all about the roses..

Nobody cares about the bug...

Okay if you strain your eyes a little and look to the right, you ll see the bug :D Morning bloom in mom's garden...




Red Red rose for you, my love...

O my luve's like a red, red rose.
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a'the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o'life shall run.

And fare thee weel my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
~Robert Burns ~

to know the meaning..

Thats a picture of Natraja, that I took in my yogashram! As you can see I have a lot of time on hand, so I am going to enlighten you a bit today. The other day I was in the temple and a lady asked the pujari the meaning of Mahamritunjaya mantra. The pujari replied by saying it has no meaning. I got really angry and saddened by his ignorance.

I am not claiming to know much, but I do believe that mantras should be learnt with their meanings. (Of course, it helps if you know sanskrit!) It is said that recitation of these mantras is carried out for four main reasons: to praise and glorify God; to thank God; to ask forgiveness from God; or to make a request from God. Anyway I have decided to provide the meaning and significance of two of my favorite mantras. Both Gayatri Mantra and Mahamrityunjaya mantra are the oldest and most powerful mantras.

Gayatri Mantra
"Aum Bhur Bhava Swaha, Tat Savitur varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachidayat"

Meaning - "Oh God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty.
You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss.
You are Destroyer of fear; You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all.
We bow and meditate upon your light. Please guide our intellect in the right direction."

Significance- This mantra is a prayer to God to illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path. Gayatri, the five-faced Goddess, is said to have domain over the five senses or pranas, and protects these five life-forces of those who chant the Gayatri Mantra.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
"Aum Trayambakam yajamahe
Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam
Urvarukamiva bandhanan
Mrityor mukshiya mamritat"

Meaning - "We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, who nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd if freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold immortality.

Significance - The goal of chanting this mantra is to spiritually "ripen" so that Lord Shiva can free us from our bondage to all the material things that bind us! Lord Shiva is referred to as trayambakam, the three-eyed one, because his third-eye was "opened" by the powers of penance and meditation. (spiritual awakening) So through this mantra we pray to Lord Shiva, asking for his blessings and assistance in opening our third eye of spiritual knowledge. So that we are led towards spiritual liberation or moksha, and attain freedom from the cycles of death and rebirth.

The Big O...

Not talking about Oprah silly :p The Oscars!!!
Whatta clean sweep for Slumdog Millionaire!!! 8 Oscars! Jai Ho! (Originally wanted that to be the title, but then I wouldnt ve been able to say the bit about Oprah you see ;) )

I am so kicked and proud of Rahman and Resul and Gulzar and rest of the Indian cast and crew! Kudos to Danny Boyle for putting Bollywood and Mumbai on the international map with such elan, a total of more than 100 awards to its credit! Wowie! Way to go Slumdog!!! And the kids were the stars on the red carpet!!! ( A D O R A B L E)

Now for my favorite part of the Oscars, the fashion quotient! I love watching the women wear those gorgeous gowns and walk the red carpet (If I ever do it, it ll be a deep bottle green gown, off shoulders, satin with clean cuts! Preferably Armani) Anyway so here is my list (like anybody cares what I think, but hey, its my blog!) of great dressers aka Wowers (No need to elaborate on that I hope), boring dressers (Ones who didnt look that bad but we have seen that look before) and the losers!(absoultely atrocious)
Wowers - Miley Cyrus (That dress was a WOWER!), Natalie Portman (elegant and non fussy!), Kate Winslet (Classy, asymmetrical number!) Ann Hatway (Gorgeous Swarovski crystals studded gown!), Penelope Cruz (Loved that wedding gown :) )
Heidi Klum, Amy Adams, Vanessa Hudgens and Marrisa Tomei all looked nice!
Boring - Angelina Jolie (Whats with the boring black dress with ridiculous hairdo? Only the emeralds were worth looking at..I mean, you dont ve to wear your gown the other way around to get our attention, but atleast do something interesting!) Sarah Jessica Parker (It seems like, she has worn the same stuff before! Bleuch!) Frieda Pinto (Dirty blue lace, really? I mean its not even royal blue..better luck next girly..if there is one ie!) Jennifer Aniston (She almost made it to the losers category, trust me! So boring!)
Losers - Beyonce (N u designed that yourself!!! Gasp! Why dont you just sing girlie!), Jessica Biel (With that hot figure, why would anybody drape a frumpy satin towel like that?) Taraji Somebody (Dont even know who she is and what she wore looks loserly!)

So thats that people :D Lets all say Jai Ho...leaving you with the lyrics...

Jai Ho!
Aaja aaja jind shamiyaane ke taley
Aaja zari waale neele aasmaane ke taley
Jai Ho!

Ratti ratti sachchi maine jaan gawayi hai
Nach Nach koylon pe raat bitaayi hai
Ankhiyon ki neend maine phoonkon se udaa di
Gin gin taarey maine ungli jalayi hai

Eh Aaja aaja jind shamiyaane ke taley
Aaja zari waale neele aasmaane ke taley

Baila! Baila! (Dance! Dance!)
Ahora conmigo, tu baila para hoy (Now with me, you dance for today)
Por nuestro dia de movidas, (For our day of moves,)
los problemas los que sean (whatever problems may be)
Salud! (Cheers!)
Baila! Baila! (Dance! Dance!)

Jai Ho!
Chakh le, haan chakh le, yeh raat shehed hai Chakh le,
haan rakh le, Dil hai, dil aakhri hadd hai, rakh le
Kaala kaala kaajal tera Koi kaala jaadu hai na?

Aaja aaja jind shamiyaane ke taley
Aaja zari waale neele aasmaane ke taley
Jai Ho!

Kab se haan kab se jo lab pe ruki hai
Keh de, keh de, haan keh de
Ab aankh jhuki hai Aisi aisi
roshan aankhein Roshan dono heerey hain kya?

Aaja aaja jind shamiyaane ke taley
Aaja zari waale neele aasmaane ke taley
Jai Ho!
~A R Rahman & Gulzar~

(Picture Source: Yahoo.com)

Prayers for peace...

I am a big believer in God! I believe that prayers do help, they make us stronger! "But why should we be strong? How does it help us? Wouldnt it be better if we are weak and depend on others?" Heard these questions on a tv show (Imagine! :p ) I think its all about survival, only the strong survive, the weak ones just whither away (So if whithering away is your thing, then go ahead! N Dont smirk! I know am just stating the evolution theory, survival of the fittest and all!) Yet, I believe we need to be strong and prayers help us be strong, belief in God and love for life always see us through.

Heard someone sing the Amazing Grace, it sounded so good and new..so here it is for you...

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe
thus far and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

~John Newton~

The One I Love...

Both light and shadow are the dance of love.

Love has no cause;

it is the astrolabe of God's secrets.

Lover and Loving are inseparable and timeless.

Although I may try to describe Love

When I experience it I am speechless.

Although I may try to write about Love

I am rendered helpless;

my pen breaks and the paper slips away

at the ineffable placewhere Lover, Loving and Loved are one.

Every moment is made gloriousby the light of Love.

~Rumi~

In the middle of Nowhere..

Another favorite from the Andaman trip!

Did I mention it was "BLISS"

Was very scared to get into that dhingy but ended up loving the boatride..


"You will remember that leaping stream
where sweet aromas rose and trembled,
and sometimes a bird, wearing waterand slowness, its winter feathers.
You will remember those gifts from the earth:
indelible scents, gold clay,weeds in the thicket and crazy roots,
magical thorns like swords.
You'll remember the bouquet you picked,
shadows and silent water,bouquet like a foam-covered stone.
That time was like never, and like always.
So we go there, where nothing is waiting;
we find everything waiting there."
~Pablo Neruda~

A Self Potrait...

I love taking pictures and I love being in them...

"I learn how to love..
In your beauty, how to make poems...
You dance inside my chest, where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art" ~Rumi~