What the Heck do I do with My Life? by Ravi Venkatesan

My manager gifted me this book, making it the second occurrence (previously, one of my Infosys managers had gifted me Autobiography of a Yogi). The book is very well-written, honest, straight-from-the-heart talk. Ravi is an excellent orator, a man of clear thoughts, so his points are all well-worded. The book cites humongous number of other books, shows, videos, interactions with several famous (and even next-door-neighbor/vendor personalities) which shows the length and breadth of his knowledge. He also seems to be like any of us who try to do well in school, try o get good grades, keep parents & bosses happy, etc.. But then he starts telling that is not all that matters because you need to be happy too, by doing what you like instead of constantly making others happy. This is just one such quotation but there are several more in the book, which is all worth giving a thought. Definitely recommend reading this book. 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Swami Chinmayananda Publication)

Well, finally I read the Gita! At age 43!! The most sacred Hindu scripture. Although, I was approached a lot by ISKCON folks to buy and read, I chose Swami Chinmayananda's publication since it seemed to give more of an unbiased commentary (vs ISKCON's which is more 'Krishna, Krishna'!). Coming to the content itself, its mesmerizing at times and at other times it is neutral and very abstract. One has to read and re-read to get the gist. Coming to the publication, it is very user-friendly. More of a pocketbook-ish, very clean and nice English and good font, good transliteration and translation. No lengthy explanations, commentaries, just the words as-is from Lord Krishna. Definitely should be read once to understand aspects of Life as defined by Lord Himself! Below are some of the important verses that I noted down as I was reading (it felt like I was studying, like in college days when I was noting down from text books!):

Chapter 2

• Verse 22: Moving from one body to other like casting off worn out clothes
• Verse 47: Karmanye Vaadhikarasthe Let not the fruit of action be the motive for working.
• Verse 62-65: Object > Attachment > desire > anger > delusion > memory loss > discrimination destruction > perish. Hence self-control to achieve peace > destroy of pain > steady mind.

Chapter 3

• Verse 14: Sacrifice born of action leads to rain which leads to food which leads to Beings. 

Chapter 4

• Verse 7: Yada yada hi Dharmasya Whenever there is rise in unrighteousness then I manifest myself.

Chapter 5

• Verse 27: Shut out external contacts and fix gaze between eyebrows, equalizing outgoing and incoming breath.

Chapter 6

• Verse 6-8: Self is friend or foe based on what is conquered. Self-controlled, balanced in cold/heat, pleasure/pain, stone/gold, unshaken > nirvikalpa samadhi.
• Verse 29-30: When mind is harmonized by yoga, he sees Self in all and all in Self, same everywhere, Me everywhere and everything in Me.
• Verse 33-47: Mind is uncontrollable but by practice and dispassion. But with right intent, if still fails in controlling mind, then what? Fear not, will be reborn in pure and wealthy house or with wise yogis and then will strive even more. He who merges in Me, worships Me is the most devout.

Chapter 7

• Verse 7-10: I am sapidity (in water), light (in moon & Sun), Om, sound, sweet fragrance, brilliance (in fire), splendour, etc.

Chapter 8

• Verse 5-15: At the time of leaving body, if he remembers Me alone, he attains My being. If thinking of something else, then will attain that Being. Hence remember me at all times. At time of death, with unshaken mind full of devotion, fix breath between two eyebrows to reach Me & utter 'Om'. No rebirth for those.
• Verse 23-26: If one dies during daytime, bright fortnight, northern solstice > no rebirth.

Chapter 9

• Verse 16-28: I am father, mother, sacrifice, offering, mantra, butter, fire, oblation, purifiers, goal, supporter, Lord, witness, abode, friend, foundation, seed, Sun, Rain, death, Vedas, etc. Those who worship Me, come to Me. Whoever offers Me with devotion anything (even a leaf), I will accept. Whatever you do, eat, sacrifice, charity, do it as an offering to me (Krishnarpanamasthu), then you will be free from bondage.

Chapter 10

• Verse 20-39: I am the Beginning, End, middle, I am Vishnu, Sun, Moon, Sama Veda (among Vedas), Mind, Intelligence, Sankara, Kubera (Wealth Lord), Fire, Meru mountain, Ocean (among lakes), Om (among wrds), Himalayas, Asvattha tree, Airavatha, King, thunderbolt, Vasuki (among serpents), Yama, Lion (among animals), Wind, shark (among fishes), Ganges, Victory, Vyasa, silence, seed of all beings, etc. There is no end to My divine glories. Anything that is glorious, prosperous, powerful, then it is a manifestation of My splendour.

Chapter 11: Vishwa Roopa Darshan

Chapter 12

• Verse 8-20: Fix your mind on Me. If unable, then practice yoga. If unable, then perform actions for Me. If unable, take refuge in Me, renounce fruits of all actions. Knowledge better than practice. Meditation better than Knowledge. Renunciation of fruit of actions better than Meditation. Peace follows renunciation. He who hates no creature, compassionate, balanced in pain/pleasure, cold/heat, censure/praise, steady in meditation, dedicated to Me, he by whom world is not agitated & who cannot be agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, envy, fear, anxiety, wants, is pure, unconcerned, nor rejoices nor grieves, nor desires, homeless, silent, faith regarding Me as supreme goal - they follow immortal dharma are dear to Me.

Chapter 13

• Verse 11-15: Distaste for society of me; With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths, ears everywhere, He exists in the world, enveloping all; Unattached, yet supporting all; devoid of qualities yet experiencer, Shining by functions of all senses yet without senses.
• Verse 21-31: Effect & Cause are due to Prakriti and pleasure & pain are caused due to Purusha who is seated in prakriti. Attachment to qualities is cause of birth in good/evil wombs. Some behold Self in self by self, others by yoga of knowledge and others by karma yoga, others by worship. A being is born from the union between field an knower of field. He who sees that all actions are performed by prakriti alone and Self is actionless, he who sees same Lord in everyone, everywhere dwelling, as nesting in the 'One' and spreading from That One alone, then he becomes Brahman.

Chapter 14

• Verse 5-18: Sathvam (Purity), Rajas (Passion), Tamas (Inertia) are gunas (qualities) bind embodied one. Sathvam is luminous and healthy, attaches to happiness. Rajas is source of attachment, binds to action. Tamas is born of ignorance, binds to heedlessness. If at death, sattva is predominant, then he attains worlds of knowers of the highest. If rajas is predominant, then he is born among those attached to action; Tamas - born in womb of senseless. Fruit of good action is pure, rajas is pain and tamas is ignorance. Those abiding sattva go up, rajas dwell in the middle and tamasikas go down. 

Chapter 15

• Verse 14: Becoming fire (Vaisvanara), I abide in beings and associated with prana and apana, digest food.

Chapter 16

• Verse 13-24: "This is mine, this wealth is also mine in future. That enemy is slain by me, I am Lord, I am enjoyer, I am perfect and happy. I am rich, I will give alms & money" - they are all deluded. These egoistic, haughty are hurled into demons wombs. The three gates of hell are lust, anger and greed - one should abandon these. A man who is liberated from these will go to supreme goal. Let scriptures be your authority in determining what ought and ought not to be done. 

Chapter 17

• Verse 8-10: Foods which increase life, purity, strength, health, joy are savoury, substantial and agreeable. Bitter, sour, salines, hot, pungent, burning are rajasika and produces pain, grief and desire. Stale, tasteless, putrid and rotten are tamasik food.

Chapter 18

• Verse 36-45: Poison at first but nectar in end - this pleasure is sattvika. Pleasure which arises from sense organs contact which seems like nectar at first and poison in the end is rajasika. Pleasure arising from sleep is tamasika. Brahman's nature is serenity, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge, etc. Kshatriya's is prowess, firmess, dexterity, lordliness and sudra's is agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade. Each devoted to their duty, man attains perfection. Better is each one's duty than duty of another well performed. 
• Verse 55-56: By devotion he knows Me, then he forthwith enters into Me. During all actions, take refuge in Me.
• Verse 65-70: Be devoted to Me, sacrifice for Me, bow down to Me, you will surely come to Me. Take refuge in Me and I will liberate from all sins. He who studies & hears this sacred dialogue of ours (Bhagavad Gita), that Man shall attain happy worlds and is liberated since its akin to worshipping Me. 

Himalayan Lust (Q&A between Sadhguru & Seekers during Himalayan sojourn)

Started off very powerfully but it ended up being another book of general Q&A between Sadhguru and Seekers. I assumed the book to be tangentially attached to Himalayas and although it is so, it is only to certain extent. Of course, nothing can be taken away from the potent of those Q&A in itself - those are powerful in it's own realm, as with all conversations with Sadhguru. So, definitely worth a read.