Paradox

Alaknanda Market is one of the most happening markets and one of my usual haunts to pick up my  grocery and stuff I use for everyday needs. Since it has been almost 25years since I have been coming here, most of the shop keepers are known to me and unlike the huge department stores in malls with sales persons with plastic smiles and ready assistance, these are real people with warm smiles, who chat with you and know your family and instantly hand you what brands you use. They tolerate our tantrums and enjoy the haggling, making us feel like kings and queens in our domains!

There is a small jewelry shop in one corner of the market square. A cosy little shop with gold and silver jewelry. Most of my presents for weddings and birthdays have been bought here. The owner of this store is Vipin, a very polite man who has his shop full of women all the time. To squeeze into his store and browse is next to impossible, you need to make up your mind before you come here and ask for exactly what you want! Years back when my husband and I had a rare chance to chat with him and he said he was a great devotee of Shani.

Shani, ruled by the planet Saturn and Saturday being the day of Shani, he is worshiped on every Saturday. Being the Lord of deliverance, he grants us our wishes and imparts appropriate punishment according to our deeds - both good and bad. Shani is the elder brother of Yama, the God of death and sons of Surya the Sun. Yama, keeps records of our Karma from many lifetimes. The color of Shani is black and is mounted on a crow. While Yama, rides a buffalo and his color is red.

Vipin got a lot of small booklets of the Shani Chalisa printed to give to his customers. This book tells you how to appease this dark god of deliverance. I think I have it somewhere too! It so happened that he and his younger brother worked together once, separated as partners and worked from different shops but in the same market. It is surprising that Vipin has a prospering business and he is short of time, shop assistants who are always busy and order books full and overflowing. I am reminded of the message on the call center toll free numbers which make you wait for hours - saying " Please hold the line, your call is important to us, all our call center representatives are busy attending to other customers right now and will be with you shortly"!! On the other corner of the market is his brother Raman, another polite man always soliciting business from his brother's customers and sometimes quite a pain trying to brush him off! Curious, we asked Vipin, that rare day when we started to chat with him, what gets him his customers and their goodwill? Of course he gave all credit to his reigning god Shani, but also said something I am unlikely to ever forget. He said he readily gave his brother the money to set up shop where ever he wanted and in that process also was conned of 12,00,000 rupees from a fly by night operator on a saving scheme. That period, was financially very tough for him. We clicked our tongues in sympathy and sympathized with him on his losses. He said that the words of wisdom from the Gita always made him strong and never repent and curse your Karma OR curse the person who wronged you. But why, isn't it human to curse and badmouth that person? we asked. He said - " What I have lost was never mine and what I rightly deserve will never be taken from me, so why should I fret?" This opened our minds to clear a lot of the misgivings we had towards people, situations and circumstances. We have choices in our lives which we make consciously, so the consequence is also our own. We should remember that we have to live with these choices for the rest of our lives. So let us make right choices and not trample over others while doing so because we know what goes around comes around!! Thanks Vipin, for these words of wisdom!

Now let me tell you a little secret, Vipin Kumar's real name is Vipin Khan! Such is life's paradox.

Whatever has happened, has happened for good.
Whatever is happening, is happening for good.
Whatever is going to happen, it will be for good.
What have you lost for which you cry?
What did you bring with you, which you have lost?
What did you produce, which has destroyed?
You did not bring anything when you were born.
Whatever you have, you have received from Him.
Whatever you will give, you will give to Him.
You came empty handed and you will go the same way.

Whatever is yours today was somebody else's yesterday 

and will be somebody else's tomorrow.

SO WHY WORRY UNNECESSARILY?

Change is the law of the universe.