My Tales and Treasures

  ಬೇಸಿಗೆ ರಜೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಮಿತಾ , ಅಜ್ಜಿ - ತಾತನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದಿದ್ದಳು . ಅಜ್ಜಿಯ ತೋಟದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನಾ ಬಗೆಯ ಗಿಡಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡಳು . ಉದ್ದದ ಗಿಡಗಳು . ಸಣ್ಣ ಗಿಡಗಳು . ಹೂವಿನ ಗಿಡಗಳು . ನೇರಳೆ ಎಲೆಗಳ ಗಿಡಗಳು . ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ಗಿಡಗಳನ್ನು ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯದಿಂದ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ ನಿಂತಳು . “ ಗಿಡ ಹೇಗೆ ಬೆಳೆಯುತ್ತೆ ?” ಎಂದು ಮನದಲ್ಲೇ ಯೋಚಿಸಿದಳು . ಮರುದಿನ ತಿಂಡಿ ತಿಂದ ನಂತರ , “ ಬಾ ಸ್ಮಿತಾ , ಬೀಜ ಗಳನ್ನು ನೆಡೋಣ ", ಎಂದರು ಅಜ್ಜಿ . “ ಸರಿ , ಸರಿ ," ಎಂದು ಕುಣಿಯುತ್ತ ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ಅಜ್ಜಿಯ ಹಿಂದೆ ಓಡಿದಳು . ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ಮಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಗುಳಿಗಳನ್ನು ತೊಡಿದರು . ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಸ್ಮಿತಾಳ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಬೀಜಗಳನ್ನು ಇಟ್ಟು , “ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಬೀಜವನ್ನು ಒಂದೊಂದು ಗುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡು ,” ಎಂದರು . ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಒಂದೊಂದೇ ಬೀಜವನ್ನು ಗುಳಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟಳು . ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಇನ್ನೂ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಬೀಜಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟು , “ ಇವು ಪಾಲಕ್ ಸೊಪ್ಪಿನ ಬೀಜಗಳು . ಇವುಗಳನ್ನು ಉಳಿದ ಗುಳಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡು ,” ಎಂದರು . ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಬೀಜಗಳನ್ನು ಇಟ್ಟಮೇಲೆ , “ ಈಗ ಅವುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಮಣ್ಣು ಹಾಕು ,” ಎಂದರು ಅಜ್ಜಿ . ಸ್ಮಿತಾ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಕೈಗಳಿಂದ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಮಣ್ಣು ಹಾಕಿದಳು . ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ನೀರು ಸಿಂಪಡಿಸುವ ಬಾಟಲಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟು “ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನೀರು ಹಾಕು ," ಎಂದರು . ಪಸ್ ... ಪಸ್ ... ಪಸ್ ... ಎಂದು ನೀರು ಸಿಂಪಡ...

 “The strongest body can still kneel, not because it is weak,  but because it was trained to forget what freedom feels like.” — Anonymous  Imagine being chained so you can only take a step or two. Imagine constant noise, drums, traffic, crowds, shouting day after day. Imagine being made to work for long hours until discomfort becomes “normal” and pain becomes background. Now imagine living that life not for a week, not for a festival season, but for decades. That picture is hard to sit with. Yet it describes the lived reality of many captive elephants across Asia (and in some places beyond Asia too). Elephants are powerful, intelligent, deeply social beings. The core issue is not that humans and elephants share landscapes; they have coexisted for centuries. The issue is how captivity is created and maintained, and what it costs elephants in body and mind.  By Rudolf Ernst - http://www.filestube.com/6Gveb6baIsdLxqLvPb4QJo/105-Old-India-in-Paintings-Wallpapers-Collecti...

During every Homa (fire ritual), there is a mesmerizing rhythm. The fire rises, the ghee melts into a golden stream, and one word echoes again and again: “Svāhā!” It feels magical, almost as if that single sound carries our prayers into the heart of the sacred fire. But have you ever wondered why we say it? What does it actually mean? And why has this specific word remained the heartbeat of Vedic rituals for thousands of years? In this article, we trace the journey of Svāhā—from its linguistic roots to the ancient Vedic fires, and finally to its identity as a Goddess. 1. What Does "Svāhā" Literally Mean? Before we dive into philosophy, let’s look at the word itself. In Sanskrit, words are often keys that unlock their own meaning. Many traditional scholars interpret Svāhā (स्वाहा) as a combination of two root sounds:     • Su (सु): Meaning good, well, auspicious, or proper.     • Āh / Āha (आह): To speak, to say, or to call out. When combined, the word translates to: ...

In the soft, sandy floor of the deep blue sea, there lived an old, old dolphin named Seenu. Seenu was no ordinary dolphin. He was the greatest storyteller in the entire ocean. Whenever he spoke, he would glide in slow circles, drawing soft ripples in the water. And the stories he told… ah, they were like shining pearls hidden deep in the ocean,  rare, precious, and full of magic. “Come, kids… let’s listen to a story!” Seenu would call, swimming in a small, gentle circle, his fin waving hello.  This page contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission, with no additional cost to you. At once, a colourful circle would form around him: tiny, sparkling fishes in shades of blue, yellow, pink, and silver, all fluttering their fins with excitement. They gathered so eagerly that it looked as if a soft, glowing ring of rainbow had formed around Seenu.  The entire ocean floor would fall silent when Seenu began his storie...