PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL

                                               JAI MAA KAALI
                      PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL
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 Once upon a time there lived a man who was most conceited and haughty.He was as grandiloquent as a lucifer.He considered himself to be sagacious,wise and intelligent and thought that people felt him to be so.
  One day as he was trudging along a street,he came to a spot where two rams were locked in a fierce duel.In the course of fighting, one ram was knocked down by the stronger one.It plumped down near the man's feet.Immediately the man thought:
 'This ram realises how great I am.So he is paying his respects to me and seeks me to vivify him with my blessings so that he may make his opponent lick the dust in the fight.'
     Now,this spectacle was observed by a merchant who was sitting in his shop across the street.
   "Be careful,my friend!",warned the merchant,"The beast is dangerous.When a ram slumps down in a battle,it means he is preparing for a greater attack."
  But the conceited fellow turned a deaf ear to the warning.And before he knew it,the ferocious ram had risen.It came at him full force.Badly battered and deadly injured,the man fell down on. the ground.As he lay dying,he realised his mulishness.He whimpered to himself:
 "FOR MY FOOLISH CONCEIT
    MY DEATH I NOW MUST MEET"
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      ---------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA--------
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THE CHOICE OF A HUBBY

                                                JAI MAA KAALI
                          THE CHOICE OF A HUBBY
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Once a wealthy man had a son.The son was very ingenious and wise.When he grew  up into adulthood,he became a popular teacher cum preacher,well known for his sagacity,wisdom and knowledge.Herd of people flocked to him daily from far and wide to seek the solutions for their vexing and persecuting problems.
   One day there came a guy who had a beautiful mademoiselle. The guy seemed to be flummoxed,tensed and stressed.His problem was that there was four suitable suitors for his daughter's hand,and he was unable to make up his mind on whom to choose.He sought the advice of the teacher.
 "Each one has something to recommend him,"the guy explained,"One is very handsome and good-looking.One is very opulent.One is gifted with great wisdom.And one has nothing but virtue.Which one should I cull for my daughter,Oh learned teacher."
    To which the teacher advised:
  "Good looks,opulence and wisdom are of little use,if not backed by virtue.The virtuous man,undoubtedly and undeniably,would be the best choice."
  So without any procrastination and wallowing further into the cesspool of confusion,the got his loving daughter to tie the nuptial knot to the virtuous lad.And he never had cause to repent and regret,for the couple lived happily and blissfully ever after.
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MORAL OF THE STORY----VIRTUE BEFORE ALL ELSE !!
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                   ------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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JAI MAA KAALI
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                               A PRODIGAL SON
                              $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
   A certain guy had two sons.The elder one was simple,sensible and obsequious to his dad.He would cut his coat according to his clothes.But the younger one was reckless,careless and spendthrift.The lure of lucre made him ask his father one day,"Dad, give me the portion of goods that falls to me."He pestered his father daily for the division of the property.The father had to yield to his recalcitrant son's wishes.He divided the property and gave him his share.
    The son,collecting all his lares and penates,jettisoned the home bag and baggage and settled into a far country.There he indulged into a riotous living by burning the candle at both ends.Soon he squandered all his substance.Then he 
 spent his 'Dollar money.' Being penniless,he was unable to make both ends meet.So he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country who sent him into his field to feed swine.
   No one bothered to offer him food.To keep at bay the pangs of hunger,he had to fill his gut with the husks that the swine did eat.After few days rolled by,he came to himself.He repented his mulishness and wailed to himself,"How many hired thralls of my dad have breads slathered with ample butter and here I am feeding on husks.I must return to my father."
    He arose and set out for his native home.When his dad saw him,he rushed and hugged him compassionately. The son wailed,"Dad, I have committed a great sin against heaven and in your sight.I don't deserve to be called thy son."But the father ordered his slew of flunkys,"Fetch the best robe and put it on him and a diamond ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry for my son was dead and is alive again,he was lost and found again."
    And they began to jitterbug in sheer mirth.When the elder son came to know of this,he yammered with unbridled fury and would not enter the house.The father came out and entreated him to come into the house.The son complained,"Dad,I serve thee,never disobeyed your commandments at any time,yet you never gave me a kid to make merry with my chums and pals.But as soon as this son of yours came who has extirpated your family with harlots,you have killed for him the fatted calf."
    To this, the father cooed lovingly,"It was right that we should make merry and be delighted;for this brother of yours was dead,and is alive again and was lost and is found again."
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   MORAL OF THE STORY: As a father,we should follow this attitude.
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                   ----DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA------
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THE HORSE

JAI MAA KAALI
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                                THE  HORSE
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 The horse is a very useful animal.It is found almost in every country of the world.It has four strong legs,a long neck,hard hoofs and a pretty tail.Its skin is very smooth. On its neck,it has a beautiful mane.The horse is of different colours and is from six to seven feet high. The Arab horses are among the strongest and the most beautiful in the world.
      The horse feeds on grass and gram.It possess a strong body.It gallops with rapid strides.It can also swim in water.
   The horse is of very use to man.It is used for riding and racing.It is also used for drawing ekkas and tongas. In some countries,it is used for ploughing fields.The police use it for patrolling and controlling crowds.
   The horse is a very intelligent animal.It ever remains faithful to its master.Many a times it has laid down its own life to save the life of his master.
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                 DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA
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INFLUENCE OF COMPANY

                                    JAI  MAA KAALI
                   INFLUENCE OF COMPANY
                 ***************************
 Brahmadatta was a great king of Varanasi.He was fond of animals.Apart from keeping many animals,he had also a great elephant in his stable.It was docile,dignified and as gentle as a lamb.It used to be bedecked,caparisoned and taken out in processions.No matter the oodles of people around him at fairs and festivals,no matter the beating of drums and bursting of crackers,the jumbo did not get disturbed and distracted and remained cool,calm and obsequious to his mahout.It was never felt necessary to keep him shackled.
   There was an unused and unlocked stall behind the behemoth's stable.A gang leader of purloiners discovered this and stealthily made this stall his headquarters.It was unimaginable to search for a larcener in the stables of the king himself.The dacoit leader would summon his gang members at this stall almost every night and would discuss all their plans.The gang members would narrate bloody details of their experiences.The leader would advise and instruct them every night not to have faith on anyone and unhesitatingly and ruthlessly assassinate anyone if they smelt a rat.
     Some weeks rolled by.A mahout came to the pachyderm's stable to take him out for getting him bathed and prepared for a procession.Instead of obeying his mahout, the mastodon trmpeted obstreperously and violently. He lifted the mahout in his trunk and dashed him to death on the walls of the stall.Every one was shell-shocked at the savage behaviour of the tusker.When another mahout approached the goliath,he too was going to be treated like the earlier one.But he managed,by the skin of his teeth,to save his life.Saddened at the outrageous behaviour of the elephant,the king Brahmdatta thought that the pachyderm had gone berserk and ordered him to done to death.
    A prudent courtier cajoled the king to grant him sometime to study the causes behind the changed behaviour of the behemoth.He arrayed some people to watch it all the time.The very first night they heard violent discussions taking place within the earshot of the pachyderm.The purloiners were incarcerated.
   The wise courtier then got a galaxy of noble men to occupy the same stall and chat daily of love,peace and harmony.They spoke of the brotherhood of all creation and narrated yarns of kindness and love.
   After few weeks mingled into eternity,a mahout was asked to fetch the jumbo.To the great relief of all and sundry,the mahout found it sweet and gentle as it used to be.The causes of elephant turning savage became as clear as crystal.It had been greatly influenced by the vulgar and violent chats of the dacoits near him.He turned gentle again by surrounding him with love and sweetness.
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MORAL:- IT CAN NOT BE RECANTED THAT WE ARE INFLUENCED BY THE COMPANY WE KEEP !!
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                                        ------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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DOOFUS FROG

                                          JAI  MAA  KAALI
                             DOOFUS FROG
                            ------------------------

Once a big black frog resided in a well a little way from the sea.He had seen the light of the earth there and had never,even for a single day,stepped out of the well.The world outside was all Greek and Latin to him,but he always blew his own trumpet and considered himself a most intelligent and sagacious fellow. He grew fat on the worms and insects that infested the well.
   One day while he was enjoying a siesta,a huge frog from the sea flumped down into the well with a big splash.He was jolted out of his slumber and was greatly astonished to see a new frog.Though he was a tad apprehensive,yet he asked in a grave voice,'Hallo there,who're you?'
 'I am a stranger',responded the frog from the sea.
 'I know you are!You had better tell me what brought you here?'
'Well,pal,I tumbled down into your well by chance.But of course I'm happy to meet you.'
Though our frog was satisfied with the answer,yet he was inquisitive enough to know more about the trespasser.
'Where do you hail from?'
'I am from the sea'.
'The sea?What is that?Is it as big as my well?'he asked as he leapt from one side to the other.
'My friend',croaked the frog from the sea,'It's thousands and thousands of times bigger than your sea.'
'NO, no,there can be nothing bigger than my well.You appear to be a liar.I don't believe you.'
'That's because you have never seen the sea.Come with me.I will show you the sea and then you'll know the truth.'
'No, no, I won't go with you.I am not a ninny to be led to the garden path by your cunningness.I fully understand that your intention is to occupy my well by getting me out of the well.You are a scalawag.Now get off at once'.
The frog from the sea saw it was no use arguing with this bloody nincompoop.So he quit the place.
   Our bull-headed frog cachinnated loudly and chortled,'HA!Ha!he thought he would befool me.I am,cock sure,nothing can be bigger than my well.'
And once again he leaped from one side to the other merrily.
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MORAL:--No one should develop 'the frog in the well'attitude towards others.Try to understand another's point of view.This is a sign of culture.
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         BY-----DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA
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EVIL NEVER PAYS

JAI  MAA  KAALI
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                               EVIL  NEVER  PAYS
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 There lived a chap with his mammy.One day he saw a beautiful book in the school bag of one of his class-fellows.He was tempted by it.Unable to suppress his yearning to have the book,he surreptitiously pilfered it from the bag of his colleague and made it his own. He took the book home and blithely showed it to his mom.Instead of condemning and reprimanding him ,she patted him on his back for stealing the book.Puffed up with the fulsome praise by his mummy,the lad next time purloined a costly watch of his chum.The mother was on cloud nine to see it.She appreciated him for his action.Feeling egged-on by the support of his parent,he made a habit of always filching things.Gradually, he grew to be a great thief.
   one day he was caught red-handed while stealing.He was nabbed by the police,beaten black and blue and subsequently lodged in gaol.His mommy went to see him in jail.The boy desired to whisper something into the ears of his mother.As soon as he put his mouth close to his mother's head,he bit off her ear with his teeth.She let out a yowl of intense pain and cursed him.The lad yelled,"Had you punished and chided me when I first thieved the book,I would not have been in prison today.You are fully responsible for extirpating my career.Shame on you!You deserved this treatment by me."
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     Moral of the story:--Evil ought to be nipped in bud without brooking any delay.
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                 [DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA]
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DAY-DREAMING,,,,,,

                                                   JAI MAA KAALI
                 DAY--DREAMING....
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Once a tiny cottage in a certain village was inhabited by a farmer and his family.He had a grown up daughter.She would always day-dream and build castles in the air about becoming as rich as 'BILL GATES'.
   One day the farmer asked the lass to go to the market and sell a pail of milk.So she set out for the market with a pail of milk on her head.As usual, she started day -dreaming on the way.She crooned to herself,"With the money I get after selling the milk,I will buy a lot of ova.I shall pile them under a hen who will hatch them.Some chickens will sorout out from the ova.The chickens will grow into big hens and cocks in due course."
   She went on thinking,"I shall sell the cocks and hens at a fabulous price.With the oodles of money that I get,I,first of all,buy a costly and fastidious dress for myself.I shall look as beautiful as a Cindrella in my new costume.Young and marriageable chaps will ogle and goggle at me with awesome admiration.They will earnestly woo me for alliance.I shall cull the best one from among them and tie the nuptial knot.To the rest,I will nod my head in flat refusal."
  As she tossed her head,the pail of milk flumped down on the ground.All her hopes and dreams were torn to tatters and shattered in the twinkling of an eye.She burst into tears and wept bitterly.but it was of no use crying over the spilt milk
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                       [DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA]
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NATURE LOVES OPPOSITE

                                       JAI MAA KAALI
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             NATURE LOVES OPPOSITE
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  It seems that nature loves opposite.Where there is day and light,there is night and darkness too.With the suffering of defeat and pain,there is the euphoria of victory and happiness. Tears are tempered by laughter and the dream of the beautiful rose is balanced by the reality of piercing thorns. Life ends in death!
     The cool breeze has the propensity to inflict terror and destruction as a storm.Life saving water can destroy the same life while in flood. The warmth of heat can singe,scorch and incinerate as raging fire !!
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           -----------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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WHEN A MAN IS PENNILESS.........

                                                 JAI MAA KAALI
                   When a man is penniless
                   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 When a man is penniless,his kinsmen find no time to give him the time of day; his pride takes a beating; his moon of good conduct wanes,vanishes,leaving no trace;in cold indifference his friends jettison him;misfortunes swell and burgeon;soon other's misdeeds are imputed to him.Oppressed by waning fortunes,struck down by cruel time,a man sees his friends even become foes,while long-standing affection turns cold. He is let down by all and sundry.He becomes a living corpse!!
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  {DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA}
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S E T B A C K

                                                   JAI MAA KAALI
                               SETBACK
                             ^^^^^^^^^^
In the life of a human being,setbacks and failures are inevitable They are part and parcel of life. In fact,failure is the highway to success. Tom Wastom Sr of IBM said,"If you want to succeed,double your failure rate"
    If we ogle at history, we would find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. Thomas Alva Edison made two thousand experiments in quest of a filament for the light bulb.When none fructified,his assistant lamented,"All our work proved a wild goose chase.we have gotten nowhere." "On the contrary,"Edison chortled,"We have learnt a lot.we know that there are two thousand materials which will not make a good filament.".
  We should not be daunted by the setbacks and failures.Instead,we ought to learn from our failures and keep going.A setback can act as a driving force to excel in our endeavours and fight tooth and nails to overcome the failures.Learn to become VICTORS,not VICTIMS.Ask yourself after every failure:what did i learn from this experience? Only then will you be able to turn a stumbling block into a stepping stone.
   Let us draw inspiration from the following assumptions:-
Every living human being has problems.
Every problem has a limited life span.
Every problem will change you.
You can choose what your problem will do to you.
There is a negative and a positive reaction to every problem.
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             -----DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA
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C O R A G E

JAI MAA KAALI 
                             COURAGE
                            ##########
 THERE WAS A MAN WHO--------------------
Failed in business at 31
Was defeated for the legislature at 32
Failed in Agro Business again at 34
Lost his beloved at 35
Had a nervous break down at 36
Was defeated in the election at 38
Was defeated for the congress at 43
Was again defeated for congress at 46
Was defeated yet again for congress at 49
Was defeated for the Senate at 55
Was defeated again for the senate at 58
But was elected PRESIDENT at 60.
That man was ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
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            ------[DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA] 

W I S D O M

***************************************************************JAI MAA KAALI
                                                            WISDOM 
 IT is said that memory is the mother of all wisdom.A merchant wanted to ascertain which of his two sons was more worthy of inheriting his property.After a long deliberation,he thought of a plan.He summoned his two sons and giving each a coin said,"Buy with this money something which will fill the house."
  The elder son scampered to the marketplace where he learned that the cheapest and bulkiest thing he could buy was straw.He spent his coin for that,but had not enough even to cover the floor.The younger one,perceiving that his dad had entrusted him with a mission,which could be executed only by unusual shrewdness and sagacity,mulled over the matter for a long time and finally spent his coin in purchasing candles. These he took home and lighted one in each room,so that the light they emitted filled the house.
 The merchant was very happy and impressed.He said to him,"You have shown wisdom.You deserve the inheritance.I give over all my business to you."
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MORAL:----TRY TO IDENTIFY THE 'YOUNGER SON IN YOURSELF'
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      [ DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]
                                

JAI MAA KAALI

      CRITICISM
     &&&&&&&
  Once a potter and his son were trudging along the way to a market.They were driving their pet donkey with them.
 A bevy of girls saw them and started laughing.One maiden warbled,"Look at those two nincompoops.They are going on foot when the donkey can carry one of them on his back."
 This remark was within the earshot of the potter.He lifted his son and made him perch on the back of the donkey.After going some distance,they met an old guy.The guy rebuked the boy,'You are riding like a king while your dad is walking on foot.This is shameful.'
  The son instantaneously dismounted and asked his father to get on the donkey.After some distance,they came across a bunch of young lads.One lad exclaimed with sheer contempt,"Look at that cruel and selfish old man.He is comfortably riding the donkey while the poor son is walking."
   So the father lifted the son up and the two rode to the market.When they were approaching the market,a merchant snubbed them,"You cruel fools,have you no shame?You are going to kill this poor animal with your weight.You can carry the hapless donkey better than he can carry you."
  Thus reprimanded,the potter and his son got off the donkey.they tied the legs of the donkey together,slung him on a pole and carried him on their shoulders.
  The people on the way saw this sight and burst into peals of laughters. The cacophony frightened the donkey.It kicked through the cords,flumped down the pole and tried to scoot away.It fell into the river and was drowned.
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MORAL OF THE STORY----DON'T LEND  EARS TO UNDUE CRITICISM.
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--------------[DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]-------                  %%%%%%%%%%%%%% 
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BE THANKFUL

                                            JAI MAA KAALI
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              BE  THANKFUL
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1) Should you find something on your dinner plate that does not appeal to you,don't complain and create a fuss.There are people who don't have anything on their plate!

2) Should you have a bad day at work,think of the man who has been out of job for years!

3) Should your car develop a snag leaving you miles away from assistance,think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk!

4)Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror,think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes he had hair to examine!

5)Should you find yourself stuck in the snarling traffic,don't despair.There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege!

       SO BE THANKFUL TO GOD FOR WHAT YOU ARE!!
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             -------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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MUTUAL CO--OPERATION

                                                      JAI MAA KAALI
                                                     --------------------
          MUTUAL  CO--OPERATION
        @#$%&*+@#$%&*+@#$%&+
   Once there lived two beggars in a big city.One was blindborn and the other was crippled in leg(lame).Both were starving as the physical deformities of their bodies shackled them from moving about the city to seek alms.Both were practically cooped up in their respective huts.They had to pass their days in pathetic beggary and were totally helpless.
   It is said that when the going gets tough,the tough itself gets going.One day both the beggars came across each other by chance.The blind beggar said to the other,"How are you passing your days?I am,as sure as eggs in eggs,going to die of hunger."The lame beggar responded,"I am also sailing in the same boat.I,too,will not survive long."
   Suddenly,by the grace of God,an idea struck the blind one.He suggested to the other beggar,"If we join hands,we can certainly improve our lot.You climb on my shoulders and guide me the way to move about the streets for seeking alms.We will,cock-sure,get sufficient alms to ward off the death due to starvation."The lame jitterbugged with joy at the splendid idea.He perched on his shoulders and guided the way from place to place to beg alms.
   God is very kind.He definitely helps those who help themselves.By HIS GRACE,they got plenty of alms.They were thus able to satiate their hunger.Since then ,they became bosom buddies and were as happy as a lark.
   MORAL OF THE STORY----Co-operation with each other can convert even the toughest knot into the cotton-fluff.
               [DEVENDRA    SRIVASTAVA]
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D I L I G E N C E

JAI  MAA KAALI
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           DILIGENCE
           @@@@@@
     It is a fact that no success can actually be accomplished sans diligence.Hard work is the key to success.In this world no one is born happy.Happiness or success is not a gift of the God,it has to be achieved,striven for.The following yarn tells this fact-
   Once there was an industrious peasant.He had three sons.Unfortunately all the three sons were as dronish as a toad and were like a 'couch potato'.The hapless farmer moved heaven and earth together to reform them but all his efforts proved as futile as the efforts of a butterfly to reach the vertex of the sky!He fell seriously ill due to tension and there was no hope for his survival.He summoned his sons to his bedside.Then he told them he was dying and he would leave a treasure to them all.He further said that the treasure trove was camouflaged in the orchard.His sons asked him where it was interred.The peasant replied that he did not know exactly."Excavate all over the orchard."he said,"You will trace it somewhere there."The next day he gave up the ghost.
     The lure of the lucre made the lazy sons excavate the field. Day after day they dug.But they found nothing.They were angry and thought that they uselessly toiled and moiled and their father had lied to them.But next year the through digging produced a big crop.They sold the grains and earned oodles of money.This was the treasure they found by working hard in digging the farm.they realised the lesson that hard work only fetches money and happiness.
    Moral--Success and happiness is achieved by those who shun lethargy and toil and moil ceaselessly!!
                  DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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Satyam Shivam Sundaram: AVARICE

Satyam Shivam Sundaram: AVARICE: A   V   A   R   I   C   E &&&&&&&&&&&&  It is an undisputed fact that an avaricious human...

                      GOLDEN    RODENT

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 Once there resided a wise and kind merchant.One day a young merchant brought him a gift.It was a golden rodent.The old man was astonished and was curious to know why this gift.The young merchant told his story--

   My father died early.My relatives grabbed all the properties and chucked out my mother destitute.Through a great hardship,she brought me up.One day I came to you to seek your help and heard you scolding someone-

 "See that dead rodent.A resourceful and intelligent man can make money out of it even.But you far from making any profit,just squandered all the money."

   I took that dead rodent and bartered it as cat food for a handful of gram. With this and a pitcher of water I sat outside the city and catered to a group of wood cutters.Grateful,each of them gave me two pieces of wood.Part I sold and brought gram flour with the money received and continued serving them.

   In this way I built up a large stack of wood.Rains came.Fuel became scarce in the city.I sold my stock at a fabulous price.With the money I set up a shop.Well,I am now rich enough to pay for this golden rodent which I have brought as a gift for you.

   The old merchant was very impressed and pleased.He got his only daughter married to the young man along with an enormous dowry.

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             DEVENDRA   SRIVASTAVA 

                 

AVARICE

A   V   A   R   I   C   E
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 It is an undisputed fact that an avaricious human being is never content with his possessions.His yearnings to acquire more and more vie with the sky!Sometimes his greed boomerangs upon himself as the following famous fable illustrates-
    Once a peasant tamed a beautiful goose.It was a miraculous bird. It laid a golden ovum every day.The peasant made both ends meet easily and comfortably by selling the golden eggs.But he was as greedy as a hog.He wanted to acquire oodles of money in the shortest possible time
 One day he thought an outlandish plan.He chortled,"Why should I wait for the ova every day?If I slit open the tummy of the bird and scoop out all the golden ova simultaneously,then I would become zillions times rich and would be as rich as BILL GATES."Thus thinking,he without weighing all the pros and cons of his stupid idea,instantaneously ripped open the gut of the poor goose with a sharp edged weapon.Hot blood splattered all over the floor.But he found no ovum inside the entrails of the dead goose.It was no more alive to deliver the golden egg every day.The nincompoop peasant burst into tears and wept bitterly over his mulishness but it was of no use to cry over the spilt milk.
MORAL----AVARICE IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVILS!!
         [ DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]
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B E T R A Y A L

..               BETRAYAL
               @#$%&*+@
    Once two young chaps were close pals.They spent their time with each other practically all the day.Even they used to attend the call of the nature simultaneously!
  One fine evening,they were ambling along a wood,enjoying themselves the gentle breeze and scenic beauty.Joking and poking fun at each other,they marched on exultingly.Their loud guffaws rent the sky.Suddenly,as the ill luck would have it,they saw a ferocious wild bear with bloodshot eyes dashing menacingly towards them.All their joys departed to the limbo in the twinkling of an eye and both were paralyzed with tremendous fear.
   One friend knew how to climb up the tree.Without least bothering about his friend and leaving him in the lurch,he clambered up a larch instantaneously and perched himself safe on a high branch.The other friend was as helpless as an infant and was in imminent danger of being gobbled up by the famished beast.In sheer desperation,he decided "to play possum'.He lay down on the ground motionless.The monstrous thick-furred quadruped roaring fiercely,reached the spot.He smelled and sniffed at the ears of the friend lying down on the ground.Presuming him to be dead,the beast disappeared into the dense jungle.
  The friend on the tree climbed down And said to the friend lying down on the ground,"get up,the bear is gone."He asked him what the bear had whispered into his ears?
       Gurgling with unbridled ire at the betrayal by his chum at the critical juncture,he yelled,"The bear told me that your pal is false and fake one.Never trust him."
     Without brooking any delay he jettisoned all his friendship and relationship with him,lock,stock and barrel.
   Moral----BEWARE OF FALSE FRIENDS!
                     --------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA
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BRAINS OR BRAWN ?

               BRAINS OR BRAWN?
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 It would be admitted on every hand that brain is,as sure as eggs in eggs, more important and necessary than physical power.The following fable corroborates it.
 Once there resided a brawny crow on a high branch of a larch.It was the time of sweltering summer.The crow was very thirsty.He searched high and low for a draught of water but all his efforts proved a wild goose chase as all the ponds and rivers were practically dried up.He desperately made another effort. Luckily,he chanced to see an earthen pitcher in a garden.He was cock-a-hoop to see the pitcher.But all his happiness vanished into thin air in the twinkling of an eye when he dived down to the pitcher and saw that it contained very little water at its bottom and his beak could not reach the surface of the water.
 The physical power of the crow could not do the needful.The hapless creature began to chew the cud as to how to get at the water.His brain power came to his rescue by giving him an idea.There were lying some pebbles near the pitcher.He picked them one after another and dropped them into the pitcher.Though it was a ticklish task,yet he went on dropping the pebbles.The water began to rise up.It gradually rose to the brim of the pitcher.The fatigued crow quaffed the water to his heart's content and flew off happily,cawing melodiously.

MORAL OF THE STORY------BRAIN POWER IS BETTER THAN PHYSICAL POWER!!
                       
                  [DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]

    PRESENCE  OF  MIND
@#$%^&*@#$%^&*@#$
 It can not be controverted that presence of mind in emergency can save a person from disaster as is evident from the following story----
   Once a donkey was happily grazing,humming his favourite song.As the ill luck would have it,he saw a ferocious wolf dashing towards him.A thrill of horror shimmied down his spine as he was in imminent danger of being devoured by the famished wolf.He was a clever donkey and he instantaneously thought of a trick to save himself.He started limping badly.The wolf came up and said,"Why do you limp? Are you lame?"
   The donkey responded," I,unfortunately, impaled my hind foot on a big thorn.It has stuck deep into my foot and is giving me intense pain.Would you be kind enough to pull it out?"
  The wolf felt himself to be on cloud nine.He chuckled to himself,"Now I shall be able to put his leg between my sharp teeth" As he came behind the donkey,he slugged so ferociously with his foot in the wolf's mouth that his jaw was badly wounded.The wolf scampered away yelping with intense pain.
Moral of the story:--It was his presence of mind that saved the donkey from certain death!!
          ------DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA

Satyam Shivam Sundaram: TIT FOR TAT

Satyam Shivam Sundaram: TIT FOR TAT:                                           TIT  FOR  TAT                                        XXXXXXXXXXX Once a sly fox and a gent...

TIT FOR TAT

                                          TIT  FOR  TAT

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Once a sly fox and a gentle crane were bosom buddies.Most of the time they spent together,playing,frolicking and running errands for each other.But as the evilness never dies,the evil-minded fox thought of a plan to befool and make fun of crane.He cajoled and wooed the crane to dine and sup with him.The crane gladly consented.

  He ambled to the fox's dwelling on the appointed day in sheer happiness.But all his ecstasy vanished into thin air in the twinkling of an eye when the wily fox offered him some soup in a flat dish.The poor crane was totally unable to drink the soup as he could not dip his long beak into the soup in the flat dish.he had to depart hungry.The fox danced with joy in making him a fool.

     The crane was sizzling like an omelette with mortification.He resolved to teach the wicked fox a befitting lesson.Few days later, he humbly implored the fox to have supper with him.The fox was on the cloud nine Impeccably dressed,he dashed to the crane's residence crooning a melodious song.welcoming him ,the crane placed before him some delicious biryani in a jar with a long neck.The poor fox could not eat even a morsel as his head could not go into the narrow neck of the jar.The chuckling crane ate to his heart's content.The scalawag fox went away famished.

        The gentle crane thus paid back the scoundrel fox in his own coin.

                           [DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]

HENPECKED HUSBAND

                HENPECKED  HUSBAND
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   Why does the very name"Henpecked husband"evoke ridiculous retorts from men? Who is called as a henpecked husband? Why do the people giggle contemptuously on hearing the name of or coming across a henpecked husband?What are his characteristics?I opine that a henpecked husband is one who instead of governing or dominating his wife, is himself governed or dominated by her.Needless to say a henpecked husband usually dances attendance upon his spouse and always plays second fiddle to his wife in all family matters.He is a toady,yesman,obsequious to his dominating wife and totally remains under her thumb.She is enjoiner,he is obeyer.She speaks authoritatively,he hears humbly.
  A henpecked husband does not possess enough plucks and guts to flout the decisions or instructions of his wife.He carries out all her instructions faithfully and implicitly.It is noteworthy that he can not dare to eat or drink those very things which have been hemmed in by his wife.
 It is interesting to note that the friends and relatives of wife of a henpecked husband envy her for having got such a doting and duteous hubby.But he is looked low by the people and is mocked,sneered, jeered,ridiculed and made fun of.In a function,ceremony or get-together,he easily becomes a butt of butts,innuendoes,jokes anf filthy pokes.In between conversations,he is repeatedly dubbed as JORU KA GULAM."It is funny that a henpecked husband never likes to be called as such.
   I presume that more than 95% husbands belonging to high class society are henpecked husbands.I believe that majority of my married FB friends are hundred percent pure henpecked husbands.
        BY   ---------DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA          SRIVASTAVA

DON'T TRUST EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

DON'T TRUST EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

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   Once a stag went to a pool to swill water.As he was swigging, he saw the reflection of his body in the water.He was cock-a-hoop to see his beautiful pair of horns.While admiring his horns,he saw his very thin legs.He felt very disgusted and ashamed of his legs.Cursing his legs he sighed,"Had I my legs as nice as my horns,I would have been most handsome creature."While lamenting, he heard a cacophony being raised by a pack of approaching dogs.A thrill of horror shimmied down his spine as he was in imminent danger.He instantaneously scampered away with rapid strides.

        As he was escaping,his nice pair of branching horns got stuck in the branches of a tree.All his ventures to free his horns proved abortive.The ferocious dogs reached the spot and pounced upon him,tearing him to tatters.As the poor stag lay dying,he thought,"My legs, which I hated,would have saved me,it was my bloody horn,which I admired,that caused my death."

MORAL OF THE STORY---------One should not judge anything by its external appearance.Even things looking ugly and unseemly have some use and value!!

       [DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]

TRY TRY TRY AGAIN

                        TRY  TRY  TRY  AGAIN
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         HI GUYS AND GALS,
  Are you disappointed,dejected,distressed,depressed,disheartened,discouraged,despaired,dismayed,frustrated and morose as all your sincere efforts to accomplish your desired goal have flopped and floundered?Has your confidence been torn to tatters?if it be so,then you would be well advised not to lose your heart,jettison the feeling of despondency,gird up your loins and make another sincere attempt.Mind you,the success is bound to be yours!In this connection,let us learn a lesson from the life of the king ROBERT BRUCE.
     Robert Bruce was a great king of Scotland.He ventured to free Scotland from the yoke of the English.He fought many battles against the English but each time he was ignominiously wallopped.The eminent king was in imminent danger of being incarcerated and slain.He fled and camouflaged himself in a den inside a dense forest.
   He saw a spider clambering up the wall to reach its cobweb on the ceiling.It moved up inch by inch but flumped down each time.It made nine brave attempts but all in vain.The king thought that the foolish creature would not venture to attempt again.But to his utter astonishment,the spider tried once again to climb the wall,inch by inch, with great care and courage.It went higher and higher and lo and behold! it reached its cobweb.
   The incident instilled the king with confidence and encouragement .He culled the valiant soldiers and organised his army.He mounted a massive attack on the English,fought bravely and made the English lick the dust in the war.Scotland became free.
  The story of Robert Bruce teaches us not to give up hope at any cost.We must try again and again with firm determination and perseverance till we accomplish our desired success.
                                 GOD  BLESS  YOU!!
                                           [DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA]

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

     THE  ANT  AND THE  DOVE
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   An ant resided on the bank of a river.It was a sweltry hot day.The ant felt thirsty and it went to the river to quaff water.Unfortunately it slipped into the water.It tried hard but could not get out of the water.On the bank there was a tree and a dove dwelled on it.The dove was moved to see the pathetic and pitiable condition of the ant.It threw a leaf into the water.The ant clambered on the leaf and came safe to land.
      Some days later,a hunter came to that place and saw the dove on the tree.He wanted to shoot the dove and took aim at it with his gun.The ant saw all this. It came and bit with its full force the hunter on the leg.The hunter jumped;he missed his aim and the dove flew away.
      The and did a very good thing.The dove saved the ant's life once.Now the ant saved the life of dove.

     MORAL OF THE STORY--- WE SHOULD BE MUTUAL FRIENDS AND HELP FACH OTHER IN TROUBLE.
                             ( DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA).

THE DOG AND THE WOLF

A farmer had a dog.It was very faithful to its master.During daytime it was kept chained.At night it was let loose to guard the farm.The farmer fed it very well.It became tall and sturdy,

One day a wolf came to pounce upon the sheep.The sheep were well-guarded by the dog. The dog confronted the wolf who was lean and thin.He said to the wolf,"Do some honest work.If you serve my master, you will be very happy. He will feed you well."

The wolf agreed to follow the dog's advice. Noticing a mark round the dog's neck,the wolf asked the dog what was the mark due to.The dog told that the mark was of the chain with which he was chained during the daytime.

The wolf said,"I refuse to be chained.I love freedom.I will never serve a master and be his slave."

MORAL OF THE STORY..........FREEDOM IS THE ESSENCE IN LIFE..

 OOmmmmOOOo

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THE          POLITICIANS
           In a procession elephants are bedecked,colourful,caprisoned.Behind them run a few sweepers with a broom and a bucket each to scoop up the dung the tuskers keep dropping.
       Our political rulers are like those elephants-decked out and caprisoned in the glitter of office.They trundle about,depositing mounds of mess in their wake.
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    Politicians prosper on the short memory,and even the shorter stamina of the people.
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        Any talk of value and morality to politicians is like offering garlic to Dracula.
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EVIL NEVER PAYS

ONCE THERE WAS A PRINCE NAMED Hiranyagupta. He loved hunting to the hilt.One day on a hunt in a forest his horse went wild.madly it galloped deeper and deeper inside the dense forest.Dusk came.The horse calmed down.But the prince was lost in the pitch dark impenetrable forest.He decided to spend the night up on a tree.Some time later a big bear arrived panting at the spot chased by a hungry lion.he too scrambled up the same tree.Hiranyagupta was scared to death.But the bear said,"Have no fear.I won't harm you.We are friends at this hour of emergency." Thus assured, the tired prince fell asleep.All the while the lion was crouching beneath tree waiting for his prey.He proposed to the bear,"Why don't you throw the man down?I am so hungry He would provide a fine meal for me And I promise to leave you alone.Exclaimed the bear,"How can I.He is my friend and I am duty bound to protect him."
     Hours ticked by.It was Hiranyagupta's turn to keep watch while the bear slept.But the lion had not given up.now he tempted him,"Oh prince!I would spare your life if you throw the bear down to me" Hiranyagupta kicked the bear off his perch, but the bear managed to grasp a branch and pull himself to safety.Great was his wrath,"Traitor prince, I curse you would go mad" Next day hiranyagupta was back in the city,but by then he was a raving lunatic.
Moral of the story.---Purge your mind of all the vices.Evil has never paid.Evil will never pay.
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                       DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA

TRIBUTE TO SHAMSHAD BEGUM

 "Mere piya gaye Rangoon-----,kajra mohabbat wala------, peeke ghar aaj pyari------", can anyone ever forget these melodious songs?Alas!the singer of these memorable songs left for her heavenly abode and is no more amid us.
     Shamshad Begum possessed a very unique,enchanting,bewitching and infatuating voice,much to the envy of other singers.Her voice was indeed "Tanakedar.It is indeed interesting to know that O.P.NAIYAR summoned Asha Bhosle to sing the duet song "KAJRA MOHABBAT WALA"with Shamshad Begum.When Shamshad started singing,Asha Bhosle became very nervous and butterflies started to jitterbug in her paunch.She felt herself unable to match the voice of Shamshad.Naiyar saheb supported and encouraged Asha very much.Then she mustered up courage to sing the song.
      An awardee of "PADMA BHUSHAN" in the tear 2009,Shamshad has sung about 500 songs.Her appealing voice made everyone spellbound.As per her father's wish,she always avoided getting snapped.
       It is most shocking that such a talented singer has ceased to exist in flesh and blood.To fill the void created by her death is next to impossible.
      I pay my respectful homage to the departed soul    and pray to God to make her soul rest in peace!
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                          DEVENDRA  SRIVASTAVA

* INFERIORITY COMPLEX

     One of the worst enemies on the path of a man to accomplish success is none else than feeling of inferiority complex.No doubt,it shackles a man's feet to excel on his path of attaining his cherished goal.This nasty feeling has,in fact,extirpated the bright carriers of many a promising persons.
     An inferiority complex is like a fungus that absorbs healthy living matter.It sponges away the man's great, dynamic personality.We are held back by terrifying inferiority feelings It is a fact that most of us accomplish only a tiny fraction of what we could,if only we had the proper self-confidence.
    How to get rid of this destructive feeling?First of all,you must feel convinced that you are better than you think.And there is no saying how much you can improve with sustained efforts.The greatest room in the world is the room for self improvement.You possess dormant abilities in which you are far above average.You are able with the abilities you have.You should measure yourself honestly and optimistically,instead of destructively and pessimistically.
     Your feeling that you are inferior is all bosh and nonsense.Like other successful men you are also a owner of the most elaborate machine(Your body) You have a brain comprising 12 billion cells.They would look like stars under the microscope.Your brain is capable several trillion associations of thought.It is also a fact that most of us use about one-tenth of our brain power.We have enough atomic energy in our body.
     Deplorably enough,you still suffer from feelings of inferiority.Your feeling so is the proof that you are a super human being,for fools,nincompoopsand imbeciles can not feel the way you do Your feeling of being inferior may be flagrantly fallacious.you will be influenced by this negative feeling.
    It is,therefore, very essential and important that you must not  allow yourself to be bogged down by inferiority feelings Keep telling yourself that you are much better and abler than you ever dreamed you could be.
   As soon as you accept this as a fact,it will begin to influence your life and your negative feelings will start yeilding to positive feelings.

HABITS

What is meant by the term habit?A habit is the repetitions of an action or thought several times.Once we perform an action,it leaves an impression on our consciousness.Consequently ,we repeat that action.After several repetitions,that inclination is so strengthened that the action becomes a habit.In some people, just one act is enough to form a habit, because of latent predisposition from past lives.

 Habit, indeed is tenacious.It is very very difficult to give up a habit.most people who make up their minds to quit smoking or to put a ban on swigging alcohol or to stop devouring so many sweets will continue with those actions in spite of themselves.They do not change because their minds ,like blotting paper, have soaked up habit of thought.Habit means that the mind believes it can not get rid of a particular thought.

   Though mind tells that you can not get unentangled from a particular habit,yet you have the capacity to change as the habits are nothing but repetitions of your own thoughts.All that you have got to do,is to resolve firmly to give up the habit and act accordingly.

                          ----- DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA  

FORGET AND FORGIVE
 We are advised and preached by our elders to follow the advice,"Forget &forgive."It means we should forget the wrong perpetrated upon us and forgive the wrong doer.According to this,we should do nothing and sit yammering with unbridled fury.Though it is pretty difficult to do it, yet it is possible to let go of our sense of anger and resentment.If we brood over the situation,it is possible to feel the past is past,that continuing to feel anger and hatred serves no purpose.Instead of changing the situation,they give rise to further disturbance within our minds which is a source of our continued unhappiness.
 We may still remember what happened,but forgetting and forgiving are two entirely different things.Simply remembering what happened is not harmful,but with the development of forgiveness,it's possible to let go of the negative feelings associated with what took place.This is why forgiveness brings us freedom.
 Forgiveness is not about letting off the perpetrator of some evil,it is about freeing the victim.If you can forgive,you no longer have to concern yourself with who did what to you and how you are going make them pay for it.You will be free of that entire burden
                               DEVENDRA SRIVASTAVA
























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THE GREATEST SACRIFICER

The greatest sacrificer in the whole universe is none other than LAKSHMAN.He sacrificed all his comforts and luxuries,all his enjoyments and pleasures in order to to serve his elder brother lord Rama and mother Sita.He guarded them unflinchingly day and night during their banishment.Fourteen years of unsnapped Brahmacharya gave him such a tremendous power that he could wallop Meghnath alias Indrajit who had defeated Indra.Sri Lakshman had a wonderful character!During his 14 years stay with themnot once did he glance at the face of Sita even by mistake.When Sugriva showed the upper garment and ornaments of Ma Sita,Ram cried out in great grief,and asked Lakshman to identify them.Lakshman response to this appeal for confirmation is well known.He said,"I know only some;I have never raised my eyes and looked her in the face.I always saw her feetto which I bowed in reverence.I can't identify the armlet or the earrings---I can see the nupura."
    Has anyone made such a sacrifice since the creation of the universe? I bow my head in reverence to lord Lakshman.

Decline of human values

It is really deplorable and lamentable that in the name of secularism,we have carefully avoided long-cherished values which our ancestors lived for and practised.Gone are the days when people used to be compassionate and full of morality.They nursed no ulterior motives to grind their own axe and were ever ready to extend a helping hand to the needy.But ironically enough, the human values nowadays have tumbled down to an unfathomable depth.
 Every year we are spawning thousands of Doctors,Engineers, Lawyers,Managers,Administrators but not real human beings.Human values such as love,compassion,peace,happiness,truthfulness,honesty,sincerity,contentment,non-violence,patriotism,fearlessness,confidence,courage,self-restraint are replaced by hatred,cruelty,deceit,greed,dishonesty,lust,anger,fear,cowardice,selfishness,violence,self-indulgence,etc.which has created a vacuum in the hearts of people.We have never seen in the history of India such degration of human values.
,