How Draupadi wasted precious 2 days of my life!

One tale that India doesn't get tired of retelling is Mahabharatha. Story tellers across all genres, regions, languages and religions have adopted the main Vyasa story into their narration and rendered the epic in various flavours for the common men to relish. The themes of family fights, wars, politics, miracles and morals in Mahabharatha have found multicolored illustrations in stories. The palace of illusions is yet another feeble attempt at narrating the Mahabharatha epic from a different perspective. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has chosen Draupadi as the narrator and it is through her eyes that we see the Mahabharatha unfold.

The novel begins with a rather dull rant from Draupadi about how she sprang into life from the fire along with her brother Drushtadyumna and on she goes to grumble about her inconsequential existence amidst the palace walls. She desperately waits for her turn to fulfill the prophecy of her life-the prophecy which she states would alter the history of Bharat land. Draupadi as is shown in the book is a stupid and trivial selfish person who cribs for half of the book. A new angle seen in the book is that Draupadi has a longing to marry the tragic hero of Mahabharatha-Karna.

* To recount a story I heard from an elder at home I take a small break from my review. Draupadi in her past life was a sage's wife who suffered from tuberculosis. Being the pativrate that she was (all women in our epics are victims of domestic subjugation), she was in the habit of eating out of her husband's leftover plate. Once while doing so, she sees a rotten finger of her TB suffering husband. Alas! she eats the entire meal along with the finger without complaining. After his death some time later, she goes into Shiva Tapasya. Pleased by her Tapasya, Lord Shiva appears before her to grant a wish. On seeing the Lord, the ecstatic Draupadi prays him to grant a better husband in the next life by chanting "Patim dehi" for five times and when she is about to say it for the sixth time and utters "Pati" the Lord stops her and gladly grants the wish. So in the next life Draupadi gets 5 husbands (for chanting Patim dehi 5 times) and also comes too close to marrying another one (for the half "Pati" chant) Karna. *

The other half of the book goes in the obnoxious queen Draupadi detailing various events and their bad outcomes tarnishing her reputation, mood and happiness. Our miss annoying queen dedicates sufficient part of the narration to picture her friendship with Krishna and how her tiny pea sized brain fails to decipher such a great person's character. The only part which holds a reader's interest is the Kurukshetra war description and no surprise in that because the events that unfolded in 18 day epic war are worth anybody's attention no matter who tells the story.

This pesky book would have been a bit more bearable if only it had some profound thought worthy philosophy in it. I agree that Mahabharatha has been rarely told from a woman's perspective but the hype ends at just that fact. You part with the book with a dismal feeling that Draupadi was a waste of space on earth!! A beautiful moral story of Mahabharatha is reduced to sluggish jabber of a silly female.

People who should stay away from this book are those:

• who think that a character like that of Draupadi cannot be lame.
• who have heard wonderful Mahabharatha stories from grandparents, mothers et al.
• who have relished reading thoughtful versions of Mahabharatha.
• who know the difference between a cribbing selfish girl and a woman of substance.

People who should read this book are those:

• who wish to have a good laugh about a wretched version of a great epic.
• who want to warn their friends what books not to read.

If you really want to read a wonderful retelling of Mahabharatha from human point of view then get yourself a copy of "Parva" from S.L.Bhyrappa. 

Quirky facts about Dr.Albert Einstein

All right! Going by the title of the post you might have come here looking for stupendous-man (refer to my dear Calvin's stupendous definitions here) like traits of the greatest intellect of 21st century Einstein.  I am not going to tell things like "Einstein was super human that he never farted in company" and neither that "Einstein ran a secret brotherhood to preserve the mysteries of Jesus Christ", instead I am going to share little somethings from his ordinary life that I picked up from reading this book from Walter Issacson.

• Einstein was ever forgetful. We all know the tale where he called up Princeton University office to note down his own home address. He would forget keys, leave behind his precious things and often travel to places far away only to realize he doesn't have any clothes with him.
  
• Einstein's brain was stolen post his autopsy and evaded from being caught for almost 3 decades after his death. There is also a movie "Relics" dedicated to this story line.
  
• Einstein was not mean to his wife. He treated only one of his wife badly :P In order to persuade her to divorce him he lured her with his Nobel prize money.
  
  An excerpt from Einstein's letter to his second wife (when they were still not married yet):
  "I treat my wife as an employee I can't fire"
  
• Einstein ran away from Germany and never returned in fear and disgust for the Nazi rule. (Einstein was a Jew by birth and he was never in terms with his religion as a young man. In the later part of his life he strongly associated his kinship with the troubled Jews and fought for their pride and honor).
  
• Einstein was offered the presidency of the newly formed state Israel in 1952 which he rejected promptly for he himself knew very well that he would make a lousy politician.
  
• Einstein never got convinced of the path breaking Heisenberg theories which revolutionized Quantum physics. Neither was he convinced of the uncertainty principle nor did he appreciate or approve of the scientific leaps in particle physics. Einstein died a death of non-quantum physics believer.
  
• Einstein was a seasoned violinist and connected deeply with music. He often played on his violin in place of giving a speech. I often wonder that music is the language of universe and it seems to attract every human!!Poor, rich, dumb, bright - music has a spell on everyone.
  
  
  
  

I revelled in reading this piece by Issacson and convinced beyond doubts that he is a wonderful story teller. I recommend this book to anyone who is

• interested in knowing all the dimensions of Einstein's life
• eager to know the path breaking scientific discoveries of early 21st century

We often think that success, knowledge and social life can't go hand in hand but when we delve deep into celebrities' lives we realize how mistaken we are and how limited our thinking is. Science and art can revolutionize how we live our lives. A thought insignificant at first can sweep the entire mood of the society. Einstein's scientific contributions did not just create a new chapter of modern physics but his theory of relativity based on non-conformist ideals brought forth an era of new art opposing all norms of conventional thinking. His attitude made many an old league of classical physicists to look in awe and inspired a cadre of youngsters to cross the limit of his capabilities. Einstein lived during a time rather created a time where the field of theoretical physics donned an attire of freshness and creative geniuses of that time sprung to life. Knowing Einstein's life is synonymous to getting a sneak peak into the movement of theoretical physics renewal. 

Belated Valentine Thought!

I adored you, you puzzled me
You crushed on me, I was scared
I held a hand, you were terrified
You reconciled with my heart, I started counting our good times
I obsessed, you let go
You pushed me to grow, I helped you to stand
I shed a tear, you invited me to a roar of laughter
I exhibited the bond to the world, you nourished the tenderness in your sweet little world
I ran, you beamed easy
You grew to great heights and my pride heightened
You chided, you applauded
You shared and cared, I embraced and became glad
We danced in brilliance, we breathed in symphony
We were parasites in the form of full grown trees
We clung, we distanced
We romanced, we fought with a unified heart beat
You were a mother in pain, a friend in crime
I was an edifice and at times thorn
You taught me tough love yet became a boon
Every single leap of faith, I took holding on to your kind heart
I draw strength, you are my courage
I am going far but never before stayed so close to you my sweetheart!!

Struggle!

Running down the alley

Yes, I can see the light 

Two more steps 

I daresay I can hold it

Wait, strange hands pulling me down 

The land beneath my feet is slippery!

Is this treachery

Is it my own people's tears?

That can't be

Those hands nurtured my young mind

Strength! I have it 

To kick the chains away

Run, faster and wilder towards the light

Towards the dream

Grab my destiny 

Roll over with happiness

Pondering over the life of a non-conformist!

Einstein-His life and universe

Today I set out to deflect from my usual pattern of writing-presenting a book review after I am done with reading a book. The book I am reading now is so engaging and thought provoking that I have taken an unusually long time to complete reading 170 pages of a 550 page hefty book. I will lay out the review in parts, jotting down all the musings I get on reading this book.

I now know Einstein only till he has submitted a paper on 'Special Theory of Relativity'. The present world is engaged in non-stop rant about 'non-conformist' attitude only to follow the coolest dude and big daddy of all non-conformists - Dr. Albert Einstein. Einstein was the epitome of non-conformity since his childhood taking pleasure in maintaining his independent streak of thinking and defying the blind acceptance of any received wisdom much less conceding to authority.

Einstein was a connoisseur of critical thinking from his childhood. In fact he had developed such lucid ability to think early on in his life that he had difficulty to put into words all the wonderful thoughts he had. The world around him thought that he was a slow learner and speaker not knowing the hidden genius inside him that would transform the way world thought of physics. Einstein had problems in keeping up with rote learning at school and was in bad books of almost all the teachers in his college. The child prodigy who went on to study further passed his graduation by being only second last in his class. Even after his graduation he had much difficulty securing a job and earned meagre amount of money by giving private tuitions. He struggled for quite some time to earn a doctorate degree and this uncanny genius of all times did not even secure a professorship anywhere. The great works by him such as providing proof of Brownian motion, ascertaining Galileo's concept of relativity to inertial reference frames through thought experiments, extending Max Planck's 'quanta' concept to the motion of light all came at a time when he worked as a mere third-degree patent officer at Bern, Switzerland.

The eccentric genius was made so by his relentless works in challenging received wisdom. His demeanour earned him many critics and admirers and as with all great men, Einstein too paid little heed to the criticism of either his nature or his works. Reading about Einstein makes one think about all the wrong notions society puts in a child's mind such as following authority, obliging to the old order with humility, never daring to defer et al. I understand the common wisdom that not everyone can be a genius. But wouldn't society benefit from a bunch of more geniuses? I have sworn in to never treat any kid with low expectations and neither curtail it's curiosity to explore. I myself will not shy away from differing with the common norms and doing what I truly believe in. After all the world needs diverse thoughts and not the factory manufactured similar thinkers.

I recently read Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs and did I get blown away by his writing! Reading another biography from Issacson has reaffirmed by belief that great tales when told by great writers truly create priceless saga. I am awed by the style of writing Isaacson employs in narrating stories of great men. There is a personal touch yet a descriptive life analysis prevails throughout the book. The moral messages author tries to send out are never too elusive and neither hackneyed. The attention to details, research and author's distinctive opinions all make the biography a catching read. Given my electronics background I understood Steve Jobs' biography and the Silicon Valley boom very well. Now that I am reading about scientific advances of the late 20th and early 21st century I am equally enthralled. I was not a staunch fan of scientific history as a student but now having read it in a story form, I have grasped the importance of knowing history in any category - scientific, political, industrial and even religious.

I will now go back to try and understand the remaining heavy scientific jargon of the book. I daresay "Geek is the new sexy".

P.S: I cannot help but make the comparison between Sheldon Cooper's eccentric intelligence and Einstein's diversified genius. I hope Sheldon wins a Nobel Prize soon. :P

The young and super-handsome Einstein

P.S: You can read the next installment of my review here.

Allow yourself to be confused

When the winds of change blow, some people build walls while others raise wind mills.
-Chinese Proverb

Most people fix onto their dear self with the fear of changing. They anoint their rigidity to change as 'clarity of future'. The decisions they made years ago and the principles they conceived during easy times become the edifice of their future decisions. This line of thought is divorced from the vision of progress. To achieve anything considerable one is supposed to choose from wide options. I am not up for the argument which says you should avoid confusions and stick to single option quests.

You should let your mind ponder over various paths available. Give your brain some food to think over your aspirations. The emotions you develop during the decision process let you know your true self. Life is not supposed to be a planned calendar. Instead you should always upgrade your dreams. As your capability grows, your dreams must change. Holding onto outdated dreams is like using your favorite old umbrella even after it has holes. It is just not worth your needs.

The options are universe's way to serve you the best things available. It is a chance to grab the best possible dream for you.

Be greedy.

Explore options. Learn about your limitations.

“Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?”
-Steve Jobs 

Without options you might never know whether you want to join the navy or be a pirate. At the end you will have chosen what really suited your needs. 

Not being pigeon holed and having options frees you from blaming the fate. All the best alternatives will already be available to you.

Trick your mind. Choose crazy whenever possible. Take the leap of faith. 

Don't be monotonous. Spoil yourself by choices. Get the best. Be awesome. 

Plunge into happiness.

Book Review: The Oath of the Vayuputras

The Oath of the Vayuputras

Common sense personified

I belong to the cult of Indians who think that every tradition, myth and culture in India holds within it's pith a profound philosophy of life. I never accept any tradition/practice at it's face value and always try to decipher the philosophical code within it. Amish Tripathi seems to have put the saga of a great God in terms of simplistic thinking and logical deductions. The story of Lord Shiva has unfolded in the most natural form of human occurrences. The last book of his trilogy 'The Oath of the Vayuputras' draws a culmination to Shiva's journey in destroying the evil.

The second book in the series, 'The secret of the Nags' ended with Shiva meeting his supposedly dead friend Bruhaspathi in the Naga capital of Panchavati. The third book takes off from the same scene and opens the readers to a frenzy of secrets, explorations, betrayals and wars. All the previous open ended questions find answers here and Lord Shiva will decide what is the evil that is scathing the human race in India. Those who stand by Shiva's proclamation are saved from his wrath and those who do not, face a brutal end by his hands. Shiva mobilizes the armies of Nagas, Brangas, Suryavanshis, Chandravanshis and Vasudevs to wage war against the evil. Will the Vayuputras aid Neelkanth in his holy mission? What is king Daksha's role in the war? Why wasn't the evil unearthed till the Neelkanth came? What is the oath of Vayuputras? - all these mysteries are revealed in the book. 

What is appealing about Amish's third book and the entire series is that the beliefs, traditions and rituals we follow in India are explained in the light of philosophy involved during their origin. The way of life among the characters of the book is nearly utopian and highly logical. The reader cannot help but agree with the simplicity of life. There is only dharma of a person that is the ultimate truth which is true in every sense in that it is what you think of your duties that dictates your actions. There are no superstitions but logic, no magic but scientific knowledge, no treachery but only warriors. The mythological characters which appear in the book are truly justified for their character and behavior. Amish has assumed Shiva to exist around 3000 B.C and hence has put in a dash of middle Asian history into the plot with effortless ease. There are Egyptians and worshipers of Ahura Mazda (early history of Zoroastrianism depicts this) central to the story of this book. The symbolism and science of the Indian mythological beliefs find a new dimension in Amish's simple narration. The war descriptions are especially Amish's forte of excellence. The fierce princess Sati and her son Kartik show the shadow of death to their enemies in every combat. 

The book seems a drag initially until the plot gains a substantial hold on the readers. The emphasis on Meluhan customs, mannerisms is completely lacking from this book. The playfullness of many characters such as Anandamayi, Bhadra hardly surface. The ending is a bit dull and somewhere Shiva becomes far too lenient in forgiving few of the conspirators. Apart from these minor detours from perfection, this third installment of the trilogy provides a successful finish to the Shiva trilogy.

My most favorite part of the book:
The engineering behind many complex instruments, warfare strategies, dams, bridges, construction.

I recommend this trilogy to every Indian for it gives a new perspective in looking at the ancient mythology.