R. Radhakrishnan's Blog, page 6

Karma

There are so many myths and stories about Karma that we are confused as to what this is all about.

“Karma,” said a young lady “is a boomerang. ” Really?

“Karma,” said the priest “is the rituals you have to do.”

“Karma” said the scholar “is an abstract and complex concept in eastern religion” and then he went blah blah blah showing off his erudition and esoteric knowledge. I went to sleep.

But what exactly is Karma?

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says a person doing good ac...

How were the Umbrella and sandals invented… a mythological tale.

Jamadagni with an umbrella and sandals. Image created and copyrighted by R.Radhakrishnan.

We have all heard about Parasurama and the various tales about him. But very few of us know about his father the Rishi Jamadagni.

Rishi Jamadagni was one of the saptarishis and an expert on weapons and warfare. He was also somewhat short-tempered.

It was his practice to demonstrate the use of weapons to his students; especially the bow.

When he used a bow and shot the arrows, his wife Renuka...

All about the saree!

My daughter and her friends,  children of a new urban India, rarely wear a saree. They are comfortable in Western attire or a salwar kameez or churidar kurta.

But when it comes to any special occasion she wants a saree. Her post-graduation convocation was coming up and we went shopping for a suitable saree.

We hopped in and out of saree shops as she and my better half searched for that perfect saree to match that day. I sat in a corner and watched the ladies discard one after the oth...

The birth of Bhima and Duryodhana

Pandu was proud of his firstborn son and the baby was soon the pet of everyone in the forest dwelling. He was a quiet and calm child who never troubled his elders.

It was a happy time but at the back of Pandu’s mind was the thought of the hundred jars with children of Dhritarashtra.

Now that he had a son, Pandu was filled with love and fear for his son. He loved Dhritarashtra and Gandhari but he loved his son more. He worried that his son Yuddhishtra would not get what was his due.

O...

The birth of Yudhishtra.

Vyasa’s visit and the tale of the jars reached the forest. Kunti was anxious and worried. What if Gandhari had a son before her? It would mean that Kunti,  Pandu, Madri, and their children would forever be at the mercy of Dhritarashtra. She regretted Pandu’s decision to give up the throne and come to the forest. Madri agreed with Kunti. Men make grand gestures to show off, they do not think of the consequences of this action on their wives and family.

Pandu felt harassed and worried. He had ...

Indian Oil, a truly Indian Company.

Indian Oil began on 30th June 1959 as the Indian Oil Company Limited. Later, on 1st September 1964, Indian refineries was merged with Indian Oil, and the new entity was called Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Thus we celebrate Indian Oil Day on 1st September.

I wrote about the beginnings of Indian Oil and how it came into existence in my blog dated 1st September 2021. You can read it here.

Indian Oil

Today we celebrate another Indian Oil Day. We, who worked at Indian Oil look at this g...

The race to get a heir for Hastinapur.

Pandu and his queens, Kunti and Madri,  had gone to the forest in a despondent mood. But the forest enchanted them and slowly they began to live if not happily, at least with contentment.

They accepted their situation which is the first step to a solution or overcoming a problem.

The days in the forest were idyllic. Pandu continued to teach Kunti the art and duties of a ruler. Madri and Pandu explored the forest. The tribes in the forest soon became their friends and all the three learnt...

A caretaker Emperor. Dhritarashtra ascends the throne.

So came the emperor Pandu back to Hastinapur. He discussed the matter with his two wives both of whom were aghast on hearing the story. Sex is a major part of a marriage especially in the early days of a marriage. Companionship and understanding build up later. The loss of sexual activity would stretch the marriage. Madri was more affected than Kunti.

It was then the foundations of their marriage came to the fore. Both Madri and Kunti genuinely cared for Pandu. In all respects he had been a...

The Curse on Pandu. (Or a Hex on Sex!)

Hastinapur waited, the dowager queen Satyavati and Bhishma waited in anticipation, Dhritarashtra waited in gloom. They were all waiting for an heir to the Kingdom.

The women of Madra were reputed to be fertile and so the expectation was soon there would be happy tidings. But months became years and there was no child born to Emperor Pandu and his two queens Kunti and Madri.

Pandu and his queens showed no outward signs of worry or discord. The three seemed to be a team attached to...

The Curse on Pandu.

Hastinapur waited, the dowager queen Satyavati and Bhishma waited in anticipation, Dhritarashtra waited in gloom. They were all waiting for an heir to the Kingdom.

The women of Madra were reputed to be fertile and so the expectation was soon there would be happy tidings. But months became years and there was no child born to Emperor Pandu and his two queens Kunti and Madri.

Pandu and his queens showed no outward signs of worry or discord. The three seemed to be a team attached to each ot...