Book Review: Ramayana – The Game of Life : Shattered Dreams

Name of Book : Ramayana – The Game of Life : Shattered Dreams

The Author: Shubha Vilas

Date of release : January 29, 2015

Published by :Jaico Publishing House

No. of Pages:387

Genre: Mythological / Epic

Book Price: Rs. 350

About the Author:

Shubha Vilas, a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker, holds a degree in engineering and law with specialization in Patent Law. His leadership seminars are popular with top-level management in corporate houses. He also helps individuals deal with modern-life situations by applying the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and other dharmic traditions

About the Book:

Shattered Dreams is the sequel to the national bestseller, Rise of the Sun Prince, in the new spiritual and motivational series Ramayana - The Game of Life. Twelve joyful years have passed in Ayodhya since the wedding of Rama and Sita at the end of Book 1.

Now, in Shattered Dreams, Shubha Vilas narrates the riveting drama of Rama’s exile. Through tales of Rama’s unwavering and enigmatic persona, the book teaches us how to handle reversals positively; through Bharata’s actions, it teaches us to handle temptation; and through Sita’s courage, to explore beyond our comfort zone. This complicated family drama provides deep insights on how human relationships work and how they fail.

With Valmiki’s Ramayana as its guiding light, Shattered Dreams deftly entwines poetic beauty from the Kamba Ramayana and Ramacharitramanas, as well as folk philosophy from the Loka Pramana tales, to demonstrate how the ancient epic holds immediate relevance to modern life. In this book, we can experience the ancient saga of the Ramayana. 

The book is divided in the following chapters:

·         Table of Contents

·         Acknowledgements

·         Author’s Note

·         Chapter 1 - In Hope and In Despair

·         Chapter 2 - Sad Monarch in a Happy Kingdom

·         Chapter 3 - Boons Become Curses

·         Chapter 4 - Accepting Difficulty with Dignity

·         Chapter 5 - Ayodhya Parts with Life

·         Chapter 6 - A Forest Weeps

·         Chapter 7 - Test of Intentions

·         Chapter 8 - When Losing Is Winning

·         Chapter 9 - Power of the Powerless

·         Appendix

About the Story:

We all have heard or rather read about the story of Ramayana since childhood and hence not commenting on the same. However, what makes this book different from others is the extreme detailing and the interpretation of acts which contributes to the development of our own perspective about the Ramayana.

Opinion:

I am a huge fan of mythological books and epics.  When I was selected to review the book Ramayana – The Game of Life : Shattered Dreams, I was overwhelmed when I received the book whose cover page was simply artistic. I finished reading this book in just 3 days. After reading this book now I feel like reading the first part of this book now. 

The main USP of this book according to me are the footnotes. The author has added footnotes on the take-aways and learning that can be imbibed from this epic.

The another highlight of this book are the detailed stories. Many of us may not know how Dasaratha was called so, why a boatman wanted to wash Rama’s feet, why Bharatha refused to become the king etc. The book covers these minute aspects. In my opinion the qualities of Ravana have also been strikingly expressed in this book.

Lastly hats off to the six Anarthas to conquere . I simply loved it.

Some negative aspects:

In few instances, the Rama and Laxman refers their step-mother by her name Keikayi which I felt is not appropriate.

Final Word..

I will strongly recommend this book to everyone who loves epics.

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...अनावश्यक चरबी कमी करा...

 शरीरात जास्त चरबी वाढलेली असणाऱ्यांसाठी चरबी कमी करण्याचा खात्रीशीर रामबाण उपाय.

 साहित्य : -

१०० ग्राम मेथी,

४० ग्राम ओवा,

२० ग्राम काळे जीरे

हे एका व्यक्तीसाठीचे प्रमाण आहे. यात फरक करू नये. प्रमाण वजन करूनच घ्यावे....

 कृती :

वरील तीनही वस्तू लोखंडाच्या कढईत सौम्य तापमानात  (साधारण लालसर होईपर्यंत) वेगवेगळ्या भाजून

घ्याव्यात.  नंतर तीनही वस्तू एकत्र करून मिक्सरमधून पावडर करावी.

रात्री झोपताना एक चमचा (टी स्पून) पावडर एक कप कोमट पाण्याबरोबर घ्यावी. पाणी कोमट घेणे आवश्यक आहे.

 हे चूर्ण रोज घेतल्यामुळे शरीरात कुठेही कानाकोपऱ्यातसाचलेली घाण मळाद्वारे अथवा लघवीद्वारे बाहेर निघून जाते.

तीन महिन्यानंतर शरीरात अनावश्यक साचलेली चरबी किंवा चरबीच्या गाठी आपोआप विरघळायला लागतात.

सुरकुतलेली त्वचा ताणली जाते. शरीर सुंदर होते.

 फायदे :

 ०१) जुनाट वातविकार कायमचा जातो....

 ०२) हाडे मजबूत होतात....

 ०३) काम करण्यास स्फूर्ती येते....

 ०४) डोळे तेजस्वी होतात....

 ०५) केसांची वाढ होते....

 ०६) जुनाट वायुविकारापासून कायमची सुटका होते.....

 ०७) रक्ताभिसरण चांगले होते....

 ०८) कफ प्रवृत्ती असलेल्यांना तर कायमचा फायदा होतो....

 ०९) हृदयाची कार्यक्षमता वाढते....

 १०) बहिरेपणा दूर होतो....

 ११) बाळंतपणानंतर बेडौल होणारे स्त्रियांचे शरीर सुडौल होते.....

 १२) अॅलोपॅथीच्या औषधांमुळे होणारा साईड इफेक्ट कमी करतो....

 १३) दात बळकट होतात व त्यावरील इनॅमल टिकून राहते....

 १४) रक्तवाहिन्या स्वच्छ राहतात म्हणजे रक्त शुद्ध होते व रक्तातील गुणधर्म टिकून राहतात....

 १५) नपुंसकता असेल तर ती दूर होते....

 १६) ज्यांना मुल हवे असेल तर त्यांचे होणारे मुल तेजस्वी होते....

 १७) मलेरिया, कावीळ, टाईफॉइड, कॉलरा इ. रोगांना प्रतिकार करण्याची शक्ती येते...

 १८) त्वचेवर सुरकुत्या लवकर पडत नाहीत. वृद्धापकाळामुळे येणाऱ्या सुरकुत्या पडण्याचा कालावधी लांबतो म्हणजे दीर्घायुष्य लाभते....

 १९) स्त्रियांना तरूणपणी किंवा लग्नानंतर येणारी मरगळ, मेनोपॉजचा त्रास दूर होण्यास मदत मिळते....

 २०) शरीरात पाण्याद्वारे, हवेद्वारे, तापमानामुळे होणारे जुनाट आजार कायमस्वरूपी नष्ट होतात...

 २१) शरीरात वाढलेले कॉलेस्ट्रॉलचे प्रमाण कमी करण्यास मदत मिळते.  हार्टअॅटॅक येण्याची शक्यता बऱ्याच प्रमाणात कमी होते...

 २२) त्वचेचा रंग काळवंडत नाही. त्वचेचे आजार, त्वचा सुकणे, खाज येणे हे बंद होते..

 २३) कोणत्याही वयाची व्यक्ती, स्त्री / पुरूष सर्वांसाठी अतिशय फायदेशीर....

बनारसी मलाइयो

थंडीच्या दिवसात पहाटेच्या वेळी ‘दव’ पडतं. या दवाच्या मदतीने कुठला पदार्थ बनू शकतो ? तर हो. देशाची सांस्कृतिक राजधानी असणाऱ्या वाराणसीमध्ये दवाच्या मदतीने “बनारसी मलाइयो” नावाची मिठाई बनवली जाते. वाराणसीमध्ये अनेक प्रकारच्या वैशिष्ट्यपूर्ण मिठाया बनवल्या जातात पण त्यात सगळ्यात वरचा क्रमांक लागतो तो या मालाइयोचा. बाकी मिठाया इतरत्रही आता बनू लागल्या आहेत पण ही मिठाई फक्त वाराणसीतच बनवली जाते. या मिठाईचं सगळ्यात मोठं वैशिष्ट्य म्हणजे ही मिठाई बनवताना दवबिंदूंचा वापर केला जातो. आणि दवबिंदूंचा वापर या मिठाईत केला जात असल्याने ही बनारसी मलाइयो मिठाई ऐन हिवाळ्याच्या तीन महिन्यातच बनवली जाते. ही मिठाई तयार करण्याची पद्धत इतर मिठायांपेक्षा वेगळी आहे. ही मिठाई तयार करण्यासाठी कच्चं दूध आधी मोठ्या कढईत उकळलं जातं आणि मग रात्री मोकळ्या आकाशाखाली या दुधाला ठेवलं जातं. पहाटे या दुधात दव पडतं, त्यामुळे त्यात फेस तयार होतो. सकाळी मिठाई बनवण्याच्या पुढच्या प्रक्रियेला सुरुवात होते. सकाळी हे फेसाळ दूध रवीने घुसळलं जातं. मग त्यात वेलची, केशर, सुकामेवा घालून परत ते मिश्रण रवीने घुसळलं जातं.

ही मलाइयो मिठाई कुल्हडमध्ये म्हणजेच छोट्या छोट्या मातीच्या मडक्यात घालूनच खायला दिली जाते. दवबिंदूंच्या सहाय्याने तयार केलेली ही मिठाई आयुर्वेदाच्या दृष्टीने आरोग्याला खूप चांगली असते. दवबिंदूंमध्ये नैसर्गिक मिनरल्स मोठ्या प्रमाणावर असतात. आणि दव जेवढं जास्त पडतं, तेवढी ही मिठाई जास्त आरोग्यवर्धक बनते.

फक्त तीन महिने ही मिठाई मिळत असल्याने या तीन महिन्यात या मिठाईवर खवय्यांच्या अक्षरशः उड्या पडतात. दुपारचे बारा वाजेपर्यंत मिठाई संपलेली असते आणि एकदा मिठाई संपली की मग मलाइयो खाण्यासाठी पुढच्या सकाळपर्यंत थांबावं लागतं. आबालवृद्धांपासून सर्वांना आवडणारी ही मिठाई परदेशी पर्यटकांनाही फार आवडते. ही मिठाई खाणाऱ्यांमध्ये या परदेशी पर्यटकांची संख्या लक्षणीय असते.

ही मिठाई गंगा किनारी असलेल्या लोकवस्तीत, जुन्या वाराणसीत जिथे घनदाट लोकवस्ती आहे अशा भागांमध्ये विकली जाते.

ही मिठाई वाराणसी सोडून काही मोजक्या ठिकाणीही मिळते पण तिथे ही मिठाई बनवणारेही वाराणसीवालेच...

(Courtesy - Manjusha Thatte Joglekar)

Book Review - God is a Gamer

Book Review : ‘God is a Gamer’ by Shri. Ravi Subramanian

Name of Book : God is a Gamer

The Author: Shri. Ravi Subramanian

Date of release : September 12, 2014

Published by : Penguin Books India

No. of Pages: 310

Genre: Thriller

Book Price: Rs. 299

Binding : Paperback

About the Author:

 Shri. Ravi Subramanian is described as the ‘John Grisham of banking’, by the Wall Street Journal. The author is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and is currently the head of a leading financial institution. Till date the author has five bestselling commercial novels to his credit.  Shri. Ravi Subramanian  has won the Crossword book award for The BANKSTER in 2012. Being a banker the author has a unique insight into the industry he writes about and a flair for spinning intricate plots that keep readers on the edge of their seats  The authors first novel - If God was a Banker has won the 2008 Golden Quill Readers Choice Award and  recently, ‘The Incredible Banker’ has won the 2011 Economist-Crossword Book Award in the ‘Popular’ category.

About the Book:

If God was a Banker (2007), Devil in Pinstripes (2009), The Incredible Banker (2011), The Bankster (2012), Bankerupt (2013) and now the - ‘God is a Gamer’, The latest book by Shri. Ravi Subramanian, released on September 12, 2014. I became a huge fan of his books when I first read If God was a Banker, and to my surprise, I completed it in a day. Similarly, when I got  this book, I finished it in a day.  In my opinion, this is his best book till date I have read. In his earlier novels the author has dealt with banking and education. However, this time it looks into the cyber crime with banking which has become a matter of great concern all over the world. The novel is a thriller for the new generation and a book with loads of information on the good and bad sides of electronic media and plastic money to the older generation of readers.

About the Story:

Aditya is an entrepreneur, running his own gaming company. The arrival of a part-time drug dealer and full-time genius named Varun turns Aditya’s struggling company’s fortunes around. However, things are not as they seem. A banker slips from the rooftop of a high-rise building and falls to his death. A finance minister with his heart on his sleeve discovers that he has made some promises which will cost him far too much. An explosion in Washington D.C. leads the FBI to a chase in Mumbai. The investigators begin to plummet down a world where bitcoins are the only meaningful form of currency. Here, everything is governed by the Dark Net, a group of nefarious websites dealing with illegal transactions. In this world, God is a Gamer, martyrs are villains, the hunters become the hunted and the ancient Greeks teach the secrets of assassination. In this new novel, nothing is what it seems.

The author has woven an excellent  master plot that will keep you engaged till the end. The various characters he has created have equally important role to play.  The basic plot is strong and the sub-plots help in strengthening it.

Opinion:

The book – God is a Gamer’ is well written by the author. The chapters are short and hence keep the readers engrossed. Throughout the story, the reader will guessing and wondering as to what is going to happen next. The author thus manages to keep the suspense till the end when the entire plot unravels in a brilliant ending. In my opinion the author has really done a great job. The story is an excellent plot for a Bollywood movie of todays genre.

This review is a part of the biggest <a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank"> Book Review Program </a> for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers.</a> Participate now to get free books!