Revenge

A 19 year old joins Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta to pursue a PG degree in Mathematics.

The institute was headed by a world-famous Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (PCM).

PCM was the author of India's Second 5-Year Plan which was popularly known as Mahalanobis plan.

PCM had an enmity with the 19 year old's father on a certain business issue.

Using his power as Head of the Institute, PCM prevailed upon other Professors to fail the 19 yr old again and again.

Try he may with all his study and hard work, the youngster could not clear the exams.

He was on the brink of ruin when he came to know that PCM was behind his continuous failures.

What can a 19 yr old do to a highly placed Professor who wielded enormous influence.

But he decided to take on PCM.

With this single point agenda, he sat in the library and started reading all of PCM's works and publications.

Those were the No-Google days.

The youngster spent months in the library reading everything that had reference to PCM.

He came across PCM'S theory on practical analysis and found out that it was copied from a publication by a lesser-known Russian Professor in 1930.

He also identified that the famous Mahalanobis 5-yr plan India's second was a copy of the Russian Professor's plan of 1930.

The youngster knew that his attempt to expose this in the print media will not be successful, given PCM's enormous influence. He wrote a detailed note to the Economics Dept at Harvard explaining his findings.

Harvard immediately took note of this as it concerned the Second 5-Yr Plan of India. They in turn wrote to the journal that had published PCM's work.

The journal in turn checked out the veracity of the youngster's note and wrote to PCM asking him to explain, failing which they threatened to publish the youngster's note. PCM was stumped and was helpless.

The journal then proceeded to expose the plagiarism of PCM and further announced the withdrawal of PCM's article it had published earlier. PCM lost his international reputation.

PCM lost his international funding support, the opportunity to write articles on his other works and the collaborations he had built with other international Professors all in one stroke. He was reduced to nothing.

The damage to his reputation was far more severe than that would have been created by a dagger driven to his heart.

The youngster received a letter from the Economics Dept at Harvard. Praising the extensive research of the 19 yr old, the University offered him an opportunity to study Economics at Harvard with Rockefeller Scholarship support.

That 19 years Old boy is Dr.Subramanian_Swamy

Just Drop

A Crow and Garuda

Once a Crow, holding on to a piece of meat was flying to a place to sit & eat.

However, a flock of Eagles were chasing it. The crow was anxious and was flying higher and higher, yet eagles were after the poor crow.

Just then "Garuda" saw the plight and  pain in the eyes of the crow. Coming closer to the crow, he asked:

"What's wrong? You seem to be very "disturbed" and in  "stress"?"..

The crow cried "Look at these eagles!! They are after me to kill me".

Garuda being the bird of wisdom spoke "Oh my friend!! They are not after you to kill you!! They are after that piece of meat that you are holding in your beak". Just drop it and see what will happen.

The crow followed the instructions of Garuda and dropped the piece of meat, and there you go, all the eagles flew towards the falling meat.

Garuda smiled and said "The Pain is only till you hold on to it" Just Drop" it.

The crow just bowed and said "I dropped this piece of meat, now, I can fly even higher.."

There is a message for us from this story too:

1. People carry  the huge burden called "Ego," which creates a false identity about us, that we create for ourselves saying "I need love, I need to be invited, I am so and so.. "etc..." Just Drop ....

2. People get irritated fast by "others actions" it can be my friend, My parent, My children, My colleague, My life partner... and I get the fumes of "anger "..."Just Drop....

3. People compare themselves with others.. in beauty, wealth, life style, marks, talent and appraisals and feel disturbed... We must be grateful with what we have ... comparisons, negative emotions .." Just Drop...

Just drop the burden

It is this logic
From dust to dust

That is why in Hindu temples ash vibuthi is given to constantly remind we are nothing but dust.

The Contact and Connection

The year was 1990.   I was returning from Delhi by flight with a monk of the RamaKrishna Mission. A  journalist from Chile was there with us . He started interviewing  the monk, as had been decided earlier.

Journalist - Dear Sir , in your last lecture, you  told about Jogajog ( contact ) &  Sanjog (connection ). It's really confusing. Can you explain it to me ?

The Monk smiled a little but apparently deviating from the question,  he asked the journalist:Are you from Chile ?
Journalist( J ) - Yeh...
Monk ( M ) - Who are there at home ?
The Journalist felt that the  Monk was trying to avoid answering his question since  this was a very personal and unwarranted question. Yet the  journalist  said:    "Mother has expired. Father is there. Three brothers and one sister. All are married..."
The Monk, a smile on his  face,   asked next: - "Do you talk to your father?"
Now the  journalist looked visibly annoyed...
The Monk  - "When did you talk to him last?" The
journalist supressing his annoyance said:  "May be a month back."
The Monk:  "Do you brothers and sisters meet often ? When did you last meet as a family together?"

At this point, I saw  sweat on the journalist's  fore head. I wondered who was taking whose interview. It seemed that the   Monk was taking the interview of the journalist.

With a sigh , the journalist said: "We met last at Christmas two  years  ago."
The Monk: " How many days did you all stay together ?"

The journalist ( wiping the sweat on his brow) : "Three days..."
Monk: "How much time did you  spend with your Father, sitting right  beside him ?"
I saw the journalist looking  perplexed and embarassed and scribbling something on a paper...
The Monk:  "Did you have breakfast or lunch or dinner together ? Did you ask how he was? Did you ask how his days are passing after your mother's death ?"

I saw the journalist's eyes sadden.

The Monk placed his hand on the journalist's hand and said: "don't be embrassed or upset or sad. I am sorry if I have hurt you unknowingly...
But this is basically the answer to your question about "contact and connection ( jogajog and Sanjog)".  You have 'contact'  with your father but you don't have 'connection' with him. You are not connected to him. Connection is between heart and heart... sitting together , sharing meals , caring for & hugging each other. Touch , shaking hands, having eye contact,  spending some time together...You  brothers and sisters have 'contact' with each  but you have no  'connection' with each other...."

The journalist wiped his eyes and said : "Thanks for teaching me a fine and unforgettable lesson"

This is the reality today.
Whether at home, in society and elsewhere everybody has lots and lots of contacts but there is no connection. No communication Everybody is in a his or her own world.

Let's not be well "contacted" - let's be well "connected" ,  with each other ...... caring , sharing , touching , hugging , spending time together with all our near and dear ones, and other co-passengers in our life travels.

God bless us all!

WHY ME?

A Beautiful Message
by Arthur Ashe ,

The legendary Wimbledon Player who was dying of AIDS , which he got due to Infected Blood he received during a Heart Surgery in 1983 !

during his illness , he received letters from his fans , one of which conveyed :

" Why did God have to select you for such a bad disease ? "

To this Arthur Ashe replied :

⁃50 Million children started playing Tennis ,

⁃5 Million learnt to play Tennis ,

⁃500 000 learnt Professional Tennis ,

⁃50 Thousand came to Circuit ,

⁃5 Thousand reached Grand Slam ,

⁃50 reached Wimbledon ,

⁃4 reached the Semifinals ,

⁃2 reached the Finals and

when I was holding the cup in my hand , I never asked God :

" Why Me ? "

So now that I'm in pain how can I ask God :

" Why Me ? "

Happiness ... keeps you Sweet !

Trials ... keep you Strong !

Sorrows ... keep you Human !

Failure ... keeps you Humble !

Success ... keeps you Glowing !

But only , Faith ... keeps you Going !

Sometimes you are not satisfied with your life , while many people in this world are dreaming of living your life .

A child on a farm sees a plane fly overhead dreams of flying , while  a pilot on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of returning home .

That's life !

Enjoy yours ... If wealth is the secret to happiness , then the rich should be dancing on the streets .

But only poor kids do that .

If power ensures security , then VIPs should walk unguarded .

But those who live simply , sleep soundly .

If beauty and fame bring ideal relationships , then celebrities should have the best marriages .

Live simply , be happy ! Walk humbly and love genuinely ! 

WHY ME ?

A Beautiful Message not just to read and forward but to apply practically in our personal life .

whom are you waiting?

Gautam Buddha comes into a town. The whole town has gathered to listen to him but he goes on waiting, looking backwards at the road – because a small girl, not more than thirteen years old, has  met him on the road and told him, ”Wait for me. I am going to give this food to my father at the farm, but I will be back in time. But don’t forget, wait for me.”

Finally, the elders of the town say to Gautam Buddha, ”For whom are you waiting? Everybody  important is present; you can start your discourse.”

Buddha says, ”But the person for whom I have come so far is not yet present and I have to wait.”

Finally the girl arrives and she says, ”I am a little late, but you kept your promise. I knew you would  keep the promise, you had to keep the promise because I have been waiting for you since I became  aware... maybe I was four years old when I heard your name. Just the name, and something started  ringing a bell in my heart. And since then it has been so long – ten years maybe – that I have been
waiting.”

And Buddha says, ”You have not been waiting uselessly. You are the person who has been attracting  me to this village.”

And he speaks, and that girl is the only one who comes to him: ”Initiate me. I have waited enough,  and now I want to be with you.”

Buddha says, ”You have to be with me because your town is so far off the way that I cannot come  again and again. The road is long, and I am getting old.”  In that whole town not a single person came up to be initiated into meditation – only that small girl.  In the night when they were going to sleep, Buddha’s chief disciple Ananda asked, ”Before you go  to sleep I want to ask you one question: do you feel a certain pull towards a certain space – just like  a magnetic pull?”

And Buddha said, ”You are right. That’s how I decide my journeys. When I feel that somebody is  thirsty – so thirsty that without me, there is no way for the person – I have to move in that direction.”

The master moves towards the disciple. The disciple moves towards the master. Sooner or later they are going to meet.  The meeting is not of the body, the meeting is not of the mind. The meeting is of the very soul – as if suddenly you bring two lamps close to each other; the lamps remain separate but their  flames become one. Between two bodies when the soul is one, it is very difficult to say that it is a relationship. It is not, but there is no other word; language is really poor.  It is at-oneness.

BALUCHISTAN – Occupied by Pakistan since 1948

Not many people know that Baluchistan was not a part of Pakistan in 1947; And that it was invaded in 1948 by Pakistan who is occupying it ever since without any international protests. Pakistan has continued to commit genocide and loot the natural resources of this mineral rich State.

The strategic importance of Balochistan has had, and still has, a positive and negative effect on Baluch nationalism. Because of its strategic location in the Perso-Oman Gulf, with 700 miles long seacoast, the area has been important to the trade of the West since the rise of the imperialism. Its strategic importance provides an opportunity to the Baluch nationalists to deal with big or superpowers in order to liberate the country. During the “Great Game”, the major reason for the occupation of Baluchistan by British was to check the advance of the Russians towards the Baluch coast in the Arabian Sea. During the two World Wars, Britain did not share the occupation of Western Baluchistan with the Russians because of the fear of Russian access to warm waters. In 1928, Britain refuse to recognize the regime of Mir Dost Mohammad Baranzai in Western Baluchistan. because he was alleged to be in contact with the Soviets. In 1944, General Money, after studying the constitutional position of Baluchistan, favoured its independence. In 1947, Britain opposed the independence of Baluchistan and urged Pakistan to occupy Baluchistan in order to crush the nationalists and anti-imperialist or pro-Soviet forces

Different Jesus For Different Country

 

This is the excellent picture explaining everything on Christian Propaganda all over the world. Institution and Vatican working and monitoring projects in different country very minutely and so they transformed Jesus differently and adjust his persona as per culture of country.

1. Different Jesus for different country ask students to become Christian in every school, He ask them to go to Church.
2. Jesus ask every patient in hospital who is in need of money to get transformed into Christian before getting helped.
3. If country is hit by earthquake then Jesus went there very fast and ask everyone to become Christian before he will help them.
4. Jesus favorite son is tribals, Every tribal goes to missionary for food, some money and bible.
5. Jesus favorite shop is school like St Mary, St Stephen, St Xavier, GD Mother etc

The Wisdom of The Vishnu Purana

 
She is Language, he is Thought
She is Prudence, he is Law
He is Reason; she is Sense
She is Duty; he is Right
He is Will; she is Wish
He is Pity; she is Gift
He is Song; she is Note
She is Fuel; he is Fire
She is Glory; he is Sun
She is Motion; he is Wind
He is Owner; she is Wealth
He is Battle ; she is Might
He is Lamp; she is Light
He is Day; she is Night
He is Justice; she is Pity
He is Channel; she is River
She is Beauty; he is Strength
She is Body; he is Soul

Godavari Pushkaralu

Pushkaram is an Indian festival dedicated to worshiping of rivers. It is also known as Pushkaralu (in Telugu), Pushkara or Pushkar.


It is celebrated at shrines along the banks of 12 major sacred rivers in India, in the form of ancestor worship, spiritual discourses, devotional music and cultural programmes. The celebration happens annually, once in 12 years along each river. Each river is associated with a zodiac sign, and the river for each year's festival is based on which sign Jupiter is in at the time. Due to regional variations, some of the zodiac signs are associated with multiple rivers.

Each river is associated with a zodiac sign, and the river for each year's festival is based on which zodiac sign the planet Jupiter (Bṛhaspati) is in at that time. The Pushkaram is part of the Hindu . Therefore, the names of 12 rivers may vary depending on the regional traditions. For example, in Maharashtra, Bhima is associated with Scorpio sign, while in Tamil Nadu, Tamraparni is associated with it. The sacred rivers include:

River	Rashi (Hindu zodiac sign)	Corresponding Western zodiac sign
Ganges	Mesha	Aries
Narmada	Vrishabha	Taurus
Saraswati	Mithuna	Gemini
Yamuna	Karka	Cancer
Godavari	Simha	Leo
Krishna	Kanya	Virgo
Sangu Theertham tank at Vedagiriswarar temple	Kanya	Virgo
Kaveri	Tula	Libra
Bhima	Vrishchika	Scorpio
Tamraparni (Thamirabarani)	Vrishchika	Scorpio
Tapti (Pushkaravahini)	Dhanus	Sagittarius
Tungabhadra	Makara	Capricorn
Sindhu (Indus)	Kumbha	Aquarius
Pranhita (Parineeta)	Mina	Pisces

The best Place to visit at Godavari Pushkarams is Narasapuram, Kovvur and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh and Dharmapuri, Karimnagar, Kaleshwaram and Bhadrachalam in Telangana state. The Temple Town of Bhadrachalam is expected to witness a congregation of over a crore devotees during the 12-day event,

Story - " Burnt Roti "

Ex Indian President Dr. Abdul Kalam Says:
 

"When I was a kid, my Mom cooked food for us.
 

One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day's work, Mom placed a plate of 'subzi' and extremely burnt roti in front of my Dad.

I was waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt roti. But Dad just ate his roti and asked me how was my day at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologizing to Dad for the burnt roti.

And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burnt roti." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy, good night & I asked him if he really liked his roti burnt. He wrapped me in his arms & said:
 
"Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired. And besides... A burnt roti never hurts anyone but HARSH WORDS DO!"

Blood Shedding in Kashmir

A Kashmiri Separatist, a MSM News Reporter and a tough Para-Commando were captured by terrorists in Kashmir.
The Chief of the terrorists told them he'd grant each of them
one last request before they were beheaded in front of a Camera.

The Kashmiri Separatist said,'Well, before I die I want to drink a last cup of Kahwah (Kashmiri Green-Tea).'
The Chief nodded to an underling who left and returned with the Kahwa. The Kashmiri Separatist drank it all and said, 'Now I can die content.'
Now the Chief turned towards the News-reporter and repeated the same question - "What is your last wish before you die?"
The News-reporter said - "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my Camcorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen.
Maybe, someday, someone will watch it and know the Truth.
The Chief directed an aide to hand over the Camcorder and the reporter dictated her comments.
She then said, "Now I can die happy.."
The Chief turned to the Commando and asked - "And now, Army Dog, what is your final wish?"
'Punch me hard,' said the Para-Commando.
"What?" - asked the Chief, surprised a bit- " You dare to mock us? "
"No, I'm NOT kidding. I want you to punch me as hard as you can' insisted the Para-Commando.
"With pleasure" - replied the Terrorists' Chief, grinning from face to face.
The Terrorists' Chief then punches the Commando so hard that he falls back a couple of feet on his back.
But as the Commando touches the ground, he rolls over, pulls a 9 mm Silenced pistol hidden in his boots and shoots the Chief dead.
In the resulting confusion, he emptied his Pistol on six terrorists, then with his knife he slashed the throat of one, and with an AK-47, which he took from one of the already dead terrorists, sprayed the rest of the terrorists killing the remainder.
In a flash, all of the Terrorists including their Chief, were dead.
As the soldier was untying the Kashmiri Separatist and the reporter, they asked him - 'Why didn't you just shoot them all in the first place? Why did you ask him to punch him?
'Because' replied the soldier, 'if I had fired the First Shot, you two would have reported that I was the aggressor and the root cause of all the blood shedding in Kashmir !!'

                                                                                                        General V.K. Singh

YADU DYNASTY.

Lord Krishna declared that whenever the earth suffered due to wrong ways of its people, where the pious were tormented, He would be born and the sufferings of the earth would be reduced by eliminating those responsible for these wrong doings! During Krishnavathara he demonstrated this, initially killing many demons during his childhood like Putana, Trinavatra,Chakatasur, Vatsasur, Bakasur, Aghasur, Denukasur, Pralamba, and Banasur and others.

 
Later with the advent of Mahabharat war, Jarasandha, Sisupala, ,the Kauravas were killed, similarly Dantavakra, Mura, Banasur, Divida, Vasudeva Paundra were tricked to kill themselves, similarly Vrkasur was killed. Lord also subdued the ego of the celestials like Brahma, Indra, and the ferocious Kaliya the serpant!
 
Having done all this he deliberated along with His brother Balarama and concluded that His mission upon earth is nearing its end, and still His own clan has not learnt to be humble, pious and were too arrogant and unfit to rule the kingdom any longer. So he decided to put an end to His clan too.

He willed that they would perish due to their own bad ways incurring the wrath of the elders! Lord Krishna said just like a bamboo bush catches fire due friction of bamboos themselves and eventually destroys the entire bush, the Yadu clan would annihilate themselves! Once holy rituals were performed at the house of Vasudeva the chief of Yadus and father of Krishna, and the rituals were conducted by eminent sages such as Asita, kanva,Durvasa, Brighu, Angira, Kasyapa, Vamadeva, Atri, Vasishta, Naradha and others.

As soon as the rituals got over and the sages were honoured and gifts and dana were given to all, Lord suggested that the sages visit a pilgrimage centre called Pindaraka. This suggestion was received well by the sages and they proceeded to that place. They enjoyed the serene surroundings and camped there for a while before setting off to their respective asramas.

It was then the youngsters of Yadhu dynasty gathered there and wanted to play a prank on all the honourable sages, and they chose Krishna’s son through Jambavathi called Samba who was very handsome and dressed him up like a young lady who was pregnant and took him along with other friends to meet the sages who had camped there.

They reached their hermitage and presented themselves before the assembly of eminent sages, and spoke to them. They said that the young lady who has come before them is expecting a baby, and they being well knowledgeable and endowed should bless her to have a baby boy! As she was very shy of asking them, on her behalf they are putting forth this request!

The sages who were aware of all the three modes of time, the past, present and future got angry at this insult and ignorance of Yadhus and proclaimed that the lady would deliver an iron club! As soon as they heard this their joy faded and fear gripped them and their face became pale and they started trembling. Soon they discovered that Samba could feel a heavy object in his tummy!

Not knowing how to react they retreated and took him to their elders and confessed to them of what had happened! Soon the iron club was taken out of his tummy! The King Ugrasena immediately ordered that the club be smashed into fine powder and spread in the ocean so that the danger of its affecting the youth could be averted!

As ordered it was pounded and the powdered club was scattered into the ocean! But a small piece was swallowed by a fish. As the it was an iron club it did not get dissolved and the waves pushed the granules on to the shore! Within a short period of time there grew a grove of canes full of strong and lengthy blades of grass known as “Eraka”!

Even today incidentally the grass has a flower that looks like an iron club! Time passed and one day all the Yadhu ruling clan due to their puffed up ego and reckless ways of living consumed liquor and were intoxicated and lost their senses and incidentally this happened when they were making merry at the sea shore very near the bushes that had grown out of the iron club!

They started abusing each other in an inebriated condition and started exchanging blows at each other!

What happened next? Was Lord Krishna too affected by the curse as he was one among Yadhus? Let us see in the next posting!

Very soon their weapons were all broken in the milieu but they still harboured intensive anger for each other. They all went to the sea shore and uprooted the grass that had grown over there and started fighting with each other striking with that stalk and the blade of grass!

The grass was so sharp it slit the throats of many and cut the limbs of all! Quickly the scene changed into one of despair and almost all of them had perished!

In the meanwhile a fisherman had caught a big fish in that area and carried it to his home and that day he wanted to cook and eat it, so he cut the fish and to his surprise he found the sharp metal object in its belly, he immediately thought that it could be fixed at the tip of his arrow to deliver that lethal punch when he shoots the arrow to hunt.

Accordingly he fashioned it well and fixed it at the tip of his arrow! Then he proceeded to Prabhasa kshetra that was a dense forest to hunt. There Lord Krishna was camping and taking rest under a big Pipal tree. The hunter while searching for an animal looked at the foot of the Lord from a distance and mistook it to be the trunk of deer and issued the arrow which found its target without fail, blood started oozing out of the wound!

When the hunter came near he was startled to find the Lord lying there with his leg wounded! The hunter realized his mistake and wept and sought pardon for his mistake and even pleaded that he be killed for the mistake he had committed, the Lord smilingly replied that it was the His own desire and the words of sages that came to be true!

And also said that the hunter was not at fault as he had done only his swadharma! Soon the celestial assembled there Lord Brahma and Lord Siva had also arrived, Lord Krishna became an illuminated self and merged with the form of Sriman Narayana as all the assembled celestial were watching, they showered flower petals and sounded kettle drums and bugles!

HAMPI (VIJAYA NAGAR)

 HAMPI Once the capital of south India and now just Ruins.

The Vijayanagar Kingdom which was established by two HINDU - TELUGU Yadava brothers HARIHARA and BUKKA RAYA in 1336, while entire India was under control of sultans, these brothers established a HINDU empire in south India Comprising Andhra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and some parts of odisha.

 

In which KRISHNADEVA RAYA'S period was golden era (1506 - 1523).They ruled from 1336 to 1565 for more than 200 years and in 1565 then Empire Aliya Ramaraya lost the battle of TALAIKOTTAI to Deccan Sultans and died in war field and then the great Vijaya Nagar empire demolished. The Muslim invaders stayed in the city for 6 months and demolished all the temples, great buildings, palace etc. 
 

The typical version Hampi’s history starts with a popular folklore. Two local chieftains, Hakka & Bukka , reports to their guru an unusual sight they saw during a hunting expedition. A hare chased by their hound suddenly turns courageous and start chasing back the hound.

Vidyaranya, the guru, tells them that the place is so special and asks them to establish theirs local capital at this place. The seed of an empire was sown.Over the next 200 plus years (1336 AD – 1565 AD) four dynasties ruled Vijayanagar .

History of Vijayanagar’s had been a saga of resistance against the northern Sultanates as well as building of its spectacular capital in Hampi. Domingo Paes, a Portuguese horse trader, who visited Hampi during its heydays wrote in a letter (most likely to João de Barros , the famous Portuguese historian) “The size of this city I do not write here, because it cannot all be seen from any one spot, but I climbed a hill ( most likely the Matunga Hill) whence I could see a great part of it. I could not see it all because it lies between several ranges of hills. What I saw from thence seemed to me as large as Rome, and very beautiful to the sight; there are many groves of trees within it, in the gardens of the houses, and many conduits of water which flow into the midst of it, and in places there are lakes and the king has close to his palace a palm-grove and other

rich-bearing fruit-trees. Below the Moorish quarter is a little river, and on this side are many orchards and gardens with many fruit-trees, for the most part mangoes and areca-palms and jack-trees, and also many lime and orange trees, growing so closely one to another that it appears like a thick forest; and there are also white grapes. All the water which is in the city comes from the two tanks of which I have spoken, outside the first enclosing wall.”

The capital was one major trading center. Anything from horses to gems was traded in Hampi. Art and architecture found its special place in Hampi. The rulers were great patrons of art and religion. Most of the kings associated names of their favorite gods with their names.Some of the kings were renowned for their ambitious projects.

King Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 AD) of the Tuluva Dynasty stands tall among the rest. During his regime the empire saw its peak. By this time Vijayanagara Empire covered the whole of south India and beyond. The Krishna Temple that you can visit in Hampi was commissioned by him to commemorate the victory over the Gajapathi kings of Utkala (in present day Orissa state).

The warring Deccan Sultanates could finally join together to defeat the Vijayanagara army at Talarikota, a place north of Hampi. Vijayanagara army suffered heavy losses. The capital city was plundered, its population massacred. Treasure hunters ransacked its palaces and temples for months.Kings lost, capital fallen, population fled, Hampi turned into a ghost city. For centuries Hampi remained as a neglected place. This erstwhile metropolitan with more than half a million population slowly turned into a jungle where wild animals roamed freely. The area came under many kings from time to time with the flow of history. But it was no more considered strategic and hence neglected.

Vijayanagara Empire:
Sangama Dynasty:
Harihara Raya I 1336-1356
Bukka Raya I 1356-1377
Harihara Raya II 1377-1404
Virupaksha Raya 1404-1405
Bukka Raya II 1405-1406
Deva Raya I 1406-1422
Ramachandra Raya 1422
Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya 1422-1424
Deva Raya II 1424-1446
Mallikarjuna Raya 1446-1465
Virupaksha Raya II 1465-1485
Praudha Raya 1485
Saluva Dynasty:
Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya 1485-1491
Thimma Bhupala 1491
Narasimha Raya II 1491-1505
Tuluva Dynasty:
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka 1491-1503
Viranarasimha Raya 1503-1509
Krishna Deva Raya 1509-1529
Achyuta Deva Raya 1529-1542
Sadashiva Raya 1542-1570
Aravidu Dynasty:
Aliya Rama Raya 1542-1565
Tirumala Deva Raya 1565-1572
Sriranga I 1572-1586
Venkata II 1586-1614
Sriranga II 1614-1614
Ramadeva 1617-1632
Venkata III 1632-1642
Sriranga III 1642-1646

How much sugar in cool drinks?

 
I wish every school will have this! It will show how much sugar in every drink. Show and tell!

THE KING AND GOLDEN COIN

Once a sadhu was sitting underneath a tree with some of his followers and was speaking Krishna katha and doing bhajan and kirtana.

The king of that country happened to pass by, followed by his ministers, and many people in a grand procession.

The king looked at that sadhu and asked his minister, Who is he ? What is he doing?

The minister said, Maharaj, he is a mahamurkha. He has no intelligence and creates only disturbances.

Then king went ahead. but that night he thought very deeply ,oh, there is some fool in my kingdom, whoever is the greatest fool, Ill reward him.

The next morning he called his minister and gave him a gold coin, this is the reward for the greatest fool in my kingdom

The minister went around asking various people , Are you a murkha?

People laughed and no one was willing to accept that he was fool. After searching for the whole day and not finding anyone, he was tired and morose.

He finally came to the sadhu, who was chanting peacefully. On enquiring, the minister told his agony of not finding any fool, and feared of Kings punishment.

The sadhu said, Why should the king inflict punishment on you? All right I am the greatest fool.

The minister gave him the coin, immediately the sadhu threw it into the garbage.The minister thought that sadhu threw the gold coin in the garbage, definitely, he is greatest fool.Finally minister reported the whole incident to the king.

A few years passed and the king was on his deathbed.This sadhu went to him, and on seeing the king lamenting, he told the king,You are going to die, but you have collected so much wealth. Why are you so morose? Will not all this wealth go with you? Wont you take all these opulence with you?

No, said the King and then sadhu replied,Then you have not earned the real wealth that will follow you, the bhakti dhana, paramaartha dhana, prema dhana. The material wealth is subject to destruction. One who has not earned real wealth is the greatest fool. You are the greatest fool of this kingdom, and so you deserve this gold coin as a reward!

Moral of the stroy:

Just like the king we all are all fools to accumulate wealth, and other opulence, finally at the time of death, we wont be able to take a tiny needle, what to talk of the wealth that we accumulate. Whatever goes with us is the spiritual account. So instead of working like a dog we have to think about accumulating the prema dhana ( love for Krishna ) for Krishna, because nothing else will follow us at the time of our last breathe.

Everyone in the material world is full of thoughts about how to maintain his family, how to protect his wealth. We plan various ways to keep our wealth secure(in form of investments, property, when only Krsna knows if we are going to enjoy our hard labor in future or not), but all our attempts will soon wash out, when death grabs our life air.

We forget that we have to die one day, there is no escapism in case of death.We have come and we have to go. We are fools to think that now we will earn enough money, then when we become old, we will enjoy it. Anything in this material world cant be enjoyed for long, unless it is used in the service of Krishna.

Srila Prabupada advises us that Material possessions, however alluring they may be, cannot be permanent possessions. Therefore one has to voluntarily give up such possessions, or one has to leave such possessions at the time of quitting this material body. The sane man knows that all material possessions are temporary and that the best use of such possessions is to engage them in the service of the Lord so that the Lord may be pleased with him and award him a permanent place in His param dhaama".

As stated in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.30.3,

yad adhruvasya dehasya / saanubandhasya durmatih
dhruvaani manyate mohaad / grha-kshetra-vasuni ca

"The misguided materialist does not know that his very body is impermanent and that the attractions of home, land and wealth, which are in relationship to that body, are also temporary. Out of ignorance only, he thinks that everything is permanent."

Srila Prabhupada quotes in the puport to the above verse that the materialist thinks that persons engaged in Krishna conciousness are crazy fellows wasting time by chanting Hare Krishna but actually he does not know that he himself is in the darkest region of craziness because of accepting his body as permanent. And, in relation to his body, he accepts his home, his country, his society and all other paraphernalia as permanent. This materialistic acceptance of the permanency of home, land, etc., is called the illusion of maya.