I wonder how this masterpiece by India’s ace diplomat escaped my attention. Truly a masterpiece,Shyam Saran penned;not for commoners like us but for @ShekharGupta and to retire matter’s karmic debt of dissing - PM @narendramodi development model of placing Sanatan in the middle!
More than piece it was the end that was most amusing where Saran quoted Kabir-“Quit looking for me here & there, Iam always next to you.”
Amusing coz look who is saying all this abt finding God- someone for whom Sonia-Nehru Khandan is no less God & carrying their flag, bhakti!
In Saran’s own words, he found inspiration to write abt Kashi from the couple of months he spent during 60s with his widower uncle on his Kashi bas!
Curiously, 2 month old living made him expert on Kashi but life spent inforeign service cudnt make him an expert of geopolitics!
While dissing Kashi Vishwanath corridor project, Saran mentioned how it wasn’t daily ritual of praying at the temple but the breakfast, that he waited for the most!
Congress time ki aadat jo hai; end tak rahegi!
He spent 4 yrs of his post retirement life as Cong gov advisor!
As I moved little ahead in this piece , I was hoping for objectivity from Saran - but I realised that one can milk a bull, but one can’t expect objectivity from someone who spent 4 years of his post retirement life after his foreign secretary tenure- as Cong govt’s advisor!
Nevertheless let us move ahead & analyse what Saran wrote next. Aha, so Saran compared his Varanasi experience of 60s with his experience of Kailash Parikrama. Understandable from someone, who owing to China tenure, could afford to do Parikrama at Will unlike us commoners!
Unlike us commoners who can’t visit Kailash for Parikrama at will like Saran as Nehru gave up claims on Tibet and lost it to China forever. BTW - read in Saran’s own words how he wanted India to formalise post 62 boundary!
Buying Saran’s version of similarity is all we can do!
Moving ahead to the last section- Saran spoke of the development and how expansive redevelopment of the Kashi and the grandeur being built is akin to what he described as “Lord Shiva has now been imprisoned in a monumental stone”- really - who can imprison HIM.
On the contrary, this is an exercise in ending the humanly attempts of yesteryears, that surrounded the abode of Kashi Vishwanath by houses and narrow lanes as evident from what PM said at the inauguration.
This is what PM said after msg in previous video on the day of foundation laying ceremony but congress stooge that Saran is, conveniently missed this fact!
Understandable it is!
Now let me remind Shankar Saran of the 3rd shloka of मणिकर्णिकाष्टकम्
काशी धन्यतमा विमुक्तिनगरी सालड़्कृता गंगया
तत्रेय मणिकर्णिका सुखकरी मुक्तिर्हि तत्किड़्करी ।
स्वर्लोकस्तुलित: सहैव विबुधै: काश्या समं ब्रह्मणा
काशी क्षोणितले स्थिता गुरुतरा स्वर्गो लघु: खे गत:।।3।।
गंगा से अलंकृत विमुक्तिनगरी काशी परम धन्य है; मणिकर्णिका परमानन्द प्रदान करने वाली है; ब्रह्माजी जब काशी को और सभी देवताओं सहित स्वर्ग को तौलने लगे तब काशी, स्वर्ग की तुलना में, भारी पड़ने के कारण पृथ्वी तल पर स्थित हो गई और स्वर्ग हलका पड़ने के कारण आकाश में चला गया.
Another oft repeated shloka in praise of Kashi is fm Skanda Purana
“The 3 worlds form 1 city of mine, & Kashi is my royal palace therein.”
PM @narendramodi as city’s MP is duty bound to ensure that Mahadev’s Royal palace looks like one & not city of dingy lanes u all glorify!
It is but natural that PM @narendramodi who is a Kashi MP since 2014 deliver on his duty to Mahadev in the true spirit as mentioned below:
न कालमतिवर्तन्ते महान्तः स्वेषु कर्मसु ।
Meaning:Great people never delay their duties
Saran, neither u nor @ShekharGupta can get this!
Lastly, I consider it my duty to drill some Kabir thoughts into Saran’s mind as evident from the way he started and ended his OpEd with Kabir vani!
तिनका कबहुँ ना निन्दिये, जो पाँवन तर होय।
कबहुँ उड़ी आँखिन पड़े, तो पीर घनेरी होय।।
Saran and @ShekharGupta, this Doha of Kabir says never condemn even a small straw which gets buried under your feet. If that straw ever flew and fell into your eyes, it hurts, deeply hurts.
And don’t treat @narendramodi as that small straw, that will release u of all ur pains!
नैना अंतर आव तू, ज्यूं हौं नैन झंपेउ।
ना हौं देखूं और को न तुझ देखन देऊँ।
Follow Kabir’s words, follow his words in the letter and spirit - Saran’s u r retired now, immerse urself in true Bhakti of God and not that of @RahulGandhi ‘s mom and his party. Ditto for @ShekharGupta
Saran,to see the goodness of Kashi,u need to cleanse urself first!
Sanatan & our prosperity means that faith deserves everything beautiful to be recreated at Kashi such that it represent royal palace of Mahadev,Kashi is & that @narendramodi is rebuilding 2 repay his karmic debt!
For those who are wondering why the hell I spent my one hour tweeting this- here is the reason- to call our Saran and his lies that he weaved to repay his post retirement debt, he accumulated during UPA years! theprint.in/opinion/kashi-…
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