#Krishna���s childhood

[creationkissed]

deep dive character sheet

stolen from: modlina and ree tagging: you

NAME: Bianka "Durandal" Ataegina

BODY

height: 165cm, 5'5"

strength ★★★★★ — yes, she would gladly open that jar for you :>

dexterity ★★☆☆☆ — she's hauling around a lance bigger than her, but hey, she has a honse named juan krishna, does that earn her a star?

health ★★★★★ — she counts every calorie intake, never misses her daily runs, and is honestly obsessed with going to the gym

energy ★★★★★ — flew around the world beating up honkai for a month straight and would've continued doing so

beauty ★★★★☆ — I heard her voice in my head begging for me not to put five stars

style  ★★★★☆ — at least one member of the kaslana family should be able to dress themselves well at all times... right?

hygiene ★★★★★ — stan would hate her if she's stinky

SKILLS

perception ★★★★☆ — honed after years of training! if you'd have asked when she was still 12 she would've gotten two stars though

communication ★★★☆☆ — if it's with regards to giving commands and work, sure she's great at it, but she's a bit, how do you say... she's a bit of a brickwall

persuasion ★★★★☆ — even the lord overseer couldn't stop her when she wanted to bring stan home

mediation ★★★☆☆ — she usually leaves that to her adjutant, though

literacy ★★★★☆ — even before she met shakespeare and the rest of the crew, she's been reading a lot of their books, but after meeting them? she quotes them so much you'd think she eats them for her midnight snacks

creativity ★☆☆☆☆ — she'd love to be more creative and make doodles or even give handmade presents but she gets embarrassed at the thought of it, and therefore refrains

cooking ★☆☆☆☆ — curse you, kaslana genes

tech savvy ★★★☆☆ — has at least tricked Siegfried by answering with "Alt+F4" thrice, probably

combat ★★★★★ — shicksal's youngest to ever become an s-rank valkyrie, baby! also if it wasn't for the literal universe inside of her, she would've been the type to punch first before asking. well, she used to be. maybe she should be one again

survival ★★★★☆ — docked a star because she'd probably poison herself trying to cook in the wilderness

stealth ★★☆☆☆ — *abyss flower hits a wall as she turns* *krishna neighs* *steps on a whoopee cushion*

street smarts ★★★☆☆

seduction ☆☆☆☆☆ — who is sid and why is he in an auction

luck ★★☆☆☆ — imagine losing your memory, meeting someone who inspired you, only for them to soon die in battle so you follow their footsteps and their boss treats you really nicely and well, but this same boss has known the truth about your identity for a very long time, even made a clone with your DNA, and then they admit on the day of their death that they've been using you this whole time but you can't really bring yourself to hate them truly because they were like a father you never had throughout your childhood hahaha can you imagine that

handling animals ★★★★☆ — stan :3

pacifying children ★★☆☆☆ — has made children cry by accidentally kicking the soccer ball so hard it disappears

MIND

intelligence ★★★★☆ — thank you, schariac genes

happiness ★★★★☆ — she's gone through a lot. had her childhood snatched away, been betrayed, manipulated, used, but she's always been stubbornly optimistic then and still is now

spirituality ★★☆☆☆ — bianka believes more in moulding things with her own two hands and efforts than relying on abstract thoughts or spiritual concepts

confidence ★★★★☆ — once haughty, now a bit embarrassed about it, but confident nonetheless

humor ★☆☆☆☆ — brickwall

anxiety ★☆☆☆☆ — as a leader, she doesn't allow it to fester for too long. she's learned that, if she has any doubts or worries, she may as well face them head-on and seek answers herself

patience ★★★☆☆ — many might think that she's patient and level-headed but, really, sometimes she can't help but be hotheaded... kaslana genes?

passion ★★★★★ — it's what has grounded her in who she is

nice  ★☆☆☆☆ mean — she will always see the kindness in people first

brave       ★☆☆☆☆ cowardly — reckless, almost

pacifist     ☆☆★☆☆ violent — if there's another way to resolve an issue, then she'd rather not resort to violence. still, if the situation calls for it, she's not one to back away

thoughtful ☆☆★☆☆ impulsive — old habits die hard...

agreeable ★☆☆☆☆ contrary — has received A+ in diplomacy, probably

idealistic   ☆☆☆★☆ pragmatic — being a leader means having to ground herself to reality more than most, but beneath it, her heart still dares to dream

frugal ☆☆★☆☆ big spender — spoils stan spoils stan spoils stan spoils st-

extrovert   ☆★☆☆☆ introvert — she's very outgoing, though she may be awkward with her approach at first

collected   ★☆☆☆☆ wild

ambitious / possessive / stubborn / jealous / decisive / perfectionist

SOCIAL

charisma ★★★★☆ — she's got a fanclub out there...

empathy ★★★★★ — 10/10 would fistfight the former overseer if he made her do horrible things to people

generosity ★★★★★ — used her own body as an anchor for a fading world

wealth ★★★★☆ — doesn't have a lot she spends her money on and being shicksal's strongest s-rank apparently pays, so...

honest  ★☆☆☆☆ deceptive  — she cannot lie to save herself. god, she folds so quickly if you make her have to keep a secret and someone does so much as to eye her suspiciously

leader   ★☆☆☆☆ follower — it's in her resume!

polite   ☆★☆☆☆  rude — she can be rude, if she tries

political ☆★☆☆☆ indifferent — former overseer's lapdog for years haha

BELIEFS

higher power ★★☆☆☆ — two stars because her sister is literally jesus. she'll wake up in three days and rise again, trust

fate/destiny ★★★☆☆ — gestures back to her being the type to want to mould things herself than leave things higher beings, but... but she's also a romantic at heart (from all the books she's read. damn you, shakespeare) so at least, in terms of those, she'll give it three stars...

magic ★★★★☆ — there's science behind it!! the science: honkai

soulmates ★★★☆☆ — damn you, shakespeare

good and evil ★★★★☆ — she has seen both in the same man.. otto, i hope you're glad at how much you've influenced her perspective on things

luck ★★☆☆☆ — there's always a bit of luck in things, she supposes...

PRIORITIES

family ★★★★★ — i could write an essay about this but i'll spare the crowd. just... she hasn't had one for as long as she could remember, and suddenly, here they are. of course they're a priority.

friends ★★★★★ — she may not have a lot, but she would give up her life for them, and her family

love ★★★★☆ — she has a lot of love to give, but i dock a star because a childhood filled with nothing but the responsibility of a young s-rank valkyrie has probably kept her from learning how to express them well :)

home ★★★☆☆ — she may have found it late, her younger self may have given up on it, but she's home now

health ★★★★★ — ms. i'm watching my calorie intake

praise ★☆☆☆☆ — she doesn't really seek for it

justice ★★★★★ — she probably used to think she's a valkyrie before she is human

truth ★★★★☆ — no matter how ugly it may be, she always seeks for it

fame ☆☆☆☆☆ — she doesn't quite like it. if she were more honest with herself, she might even outright say she finds it troublesome

wealth ★★☆☆☆ — as long as she can take care of herself, her cat, and her friends, that's all she needs

others' opinions ★☆☆☆☆ — having been the poster s-rank valkyrie during and after otto's reign, she has long since grown accustomed to hearing both flattering and harsh opinions about herself

[mybeingthere]

Indra Dugar was born in 1918 in Jiagunj, a town on the banks of the Hooghly River in Murshidabad, West Bengal. His family, Jains, who had migrated from Rajasthan a couple of centuries ago, held art in high regard. He was introduced to painting at an early age by his father Hirachand Dugar (1898-1951), a respected artist and one of the first students of Kala Bhavan at Rabindranath Tagore's Vishwa Bharati University in Santiniketan. According to Dugar, his father's role in shaping his artistic career was vital.

"My father, Hira Chand, was the melodious music. I am just a very faint distant echo [...] He is a key that would, as it were, open the small lock of my humble treasure chest." (Artist statement, S. Sarkar, 'Indra Dugar: A Profile of a Painter', Art etc., June 2012, accessed October 2015)

Although he was entirely self-taught, Dugar regarded his father's alma mater as his own, having lived in Santiniketan as a child and spent time with the artists there, particularly his father's teacher, Nandalal Bose. Reminiscing about the time, he noted, "In my childhood I lived in Santiniketan with my parents. Through my father, I met his mentor Nandalal Bose. When Abanindranath Tagore came on a visit, my father took me along to see him. Occasionally he would take me to Rabindranath Tagore. I frequently met his fellow students like Dhirendra Krishna Deb Verma [sic], Ramendranath Chakraborty, Benodebehari Mukherjee and Ramkinkar Baij. I grew up in an electrifying atmosphere." (Artist statement, S. Sarkar, 'Indra Dugar: A Profile of a Painter') Speaking about Dugar, Nandalal Bose, who became quite close to him over the years, wrote "It has given me great pleasure to discover in the son of an artist father quite good promise of another artist.

[anuj815]

lal bahadur shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 at Mughal Sarai in Uttar Pradesh in India. His father’s name was Sharda Prasad and he was a school teacher. His mother’s name was Ramdulari Devi. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s father died when he was only one year old. He has two sisters. After his father’s death, his mother Ramdulari Devi took him and his two sisters to her father’s house and settled down there.

Education and Marriage

Since childhood, Lal Bahadur Shastri was very honest and laborious. Lal Bahadur Shastri was graduated with a first-class degree from the Kashi Vidyapeeth in 1926 then he was given the title Shastri Scholar. Lal Bahadur Shastri acquired virtues like boldness, love of adventure, patience, self-control, courtesy, and selflessness in his childhood. In order to participate actively in the freedom movement, Lal Bahadur Shastri compromised even with his studies.

Lal Bahadur Shastri got married to Lalita Devi. And both Lal Bahadur Shastri and his wife blessed with 6 children. The name of their children was Kusum, Hari Krishna, Suman, Anil, Sunil, and Ashok.

Contribution in Freedom Movement

Lal Bahadur Shastri was drawn towards the national struggle for freedom when he was a boy. He was very impressed by Gandhi’s speech which was delivered on the foundation ceremony of Banaras Hindu University. After that, he became a loyal follower of Gandhi and then after jumped into the freedom movement. Because of this, he had to go to jail many times. Lal Bahadur Shastri was always believed that self-sustenance and self-reliance as the pillars to build a strong nation. Lal Bahadur Shastri wished to be remembered by his work rather than well-rehearsed speeches proclaiming lofty promises. He was always against the prevailing caste system and therefore decided to drop his surname and after his graduation, he get Shastri surname.

Political Career of Lal Bahadur Shastri

In 1947, after India got independence Lal Bahadur Shastri got the portfolio of transport and Home ministry. In 1952, he was given the Railway ministry. When Jawaharlal Nehru died Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded him as the Prime Minister for a very short time of only 18 months. In 1965 war he got his achievements after the victory on Pakistan. On 11th January 1966, he got a severe heart attack and he died.

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second prime minister of India. He was a great man as well as a great leader and was rewarded by “Bharat Ratna���. He gave a famous slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kissan”. Lal Bahadur Shastri utilized the time in reading the social reformers and western philosophers. He was always against the “dowry system” and so refused to take dowry from his father in law. Lal Bahadur Shastri tackled many elementary problems like food shortage, unemployment, and poverty. To overcome the acute food shortage, Shastri asked the experts to devise a long-term strategy. This was the beginning of the famous “Green Revolution”. Lal Bahadur Shastri was a very soft-spoken person.

After the Chinese aggression of 1962, India faced another aggression from Pakistan in 1965 during Shastri’s tenure and Lal Bahadur Shastri showing his mettle and made it very clear that India would not sit and watch. While granting liberty to the Security Forces to retaliate he said: “Force will be met with force”. Lal Bahadur Shastri was first as the Minister for Transport and Communications and then as the Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1961 he was the Minister for Home and formed the “Committee on Prevention of Corruption” headed by of K. Santhanam.

Conclusion

Lal Bahadur Shastri was also known for his simplicity, patriotism, and honesty. India lost a great leader. He had given the talent and integrity to India. His death was still a mystery. Lal Bahadur Shastri had political associations is Indian National Congress. He had the political ideology such as nationalist, liberal, right-wing. Lal Bahadur Shastri is a Hinduism religion. He was always self-sustenance and self-reliance as the pillars to build a strong nation.

[hrk4]

Bhagavad-gita Classes this Fall

Koti Sreekrishna, PhD will be teaching Bhagavad-gita classes during August–October 2024 / Sunday to Thursday at 9.30pm EST (Monday to Friday at 7am IST). The opening orientation session will be held on Thursday, August 15th at 9.30pm EST (i.e. Friday, August 16th at 7am IST).

To enrol for classes, join this WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JAmuGVEEwiOCRIP3kmjpbP

Dr. Sreekrishna was born in 1953 at Bangalore. He studied Biochemistry at IISc. after graduating from Central College and later worked as a research fellow with the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Kentucky. He retired in 2021 after over thirty-five years as corporate scientist with Phillips Petroleum Company, Marion Merrel Dow, and Procter & Gamble Company. He is deeply interested in philosophy, inter-religious dialogue, and studying the Hindu scriptures. He has contributed articles to the Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati (HSGC) temple magazine. Having been actively associated with the temple for over thirty years, he currently serves as the Religious Counselor of HSGC. For several years, he has served in the HSGC executive council. He is a Distinguished Toastmaster.

I had the good fortune of collaborating with him on five books.

[With Dr. Sreekrishna at his residence in Mason, OH in 2008 when we were translating the Gita together!]

Please find below a short note from him. –Hari Ravikumar

My Journey with the Bhagavad-gita From my childhood, I have been connected to the Bhagavad-gita, one way or another. My father (K. S. Krishna Tatachar, Sanskrit scholar and author) taught me the recitation of the Gita in the traditional, rigorous way. By age 9, I had memorized the entire 700 verses of the Gita. The most thrilling moment with this rote memorization, ever fresh in my memory, was when I won the first prize in ‘Six Chapter Gita Recitation Contest’ at my school (National Middle School, Bangalore) in 1963. One of the judges of the contest was apparently so impressed that he added Rs. 10 from his own pocket to the actual award amount of Rs. 29. I consider that as the most valuable ten rupees ever earned in my life because it was a blessing from Prof. H. S. Varadadeshikachar, who was to be my Sanskrit teacher in college; later, he was better known as H. H. Sri Rangapriya Swami.

Before I left to Houston, TX in 1978 to undertake postdoctoral studies at the Biochemistry department of Baylor College of Medicine, I requested my dad to say a few words about the Gita, which I promptly recorded on tape. In his brief talk, he said that the Gita is a sarva anukoola shastra, a scriptural guide which is convenient to everyone. That one phrase said it all. But I always wondered why even those who knew the Gita made life inconvenient for themselves and for others. Was it because of ‘something else’ (divisive and dogmatic ideas) coming in the way? I kept reading every book on Gita I could lay my hands on; I might have read fifty versions by now. In addition to that, I attended many discourses by reputed scholars. I found some new insights as well as the ‘something else’, which was not always the same, but was always there, and in disguise at times. All along, I was trying to intuitively make sense, especially of some tricky verses which could be understood in multiple ways; in a way, I was trying to read Krishna’s mind.

In 1987 as a biotechnology scientist at Phillips Petroleum Company, I attended a conference in Weimar, East Germany during which I visited Martin Luther’s hometown, I wondered why the Hindus did not get a Martin Luther but had only Popes! Then it dawned on me that Krishna is not just our Martin Luther but so much more than that. In 1988, I happened to watch Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, on public television. I could see the beauty of myth. The question: “Did everything happen exactly as in the epic Mahabharata?” stopped troubling me. Many traditionalists take the epic literally while many rationalists discard it entirely. Thanks to Joseph Campbell, I did not fall into either of those traps.

In 1990, my brother K. Srinivas gifted me D. V. Gundappa’s discourse on Gita in Kannada, Jeevana Dharma Yoga (‘A Manual for Living’). This was a book first published in 1966, bringing national recognition to the author. I was happy to see that some of my own intuitive understanding was also echoed in DVG’s book.

My friend K. Vasudevan wanted to bring out an English translation of the Gita and asked me for a recommendation. I couldn’t think of one that I wholeheartedly liked. So in 2005, I began working on a translation, trying to keep out that ‘something else.

I had just completed a word-for-word translation to be published as a ‘one verse a day, self-study manual’ and shared the draft with a few, when the best happened. There came along my nephew Hari Ravikumar, over three decades younger (only in age) as co-author with brilliant ideas, great depth, unique talents, insights, and style. He wanted to first have a modern English version in order to make the book accessible to any person, from any culture, who wants to know about the Gita or about Indian wisdom. as a result we brought out The New Bhagavad-Gita: Timeless wisdom in the language of our times in 2011. Then in 2013, we wrote The Easy Bhagavad-Gita: An easy-to-read version for busy people. Both these books were well-received by readers around the world. In 2014, we published The Complete Bhagavad-Gita, a verse-by-verse self-study guide to master the ancient text with new insights.

I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped us during these years. We would not have these books but for their constant support and encouragement. Also, I must thank my dear wife Shailini for putting up with this ‘Gita-nut’, a title accorded by our daughter and son!

I have always felt unexplainable joy even while simply reciting verses of the Gita and so much more when I have gone deeper into the text. But for my father’s initiation I might not have had a life-long obsession with this masterpiece. It is the greatest gift my father gave me.

[The present avatar of Dr. Sreekrishna]

About the Course Thanks to Shilpa Sharma for inviting me to conduct this online Bhagavad-Gita course in English! It will span from mid-Aug to mid-Oct. 2024. It is a course for anyone who is interested. Except for a working knowledge of English, no other pre-requisites are expected.

Starting on the auspicious Shukla Ekadashi as well as India’s Independence Day (August 15; it will be August 16 for India), the hour-long classes will be on zoom, five days a week (on weekdays, at 9.30pm EST) with no homework. I will read out the Sanskrit shloka, give the meaning of the words, and explain the import of the verse. I will try to ensure that the basic concepts are clear to everyone. I will leave the last 10-15 minutes of each one-hour session for any Q&A. That will also be time for my co-author Hari Ravikumar to share any thoughts.

In this manner, I will go through all seven hundred verses of the text, fully dedicated to Gita!

Whatever has been expounded in the Gita is meant to be experimented in our life and to be realized by experience rather than by blind faith or excessive intellectualization. I will share my personal experiences where appropriate.

By the end of the course, you will get an idea of what the Bhagavad-gita contains—and perhaps the learnings will enrich your life.

While teaching the class, I will be using our book The Complete Bhagavad-Gita (available in the US in three volumes)— Vol. 1 https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Bhagavad-Gita-verse-verse-self-study/dp/1724515853 Vol. 2 https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Bhagavad-Gita-verse-verse-self-study/dp/172451637X Vol. 3 https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Bhagavad-Gita-verse-verse-self-study/dp/1724516736

This is going to be roughly a sixty-hour course in a seriously casual setting, spanning three months. It is a free course.

Here are some background presentations for those interested:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MNOA5RXIsv5uT94WaE_pA3PI1DAfXEaw/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ohkYQ4wcySmI5eWZAmSTPk4VgkkqAVp/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PIXxG4AF8rdh977lFYCMYMZlm79inWEx/view?usp=drivesdk

–Koti Sreekrishna

[nityarawal]

8/29/23

"My Little Pony," - Diana 

"My Little Pony,"

That Jingle

Got Stuck In My Head

"My Little Pony,"

Be Careful

What You Wish For

My Voice

Ain't For Sale

"My Little Pony,"

Oh How We Played 

With Those Dolls

In The Bath

Combed Their Hair

In Lake Tahoe

While Our Daddies

Built Homes

For Us Muses

Resorts

"My Little Pony,"

A Chant

In My

Childhood Brain

"My Little Pony,"

Diana

My 14th

Pop Star Tween

Birthday Present

Diana

My Best Friend

Dirty Diana

In The '90's

Protecting

Our Princess Diana

From Michael Jackson

Fate

Trolled By Gay

Monks Smear

Campaign

Squatters

Selling Out Her Family

On Bribes

Pedophiles

"My Little Pony,"

So Much More

Than A

Commercial

Song Writer

"My Little Pony,"

Now Dean Of

Students

"My Little Pony,"

Chant

Set Up A

Waldorf School

"My Little Pony,"

Went To Northwestern

Put Herself

Through College

"My Little Pony,"

Treated The Gals

To Lunch

All Through

High-school

Self Sufficient

Even Southern Texas

Prudent

Millionaires Kids

Bellas' Not Allowed

To Work

Nanny

"My Little Pony,"

Hosted Us

In New York

East Hampton

Up The Hudson

Livingston Manor

Catskill

Little Knitting

Cozy 

Cafes

Mother Divine Stops

Rhinebeck

Sushi

Omega Institute

Oasis

Red Barn House

Swedish Folk

Art

Stenciled Everywhere

By Mom

Christmas Jokes

Despite

The "Jewish Temples"

Clause

Oh, "Dirty Diana,"

Jewish Cyrkle

Rockstar

Daughter

Red Rubber Ball

Dad 

Beatles Opener

Byrds Agent

Sister Of My

Singers

Transcendental Heart

Santa Swedish Mom

Civil Activist 

Model

Farming

Dirty Diana

Hybrid Economy

"My Little Pony,"

Oh What Would

I Have Done

To See You Sing

At Woodstock

"Star Spangled Banner,"

You Told Me

What Mothers "Wove"

On My Last

Train Up The Hudson

River

In The Autumn

Gold Leaves, Red & Orange

Snow

November

Nature's Miracles

You Told Me By 

The Fire

Your Hubby Cohen

In The Loft

Snoring Like 

A Freight Train

Tired From Hard Work

Building School Temple

Corporations

Home

"Dirty Diana,"

Dean Of Students

Yeah We'd Go To Tempe

To Beat Your Tune

"Dirty Diana,"

"My Little Pony,"

East Hampton

Dutchess County

Farm Maiden

Teachin'

"My Little Pony,"

Fundraisin'

For Education

Sellin' Old Gringo

Cowboy Boots

For Kids

Needs

"My Little Pony,"

Yeah We'd Move

To The Dessert

For You

"My Little Pony,"

Yeah We'd Move

To The Dessert

For You

"My Little Pony,"

Commercial

Singer

Teacher

Storyteller

Mom 

Auntie

Ma- "Is It True?"

Byron Katie

Queried You

Yeah- We'd Move

To Tempe

To Be Mothered

By Your Lot

At University

Of Arizona Plot

Just Tell My Son

To Call

Children Are

Lining Up

We Got Our

Instruments

Scientists

Writers Ready

To Detox

On Strike

Mammas

Nannies

Actresses

Grievers

Call Magistrate Judges

Influencers Children

Almost 18 Years Old

Some Hit

The Mark

Already

Like Isha Kyan

Rawal

And Vivian Wilson (Musk)

And Her 

Twin Brother

Gotra

Gautama

Buddha Rising

Buddha King

King Tasters

Great Grandson

Muses Dance

Krishna

Tambourines

Cowbell 

String Instruments

Tabla

Sitar

Persian Violin

Ready For Your

Next Krishna Moves

Luthier's Say

Bring #FreeBritneys

Boys Home From

Hawaii

She Didn't Agree

To TMZ

Plots Canada

With Conservators

Of Court

Australian Cons

Meddling

Monarch Bribes

Bring #FreeBritney Boys

Home To The Mainland

Bit 'O Brit

Was Far Too "Nice"

But I Know You're Right

That Mamma's Not

A "B"

At All

But I Know

That "Mamma 

Maui" Didn't 

Like The "Lahaina Fires,"

Bride Price For Their Heads

Land

Polluting

Mother Maui

It's Through 

Hosting

At University Of Hawaii 

Sisters

Lahaina Youtubers

Journalists

Drummed Her Fires

Messages

With Our Feet

Mahalo

Mahalo

Police States

Vacate

Mahalo

Mahalo

No More Probate

Scams

On Our Shores

Oprah

Brokers

Please

No More Probate

Scams

On Our Singers

Writers

Actors

Heads

Dr's Love

Peace

Aho

Pau

Peace,

Nitya Nella Davigo Azam Moezzi Huntley Rawal 

[sonalirichard]

😇👑🙏😇🙏👑😇

♥️🎶♥️🎶♥️🎶♥️

WONDERFUL EVENING & SWEET NIGHT , MY BRILLIANT AMIT JI 🍎🍓🍒

SINCE CHILDHOOD , I HAVE FELT AND CALLED MYSELF RADHA 🎶 ♥️ 😇 , THE BELOVED OF GOD KRISHNA 😇

ON THE GREAT BIRTHDAY OF THE BEAUTIFUL GOD KRISHNA ♥️,

I SEND YOU SINCERE AND HEARTFELT WISHES OF HEALTH , HAPPINESS , PROSPERITY , INSPIRATION , VICTORY IN EVERYTHING , AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TRUE PURE AND BLESSED LOVE ...

♥️💝 💚🎵 💚 💝♥️

LOVE 💘 ~ IS A LIVING SOURCE OF LIFE 🌸🌷🌸

WHEN THERE IS EVERYTHING IN LIFE , BUT THERE IS NO LOVE 💘 ~ HAPPINESS IS INCOMPLETE 💔, BECAUSE THE SOUL AND HEART NEED FEELINGS THAT ONLY LOVE CAUSES 💘 ...

AND HOW JOHN LENNON SINGS "ALL WE NEED IS LOVE" 💘

LOVE IS LIFE 🍎

💞💎💋💎💋💎💞

I WISH YOU THE MOST BEAUTIFUL , MAGICAL AND PURE LOVE 💝💝 , AS BEAUTIFUL AS KRISHNA AND RADHA 💞💞

💛🌼💛🌼💛🌼💛

AND AS

VINITA JI🌹, A BEAUTIFUL GIRL , YOUR ADMIRER , SAID TODAY IN THE REBLOG ~ YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH , FULL SLEEP AND REST , FIRST OF ALL !

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH HER !

WE ALL IS WORRYING ABOUT YOUR HEALTH , CONDITION & MOOD 🙏 🙏 🙏

🕉🈯️ ⛩🪔🏮🈴️☯️

I BEG YOU 🙏 , MY PRECIOUS , TRY TO SLEEP AT LEAST A FEW HOURS OR JUST LIE IN A RELAXED POSITION AND REST ON THE BED ...

YOU WORKING SO HARD & IT"S GREAT TENSION & SOMETIMES EVEN STRESS FOR YOUR BODY , BRAIN & MORAL CONDITION ...

🔱 📛‼️✅‼️📛 🔱

I AM VERY WORRYING ABOUT YOUR PERMANENT INSOMNIA , AND STAYING AWAKE AT NIGHT ALONE WITH MUSIC 🎼 AND A SMARTPHONE , FULL NIGHTS WITHOUT REST‼️

I ALSO PRACTICE IT OFTEN , AND THEN I SLEEP OFF EXTRA ... 😁🤩🙃

♥️🎶♥️🎵 ♥️🎶♥️

MY BELOVED MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON ALSO SUFFERED GREATLY FROM A LONG AND PAINFUL INSOMNIA 😱😰🤯

I WANT YOU TO REST AND SLEEP PEACEFULLY , WITHOUT NEGATIVE AND TORMENTING THOUGHTS 🙏

TRY TO THINK ONLY ABOUT PLEASANT , POSITIVE THINGS AND BELIEVE ONLY IN THE BEST , PLEASE 🙏

GOOD THOUGHTS , EMOTIONS & FEELINGS WILL HEAL YOU 🦚🦋🐬

🌈 🌝🔥🌝♥️🌝🌈

FOR MY PART ,

I"AM SENDING YOU MILLIONS OF MY HEALING FLUIDS OF LOVE 💘💝💘 , HOT FIERY ENERGY🔥 AND COSMIC POWER 💪, SO THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SUPER HEALTHY , YOUNG , BEAUTIFUL , ENERGETIC , ACTIVE , FULL OF VITALITY AND ENERGY ! 👌💯💥

I"AM ♥️ YOUR LIVING TALISMAN TO ACHIEVE ANY GOALS AND PLANS ! ⚽️🎖🏆

🎈😆🤩😛😜😁👌

SO GLAD TO SEE YOU IN GOOD MOOD & FEEL YOUR JOKES & LAUGH !!!

YOU MADE ME LAUGH TODAY !

🤣🙃🥸🤯😉😁🥰

YOU PLAY , I PLAY , EVERYONE PLAYS !

YOU RUN , I RUN , EVERYONE RUNS !

🐶🦮🐕🐕‍🦺🐩🐈🐱

IMAGINE ,

I USED TO OFTEN HAVE A DREAM WHERE I WAS RUNNING IN A CIRCLE BEHIND SOME MAN , AND ANOTHER MAN WAS RUNNING AFTER ME ~ AND THE THREE OF US RAN AFTER EACH OTHER , BUT NO ONE COULD CATCH UP WITH ANYONE ! 🤣🤣🤣

IT"S REALLY COOL & EXCELLENT , THAT

YOU"RE IN A GOOD MOOD AND YOU"RE LAUGHING !

👄👌🔥 💯💥👍👄

WHEN YOU"RE HAPPY , I"M HAPPY WITH YOU !

🐿🐯🦁🐱🦝🐹🐘

MY DEAREST 🐼 , THIS IS

3 FAVORITE SONGS FROM MY PLAYLIST FOR YOUR MOOD :

1️⃣ 💜 MARK ANTHONY

"WHEN I DREAM AT NIGHT",

2️⃣ 💙 RICKY MARTIN & CHRISTINA AGUILERA "NOBODY WANTS TO BE LONELY",

3️⃣ 💚 JUSTIN BIEBER "CONFIDENT".

I"M SURE YOU"LL ENJOY OF THAT INCREDIBLE MUSIC , SONGS 🎵 & VIDEO CLIPS 💯

W****** F** Y** , M* B****** B***

S** Y** S*** 💟

BEAUTIFUL NIGHT , SWEETEST DREAMS & MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS SHALL COME TRUE ASAP !!! 🕉

HARE KRISHNA 🕉

HARE RAMA 🕉

WITH MILLION KISSES 💋💋💋

YOUR FOREVER ℹ 💟 🐼

DAY 5682

Jalsa, Mumbai Sept 7, 2023 10:06 PM

A game .. a game of games .. games of games of people .. takes two to play .. two teams to play .. two can play too .. without two, too incapable .. so be able and play the game for two ..

I play , you play , we all play for ... 🤣 .. two too ..

you run I run we all run .. if all not run, how to know which run first .. 🤣

the World and its mind changeth in such rapid force that , the quantum leap of the yesterday flattened the frog after the 'leap' .. quantum be the equivalent of the 'leap frog' we played at school ..

elements of invention have reached the stage or reading minds and objects through data .. not enough that you say and it be believed .. you say and the invention will say if believe .. or not ..

face value was ever understood .. as truest fact value ..

now a different face value invented .. doctorates and PhD's studied in institutes of reputation , confirm .. but 'institutes of reputation' ?? really .. ??

are they ..??

who gave them that ..??

THEY THAT BUILT THEM IN THEIR OWN CAPACITY AND WILL AND STRENGTH ..

THE STRENGTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL .. his capacity, his knowledge , his intelligence ..

and he be one of us .. we build our own reputation ..

don't steal it , institution .. that institution was inbuilt within ..

🤣 🤣 🤣

within us ..

us .. you me they all of us ..

my love

Amitabh Bachchan

[raat-jaaga-paakhi]

krishna and rukmini for that otp thing? also, krishna and satyabhama? (sorry, i love her)

Big mistake, Jag. Medha is going to eat your head now, and you can’t do anything about it. [Under the cut because the OTP ship meme is long af. I took the liberty to not answer questions I felt were redundant or irrelevant, but this is still quite big.] Thank you, little brother, for bettering my mood. 

Krishna x Rukmini

Rate the Ship - Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How was their first kiss? – What, you expect me to write out a fairly NSFW scene here? Not happening, bro; you’re a minor.

Who proposed? – Rukmini. (Canon, lol.)

Who did the most planning? - …Balarama, for the wedding. Rukmini and Krishna both, for the…pre-wedding rituals (otherwise known as “abduction”).

Who stressed the most? – Balarama. Sigh. 

Rukmi stressed back there, in the outskirts of Vidarbh, trying to devise ways to disrupt the wedding and kill Krishna, so that he could return to Vidarbh as the crown prince after all. #missionfailure

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. Fit for a Goddess, and more besides. Perhaps not so much in ostentation levels, but the songs and revelry of the Yadavas in their new (and less than magical) headquarters reached the very peaks of the Himalayas.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? – Er, the bride’s family? 

Who is the one to instigate things? (yeah, they’re speaking of sex) - Both. They don’t really pay attention to who “started” it. As far as they are concerned, they don’t know where one ends and the other begins. (Yes, I did that. Fight me.) If you want me to be real mathematical and go by the average (and be less poetic, for the sake of the ship, Medha!), then: Krishna in private, Rukmini in public. The princess of Vidarbh is generally known as a considerate woman, and won’t traumatise you. It’s all very subtle, aankhon ki gustakhiyan type, only they do it so much better. They would laugh at the video: “amateurs”. 

Who is the stricter parent? – Neither really, but perhaps Rukmini, comparatively. Both of them have issues with authority. 

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? – Most of you will disagree hotly, but Krishna. At least publicly. You cannot trace his kids back to him, unless you feel mischief is a genetic trait. While temperament is influenced by genetics to a considerable extent, it cannot be said-- I will stop. 

Who is the more loved parent? – Haha, both. But the kids will choose their sides when they need something specific. Very situation-dependent. The Yadavas are opportunistic intelligent like that. <3

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? – Both if the law is stupid. Neither if the children were stupid. 

Who is more likely to suggest going out? – Krishna.

Who cleans the room? – Rukmini, I guess, speaking of just moving stuff around (you mean organisation, Medha) rather than actual “cleaning”. Krishna isn’t messy, but there is almost always an angavastra here and a signet ring there. 

Who is really against chores? – Neither, really. Both will do what is required of them.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? – Krishna, to a small extent. He does it for the time being, always coming back to sort stuff out when the coast is clear. (I took it as a metaphorical question, disregarding that it was categorised under “chores”, because I can be like that.)

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? – Rukmini would (bad childhood experiences), but that depends on who the guests are. Considering Dwaraka’s selectivity regarding such things, she doesn’t have much to worry about.

Who takes the longer showers/baths? – Krishna. It is a habit he cannot break (though he doesn’t take more than 25 mins) from his childhood days, bathing (read: playing) for hours sometimes, in the waters of Yamuna.

Who plays the most pranks? – Krishna, but it is nothing like his childhood days. Vasudev says he has been ‘tamed’. Balarama and Rukmini and Arjuna and Satyabhama and Draupadi and Satyaki and...well, people he’s closest to know how untrue that is, but after years of suffering, they let the older generation live in peace. Swarga knows the Kuru elders don’t get the same courtesy, and DwArAkA iS bEtTeR. 

-

Krishna x Satyabhama

Rate the Ship - Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs The one ship I hardly ever get to see as I wish. No published author has managed it. People are rather polarised on this particular ship, I think. For the best portrayals I have read till date, see @avani008, @walburgablack and @allegoriesinmediasres. 

How long will they last? - *shrugs* As long as they want to.

How was their first kiss? – Hesitant, careful, both wishing they could read each other’s minds.

Who proposed? – Satyabhama’s father, lol. Canonically, not a love marriage.  

Who did the most planning? – Satrajit.

Who stressed the most? – Satrajit and Balarama. They competed on stress (and animosity) levels.

Who is on top? – Does it matter, really? They’re good.

Who is the one to instigate things? – Satyabhama. 

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? – Again, Krishna, because Satyabhama is even laxer than Rukmini and someone has to maintain appearances before the people (read: Rohini). 

Who is the more loved parent? – Satyabhama, by that inch.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? – Satyabhama is like “if they got caught, they deserved to learn the lesson”. Krishna often finds himself agreeing. (Now, whether the lesson is about breaking the law or getting caught is entirely dependent on the situation.)

Who is more likely to suggest going out? – Satyabhama in times of peace. Krishna in times of strife. [Otherwise Satyabhama is sure to put an arrow in someone’s butt... but the issue is not that. It is that Krishn would agree. Low tolerance for stupidity.]

Who is really against chores? – Satyabhama. 

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? – Satyabhama doesn’t sweep anything under the rug. 

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? – Krishna. (Nah, only in comparison. Satyabhama can’t be bothered. One time that Narada came to visit, she didn’t even come out of her bedroom. At least Krishna cares enough to say hi.

What are their goals for the relationship? – Reached.

[dragonnan]

This is faaaar from a complete list and will be spotty at best but I’ve been pondering MCU characters a lot as I’ve been getting slowly back to work on my mega-fic.  I LOVE minor head canons.  Simple stuff like favorite foods or what music they listen to or were they ever a smoker or whatever whatever.  So I’m gonna give myself the challenge of crafting some head canon and anyone else is very welcome to dive in! (some things are already established via canon)

~ Ethnicity ~ Faith ~ Smoker ~ Alcohol ~ Favorite food ~ Favorite cookie ~ Favorite animal(s) ~ Favorite music ~

Tony Stark:  Ethnicity: Mixed European-American-Jewish (he refers to himself as a “mutt”) Faith: “No thanks” being the initial answer but if he feels like opening up he’ll admit to believing there’s likely “something” out there but at the same time figures that “something” stopped caring about humanity a long long time ago.  Smoker?  Never liked cigarettes but smoked a few cigars when he was younger due to Obie’s influence.  He never was a big fan but wanted to fit in with his mentor.  Alcohol: Influenced both by his father and Obie, Tony started drinking hard liquor semi-regularly as young as 14 (his Dad let him try his first sip at the age of 6).  He pretty much sticks with Scotch or Bourbon but is not opposed to cheap beer at a ball game.  In fact the cheaper the better - a requirement for any self-respecting American.  Favorite food: hot dogs.  Neither one of his parents cooked.  Breakfast and lunch were whatever whenever for all three of them but dinner? You better be sure you were at that table before the plates were set down or you could go without (and Tony got a slap from his father when he’d observed that rule only seemed to apply to him).  But on the nights he was sent to his room, Jarvis would slip upstairs, later, with a sandwich or, on really rough nights, a couple of hotdogs.  Favorite cookie: Those Christmas wreath ones made with cereal and marshmallow with the cinnamon candies.  Favorite animal(s): he likes all animals but if he had to pick one for a pet he’d get an iguana.  Favorite music: well duh lolol.   

Stephen Strange: Ethnicity: Mixed European-American (borrowed from Benedict Cumberbatch’s ethnicity and adding the American) Faith: Originally atheist but now closer to Buddhist.  Smoker:  Never.  Even prior to becoming a sorcerer he has always been conscious of what he takes into his body; especially given the history of cancer on his mother’s side of the family.  Alcohol:  Wine, occasionally, though he isn’t really a social drinker per-say.  Favorite food:  The spicy shrimp and pork dumplings from a Thai place in Midtown.  Favorite cookie: Hmmm.... not a big sweets guy but he won’t turn away a few ginger-pecan cookies with coffee.  Favorite animal(s): dogs - unequivocally.  He had a border collie growing up on his family farm in Nebraska.  Favorite music: please don’t make this poor man actually have to choose.  

Steve Rogers: Ethnicity: Irish (as per comics) Faith? Irish-Catholic (as per the comics).  Smoker? Prior to the serum there was no way he could safely do so with his health issues.  After he started traveling with the performers all of the girls in the group smoked and he tried it out a few times but never developed a taste for it.  Alcohol: he drank A LOT - easy enough to do as it never had any real effect on him.  He enjoys scotch and bourbon (a taste he picked up from hanging around Howard Stark).  Steve seems to low-key always have the munchies (like most enhanced) and once Tony picked up on that there are always a variety of snacks scattered here and there throughout the compound (also of benefit for Bruce, Peter, Thor, and, later, Bucky).  Steve’s favorite foods typically remind him of his mother’s cooking.  While they’d never had much (especially after his father died) his mom could do a lot with limited supplies.  She used to make a fantastic meat pie with ground beef or tongue.  He hates SPAM.  They ate it in the Army, constantly, and just the smell will occasionally send him back to those days and not in a good way.  Favorite cookie?  Oreos.  He can clean up a family sized pack in like 10 minutes.  Steve loves animals but is especially fond of horses and dogs.  There was a dog in his unit in WW2 and Steve, like most of the other men, would share bites of his rations with it.  Steve is nostalgic about music from the 40s but finds that 70s rock really resonates with him.      

Bucky Barnes: Ethnicity: Romanian-American (borrowing a little from Sebastian Stan’s ethnicity) Faith? Possibly agnostic.  Smoker? Heck yes - both cigarettes and cigars.  Like Steve, the serum he received (via Hydra’s experimentation) means he gets to dodge the detrimental side effects of smoking.  Alcohol: He likes to drink but is almost exclusively a beer drinker.  He has a big appetite but refuses to eat around others if he can at all help it.  His favorite food is corned beef with cabbage.  Steve’s grandmother was an Irish immigrant and would make it every Sunday before the war impacted rations.  Since both Bucky’s parents were dead he’d often have dinner with his best friend.  Also, unlike Steve, he actually likes SPAM.  But then, arguably, he isn’t terribly picky about food in general.  Favorite cookie: molasses.  Favorite animal(s): birds - eagles in particular - though he doesn’t look too deeply at the psychology of their ability to just fly away.  Needless to say a crafty observer might spot a former Winter Soldier tossing seeds towards the pigeons.  Favorite music: He’s pretty eclectic though he shies away from anything too loud like death metal.  He finds classical very soothing.       

Peter Parker: Ethnicity: Mixed American-Scandinavian-German-ish Faith: Protestant upbringing but unsure where he currently stands. If pressed he’d say he’s “leaving his options open” Smoker?  “Oh gross!” Alcohol: “Um, too young to drink, thanks! But if I WERE to... you know, try it just to taste it there was this mudslide at one of Flash’s parties that was super good...” Favorite food: spaghetti and meatballs.  Lots of meatballs.  Favorite cookie: chocolate chocolate chip with chunks.  Favorite animal(s): NOT spiders.  And NOT birds given how many rooftops he’s traversed layered in pigeon ick.  He’d probably say cats.  Favorite music: The B side of techno rock - especially Depeche Mode.

Peter Quill: Ethnicity:  Half mixed American and half celestial.  Faith: His Dad was a god and he killed him so he figures he probably isn’t on the best terms with the Big G God should He... or She... or Them... be out there.  Look he just wants to do his thing and cause a little trouble without mixing it up with any other celestial types but if they DO wanna throw down he’d like to point out that he’s 1 for 1 and willing to rumble.  Smoker: He would not say no to a really good cigar and may have possibly lifted a case from Yondu’s stash when he struck out on his own.  Alcohol:  Anywhere any time and in large quantities.  Favorite food:  A thick steakhouse bacon burger with potato chips right on the patty.  Extra cheese please!  Favorite cookie: He’s a simple guy with simple tastes.  classic chocolate chip no frills no fuss and fresh from the oven.  Favorite animal(s):  He likes dogs - who doesn’t like dogs?  But he really likes cows.  Just maybe don’t mention the burger thing.  Favorite music:    

Thor: He’s a Norse god of legend so I figure we can forego the ethnicity/faith questions lol.  Smoker: He has never understood this human custom nor has he felt any inclination to try it himself  Alcohol: Beer, mead, and anything capable of knocking him on his ass.  Favorite food:  chili with ghost peppers.  Though nowhere near as hot as the fire chilies of Muspelheim (which would be instantly fatal for humans so its just as well).  Favorite cookie: strawberry cheesecake with macadamia nuts.  Favorite animal(s):  It’s a tossup between bilgesnipe and whales.  Favorite music:  The mighty horns of battle!  He also enjoys old school country, much to Tony’s disgust.  The story aspect of that music is what appeals to him.

Bruce Banner: Ethnicity: Italian-American  Faith: Catholic in his childhood; currently Atheist or maybe agnostic.  Smoker: He tends to avoid any substances for, you know, obvious reasons.  Alcohol: See previous.  Favorite food:  Waffles with sliced mango.  Favorite cookie: Oatmeal.  Favorite animal(s):  Mantis shrimp - “did you know they can generate so much power in their attacks that they can briefly super-heat the water up to 7,700 °C??”  Favorite music:  Indian- especially Krishna Bhajan.    

Clint Barton: Ethnicity:  Mixed European-American and Panamanian.  Faith:  His parents were both Protestant but he’s never latched on to any specific faith and hasn’t really devoted a lot of thought on the matter.  He has a sorta loose idea of “maybe something out there” but that’s all the further he’s gotten on the subject.  What he tells anyone who asks it’s that his religion is coffee.  Smoker: Briefly when he was a teen.  Alcohol:  Beer - he’s a fan of dark lager.  Favorite food:  Coney Island dogs, Pizza, and pickle flavored potato chips.  Favorite cookie:   Monster cookies with the mini M&Ms.  Favorite animal(s): Dogs  Favorite music:  80s rock and some country.

Natasha Romanoff: Ethnicity:  Russian.  Faith:  She was not given much choice when younger and was raised as “state atheist” (per comics).  In the years since escaping that life, however, she has tried to discover more about herself.  Her parents were both Russian Jewish and there has been a pull to discover more about that faith - especially since meeting Wanda - who is Jewish.  Smoker:  No.  Alcohol: Some vodka - that’s a given.  But she actually prefers wine; and honestly her favorites are wine spritzers.  Favorite food:   Favorite cookie: Krumkake filled with creme and berries.  Favorite animal(s): Favorite music:  Overall she listens to a pile of little-known bands and whomever is playing at whatever bar in whatever city she happens to be in.  She also is a huge fan of old school Spice Girls.

[tabloidtoc]

People, July 13

Cover: Murder in Paradise -- two husbands poisoned, what do the wives know? 

Page 1: Chatter -- Sandra Oh on wanting to be on Scandal after reading the script, Chris Pratt on thinking wife Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt laughed a lot when they first met, Charlize Theron on her relationship with Sean Penn, Patti LaBelle on how she feels at 76, Zoe Kravitz on how former Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer reacted to her taking on the role 

Page 2: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- Jennifer Aniston shows off her tat, Mary J. Blige releases her own wine, a golden retriever turns 20, NASA honors pioneer Mary Jackson, The Princess Bride gets a quarantine makeover 

Page 5: Contents 

Page 6: StarTracks -- The BET Awards -- Amanda Seales, Roddy Ricch and DaBaby, Beyonce, Michelle Obama 

Page 7: Alicia Keys, John Legend, Chloe x Halle, Wayne Brady 

Page 8: First Look-- Jennifer Hudson and Marlon Wayans and Forest Whitaker in the biopic Respect based on the life of Aretha Franklin 

Page 9: Fun in the Sun -- pregnant Ciara in a pink bikini, Cindy Crawford in a hot tub, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari wearing masks oceanside, Colin Jost goes surfing in the Hamptons, the new Bachelor Matt James went wakeboarding with the old Bachelor Tyler Cameron 

Page 10: Summer Lovin’ -- David Beckham and wife Victoria Beckham on an afternoon walk, Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth hold hands on their way to an L.A. market, soon-to-be parents Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner masked up for a stroll, Kate Beckinsale and boyfriend Goody Grace wear masks for a grocery run 

Page 11: Pregnant Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt stepped out with mom Maria Shriver, Miranda Lambert and new kitten Tequila that she rescued near a highway, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker reunite for the first time in months, Cardi B and daughter Kulture in matching outfits, Padma Lakshmi with daughter Krishna after voting in New York’s primary election 

Page 13: Scoop -- how Kelly Clarkson is staying strong 

Page 14: Miley Cyrus reveals she’s 6 months sober 

Page 16: Heart Monitor -- Nicole Young and Dr. Dre $800 million divorce, Ryan Seacrest and Shayna Taylor split again, Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell engaged, Timothee Chalamet and Eiza Gonzalez new flames 

Page 17: Katy Perry on mental struggles: gratitude saved her life, Amanda Peet -- funny mom and killer role 

Page 18: Open House -- Luann de Lessep’s retreat in Port Ewen, N.Y. is for sale, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s emotional visit to Homeboy Industries in L.A. 

Page 20: For Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson producing the second season of his hit NBC athletic-competition series The Titan Games became a way of paying tribute to the country’s real-life heroes 

Page 23: Passages, Why I Care -- Mayim Bialik raises awareness about mental illness and how to get help 

Page 25: Stories to Make You Smile -- a man and his dog cruise country roads in a motorcycle built for two, a chorus of women are spreading cheer one sip at a time 

Page 27: People Picks -- Hamilton (definitely watch it!) 

Page 28: Stateless, Expecting Amy, Karma, One to Watch -- Sylvia De Fanti 

Page 30: The Truth, The Baby-Sitters Club 

Page 31: John Lewis: Good Trouble

Page 32: Books 

Page 34: Cover Story -- two husbands poisoned in paradise: were they murdered? -- in December 2018, boyhood friends Casey MacPherson-Pomeroy and Caleb Guillory made plans to ring in the new year on Anguilla with their wives but instead they ended up dead and now the men’s families wants answers 

Page 40: John Legend answers questions from readers -- musician and activist and the reigning Sexiest Man Alive talks to fans about his family life and his hopes for change in America 

Page 44: Country singer Granger Smith moving forward from family tragedy -- a year after the darkest day of their lives the singer and his wife Amber are finding purpose following the drowning death of 3-year-old son River in a pool accident at their rural Texas home 

Page 49: George Lopez -- my incredible life -- the comic gets candid about his difficult childhood, the ups and downs of his groundbreaking success and his blistering return to stand-up 

Page 52: Reunited with their newborn after COVID-19 -- we finally have him in our arms -- a Spanish couple spend 6 anxious weeks waiting to meet their infant son born in Idaho after the global pandemic shut down travel to the U.S. 

Page 58: Before They Were Famous -- roles of a lifetime -- Lifetime movies have been a rite of passage on the road to stardom for 30 years and counting -- Reese Witherspoon, Ben Affleck, Taraji P. Henson 

Page 59: Zac Efron, Kristen Bell, Hilary Swank, Mark Ruffalo, Jason Momoa, Ellen Page 

Page 60: A Teen Epidemic: Growing Up Anxious -- after a childhood steeped in anxiety and depression Kaylie Rosen found happiness away from school and then the pandemic sent her home 

Page 65: Kevin Bacon -- what I know now -- after 40 years in Hollywood the actor now starring in You Should Have Left reflects on fame and fatherhood and finding lasting love 

Page 68: Voices for Change -- as Americans grapple with issues of inequality and police violence and social justice these activists, artists and authors are helping to chart the path forward -- Rachel Cargle 

Page 69: Ibram X. Kendi 

Page 70: Brittany Packnett Cunningham 

Page 71: Nikkolas Smith 

Page 72: Johnetta Elzie 

Page 74: David Foster -- me and my girls -- the 16-time Grammy winner and his daughters open up about family ties and how he found his happily ever after with wife Katharine McPhee 

Page 79: Style -- summer sandals -- Mindy Kaling 

Page 81: Beauty -- the best summer hair tips 

Page 87: Second Look -- Match Game hosted by Alec Baldwin and featuring Thomas Lennon, Mary McCormack, Bob Saget and Padma Lakshmi 

Page 88: One Last Thing -- Andy Samberg 

[riyazmattix]

Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family - Priya Krishna

    Read/Download Visit : https://kindleebs.xyz/?book=40796136

Book Synopsis :

A witty and irresistible celebration of one very cool and boundary-breaking mom?s ?Indian-ish? cooking?with accessible and innovative Indian-American recipes Indian food is everyday food! This colorful, lively book is food writer Priya Krishna?s loving tribute to her mom?s ?Indian-ish? cooking?a trove of one-of-a-kind Indian-American hybrids that are easy to make, clever, practical, and packed with flavor. Think Roti Pizza, Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Chutney, and Malaysian Ramen. Priya?s mom, Ritu, taught herself to cook after moving to the U.S. while also working as a software programmer?her unique creations merging the Indian flavors of her childhood with her global travels and inspiration from cooking shows as well as her kids? requests for American favorites like spaghetti and PB&Js. The results are approachable and unfailingly delightful, like spiced, yogurt-filled sandwiches crusted with curry leaves, or ?Indian Gatorade? (a

[reymundofinnigan]

Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family - Priya Krishna

    Read/Download Visit : https://kindleebs.xyz/?book=40796136

Book Synopsis :

A witty and irresistible celebration of one very cool and boundary-breaking mom?s ?Indian-ish? cooking?with accessible and innovative Indian-American recipes Indian food is everyday food! This colorful, lively book is food writer Priya Krishna?s loving tribute to her mom?s ?Indian-ish? cooking?a trove of one-of-a-kind Indian-American hybrids that are easy to make, clever, practical, and packed with flavor. Think Roti Pizza, Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Chutney, and Malaysian Ramen. Priya?s mom, Ritu, taught herself to cook after moving to the U.S. while also working as a software programmer?her unique creations merging the Indian flavors of her childhood with her global travels and inspiration from cooking shows as well as her kids? requests for American favorites like spaghetti and PB&Js. The results are approachable and unfailingly delightful, like spiced, yogurt-filled sandwiches crusted with curry leaves, or ?Indian Gatorade? (a

[rbbox]

Hrithik Roshan

Name Hrithik Roshan

Nick Name Duggu

Date of Birth 10-01-1974

Birth Place Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Zodiac Sign Capricorn

Sex Male

Religion Hindu

Nationality Indian

Language Know English, Urdu, Hindi,

Marital Status Married

Hobbies Daily Exercise, Watching Movies 

Height 6'2"

Weight 74 Kg

Eye Color Brown

Hair Color Black

Education • School: Bombay Scottish School

• Collage: Sydenham College  B.Com

Father Rakesh Roshan

Mother Pinky

Sister Sunaina

Grandfather J. Om Prakash

Wife Suzanne Khan 

Sons • Hrehaan(2006)

• Hridhaan(2008)

Debut Movie Aasha

Debut in Leading Role Kaho Naa... Pyaar Ha

Debut award Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut

Favorite color Black

Favorite Food Indian Food

Favorite Pet Persian Cat

Favorite Actor Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan

Favorite Actress Madhuri Dixit, Madhubala,  Kajol

Favorite Hollywood Actor Sylvester Stallone

Favorite Hollywood Actress Helen Hunt and Julia Roberts 

Famous Movies Lakshya, Koi... Mil Gaya, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon,

Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum,

AAP Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,

Yaadein, Mission Kashmir, Fiza

Contact Address Kavita Bld., 2nd Floor Vithal Nagar Society, 11th Rd.,

Juhu Scheme, Mumbai 400 049

Hrithik Roshan's childhood, marriage, children, family photos

Hrithik family

Hrithik Roshan's Children

Trivia / Facts

• His father Rakesh Roshan is the son of music director Roshan.

• Hrithik has two thumbs in his right hand.

• His Grandfather is the music director Roshan

• Roshan has two thumbs on his right hand

• He appeared in films as a child actor in 1980

• His Debut leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000)

• when he was six years old he acts in the movie "Aasha".

• His latest movie is 'Zindagi Na Milegi " Releasing on July 15, 2011.

Awards Winner

• 2000 :Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai).

• 2000 :Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut

• 2003 :Filmfare Award for Best Actor(Koi... Mil Gaya)

• 2003 :Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance in "Koi... Mil Gaya".

• 2006 :Filmfare Award for Best Actor in"Dhoom 2.

• 2008 :Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Jodhaa Akbar).

 Nominated

• 2000: Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Fiza)

• 2001: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for"Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..."

• 2004: Filmfare Award for Best Actor Movie is "Lakshya".

• 2006:Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Krrish).

• 2008: Golden Minbar International Award for Best Actor for Jodhaa Akbar

• 2010: Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Guzaarish.

Hrithik Roshan Movies list / Filmography

No Year        Film    Music Director      Director           Co-star

1 1980 Aasha Laxmikant Pyarelal J. Om Prakash Jeetendra

2 1980 Aap Ke Deewane Rajesh Roshan Surendra Mohan Rishi Kapoor

3 1981 Aas Paas Laxmikant-Pyarelal J. Om Prakash Dharmendra, Hema Malini

4 1983 Aasra Pyaar Da - J. Om Prakash -

5 1986 Bhagwan Dada Rajesh Roshan J. Om Prakash Rajnikanth, Rakesh Roshan, Danny Denzongpa

6 2000 Fiza Anu Malik, A. R. Rahman, Ranjit Barot Khalid Mohammed Jaya Bachchan

Karisma Kapoor

7 2000 Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai Rajesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan Amisha Patel

8 2000 Mission Kashmir Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Vidhu Vinod Chopra Preity Zinta

9 2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... Jatin Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya, Aadesh Shrivastava Karan Johar Kareena Kapoor

10 2001 Yaadein Anu Malik Subhash Ghai Kareena Kapoor

11 2002 Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage Rajesh Roshan Vikram Bhatt Amisha Patel

12 2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Rahul Sharma Kunal Kohli Rani Mukerji

13 2002 Na Tum Jaano Na Hum Rajesh Roshan Arjun Sablok Esha Deol

14 2003 Koi... Mil Gaya Rajesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan Preity Zinta

15 2003 Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon

Anu Malik

Sooraj R. Barjatya Kareena Kapoor

16 2004 Lakshya Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Farhan Akhtar Preity Zinta

17 2006 Dhoom 2 Pritam Sanjay Gadhvi Aishwariya Rai

18 2006 Krrish Rajesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan Priyanka Chopra

19 2006 I See You Vishal-Shekhar Vivek Agrawal Arjun Rampal,

 Vipasha Agarwal

20 2007 Om Shanti Om Vishal-Shekhar Farah Khan Shah Rukh Khan,

Deepika Padukone,

Arjun Rampa,l

Shreyas Talpade,

Kirron Kher

21 2008 Jodhaa Akbar A. R. Rahman Ashutosh Gowariker Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan

22 2008 Krazzy 4 - Jaideep Sen Arshad Warsi, Juhi Chawla,

 Irrfan Khan, Rajpal Yadav,

 Suresh Menon

23 2008 Luck by Chance Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Zoya Akhtar Dimple Kapadia, Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma,

Alyy Khan, Rishi Kapoor,

 Juhi Chawla, Isha Sharvani

24 2010 Kites Rajesh Roshan Anurag Basu Bárbara Mori

25 2010 Guzaarish Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sanjay Leela Bhansali Aishwariya Rai

26 2011 Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Zoya Akhtar Katrina Kaif

27 2011 Don 2 Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Farhan Akhtar Priyanka Chopra,

Shahrukh Khan,

Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor

28 2012 Agneepath Ajay-Atul Karan Malhotra Priyanka Chopra

29 2013 Main Krishna Hoon Amjad-Nadeem Rajiv S. Ruia Katrina Kaif

Juhi Chawla,

30 2013 Krrish 3 Rajesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan

Hrithik 

#rbboxindia #discovernow if u like the post please like and shear

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

February 24, 2021 at 09:29AMHrithik Roshan https://ift.tt/2NxbLRe

[in-dire-need]

Sung Tongs- Animal Collective

There are not many words in the English language that can describe the pure rarity that is Sung Tongs, but these two can just about sum it up- unadulterated chaos. If you are looking for an incoherent cluster-fuck to vibe to at three in the morning, this is the album. That being said, it stands as one of my all-time favorites. 

“Leaf House” sets the stage for what is to come with a mashed up blend of childhood inspiration and what is possibly House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Bandmate Avey Tare revealed that the house mentioned is his childhood home and that the song’s core motivation was his father’s death two years before the release of the album. 

The next track has reached immense levels of fame on every niche nook of the internet, but it has nothing to do with Animal Collective. “Who Could Win A Rabbit” was released as Sung Tong’s first single and quickly soared to the top. It was featured in the hit web-series EverymanHYBRID about five years after its initial release, becoming somewhat of a theme song for the series. Ten years after EMH’s initial explosion, “Who Could Win A Rabbit” continues to draw more viewers toward Animal Collective’s psychedelic and manic atmosphere. Because of this, its internet fame has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. The music video presents a terrifying and confusing twist on the childhood classic The Hare And The Tortoise, written by the famed Aesop. We all know how that story goes- the hare taunts the tortoise for how slow he is and challenges him to a race. The hare is the obvious winner, and he knows it. He continues to taunt the tortoise throughout the entire race and even stops to take a nap, completely confident in his speed. While he sleeps, the tortoise gains on him and proceeds to win the race. In the Animal Collective version, the tortoise decides to take revenge on the hare for his cruel behavior by completely devouring him- fur, meat, and bones. This visual presented in the music video correlates with the audio track featured at the end of the album, which sounds exactly how you would imagine that mental image to sound. This being said, it is highly unlikely that the lyrics follow along with this demonizing tale, and instead depicts the fast-moving, chaotic, and repetitive routine of day-to-day adult life.

Following tracks such as “The Softest Voice” describe happy and healthy moments in a person’s life but, despite being completely safe, you cannot get rid of your anxiety and doubt. “Kids on Holiday” was written during Animal Collective’s growing tour season, in which they spent most of their time flying from airport to airport. The lyrics present several people they see in these airports that they feel jealousy toward- a disabled boy with his mother, a Krishna, cultists, fat nuns, and tenors. They just have to believe that they will be home soon and that they can somehow enjoy themselves despite their hectic lifestyles getting in the way.

The colossal ballad “Visiting Friends” bears such an impact that is must come with its own prelude, “Sweet Road”. “Visiting Friends” is a twelve minute long brain-blaster that leaves you asking yourself only one question- What the fuck did I just listen to? Its lyrics and instrumentals support each other in depicting an anxious, bewildering, and deranged jumble of personal worries of the band and vivid scene descriptions. In their own words, it is like when you go to a friend’s house for the first time and everything looks and smells strange, but you are coming home to your own house. Your own home feels unfamiliar and new, and it makes you uncomfortable and nervous. To balance out “Visiting Friends”’s intimidating length, “College” clocks in at exactly fifty-three seconds. There is only one lyric, which blatantly states, “You don’t have to go to college.”

“We Tigers” describes an impromptu and drug-influenced jam session in which it does not matter if real instruments are used or not. A jam is a jam regardless of the means used. The goal is to do it the fun way, not the right way. Its theme is further defended by its energetic disposition, which serves as a stark contrast to the previous two tracks. “Mouth Wooed Her” and “Good Lovin Outside” begin the end of the album with descriptions of being in love with a girl. The final track is not only confusing in sound, but in meaning. Due to its incomprehensible and simplistic manner, most listeners assume that there are no lyrics or deeper meaning. According to Genius, the song not only has lyrics but whole verses that seem to continue the underlying theme of drug use. Sung Tongs ends in this calm and incoherent state, which pretty much sums up the whole thing.

As previously stated, Sung Tongs is an incoherent cluster-fuck to vibe to at three in the morning. It is one of those “no one can see me here” albums, or “whatever, just fuck it”. It isn’t meant to be listened to, or heard, or understood. It is meant to be experienced. Animal Collective did not intend to make an “album” to be consumed by indie hipsters with thick-rimmed glasses and flannels and JUUL pods who need constant validation in lyrics and a bass riff. They made music because they could. They began making music because it was fun, and they fully intended to keep it that way. Sung Tongs stands as a symbol that you do not need to do what anyone else wants you to do. You can do what you want to do. You can do what you need to to make yourself happy and fuck anyone who says you deserve less. In my opinion, a cluster-fuck sends that message much further than a consumable item. So go do what you want to do. Go enjoy yourself, internet.

“But there’s no need to worry

This is just a vacation

It’s not permanent leaving”

[krvshna]

avan jogia. cis male. he/him.  ／  krishna desai just pulled up blasting deal wit it by dababy  — that song is so them ! you know, for a(n) twenty-five (25) year old actor and musician, i’ve heard they’re really -finicky, but that they make up for it by being so +passionate. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say late night smoke sessions, foreign cars, written love letters. here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble ! ( emmett, 24, cst, he/him )

Hi guys! I’m Emmett and I’ll be playing Krishna here! If you’d like to plot, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line or like this intro and I’ll drop you one! 

OH! And I made this career timeline for Krishna (that’s what took me so long 😭😭😭) that you can check out here!

Krishna was born in Gujarat, India back in 1994, June first to be exact. He was born to a foreigner mother and an Indian father. His mother passed away during childbirth with him, so he was practically raised by his father. In 1997, his father moved with him to the states after he had a career change and was promoted.

Krishna was first scouted as a child. He was four years old in 1998 when he did his first commercial. The casting directors of an upcoming show got their hands on one of his commercials in 1999 and they immediately contacted his father to see if he would be interested in him playing the role of someone’s son on a television show. 

It took a bit of convincing, but eventually his father conceded, and things kind of took off for Krishna from there? He was on that show for three years, was in a movie, did a cameo, did another show for five years, film the sequel to that movie during the course of that show, after that show ended, he jumped right into another show that lasted five years. after that show ended, he was in a movie. lol so he’s been a busy, busy boy. 

2011 was the year that he released his first two singles. Unbeknownst to many people, he was really invested in music. Acting was something that he enjoyed a lot, and he wanted to continue doing it, but music was just something completely different for him. It touches him in a different way. His father always tells him how he gets that from his mother because his mother was a singer before she passed, and he can’t help but believe him. 

So far he’s released three studio albums and sixteen singles in the course of nine years, which is pretty decent, I think. He’s a really hard worker, almost always working, whether it be on an acting project or on his music. 

He’s currently working on his fourth studio album! Be on the lookout for it lol 

Personality wise, he’s so fucking chill? Like honestly, he’s just good vibes. Totally mellowed out (partially because he’s high 99% of the time lol), he just wants to have a good time without all the drama. 

Lowkey materialistic with a car fetish lol he has so many cars that he had to add onto his garage in order to fit all of them. He loooooves cars. He has a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a Porsche Panamera Turbo Executive, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet, a Rolls-Royce Wraith, and last, but not least, his baby.. his pride and joy.. his Aston Martin One-77

He’s not just materialistic when it comes to cars, but to his home as well. While it’s not a MANSION per se, it’s still pretty large. Open concept, floor to ceiling windows, marble floors, the whole nine yards. 

Krishna is lowkey a fuckboy, but he’s a romantic fuckboy? Like he loves sex, he’ll sleep with anyone he finds attractive and that’s willing, and he wouldn’t hesitate to tell the other person that it’s just sex, but when he falls for someone, he falls really hard and really fast. Highkey a hopeless romantic. Where do you think he gets the inspiration for all these love songs? 

He’s always been just really experimental and free? Like he’s deadass just a hippie in modern times. Free love, peace and love, smoke trees don’t chop them down, all that good shit. 

The type of dude you see with his guy friends doing lowkey gay shit. Then again, Krishna’s kinda gay, so lol 

Fr though, he doesn’t really like to label his sexuality? Like if he feels the urge to kiss you, he’s gonna kiss you, no matter what you identify as or what’s in your pants (only with consent first, ofc!) 

Please don’t call him Kris or Krish or Na or anything like that. It’s just Krishna. His mother named him before he was born, so his name is very special and important to him.

Wanted Connections 

Best friend(s)

“Hey bro, gimme a kiss - no homo though.” 

Childhood friends

Enemies 

Frenemies 

Friends with benefits 

Exes on good terms 

Exes on bad terms 

We hooked up, now it’s awkward 

Krishna helps (or helped if it happened in the past) this guy explore his sexuality 

Fellow car lover 

Smoke buddies 

Other recreational drugs buddies (Coke, acid, shrooms, e.t.c.) 

Songwriting buddies 

Someone he asks to listen to his music when he’s finished recording so he can get their opinion 

On again / off again 

The two of them dated and they had a pregnancy scare that put a huge strain on their relationship, so they broke up. 

TBH just give me some gay shit, love that. 

[hrk4]

My Sanskrit Story

I am an ardent student of Sanskrit.

Over the past few years, I’ve been learning Sanskrit in a slow, schizophrenic manner – a few weeks of frenetic study of grammar and literature with long months of lackadaisical, lukewarm engagement with the language, mostly through ‘study circles’ (we’ll come to this later) that I’m a part of. But I have kept at it constantly and never regretted it once.

My earliest exposure to Sanskrit was perhaps at the age of two. Born and raised in a typical Hindu middle-class family, I was taught simple shlokas and stotras. My father took me to Cubbon Park or Ulsoor Lake on Sunday mornings and on the way he would teach me verses from the Mukunda-mala (a poetical work composed by Kulashekhara azhvar, a ninth century king and poet-saint). My grandmother taught me the Krishna-ashtakam (usually during power-cuts) and my mother taught me verses from the Venkatesha-suprabhatam. At age three or four, I became a sort of ‘installation art’ at weddings where elders gathered around me, coaxing me to recite verses from the Mukunda-mala. (But of course, getting children to recite verses is not uncommon in our families. Many of you might have experienced this in your childhood.)

That was it, pretty much: Some stray verses committed to memory and the strong notion that Sanskrit was a great language. In spite of my rejection of orthodox theism, rituals, and outdated religious/superstitious practices during my rebellious adolescent years, strangely, I never lost respect for Sanskrit.

Most of my cousins studied Sanskrit in school but I didn’t have that good fortune. I wanted to learn the language but I didn’t know where to start; for years it remained a pipe dream.

By sheer chance, I got involved in co-writing a translation of the Bhagavad-Gita with Dr. Koti Sreekrishna in 2006. At that time, I didn’t know any Sanskrit. My role was to review and edit the English; after Dr. Sreekrishna produced a rough translation, I would work towards presenting the verses in the simplest way possible. By the time we published the book five years later, I had learnt a few words here and there, particularly when we discussed the meaning of difficult verses.

In early 2011, when the manuscript of our Gita translation was being sent to reviewers, someone suggested that I get the opinion of the renowned scholar, poet, and polymath Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh. Until then I hardly knew anything about him. When I phoned him, he spoke in an encouraging manner and I felt like I was speaking with a family elder rather than a celebrity-scholar. He graciously reviewed the manuscript and gave his feedback. I casually mentioned to him about my interest to learn Sanskrit and my helplessness at not knowing where to start. Not only did he give me general guidance but he also taught me some of the basics of Sanskrit grammar like noun forms, verb forms, sandhi, and samasa. More importantly, he taught me the real value of learning Sanskrit in today’s world.

The rest of this piece comprises what I’ve learnt from Dr. Ganesh about the study of Sanskrit coupled with my personal experiences. It might be of value to those interested in learning the language.

~

Why Study Sanskrit?

Given that learning Sanskrit—or any language for that matter—consumes considerable time and effort (and some money), it’s a good idea to think for a moment if it’s actually worth it. Now, the worthiness can be decided only by one’s intentions – Why do I want to study Sanskrit?

In my case, I love learning languages when the opportunity presents itself. The process of learning itself is a great deal of fun for linguaphiles like me. So if you are a language-lover, there’s no need to think any further. Go and learn Sanskrit!

There is a widespread notion that Sanskrit is a sacred language meant solely for rituals and that its literature is entirely ‘spiritual stuff.’ So if you’re someone who likes that sort of thing – tradition, philosophy, scriptures, and so forth – you might be thinking of learning the language. The good news is that you probably don’t need to learn Sanskrit.

If you are just interested in the Vedas and want to connect with the tradition better, you could consider learning Vedic recitation, which is definitely easier than learning Sanskrit. In addition, you can read a book or two on the philosophy of the Vedas or listen to lectures on the topic by scholars like Dr. Ganesh. Even those of you who are interested in philosophy can get by reading reliable translations of the Upanishads and Bhagavad-gita as well as general works on Indian philosophy by scholars like Prof. M Hiriyanna.

There is a feeling among the culturally inclined nationalists that it is our duty to preserve Indian heritage and showcase the glory of India’s past. Triggered by this missionary zeal, some people might wish to learn Sanskrit. This often leads to a narrow interest in hunting for science in ancient India, or in the study of traditional works of polity, economics, architecture, law, or other secular subjects. Again, the good news is that you don’t have to learn Sanskrit to accomplish this.

You can always look into reliable translations of works like Artha-shastra, Manu-smriti, Surya-siddhanta, or Brihat-samhita. You can also peruse through books on Indian history, ancient Indian mathematics, temple architecture, and so on. You could even take up the study of a serious treatise like P V Kane’s History of Dharmashastra. That will satiate your thirst to a large extent.

When something can be effectively translated from one language into another—particularly when the objective is to provide information or teach certain concepts—then there’s hardly a case for learning the source language. If I can give you the exact translation of a verse from the Gita and you understand it without any transmission losses, then why do you have to spend ten years of your life learning Sanskrit?

But there are things that simply can’t be translated. Jokes, for instance, are untranslatable when they employ puns or have strong cultural references. The same goes for poetry, where the structure and the substance are closely intertwined. So if you’re interested to explore the vast landscape of Sanskrit literature—Kalidasa’s masterpieces; the two great Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata); Bana’s Kadambari; Shudraka’s Mricchakatika; Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya; Vishakadatta’s Mudra-rakshasa; and many other poems, plays, and prose compositions—it is worthwhile taking steps to learn Sanskrit. Stories about gods and goddesses, romantic escapades, nature descriptions, episodes from the Epics, idiosyncrasies of public life, the history of a kingdom, tales of commoners – all this and more can entertain and enrich several lifetimes.

In addition to being a wonderful treasure trove of literature, Sanskrit is also a window to our past. Therefore, any serious student of Indian history, archaeology, sociology, culture, sculpture, philosophy, and so forth will benefit immensely if s/he learns Sanskrit. Here I wish to make a distinction between one who is interested in Indian history or philosophy or culture and a full-time student of these subjects (like a BA or MA student). Those who are merely interested to know more about a certain era in Indian history can read a book by R C Majumdar or Jadunath Sarkar and be fulfilled. But for students of history, the knowledge of Sanskrit will enable them to read inscriptions, contemporary literary works, and so on, which will prove invaluable for their careers.

However, if you’re looking to improve your knowledge of physics, become better at technology, get a promotion at work, or win an election, you will benefit from doing other things than learning Sanskrit. 

Is Sanskrit Difficult?

A good way to learn a language is like how we all learnt our mother tongues – by listening and repeating, then slowly moving towards understanding and speaking, and then eventually starting to read and write. If you wish to learn Russian, Spanish, or Japanese, this approach works well. But Sanskrit is not a widely spoken language. And our motivation to learn Sanskrit is not so much trying to communicate with other people as it is to read and savour ancient (and modern) literature.

Although there are a number of people who fluently speak in Sanskrit, it is almost impossible to find a person who knows only Sanskrit and no other language. It’s therefore obvious that you don’t need Sanskrit to communicate with others; you can get by speaking Kannada or Tamil or English. (On the other hand, if you’re visiting the UK and can’t speak a word of English, you’re going to be in trouble!)

To learn Sanskrit, you might have to choose an approach that’s different from what’s popularly known as ‘immersion’ in language-learning circles.

There are some people who think that Sanskrit is extremely difficult and wonder if they can approach it at all. In fact, those who are familiar with one or more Indian languages already have the basic equipment to understand Sanskrit. The nuts and bolts of the grammar can give you sleepless nights but it’s probably not as hard as you think.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who think that attending a ten-day Sambhashana course or reading a ‘Learn Sanskrit in 30 Days’ book can give you mastery over Sanskrit. That’s a dangerous notion to harbour if you really want to learn the language.

So, the one line answer is that if you’re interested and pursue it sincerely, it’ll get easier along the way, and more importantly, the journey will be great fun after the initial fumbling about.

Learning Sanskrit

Where do I start?

The answer, surprisingly, is: anywhere. Just start. Sanskrit is an ocean and where does one begin to swim in an ocean? Somewhere. Put your feet in the water, slowly get inside, get used to the cold, and before you realize it, you’re already kicking your legs and having a good time.

And that’s what I did: just started at some point.

I would read a verse from the Gita and then read the English translation. I had learnt Kannada and Hindi at school and as a result, many of the words were familiar to me. Reading the translation after reading the original Sanskrit verse exposed me to new words. I committed verses to memory and later replayed them in my mind, trying to check if I remembered the meaning completely.

That said, the most suitable works to start off learning Sanskrit are lucid compositions like the Ramayana or the Pancha-tantra. Get hold of a reliable translation of one of these works (preferably in an Indian language); start by reciting the original Sanskrit verse or prose passage a couple times, then read through the translation, and go back to reading the Sanskrit – this way you slowly make connections between the words and their meanings. Instead of diving into the technicalities of grammar straightaway, spending time with literature will help you experience the beauty of the language.

Three to six months after commencing the study of a Sanskrit work, you can start learning up some grammar – by reading good books, watching online tutorials, or learning from a teacher.

I’m extremely fortunate that Dr. Ganesh taught me the basics of Sanskrit grammar. That set me off on a winding path of reading different aspects of grammar and trying to wrap my head around them. This continues even today. The more I hunt for rules, more the exceptions I find. My advice: Keep aside logic while learning basics. In the initial stages, don’t ask questions; simply accept things as they are. It just makes life easier. Over time, you’ll develop an intuition for the correct form of a word.

All said and done, it’s easy to start but difficult to keep going. What’s the solution for sustained study?

In my experience, learning a language requires both self-motivation and external agency. Unless one is driven from within, no amount of external push will be fruitful; when self-motivation is present, external agency becomes invaluable. For instance, Sanskrit is taught in schools and colleges – this is a push from outside (i.e., external agency). But only those with self-motivation learn the language well and continue reading literature long after they have graduated.

When I met Dr. Ganesh in 2011, he told me about a fortnightly ‘study circle’ he was conducting and extended an invitation to me. I had never heard the term before so I asked him what that was. A group of friends would catch up every other Saturday and read the Raghu-vamsham of Kalidasa. 

I started attending the study circle. This went on for close to a year and I learnt a great deal. Owing to various reasons I became irregular in attending the sessions and after I shifted to another end of the city, I practically stopped going. During the years 2013–16,  I moved around quite a bit and finally I shifted to Malleswaram in November 2016.

There came an inflection point in my Sanskrit study in 2017. Around that time, my good friend Raghavendra G S had started his PhD program in IISc. and my house happened to be a sort of midpoint between the metro station and his lab. One day I casually suggested that we should meet once a week and read a Sanskrit work together. He readily agreed and we started reading the Krishna-karna-amritam (a poetical work by Lilashuka). By the time we finished reading the text in early 2018, a few other friends showed interest in coming together to form a study circle. And so, in April 2018 we formed our Sanskrit study circle and have continued ever since. I also got the opportunity to join a few other study circles and this ensured that my Sanskrit study is ever fresh; over the past three years, not a week has gone by without a few hours of Sanskrit reading (unless I was travelling or unwell).

So if you want to learn Sanskrit, try to find even one other like-minded friend and get started. Even better if you can find more friends – especially those who know more Sanskrit than you. The ideal is a group of four to six, meeting once a week, for about an hour or ninety minutes. (You can meet in person or online – it shouldn’t make too much of a difference.) There are ample online resources and translations available for various Sanskrit works. Start reading a work together. Take turns to read the verses aloud. (Even when you’re reading Sanskrit by yourself, it’s useful to read aloud). Then look at the translation. Discuss. Read the original verse again. Then move forward. In the first few sessions, you may read just three or four verses in an hour but as you go forward, your speed will drastically improve and you’ll start getting comfortable. After a while, refer to the translations only after you’ve made an attempt to understand the original. This will slowly push you to rely on your memory and learning.

And once in a while, when there’s an opportunity to meet during a long weekend, you can take a short poetical work like Niti-shataka or Kali-vidambana and read the whole thing in one marathon session.

There are many possibilities with study circles. In fact, it can prove to be the mysterious ingredient to accelerate your learning. That’s been the case with me for sure. I’ve still got a long way to go before I can say that I’ve learnt Sanskrit but the journey itself has been incredible so far. Dr. Ganesh and friends have been largely responsible for what little Sanskrit I know. And for that I’m ever grateful.

Hari Ravikumar August 2020

Thanks to my friends Pratap Simha (for getting me to write this piece), Arjun Bharadwaj (for his valuable inputs), and Sudheer Krishnaswami (for his review and feedback).

[thevioletwords]

Fighting the war from within- A feminine perspective!

One of the mythological narratives- 'The Palace of Illusions' is authored by Chitra Banerjee and is an engaging tale of a strong woman living in the historic times, narrating the events of the epic tale of Mahabharata as and when (and how) it was affecting her life.This brave woman, who embodies all the women at heart, in a man's world is Panchaali, famously known as Draupadi. Her life was no less than magic. She was an uncalled gift to her father by the Gods and was born to change the course of history.This book brilliantly describes the varied feminine emotions of Draupadi throughout her life starting from feeling lonely within the walls of the palace, feeling loved by only her brother, feeling secluded by other women of the palace in childhood to feeling awe and wonderful after knowing how her future holds great surprises, never experienced by any women of that time, feeling happy when Krishna used to be around her, feeling guilty after insulting Karna during her swayamvar unintentionally and feeling surprised after finding out the Brahmin in disguise to win her after swayamvar to be Arjun whom she fancied from the time Krishna described him.In her role as a wife, she undergoes through various sentiments during the varied circumstances for example when she, as if someone’s "possession" had to be equally divided among the five Pandava brothers; also, at the time when God gifted her with a marital arrangement to be a virgin again each year before going to the next husband for men's sake, she felt lifeless. She felt betrayed as well as outraged by her husband(s) and almost all the men in the hall during her chir-haran.During her 13th year of exile, she was furious to realize how men looked down upon women who lived ordinary lives.In her role as a mother, she had to leave her children under the care of others during their exile and once their children came to visit them, she was never able to tell them how much she loved them.Finally, how she felt being (one of) the reasons for the greatest war recorded in humankind- The battle of Kurukshetra.When Vyasa gave her the boon (or was it rather a curse?) of a special vision to see the most important parts of the battle from afar, her perception of life changed, in many multidimensional ways!Her journey from a human form to an eternal soul is heart-touching.I leave it up to you all to contemplate the life events of this woman while you read! The book beautifully weaves you through lots of emotions.She helps us learn lessons of letting go of the past, to be never obsessed with vengeance, to never let pride take decisions, to be loyal as well as brave, and most importantly, to always remember the friend Krishna, when in doubt.You will surely believe in Krishna's words about how all things in life happen for a bigger cause than our mere self after reading this book.Also, believe in yourself.Spread the word!