yes, there is a hope...

OM SHANI SHANISCHARAYA NAMAH: The Greatness of Saturn by Robert E. Svaboda Robert Svaboda was a researcher who spent considerable time in India exploring Vedic literature, Yoga and Ayurveda. He came in touch with Swami Vimalananda and was inspired to translate the Shani Mahatmya which was previously published in Gujarati and Marathi. The book is divided into 3 parts namely:  Purvakarma : stage where one prepares oneself for experience  Pradhankarma : the experience  Paschatkarma: stage at which rejuvenation and integration occurs. You get the feel of the book from introduction itself as it introduces unique concept of Living wisdom. A living story is born when living wisdom incarnates in the subtle matter of a human consciousness. Real music, real verse, real stories have an innate power to teach, to heal and to inducs mystical experiences.  It then delves into knowledge as commodity of commerce and the symbols of internal reality which he states are dead from inside...

इस लेख का शीर्षक लेख पूर्ण होने के बाद बदलना पड़ा। लेख पूर्ण होने के उपरांत सहसा लगा कि इस महान विभूति ने जीवन पर्यंत को प्राथमिकता दी है तो शीर्षक भी यात्रा आधारित होना चाहिए।  आज  आपका   परिचय   हिन्दी   साहित्य   के   उस   मूर्धन्य   साहित्यकार   से   कराने   जा   रहा   हूँ   जिसका   नाम   केदारनाथ   पांडे   था   लेकिन   प्रसिद्धि   हुई   राहुल   सांकृत्यायन   के   नाम   से।  बाद में उन्हें महापंडित की उपाधि से अलंकृत किया गया। इनका  जन्म  9 अप्रैल को  आज़मगढ़   ज़िले   में   हुआ।   सांकृत्यायन को   भारत   में   यात्रा   वृतांत   विधा   के   पितामह   के   रूप   में   भी   जाना   जाता   है   और   इन्हें  30  से   भी   अधिक   भाषाओं   का   ज्ञान   था।  इनकी   १३०   से   अधिक ...

Trust : Virtue or Calculation Some books are so engrossing and enriching that sharing them becomes obligatory because irrespective of the language they are written the message they convey is equally useful to all. so much so that they call for group reading sessions and wider discussion in clubs and colleges. Their applicability is not limited to schools or colleges but they are equally hit for boardrooms, war rooms, court rooms alike.  Matt Ridley is a celebrated author who has previously authored top selling titles like Genome and the Red Queen. To categorise The Origins of Virtue : Human Instincts and the evolution of Cooperation, published by The Penguin  in 1996 will be a tough task as it fits into several genre at the same time. Its a research document, a compilation of stories, history book, a economics paper. The book is categorised into 13 chapters dealing into different themes where cooperation has evolved as a modus towards mutual gains and development of society fr...

 In UPSC preparation , you can get matter from anywhere but how to write answers using that matter is something which requires expertise and practice. These are few insightful instructions of Upendra sir, which I fortunately got to listen during our brief interactions. I have personally found them very useful for both optionals and have added few points myself, based on my recent experience of CSE Mains 2012. Following are the few touch-points, which can be broadly applicable to all, as per current pattern:- 1.    Writing practice is key for mains exam. Preferably practice daily. 2 .    Questions should be understood clearly and should be broken into parts if it is a complex one and in one’s own word about what does it mean as sometimes comprehending the question is itself a key, 3.   Sociology should not overpower the general understanding of the problem. 4.   Every question must be treated as a problem and you are suppose to solve that...

In life we sometimes meet few people who though meet you by chance and yet left indelible impact on your life journey and have positive impact on your thought process. I consider myself one of the fortunate man who has been provided such an opportunity to meet several such personalities. One  such personality  is our teacher  Upendra sir , away from coaching  “mandi” of Rajendra  nagar who make students love sociology. I have used word love rather than teaching, because this is what seems a fit and anybody whom I met has same thing to say, if he ever met Sir . Though, I must confess that I wasn’t lucky enough to attend his lectures due to my official duties but yes, due to his kind gestures, I had few interactions with him in the course of preparation for mains 2011 and following discussions on tests. When I first met him, my voice was almost blocked and I thought of him as some colonel of NDA.  So followed the discussion which started by lambasting asp...

PAPER – II The best thing about paper 2 is that at the first glance it appears to be a GS paper and this itself is the biggest trap set by UPSC.AS IT IS CONCERNED WITH INDIAN SOCIETY and issues and problems concerning it,so that is the reason for their inclusion in syllabus but as unit 1 (topic- 3 rd ) paper-1 suggest ,there is difference in sociological and comman sense interpretation so it has to be reflected when you attempt the answer and there should be application of sociological theories while answering the problem. What generally haapens is that during course of writing answer our common-sense overpowers sociology and then we complain of poor marks in paper –ii. Secondly there are problems in interpretation of questions itself as UPSC weaves question in such a masterly language that even if we miss one word in question,entire meaning and understanding is changed. As far as references are concerned there are variety of them available so best thing is have your ow...

Sociology is something which matched with my temperament and sometime it becomes difficult for me to differentiate between sociological thought process with  my own sphere of thought  which may be called as  “common-sense” in sociological dictionary but  seems very sociologically relevant.            Coming straight to the references which I used in civil services preparation in my mains exam, let me update that I was a graduate in economics and political science so many topics like those of Marx, political sociology, research methods topics of paper-II were those with which I was aware of and only needed sociological perspective. This myth which I stated in above line was broken once I got hold of HARALOMBOS & HOLBORN  (as per advice of Upendra sir during Mains 2011) as it presented seemingly aware topics in entirely new perspective ie sociological. Secondly it matters less  what you referred...