Rakshabandhan

Rakshabandhan I

Rakshabandhan is a festival celebrated in India,

To commemorate the love between brothers and sisters.

On this day sisters tie a Rakhi ( a band made with raw cotton thread and decorated with some trinkets),

on their brothers’ hands expressing their love for them.

In return brothers give them a gift expressing their love, support and protection for their sisters.

The most notable occasion using the power of this sentiment is the Rakhi sent by a widow Hindu Rani Karunavati of Chittor to Muslim Mughal ruler Himayun,  accepting him as his brother and asking for his protection against the invading army of Bahadurshah, the ruler of Gujrat.

Himayun was so touched with the gesture that he sent his army to Chittor to defend Rani Karunavati. 

Though he was late, and could not defend Chittor or save  Rani from performing Jouhar,

Himayun still honored the tradition of Rakhi by winning 

Chittour back and coronating Rani’s son as king of Chittour.

The story is a beautiful example of power of human emotions that can never be underestimated no matter how much we counsel ourself using intellect and reason as our guiding light. 

There is something overpowering about these universal emotions of love and compassion and also of courage, and honour defying the religious, cultural, and political boundaries.

It binds us to each other the way reason can never do.

It is for us to cultivate and protect these nurturing  emotions within us and towards each other.

Rakshabandhan II

Today is Rakshabandhan.

It’s been a long time since I have been living abroad.

Few times I have been home for the occasion of Rakshabandhan. 

Mostly it has been Rakhi mailed with best wishes. 

The modern technology of phone, FaceTime, Facebook, etc. gives us a chance to send all brothers my best wishes. 

However I believe there is another virtual world besides the one brought to us from new tech. 

That is the world of our hearts and minds.

This mysterious world that goes deeper to connect us universally. 

Through dreams or some other psychic experiences, miraculously it brings us together with our loved ones from past or present. There is no better joy than this, when it happens unexpectedly and effortlessly. 

Wishing you all love and peace.

Savita Tyagi

8. 9. 2025 

SatyaKamah and SatyaSankalpa (True Desires and True Will)

Ever wondered why different people are drawn to do different things?

Reading Chandogya Upanishad Chapter VIII, section 1, I came across a very interesting and revealing answer. It inspired me to write my thoughts as I am trying to understand these ancient writings. 

In short, Chapter VIII builds up the background and the existence of eternal Desire and eternal Will in us, something like this….

In this small lotus like dwelling ( lotus like dwelling often refers to heart area) that is within the city of Brahman, there is a small space (In Sanskrit it is called Aakash). This space within the heart is as vast as the space outside. 

Here Upanishad makes no difference between Brahman itself and the city of Brahman.

In this true city which is Brahman itself Desires are located. 

In this city of Brahman or (Brahman itself) exists True Desire and True Will. SatyaKamah and SatyaSankalpa.

As people in outside world follow the command of a ruler and within his rule they choose the area that they live in and go about their lives. Same way the desires existing in this space ( here the Upanishad uses the word Atma for this space) are sought out by that soul. The Divine will or SatyaSankalpa that exists in an individual soul guides us to fulfill those desires. Our desires in outside world seem to reflect this innate Desire and Will of our soul. Accordingly we are drawn to seek different interest and activities.

Bhagavad Geeta attributes seeking of desires and actions to our Swabhava ie our innate nature. Our Swabhava is made up of three guna- Satya, rajas, and tamas. We act under the influence of one of these guna. Sometime these guna overlap in different quantity, hence we work simultaneously according to their presence.

Two different ways of explaining one very complex yet very fundamental principle of life. Why we drawn to do something that we like and derive enjoyment from it. In its own mystical way Upanishad sheds a light on it while leaving much to be questioned, pondered and to be contemplated.

In today’s scientific world I wonder if these things are explained through genetics! As we often hear! All is in our Genes!

Savita Tyagi

Note:  I find Chandogya Upanishad very interesting. I like the word eternal better than True while translating SatyaKamah and SatyaSankalpa. 

 

A Miraculous Chain

Desire is the most miraculous chain of all,

Bound by it one runs around constantly,

Freed from it one sits like a cripple!

An ancient Sanskrit proverb.

Being With Self

Inspiration Tearoom & Eatery is a lovely place in Edmond with tropical settings and a gift shop attached to it. I always wanted to check it out but found it closed every time I tried. Thanks to an early appointment, visited it yesterday. 

Enjoyed tea served old fashion way in a little pot! Brought back some childhood memories. 

Nothing much have changed now either.

My husband was never fond of tea so mostly I drink my morning tea alone after dropping kids to school and him off to office.

Besides some peace and calm much more goes with the ritual of tea.

A time to be with your own thoughts, or planning for the day’s activities or connecting with the world through modern communication means.

Tea time involves all that!

Back home with tea my father used to read the news paper in a rhythm like he was reading poetry. Like he was grasping the rhythm of life through those words. After all Word or ‘OM' as said in Sanskrit or ‘Logos’ as said in Greek is the first expression or creative order of life. 

Today also I drank my tea alone, in a slow rhythm, at that lovely place.

Beautiful flowers and tall trees were in the view,

But no chirping of birds! some thing that I can hear sitting in my back yard,

Or the memory of my father’s rhythmic reading to draw me to the past,

Or the sound of living room T.V. to snatch my attention.

All of it was absent but a quiet pleasurable moment of drinking tea with a subdued chatter of fellow tea drinkers around me. 

Savita Tyagi

4. 26. 2025 

The Final Script

 Life is a rough draft.

We have right to make amends,

Or add new stories,

But never a right to read final script.