It brings about choices for both me and my son. He first wanted to be an astronaut, then later shifted to geology. Now he is preparing for UPSC. These sudden changes due to choices is something which is bothering me recently.

Earlier I used to go to an office, but after the switch for better opportunities, it is now work from home. That has divided my attention. I cannot plan and focus while staying home but the comforts that work from home provides me is addictive. That is also something on my mind.

AI is affecting everything around us. Since I like to keep myself updated, learning new AI tools is a priority. Giving importance to myself is a priority.

You asked for a thing which is on my mind. But since I am a woman and an entrepreneur, there will be a lot of things on my mind. Do you want to hear more?

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

In a world where dating has become a sport of the fastest fingers and swiping right or left. Hooking up and breaking up is routine, and finding a partner is just an app away. Many are comfortable with swipes, but some still want romance and the mundane things. Men who will challenge them and be their partner in every sense. In this digital era, women still want Mr. Darcy- perfectly flawed.

1. The original Rude Boy

Today, men are either mama’s boys or chauvinistic pigs. You meet men who are either very direct in telling you their opinion, and you fix yourself according to their expectations, and they will never take no, or completely toxic, emotionally unavailable babies.

Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, is unabashedly blunt. Elizabeth’s Prejudice was sourced from Mr. Darcy’s ability to be truthful. He does not gift wrap his opinion and criticism. But what made him stand out is his own ability to grow. He changed himself for the better for the woman he loves. He accepted his mistake and made himself a better man.

2. Respect for woman

In an era where women’s accomplishments were limited to needlework, managing the house, and playing the piano, Mr. Darcy wanted more from his partner. He respects Elizabeth’s mind and opinion rather than her looks. He wanted her to be his equal.

He knew that Elizabeth had no dowry, yet his love for her was beyond money. He was mesmerized by how well-read and opinionated she was.

3. Reliable

Men are fickle-minded. They may care one day and not the other. Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, was fiercely protective of his family and also Elizabeth’s. He had warned Elizabeth about George Wickham and his dubious actions. He went a step ahead and took care of the family when Elizabeth’s sister ran away with Wickham.

He was consistently reliable throughout. a man Elizabeth could count on, and then she started to love him for all these qualities.

Men today are a different kind of race, but women still yearn for a man like Mr. Darcy. These qualities are not that difficult to practice, but these are different times. Whether women still love Mr. Darcy is yet to be known.  But a digital man would not be all of these.

Preeti Bhandari

A mother of two, Preeti Bhandari is a colloquial writer. She believes in simple living which reflects in her writings. As the Editor of Narisakti, she intends to use her vast experience to propel this platform to a cult status among entrepreneurial networks.

When not writing she is quilling, both with paper and thoughts.

On my mind right now

There is something bothering me, career options for my children. See today there is disturbing news all around. Firstly lack of jobs. First it was the COVID pandemic and lockdown. Many students studying abroad and working professionals had to come back to India, flooding the job market here. Next comes the Russian Ukraine war which started in 2022 and it is still not over. Large number of Indian students studying in various universities in Ukraine has to come back to India. This year we have to Iran War which has increased the cost of living everywhere around the world.

With overall economy going on the downside, the future of students is again in jeopardy. Which stream to choose, which career options will last the whole journey. With so many changes around I am concerned that if one option is selected now by the students, will it get obsolete by the time students graduate. Will everyone have to do an MBA and which institute will give the best placements. The cost factor for education is risen multifold, but first you need to clear the entrance exams. CAT, CET, NEET, so many options and then the stress of paper leaks and re-exams.

Growing up is so full of risks and uncertainty.

How my mind works

While I am mostly bothered about these things, my kids do not agree with me. They are flexible in approach and not too much bothered about the fast paced changes happening around them. Maybe they have already adapted.

Sugarbliss by Jaspreet Kaur

Owner and Founder of the Brand Sugarbliss, Jaspreet believes that the best desserts have to be freshly made with the best ingredients. Over the years, she has build a fan following around her mantra. You can follow her creations on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/sugarblissbyjaaspreet

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

Humans enter into a relationship with the intention of making it a success. The end result is either happiness or achieving a goal. We are well aware that relationships have equal chances of success or failure and there is no recipe as such. A relationship needs constant nurturing by communication and care. Let us decode how a relationship works and what are the key ingredients.

Step One – A connection begins with a captivating conversation

There are no words to explain how important communication skills are to a relationship. In a formal corporate setup how you convey a point across is the most important asset with a business leader. Same applies to political leaders or any other leader of that sort. We however will be discussing more about a two way communication, the one in which there is a generous dosage of listening what the other person has to say.

If shyness is the beginning of any relation, it will eventually wear off with time. But if there is a lack of topic to discuss, your relationship is already doomed. If words do no resonate, there is no point in continuing further. Listening to the person who is important to you is also a sign of acceptance without any judgements. Ending a conversation with an advice is risky behaviour. So if you are the good or silent listener type, what exactly are you going to offer in a relationship.

Step Two – What do you have to offer

There are so many examples of a relationship being forged with an aim or goal in mind. So from day one such a relationship is defined with what are you going to get out of it. One example that comes to mind is the Great Indian Arrange Marriage system. While it has mostly had success for so many centuries, the goals of most marriages come down to household chores, cooking, taking care of the kids and doing the laundry. If there are set as end goals, they are not examples of offering something in a relationship.

While there is no embargo on entering into a relationship for our own selfish needs, there is a certain charm about giving. A mother’s love to her child is an example of absolute offering. There are so many relationships out there where one person is offering everything and enjoying the joy of giving. Not all relationships are headed in this direction. Otherwise there would never have been collaborations.

Step Three – A relationship that benefits equally

In the corporate domain relationship are done with mutual benefit in mind. Friends usually have similar things in mind. A group of friends going together for a movie or for an adventure hike. Riders biking together, another great example of working together.

For some people it is hard to categorise a marriage as a relationship that benefits equally. People working in the same profession usually marry so that they have an understanding partner. Both work on their professional lives and come back home to a familiar settings. Even when the spouse is a total home maker, it still can be lived as a relationship which benefits both equally. The man of the house goes out to earn while the woman manages the family back home.

If a relationship has one person greatly benefitting but it will be at the cost of the other. The gap keeps widening with each passing day and lead to the doom of both. Partners usually do not notice the signs or they choose to ignore.

Some relationships are designed to give all the benefits to the other, but in return, there is lots of love and happiness.

If a relationship is designed around both working to benefit each other, the effects start amplifying. Your relationship has just moved to the next level.

Step Four – A relationship that is exploring growth

People come together to be happy. They decide to listen to the heart over brain in the quest for happiness. Social media defines couple goals as an objective to be achieved together. It is target to be met. You have set your mind on the dream house and when you both start exploring saving options and taking budget decisions together. That is the perfect example of growth. One of the partners might stray from the budget decisions. Is that bad or should you give time for things to settle down?

Couple are constantly meeting goals and creating new ones. It is a kind of adventure or treasure hunting for them. Over a period of time, it gets addictive too. This is how relationships flourish.

Step Five – A relationship that respects boundaries

People who are in a relationship and doing fairly well should not have a problem with boundaries. But sometimes issues like mindset or upbringing may cloud the understanding of boundaries.

Relationships evolve over a period of time. Nurturing a relationship involves resetting of boundaries too. Children grow with time and hence the boundaries have to be recognised and reset every now and then.

Boundaries choke everything out of a relationship. Not only is it important to set boundaries, it is also a good idea to estimate the space required by your partner and not to invade it.

A good way to understand boundaries is to keep having those conversations. Giving time for conversations is part of the nurturing process. So we began with conversations and circled around to boundaries. At every step a conversation is the key.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

Using the correct words

In India a good deed is called सुकर्म or सत्कर्म . Sukarma is a combination of two words “Su” means good and “karma” means deed. Like most Hindi or Sanskrit words, there is no direct translation but a relatively closer meaning. So karma can also mean action. The same way Satkarma is also a combination of words.

A bad deed on the other hand is called कुकर्म or दुष्कर्म . Kukarma is again a combination of two words “Ku” means bad and “karma” means deed. “Dushkarma” is a derivative of the Hindi word “दुष्ट” or “dusht” which means bad or evil. It can also be used towards an evil character or a person. It is also described as a bad behaviour towards someone.

Understanding with an example

To understand the meaning of “dusht” let us take examples of Kaikeyi from Ramayana and Shakuni from Mahabharata. Both are perfect examples of an evil character. However both of them were doing their bad deeds out of a situation. They were doing it out of love for a person which is again a matter of interpretation.

Kaikeyi wanted her son, Bharata on the throne of Ayodhya. Hence she made use of her two boons to exile Rama. Similarly it was only Shakuni who fully supported his nephew, Duryodhana. The actions of Kaikeyi might have caused general hardships to Ram, Sita and Laxman but Ram had taken birth on earth for defeating Ravan. So her actions set into motion the sequence of events leading to the fulfilment of the prophecy. Similarly acting totally for Duryodhan, Shakuni managed to get rid of all the wealth and kingdoms of Pandavas without firing a single arrow and the death of a single soldier.

Even Ram had to atone for a sin

In the history of India, it is Ram who is considered the one who did only good deeds in his lifetime. But did you know that even he had to ask for forgiveness from Shiv Ji. While returning from Lanka, as per custom, Ram went to meet Bharadwaj Rishi. The great maharishi refused to meet him because Ram had committed the sin of Brahma-Hatya as Ravana was a Brahmin. As a task, Ram was asked to worship ek koti (one crore) shivlings. To accomplish this seemingly impossible task, Bharadwaj Rishi gave him a clue, of creating a shiv ling made from the sand of the banks of river Ganga. Each grain of sand of Ganga Ma is equivalent to one shivling. Ram performed the penance and asked for forgiveness from Shiv Ji and that locality is today known as Shiv Koti with the Shiv Koti Mahadev Mandir on the banks of Ganga.

Some simple examples of a good deed

The most simplest example of a good deed is making someone happy. A genuinely happy person is when he or she does not expect help to come and you do it anyway. Did you help someone without keeping your self benefit in mind?

It is easy to exchange a few pleasantries with someone, but would you pause in between your busy schedule to listen to a person’s tale of woes. I am all ears, is a rare commodity these days.

A person can be surrounded by a room full of people the whole day but still feel lonely at the end of the day. Have to spoken to such a person to make his or her day more memorable.

Need based approach to life v/s deed based

It is natural for us humans to decide to work for our own needs. So every action that we do is for ourself. If you ever decide to shift to a deed based approach, you need to keep a track of all the good deeds you did for the day. A good way to do that is to maintain a hand written diary. The last one hour of your day should go into writing and contemplating.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

How did the Bharat Mandapam come about?

It was the decision of the govt to take care of the Pragati Maidan complex which was ageing and could not accommodate people beyond a certain number. Plus there was the need for upgrading the facilities of all the buildings inside the complex. For this the old complex had to be demolished and the new one created in record time, just for hosting the G-20 Summit. The world was mesmerized as to how India went about showcasing itself as a powerhouse during the summit and the Bharat Mandapam became the most talked about achievement of the govt.

About Bharat Mandapam

Construction took 7 years at a cost of Rs 2600 crore. Bharat Mandapam is built on the concept of and Integrated Exhibition cum Convention Center. It can host 7000 people in one go. Facilitated with underground parking, it has six ultra modern exhibition halls and all round connectivity.

Though the place has been criticized for being expensive, it provide all modern facilities for visitors as well as delegates.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

Does your presence matters to someone!

What Radhika described is the simplest yet purest form of love.

Does your partner check on you from time to time without intruding your personal space. Does he or she make effort to satisfy your emotional needs. Does he find an excuse to just hear your voice.

All these gestures mean that he not only adores you but is interested in you. Partners sometime reach that level when they are thinking about each other even during the most busiest times,

Endless conversations v/s what do I have to do to get a response

You could give it a name, the “Aur Batao” type of conversation. The advise to anyone seeking a relationship out there is if conversations are moving towards Aur Batao, it is not headed in the right direction.

The other type of conversation is one which begins but does not seem to end. A talk might be of a finite duration, but the continuity goes on. A conversation which takes you to that peaceful place after a hard day. Not just promises but actually getting you there.

The other extreme form of this is when you partner goes absolutely silent and you keep wondering what do I do to get a response. This usually happens when the initial rush and excitement is over with one person. And the other starts wondering, now what should I do to elicit a response.

The value of time

When someone falls in love, it is not just a matter of heart but time too. If your partner is taking out time to remember you, it is the time taken out from his or her schedule. An appropriate response is the right thing to do. But it has to come from within.

There are so many instances when we remember a person after that person has left us. Then it is too late. So the moment is always in the now. The true test of a relationship is appreciation of the value of time.

Ancient texts of Shiva and Parvati

Most of the instances and examples are in several of our puranas. They provide and example for people looking for knowledge and wisdom. One such example apt to our situation is that most of the time Lord Shiva was out sorting out problems of the world as part of his responsibilities. But when Parvati used to require his presence, she used to untie her hair and he used to instantly come home. After Sita was send on a second exile, Ram never remarried. During all important religious festivals, he used to keep a golden statue of Sita next to his seat.

When a man loves a woman, she becomes a part of him.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

Cyber crime is easy money for all

As we march towards Digital India, the lure of easy money has attracted more criminals than earlier. Digital payments, internet banking, OTPs, online shopping, etc has made life convenient for all. But along with that it brings the dangers of fraud. That is just the beginning as real challenges begin after the fraud has taken place. First the money that is robbed goes into the account of another victim. He or she is not aware what kind of money is coming into their account. They just receive the money to be transferred elsewhere. That is where the Govt has though about the National Cyber Crime reporting portal.

This website ensures that any money that is moved can be tracked down through a single window system across all states.

But this is not the only reason why the portal was created. We had the problem of the cyber illiterate policemen and police women flooding the police stations across India.

One virtual cyber police station for the whole country and world too

Try walking into a police station even in the middle of a city and register a cyber complaint. It is a frustrating experience. No one wants to help you with lodging a complaint. Plus jurisdiction is always an issue as the police personnel will first discuss over which police station should you go next.

Cyber Crime Reporting Portal takes care of this problem in one sweeping step. Imagine within the confines of your home or office, you can lodge a complaint. This home or office can be anywhere in the country or abroad too.

Women safety is govt priority

The complaint section is divided in three categories, crime against women/children which is a category in itself, financial fraud and other cyber crime. The first category is prominently displayed on the Home page in the first tab. It is not a direct category of cyber crime, but remember, this website comes under Ministry of Home Affairs or the Home Ministry. The idea of this portal is to have a national reporting system tracked at the ministry level.

User friendly portal

One thing the portal promises is to address the challenge of technology by making the website user friendly. One of the top notch feature is the ability to lodge an anonymous complaint. There is also a tracking feature for your complaint.

Where should you begin?

We strongly suggest that you visit the website and spend some time over it. Who knows when you will have the need to lodge a cyber complaint. We wish that day never come. But what is the harm in being prepared.

https://cybercrime.gov.in/Webform/Helpline.aspx

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

The thin line between personal and professional goals can blur easily. So let us understand how we can differentiate.

Personal Goals

Passion and Purpose – We define what we want to do in many words and expressions. The strongest among them is used to describe passion. It is an almost uncontrollable feeling to do something. When we discover our passion, it gives our life a purpose. Our daily routine now revolves around that purpose.

Work life balance – So many professionals and entrepreneurs decide not to have a personal life or goal. For them life is all about working. Many others keep their goals private. Either way what is important is to keep work and life compartmentalised. Personal goals need time to reach and achieve. It cannot happen by working the whole day.

Continuous learning – Old timers say, learning never stops. Well how about putting this into action. So keep reading, bit by bit, everyday. Make it a habit to put in at least half an hour to study or learn.

Networking – There are two ways to enrich your life, reading and interacting with people. While talking with people, we learn new things faster. Important life lessons are picked up in group interactions. Do not aim to just make acquaintances, go for life long conversations.

Time Management – You can never achieve your goals if you leave out this one. Have you ever wondered how people flawlessly achieve their aims and goals with the same resources. They do it by planning their work in the 24 hours that they get. Let me give you guys a hint here. It is mostly to do with sleeping early and getting up at sunrise.

Professional goals

Business plan – There are many things you can do on a hunch, for other things, you need to have a plan. No business will ever take off without a plan. A business plan is a plan to decide how to achieve the goals of your company or firm. It is also the process to decide what are the goals.

Financial goals – Any business venture needs a financial goal. A business venture without earning is more of a hobby.

Market research – Any product or service has to be aligned with the market conditions. A business plan has to be backed by solid market research. Big companies and firms spend large amount of money of market research and they conduct surveys to gauge the mood of the market too. But for small brands, the brand owner has to do his or her own research.

Product/Service development – There are many cases where a product once created seldom changes in design. For example for years the lemon squeeze design in wood remained same. Till date the design is the same even though we have materials like aluminium and steel. But these are all rare cases. In other cases your product or service needs constant development. Thinking constantly about how to improve your product keeps you busy. It also helps in offering better service to your customer.

Marketing & Branding – The next important step in making your professional goal is to give a face to your product. What is the way to reach out to your potential clients. How to increase visibility. All these questions are answered by branding your product.

Legal & Compliance – In the good old days you could just open a shop and start selling. Today registration will give you legitimacy and recognition. Besides, it is always a good idea to be fully compliant with the govt and laws.

Risk Management – Life and business is full of risks. To assume that things will be smooth sailing is wishful thinking. So any goal or plan has to incorporate risks in it.

Social impact – Your product or idea has to make a splash in the market. It has to be the talking point for the masses. This should be the most important professional goal. Design your product in such a way that people should remember and cherish it.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com

The story of King Parikshit

Brahma, the Lord of the universe created seven human races and send them to earth to rule. One of them did not begin well since early days of the Kuru dynasty began with Kauravas and Pandavas playing and fighting with each other all life long.

After the defeat of Kauravas in the great war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama son of Dronacharya decides to kill the heir of Pandavas by using the ultimate weapon, Brahmastra. He fires in the direction of the womb of Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu. A terrified Uttara prays to Krishna who manages to protect the child from the full force of the weapon. When the child is still-born, Krishna revives him. This child is Parikshit, the one who is blessed by Krishna himself with his life.

After Krishna is killed by a hunter accidentally, the Pandavs do not wish to live any longer and they start their journey to heaven. Before leaving they crown Parikshit as the ruler of all of Kuru kingdom and the ruler of Hastinapur. 

The curse

Priskshit was a great king. But his rule was interrupted by his death due to a curse. During the course of his rule, the king allows Kali Purush to enter his mind and corrupt his thinking. Once during a strenuous hunting expedition he came across rishi Shamika engrossed in a deep state of meditation. The king enquired about the deer whom he was chasing but the rishi did not respond. This enraged the king and under the influence of Kali Purush wrapped a dead snake around his neck. 

The son of the rishi came to know about this and placed a curse on the king that he would die of snake bite on the seventh day. However when Shamika came to know about this curse, he was sad and sent this information to alert the King. There is absolute panic in the palace and everyone is trying ways to save the king from the curse. His ministers prepared a massive column and placed the King on top so that he could be protected from snakes. They also called the greatest maharishi who lived in those times, Kashyapa who was also renowned to know the cure to snake bites.

Naga King comes to fulfil the curse

To fulfil the curse and avenge an earlier feud, the King of Nagas, Takshaka decides to finish Parikshit. He had a forest kingdom on the outskirts of Indraprastha which the Pandavs had destroyed to create their great city during Mahabharat. Arjun had set fire to the forest and in the process killed Takshaks’s wife. During the time of this raid, the serpent king was away in Patal lok or Nagalok which was also a realm in which he had a residence. This was the lowest realm of the universe which is found under the earth surface. When Takshaka returned he was enraged and vowed to finish the lineage of Pandavas. The Nagas fought against the Pandavas in the war of Mahabharata. 

When Takshaka comes to know that Kashyapa is coming to the kingdom, he offers him wealth and Kashyapa changes his mind. Since there is tight security around the King, Takshaka disguises himself as an insect and hides in a fruit which is being offered to the king as a meal. So elaborate is the planning of Takshaka that he even bribes the priests and doctors in the palace so that they do not come to help the king after he is bitten. 

The son takes over in a mindset of revenge

Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit is now the new king. When he comes to know who is responsible for his father’s death, he is furious and vows to finish all the snakes along with their King Takshaka. He starts a massive yagna called Sarpasatra which is so powerful that all snakes are drawn towards the ritual fire in the havan kund to die. Indra who is also the friend of Takshaka tries to save him but such is the power of the sages who are chanting that Indra himself is pulled in the fire of the yagna. Finally Astika Rishi who is the son of the snake goddess Manasa Devi and whose father was a rishi intervenes. Astika at that time was just a boy in his late teens. But such was the power of his persuasion and negotiations that he not only convinced King Janamejaya to stop the yagna but he managed to broker a workable and permanent peace between the two clans.

This way both Takshaka, the king of snakes and Indra, the king of Gods are saved from death. Finally the long feud between these two mighty clans is ended by the great grandson of Arjun. There is everlasting peace between the Nagas and Puru Dynasty. The day Sarpasatra was stopped was Nadivardhini Panchami (5th day of bright moon). From that day on shukla paksha panchami in the month of Shravan and it is celebrated as Nag Panchami. 

It is also believed that it was the great serpent Vasuki who approached Manasa Devi because he feared that he himself might be killed by the power of the yagna. At the end of the yagna Vedvyas permits his assistant, Vaishampayana to start narrating the story of Mahabharat to King Janamejaya. This is an epic event which happens in presence of the King, his council of ministers and the Bramhins who were present for the yagna. It must have also been a lesson to the King who had just shown great wisdom in stopping a massacre and then going for a peace accord with the Nagas. Janamejaya starts to consolidate the Puru Kingdom with his power and wisdom and he makes the Mahabharata famous by recording and retelling the story again and again. 

What Astik achieved was almost impossible

Astik was young and inexperienced when he was told by his mother Manasa Devi to stop the snake yagna. The king of one of the most powerful empire was bent on vengeance. There was a powerful array of priests performing the sacrifice. He first had to make his presence noticed by the King. He achieved that by chanting praises of the king and gained straight entry to his heart. His next step was to praise the Ritwiks, Sadasyas and Hotris who had assembled there. The king was so impressed by this person and his knowledge that he decided to grant Astik a boon despite the priests protesting.

Astik proceeded with great caution and used a balance to force and negotiation to stop the compete extermination of the Nagas. It was his communication skill that ensured peace between the Nagas and Humans which has held till even today.

Manisha Yadav

I am Manisha Yadav, Founder and Ideologue of Narisakti. MBA Student and Digital Marketing expert, I take your brand online and help you reach more customers.

www.sukaone.com