Bar 

D :  Turn Turn Turn Turn (with me controlling my giggles).. Oh  Crap,this is P.. (P is a colleague and a good friend of D)

Much to his chagrin, i illustrated the whole thing to P amidst peals of laughter... wat more P's Mom overheard the whole thing and came over to talk to us...Roflarious!


The Rat...

this sure doesn't need a title.. or does it????

i have been writing in Hindi for some posters.. ok ok don't shout that i cant to write in Hindi.. but my calligraphy is good and all i have to do is look at the slogans n print them on bigger boards.. only thing is i am not able to get wat d heck i am writing...

DAmnation....

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two days back Y's mom gave me a glass of elaichi Milk (belch) wen we were leaving... now how to explain her that i don't drink milk.. so as a good girl (cough cough cough) i drank up the milk( belch)... it was funny as it had no taste and i tot milk used to be sweet... i sort of felt that i have to stir before drinking yet bottoms uped the whole glass, only to find the whole sugar sedimented at the bottom... Yuck..

More horrors... Adhir rite on cue forwarded this Text to me.. do much for telepathy..

U take a sip of coffee to find it bitter.. too lazy to get to the kitchen to add sugar u just drink up the coffe only to find sugar at the bottom...

 DAang...

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and at the rate i am reading books i may soon end bankrupt...  a book a day is the trend even as i complain i don't get much time.... btw i got myself a grand collection of Peanuts.. and yeah downloaded the complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes... but that wont stop me from buying Calvin and Hobbes-Grand collection the next time i visit Chennai...

also got the Countdown and The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh. Yaay... i am in love with AG...

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was bragging to MJ on the way to lunch today abt some purchase... all i get to hear was...

"You buy everything yourself... then why u want gifts?? leave something to others..."

GRinZzz... any answers..??

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ok chalo i am off to temple now... 

I am a book.. open one.. write all over me, will ya???

but thinking again, Please stop after giving me a TITLE.... :-P

Yday evening  JD of my dance class sent me this Text msg...

"Suppose i am a book.. Its still  Untitled.. U R given a chance 2 give it a a title... What it should be..??"

Funny question but liked it a lot.. wanted to know wat really ppl think abt me.. so, the Rat promptly forwarded it to a select close circle of friends... the response was mind numbing... some ppl yet have to explain.. and i know i ll make them cough up the reason :-)

The Titles, i am entitled to... :-P

1. Sugar and Salt - JD
   
2. Pagal Bandariya (Mad Monkey) - MJ
   
3. Taoji aur unki Jaadooi Chadi (Big Dad and his Magic Stick) - DB
4. Shaan (Pride) - MK
5. My Amma (My Mother) - SR
6. Rat, the lovable- SK
   
7. Kannavu kanni Rat (Dream Girl Rat) - SH
8. How to become CEO in 30 days - SD
9. Versatile - NP
   
10. Are u a game for it? - Big B
11. The Unexpected - AR
12. Popular Express -YA
13. Miss Popular-PK
14. The Personality -  AS
15. Work in Progress - SA
    
16. Pandora Box - PK
17. Usually Unusual - RR
    
18. SODIUM : highly reactive - PS

Whoa.. that's quite a list... ain't it...
go on... if i pose the same question to u, wat will u name me??? Answers.....

Weekend Wallowing..

9 00 am: Call from wookie
12 00 pm: Call from SD.. woke up
1 15 pm: Lunch, Sandwich @ J
1 45 pm - 5 pm: Chetan Bhagat Lecture
Readers Paradise
Enrolled @ 8
Juice at Anand Shri
Im@inet - browsing
Reliance Fresh
Sms to Wookie, Stickman, V
11 45 pm: Goodnite.....


Needless to say had a laid back saturday...

Haul of the Weekend: The Enchatress of Florence - Salman Rushdie, Prisoner of Tehran - Marina Nemat
Finished Reading: Everyone Worth Knowing - Lauren Weisberger

Reading social...

Some books Which really reallly affected me in the past one month...
@ The 3 mistakes of my life - Chetan Bhagat
@ Girls of Riyadh - Rajaa Alsanea
@ The One - Richard Bach
@ The Bridge across Forever - Richard Bach