☆ Article ☆ The Subtle Art of Overeating Politely – Vikram Chandrashekhar ☆ Compiled by – Hemant Bawankar ☆
A hotel’s complimentary buffet breakfast is the closest thing to a polite catastrophe. At 6:30 a.m., grown adults who normally need three alarms to wake up are already hovering outside the restaurant door like it’s a flash sale. The moment it opens, civilisation leaves the room. People surge forward with the desperation of a species that fears the poori might run away.
The continental section sits there, lonely, untouched. Croissants looking depressed, bread slices drying in the AC because the true desi minimalists walk past them like past bad memories. Bread and eggs? Why again? They station themselves at the dosa counter with the same intensity that they used for land disputes.
Meanwhile the Full-Hog Overachievers begin their day’s construction work: plate upon plate stacked with paratha touching pasta touching pineapple touching ideological confusion. They aren’t here to eat; they are here to economically punish the hotel for daring to include breakfast in the tariff. A subset of them says “nothing is good” before they go for a second helping. Another guest drinks nine cups of masala chai and wonders aloud why his BP is rising. The rest of us know.
Then come the Protein Bros, those majestic creatures whose arms enter the buffet three seconds before the rest of their body. They demand fourteen egg whites and bargain like they’re at Chickpet. One bro even pours whey powder into sambar, declaring it a fusion dish. The chef’s soul quietly exits his body.
Nearby, a diabetic guest requests a strict egg-white omelette while simultaneously dual-wielding mango and pineapple juice like nutritional nunchucks. Their glucose meter files for voluntary retirement. And just when the buffet thinks it has seen enough, the rich sleepers float in at 11:20 a.m.Breakfast long gone, even the toaster unplugged. But time, to them, is a rumour. They demand pancakes from the void, and hotel staff obey with the resignation of civil servants during budget season. The order a la carte..
The business traveller meanwhile is on Day four and has a serving of toast–fried egg–coffee déjà vu. He pockets bananas like he’s smuggling state secrets, sips coffee with dead eyes, and silently wonders when he last felt joy. Children, on the other hand, are pure chaos wrapped in sugar.They are charging at waffles, drowning them in chocolate syrup, and rejecting anything that looks remotely like nutrition. The hotel staff steps aside as they sprint past, muffins in both hands like victorious gladiators. Their moms are trying to feed them something they detest. The dads overlook this event…
Uncles are the true apex predators: poori, dosa soaked in ghee, pongal the size of a meteor, five cups of chai, and then the inevitable announcement “I eat very light these days.”
Fitness Moms interrogate the buffet like they’re cracking a terror cell: “Which oil? Which farm? What breed of almond?” And after all this detective work, they consume three papaya cubes and radiate smug wellness.
Foreign tourists wander around in innocent confusion, eating idli with jam, mixing chutney with muesli, sipping sambar like broth until suddenly their tongue goes numb and they realise India has entered their bloodstream.
The lonely cereal guy sits surrounded by 800 calories of joy and chooses cornflakes anyway, crunching like he’s punishing himself for existing.
Somewhere, an influencer couple rearranges that poori for 40 minutes, taking photos from all angles. By the time they finish, the poori has the emotional stability of a punctured balloon. Nearby, professional buffet looters stuff muffins into handbags, slip bread rolls into jacket pockets, and walk out rustling like walking vegetable markets.
And through all of this, someone always makes an impossible request from masala cornflakes, gluten-free poha to a sugar-free gulab jamun while the staff stares into the horizon questioning every life choice.
A complimentary buffet breakfast is not nourishment. It is revenge, it is childhood trauma, it is class struggle, it is comedy, it is tragedy, it is a deeply personal confrontation with carbs.
It is the Olympics of Paisa Vasool. And after the dust settles, after the plates are cleared, after the last banana is smuggled away, everyone makes the same bold declaration:
“Tomorrow, I’ll eat light.”
And of course, as we leave, all of us are already telling the same lie to ourselves, the oldest lie in the history of complimentary breakfasts:
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 Current Affairs – Free Trade Agreement: India and New Zealand 🌌
The Free Trade Agreement signed between India and New Zealand is a welcome and timely step. On balance, the agreement appears to tilt in India’s favour. Goods exported from India will now be able to enter New Zealand without customs duty, and our students and workers have been granted several meaningful relaxations in visa conditions. In addition, New Zealand has committed to investing in India, which strengthens the long-term economic partnership between the two countries.
However, there is one aspect that deserves a closer look. India has imposed relatively strict conditions on certain New Zealand products, which, frankly, seems somewhat unfair. What is more surprising is that the New Zealand government has accepted these terms. High tariffs have been retained on items such as milk, cheese, and butter. Even Manuka honey — regarded globally as one of the finest — continues to attract duties.
If there are Indian consumers who can afford these premium products, they should be allowed to benefit from fair pricing and wider choice. A trade agreement, after all, must serve the interests of both nations and their consumers. It should be a true win–win arrangement, not one that favours only one side.
Balanced trade builds trust, deepens relationships, and ultimately benefits people on both sides of the table.
#FreeTradeAgreement #India #NewZealand
भारत द्वारा न्यूज़ीलैंड के साथ किया गया फ्री ट्रेड एग्रीमेंट स्वागत योग्य है। इस करार का पलड़ा हमारी ओर झुका हुआ है। भारत से सब समान अब बिना ड्यूटी के न्यूज़ीलैंड जा सकेगा। साथ ही, हमारे छात्रों और वर्कर्स को वीज़ा शर्तों में अनेक लाभ दिए गए हैं। इसके अलावा न्यूज़ीलैंड हमारे देश में निवेश भी करेगा।
लेकिन हमने उनपर कुछ कठोर शर्तें लगाई हैं, जो शायद उचित नहीं हैं। यह बात और है कि इन्हें वहां की सरकार ने स्वीकार किया है, जैसे दूध, चीज़ और मक्खन पर टैरिफ। वहां का मानुका हनी (शहद) विश्व में सर्वश्रेष्ठ माना जाता है। उस पर भी टैरिफ नहीं लगना चाहिए।
देश के उपभोक्ता जो इन प्रोडक्ट्स को अफोर्ड कर सकते हैं, उन्हें इसका लाभ मिलना चाहिए। कोई भी ट्रेड एग्रीमेंट दोनों देशों के लिए और उनके उपभोक्ताओं के लिए विन-विन समझौता होना चाहिए, न कि इकतरफा।
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌Film Review –Dhurandhar🌌
Relentless chatter on social media finally nudged me into a theatre to watch Dhurandhar. I went in forewarned—of its length, its violence, its abrasive language. What unfolded on screen, however, was a rare, seamless cinematic experience.
The film moves as one unbroken act. The narrative flows swiftly and effortlessly, never losing its pulse. The music reaches deep within, quenching a long, unspoken thirst of the soul, and carries the exquisitely crafted story with a mesmerising force. It courses like a pahadi river descending from the Himalayas—changing moods, colours and cries—never pausing long enough to bore.
Every actor dissolves completely into the role, delivering performances that feel lived rather than enacted. The violence and coarse language do not jar; they arise organically from the script, restrained and purposeful, never imposed.
Dhurandhar is a film that will linger in memory. Meaningful in intent, honest in execution, it achieves exactly what it sets out to do. Kudos, and hats off, to Aditya Dhar and his team.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 A Long Arc of Wars: America’s Military Footprint Across the World 🌌
History often reads like a drifting tide—one wave rising as another ebbs. The story of the United States and its many military ventures across the world follows just such a rhythm. Beginning as a young nation determined to defend freedom, it gradually found itself stepping deeper into conflicts far beyond its shores. Some were presented as noble causes; others later proved to rest on shaky claims, political calculations, or fear-driven assumptions. For citizens of the world who wish to understand this pattern, the following narrative offers a simple, unembellished account.
—
The Spanish–American War (1898)
President: William McKinley
Where: Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico
Reason Given: The explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbour, attributed—without proof—to Spain.
What Happened: In a brief but decisive campaign, the United States defeated Spain and emerged as a colonial power, taking control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Consequences: Thousands of soldiers and many more civilians died in both the war and the brutal suppression of Filipino resistance.
What History Says Today: Many historians believe the rush to war was fuelled by expansionist ambitions and sensationalist journalism. The sinking of the Maine was likely an accident.
—
World War I (1917–1918)
President: Woodrow Wilson
Where: Europe
Reason Given: German submarine attacks on American ships and the Zimmermann Telegram.
What Happened: The U.S. joined late but decisively, tipping the balance in favour of the Allies.
Consequences: Heavy casualties in Europe; the war’s end created political instability that later fed into World War II.
What History Says Today: America’s entry helped end the war, but Wilson’s idealistic vision of peace was never realised, and punitive treaties sowed seeds of future conflict.
—
World War II (1941–1945)
President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Where: Europe, North Africa, Pacific
Reason Given: Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour.
What Happened: The U.S. fought on multiple fronts, eventually defeating both Germany and Japan.
Consequences: Immense global destruction, including the first and only use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
What History Says Today: America’s role in defeating fascism was decisive, though debates on the necessity of atomic bombings continue.
—
The Consequences:Korean War (1950–1953)
President: Harry Truman
Where: Korean Peninsula
Reason Given: Stopping Communist expansion after North Korea invaded the South.
What Happened: A brutal war that ended in a stalemate along the 38th parallel.
Millions of Korean civilians died; the peninsula remains divided to this day.
What History Says Today: Seen as part of early Cold War anxieties; the justification remains debated.
—
The Vietnam War (1955–1975)
Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon
Where: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
Reason Given: The “Domino Theory” that communism would spread across Asia. The fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident served as the trigger for full-scale war.
What Happened: Years of relentless bombing, ground combat, and chemical warfare (including Agent Orange).
Consequences: Over 2 million Vietnamese civilians and 58,000 American soldiers died. Laos and Cambodia were dragged into the conflict.
What History Says Today: Widely acknowledged as unnecessary and based on false premises. America withdrew without achieving its goal; Vietnam unified under the same government the war sought to prevent.
—
The Bay of Pigs & Latin America Interventions (1950s–1980s)
Presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan
Where: Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Guatemala, and others
Reason Given: Curbing communist influence and protecting American interests.
What Happened: A mix of coups, covert operations, assassinations, and support to dictators and paramilitary groups.
Consequences: Civilian massacres, political repression, and decades-long instability in Latin America.
What History Says Today: Many interventions were unjustified and driven by Cold War paranoia rather than real threat.
—
The Gulf War (1991)
President: George H. W. Bush
Where: Iraq, Kuwait
Reason Given: Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
What Happened: A swift air and ground assault forced Iraq to retreat.
Consequences: Enormous destruction of Iraqi military and infrastructure; thousands of civilian casualties.
What History Says Today: The initial cause was legitimate—Kuwait had indeed been invaded—though the scale of bombing and post-war sanctions caused lasting humanitarian harm.
—
Afghanistan War (2001–2021)
Presidents: Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Afghanistan
Reason Given: The 9/11 attacks and the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
What Happened: The Taliban was toppled, but a prolonged insurgency followed.
Consequences: Over 170,000 Afghan deaths, massive displacement, and eventual return of the Taliban after U.S. withdrawal.
What History Says Today: The initial aim—to dismantle al-Qaeda—was achieved early, but the 20-year nation-building effort failed. Seen widely as a costly misadventure.
—
Iraq War (2003–2011)
President: George W. Bush
Where: Iraq
Reason Given: Claims that Saddam Hussein possessed “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMDs)—which were never found.
What Happened: Rapid invasion, toppling Saddam, followed by years of insurgency and sectarian violence.
Consequences: At least 200,000 civilian deaths; destabilisation of the region; rise of ISIS.
What History Says Today: Regarded as one of the most unjustified wars in modern times, based on entirely false premises.
—
Libya Intervention (2011)
President: Barack Obama
Where: Libya
Reason Given: Preventing mass atrocities during the Arab Spring.
What Happened: NATO-backed rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
Consequences: Libya collapsed into civil war, leading to chaos and militias controlling vast regions.
What History Says Today: The intervention removed a dictator but created long-term instability. Its necessity remains questioned.
—
Syria (2011–Present)
Presidents: Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Syria
Reason Given: Fighting ISIS and supporting “moderate rebels.”
What Happened: Airstrikes, support to proxy groups, and clashes with multiple actors including Russia.
Consequences: A prolonged civil war, enormous civilian suffering, and a fragmented nation.
What History Says Today: America’s role is seen as part of a larger geopolitical struggle rather than a clear-cut mission.
—
Yemen (Proxy Involvement)
Presidents: Obama, Trump, Biden
Where: Yemen
Reason Given: Supporting Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels.
What Happened: U.S. arms, intelligence, and logistical support fuelled a devastating war.
Consequences: One of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with widespread famine and disease.
What History Says Today: The war is widely condemned; American involvement is seen as having worsened the tragedy.
—
1 Ongoing Drone Wars and Counter-Terror Operations
Presidents: Bush to Biden
Where: Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Niger, and others
Reason Given: Eliminating terrorist threats without deploying troops.
What Happened: Thousands of drone strikes, many secret.
Consequences: Significant civilian casualties, political backlash, and anger in affected regions.
What History Says Today: While tactically effective, they often deepened resentment and instability.
—
A Pattern the World Slowly Recognised
From Manila to Mosul, the story repeats itself: a conflict justified as protection, liberation, or security; a swift beginning followed by long entanglements; tragic losses of civilian life; and eventual withdrawal without the promised result.
Over time, citizens around the world have realised that many of these wars—though often presented in noble words—were shaped as much by fear, ideology, resource interests, and geopolitical rivalry as by genuine threats. Some interventions did prevent atrocities or topple tyrants. Others left behind deeper wounds than those they aimed to heal.
—
In the End
This dossier is not a judgement, but a record. As people of the world look back, they increasingly understand that wars—even those fought by powerful nations—rarely end where policymakers believe they will. They ripple outward, touching countless lives, leaving lessons that must not be forgotten.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
– – एका कीर्तनात ऐकलेले हे वाक्य..! आता लेकरू व्हायचे म्हणजे काय? आपण लेकरू व्हायला तयारच नसतो. लहान लेकरू कसं निष्पाप असतं निस्वार्थी असतं कुणाबद्दल त्याच्या मनात द्वेष नसतो *मी* ही भावनाच नसते म्हणजे अहंकार नसतो मस्ती करतील पण मस्ती नसते मोह नसतो लोभ नाही. गरजेपुरता आपलं सगळं आटपलं की ते लेकरू शांत! आपल्या मुळात गरजाच संपत नाहीत…. अहंकार संपत नाही… उलट हे सगळे विकार वाढत जातात. माझं कोण काय करते बघू! अजून मला ओळखलं नाहीये तू.!! मी काय करतोय तुला ठाऊक नाहीये…!!! हे सगळं मी निर्माण केलेले आहे… माझ्यामुळे तू आहेस हे लक्षात ठेव…. मी नसतो तर तुमचं काय झालं असतं रे….?
अरे बापरे.. अशा अनेक वाक्याने लेकरूपणापासून आपण फार दूर जातो. मग ती माऊली भेटावी कशी? हे सगळं जेव्हा आपण सोडू आणि अहंकारविरहीत काया वाचा मनाने परमेश्वराला शरण जाऊ तेव्हा तो आपल्याला उचलून मांडीवर घेणारच. आशीर्वाद देणारच. त्याच आपल्यावर अगणित प्रेम असणारच…. कारण आपण लेकरू झालो की तो माऊली होतो. मग त्याला माऊली करण्यासाठी आपण लेकरू होणे गरजेचे नाही का? ..
बरं चला तर मग या वर्षात हे सगळे विकार सोडून देऊ आणि लेकरू होण्याचा प्रयत्न करू जेणेकरून परमेश्वराचा वरदहस्त आपल्यावर राहील त्याचं अफाट प्रेम मिळेल!
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌌 AFTERNOON WALK 🌌
There is a familiar charm in the early hours of the day—streets washed in pale light, the air cool and hopeful, and the heartbeat steadying itself through a brisk morning walk. For generations, doctors, elders, and fitness guides have sung its praises. And rightly so. Yet, in the rhythm of everyday life, not everyone manages to step out at dawn. Work, family, late nights—life rearranges the best of plans. Many then turn to the evening walk, letting the twilight soothe the day’s bustle.
But tucked quietly between these two lies a delightful, often-ignored possibility—the afternoon walk.
I began experimenting with it almost by accident, and soon enough, it unfolded a charm of its own. An afternoon walk does not demand discipline; it invites you. It fits itself gently into your day—any time after sunrise and before sunset—and carries its own bouquet of benefits. A little sunshine on the skin nudges the body to create Vitamin D, which in turn keeps bones and immunity strong. This small gift of daylight also helps regulate sleep, making the night restful and deep. And like all simple outdoor movements, it keeps the blood flowing, the breath easy, and the mind sprinkled with feel-good hormones.
But beyond biology, the afternoon walk has a unique personality. Unlike the determined pace of the early morning, this stroll often becomes leisurely, warm, and pleasantly unhurried. The city is awake by then—vendors calling out with fresh guavas, coconuts stacked like green globes, bunches of fragrant coriander swaying softly. If you happen to be in a city like Indore, there is every chance the aroma of poha, jalebi, and kachori may pull you gently off your set path. And that, too, is part of the joy.
As you move along, you may find yourself noticing things you usually miss—new eateries promising flavours, an ayurvedic massage centre promising relief, a doctor’s clinic newly opened, a roadside stall serving honest, earthy litti-chokha, or even the reconstruction of an old, familiar house. Afternoon light has a curious way of slowing the world just enough for you to see it.
What surprised me most was how refreshing this simple routine felt from the very first day. Especially in winter, when the sun seems almost affectionate, an afternoon walk becomes a gentle therapy—warming, grounding, and deeply rejuvenating.
It may not replace the morning or evening walk, but it adds something different and delightful to the day. And sometimes, that small addition is all one needs to feel a little lighter, a little brighter, and a little more connected with the world outside the door.
If you’ve never tried it, give yourself just one such walk. Chances are, your body—and your mood—will thank you before you return home.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, known for his wit and wisdom, is a prolific writer, renowned satirist, children’s literature author, and poet. He has undertaken the monumental task of writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Telangana government at the primary school, college, and university levels. His editorial endeavors also include online editions of works by Acharya Ramchandra Shukla.
As a celebrated satirist, Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra has carved a niche for himself, with over eight million viewers, readers, and listeners tuning in to his literary musings on the demise of a teacher on the Sahitya AajTak channel. His contributions have earned him prestigious accolades such as the Telangana Hindi Academy’s Shreshtha Navyuva Rachnakaar Samman in 2021, presented by the honorable Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao. He has also been honored with the Vyangya Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Stairway Award and the Sahitya Srijan Samman, alongside recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various other esteemed institutions.
Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra’s journey is not merely one of literary accomplishments but also a testament to his unwavering dedication, creativity, and profound impact on society. His story inspires us to strive for excellence, to use our talents for the betterment of others, and to leave an indelible mark on the world.
Some precious moments of life
Honoured with ‘Shrestha Navayuvva Rachnakar Samman’ by former Chief Minister of Telangana Government, Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Honoured with Oscar, Grammy, Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Bhushan and many other awards by the most revered Gulzar sahab (Sampurn Singh Kalra), the lighthouse of the world of literature and cinema, during the Sahitya Suman Samman held in Mumbai.
Meeting the famous litterateur Shri Vinod Kumar Shukla Ji, honoured with Jnanpith Award.
Got the privilege of meeting Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, actor Aamir Khan.
Meeting the powerful actor Vicky Kaushal on the occasion of being honoured by Vishva Katha Rangmanch.
Today we present his Satire – The Market Price of Moksha: Why Your Destiny Now Requires a Premium Subscription.
☆ Witful Warmth# 54 ☆
☆ Satire ☆ The Market Price of Moksha: Why Your Destiny Now Requires a Premium Subscription… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆
The twenty-first century, my friends, is a magnificent time to be alive, particularly if you are an astrologer who possesses the supreme technological wisdom of designing an app. Once upon a time, fate was a sprawling, democratic marketplace; a village soothsayer might ask for five rupees, a piece of old cloth, or merely a promise to name your firstborn after his favorite deity. Now, fate is a segmented, tiered commodity, neatly packaged within a digital fortress. Your horoscope, that cosmic blueprint of your entire tragic life, is no longer a public document written in the stars; it’s hidden behind a paywall, locked up tighter than a politician’s conscience. When the celestial bodies move, they don’t just influence your love life; they prompt a push notification: “Mars is in Retrograde. Avoid major decisions or unlock your Ad-Free Fate plan for only ₹499/month.” The gods, it seems, have finally realized the commercial potential of human anxiety and have signed exclusive partnership deals with Silicon Valley venture capitalists. What a glorious privatization of the spiritual sphere! The tear rolling down my cheek is purely from joy at this spectacular efficiency.
The sheer genius of the “Ad-Free Fate” subscription is that it converts existential dread into a recurring revenue stream. Previously, you might worry about your job security or your landlord’s menacing glances. Now, you worry about whether your Free Tier alignment will tell you enough to avoid that critical Tuesday morning mistake. The app’s logic is devastatingly simple and mind-blowingly cruel: if you cannot afford the premium plan, your future is inherently noisy, cluttered with distracting banners selling debt consolidation or weight-loss pills, thus ensuring that the vital, life-saving advice about not marrying a Capricorn is hopelessly lost in the digital static. The middle-class anxiety is no longer about upward mobility; it’s about accessing a clear, uncorrupted channel to doom avoidance. If the Dharma of the universe suggests a catastrophe is coming, the app ensures that only those who pay promptly can receive the crucial fine print. True liberation (Moksha) is no longer freedom from desire, but freedom from the thirty-second video ad that interrupts the reading of your next six unfortunate years.
This financial filtering of destiny reveals a profound societal truth: poverty is no longer just a socio-economic condition, but a spiritual vulnerability. The wealthy are now paying for optimized karma. The poor, meanwhile, are left with the basic, ad-supported model of suffering, where their misfortune is constantly cross-promoted with cheap products they cannot afford. The app’s developers, undoubtedly enlightened souls in their own right, have cleverly established a tiered system of cosmic intervention. The basic plan gives you vague, boilerplate doom (“Avoid disappointment this week”); the premium plan offers actionable, granular doom (“The disappointment will specifically involve a misplaced umbrella and a rude encounter with a postal worker on Wednesday at 4:15 PM”). The ultra-premium, executive tier guarantees predictive happiness, meaning they don’t just warn you about bad luck, they actively inject small, curated moments of joy into your life, like a surprise discount code or a genuinely funny cat video, all while charging your credit card automatically. The ultimate irony is that we are paying exorbitant sums to be told what used to be free: life is fundamentally unpredictable and often quite silly.
The “Harishankar Parsai” in my soul weeps and laughs simultaneously at this commodification of the soul’s journey. The astrologer, once a mysterious figure shrouded in incense and ancient wisdom, is now just a data scientist optimizing conversion rates. They don’t read the planets; they read the metadata of your past purchases. Your destiny is not determined by Saturn, but by the algorithm that tracked your panic after you searched “early signs of male pattern baldness.” The true demisical element here is the slow, silent death of faith, replaced by a cynical, transactional relationship with the sublime. The tear that rolls down my cheek is not for the lost money, but for the lost ability to confront fate with genuine, unmediated awe. We have turned the terrifying majesty of the cosmos into a subscription service, ensuring that even our inevitable suffering is delivered in a high-definition, personalized format. The heart, once the repository of quiet belief, is now merely a beating ATM for the cosmic subscription plan.
The profound tragedy of this trend is the destruction of genuine human introspection. The true purpose of ancient astrology was to prompt philosophical self-reflection, urging the individual to understand their inherent nature and responsibilities. Now, the app gives you the answer instantly—a quick fix to a millennia-old existential dilemma. Instead of meditating on the meaning of a challenging transit, you simply click “Remind Me Later” and get back to scrolling. We have exchanged the difficult work of self-knowledge for the ease of outsourced destiny management. The apps have removed the poetry from pain and the grandeur from grief. Your suffering is no longer a path to enlightenment; it’s a bug in the code that the next update will supposedly fix. But the update itself is always late, or worse, requires an additional in-app purchase for “Emotional Stability Patch 3.0.” This entire farce is a perfect metaphor for modern life: we are constantly connected to the universe, yet utterly disconnected from ourselves, paying monthly fees to keep the illusion of control alive.
The sheer spectacle of the Jyotish becoming a tech-bro is mind-blowing. Imagine the pitch meeting: “Look, we’re disrupting the karmic cycle. We’re offering a BOGO deal: Buy One Bad Luck, Get One Good Fortune (Limited Time Only, Terms Apply).” The entire philosophy of detachment (Vairagya) is ruined because now you’re constantly attached to checking your phone to see if your luck status has upgraded from “Cautionary” to “Fortunate.” And who is paying for this? The masses! The very same people who complain about the price of onions are happily forking over cash to ensure their life path has optimal UI/UX design. It’s a magnificent psychological operation, proving that fear of the unknown is the most reliable currency. The subscription model ensures that even if the prediction is wrong—and it often is—the customer will keep paying, convinced that the next prediction, the one unlocked by the more expensive tier, will finally hold the verifiable truth. It is a brilliant, self-sustaining ecosystem of hope, fear, and recurring billing.
This digital colonization of the spiritual realm ultimately serves to widen the existing societal chasms, creating a new, astrologically endorsed class structure. The “Elite Zodiac” members, those who can afford the full suite of personalized services, navigate life with a false sense of cosmic privilege. They believe their successes are engineered by their subscription, while the misfortunes of the Free Tier users are merely proof of their spiritual negligence or financial failure. The app, therefore, becomes a tool for social justification, validating the existing power structures by dressing up economic disparity as divine decree. The wealthy escape the randomness of fate with their credit cards; the common man is left to grapple with the raw, unedited, ad-supported chaos of existence. The only genuine spiritual truth remaining is that the house always wins, whether it’s the casino, the landlord, or the app developer who sells you a glimpse into your own impending poverty.
The satirical punchline, the final demisical drop, is that the ultimate “Ad-Free Fate” is not a premium subscription at all, but total non-engagement. The only way to truly defeat the tyranny of the astrological algorithm is to simply uninstall the app, step away from the glowing screen, and embrace the glorious, messy, un-monetized randomness of existence. But who has the courage for that radical act? We are too addicted to the illusion of insight, too tethered to the belief that the next notification will finally solve our problems. So, we stay subscribed, anxiously waiting for the digital sage to confirm what we already know: that destiny, like every other valuable resource, is now subject to the fluctuations of the market and the caprice of the quarterly earnings report. Until then, keep paying, keep hoping, and keep refreshing your feed for the next sign that the stars, or at least the app’s investors, smile upon you.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌱When Social Change Meets the Stock Market: The Story of India’s Social Stock Exchange 🌷
On a warm afternoon in Bengaluru, a small education-focused NGO received a phone call it never expected. Their pilot programme—an after-school learning initiative in a government school cluster—had just raised its first tranche of funds through a new platform. The donors were not their usual circle of well-wishers; they were individuals and institutions who had discovered them on an unusual marketplace: a stock exchange created purely for social good.
Around the same time in Mumbai, a health-care non-profit working on affordable cancer care found itself on a larger stage than ever before. Their cause, once limited to annual fundraisers and sporadic grants, was now visible to thousands of socially minded supporters. The organisation raised funds through an unfamiliar yet intriguing instrument—one that carried zero interest, zero repayment, and yet required them to show measurable impact to donors.
Stories like these, which first surfaced online in 2023 and 2024, marked the quiet beginning of a new chapter in India’s development landscape. This was not a charity drive, nor was it a government scheme. It was something the country had never attempted before—bringing the social sector and capital markets onto a single, regulated platform.
This is the unfolding story of India’s Social Stock Exchange (SSE), a pioneering effort that blends trust, transparency, and social purpose into one remarkable idea.
🌱A Marketplace for Good: What Exactly Is the SSE?🌷
Imagine a marketplace where you are not buying shares of a company, but contributing to a measurable impact—more children in school, more families with access to clean water, more women receiving livelihood support. That, in essence, is the Social Stock Exchange.
The SSE is a dedicated, regulated segment within India’s two major stock exchanges—NSE and BSE. It allows:
🌱Not-for-profit organisations (NPOs)
🌱For-profit social enterprises
to raise funds from individuals and institutions who want to support social progress.
Unlike traditional stock trading, the focus here is not on financial returns but on social returns—clear, quantifiable improvements in people’s lives.
🌱The idea is beautifully simple yet powerful:
Offer NGOs and social enterprises a wider, more reliable channel to raise funds.
Ensure strict transparency, disclosure, and impact reporting so donors can see exactly how their money is used.
In other words, it’s not just fundraising—it’s fundraising backed by accountability, something India’s social sector has long needed.
🌱Where It All Began: A Vision from the Finance Ministry🌷
The seed for this idea was planted in the 2019–20 Union Budget, when the Finance Minister announced a bold proposal:
India would build a Social Stock Exchange, and SEBI—the country’s market regulator—would design the rules.
Over the next few years, the government amended securities laws, set up expert committees, and brought together specialists in impact finance, philanthropy, market regulation, and development practice.
These groups worked on questions such as:
🌱Who should be eligible to list?
🌱What kind of social activities should qualify?
🌱How will impact be measured?
🌱What must NGOs disclose?
🌱How will social audits work?
The result was a detailed, carefully built regulatory framework.
🌱The Role of SEBI and the Stock Exchanges🌷
From 2022 onwards, SEBI began rolling out the architecture of the SSE step by step.
🌷Key features of SEBI’s framework include:
🌱Eligibility criteria for NGOs and social enterprises
🌱A structured onboarding and listing process
🌱Mandatory annual impact reports
🌱Independent social audits conducted by trained, accredited auditors
🌱Specifications for unique fundraising tools like Zero-Coupon Zero-Principal (ZCZP) instruments
Both NSE and BSE then created dedicated SSE segments, published guidebooks for NGOs, and built online infrastructure for listing, reporting, and impact dashboards.
Alongside them, NITI Aayog, philanthropy networks, and advisory organisations began offering capacity-building programmes so that NGOs could prepare themselves for this new opportunity.
🌱The First Footprints: Progress Across India🌷
🌱By 2023–24, the SSE platforms were live.
🌱Dozens of NGOs registered. A smaller yet growing number completed the rigorous listing process. A few successfully raised funds through:
🌱ZCZP instruments (where donors get no financial return, but receive verified impact reports)
🌱Donation options via mutual-fund–linked channels
Early adopters tend to be organisations based in major cities or larger states—Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu—simply because they have more administrative capacity and familiarity with compliance.
In smaller towns and states, many NGOs are still learning about the platform and figuring out whether listing is right for them. But the momentum is unmistakable: curiosity is turning into exploration, and exploration into action.
🌱Where Things Stand Today 🌷
With regulations now consolidated into Chapter X-A of the ICDR Regulations, the structure is largely in place. The SSE is fully functional, yet still young.
Strengths visible today:
🌱Clear rules
🌱Few but successful fundraises
🌱Growing awareness
🌱A maturing ecosystem of social auditors and impact evaluators
🌷Challenges that remain:
🌱Limited investor familiarity
🌱Shallow market depth
🌱NGOs still adapting to impact-reporting systems
🌱Need for simplified compliance for smaller organisations
The platform has proved the concept; now it must scale.
🌱Why This Can Change India’s Development Landscape🌷
In the years ahead, the Social Stock Exchange could transform how India funds social progress.
🌱What could accelerate its growth?
🌱Tax incentives for ZCZP instruments
🌱Handholding support for smaller NGOs
🌱State-level outreach missions
🌱Integration with social-impact funds, blended finance, and CSR strategies
🌱A strong culture of standardised impact measurement
🌷If these pieces come together, the SSE could become the central hub for:
🌱CSR contributions
🌱Philanthropic finance
🌱Retail “social investors”
🌱Global impact-investment flows
🌱A New Way to Look at Returns: The SROI Link 🌷
At the heart of the SSE is a simple promise:
Your money must create visible, verifiable social value.
This philosophy mirrors the global concept of Social Return on Investment (SROI)—which asks:
🌱“How much social good is created for every rupee invested?”
On the SSE, this philosophy becomes part of the law. Listed organisations must publish:
🌱Annual impact reports
🌱Standardised output and outcome metrics
🌱Independent social audits
For the first time, India is institutionalising 🌷SROI thinking—not as fluffy jargon, but as a measurable commitment.
🌱Learning from the World 🌷
India is not alone in this experiment. Several countries have tried similar models:
🌱UK: The Social Stock Exchange (2013), focused mainly on accreditation and impact transparency
🌱Canada: Social Venture Connexion (SVX), connecting impact businesses with accredited investors
🌱Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya: Varied platforms—some full trading exchanges, others curated matchmaking portals
But India’s model is unique in its regulatory depth and its ambition to make social financing mainstream.
🌱What It Means for Different Stakeholders🌷
🌱For Students & Researchers
A rich field for studying impact finance, social enterprise regulation, and the evolution of SROI metrics. Comparative studies with global models offer fertile ground for research.
🌱For General Readers
An opportunity to “invest” in social change with transparency, where the main return is the satisfaction of measurable impact.
🌱For NGOs
A new highway opens up—one that offers visibility, credibility, and access to structured funding.
Success will depend on:
🌱Strong internal governance
🌱Clarity of mission
🌱Reliable impact-measurement systems
🌱Readiness for compliance
🌱For Beneficiaries
While the SSE does not directly change entitlements, it can channel more predictable funding into education, health, livelihoods and similar programmes—improving reach and service quality on the ground.
🌱A Quiet Revolution in the Making 🌷
India’s Social Stock Exchange is not just another financial innovation. It is a thoughtful, pioneering attempt to weave social purpose into the fabric of capital markets.
🌱Its future will depend on striking the right balance:
🌱Rigour without excessive burden
🌱Transparency without complexity
🌱Scale without losing authenticity
🌱Growth that remains rooted in mission
🌱Markets that serve people, not the other way round
If this balance is achieved, the SSE could become one of India’s most significant contributions to global development finance—a model that shows how trust, technology and transparency can come together to amplify compassion.
And perhaps, years from now, the success stories we hear will not just be a handful of early adopters but thousands of organisations whose journeys began on a platform built for one purpose:
to turn every rupee of goodwill into meaningful, measurable change.
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!
🌱My Heritage: A Conversation Without Beginning or End 🌷
Every person carries an inner landscape—an inheritance of ideas, intuitions, longings, and values that shape the way we walk through the world. My own sense of heritage does not rest on any one name or system. It is a quiet flow of thought woven through the centuries, expressed in verses that feel less like teachings and more like reminders of what we already know deep within.
At the heart of this inheritance lies a simple recognition:
🌷“Aham Brahmāsmi – I am that vast, limitless essence.”
🌷“Tat Tvam Asi – And you are that too.”
For me, these ancient statements point towards the same truth: the boundary between the self and the universe is thinner than it appears. My existence is not an island; it is inseparably linked with the whole. In plain words, they say: “What lives in me, lives in you. What shines in you, shines in all.”
Alongside this inner understanding stands a practical guide for living:
🌷“Karmanye vā adhikāraste, mā phaleṣu kadāchana…”
— I can only choose my actions; I cannot claim their results.
This verse is a constant grounding force. It tells me to show up fully, to give my honest effort, and to let go of the weight of expectations. Life becomes simpler when we realise that our responsibility ends with doing our best.
From this foundation naturally arises a feeling of concern and goodwill for all beings. These lines echo the compassion that has seeped into my cultural memory:
🌷“Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ, sarve santu nirāmayāḥ…”
May there be well-being for all, may there be peace for all.
These prayers do not belong to any one group; they belong to the human heart. They remind me that my welfare is tied to the welfare of others. No healing is complete if someone, somewhere, is left behind.
My heritage also urges me to seek knowledge without walls around it:
🌷“Ekam satyam, viprāḥ bahudhā vadanti.”
Truth is one; the wise speak of it in many ways.
This idea frees the mind. It encourages listening without fear, learning without prejudice, and acknowledging that understanding can take many forms. It tells me that wisdom is not the monopoly of any single path.
And the quest continues with a yearning that is universal:
🌷“Asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya…”
Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light.
In these words, I hear the eternal search for clarity—an inward journey towards what is authentic, uplifting, and illuminating.
—
🌱Why I Begin This Conversation
This is not an attempt to define anything or to compare one tradition with another. It is a personal effort to touch the deeper threads that shape my inner world and to understand them with humility. I share these thoughts only as a starting point—an open doorway.
Heritage, after all, is not a fixed monument. It is a living dialogue. As we speak, reflect, agree, question, and explore, it keeps evolving. My hope is that this conversation—with no beginning and no end—will grow richer through the insights, stories, and reflections of all who choose to join.
Let us walk together, gently and sincerely, towards a shared understanding of where we come from and what we aspire to be. 🌱
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra, widely known in the world of satire by his pen name ‘Uratipt’, expresses his emotions and thoughts with profound honesty and depth. His multifaceted talent is evident in his contributions across various literary genres. He is not only a renowned satirist but also a poet and a children’s author.
His satirical writings have earned him a special place in the literary world. His satire, ‘Shikshak Ki Mout’, went massively viral on the Sahitya Aajtak channel, garnering over a million views and reads—a monumental achievement in the history of Hindi satire. His collection of satires, ‘Ek Tinka Ikyavan Aankhen’ (A Straw and Fifty-One Eyes), is also highly acclaimed and includes his timeless work, ‘Kitabon Ki Antim Yatra’ (The Last Journey of Books). Other celebrated collections include ‘Mayaan Ek, Talwar Anek’ (One Sheath, Many Swords), ‘Gapodi Adda’ (The Gossiper’s Den), and ‘Sab Rang Mein Mere Rang’ (My Colors in Every Hue). His satirical novel, ‘Idhar-Udhar Ke Beech Mein’ (In Between Here and There), is a unique and groundbreaking work focused on the third world.
His significant contributions to literature have been widely recognized. He was honored with the Best Young Creator Award, 2021 by the Telangana Hindi Academy and the Government of Telangana, an award presented by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The Rajasthan Children’s Literature Academy also honored him for his children’s book, ‘Nanhon Ka Srijan Aasmaan’ (The Creative Sky of Little Ones). Additionally, he has received the Vyanga Yatra Ravindranath Tyagi Sopaan Samman and the Sahitya Srijan Samman from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr. Uratript has also played a pivotal role in writing, editing, and coordinating a total of 55 books for the Government of Telangana for primary school, college, and university levels. His work is included in university textbooks in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, where his satirical creations are part of the curriculum. This recognition underscores that young readers can identify and appreciate quality and impactful writing.
Key Accolades and Works
Viral Satire: ‘Teacher’s Death’ (over 1 million views)
Unique Satirical Novel: ‘Idhar-Udar Ke Beech Mein’
Awards: Shreshtha Navyuva Samman (Telangana), Sahitya Srijan Samman (PM Modi), and more.
Educational Contribution: Authored and edited 55 books for the Telangana government.
Some precious moments of life
Honoured with ‘Shrestha Navayuvva Rachnakar Samman’ by former Chief Minister of Telangana Government, Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Honoured with Oscar, Grammy, Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Bhushan and many other awards by the most revered Gulzar sahab (Sampurn Singh Kalra), the lighthouse of the world of literature and cinema, during the Sahitya Suman Samman held in Mumbai.
Meeting the famous litterateur Shri Vinod Kumar Shukla Ji, honoured with Jnanpith Award.
Got the privilege of meeting Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, actor Aamir Khan.
Meeting the powerful actor Vicky Kaushal on the occasion of being honoured by Vishva Katha Rangmanch.
Today we present his satire The Jingle of the Sacred Mat: A Digital Satire.
☆ Witful Warmth# 71 ☆
☆ Satire ☆ The Jingle of the Sacred Mat: A Digital Satire… ☆ Dr. Suresh Kumar Mishra ‘Uratript’ ☆
The latest phenomenon to grace the luminous screens of our portable purgatories—known otherwise as smartphones—is a profound, almost theological irony: Yoga advertisements on YouTube now commence with the solemn, bass-heavy voice of a priestly authority. It is not the sound of a calming brook, nor the whisper of a Californian life coach, but the deep, resonant ‘Om’ of a man who, until recently, dedicated his vocal cords only to the sanctification of temples and homes. He speaks not of asanas or chakras, but of auspicious timings and the removal of hurdles, only for his divine preamble to be abruptly cut by the ecstatic pitch of an influencer promoting a synthetic, non-slip yoga mat. This, my friends, is the peak of our modern spiritual economy: where the eternal mantra becomes the pre-roll for a temporary product. The soul, it seems, has been successfully integrated into the sales funnel, complete with mandatory unskippable content.
The tragedy is not merely in the juxtaposition, but in the destiny of the priest himself, let us call him Pandit Vishuddh-Niranjan. His voice, once a bridge to the transcendent, is now a carefully indexed audio file, purchased wholesale for a fixed cost per thousand impressions (CPM). He has become a commodity, an audio mascot for flexible plastic and expensive stretch pants. Imagine the silent tears of his ancestors! His grandfather broke his neck perfecting a headstand, while he, the last of the lineage, breaks his voice trying to sell the perfect towel for the headstand. The sound that was supposed to clear the mental clutter of the listener now serves only to justify the price tag of a $150 designer cushion. When the sacred is rendered purely commercial, even the gods must check their bank balance before granting a blessing.
This transformation is the true Viparita Karani (inverted action) of our age. Yoga, the path of renunciation and self-mastery, has been perfectly optimized for consumption and self-display. It is no longer a ‘yatra’ (journey) inward, but a ‘photo-op’ outward. The advertisements don’t show the agony of a difficult pose, the decades of dedication, or the profound stillness of meditation; they show polished hardwood floors, perfect lighting, and bodies that seem genetically engineered for spandex. The priest’s voice is the final, cynical touch—it launders the secular vanity with a cloak of antiquity. By hearing the holy words, the consumer can momentarily convince their weary soul that they are not buying luxury leisurewear, but rather, investing in their eternal salvation, delivered express via Amazon Prime.
The mind-blowing irony is how effectively this commercial spirituality preys upon the consumer’s subconscious yearning for meaning. The listener, bombarded by the frantic clamor of modernity, hears the ancient, steady drone of the priest, and a genuine, tear-rolling ache surfaces: “Ah, finally, this is the authentic thing!” The mind is momentarily pacified, believing that the spiritual vacuum is about to be filled. Then, the voice of commerce whispers, “The path to enlightenment is paved with this exclusive, sustainably sourced cork mat, 20% off with code PEACE.” The consumer clicks ‘Buy Now,’ feeling an absurd, misplaced sense of piousness, as if the transaction itself were a small, necessary penance. The tragedy is that we now purchase peace, not seek it.
Furthermore, we must scrutinize the new deity: The Algorithm. The Algorithm dictates the sacred space. It decided that Pandit Vishuddh-Niranjan’s voice was an effective tool for targeting demographics with high disposable income and low spiritual fulfillment. In the digital ashram, the traditional eight limbs of yoga—Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi—have been replaced by the eight pillars of digital marketing: Impression, Click-Through, Conversion, Retargeting, Remarketing, SEO, PPC, and ROI. The ancient pursuit of Brahmacharya (discipline) has been replaced by the immediate gratification of Ad-macharya (ad-discipline). The algorithm is the new Guru, and its instruction is simple: Click, consume, and repeat. Do not think, merely transact, for in the marketplace of the soul, only the transaction is real.
The philosophical cost of this phenomenon is truly heartbreaking. Every click, every purchase, assigns a tangible monetary value to the intangible quest for truth. The price tag on the yoga gear acts as an inverse spiritual barometer: the higher the cost of the accessories, the more profound the spiritual intent must be. We have monetized the sacred silence, packaged the eternal echo, and are selling it on an installment plan. The greatest fraud is that we are convinced we are simplifying life when, in fact, we are merely adding layers of costly complexity to the simplest human need: to breathe and to be still. It is a brilliant, insidious form of intellectual bankruptcy where the only knowledge required is how to enter your credit card details.
The narrator, myself, sits here, a pathetic consumer of this digital drama, watching the same ad loop for the tenth time. I feel a burning in my chest, a mind-blowing realization that my tear ducts are dry, not from sadness, but from shock at the sheer, relentless absurdity. Even my attempt to write this searing critique is part of the system—it will be read on a screen, perhaps with a pre-roll ad for a spiritual retreat or a new brand of herbal tea. I am trapped in the matrix of commodification, and my protest is merely a niche content offering. The truth, in this hyper-market, is the loneliest thing of all, existing only as a discarded thought-fragment floating between two targeted advertisements.
And so, the screen darkens, the ad slot ends, and the final Om echoes away, leaving behind only the cold, transactional certainty of a successful campaign conversion. Pandit Vishuddh-Niranjan’s voice has done its job: it lent ancient authority to modern desire. We are left not with peace, but with a tracking cookie and a delivery confirmation. The future is clear: we will not achieve Moksha (liberation); we will only achieve Mouthwash (a clean profit margin). Let us raise a toast to this digital dharma, where salvation is just a single click away, provided your internet connection is fast enough. The new spiritual motto: In God We Trust, All Others Pay Full Price.
मनमंजुषेतून 
