shrikrishna4's blog

UNEXPRESSED THOUGHTS ARE LIKE STAGNATED WATER WHICH ALWAYS GETS POLLUTED. SO ALWAYS EXPRESS WHATEVER YOU FEEL.

NEVER STOP  COMMUNICATION BECAUSE ONLY COMMUNICATION CAN BREAK THE SILENCE.

      Here I am going to narrate stories of two animals. One of them had been a pet cow and the other had been a she-donkey. I had been witness to both of the stories.

      In my childhood a cow had always been a pet animal of our family and my parents and other members of the family always treated the cow as a family member. In my childhood I used to take milk of cow and curd, butter and clarified butter made from cow's milk. All these products contain less fat as compared to fat contents in the similar products obtained or made from buffalo's milk. Apart from that, cow's milk and products made from cow's milk are light and easy to digest. It is said that pure ghee made from cow's milk is good for memory. Also several ayurvedic medicines are prepared and given in ghee made from cow's milk. In some diseases cow's urine is used as medicine. It was when a manufacturer of medicines presented before me a representation for forwarding it to the Government for granting exemption from payment of tax on sale of medicines made of cow's dung when I knew that cow's dung is also used in preparation of some medicines. Otherwise it is used for besmearing earthen floor of houses, for preparing organic manure and as fuel for cooking food. After cow's death, her skin is used as leather for many purposes and bones are used as raw material of certain industrial products. Horn and hoofs are used for making toys. But in my family, whenever a cow died its dead body was dead buried with respect more than the respect which is given when a dead body of a person is dead buried.

            In my childhood I had seen three generations of a cow in my family. It was unique that before death of first cow and second cow, both gave birth to three calves and thereafter only one heifer (she-calf) and when heifer became fully developed cows died. The story which I am going to sate here relates to third cow and her second calf. The calf was then four months old. One day in the summer we set free the cow and calf for grazing in our fields. Being summer, there were no crops in our fields. Our all agricultural land had been close to our house and we could always see our fields from gate of our house. In summer we could see at a long distance. When cow and her calf had been grazing in the field approximately at a distance of half kilometer, several street dogs came over there and began barking and threatening  the cow and the calf.  Thereafter, those dogs attacked the calf. The cow, with her horns succeeded in keeping those dogs away from the calf. The dogs tried from various angles but every time the cow turned on that and angle and saved the calf. All this continued for about fifteen minutes but dogs could not succeed in catching or biting the calf. But then a stout dog grabbed one leg of the cow and bit on it. My younger brother saw all this except dog biting the cow but he told only about attack by dogs. He told that cow had succeeded in keeping away all dogs and finally they went away. So there was nothing to be worried.

        All members of the family continued to use the cow milk and products of her milk. But after 17 days we noticed that cow had gone mad. We took it to veterinary surgeon. The doctor carefully examined the cow and then told us that it had happened because of dog bite. Though the doctor gave the injection yet he suspected the recovery as it had been too late. After 4 days the cow died. We all were sad and my mother wept bitterly remembering that the cow had sacrificed her life while saving her calf. Thereafter, body of dead cow was dead buried in our field with full honours.

       Then a new cow was purchased but no member of our family could forget the cow which had sacrificed her life for the safety of her child. This had been pure love and care of a mother for her child.

         Second story which I am going to state relates to a she-donkey and her kid. The kid might have been 2-3 months old when the accident occurred. Those days I was posted in a town and was residing in a rental house which was situated in middle of the town on one side of a road near a road crossing.  The road led to a sugar mill. It was winter season. So many trucks, carrying sugar cane to sugar mill, used to pass through the road. My residence was situated on first floor of the building and we had a balcony towards road side. On the road side we often had seen cows and sometimes donkeys.

         One evening when I was at my residence, I heard noise of people. I opened the door in the balcony. I saw that a large number of people had gathered on roadside at a place. Then I asked my peon about the happening. The peon enquired from a person and then he told me that a truck had run over a donkey kid and it had died. After sometime, people left the place. The wounded body of the donkey kid was lying dead and its mother the she-donkey was licking the wounded body of its baby donkey with her tongue. After some time the she-donkey sat near the dead body. I noticed that she had been shading her tears continually. During the night nothing had changed. In the morning I saw that she-donkey was still sitting near the body. Some body had put grass and water in a tub near she-donkey. But it did not take either of those.

         Somebody had informed the municipal authorities about the dead body of donkey kid lying there. At about 8:00 AM Municipal Board truck came with some labourers. Labourers loaded the dead body on the truck. The helpless she-donkey could do nothing. When the truck was driven away the she-donkey returned to the place where dead body of her kid had been lying. She had been shading tears. She remained there till evening. Next day she again came over there with tears in her eyes and remained there till evening. This happened for three days continuously and she did not leave the place unless she was driven away by neighbouring shopkeepers. The incident moved me deeply.

          Both of the incidents relate to love of animals towards their kids. Sometimes I wonder how some women can afford to leave their children uncared and unloved. Are animals better than human beings? Are our social relations above our kids?

In this article, I am going to deal with quarrels and contentions which often take place in between two life partners.

I have been tagged by my learned friend Bidisha and I don't want to miss this opportunity of analyzing myself. So without wasting my time here I go:

1. Last movie in a theatre?

Don't prefer to go to theaters. Sometimes I watch movies on my television.

2. What book are you currently reading?

"Shrimad-Bhagavad-Gita". Actually I want to know how principles of this book may be utilized in our modern life.

3. Favorite board game?

Chess

4. Favourite magazine

 "Readers Digest" & VAT Law journals

5. Favourite smell

Jasmine

6. Favourite sound

Sounds of flute, natural fountains and chirping of words.

7. Worst feeling on earth

Betrayal, hatred

8. First thought when you wake up

Let if I can do something good for all

9. Favourite fast food place

Don't prefer to go for fast food except for the sake of my near and dear ones and so it is always their choice.

10. Future child's name

Oh baba! not now in this birth

11. If I had a lot of money

I would give it all to needy and poor people who are unable to afford bread and butter and health care and education facilities.

12. Do you drive fast?

I don't drive.

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal???

No

14 .Storms-cool or scary

Cool!

15. First car

Combined possession

16. Favourite drink

Spicy Matthaa (Chhachh), Jal Jeera & vegetable juice.

 17. If I had the time I would

Like to write something which may be useful in restoring real peace and harmony on this earth and would like to do anything for laying down law of love among all creatures on this earth.

18. Do you eat Broccoli stems

Yes, but of 'Cauliflower'.

19. If you could dye your hair .what colour?

I don't prefer to dye my hair. If at all required at any time then I would prefer to dye them natural black

20. Different cities I have lived

All big towns like Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, Allahabad, Dehradun, Nainital, of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand in India

21. Favourite sports

Used to play Badminton and now like to watch Cricket and tennis.

22. What's under your bed

It's a box bed, so no space to put anything under. Inside the box there are Razais and cotton mattresses

23.  What would you like to be born as

I am

24. Morning person or night owl

Work late into the night.

25. Favourite place to relax

Hills, river banks in solitude. Saint's hut will also do.

26. Over easy or sunny side up

I am a fun loving optimistic person despite my several reservations.

27. Favourite ice cream flavour

Vanilla.

28. Whom would your dream date be

Already married

29. R you a veggie

Yes. Lacto-vegetarian.

30. Do you sleep in the buff??

No, never.

31. How much time did you spend answering this??

Must be about 25-30 minutes, exactly I cannot tell you because in between I had to attend VAT query on phone.

32. Did you have fun doing this??

Yes, because my noble friend gave me opportunity to know real me. It gave me a smile.

33. Did you think this is the last question??

 Certainly not, apart from so many questions, impartial judgment towards all including self is the biggest question for me.

This human life and this world are full of mysteries. People often wish others that their dreams may come true. Normally they use this sentence about somebody's vision and achievement of such vision. If somebody's vision is fulfilled, we say that his dream has been fulfilled. But in my own life, when I have been in sound sleep, in my dreams, I have seen so many happenings which later on turned out true. In such dreams I saw the videos of what was going to happen in future. Sometimes it had been related to me and sometimes with somebody else.

When for the first time I had noticed, it was the occasion when my High School Board result had already been declared but marks lists were not received from the Education Board. In Uttar Pradesh (India) there is a single State Government Education Board which conducts High School and Intermediate examinations. Its head quarter was at Allahabad, nearly 350 kilometers away from my native town. From there mark lists of all students, appeared in the examination, were used to be sent to the principal of the college. The college staff used to prepare marks sheets of students on the basis of marks shown in such mark lists. When I had passed my High School examination, this procedure was not known to me. After declaration of examination result in the news paper, every student was eager to know about marks obtained by him. Most of the students who had passed with a first class used to contact principal's office staff daily. One night when I was in sound sleep, in my dream somebody brought the mark list to me and he unfurled the sheet. I could see marks which I had secured in each subject. In the morning, I told this incident to my brother. He said let us see after mark sheet was issued from the college. On that day I also went to college but they denied receipt of marks list. On third day of the incident, mark lists were received in the college and on fifth day I could get my mark sheet. To my surprise, what I had seen in my dream was a truth and I had secured exactly the same marks in each subject which I had seen in my dream and had told my elder brother. When I gave my mark sheet to my brother, after going through it he focused his eyes on my face and asked how it would had been possible.

I and my elder brother were staying in my native village. Nearest town from my village where was bus terminus was, was 9 kilometers away. One day our father went to some other place and did not return home on that day. We or our mother did not know about the destination. So we all were worried. But we were helpless. On that day in the night in my dream I saw the place where my father had gone and the person to whom he had met. I also saw that being late he had stayed in the nearby town. In my dream it was communicated by somebody that he would be back early in the morning. In the morning I told all this to my brother and mother. But it was difficult for them to believe me. But at the same time we noticed our father coming home. My father always maintained strict discipline and when anybody asked him about anything not related to him he always scolded him by saying tumhein apane kaam se kaam rakhana chahiye, kaun kya karata hai isase tumhe kya karana. So none of us could dare to ask him about his journey. My elder brother asked how we could know about his journey. I proposed to him one thing. I said that we should go in search of bus ticket in the pocket of his kurtaa which he had worn on that day. Actually there had been only bus conveyance to the place which I had seen in my dream. So everybody agreed. When my father went for taking his bath he hanged over his kurtaa on a peg. Then on search we found to and fro bus tickets to the same place. When our father returned after taking his bath, we said pitaa ji (we used to call our father pitaa ji) aap such and such (name of place) place tak gaye the aur such and such (name of the person) person se mile the. He said 'tumhen kaise maloom aur phir tumhein isase kya lena dena hai. Thereafter he narrated all events and also told that being late he had stayed in the nearby town.

I had passed my intermediate examination and had stood first in the college. As per desire of my brother, I applied for admission in Allahabad University (in northern India Allahabad University is thought to be prestigious university). I was waiting for admission result. One day Manager of the college from where I had passed my Intermediate Examination called me at his residence. In the evening I met him at his residence. His wife was also present. They asked me to take admission in Lucknow University as there were several known persons and he used to visit Lucknow frequently. But I told him about my admission. He was well wisher of mine and was badly impressed of my nature and behaviour. He also knew about my weak financial position. He assured me of all help and said that whenever I was in need of any sort of assistance, I had to post a simple letter to him. He would have been kind enough to meet my requirements. I thanked them. When I left they handed over a container weighing 4kgs containing pure deshi Ghee. This Ghee was prepared out of the milk extracted from their pet cow. They wished that I should use it in my diet and they also promised me to send it regularly. I could not deny. I got my admission in Allahabad University and also in one of the University Hostels. It was after two months, when in one night in my dream I was communicated about the talk which had taken place in between the Manager and his wife. The talk was in reference to me. Some doubts had been in their minds. In the morning I wrote a letter to them and clarified their doubts of which they had fallen victims in the immediate past evening. When they received my letter, they were surprised to note that without communication of queries they have received reply to their queries. It was occasion of Deewali when I visited them at their house. Then they categorically tried to know that how the fact which had been only between the two was communicated to me. At last I disclosed to them about my dream. They smiled and said 'tab toh tumhaare bare mein kuchh adverse sochana gunah hai' Then it is a sin to think something against me.

When I was studying there, one night I saw in my dream that some teacher from my last college was coming Allahabad and he had some kind of form related to me. Those days, usually I used to leave my hostel room after 5 PM everyday and I used to pass my time alone in garden or any other peaceful place. My room mate was another B.Sc. Part-I student from another district. For the first time we had met there. On that day, in the morning, I told my room mate about my dream and asked him, if my teacher had come in my absence, he would have given him proper respect and would have shared a cup of tea with him. My room partner said 'are yaar dream toh dream hote hain, anyway he would have done as suggested by me. In the evening when I was out one of my teacher from my college visited the hostel. My friend asked him whether he or anybody had informed me about his arrival. He replied in negative. My room partner told him that I had known this fact of his arrival. My teacher was surprised. After having tea and waiting for half of an hour, my teacher left the hostel with a message for me. He had stayed in an Educational Institute. When I returned to my hostel, my friend hugged me. He asked me whether I was a saint or a foreteller. I said no. Then he said it was a miracle. Thereafter, I contacted my teacher and then he told me everything.

What had happened was that my name had been recommended for merit scholarship by the Education Board and intimation had been sent to my college from where I had passed my Intermediate examination. Prescribed form had also been sent. Only three days had been left for submission of completed form. But then I had been at Allahabad. Particulars in the form were also to be verified and attested by the Principal the college. Principal of that college told all this to the manager of the college. The manager reminded the principal that some case of approval related to college matter was pending with the board at Allahabad. So the manager suggested that all details should be filled in the form as per college records and attestation should be done. Some senior lecturer should be instructed to go to Allahabad for college work and he should also carry with him the scholarship form. There my signature should be obtained and completed form should be deposited. Decision was taken one day earlier and my teacher had left for Allahabad in the evening.

One night I saw a dream which was related to my hostel room partner in Allahabad University. Here I will like to tell my reader friends that I had met my room mate for the first time when we got admission in the Allahabad University. Though both of us were residents of same State, the State of Uttar Pradesh yet we were residents of different districts. I do not know even today the college from where he had passed his intermediate examination. His father was some revenue officer in another district and uncle used to live in his native village. In the morning, I told my room partner about my dream. He laughed at me and said his father never worried about him after sending monthly expenditure by money order. He said that he had already received money order three days back. So there was no question of his father's visit. Then I gave him some idea of the body structure and complexion of the person whom I had seen in my dream. His reaction was that I had described his uncle (father's younger brother). Then he told that his uncle was a pandit and used to say Satyanarain katha and performed rituals. He had no work at Allahabad. So there was no question of his visit to Allahabad.

My room partner was fond of watching hHindi movies. He was so fond that he, being student of Allahabad University, had watched 126 movies in one educational session. Though we had been students of same class with same subjects yet our sections had been different. On that day my period starting at 2:30 PM was vacant and his period was not vacant but he had decided to be absent from the class not because of my dream but because he had decided to see a movie starting at 3:30 PM. So we both had been present at 3:00 Pm in the hostel room and for me that had been my last period. My room mate before leaving the hostel for the nearby cinema hall asked me to pay respect to his uncle if he had visited in his absence. I had assured him for that. Then he left the hostel. Hardly he would have walked 200 meters distance from the hostel, he saw two persons coming towards hostel and one of them was his uncle about whom I had told him. So within 10 minutes my room partner returned with his uncle and other man. My friend, after introducing me with his uncle and other man, told his uncle all about my dream and what I had told him in the morning. Then his uncle reacted saying that it happens to people who always speak truth. But I told him that it was not true. At so many times I had spoken what had not been technically truth. For me, if I had to speak something by which either an individual or people in general are going to be benefited and nobody is going to be hurt then I never hesitate in speaking such lie.  My friend readers are advised to read my post TRUTH OR LIE. Then my partner's uncle said that such type of behaviour cannot be considered a lie. He said that even the truth which is bitter is forbidden.

When my room partner asked his uncle about his visit to Allahabad, his uncle told him that the person accompanying him had to file an appeal before the Allahabad High Court but he did not know any advocate there. So he had contacted him in the evening and asked him to accompany him. They had decided to start next day (on the day on which they had come) early in the morning for Allahabad. That was the reason why he had been there.

  I don't know that how all this happens. I think there is no logic for it. Only I can say that there is some supreme power which plans everything and which controls all things. Otherwise how future incidents can be seen. There are several such incidents in my life. I consider them some sort of miracles in my life.

To be continued

God is a concept. Concept has no shape, size or form.  Therefore, God has no shape, size or form. What is unique about God is that He may also be conceived in any shape, size or form. That is because of His being omnipresent.

Therefore, for a person, it is immaterial that in what form such person accepts His presence. What is material is that whether a person accepts presence of God or he does not accept His presence. Where a person accepts presence of God, then for him it becomes immaterial that in which form he accepts or remembers God. So there is nothing new or absurd in worship of God in a stone. So people rightly say 'maano toh bhagawaan nahin toh patthar'.

God is thought to be supreme. A person can create something, operate such thing and can destroy such thing. But such power of creating any thing, operating such thing or destroying such thing of every person is limited to things and number of things. Every individual's such powers vary. We can conceive of a single supreme power having unlimited power of creation, operation and destruction. This single supreme power is at the top of all. Since only one can be at the top of all, therefore by conception, such unlimited powers can be vested in only one, therefore, God is one.

Some days back I was not feeling well. Therefore my family members were kind enough to permit me to have my tea on my bed. My bedroom is situated in the rear part of the house and its one of the doors opens in the backyard. One day it was about 9:00 AM when my wife brought tea and some biscuits for me. On a two-folded old newspaper she put the tray containing biscuits in a plate and tea in a cup with saucer. However, while putting the tray on the bed, the tray went slightly tilted and about one-fourth of the tea fell in the saucer. I picked up cup and put it in the tray without saucer and left the saucer as such. I finished biscuits while reading Hindi daily Dainink Jagran. I also had some sips of tea from the cup. Suddenly I saw a monkey entering into the bedroom from the side of the backyard. I shouted on it but it did not run away. Instead, it sat on the dressing table of my wife and picked up a cream pot. It opened the cream pot and with a single finger took out some cream. It tasted the cream and replaced the cream pot back in its place. In the mean time, I shouted that a monkey had entered the bedroom. My wife tried her level the best to make it run away but it did not work. Thereafter, the monkey suddenly jumped on the bed and sat on the bed facing towards me and exactly in front of me (if we can presume that the newspaper on which my tea tray rested was serving purpose of dining table, then we can say that I and the monkey were sitting across the dining table). There was one foot (twelve inches or 30 cms) distance in between the monkey and me. In a surprise I continued to look on its face.  Then the monkey picked up saucer with its both hands and sipped half of the tea which was in the saucer. Then it put the saucer back in the tray. After few moments, it sipped the tea from the saucer leaning back and without lifting the saucer. I asked my wife to bring some biscuits for it. She threw some biscuits towards the door but the monkey did not move. Then she offered one biscuit in the hands of the monkey. The monkey accepted the biscuit, ate it and then got down the bed. It picked up the biscuits from the floor and went into the backyard outside the bedroom. There was another monkey. My wife closed the door.

Surprisingly, the monkey did not pick up my tea cup. I wondered and thought that it was honest monkey and after finishing its own share did not want to have my share unlike so many of us. Definitely monkey was not pet one. In my life, for the first time I had a monkey so close to me. There was no fear in me. I was feeling light from within. The incident has left so many questions in my mind.

I don't know why I had been feeling so happy that day. I wish that it should come daily and should accompany me at my tea.

Few words to my friends

Dear friends,

         My subjects of interest are a bit typical and they need a serious thought. Sometimes our friends lose their interest in reading them because posts are lengthy and sometimes because they need serious attention. Recently my important post ‘TELL ME MY GRAVEYARD’ could not be appreciated by my friends because of one or the other reason although it had raised an important issue.

Therefore, I have decided to post some light material in between so that my friends can enjoy them. Here is the first article of such type. Hope that my friends will enjoy the same. Here I would like to point out that story is based on facts.

With regards,

Keshav Dayal

WHEN I HAD TO HIDE MY FACE FROM A DOG

Those those days I was studying in Allahabad University and had been student of B.Sc. Final Year. On Sundays I used to go at the site of confluence of pious rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The place is known as Sangam. Now river Saraswati is not visible. Two rivers Ganga and Yamuna merge here and then river Ganga proceeds onwards. After every twelve years, a fete, known as Kumbha, is held at the confluence and after every six years after every Kumbha another fete known as Ardha kumbha is held. Several millions of people including saints following various cults of Hinduism from all over the world participate in these Melas. These fetes are held in the month of Magh according to Hindu's calendar, a month starting somewhere in the month of January. The fete continues for one full month. People participating in the fete took holy dip in the waters of pious rivers. The fete is thought to be biggest fete of its kind in the whole world. In remaining months of remaining years and remaining moths of the Kumbh and Ardha Kumbh years, people visit this place on every full moon day of every month and some other days which are thought to be auspicious days. On rest of days, few people visit this place and take holy bath in the rivers. Some boats, boatmen and some pandas (persons who help visitors in offering their prayers) can always be found there.

It always gave me pleasure and peace whenever I visited the place. I used to sit there alone and sometimes in the boat floating on the confluence. The place was approximately 8-9 kilometers away from my hostel. I used to hire a bicycle for me. After resting my bicycle at the cycle stand, I used to walk several miles on the bank of river Ganga and thereafter I used to sit down at a place on the river bank.

On one occasion my friend, Late Mr. Ram Naseeb accompanied me. When we were walking along the river bank, we spotted a dog. It looked like an ordinary dog. Addressing my friend, I said here dog cannot be thought to be an ordinary dog. He might be a saint. In his earlier life he would have done good things and that was why God had permitted it to be there. My friend said that I might have been right. We decided to call the dog. We said 'sant ji, sant ji'. To our surprise, the dog stopped. We again said 'suno sant ji'. Now the dog turned up towards us. It came near to us and sat down waiving its tail. We asked it whether it had been a saint in earlier birth. But there was no reply from the dog. Instead it continuously looked on us with affectionate eyes and gestures. After sometime we decided to return back. We asked the dog whether it would follow us to our hostel. Then we started for our hostel. The dog followed us upto a distance of 3 kilometers and then it overtook us by bypassing us. We thought that it was going to its own destination. But our assessment was wrong. Actually we were being lead by the dog to our destination. There had been several road crossings in the way and several turns. But what we saw nobody could believe it. The dog always chose the right path. It always traveled on left side of the road. On the way two children were going to a nearby shop. The dog smelled them. They scared. I assured them that the dog would not bite them. The dog showed its affection towards children and as we reached near the spot, it started its onward journey to our hostel. On the way we returned our bicycles and then we walked to our hostel. We were still following the dog and dog was leading us. Finally, the dog stopped infront of my room in my hostel. We opened our room and the dog sat down outside my room in the verandah.

Since that day I did not take my lunch and dinner in the dining hall of the hostel. Instead I used to invite my lunch and dinner in my hostel room and I used to share it with the dog. But it did not work for a long time. When my room servant noticed all this, he after three days when I was attending my classes in the university campus, drove away the dog. In the evening when I found the dog missing I asked another room servant about the dog. He told me that my room servant had driven it away saying that because of the dog I had been taken half of my meals. I was sad but I could say nothing to my room servant. I felt disturbed for a couple of days.

After a month had passed, on one Sunday, I proposed to myself for visiting a place which was nearly 30 kilometers away from my hostel. I hired a bicycle and left my hostel for that place. I would have traveled about 15 kilometers when I spotted the same dog roaming on the road. I stopped there. The dog also saw me and it too stopped. It came to me waiving its tail in affection. I hated my self thinking how selfish I had been. I could not dare to see it any longer. I discontinued my journey and came back to my hostel. For a few days I could not control my feelings about that dog.

It seemed almost like a street dog but how a street dog could guide us to our hostel when it was not seen by it earlier. How it had been possible for a dog to respond to our call especially when I had not offered anything to it at the confluence, how he had become friend of us. How did he know the exact path to our hostel? How it had been possible to take correct turns on road crossings. How could it succeed in guiding us to our hostel room? I often remember this story and feel sad. These unanswered questions always perturb me. The only conclusion that it was not an ordinary dog, it was some pious soul, gives me relief from the pain which I feel. 

Forgive me for my sins

In the article to follow, I have neither intended to hurt feelings nor intended to weaken the faith or belief of any person in Almighty or customs and traditions followed by any person belonging to any particular religion, sect, caste or creed. If I have said any thing which appears to be wrong or incorrect, it is because of my ignorance towards the reality and has come out because of the devil sitting in me who overpowers me to think like this and makes me restless till I express my ideas to other friends of mine. So please forgive me for my sins.

Tell Me My Grave Yard

Whatever I am going to narrate here in this article is based on facts. Since my childhood I have been witness to the happenings stated in this article. My father was an agriculturist. He had three brothers. His two other brothers were elder to him. Eldest of them was late Sri Ram Dass (hereinafter in this article referred to as my first uncle), and second elder brother of my father was late Sri Baankey Lal (hereinafter in this article referred to as my second uncle.

As I was told in my childhood, my first uncle was employed as a soldier in the armed forces of some State in India. In his young age he, under the influence of spiritualism, left the service and became a saint. He never married. He had toured various religious places and famous temples in India and finally, he himself established an ashram and there built a temple. This ashram was situated at a distance of nearly 100 kilometers from my native village. Ashram had 12 acres of agricultural land. This land was donated by people of villages which were situated nearby. Several saints younger to him became his disciples. As I had been told by my father, my first uncle and his disciples used to cultivate land and grow crops on the land. Agricultural income was the source of income of the ashram. My first uncle had learnt Ayurvedic system of treatment of diseases from some vaidhya and used to distribute medicines free of cost to needy persons. He himself never visited his birth place. In his last days he had observed long fast and due to it he had fallen ill. He had also taken a vow not to speak. In the period of his illness, his one of the disciples used to distribute medicines. About his illness a saint had informed to my father. Then my father had brought him at his native place. At that time I was nine year old. I had seen him for the first time. When I was introduced to him, he putting his hand on my head blessed me with his asheervad, but he never broke his silence. During his illness, so many sadhus (saints) had visited him and some of them had claimed to be his successor. But he had not given his assent to any of them.

My first uncle was given the best possible treatment available in those days in remote areas, but he could not be saved. He left for his heavenly abode. Now this was for my father to a take decision about his cremation. My father after consulting his elder brother, my second uncle, decided that a procession would be taken out and nobody would shed his/her tears on his death. My father believed that my first uncle had lived a divine life and therefore, on his demise everybody in our family should be proud of him. A rath yatra was organized and several persons including some saints had participated in the procession. Finally his body, against the prevalent tradition in our society, was buried dead in sitting position in our garden which was almost adjoining to our parental house. Three bags of common salt were poured around the dead body. Thereafter, a Samadhi was raised at that place. On the main festivals, my mother used to light a lamp at the Samadhi sthal. The Samadhi had covered almost 300 square yards of our garden.

My second uncle was married but unfortunately, tragedy occurred in his family life. In his young age, his wife and his only child had died. Thereafter, he never got married. He arranged idols of Lord Shiva, goddess Parvati and Ganesha at his residence which was outer room of our common house. He used to worship the idols every day in the morning and evening. Now, he was member of our father's family. In the day hours, he used to accompany saints and pujaries of nearby temples. He used to participate in religious discussions and functions. He was never asked by my father to contribute towards agricultural works or some other house hold works. If he co-operated my father, it had been his own sweet will. In the same year, in which my first uncle had died, after lapse of a period of six months, my second uncle also left for his heavenly abode. In his last days he had also fallen ill. It was month of April when he died. Crop of wheat was lying for threshing. My father used to sleep at night in my agricultural field where harvested crop was kept. He had also decided that in the night, my uncle's bed would also be there in the open fresh air. One day my father told us that in the past night at about 4 p.m. he had heard my uncle talking to some other person. Other voice was unknown to my father. What my father heard was: My second uncle was saying, 'nahin nahin ham ghode se nahin challenge. Maine kabhi ghode ki sabari nahin ki hai isliye dar lagataa hai. Agar Ghode par baitha toh gir jaaunga.' The stranger said,'acchhaa tab ham rath lekar aate hain, us par toh dar nahin lagegaa'. My uncle said, 'thik hai tab tak main taiyyar ho letaa hoon'. My father addressed my uncle, 'bhaiyyaa kyaa kah rahe the, kisase baat kar rahe the.' My uncle told my father that a god of death had come alongwith a horse and had asked him to leave this world and to accompany him but my uncle refused as he was scared of horse riding. Then the god of death had promised him to come back with a chariot.  Thereafter my second uncle narrated all that conversation which had taken place between him and the god of death. (Here I am aware of the fact that some people may and some may not believe the conversation given here. What I can say is that nothing hypothetical has been written or expressed here. So far as it relates to my own belief, I will like to share my own realizations and experiences on such matters with my friends whenever I get an occasion for that.)

In the morning my uncle called my father and handed over to him all his savings which he had kept with him for use in emergency, if any. He told that onwards he was not going to accept any grain of food out of the crop which was lying there. He said to my father, 'Bhaiyaa now you alone will have to face this world'. He had suggested that proper education be provided to children. He had also desired that unlike his elder brother his body should be disposed of by cremation in one corner of the agricultural field. After a period of one year, the field should be ploughed in the normal course. My father told all this to my mother in presence of me and my elder brother.

On that day my father asked me not to go to school. He also directed me to be near to my uncle. It was about 3.00 in the afternoon when my uncle complained about pain in his chest. I applied the ayurvedic medicine which was given by a local vaidhya. I continued rubbing medicine on his chest and throat (previously he had complained of cough in his throat). After few minutes my uncle put his hand on my head and asked me to take rest. Thereafter, he never spoke to anybody. He closed his eyes for ever. I thought he was sleeping. At that time my father was away in the market which was hardly at a distance of 1 kilometer from my native village. When my father returned, he noticed that my uncle's bed was under sun and therefore, he wanted to shift it in the shadow area of the tree. He asked me to hold the cot at one end and he himself held the cot on the other end. When we were lifting the cot, my father in a meek voice asked me to put down the cot. He said that he (my uncle) had already left the world. Thereafter, he asked me to go to school of my elder brother and to inform him about death of my uncle. I did the same. In the village, I also informed the persons who had been close to our family. My uncle's body was cremated in the field according to his wish. His body was reduced to ashes. An area measuring about 100 square meters was left around the place where my uncle was cremated. After one year the area was ploughed in the normal course and seeds were also shown. In that area crop was lush green.

My father left for his heavenly abode in 1998. He was most practical but he never expressed himself about disposal of his dead body. In his last days, unfortunately I was somewhere in Himalayan's Hills visiting natural beauty and religious places. My elder brother and younger brother were near to him when he left this world. My father and my close associates tried their level best to inform me about his demise. But, without hope they left message at some places from where I used to contact them. Those days there were no mobile phone services in hilly region. While coming back to Radar Praying, I stopped at Sri Nagger(a town in Astrakhan) and met the person who was in contact with my headquarter. He gave me the sad news. I rushed to my native village by a taxi. But it was too late. My brothers had taken my father's body on the bank of pious river Gaga which was at a distance of 25 kilometers from my village. There they along with close associates of my father cremated his body. When the body was reduced to ashes, they threw away ashes into the holy water of river Gaga.

    This is how dead bodies of three persons who followed the same religion were finally disposed of. No person ever said anything about the manner in which three bodies were disposed of. I wonder about the religion which is so liberal. Now it is for me to decide how my dead body be disposed of after my death. Here I would also like to point out that the religion to which I belong, also permits for disposal of dead bodies of children by burying dead under the ground. Dead bodies of grown up children may also be disposed of by throwing them in a river adopting the process of jal prawaah. I can't say what fate such bodies met. Existence of water born animals cannot be denied into river water.

            This I and its associates my and me are really selfish. They overpower the human body when a child is its mother's womb. God also blesses all of us with our inner voice, our soul. They come on this earth with birth of a child. This earth nourishes the body. This I creates bonds with other Is on this earth. This I is so strong and clever that it never listen to our soul. It goes and goes on dictating its own decisions. However, when this I sleeps and observes silence, our soul rises to tell us what is right and what is wrong. These I, me and my use this body in the manner they like. Due to use and misuse of this body, this body grows old then these I, me and my discard this body, as if it had never belonged to them. The soul follows its own path. After a particular I and its associates leave a body, Is of the remaining persons claim the discarded body as corpse of their own relative. Then other Is take a decision about the use or disposal of the dead body.

     Hence, I know that after leaving the body, I will lose my possession over the discarded body and decision of other’s whom I am addressing as my own will prevail. Even then, if my present me permits me to express my wish about mode of disposal of dead body which I would discard while leaving this earth, I would like to wish that my dead body be disposed of in a manner so that-

1.  Human beings and other creatures may be benefited;

2.  I should not be a burden on the people on this earth;

3.  This nature should not be harmed in any manner;

4.  If at all it is considered that I had done anything useful for others, I should not be remembered by preserving my body or by erecting a tomb, instead my acts and deeds should be cultivated by needy persons.

Presently, I can think of following ways of disposal of a dead body:

1. Where a person dies in the circumstances that some or any part of her/his body may be transplanted in the body of any needy person, such part of the dead person should be obtained for such use and remains may be disposed of in any of the ways mentioned hereunder.
   
   
2. For the purpose of studies, the body may be donated to any educational institute providing education in medical sciences;
   
   
3. Body should be thrown in a river so that carnivorous creatures and birds may satisfy their hunger;
   
   
4. Body should be thrown in some open space where carnivorous birds and animals may satisfy their hunger;
   
5. Body should be burnt to ashes in a common cremation ground;
   
   
6. Body should be burnt in one of my agricultural fields like my second uncle and thereafter, the place where my body would have been cremated should be ploughed in the normal course;
   
   
7. Body should be buried dead in the garden near samaadhi sthal of my first uncle and a tomb should be constructed over the place displaying my profile on the stone fixed on it;
   
   
8. Body should be reduced to ashes in an electric crematorium;
   
   
9. Body should be burnt on the bank of pious river like Ganga like that of my father;
   
   
10. Body should be preserved by applying chemical or any other process and should be kept at some place where people can visit and remember me;
    
    
11. Body should be disposed of in any other suitable manner.

    I have lived my life here on this earth by enjoying the fruits and crops of small garden and small area of agricultural land which my forefathers had left for me in succession. I am not expected to leave graveyards in succession to my coming generations. I also do not want to spread pollution on this earth. I cannot forget that this mother earth has provided me the shelter and has given everything it had. As a human being I cannot afford to rob of this beautiful earth of its beauty. I know that I may also die at a place where there is no facility of electric crematorium or at a place where there is no water.

   In the aforementioned circumstances, it becomes an important question for me to decide how my dead body be disposed of. I also want that my successors, if they follow my principles, should not feel any difficulty or should not waste their time and energy in finding out the most suitable way of disposal of their own dead bodies. Therefore, I want to find out most suitable mode of disposal of a dead body. I hope that my friends on this iLand and other readers of this article will definitely assist me in taking a correct decision.