Week 7 Story: Always Ready To Help

On one fine weekday, Jethabhai's alarm goes off, he gets up, and gets dressed to go to the dukaan (store). After getting ready, he comes out to the dining area and asks Dayabhabhi for breakfast. Dayabhabhi serves it to him, he eats it, and he gets up to leave for the dukaan. Just as he saying that he is leaving, Bapuji and Tapu come there and Bapuji says, "Arre ruk, Jethia. Hum bhi tere saath aa rahe hai. Bahu, mein apne doston ko milne jaa raha hoon Nana-Nani Park aur Tapu college jaa raha hai." ("Wait, Jethia. We are coming with you. Daya, I am going to see my friends at Nana-Nani Park, and Tapu is going to college.")

All three of them (Bapuji, Jethabhai, and Tapu) say "Jai Jinendra" ("Bye.") to Dayabhabhi and leave.

As they are coming down the stairs, Jethabhai spots a rickshaw coming towards them, and Jethabhai says to Bapuji, "Arre yeh dekhiye, Bapuji, ricksha bhi idhar hi mil gayi." ("Look, Bapuji, we got a rickshaw right here in the society compound.")

Bapuji says, "Haan." ("Yes.")

The rickshaw stops and Jethabhai sees Mehtasaab getting out. Jethbhai asks, "Arre Mehtasaab. Kahaan se aa rahe itni subeh subeh?" ("Mehtasaab, where are you coming from so early in the morning?")

Mehtasaab responds, "Kalam ki refill lene gaya tha, lekin meri chhodiye, Gada parivaar ke teen peedhiya ek saath kahaan jaa rahe hai?" ("I went to get a refill for my pen, but forget me, where are the three generations of the Gada family going?")

Jethabhai responds, "Mein dukaan jaa raha hoon, Bapuji apne doston ko milne Nana-Nani Park jaa rahe hai, aur Tapu college jaa raha hai." ("I am going to dukaan, Bapuji is going to see his friends at Nana-Nani Park, and Tapu is going to college.")

Mehtasaab says, "Theek hai. Jaayye, aap ko late ho raha hoga. Shaam ko milte hai, Jethalal. Jai Jinendra, Chachaji." ("Ok. Go then, you're probably getting late. I'll see you later, Jethalal. Bye, Uncle.")

Bapuji responds to Mehtasaab, "Jai Jinendra." ("Bye.")

Jethabhai then says, "Chaliye, Bapuji. Aaja, Tapuda." ("Let's go, Bapuji. Come, Tapu.")

And then they leave.

Later in the dukaan, Jethabhai receives an invitation to go to an electronic exhibition in Kerala. He has his flight the next morning at seven, for which he will have to reach the airport at five. After coming home, he tells Dayabhabhi, Tapu, and Bapuji about it.

Bapuji says, "Jethia, tu airport jaayega kaise? Ek kaam karna, tu soda peene jaayega, to Sodhi ko puchh lena koi taxi waale ke liye." ("Jethia, how will you get to the airport? Do this, when you go to drink soda, ask Sodhi for a taxi driver.")

Jethabhai responds, "Kal ke liye taiyaari karni hai toh soda peene to nahi jaaunga, lekin mein Sodhi ke saath phone pe baat karlunga." ("I have to prepare for tomorrow, so I'm not going to drink soda, but I'll talk to Sodhi on the phone.")

Later, Jethabhai calls Sodhi and asks about a taxi driver. Sodhibhai says, "Mere hote hue taxi ki kya zaroorat hai?" ("What's the need for the taxi when I'm here?")

Jethabhai says, "Arre nahi bhai, tu kyun itni subeh subeh pareshaan ho raha hai?" ("No, no, why are you troubling yourself so early in the morning?")

Sodhibhai responds, "Mein kabhi dosto ke wajeh se pareshaan nahi hota, lekin agar tum taxi me gaye toh mein pareshaan ho jaaunga. Rab di saun, dosto ke liye jaan bhi haazir hai." ("I can never be troubled by doing things for my friends, but if you take a taxi, then I really will be troubled. I swear to God, I can sacrifice my life for my friends.")

And with this, Sodhibhai takes Jethabhai to the airport the next morning and Jethabhai is able to catch his flight on time.

***Author's Note: This was the best idea I could get from this week's reading. I wrote the first part of this story much better last semester, but this is all I could remember of it. The idea of this story came from when Lord Krishna lifted a mountain on one finger to save His fellow villagers from a huge flood sent by Lord Indra. Sodhibhai is always ready to help anyone in the society, as was Lord Krishna during His time.***

Click here for a reading guide for Sister Nivedita's Krishna.

Here's Sodhibhai and Roshanbhabhi!

Source: (Google Images)

Reading Notes: Sister Nivedita's Krishna, Part B

The second part of Krishna was about when Lord Krishna returned to Mathura. It was also about when He became the charioteer for Arjuna during the Mahabharata. Lord Krishna also consoled Gandhari when she lost all of her one hundred sons in the war of the Mahabharata.

The second part was an interesting read because some parts I knew about and some parts I didn't know about.

I know for sure that I am going to write a story about how everyone in Gokuldham Society is always ready to help one another in times of need.

Click here for a reading guide for Sister Nivedita's Krishna.

Lord Krishna as Arjuna's charioteer.

Source: (Google Images)

Reading Notes: Sister Nivedita's Krishna, Part A

For Week 7, I chose to read Krishna by Sister Nivedita. When I first chose it, I thought it would take forever to read, but I was quite surprised to see how short it was.

The first part of Krishna was about Lord Krishna's birth, about how He was born in jail to one mother, but raised by another mother.

The first portion of the book also talked about when Lord Krishna fought with the great big, Kaliya Naag, and when He lifted the mountain to save all of his fellow villagers from a gigantic flood sent by Lord Indra.

If I were to write a story, I would connect it with Gokuldham Society and how everyone is always ready to help one another.

Some of my favorite stories that I've heard of Lord Krishna are the first part. I look forward to reading Part 2 and see what it contains.

Click here for a reading guide for Sister Nivedita's Krishna.

Krishna fighting with the great Kaliya Naag.

Source: (Google Images)

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Seven Secrets of the Hindu Calendar Art: Rama

We've all been reading the Ramayana, so none of us are unfamiliar with who Rama is.

Rama was the incarnation of Vishnu who saved the world from the evil known as Ravana. He killed Ravana and rescued Mother Sita from his kidnapping when Ravana abducted her as revenge.

Click here for a reading guide for Pattanaik's Seven Secrets of the Hindu Calendar Art.

Lord Rama and Mother Sita. What a beautiful picture!

Source: (Google Images)

Review: Keep Pushing

Today, on our class announcements page, I saw a growth mindset cat that gave the message that you have to keep pushing despite all the setbacks that come along the way.

I felt like that resonated with me so strongly because that is how I feel right now.

This week, I have a bunch of homework to complete and I just have to continue to push myself and work my way through all my homework.

Yup, life is tough, but I definitely am tough too! I'll get through it!!

Source: (Google Images)

Famous Last Words: Behind, Yet Not Behind

Week 5 has been very off. I don't remember what was going on (now that a new week is here, and it's time to focus on it); all I know that I didn't everything done that I had intended to.

Things are going pretty okay with all of my classes, actually. I feel like I'm on top of it, yet I'm behind. I'm doing well in three out of seven classes. I have a couple of classes that I direly need to get an A in, and I am trying very hard to get my grades up in those classes. Other than that, I feel like I'm doing fine in my classes. And I think that taking my breaks as planned is really helping me with productivity. At the end of my homework session, I do feel like I've gotten something done, rather than feeling like I've wasted my time.

My plan for this week in this class is to get through work through Week 11. I know I'm only working on Week 5's work currently, but if I work diligently, I do believe that I can get done with it all. There's a great rhythm to this class, and once I have the rhythm down, it becomes so much easier to do the work.

In my other classes, I'm trying to stay ahead as much as I can. Sometimes it can be difficult when there are so many other things going on. In order to keep up with homework, I need to be getting up early in the morning, but that is so much of a struggle in my life, it's crazy. Just this morning, I said I would get up at six to do homework, but I actually rolled out of bed at seven. I guess I have have to take a shot at it tomorrow. I'm sure I can do it tomorrow!

My plan for this week for my job is to finish a couple of different projects. I need to start playing salesman at our old paint stock still sitting in our store, taking up unnecessary space. And I also need to try to do something about all of our shelving. Maybe I'll just constant mention taking it for scrap metal. I know for sure that all of us are getting sick and tired of seeing it and taking up a bunch of needed space. The third thing to get rid of is the timbers from crane mats. I need to find construction companies that will buy all of it. It's crazy how business is so risky and unpredictable that it can put a business into a cash crunch anytime.

My motto for this week.

Source: (Google Images)

Wikipedia Trail: From Trivikrama To Guru Granth Sahib

Since I wrote about Trivikrama not too long ago, and I don't remember the story of Trivikrama exactly, I looked it up, therefore creating the start of my Wikipedia Trail.

When I put in "Trivikrama" as my search terms, it actually took me to the page of Vamana, but Lord Vishnu's Trivikrama is defined on the page as well.

On Vamana's page, I saw a link for Lord Vishnu's Kalki's avatar, and that is His avatar for this yuga, so I went to that page. From there, I learned that a yuga is equal to ten thousand years. No wonder I haven't heard of Lord Vishnu's current birth yet!

From the Kalki page, I went to the page of the current yuga, Kali Yuga. It was said by Lord Krishna that this yuga will be full of hardships for people with virtues and values. Boy do I believe that!

From the Kalki page, I went to the page of Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy book of Sikhism.

This is a picture of the cover of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Source: (Wikipedia)