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Shiva in Jordan: Connecting Petra and the Pallavas

Petra is a UNESCO world heritage site, three hours from Jordan’s capital, Amman. We enter it through a Siq (pronounced ‘seek’) – a narrow, naturally-formed sandstone gorge that is 2 km long that suddenly opens into the imposing “treasury building.” A road between the Dushare mountains takes you to the street of the façades, with nearly a hundred façades carved into the sandstone gorge on either side. Travel further and you cross Roman remains and finally after an hour’s climb reach the breathtaking façade of the “monastery.”

A story for a verse - HG Wilson

निष्पिष्टापि परं पदाहतिशतैः शश्वद्बहुप्राणिनां

संतप्तापि करैः सहस्रकिरणेनाग्निस्फुलिङ्गोपमैः |

छागाद्यैश्च विचर्चितापि सततं मृष्टापि कुद्दालकै

र्दूर्वा न म्रियते तथापि तरां धातुर्दया दुर्बले ||

रसब्रह्मसमर्थनम्

विपश्चिता तेन भरते वात्सल्यरसस्याभावः प्रदर्शितः[1]। नायं नूतनाक्षेपः । सर्वेऽपि विवेकिनो विशदानुभवशीलिनो निर्विवादमङ्गीकुर्वन्ति यद्रससङ्ख्यामीमांसापेक्षया रससिद्धान्तः परमं गरीयानिति । मुनिनापि भरतेन तत्र तत्र प्रादर्शि स्वागमे यच्छास्त्रविस्तरणं गच्छता कालेन यथोचितरीत्या सूरिभिः कार्यमिति । प्रायेण विधिमिममेव शिरसिकृत्वा नैक आलङ्कारिकमूर्धन्याः स्वं स्वं विचारं यद्भरतोपज्ञोपष्ठम्भकं प्राचीकटन् । समग्रमिदं शास्त्रमखण्डैकवृत्त्या जङ्गमशीलतया च ग्राह्यमिति सुधीमतां मतम् । तदिदं सर्वविद्यानामपि निर्वर्णनलक्षणमिति च गम्यते । अन्यच्च रतिर्नाम

A story for a verse - Appayya-dīkṣita at Chidambaram

आभाति हाटकसभानटपादपद्म
ज्योतिर्मयो मनसि मे तरुणारुणोयम् |
नूनं जरामरणघोरपिशाचकीर्णा
संसारमोहरजनी विरतिं प्रयाता ||

Appayya-dīkṣita set out to Kāṣi as he wanted to draw his last breath there. However, upon realizing that he was nearing his death at Chidambaram itself, he laid his head down at the feet of the deity Kanakasabhāpati in the Naṭarāja temple and uttered his last words thus

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Ancient yet Contemporary

"Meditations of Marcus Aurelius" by the ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is one of the great books, which has an all-time relevance because of the practical knowledge, philosophical maxims and psychological insights that are expounded there. The worth of these observations will be more enhanced as Marcus Aurelius as an emperor had to face the problems of his government, had to lead his soldiers against outlandish tribes, and had to participate in the wars also.

Natti Shastri: The Uncelebrated Life of the Stammering Guru

It appears that the God Brahma who was so munificent in bestowing the boon of command over language to Venkatarama Shastri indulged in mischief in the matter of giving him speech. If this wasn’t true, what explains the fact that a Vidwan—an accomplished scholar—like him stammered at every step? It was for this reason that all the village folk referred to him as “Stammering Shastri.” This appellation was merely for the convenience of identification, not ridicule. Everyone had reverence-filled affection and respect for Shastri.