सांस में कुछ अटका हुआ सा है
न बोला जाता है न ही भूला जाता है |
जैसे परिंदे कैद किये हो किसी ने
और टूट जाते हो उनके नाजुक पंख
पिंजड़े के तारों से लड़ कर |
उड़ने को बेकरार उन पंखो को
भरोसा है तेरे न्याय पर,
पंख दिए हैं तो उड़ान भी देगा, मालिक
और फिर भूल जायेगा वो सारे घाव |
एक नयी दुनिया का ख्वाब
जो हर पंख देखता है, और फिर
जीता है उन्हें इसी पिंजड़े में |
कभी तो सुबह कि नयी आगाज़ होगी,
बादलों से ऊपर
जहाँ सूरज लाल होता है |
बस एक नजर देख ले दाता
आकर मेरे अरमानो को, मेरे घावों को |
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
The questions I often ask...
There are some questions which I often ask to myself but, don't get any answer. These questions keep haunting in my mind and each time it gets complex rather than being solved. The questions are very simple and everybody has answered me whenever I asked them. But, these answers don't satisfy me. Either they have seen this world differently or I have. But, there comes no compromise.
The first one is what is career? I don't understand it when people say it is your job, promotions, what you pursue in those 8 - 9 daylight hours etc. Job, promotions and many such things have never allured me. I feel career is something which gives you a sense of living. And when I see to those people who answered it job or employment I find they try to run away from their career. Don't believe me, give them a day of paid holiday and see how many come to office? A few answer this question as money (earned by right means). Here also I don't agree. Give them a few extra bucks and ask them to work for 20 hours daily. See how many persist for a month?
Similar question is what is ambition? And many more like it - some are what, some are why questions but, the answer to all of those is hazy.
The ultimate answer is 'balance.' Life demands balance - between past, present and future. Our past is not only deeds we did. It is also all those people who were associated with us. People who knowingly or unknowingly contributed to our present. And our future is all those who will get associated with us in due course of time. We don't seek balance when we answer the above said questions. Giving you an example, I am looking for a suitable employment in my home town (smaller than these crowded metro cities). I discussed this idea with a few people and they all suggested me there is no career there, I won't earn much and blah blah blah. Yes, they are right in saying that but then I would be doing injustice with my past if I stay far away from home earning dollars. I am here not just because of myself but, there are many more persons who contributed me in reaching this position. When they need me by their side, wouldn't it be injustice to stay away from them.
We are busy making our life more complex. The density has increased - volume of our relationships has decreased while complexity has increased. I certainly don't belong to the world in which I am living in. My past was different, the world was different. It has changed tremendously in last ten years. I didn't grew up to live in this world.
I don't know what future holds for me. But, as of now I fear I won't be able to live up to my promises with life which I made in my forming years. I don't know whom to blame for it. I am troubled, puzzled, anxious, fearful because I am not being governed by myself. My ship is governed by something else. I don't know what debt crisis in Europe means but Alas! it governs me from such a long distance. Somebody sneezes in his arm chair, and I lose my job; I lose my means to eat, live and breathe. Utterly nonsensical world in which I am living in.
The first one is what is career? I don't understand it when people say it is your job, promotions, what you pursue in those 8 - 9 daylight hours etc. Job, promotions and many such things have never allured me. I feel career is something which gives you a sense of living. And when I see to those people who answered it job or employment I find they try to run away from their career. Don't believe me, give them a day of paid holiday and see how many come to office? A few answer this question as money (earned by right means). Here also I don't agree. Give them a few extra bucks and ask them to work for 20 hours daily. See how many persist for a month?
Similar question is what is ambition? And many more like it - some are what, some are why questions but, the answer to all of those is hazy.
The ultimate answer is 'balance.' Life demands balance - between past, present and future. Our past is not only deeds we did. It is also all those people who were associated with us. People who knowingly or unknowingly contributed to our present. And our future is all those who will get associated with us in due course of time. We don't seek balance when we answer the above said questions. Giving you an example, I am looking for a suitable employment in my home town (smaller than these crowded metro cities). I discussed this idea with a few people and they all suggested me there is no career there, I won't earn much and blah blah blah. Yes, they are right in saying that but then I would be doing injustice with my past if I stay far away from home earning dollars. I am here not just because of myself but, there are many more persons who contributed me in reaching this position. When they need me by their side, wouldn't it be injustice to stay away from them.
We are busy making our life more complex. The density has increased - volume of our relationships has decreased while complexity has increased. I certainly don't belong to the world in which I am living in. My past was different, the world was different. It has changed tremendously in last ten years. I didn't grew up to live in this world.
I don't know what future holds for me. But, as of now I fear I won't be able to live up to my promises with life which I made in my forming years. I don't know whom to blame for it. I am troubled, puzzled, anxious, fearful because I am not being governed by myself. My ship is governed by something else. I don't know what debt crisis in Europe means but Alas! it governs me from such a long distance. Somebody sneezes in his arm chair, and I lose my job; I lose my means to eat, live and breathe. Utterly nonsensical world in which I am living in.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
खुली जो आँख तो देखा कि,
सिरहाने पर वो खड़ा था
गुमसुम सा, ऊँघता हुआ
अपने कांपते हाथों से दामन समेटता
जैसे बाँट चुका था वो
जो सब कुछ लाया था उधार में,
कुछ ख्वाब थे, कुछ कहानियां थी
दिन भर के कुछ शिकस्ता शिकवे थे
कुछ थके हुए कदमों का बाकी जूनून था
और फिज़ा में बौराई हुई मिट्टी कि खुशबू |
रात भर बांटा था उसने अपना वजूद
और सुबह फिर निकल पड़ा
कुछ और उधार कि तलाश में
जैसे उसके शफ़क में वो आग नहीं जो मुझे जलाती है |
- Gyan 06th October 2011
सिरहाने पर वो खड़ा था
गुमसुम सा, ऊँघता हुआ
अपने कांपते हाथों से दामन समेटता
जैसे बाँट चुका था वो
जो सब कुछ लाया था उधार में,
कुछ ख्वाब थे, कुछ कहानियां थी
दिन भर के कुछ शिकस्ता शिकवे थे
कुछ थके हुए कदमों का बाकी जूनून था
और फिज़ा में बौराई हुई मिट्टी कि खुशबू |
रात भर बांटा था उसने अपना वजूद
और सुबह फिर निकल पड़ा
कुछ और उधार कि तलाश में
जैसे उसके शफ़क में वो आग नहीं जो मुझे जलाती है |
- Gyan 06th October 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Naqsh faryaadi hai - Copied version
Mirza Ghalib needs no introduction to followers of Urdu poetry. Reproduced below is one of his most difficult to understand (at least I felt so!) poem. The accompanying translation is credited to Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi. The beauty of the poem is in its nuances, so if you do read, read it more than once, and I am sure you will discover more than one meaning in this great work...
Enjoy...
The poem-
Naqsh faryaadi hai kiski shaukhi-e tehreer ka
Kagazi hai pairahan har paikar-e tasveer ka
Kaay-kaay-e-sakht-janeeha-e tanhai na poochh
Subha karna shaam ka lana hai juu-e-sheer ka
Jazbah-e-bey-ikhtiyaar-e shouk deykha chahiye
Sinah-e shamseer sey baahar hai dum shamsheer ka
Aagahee daam-e shunidan jis qadar chaahey bichhaaye
Mudad aa anka hai apney aalam-e takreer ka
Baski hoon Ghalib aseeri mein bhi aatish zer-e pa
Muu-e aatish-deedah hai halkah meri zanjeer ka.
and the translation...
Naqsh faryadi hai kis ki shokhi-e tahrir ka
kaghazi hai pairahan her paikar-e tasvir ka
Against whose playful writing are the words complainants?
Made of paper is the attire of the countenance of every image.
[naqsh: mark, word; faryadi: pleader, crier; shokh: playful, mischievous; kaghaz: paper; tahrlr. writing; pairahan: attire, clothes; paikar: face, countenance, figure, mould, model, form, portrait, likeliness, an idol-temple; tasvir: forming, fashioning, painting, limning, picture, image, effigy, likeness, sketch, drawing.]
This opening verse of Ghalib's Urdu ghazal divan is critical of God in a rather unusual manner—with an element of surprise! In it, Ghalib alludes to God's neglect and obliviousness towards us. "Whose mischief was it to create this Universe?" the first line asks in a rather perplexed manner. This would have been a straightforward ode to the Lord if in the first verse the poet had not raised the question, "who has done it?" but instead stated, "He did it." This would have been in line with the tradition of making the first verse an ode to the Lord. This is followed by a description of the sheer helplessness of humankind— all that is visible (or corporeal) in the Universe is clad in "paper dress," as if pleading or bowing before the Lord in awe. This construction of "pleading in paper attire" is drawn from an old Persian tradition in which the men would enter the courts of their kings wearing clothing made of paper in order to display their humility. In this sense, Ghalib implies that we stand before God in a similarly humbled (not humble) way. Another literary support to the construction of paper attire comes from the word "candidate," derived from Latin and means someone who is presenting his or her credentials wearing "white" attire.
In Ghalib's own words, this verse illustrates that the existence of man itself is the reason for his sorrow and despair. In the first line, Ghalib talks about the Universe as if it were a thoughtless creation, a careless stroke of a pen, an undesirable graffiti, wherein each "word" of that "graffiti" ponders the purpose for its creation. If the end were sorrow and grievance, then what was the need to create us? In the second line, Ghalib talks about everything in the Universe being "wrapped in paper". This draws a beautiful correlation between God's writing and God's creation of humanity — the humility of paper dress and the humility of the written word (i.e., our being) on the paper (i.e., this world) are in a sense synonymous. (Note: paper is also impermanent; writing on paper as opposed to carving on stone is displayed here as a source of its impermanence.) In the first line, there is a plea to know the cause for this injustice while the second line expresses the extreme insignificance of human existence. (In the Bible there is a famous quote that reads, "God's ways are not our ways", meaning, we cannot understand the sense of this senselessness, this suffering.) It is clear that this verse is more ironic than claiming man's position in the Universe; even while Ghalib questions, "who has done it," he leaves room for us to ponder that perhaps it was God?
kavkav-e sakht jani hai tanhai, na(h) puchh
subh karna sham ka, lana hai ju-e shir ka
Inquire not of my forebearance to the incessant hammering in the loneliness.
Turning night into day is like unearthing a channel of milk.
[kavkav: continuous beating of hard stone with a sharp object; sakht jani hai: ability to bear extreme agony—expressed as surviving the state of extreme commotion and agitation; ju-e shir: channel of milk. (Referring to the legendary lover farhad's digging the channel of milk out of the mountain for King Khusrao, as a condition of having his wife, Shirin. ]
The deeply inflicted pain of being away from the beloved, spending lonely nights without her, is no less formidable than digging out a channel of milk, as the legendary hero, Farhad did. The poet asserts that in the path of love, one has to be just as dedicated, tough, and forbearing. While Farhad did this only once, the poet suffers daily, belittling the efforts of the legendary lover and magnifying the pain of the nights of separation. Here, Ghalib compares the intensity of his passion and desire with the legendary lover, Farhad. In this way, he implies that the severity of his pain is on par with the intensity of the lover's. While the pain of Farhad's work was physical, the poet's agony is mental or spiritual in nature. In both instances, however, extreme resilience is needed to survive. Note how the poet makes a play on words using continuous tapping as if with a sharp object. It is almost like the mountain digger was digging, hardening the heart like a callous by the tapping.
jazb'a(h)-e be ikhtiar-e shauq dekha chahiye
sin'a(h)-e shamshir se bahar hai dam shamshir ka
Worth seeing is the spirit of my uncontrollable desire,
Causing the edge of the sword to unfurl from its sheath.
[dam: breath; dam-e shamshir: edge of sword.]
My desire to sacrifice myself is so intense that the sword edge has come out of its casing. The sword finds me so ripe for sacrifice that it cannot control itself to grant me my wish. The expulsion of breath further symbolizes an expression of extreme desire to act.
agahi dam-e shanidan jis qadar chdhe bichhae
muddaa unqa hai apne 'alam-e taqrir ka
No matter how awareness spreads its nets of hearing,
The meaning is the nonexistent bird in the style of my expression.
[agahi: awareness; dam: net; shanidan: to hear, listen, or attend to; muddaa: whatever is meant; unqa: legendary bird that does not exist (ala Unicorn). ]
No matter how hard one tries to understand Ghalib's verses, they shall remain unfathomable; trying to understand them is like catching a bird that does not exist. The net of reasoning and intelligence cannot catch my thoughts. Ghalib was oft blamed for adducing complex thoughts. He openly admits that it is difficult, even for a genius, to understand the true meaning of his verses.
baske hun Ghalib asiri men bhi atish zer pa
mue atish dida(h) hai halqa(h) meri zanjir ka
Whereas, even in bondage, there is fire under my feet, Ghalib,
The chains that bind me are merely curls of singed hair.
[baske: whereas; atish zer pa: impatient, cinders (fire) under feet; mue atish: heat-damaged hair (not burned), hair, singed, fragile; halqa(h): ring.]
O' Ghalib, even in bondage I am so impassioned that the links of the chain tying me down are like curls of singed, fragile hair. The complexity of the verse depends on "fire" and "singed hair." Having reached my ultimate desire of surrendering to you, I am impatient for the pain of suffering. The heat of my desire and passion has weakened the rings of the chain, allowing me imminent freedom to begin suffering this pain again. The images of fire beneath the feet (an illustration of impatience and passion) and the curls of damaged hair (not burned) so close to "fire" are remarkable. Impatience, bondage, chain-links, fire, singed hair — all parts of a very complex visualization. The personality of the lover who does not long for bondage, who is a free soul, is eloquently expressed here.
By Mirza Ghalib
Translated by: Dr Sarfaraz K. Niazi
Enjoy...
The poem-
Naqsh faryaadi hai kiski shaukhi-e tehreer ka
Kagazi hai pairahan har paikar-e tasveer ka
Kaay-kaay-e-sakht-janeeha-e tanhai na poochh
Subha karna shaam ka lana hai juu-e-sheer ka
Jazbah-e-bey-ikhtiyaar-e shouk deykha chahiye
Sinah-e shamseer sey baahar hai dum shamsheer ka
Aagahee daam-e shunidan jis qadar chaahey bichhaaye
Mudad aa anka hai apney aalam-e takreer ka
Baski hoon Ghalib aseeri mein bhi aatish zer-e pa
Muu-e aatish-deedah hai halkah meri zanjeer ka.
and the translation...
Naqsh faryadi hai kis ki shokhi-e tahrir ka
kaghazi hai pairahan her paikar-e tasvir ka
Against whose playful writing are the words complainants?
Made of paper is the attire of the countenance of every image.
[naqsh: mark, word; faryadi: pleader, crier; shokh: playful, mischievous; kaghaz: paper; tahrlr. writing; pairahan: attire, clothes; paikar: face, countenance, figure, mould, model, form, portrait, likeliness, an idol-temple; tasvir: forming, fashioning, painting, limning, picture, image, effigy, likeness, sketch, drawing.]
This opening verse of Ghalib's Urdu ghazal divan is critical of God in a rather unusual manner—with an element of surprise! In it, Ghalib alludes to God's neglect and obliviousness towards us. "Whose mischief was it to create this Universe?" the first line asks in a rather perplexed manner. This would have been a straightforward ode to the Lord if in the first verse the poet had not raised the question, "who has done it?" but instead stated, "He did it." This would have been in line with the tradition of making the first verse an ode to the Lord. This is followed by a description of the sheer helplessness of humankind— all that is visible (or corporeal) in the Universe is clad in "paper dress," as if pleading or bowing before the Lord in awe. This construction of "pleading in paper attire" is drawn from an old Persian tradition in which the men would enter the courts of their kings wearing clothing made of paper in order to display their humility. In this sense, Ghalib implies that we stand before God in a similarly humbled (not humble) way. Another literary support to the construction of paper attire comes from the word "candidate," derived from Latin and means someone who is presenting his or her credentials wearing "white" attire.
In Ghalib's own words, this verse illustrates that the existence of man itself is the reason for his sorrow and despair. In the first line, Ghalib talks about the Universe as if it were a thoughtless creation, a careless stroke of a pen, an undesirable graffiti, wherein each "word" of that "graffiti" ponders the purpose for its creation. If the end were sorrow and grievance, then what was the need to create us? In the second line, Ghalib talks about everything in the Universe being "wrapped in paper". This draws a beautiful correlation between God's writing and God's creation of humanity — the humility of paper dress and the humility of the written word (i.e., our being) on the paper (i.e., this world) are in a sense synonymous. (Note: paper is also impermanent; writing on paper as opposed to carving on stone is displayed here as a source of its impermanence.) In the first line, there is a plea to know the cause for this injustice while the second line expresses the extreme insignificance of human existence. (In the Bible there is a famous quote that reads, "God's ways are not our ways", meaning, we cannot understand the sense of this senselessness, this suffering.) It is clear that this verse is more ironic than claiming man's position in the Universe; even while Ghalib questions, "who has done it," he leaves room for us to ponder that perhaps it was God?
kavkav-e sakht jani hai tanhai, na(h) puchh
subh karna sham ka, lana hai ju-e shir ka
Inquire not of my forebearance to the incessant hammering in the loneliness.
Turning night into day is like unearthing a channel of milk.
[kavkav: continuous beating of hard stone with a sharp object; sakht jani hai: ability to bear extreme agony—expressed as surviving the state of extreme commotion and agitation; ju-e shir: channel of milk. (Referring to the legendary lover farhad's digging the channel of milk out of the mountain for King Khusrao, as a condition of having his wife, Shirin. ]
The deeply inflicted pain of being away from the beloved, spending lonely nights without her, is no less formidable than digging out a channel of milk, as the legendary hero, Farhad did. The poet asserts that in the path of love, one has to be just as dedicated, tough, and forbearing. While Farhad did this only once, the poet suffers daily, belittling the efforts of the legendary lover and magnifying the pain of the nights of separation. Here, Ghalib compares the intensity of his passion and desire with the legendary lover, Farhad. In this way, he implies that the severity of his pain is on par with the intensity of the lover's. While the pain of Farhad's work was physical, the poet's agony is mental or spiritual in nature. In both instances, however, extreme resilience is needed to survive. Note how the poet makes a play on words using continuous tapping as if with a sharp object. It is almost like the mountain digger was digging, hardening the heart like a callous by the tapping.
jazb'a(h)-e be ikhtiar-e shauq dekha chahiye
sin'a(h)-e shamshir se bahar hai dam shamshir ka
Worth seeing is the spirit of my uncontrollable desire,
Causing the edge of the sword to unfurl from its sheath.
[dam: breath; dam-e shamshir: edge of sword.]
My desire to sacrifice myself is so intense that the sword edge has come out of its casing. The sword finds me so ripe for sacrifice that it cannot control itself to grant me my wish. The expulsion of breath further symbolizes an expression of extreme desire to act.
agahi dam-e shanidan jis qadar chdhe bichhae
muddaa unqa hai apne 'alam-e taqrir ka
No matter how awareness spreads its nets of hearing,
The meaning is the nonexistent bird in the style of my expression.
[agahi: awareness; dam: net; shanidan: to hear, listen, or attend to; muddaa: whatever is meant; unqa: legendary bird that does not exist (ala Unicorn). ]
No matter how hard one tries to understand Ghalib's verses, they shall remain unfathomable; trying to understand them is like catching a bird that does not exist. The net of reasoning and intelligence cannot catch my thoughts. Ghalib was oft blamed for adducing complex thoughts. He openly admits that it is difficult, even for a genius, to understand the true meaning of his verses.
baske hun Ghalib asiri men bhi atish zer pa
mue atish dida(h) hai halqa(h) meri zanjir ka
Whereas, even in bondage, there is fire under my feet, Ghalib,
The chains that bind me are merely curls of singed hair.
[baske: whereas; atish zer pa: impatient, cinders (fire) under feet; mue atish: heat-damaged hair (not burned), hair, singed, fragile; halqa(h): ring.]
O' Ghalib, even in bondage I am so impassioned that the links of the chain tying me down are like curls of singed, fragile hair. The complexity of the verse depends on "fire" and "singed hair." Having reached my ultimate desire of surrendering to you, I am impatient for the pain of suffering. The heat of my desire and passion has weakened the rings of the chain, allowing me imminent freedom to begin suffering this pain again. The images of fire beneath the feet (an illustration of impatience and passion) and the curls of damaged hair (not burned) so close to "fire" are remarkable. Impatience, bondage, chain-links, fire, singed hair — all parts of a very complex visualization. The personality of the lover who does not long for bondage, who is a free soul, is eloquently expressed here.
By Mirza Ghalib
Translated by: Dr Sarfaraz K. Niazi
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
सामर्थ्य
हर सुबह सूरज एक नयी मुस्कान के साथ आता है - एक कुटिल मुस्कान के साथ; ऐसे, जैसे चाँद को लजा रहा हो "देखो, कैसे अपनी लाख कोशिशों के बाद भी तुम रात को दिन ना बना पाए, अँधेरे को उजाला ना बना पाए |" और, चाँद हर रात पुरजोर कोशिश करता है उजाला फ़ैलाने की, स्वयं को जला कर ही सही, फिर डूब जाने को इसी अन्धकार में एक अमावस की रात को |
बूँद बूँद कर रात है झरती,
कतरा कतरा चाँद सुलगता,
दिवस दिवस ज्यों बीतते जाते,
स्वयं ही लज्जित होकर जलता |
सुबह का सूरज बेशर्मी से,
चाँद का सीना छलनी करता,
फेंक के किरने लाली अपनी,
रैन बिचारी को संग ले चलता |
है सामर्थ्य अगर ही सबकुछ,
फिर कैसा यह न्याय, विधाता ?
क्षुधा चाँद की प्यासी रहती,
सूरज भाग्य पर क्यों इठलाता ?
- Gyan Vikas
बूँद बूँद कर रात है झरती,
कतरा कतरा चाँद सुलगता,
दिवस दिवस ज्यों बीतते जाते,
स्वयं ही लज्जित होकर जलता |
सुबह का सूरज बेशर्मी से,
चाँद का सीना छलनी करता,
फेंक के किरने लाली अपनी,
रैन बिचारी को संग ले चलता |
है सामर्थ्य अगर ही सबकुछ,
फिर कैसा यह न्याय, विधाता ?
क्षुधा चाँद की प्यासी रहती,
सूरज भाग्य पर क्यों इठलाता ?
- Gyan Vikas
Friday, June 24, 2011
sitting at airport on 12th june 2011
Sitting at airport, waiting to board flight to Hyderabad, I am thinking about contributing something to my blog which I have kept as a memoir of my life and its happenings. Its been a hectinc month since I left IIT K. But, I am satisfied that I lived every moment of this period. And now here I am, about to join Accenture. I don't know which path has been chosen for me as I am still searching for alternatives. Once I had this thinking in mind that the day I would join Accenture I would leave the hope of finding peace elsewhere and would try to adjust myself in those circumstances. But, look at this moment where I have also applied for PhD and eagerly waiting for things to turn out in otherwise manner.
In the afternoon, I was taking a quick nap in my brother's apartment in Kolkata when I got a dream. I was feeling as if somebody was striking nails in my body and I woke up immediately. Since then, I am thinking whether It is good to join Accenture (for sake any IT company away from your home) or not. Only time has answer to these questions. I could sense the smell of hot coffee and see the glitter of those costly shops when I entered airport. It was the same smell, same fabulous lighting which I left two years back. It reminded of the corridors of my working area at cognizant. How captivating it is? I sense money, power and greed in it. I feel terrified because I know in longer run it will kill me slowly. Look at me, I don't have a permanent home to live in but, I travel by air. How ironical it is, doesn't it?
On TV screen, I see news about Baba Ramdev breaking his Satyagrah because the government didn't agree to his demands. The next moment an advertisement is shown about a music DVD of 2012, which is supposed to save one from the natural calamity. Look at how fearful this world has become because of our own ambitions. Would you like to raise your children in this fearful, terrifying world? I won't. I like it to be free, full of optimism not the way it is being manipulated around us.
Life has come to full circle. 19th June, I resigned from last job - 13th job, I am about to join a new hell. I fear it may not be a correct decisions but, I will wait till the sun shines on the horizon.
Gyan
In the afternoon, I was taking a quick nap in my brother's apartment in Kolkata when I got a dream. I was feeling as if somebody was striking nails in my body and I woke up immediately. Since then, I am thinking whether It is good to join Accenture (for sake any IT company away from your home) or not. Only time has answer to these questions. I could sense the smell of hot coffee and see the glitter of those costly shops when I entered airport. It was the same smell, same fabulous lighting which I left two years back. It reminded of the corridors of my working area at cognizant. How captivating it is? I sense money, power and greed in it. I feel terrified because I know in longer run it will kill me slowly. Look at me, I don't have a permanent home to live in but, I travel by air. How ironical it is, doesn't it?
On TV screen, I see news about Baba Ramdev breaking his Satyagrah because the government didn't agree to his demands. The next moment an advertisement is shown about a music DVD of 2012, which is supposed to save one from the natural calamity. Look at how fearful this world has become because of our own ambitions. Would you like to raise your children in this fearful, terrifying world? I won't. I like it to be free, full of optimism not the way it is being manipulated around us.
Life has come to full circle. 19th June, I resigned from last job - 13th job, I am about to join a new hell. I fear it may not be a correct decisions but, I will wait till the sun shines on the horizon.
Gyan
Monday, May 2, 2011
Dude, it's over. Welcome back!
What a terrible moment it was! She called and said that my joining is getting preponed. Come on! this can't be real, she can't be serious... its a multinational company. How can they demotivate an employee even before he has joined. I was just out of mind and thought of shouting at her. But then, someone inside me whispered in my ears "Dude, It's over. Welcome back!" The honeymoon is over now, be geared up for the heat of life. "How can it be so soon? I have just learnt to fly, I have just seen the bright colours of my feathers and you are saying it's over." I replied.
It is difficult to accept this fact that the day has approached and finally we will back in the arena to fight for our share of life. Slightly emotional, slightly taken off by the friendship, we all are departing. How difficult it is to teach the smartest MBAs that this is just temporary and is a transition not the end? When it comes to 'dil ki baatein', we all are same irrespective of our education and skills, don't we? I am watching people holding their tears. They smile, pat each other's back and try to feel the warmth of those arms which they held during these years. Life comes to a full circle. People are remembering their first day when they arrived here and how they have developed a special friendship with each other. Each one of us is like a wall and stone. As a stone we throw ourselves on others and as a wall we bounce it back bearing all the pain. And this realization happens only when the end comes near. Then only we recognize the importance of these walls in our lives.
So, when I look back what do I see? Definitely, the two best years of my life... when I was young, energetic, brimming with confidence and wild in my attitude. Thanks to all, for holding this sea, making it learn the art of being silent even in the moment of turbulent waves. I have learnt from each one of you and there is a bit of everybody in me. At one moment I am like you, at other moment I am like another friend. You all have shaped me, with your gentle touch of friendship, togetherness and amity. How can I depart from you? I will carry the best colour of yours along with me. I can never be different from you.
Though its over, though its an end - its an another beginning where I will live like you, I will act like you. I may not say it to others, I may not even realize it to myself but, when I will sit back and reflect, you will be remembered, you will be with me.
So, beware the world... I am coming but, not alone with many others.
It is difficult to accept this fact that the day has approached and finally we will back in the arena to fight for our share of life. Slightly emotional, slightly taken off by the friendship, we all are departing. How difficult it is to teach the smartest MBAs that this is just temporary and is a transition not the end? When it comes to 'dil ki baatein', we all are same irrespective of our education and skills, don't we? I am watching people holding their tears. They smile, pat each other's back and try to feel the warmth of those arms which they held during these years. Life comes to a full circle. People are remembering their first day when they arrived here and how they have developed a special friendship with each other. Each one of us is like a wall and stone. As a stone we throw ourselves on others and as a wall we bounce it back bearing all the pain. And this realization happens only when the end comes near. Then only we recognize the importance of these walls in our lives.
So, when I look back what do I see? Definitely, the two best years of my life... when I was young, energetic, brimming with confidence and wild in my attitude. Thanks to all, for holding this sea, making it learn the art of being silent even in the moment of turbulent waves. I have learnt from each one of you and there is a bit of everybody in me. At one moment I am like you, at other moment I am like another friend. You all have shaped me, with your gentle touch of friendship, togetherness and amity. How can I depart from you? I will carry the best colour of yours along with me. I can never be different from you.
Though its over, though its an end - its an another beginning where I will live like you, I will act like you. I may not say it to others, I may not even realize it to myself but, when I will sit back and reflect, you will be remembered, you will be with me.
So, beware the world... I am coming but, not alone with many others.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
and he cried
He was tensed, perplexed as if he was standing in the midst of crowd still lost. He knew it was his only chance, time was ticking, passing by his side yet, he couldn't realize it. Since a few days he was once again caught into the same web of 'Irony of being vocal.' He knew he couldn't open his lips otherwise all hells would break lose. But, he could not keep it either to himself. It was a sudden burst of emotions which have brought him to this situation. He came back to his house and lied down on bed. He hadn't felt this tiredness in recent years. He tried to sleep so that he could get rid of it. For a moment he was even fall asleep but, suddenly he jumped of his bed fearing a monster strangulating his throat. He glanced at the streets through the window, no body was there. It was so silent, so peaceful. But inside him there was a storm, waiting to come out.
For a moment he saw the ceiling fan in his room and thought of making the best use of it, to hang himself. Death was less painful to him than saying it. But, the next moment he thought that death would have been peaceful only if it would have happened once. Here he was dying everyday, slowly - slowly. This death would not comfort him. He sat on his bed with folded legs and put his head on it. Something was there inside him and it wanted to come out - with a force. He knew he could not hold it.
He put his hands on his head and cried loudly. It was so loud that people on streets would have heard it. But, to his astonishment he could not hear it. He kept on crying. If he would cried like this, he would have deserted the whole neighborhood. After a while, he was feeling light as if a load has been taken off from his shoulder. Whatever he wanted to say was still unspoken but, now he had spoken it although, in a different language. Others would not have understood it but, he had already told what he wanted to say.
For a moment he saw the ceiling fan in his room and thought of making the best use of it, to hang himself. Death was less painful to him than saying it. But, the next moment he thought that death would have been peaceful only if it would have happened once. Here he was dying everyday, slowly - slowly. This death would not comfort him. He sat on his bed with folded legs and put his head on it. Something was there inside him and it wanted to come out - with a force. He knew he could not hold it.
He put his hands on his head and cried loudly. It was so loud that people on streets would have heard it. But, to his astonishment he could not hear it. He kept on crying. If he would cried like this, he would have deserted the whole neighborhood. After a while, he was feeling light as if a load has been taken off from his shoulder. Whatever he wanted to say was still unspoken but, now he had spoken it although, in a different language. Others would not have understood it but, he had already told what he wanted to say.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Confessions - 1
Rarely do we become ready to confess our secrets. We all have a life that others have not seen but, we have lived those moments. We are scared that if people will come to know all that how will they react? We are afraid that may be they will get to know the other side of us. Is it important to confess? Probably yes, because then only you can be truthful to your life, your own emotions. So, I have decided to confess the other side of me which probably not many have seen. Leaving IIT, I am already heavy with loads of emotions. Above that, there is an interview of Tata Steel on 7th for which I have to study. But, I know if I get selected and join Tata Steel my other side will get burned here only. Probably I will also forget this side of me and get busy with life's affairs. So, I have decided to record or in other words, confess my activities one by one. I know if somebody will read this page he will surely get surprised to know so many abnormal things about me. But, please put your hand on your heart and ask whether you are different from me. I am sure you will forgive me. So here does the list goes on -
- I smoke occasionally. Sometimes 2 - 3 cigarrates in a day when I am really tensed.
- I like beer. I like drinking with friends but, I have never been over drunk as of yet.
- I never had bad feelings for any body for too long. I can't carry it for several days.
- I like to listen to gazals and when I am listening to it I can't do anything else.
- I know some people perceive me as arrogant which I have never tried to portray. Forgive me, if I have hurt of emotions. I never intended to do so.
- I am a bad listener and never understand anything that is taught in classroom.
- I like to run but, more than that I like to 'run-away.' I have never run to achieve something, I have always ran to escape from something.
- I fear darkness.
- I proposed a girl a few months back, She refused the offer. It was difficult for me to take this step but, I am glad that She understood the difficulty and gently refused.
- I always had a crush at each phase of my life. But, I have rarely expressed it fearing She may deny it because I am not smart enough. The same is true for IIT life and this one is different from the one mentioned above ;)
- I hate following religious rituals. But, I want to understand religion. I also want to teach others about whatever I know about religion.
- I appreciate inter caste marriages. Although, I can't do it because of hurting the feelings of my parents.
- I rarely get sound sleeps at nights. Mostly, I am awake and like to sleep in the morning.
- Sometimes, I want others to be like me.
- I disagree with my parents on various point of views but, I just accept them out of respect.
- I am bad in pushing arguments. But, I am good at putting my thoughts.
- I have cried several times watching serious bollywood movies. I hate horror movies and never watch them.
- I have always felt that my house is not big enough so, I rarely invite people at my home. I want to get a big house when I will earn enough.
- I value education more than anything else. This is the best investment in my opinion.
- I cried when India won world cup in 2011.
Some more will follow in next post.
- I smoke occasionally. Sometimes 2 - 3 cigarrates in a day when I am really tensed.
- I like beer. I like drinking with friends but, I have never been over drunk as of yet.
- I never had bad feelings for any body for too long. I can't carry it for several days.
- I like to listen to gazals and when I am listening to it I can't do anything else.
- I know some people perceive me as arrogant which I have never tried to portray. Forgive me, if I have hurt of emotions. I never intended to do so.
- I am a bad listener and never understand anything that is taught in classroom.
- I like to run but, more than that I like to 'run-away.' I have never run to achieve something, I have always ran to escape from something.
- I fear darkness.
- I proposed a girl a few months back, She refused the offer. It was difficult for me to take this step but, I am glad that She understood the difficulty and gently refused.
- I always had a crush at each phase of my life. But, I have rarely expressed it fearing She may deny it because I am not smart enough. The same is true for IIT life and this one is different from the one mentioned above ;)
- I hate following religious rituals. But, I want to understand religion. I also want to teach others about whatever I know about religion.
- I appreciate inter caste marriages. Although, I can't do it because of hurting the feelings of my parents.
- I rarely get sound sleeps at nights. Mostly, I am awake and like to sleep in the morning.
- Sometimes, I want others to be like me.
- I disagree with my parents on various point of views but, I just accept them out of respect.
- I am bad in pushing arguments. But, I am good at putting my thoughts.
- I have cried several times watching serious bollywood movies. I hate horror movies and never watch them.
- I have always felt that my house is not big enough so, I rarely invite people at my home. I want to get a big house when I will earn enough.
- I value education more than anything else. This is the best investment in my opinion.
- I cried when India won world cup in 2011.
Some more will follow in next post.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Mirza Ghalib - revisited: Na tha kuch to khuda tha…Na hota kuch to khuda hota
न था कुछ तो ख़ुदा था, कुछ न होता तो ख़ुदा होता,
डुबोया मुझको होने ने न मैं होता तो क्या होता !
Mirza has written these lines pretty much carefully summarizing almost all the teachings of his life in these two lines. What a beautiful line to begin with! - When there was nothing there was God. We start our lives in this fashion only, empty handed. But, God is present even at that moment and so does my faith in him. And even though there would have been nothing, my faith in you would not have shaken. Your ominous presence would have always been with me. But, oh God! my aspirations, my ambitions, my wishes were the reasons why I distanced from you. "Duboya mujh ko hone ne" - In pursuit of my ambition of becoming something, I forgot you and became ally to so much worldly sins. I regret for being unfaithful to you. But then, I wonder that if I wouldn't have tried what would I have been? Does it hardly matter whether I achieve my goals or not till the time I had your companionship, my faith in you? My existence was because of you and these silly goals don't mean anything in front of your belongingness. This is classic dilemma faced by all of us in this world. We try to find the balance between white and dark, virtues and vices and then at one point of time we try to introspect what have we gained out of this pursuit.
हुआ जब गम से यूँ बेहिश तो गम क्या सर के कटने का,
ना होता गर जुदा तन से तो जहानु पर धरा होता!
This second sher sounds slightly offtrack with earlier one but, thinking deeply one can understand that it is in continuation with the same pain that we observed in earlier sher. Now that I have become so friendly with pain and misery, why should I worry about sacrificing myself in your service. In any case, even though I won't be beheaded now, my life is already in your service since eternity. So, how does it matter now whether death comes to me nor not. Doesn't it complete a full circle of life? Probably Mirza Saheb wants to say that I have lived enough and known that there is no good in life. So, even though I die now, it won't be painful now because I am just returning what was already yours. Beautiful, isn't?
हुई मुद्दत कि 'ग़ालिब' मर गया पर याद आता है,
वो हर इक बात पर कहना कि यूँ होता तो क्या होता !
And finally the gazal concludes with the another pearls of wisdom. Take a leap ahead in time and think that I have died long ago and people yet talk about me. And what do they talk? Simple - what they observed - My constant pursuit for my goals, my ambitions. Like we usually do in our lives - if things would have happened in this way, that manner we would have been better. We are rarely satisfied with the way things go in life and constantly keep saying "yun hota to kya hota".
Amazing shayari by Mirza Ghalib.
डुबोया मुझको होने ने न मैं होता तो क्या होता !
Mirza has written these lines pretty much carefully summarizing almost all the teachings of his life in these two lines. What a beautiful line to begin with! - When there was nothing there was God. We start our lives in this fashion only, empty handed. But, God is present even at that moment and so does my faith in him. And even though there would have been nothing, my faith in you would not have shaken. Your ominous presence would have always been with me. But, oh God! my aspirations, my ambitions, my wishes were the reasons why I distanced from you. "Duboya mujh ko hone ne" - In pursuit of my ambition of becoming something, I forgot you and became ally to so much worldly sins. I regret for being unfaithful to you. But then, I wonder that if I wouldn't have tried what would I have been? Does it hardly matter whether I achieve my goals or not till the time I had your companionship, my faith in you? My existence was because of you and these silly goals don't mean anything in front of your belongingness. This is classic dilemma faced by all of us in this world. We try to find the balance between white and dark, virtues and vices and then at one point of time we try to introspect what have we gained out of this pursuit.
हुआ जब गम से यूँ बेहिश तो गम क्या सर के कटने का,
ना होता गर जुदा तन से तो जहानु पर धरा होता!
This second sher sounds slightly offtrack with earlier one but, thinking deeply one can understand that it is in continuation with the same pain that we observed in earlier sher. Now that I have become so friendly with pain and misery, why should I worry about sacrificing myself in your service. In any case, even though I won't be beheaded now, my life is already in your service since eternity. So, how does it matter now whether death comes to me nor not. Doesn't it complete a full circle of life? Probably Mirza Saheb wants to say that I have lived enough and known that there is no good in life. So, even though I die now, it won't be painful now because I am just returning what was already yours. Beautiful, isn't?
हुई मुद्दत कि 'ग़ालिब' मर गया पर याद आता है,
वो हर इक बात पर कहना कि यूँ होता तो क्या होता !
And finally the gazal concludes with the another pearls of wisdom. Take a leap ahead in time and think that I have died long ago and people yet talk about me. And what do they talk? Simple - what they observed - My constant pursuit for my goals, my ambitions. Like we usually do in our lives - if things would have happened in this way, that manner we would have been better. We are rarely satisfied with the way things go in life and constantly keep saying "yun hota to kya hota".
Amazing shayari by Mirza Ghalib.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Gulon mein rang bhare - borrowed version
Faiz - Gulon mein rang bhare
Continuing with Faiz... another 'sweet' ghazal, often sung. The radif 'Chale' can, depending on construction, be used in the Indicative mood (as a declaratory statement), as well as in the subjunctive (expressing a wish) mood, leading to a delicious ambiguity in some of the shers.
gulo.n mei.n rang bhare, baad-e-naubahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan kaa karobaar chale
गुलों मे रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
"let the blooms fill with colour, let the first zephyr of spring flow
do come over, so the garden can get on with its daily business"
A plea directed at the Beloved, obviously.
A straightforward sher, the beauty of it lies in the way the first line, atfirst, sounds like the expression of a simple wish - may colour fill the flowers, etc. - the 'normal' sort of wish you would expect a poet to make. It is only when the second line hits you (and in the typical oral tradition of urdu poetry, this would happen after numerous repetitions of the first line, while the suspense builds up) that you realise that what the first line seemed to be wishing for is, in fact, nothing more than the 'day-to-day business' (कारोबार) of a garden, and what the poet actually desires is for is for the Beloved to come overto the garden, so that its 'normal activities' can 'proceed normally'!
It is only then that the actual compliment implied - that in the absence of the Beloved, things are 'held in abeyance' in the garden - becomes clear!
SO much more romantic than simply telling the Beloved that she brings colour and freshness into his life, isn't it?
qafas udaas hai yaaro.n sabaa se kuchh to kaho
kahii.n to bahr-e-khudaa aaj zikr-e-yaar chale
कफ़स उदास है यारों सबा से कुछ तो कहो
कहीं तो बह्र-ए-खुदा आज ज़िक्र-ए-यार चले
"Gloom reigns in the cage, my friends; do say something to the breeze
somewhere, for God's sake, (there must be) discussion about the Beloved today!"
We return to the familiar 'kafas-gulshan' stylisation of a bird caged away from its garden (by implication, the lover separated from his Beloved).
"The cage is sad", he says, implying that the inhabitant of the cage (the poet himself) is dejected... and as a 'remedy' to his sorrow, he urges his friends to make a request the breeze - that it should seek out a location where the Beloved is being discussed. The implication being that his imprisonment would become bearable, if he could even enjoy a breeze that comes from such a place, and hence has picked up strains of this conversation along the way. Definitely hyperbole, but nice!
'bahr' is a Persian preposition, conveying a sense of 'on account of', or 'for the sake of'. Bahr-e-Khudaa would translate almost literally as the exclamatory 'for God's sake!'
kabhii to subh tere kunj-e-lab se ho aaghaaz
kabhii to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushqbaar chale
कभी तो सुब्ह तेरे कुन्ज-ए-लब से हो आगाज़
कभी तो शब् सर-ए-काकुल से मुश्कबार चले
"(at least once) let the dawn commence from the corner of your mouth
(at least once) let the night be rendered fragrant by your curled tresses"
'i wish there was at least some occasion when the morning was "set into motion" or "inaugurated" by the corner of your mouth' is how the first line literally reads.
To be woken up by a morning kiss from the Beloved seems almost too much to ask for, in the general scheme of things in the Ghazal universe! If wishes were horses...!
baDaa hai dard kaa rishtaa, ye dil gariib sahii
tumhaare naam pe aayenge ghamgusaar chale
बड़ा है दर्द का रिश्ता, ये दिल गरीब सही
तुम्हारे नाम पे आएंगे गमगुसार चले
"the ties of pain run deep; poor as this heart is
comfort-givers will come along, thanks to your name"
What a beautiful sher! I've read some truly ridiculous interpretations of this one on the internet, though!
In effect, the sher wears a sadly sarcastic note - the poet informing the Beloved about the deep fraternity that exists among those who have suffered the pain of her unfaithfulness... hence, even though his impecunious heart has little to offer to anyone, the mere spreading of the word that his pain is caused by the Beloved will cause (similarly suffering souls) to rush to his comfort!
There is a slight poetic rearranging of words in the second line which makes this (otherwise simple) meaning a little difficult to catch - the 'aayenge' is actually to be read after the final 'chale' as 'chale aayenge' (or 'will come over').
जो हम पे गुजरी सो गुजरी मगर शब्-ए-हिजरां
हमारे अश्क तेरी आकबत संवार चले
"i may have endured whatever i endured, but (on the) night of separation!
my tears left your future course adorned"
The implication (probably) being that (publicity about) the poet's copious tears during the night of separation would tend to further enhance the fame of the Beloved.
In an alternative reading, the sher is addressed to the 'shab-e-hijraan'itself - and the poet says that his tears would adorn the future of the (henceforth famous) 'night of separation'!
In either interpretation, it is sweet.
हुज़ूर-ए-यार हुई दफ्तर-ए-जूनून की तलब
गिरह मे लेके गरेबां के तार-तार चले
"The Court of the Beloved (conveyed) the desire for (seeing) the 'documentation of infatuation'
(Tied) in a knot (I carried) the tatters of (my) collar"
Lovely!
There is such delicious abjectness here... The Beloved's Courtcommands that the 'case file' proving the (poet's) infatuation be produced before it; the poet carries a small pouch containingthe knotted remains of his collar, which he has (in the time-honoured 'chak-e-garebaan' stylisation of Urdu poetry) torn to bits in amorous frenzy.
'Daftar' is now used colloquially to mean 'office', but originally stood for a 'file' or 'folder' containing official papers, such as a legal brief. In Indian Government offices, there are still some persons nominally employed as 'daftaris' who are supposed to file papers and diarise their movement (although they usually just hang about eating peanuts and chewing paan!). The French word 'bureau' (now meaning office) has a similar etymology, i believe. So does the word 'budget' which originally stood for a bag containing official papers.
maqaam koi Faiz raah mei.n jachaa hi nahii.n
jo kuu-e-yaar se nikle to suu-e-daar chale
मकाम कोई फैज़ राह मे जचा ही नही
जो कू-ए-यार से निकले तो सू-ए-दार चले
"no location/station en route caught the fancy, Faiz
after quitting the Beloved's lane, (I) walked on (directly) towards the gallows"
Another beautiful Maqta by Faiz...
Apart from the Beloved's lane, the poet has little interest in setting up abode anywhere; banishment from that privileged neighbourhood is as good as a sentence of death!
The lovely internal rhythm of the final line deserves special savouring!
Continuing with Faiz... another 'sweet' ghazal, often sung. The radif 'Chale' can, depending on construction, be used in the Indicative mood (as a declaratory statement), as well as in the subjunctive (expressing a wish) mood, leading to a delicious ambiguity in some of the shers.
gulo.n mei.n rang bhare, baad-e-naubahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan kaa karobaar chale
गुलों मे रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
"let the blooms fill with colour, let the first zephyr of spring flow
do come over, so the garden can get on with its daily business"
A plea directed at the Beloved, obviously.
A straightforward sher, the beauty of it lies in the way the first line, atfirst, sounds like the expression of a simple wish - may colour fill the flowers, etc. - the 'normal' sort of wish you would expect a poet to make. It is only when the second line hits you (and in the typical oral tradition of urdu poetry, this would happen after numerous repetitions of the first line, while the suspense builds up) that you realise that what the first line seemed to be wishing for is, in fact, nothing more than the 'day-to-day business' (कारोबार) of a garden, and what the poet actually desires is for is for the Beloved to come overto the garden, so that its 'normal activities' can 'proceed normally'!
It is only then that the actual compliment implied - that in the absence of the Beloved, things are 'held in abeyance' in the garden - becomes clear!
SO much more romantic than simply telling the Beloved that she brings colour and freshness into his life, isn't it?
qafas udaas hai yaaro.n sabaa se kuchh to kaho
kahii.n to bahr-e-khudaa aaj zikr-e-yaar chale
कफ़स उदास है यारों सबा से कुछ तो कहो
कहीं तो बह्र-ए-खुदा आज ज़िक्र-ए-यार चले
"Gloom reigns in the cage, my friends; do say something to the breeze
somewhere, for God's sake, (there must be) discussion about the Beloved today!"
We return to the familiar 'kafas-gulshan' stylisation of a bird caged away from its garden (by implication, the lover separated from his Beloved).
"The cage is sad", he says, implying that the inhabitant of the cage (the poet himself) is dejected... and as a 'remedy' to his sorrow, he urges his friends to make a request the breeze - that it should seek out a location where the Beloved is being discussed. The implication being that his imprisonment would become bearable, if he could even enjoy a breeze that comes from such a place, and hence has picked up strains of this conversation along the way. Definitely hyperbole, but nice!
'bahr' is a Persian preposition, conveying a sense of 'on account of', or 'for the sake of'. Bahr-e-Khudaa would translate almost literally as the exclamatory 'for God's sake!'
kabhii to subh tere kunj-e-lab se ho aaghaaz
kabhii to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushqbaar chale
कभी तो सुब्ह तेरे कुन्ज-ए-लब से हो आगाज़
कभी तो शब् सर-ए-काकुल से मुश्कबार चले
"(at least once) let the dawn commence from the corner of your mouth
(at least once) let the night be rendered fragrant by your curled tresses"
'i wish there was at least some occasion when the morning was "set into motion" or "inaugurated" by the corner of your mouth' is how the first line literally reads.
To be woken up by a morning kiss from the Beloved seems almost too much to ask for, in the general scheme of things in the Ghazal universe! If wishes were horses...!
baDaa hai dard kaa rishtaa, ye dil gariib sahii
tumhaare naam pe aayenge ghamgusaar chale
बड़ा है दर्द का रिश्ता, ये दिल गरीब सही
तुम्हारे नाम पे आएंगे गमगुसार चले
"the ties of pain run deep; poor as this heart is
comfort-givers will come along, thanks to your name"
What a beautiful sher! I've read some truly ridiculous interpretations of this one on the internet, though!
In effect, the sher wears a sadly sarcastic note - the poet informing the Beloved about the deep fraternity that exists among those who have suffered the pain of her unfaithfulness... hence, even though his impecunious heart has little to offer to anyone, the mere spreading of the word that his pain is caused by the Beloved will cause (similarly suffering souls) to rush to his comfort!
There is a slight poetic rearranging of words in the second line which makes this (otherwise simple) meaning a little difficult to catch - the 'aayenge' is actually to be read after the final 'chale' as 'chale aayenge' (or 'will come over').
जो हम पे गुजरी सो गुजरी मगर शब्-ए-हिजरां
हमारे अश्क तेरी आकबत संवार चले
"i may have endured whatever i endured, but (on the) night of separation!
my tears left your future course adorned"
The implication (probably) being that (publicity about) the poet's copious tears during the night of separation would tend to further enhance the fame of the Beloved.
In an alternative reading, the sher is addressed to the 'shab-e-hijraan'itself - and the poet says that his tears would adorn the future of the (henceforth famous) 'night of separation'!
In either interpretation, it is sweet.
हुज़ूर-ए-यार हुई दफ्तर-ए-जूनून की तलब
गिरह मे लेके गरेबां के तार-तार चले
"The Court of the Beloved (conveyed) the desire for (seeing) the 'documentation of infatuation'
(Tied) in a knot (I carried) the tatters of (my) collar"
Lovely!
There is such delicious abjectness here... The Beloved's Courtcommands that the 'case file' proving the (poet's) infatuation be produced before it; the poet carries a small pouch containingthe knotted remains of his collar, which he has (in the time-honoured 'chak-e-garebaan' stylisation of Urdu poetry) torn to bits in amorous frenzy.
'Daftar' is now used colloquially to mean 'office', but originally stood for a 'file' or 'folder' containing official papers, such as a legal brief. In Indian Government offices, there are still some persons nominally employed as 'daftaris' who are supposed to file papers and diarise their movement (although they usually just hang about eating peanuts and chewing paan!). The French word 'bureau' (now meaning office) has a similar etymology, i believe. So does the word 'budget' which originally stood for a bag containing official papers.
maqaam koi Faiz raah mei.n jachaa hi nahii.n
jo kuu-e-yaar se nikle to suu-e-daar chale
मकाम कोई फैज़ राह मे जचा ही नही
जो कू-ए-यार से निकले तो सू-ए-दार चले
"no location/station en route caught the fancy, Faiz
after quitting the Beloved's lane, (I) walked on (directly) towards the gallows"
Another beautiful Maqta by Faiz...
Apart from the Beloved's lane, the poet has little interest in setting up abode anywhere; banishment from that privileged neighbourhood is as good as a sentence of death!
The lovely internal rhythm of the final line deserves special savouring!
Friday, March 11, 2011
11th march 2011
So, quite a long break? Putting the answer simply - I didn't feel like writing. Since last couple of days I am indulging my self into activities. Sometimes I watch movie, sometimes I play and whatever little I am left with I sleep. Downloaded hundreds of movie and watching as many as possible in a day. It is like spending life whole heartedly, without doing any accounting of it. Believe me it pays - with interest.
Saw the news of Japan earthquake in the morning. Since then, I am thinking whether I should cry for them or not. Those people may not be related to me but, still I feel a connection with them - in the name of humanity. May those souls rest in peace and may God give courage and strength to those who have survived the onslaught.
Today evening, we (Me, Ripul and Manish) went for having some fun - the usual student types. Drank a beer and ate half plate of chicken biryani. I like the taste and its smoothness. We once again discussed about the same old favorite topic - inter caste marriages. It always happen that whenever we are in mild inebriation, we discuss about such topics. Anybody who must be sitting behind us in restaurant would have got annoyed with our so called intellectual discussion. And finally it ends in the same manner - everybody agreeing with what others were saying but still holding his point of view. Probably that is the best end such topics deserve. When we are on high, we think that the onus of changing the social order lies on our shoulders and as and when, we come back to reality we find ourselves weaved in the same fabric. I thank them for being patient with me otherwise in this cut throat competition world, that too if you are a student of MBA, who listens to others. Listening is an art and we have learnt it in liquid way.
Nothing much to do. Admissions are going on and most of the second year students have gone for some tour or vacations. A few are left, I am one of them. All alone in my wing in hostel. It sucks when I don't go with them but, it gives me equal pleasure when I think that I am living those days which won't come back again in life. Its a great feeling in knowing that each day is precious in life and we must learn to enjoy it. Ask a person who is dying and has counted days left on his side and you will find the value of each day. How silly we are that we forget this simple fact in life and indulge in those activities which we don't like. I have learnt this only after coming here at IIT. One last time I am student, one last time I am living in hostel, one last time I have friends with whom I can dance, one last time I can play in a team, one last time I can hang out like an ordinary man... one last time I am living a life. Let's make each day of this life memorable so that tomorrow if somebody asks about your experience you will have plenty of stories to tell him. This is applicable in life also. So, cherish each moment of it with joy, cheerfulness, smile and courage. Then only you will learn that happiness is an absolute phenomena not a relative phenomena. Relativity only brings envy in life - probably Einstien was the biggest culprit who brought it forward. And probably, I am the biggest fool who denies with his theory - The truth is absolute not relative. There is no joy in comparison and contrast, the joy lies in aggregation, in consolidation.
I feel relaxed - without any hard feelings. I have whole night in front of me to spend. I will watch movies - probably the best ones which I like.
Good night!
GV
Saw the news of Japan earthquake in the morning. Since then, I am thinking whether I should cry for them or not. Those people may not be related to me but, still I feel a connection with them - in the name of humanity. May those souls rest in peace and may God give courage and strength to those who have survived the onslaught.
Today evening, we (Me, Ripul and Manish) went for having some fun - the usual student types. Drank a beer and ate half plate of chicken biryani. I like the taste and its smoothness. We once again discussed about the same old favorite topic - inter caste marriages. It always happen that whenever we are in mild inebriation, we discuss about such topics. Anybody who must be sitting behind us in restaurant would have got annoyed with our so called intellectual discussion. And finally it ends in the same manner - everybody agreeing with what others were saying but still holding his point of view. Probably that is the best end such topics deserve. When we are on high, we think that the onus of changing the social order lies on our shoulders and as and when, we come back to reality we find ourselves weaved in the same fabric. I thank them for being patient with me otherwise in this cut throat competition world, that too if you are a student of MBA, who listens to others. Listening is an art and we have learnt it in liquid way.
Nothing much to do. Admissions are going on and most of the second year students have gone for some tour or vacations. A few are left, I am one of them. All alone in my wing in hostel. It sucks when I don't go with them but, it gives me equal pleasure when I think that I am living those days which won't come back again in life. Its a great feeling in knowing that each day is precious in life and we must learn to enjoy it. Ask a person who is dying and has counted days left on his side and you will find the value of each day. How silly we are that we forget this simple fact in life and indulge in those activities which we don't like. I have learnt this only after coming here at IIT. One last time I am student, one last time I am living in hostel, one last time I have friends with whom I can dance, one last time I can play in a team, one last time I can hang out like an ordinary man... one last time I am living a life. Let's make each day of this life memorable so that tomorrow if somebody asks about your experience you will have plenty of stories to tell him. This is applicable in life also. So, cherish each moment of it with joy, cheerfulness, smile and courage. Then only you will learn that happiness is an absolute phenomena not a relative phenomena. Relativity only brings envy in life - probably Einstien was the biggest culprit who brought it forward. And probably, I am the biggest fool who denies with his theory - The truth is absolute not relative. There is no joy in comparison and contrast, the joy lies in aggregation, in consolidation.
I feel relaxed - without any hard feelings. I have whole night in front of me to spend. I will watch movies - probably the best ones which I like.
Good night!
GV
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
8th march 2011
Once again - break of a day. 7th was just an usual day. Overslept in the afternoon and played volly in the evening. At night watched - Tanu Weds Manu. Nice movie. In the midst of all these activities forgot to study for MSO paper.
So, on 8th, woke up early in the morning (I mean at 7 o'clock) but couldn't find interest in studying. Once again listened to Mehandi Hasan several times. It was an open book exam. Prof. Mittal gave 3 questions and I had no idea how to solve them. Anyhow, I wrote something and kept waiting when would the exam end. In the afternoon watched - Johny Gaddar and in the evening played vollyball. Today, it was nice coordination among me, Binod and Bengali. We are doing good. Mid sems are ending tomorrow and most of the guys are leaving for some tour. So there will no more sporting activities for coming few days. I will miss all these. I dont want to miss even a single day here at IIT so, I will stay here only - watching Michel Danino's lecture, some movies and probably playing squash if i find somebody.
Oh! one more thing - Brother has got through Adani Insti of Infra Mgmt. He is happy... in fact, we all are happy for him. I know he was spoiling his career in TCS and I desperately wanted him out of that place. Thank God, he has got something. I pray to God for imparting us courage and ability to complete his studies without any glitches. I am now relaxed for him. Let him live his life as an student for an year. I know it helps a lot in building a personalty. Wish u good luck - Learn to see life from optimistic lens. Tomorrow, when I will be falling apart, give me a helping hand.
That's all for the day -- gotta go for completing e marketing exam, a take home exam. What a generous act from Prof. Veena Bansal's side, isn't it? Yet, I am unwilling to do that... :)
Gyan
So, on 8th, woke up early in the morning (I mean at 7 o'clock) but couldn't find interest in studying. Once again listened to Mehandi Hasan several times. It was an open book exam. Prof. Mittal gave 3 questions and I had no idea how to solve them. Anyhow, I wrote something and kept waiting when would the exam end. In the afternoon watched - Johny Gaddar and in the evening played vollyball. Today, it was nice coordination among me, Binod and Bengali. We are doing good. Mid sems are ending tomorrow and most of the guys are leaving for some tour. So there will no more sporting activities for coming few days. I will miss all these. I dont want to miss even a single day here at IIT so, I will stay here only - watching Michel Danino's lecture, some movies and probably playing squash if i find somebody.
Oh! one more thing - Brother has got through Adani Insti of Infra Mgmt. He is happy... in fact, we all are happy for him. I know he was spoiling his career in TCS and I desperately wanted him out of that place. Thank God, he has got something. I pray to God for imparting us courage and ability to complete his studies without any glitches. I am now relaxed for him. Let him live his life as an student for an year. I know it helps a lot in building a personalty. Wish u good luck - Learn to see life from optimistic lens. Tomorrow, when I will be falling apart, give me a helping hand.
That's all for the day -- gotta go for completing e marketing exam, a take home exam. What a generous act from Prof. Veena Bansal's side, isn't it? Yet, I am unwilling to do that... :)
Gyan
Sunday, March 6, 2011
6th march 2011
An usual day with an exciting end. Woke up late in d morning and watched India - Ireland match in the afternoon. Then came the fun - played volleyball in the evening for the first time in life. I loved it - it is all about coordination. I regret not playing it till now. Now my hand is paining so, won't write much. Just retire the day with a movie (probably of DevAnand)
5th march 2011
Let's start from 4th march - couldn't write yesterday. So, day began with RRKS's paper - MPC. As expected, he gave a case which we could not crack. We had thought of a scheduling case - 'Scheduling at Bellop' because he gave this case last year but, this time RRKS changed his surprise. Instead of Bellop he gave Dazzle Lamp case which was of aggregate planning. He gave us 90 minutes to crack the case which ran over more than 20 pages and was full of data. I had no idea what to do so, I just wrote some case facts in answer sheet. I know I had screwed it big time but, I don't have any regrets. Even though RRKS would have given me 5 hrs to solve the case I could not have done it. So, was I alone in this situation - I believe not, the whole class was in same situation. So, rejoice - that's the benefit of relative marking system. After that, we started preparing case for project finance. We were short of data, CWDL's information was not available on internet. However, we managed to make a case of 20 - 22 pages which is quite an overshoot from the expected length. I worked till 2 in the morning to finish case and ppt. Everybody contributed. Well, I have seen other group's work. Our work looked better - a case well written.
On 5th morning, I woke up early to finish up the remaining work. Sardar's presentation was about to begin at 10:30 in the morning so we took the prints and went for class. Our was Group 4. We did not do any analysis for the case because as per our opinion, Sardar would have expected only case this time. But, to our surprise he was expecting analysis too. Anyways, we will submit it later. I came back to room after lunch. We played cricket in corridor. I will miss this more than anything else friends - Gopa, HK, Pandey G. They have really accommodated me too much. Today there was a cricket match also - Aus vs Sri Lanka. I started watching it but, soon fell into sleep that too just half an hour before Sardar's next session was going to begin at 4 'o clock. So, I missed the second half of case presentation. After I woke up at 6:30 in d evening, I was feeling little bit relaxed but, gloomy also. After dinner, I went for a walk alone. I don't like this period of life, each day I am thinking about the life after college. I will really miss college days. I came back to hostel after walk and founf pahadi and salil gearing up for cricket. We have now halogen lights in basket ball court so, night cricket is now on. We played cricket for more than 3 hrs. Similar rules - one tip one hand out, direct bounce outside the court out and one run for touching the ball with bat. Now, I am back to my room. I am not feeling sleepy.
Tomorrow, I don;t have any task to do. So, I will watch movie tonight. Or, probably we will go for clicking some photographs in d morning. Let's see. Going for a movie.
GV
On 5th morning, I woke up early to finish up the remaining work. Sardar's presentation was about to begin at 10:30 in the morning so we took the prints and went for class. Our was Group 4. We did not do any analysis for the case because as per our opinion, Sardar would have expected only case this time. But, to our surprise he was expecting analysis too. Anyways, we will submit it later. I came back to room after lunch. We played cricket in corridor. I will miss this more than anything else friends - Gopa, HK, Pandey G. They have really accommodated me too much. Today there was a cricket match also - Aus vs Sri Lanka. I started watching it but, soon fell into sleep that too just half an hour before Sardar's next session was going to begin at 4 'o clock. So, I missed the second half of case presentation. After I woke up at 6:30 in d evening, I was feeling little bit relaxed but, gloomy also. After dinner, I went for a walk alone. I don't like this period of life, each day I am thinking about the life after college. I will really miss college days. I came back to hostel after walk and founf pahadi and salil gearing up for cricket. We have now halogen lights in basket ball court so, night cricket is now on. We played cricket for more than 3 hrs. Similar rules - one tip one hand out, direct bounce outside the court out and one run for touching the ball with bat. Now, I am back to my room. I am not feeling sleepy.
Tomorrow, I don;t have any task to do. So, I will watch movie tonight. Or, probably we will go for clicking some photographs in d morning. Let's see. Going for a movie.
GV
Thursday, March 3, 2011
3rd March 2011
Woke up early ( I mean 7:30 in the morning). The day was little busy - MSO quiz, then PF case preparation. Oh! I ran away from MSO class in between. I hope Prof. Mittal had not noticed me absconding from the class. After that - whole afternoon was devoted to PF case preparation on CWDL's Minjur plant. I know we are going to screw it big time in presentation day after tomorrow. Also, have a mid sem of MPC tomorrow. RRKS has asked for closed book case exam on Aggregate planning and scheduling. I haven't read anything about these two topics as of yet. By the way, came across a beautiful gazal by Faiz Ahmed Faiz - Gulon me rang bhare, baad - e - naubahar chale, sung by Mehandi Hasan. Amazing poetry. Probably will listen to it a few times more before I go to sleep. Presenting the gazal here:
गुलों मे रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
कफ़स उदास है यारों सबा से कुछ तो कहो
कहीं तो बह्र-ए-खुदा आज ज़िक्र-ए-यार चले
कभी तो सुब्ह तेरे कुन्ज-ए-लब से हो आगाज़
कभी तो शब् सर-ए-काकुल से मुश्कबार चले
बड़ा है दर्द का रिश्ता, ये दिल गरीब सही
तुम्हारे नाम पे आएंगे गमगुसार चले
जो हम पे गुजरी सो गुजरी मगर शब्-ए-हिजरां
हमारे अश्क तेरी आकबत संवार चले
हुज़ूर-ए-यार हुई दफ्तर-ए-जूनून की तलब
गिरह मे लेके गरेबां के तार-तार चले
मकाम कोई फैज़ राह मे जचा ही नही
जो कू-ए-यार से निकले तो सू-ए-दार चले
Wonderful piece of work Faiz Saheb. Its intense and deep and Mehandi Hasan's voice glorifies it further.
That's it for now.
Gyan Vikas
गुलों मे रंग भरे, बाद-ए-नौबहार चले
चले भी आओ कि गुलशन का कारोबार चले
कफ़स उदास है यारों सबा से कुछ तो कहो
कहीं तो बह्र-ए-खुदा आज ज़िक्र-ए-यार चले
कभी तो सुब्ह तेरे कुन्ज-ए-लब से हो आगाज़
कभी तो शब् सर-ए-काकुल से मुश्कबार चले
बड़ा है दर्द का रिश्ता, ये दिल गरीब सही
तुम्हारे नाम पे आएंगे गमगुसार चले
जो हम पे गुजरी सो गुजरी मगर शब्-ए-हिजरां
हमारे अश्क तेरी आकबत संवार चले
हुज़ूर-ए-यार हुई दफ्तर-ए-जूनून की तलब
गिरह मे लेके गरेबां के तार-तार चले
मकाम कोई फैज़ राह मे जचा ही नही
जो कू-ए-यार से निकले तो सू-ए-दार चले
Wonderful piece of work Faiz Saheb. Its intense and deep and Mehandi Hasan's voice glorifies it further.
That's it for now.
Gyan Vikas
Straight drive
एक दिन हमें जिंदगी जीने का शौक चर्राया,
होठों से शराब, गज़ल को सीने से लगा लाया |
घूमते फिरते थे लेकर खुश्बू दिल्लगी की,
हर हिचकी के संग तेरा नाम जुबाँ पर आया |
बड़े शक - मिजाजी हैं तेरे शहर के रहनुमां,
हर शख्स ने तेरा पता गलत ही बतलाया |
हमने पूछा कि मोहब्बत का क्या मुकाम है प्यारे,
सबने इशारों से राह कब्रिस्तां का दिखलाया |
लड़खड़ाते कदमो से पहुंचे तेरी पनाह पर,
बख़ुदा था नाम खुदा, पर कोई बंदा नजर नहीं आया |
हमने देखा कि क़त्ल की तारीख भी मुआम्मल न लिखी थी,
बस लिखा था, 'हर जीने वाला यूँ ही इस मज़ार पर आया' |
- Gyan Vikas
होठों से शराब, गज़ल को सीने से लगा लाया |
घूमते फिरते थे लेकर खुश्बू दिल्लगी की,
हर हिचकी के संग तेरा नाम जुबाँ पर आया |
बड़े शक - मिजाजी हैं तेरे शहर के रहनुमां,
हर शख्स ने तेरा पता गलत ही बतलाया |
हमने पूछा कि मोहब्बत का क्या मुकाम है प्यारे,
सबने इशारों से राह कब्रिस्तां का दिखलाया |
लड़खड़ाते कदमो से पहुंचे तेरी पनाह पर,
बख़ुदा था नाम खुदा, पर कोई बंदा नजर नहीं आया |
हमने देखा कि क़त्ल की तारीख भी मुआम्मल न लिखी थी,
बस लिखा था, 'हर जीने वाला यूँ ही इस मज़ार पर आया' |
- Gyan Vikas
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
March 2nd, 2011
Just had a feeling that I should record my daily activities for these couple of days left at college.
Yesterday, we had placement party (sponsored by me, HK and Pahadi). Enjoyed every bit of that. Had a beer and more than enough food at Flames restaurant and came late in the night. Then. listened to Jagjit Singh once again - till late in the night, may be early morning. Every time, I listen to those songs, I can't stop myself from singing with him - brilliant lyrics with smooth, silky voice of Jagjit and Chitra.
Then, woke up late in the morning - may be at 9:30 and missed the morning lecture. I don't feel like going to classes now, as if they are not teaching what they should. But, sometimes I do feel an urge to sit in these classrooms and just listen to whatever professors are saying. I don't want to participate in those crappy discussion that we as students do. Let the professor speak, let him pour whatever he knows - an interrupted flow from the teacher. Why don't lectures are conducted in the manner they should be conducted, without any interruption from any student. It breaks the flow of thoughts in mind.
Today is Mahashivratri and Thandai was offered in mess. I didn't like it - too sweet. I remember when I was in mandsaur, we made thandai in holi. In the evening, we went to play squash - me, binod, Gopa, Salil, Akhil and sid. I and Binod are regular players. My arm is paining since then. Squash sucks - every time I go for it, I get some muscle strain. Then, the usual dinner at mess - khichadi and chole. Now, we have to sit for project finance case assignment. Don't know what we are going to present on 5th - really speaking I am in no mood to do any project this summer. Shouldn't the college allow its students to enjoy the last few days without any academic load? I will miss the campus, its life - its an amazing place. This was the longest holiday I could have - 726 days ( since 19th june 2009 when I left cognizant). I don't want to go back to work but, I have to.
That's it for today.
Gyan
Yesterday, we had placement party (sponsored by me, HK and Pahadi). Enjoyed every bit of that. Had a beer and more than enough food at Flames restaurant and came late in the night. Then. listened to Jagjit Singh once again - till late in the night, may be early morning. Every time, I listen to those songs, I can't stop myself from singing with him - brilliant lyrics with smooth, silky voice of Jagjit and Chitra.
Then, woke up late in the morning - may be at 9:30 and missed the morning lecture. I don't feel like going to classes now, as if they are not teaching what they should. But, sometimes I do feel an urge to sit in these classrooms and just listen to whatever professors are saying. I don't want to participate in those crappy discussion that we as students do. Let the professor speak, let him pour whatever he knows - an interrupted flow from the teacher. Why don't lectures are conducted in the manner they should be conducted, without any interruption from any student. It breaks the flow of thoughts in mind.
Today is Mahashivratri and Thandai was offered in mess. I didn't like it - too sweet. I remember when I was in mandsaur, we made thandai in holi. In the evening, we went to play squash - me, binod, Gopa, Salil, Akhil and sid. I and Binod are regular players. My arm is paining since then. Squash sucks - every time I go for it, I get some muscle strain. Then, the usual dinner at mess - khichadi and chole. Now, we have to sit for project finance case assignment. Don't know what we are going to present on 5th - really speaking I am in no mood to do any project this summer. Shouldn't the college allow its students to enjoy the last few days without any academic load? I will miss the campus, its life - its an amazing place. This was the longest holiday I could have - 726 days ( since 19th june 2009 when I left cognizant). I don't want to go back to work but, I have to.
That's it for today.
Gyan
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Good day
Had a good day today. Presented my project finance sheet and it really feels good to see that the effort I put was acclaimed. Hope this flow continues. Long weekend ahead - a national holiday, then a couple of days off for Techkriti and moreover, nothing much to do. I wish I could go somewhere with pals especially to meet old friends... wanna hang out for an evening with them. Lets see when it comes true. A couple of more months are left here - lets put some more effort. But, party hard too because these days are not going to come back.
One more thing - trying to grow my hairs and beard this time, that will be a real fun when I will go home with this bearded look. Oh God! this is the last chance when I can do this.
Lets see, as days unfold something more interesting will come out also :)
Cheers
Gyan
One more thing - trying to grow my hairs and beard this time, that will be a real fun when I will go home with this bearded look. Oh God! this is the last chance when I can do this.
Lets see, as days unfold something more interesting will come out also :)
Cheers
Gyan
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Life as an optimization problem
It’s been really long time that I posted something on this blog. I needed some time to enjoy the things as they are, not un-necessarily thinking about them and commenting on their existence. It is always better to relish the life as it is, isn’t it? Sometimes we think too much about the problems and see them as monster. There are some problems which are really humongous in nature but for all else, there is a simple solution. Just disassociate yourself from that and then try to solve it. Once you are detached from that problem you will feel no pain in killing them. During last couple of years, especially since the day I joined IIT K, I have realized that life is pretty simple if you allow it to be like that. Off course, I am in good health, sound mental state and in positive bent of mind & that’s why I am being able to think like this but, believe me it is something that can be copied by anybody who just wishes to be happy.
We have learnt about optimization problems in mathematics. For those who are unaware, optimization problems aim to achieve maximization of utility value subject to some constraints. This is the core of economics – the all substance. And believe me, if you understand this problem thoroughly you will never be disappointed in your life because by nature itself it tries to maximize the utility function. Life is an optimization problem. Happiness is the utility of it that we need to maximize subjected to some constraints like money, family life, emotional quotient, intellectual satisfaction etc. More formally, an optimization problem A is a quadruple (I, f, m, g), where
I is a set of instances;
given an instance x e(read as epsilon) I , f(x) is the set of feasible solutions;
Given an instance x and a feasible solution y of x, m(x, y) denotes the measure of y, which is usually a positive real.
g is the goal function, and is either min or max.
The goal is then to find for some instance x an optimal solution, that is, a feasible solution y with
m(x,y) = g{m(x,y') | y' e(epsilon) f(x)}
When put formally, it looks like a difficult problem for a non – mathematics person. But, the truth is that we use it so often in our lives. We go to market to buy some apparel for ourselves – we have a limited budget and we try to find out something which suits our budget and pleases us also. So, in a sense we maximize our happiness constrained to our budget. There is nothing new about it – it’s straight forward. But, then how to use it in life? We have so many constraints in life – so many bounding factors. Alas! The complexity of the problem becomes so high that it is not feasible to solve it.
The solution lies in the way we see the situation. Using the concept of Aggregate Planning we can couple the constraint. In a nut shell, instead of looking the finer details look at the bigger picture. Try to combine the constraints. This will help you in reducing the complexity of the problem. In a common man’s life the major constraints are – economics (money), intellect (career), Social (family) and health. One needs to maximize his utility that is happiness subjected to these four factors. Any of these is broken lose and the solution starts falling in infeasible area.
It is always easy to recognize these factors and work accordingly. There is nothing new about it, nothing new about this concept. The only purpose of putting it here is that someday when I will feel low, feel disappointed, frustrated I will come back and refer to this article and will once again march ahead with joy.
Cheers,
Gyan Vikas
We have learnt about optimization problems in mathematics. For those who are unaware, optimization problems aim to achieve maximization of utility value subject to some constraints. This is the core of economics – the all substance. And believe me, if you understand this problem thoroughly you will never be disappointed in your life because by nature itself it tries to maximize the utility function. Life is an optimization problem. Happiness is the utility of it that we need to maximize subjected to some constraints like money, family life, emotional quotient, intellectual satisfaction etc. More formally, an optimization problem A is a quadruple (I, f, m, g), where
I is a set of instances;
given an instance x e(read as epsilon) I , f(x) is the set of feasible solutions;
Given an instance x and a feasible solution y of x, m(x, y) denotes the measure of y, which is usually a positive real.
g is the goal function, and is either min or max.
The goal is then to find for some instance x an optimal solution, that is, a feasible solution y with
m(x,y) = g{m(x,y') | y' e(epsilon) f(x)}
When put formally, it looks like a difficult problem for a non – mathematics person. But, the truth is that we use it so often in our lives. We go to market to buy some apparel for ourselves – we have a limited budget and we try to find out something which suits our budget and pleases us also. So, in a sense we maximize our happiness constrained to our budget. There is nothing new about it – it’s straight forward. But, then how to use it in life? We have so many constraints in life – so many bounding factors. Alas! The complexity of the problem becomes so high that it is not feasible to solve it.
The solution lies in the way we see the situation. Using the concept of Aggregate Planning we can couple the constraint. In a nut shell, instead of looking the finer details look at the bigger picture. Try to combine the constraints. This will help you in reducing the complexity of the problem. In a common man’s life the major constraints are – economics (money), intellect (career), Social (family) and health. One needs to maximize his utility that is happiness subjected to these four factors. Any of these is broken lose and the solution starts falling in infeasible area.
It is always easy to recognize these factors and work accordingly. There is nothing new about it, nothing new about this concept. The only purpose of putting it here is that someday when I will feel low, feel disappointed, frustrated I will come back and refer to this article and will once again march ahead with joy.
Cheers,
Gyan Vikas
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