Social Geometry - Poem published in Indian Periodical

My poem Social Geometry has been published in the Indian Periodical.

Social Geometry

Let’s consider a rectangle a square.

Both have their opposite sides parallel.

And equal in length too.

Read along: Social Geometry

Sankhya Yoga 2.34

Verse 2.34

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् |

सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्ति र्मरणादतिरिच्यते || 34||

akīrtiṁ chāpi bhūtāni kathayiṣhyanti te ’vyayām

sambhāvitasya chākīrtir maraṇād atirichyate

akīrtim—infamy; cha—and; api—also; bhūtāni—people; kathayiṣhyanti—will speak; te—of your; avyayām—everlasting; sambhāvitasya—of a respectable person; cha—and; akīrtiḥ—infamy; maraṇāt—than death; atirichyate—is greater

People will speak of you as a coward and a deserter. For a respectable person, infamy is worse than death.

The worldly loss due to failure to perform one’s duty

Not only the warriors at the battlefield, but even ordinary people will speak of Arjuna as a coward if he retreats from war without giving a fight. Even the people of the future generations will ridicule him. Arjuna has led a life of respectability and fame as a warrior all through his life. For a warrior like him, infamy is worse than death.

A spiritual aspirant is an extremely sensitive person. He would rather do his duty even if the odds are not in his favor than meet with ridicule and infamy. He should be aware that his swadharma has come upon him due to his prarabdha, and he is required to fulfill it no matter what. Many realized souls continue to perform their duties even after they attained enlightenment. They realize that things are needed to be done in order for the world to follow in their footsteps and are completely oblivious to the oncoming infamy if the duties are not performed. People like Arjuna are worldly and love to thrive in society. Hence it is imperative that they fear infamy and to avoid it, they should perform their duties without fail.

Sankhya Yoga 2.33

Verse 2.33

अथ चेतत्त्वमिमं धर्म्यं संग्रामं न करिष्यसि |

तत: स्वधर्मं कीर्तिं च हित्वा पापमवाप्स्यसि || 33||

atha chet tvam imaṁ dharmyaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ na kariṣhyasi

tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ cha hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi

atha chet—if, however; tvam—you; imam—this; dharmyam saṅgrāmam—righteous war; na—not; kariṣhyasi—act; tataḥ—then; sva-dharmam—one’s duty in accordance with the Vedas; kīrtim—reputation; cha—and; hitvā—abandoning; pāpam—sin; avāpsyasi—will incur

If, however, you refuse to fight this righteous war, abandoning your social duty and reputation, you will certainly incur sin.

Arjuna had already argued if he is engaged in this battle he will incur sin. But Krishna tells him otherwise. If Arjuna did not engage in this righteous war (dharmyam sangramam) he would lose his reputation and fall from his duty. Eventually, he will only incur sin.

What could be the sin that Krishna is talking about here? Performing one’s duty with a detached mindset over a period of time helps one attain mental purity. Only a mind that is devoid of any impurities and focused has the ability to receive and nourish self-knowledge. Krishna considers it a sin to forgo one’s duties because he who does it will be lost in his pursuit of freedom due to his inability to possess a qualified mind.

The one who does adharma meets with destruction. But the one who fails to do his swadharma, his duty at the right time will meet with greater destruction. Krishna says when one forgoes his duties, he forgoes his reputation as well.

Makeup - Short story in Academy of the Heart and Mind Magazine

Vijayalakshmi alias Vj showered, dried her hair, brushed away the thought of having a ponytail and decided to keep a loose hair style. With larger earrings, it’d look graceful if the hair overflowed the ears. She scanned her image in the mirror. The hair was straight, shiny and bubbly. Yatra’s hair was curly. Everyone in their gang in college knew her hatred for curly hair. She visited a beauty parlor every so often to straighten it but the hair kept curling back. Clara suggested shortening it. She said it would be a sign of modernity and would suit her face. But Yatra did not accept the suggestion. 

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