When I was thinking about the title of this blog – I literally went to Thesaurus. I wanted to write the best possible word for <Hindi> “आश्चर्य”! This word reminded me of Ashtavakra Geeta. Janaka repeatedly says “आश्चर्य” in that – a different Geeta. Well, I am no scholar to write on most succinct knowledge bank – Ashtavakra Geeta – on Enlightenment. That book takes you in a different dimension.
I was amazed with Nature. This is what this brief story all about.
It was January 2000-2001, I was traveling to Gwalior early morning train reached Jhansi at about 1:30-2:00 may be 3:00 AM. Of course I was a student and thus was traveling in General (unreserved) boggy. It was so cold that I was wearing 1. thermocoat 2. Banyan 3. Shirt 4. Sweater and 5. a good quality jacket. I went on platform for having a cup of tea. Cold was such that I was shivering, even after wearing those many cloths. While sipping tea, hands were shivering and jaws wrecking. I have that image always as definition of cold one may face in North.
Recently, I went to Indore and Gwalior. I have been living in Mumbai for 8+ years so had not seen in that cold thus didn’t have cloths of that kind with me either. The experience of winter I have raises hair, thinking of cold of Gwalior 3-7 degrees scared me. No doubt it was cold in Indore & Gwalior; for a Mumbaite (now at least), it was too much. Nevertheless I survived, in fact I did not have trouble in facing the cold. Neither I fell sick (which I was afraid of).
No, before coming back to Mumbai, I asked my Art of Living Teacher Dr Shrikant Agashe – a professional MBBS Doctor. How is that possible? I haven’t been living in Indore; I was in Gwalior more than a decade ago, how could my body not give up on this cold? How is that possible, when every month or quarter – may be – at cellular level we are completely new! What he answered me, amazed me about us – more precisely the nature!
He said every cell has a memory (somewhat amazing! For example, in case of any allergy even if you think that 25 years would be enough for forgetting about something at cellular level – your allergic nature wont be lost. Bigger amazement.
I still remain amazed about this memory stuff. This amazement is overall for the nature, isn’t Nature amazing, functioning in its own surprising ways? “आश्चर्य”! I know I am no Janaka, nonetheless, I can be amazed with Nature
Ashtavakra Geeta in English here
Here Sanskrit verse, word meaning and English translation
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