Tag: Books

What Has Shakespeare/Socrates to Do With Shankaracharya?


What has Shakespeare or Socrates to do with Shankaracharya? Nothing. Shakespeare glorifies the theater of Maya, making us weep and laugh at dream-characters. Socrates spins webs of thought, trapping us in endless dialogue. Both literature and philosophy grant solidity to illusion, deepening our bondage to samsara. Shankaracharya is not another voice in their marketplace; he is the firebrand who torches the whole bazaar. Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya—the world is false, Brahman alone is real. Advaita is not here to polish the dream but to shatter it. Wake up. The play is over.

When Philosophy Meets Poetry and Laughter


Schopenhauer once wrote that there are only two real escapes from the suffering of existence: asceticism and art. In my own life, I touch both paths. I live simply, asking little of the world, yet I seek refuge in songs, laughter, poetry, and the wisdom of philosophy. These moments of art dissolve the restlessness of desire, as if time pauses and the weight of striving falls away. Between simplicity and beauty, I find not escape, but a quiet harmony with life itself.

Madhushala (The Tavern) by Harivansh Rai Bachchan (English rendering in verse)


This English translation of Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Madhushala brings alive the timeless poetry of life, death, and the eternal joy of the tavern. Through 100 stanzas, the poem explores the dance of wine, laughter, and philosophy—celebrating freedom, courage, and the spirit of living fully. The tavern becomes a metaphor for life’s impermanence, and the wine, a symbol of unending joy and inner awakening. Experience the lyrical journey in this complete, rhythmic rendering.