communication

” New York Times Apologises for the Offensive Cartoon on MANGALYAAN …”

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Days after The New York Times published an offensive cartoon mocking India’s successful Mars mission, the leading US daily today apologised following readers’ complaints.

The cartoon showed a farmer with a cow knocking at the door of a room marked ‘Elite Space Club’ where two men sit reading a newspaper on India’s feat. On September 24, India made history by successfully placing its spacecraft in orbit around Mars, becoming the first country in the world to succeed in such an inter-planetary mission in the maiden attempt itself.

At just USD 74 million, the mission less than the estimated 100 million USD budget of the sci-fi blockbuster “Gravity”. Only the US, Russia and Europe have previously sent missions to Mars.

Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor of the New York Times, wrote in a Facebook post that a “large number of readers” had complained about the cartoon. “The intent of the cartoonist, Heng Kim Song, was to highlight how space exploration is no longer the exclusive domain of rich, Western countries,” Rosenthal said.

“Mr Heng, who is based in Singapore, uses images and text – often in a provocative way – to make observations about international affairs. We apologise to readers who were offended by the choice of images in this cartoon.” Rosenthal said Heng “was in no way trying to impugn India, its government or its citizens”.

“We appreciate that readers have shared their feedback, which we welcome,” he said.

After India’s successful arrival at the Red Planet with the low-cost Mars Orbiter Mission(MOM), US space agency NASA has lauded it. “It was an impressive engineering feat, and we welcome India to the family of nations studying another facet of the Red Planet. We look forward to MOM adding to the knowledge the international community is gathering with the other spacecraft at Mars,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

Source:::: http://www.dndindia.com

Natarajan

 

Kindly CLICK the following link wherein I have published a Blog on the subject on Sep 30 …

Natarajan

” No Need for India to Knock at the Doors of Elite Space Club …” !!!

 

 

 

” என்னை இங்கு சங்கராச்சார்யா என்று சொல்லுவா …” !!!

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அம்பத்தூரில் வசித்த கம்பெனி தொழிலாளி ஒருவர். அவர் மனைவி ஒரு நோயாளி.அவருக்குப் பிறந்த பிள்ளைகளோ பொறுப்பு இல்லாமல் தறுதலையாக அலைந்தார்கள். இப்படி சிரமங்களையே சந்தித்துக் கொண்டிருந்த அவருக்கு நண்பர் ஒருவர். மகானின் பக்தர்.

“கருணைக் கடலாக இருக்கும் காஞ்சி மகானிடம் ஒரு தடவை சென்று தரிசித்தபின் அவரது ஆசியைப் பெற்றுக்கொண்டு வா… உன் சிரமங்கள் எல்லாம் காற்றோடு போய்விடும்”- என்று யோசனை சொன்னார்.

அப்போதிலிருந்து அவரது மனதில் “காஞ்சி மகானைப் பார்க்க வேண்டும்” என்கிற எண்ணம் வேர் விட ஆரம்பித்தது.

தொழில் சம்பந்தமாக அவர் வெளியூர் செல்லும்போது காஞ்சி வழியாகப் போகும் சந்தர்ப்பம் வரவே,காஞ்சியில் இறங்கி யாரிடமோ வழிகேட்டு வரும்போதுதான் அவரது
மனதில் அந்த எண்ணம் தோன்றியது.

“உலகோர் போற்றிப் புகழும் நிலையில் பக்தர்கள் கூட்டம் தரிசனத்துக்காக நிற்க, பரிவாரங்களுடன் அமர்ந்திருக்கும் இந்த சாமியாரைத் தான் எப்படிப் பார்ப்பது” என்கிற
எண்ணத்துடன் இவர் அந்த குறிப்பிட்ட இடத்தை நோக்கிச் சென்று கொண்டு இருந்தார். இவர் எதிர்பார்த்த மாதிரி ஆடம்பரங்களோ..ஆரவாரமோ ஏதும் தென்படவில்லை.

“அந்த சாமியார் வேறு எங்கோ போய்விட்டார் போலிருக்கிறது” என்று இவர் நினைத்துக் கொண்டார். தனக்கு விடிவுகாலம் பிறக்க அவரிடம் ஆசி பெறலாம் என்று வந்த அவரது
கடுகளவு ஆசையும் மறையத் தொடங்கியது.

யாரிடம் போய்க்கேட்பது? ஆள் அரவமே இல்லையே என்று அவரது கண்கள் தேடியபோது,ஒரு பெரியவர் மட்டும் அவரது கண்களில் தென்பட்டார்.

வந்தவர் அவரிடம் கேட்டார்.

“இங்கே ஒரு சன்யாசி இருக்காராமே…அவர் எங்கே போயிருக்கார்?”

“அவரையா பார்க்க வந்தேள்? யார் சொல்லி அனுப்பினா?”

இந்தக் கேள்வியும் அவரது அமைதியான முகபாவமும் வந்தவரின் உள்ளத்தில் நம்பிக்கையை ஏற்படுத்தின. அதனால் வந்தவர் தனது குடும்ப சூழ்நிலையையும் தற்போது
ஏற்பட்டுள்ள வறுமையான சூழ்நிலையையும் சொல்லி, தன் நண்பர் ஒருவர் இங்கே இருக்கும் சாமியாரைப் பார்த்து ஆசிகள் வாங்கச் சொன்னார் என்றார்.

“அவர் கிட்டே சிரமங்களைச் சொன்னா தீர்வு கிடைக்குமா என்ன?” கேள்வி பிறந்தது.அவருக்கு

வந்தவரோ, ‘இந்த வயதான கிழவர் தன்னிடம் ஏன் இப்படி ஒரு கேள்வியைக் கேட்கிறார்’ என்று நினைத்தார்.

வயதான பெரியவர் தொடர்ந்தார். “சிரமம்..சிரமம்னு சொல்றியே..அதை ஏன் நீ படறதா நினைக்கிறே..அந்தப் பாரம் உன்னோடது இல்லையின்னு நீ நினைச்சிட்டா மனம் லேசாயிடுமே…”

இது எப்படி சாத்தியம் என்று வந்தவருக்கு மனதில் சந்தேகம்.

“அது எப்படி சுவாமி? நான்தானே அத்தனை கஷ்டங்களையும் தாங்கிக்க வேண்டிருக்கு..என் கஷ்டங்களை வேறு யார் சுமப்பா?”

வயதான பெரியவர் சிரித்தபடியே சொன்னார். “இப்போ ஊருக்குப் போறோம்னு வையுங்க..உங்களோட பெட்டி,மூட்டை முடிச்சு எல்லா பாரத்தையும் சுமந்துண்டு
போய்த்தானே ஆகணும்? அப்ப என்ன பண்றோம்? யாராவது கூலியாள் கிட்டே குடுத்து சுமக்கச் சொல்றோம் இல்லையா? அது போலத்தான் நாம படற சிரமங்களை
நம்மது இல்லே,பகவான் பார்த்துப்பான்னு பூரண சரணாகதி அடைஞ்சுட்டா நமக்கு எந்த பாதிப்பும் வராது..”

இதைக் கேட்ட அம்பத்தூர்காரருக்கு கொஞ்சம் மனத்தெளிவு ஏற்பட்டது போல் இருந்தது.

அவர் வயதான பெரியவரைப் பார்த்து, “பெரியவரே இப்ப எனக்கு கொஞ்சம் மனசு லேசானது போல இருக்கு.என்பாரம் உன்னோடதுன்னு பகவான்கிட்டே சொல்லிடறது நல்லதுதான்..நீங்கள் சொல்ற மாதிரி இந்த சாமியார் கிட்ட வந்து என் பாரங்களை இறக்கி வெச்சுட்டுப் போகலாமுன்னு வந்தா, இங்கே அவரைப் பார்க்க முடியல்லே..
எனக்கு உடனே மெட்ராஸ் போயாகணும்…காத்திருந்து அவரைப் பார்க்க முடியாது.எனக்கு இன்னமும் நல்ல காலம் வரலே போலத் தோணுது. ஆனா உங்களாண்டை பேசினதுனாலே மனசுக்குக் கொஞ்சம் இதமாக இருக்கு…ஆமா நீங்க யாரு? இதே ஊரா?”என்று கேட்டார்.

வயதான பெரியவர் முகத்தில் சிரிப்பு. “என்னை இங்கே சங்கராச்சார்யார்னு சொல்லுவா” என்று சொன்னதும் அம்பத்தூர்காரருக்கு இன்ப அதிர்ச்சி.

வியப்போடு அந்த எளிமையின் உருவத்தைப் பார்த்தவண்ணம் ஒன்றுமே தோன்றாமல்…மலைத்து நின்றார்.

அதுவரை அந்த மனித தெய்வத்திடம் அஞ்ஞானமாகப் பேசிக் கொண்டிருந்தவர் சற்றே திரும்பிப் பார்க்க, அந்தத் தவமுனிவரைத் தரிசிக்க ஒரு பெருங்கூட்டமே காத்திருந்தது.

இத்தனை நேரம் ஒரு மாபெரும் மகானிடம் சர்வ சாதாரணமாகப் பேசி, அவரிடம் யோசனைகள் பெற்றதை எண்ணி அந்தப் பக்தர் வியந்தார்.

“நமஸ்காரம் பண்ணிக்கிறேன்” என்ற பக்தரை சட்டையை கழற்றும்படி சொன்னார் மகான். தான் பூணூல் அணியாததால் சட்டையைக் கழற்ற அந்தப்பக்தர் யோசிக்க, மடத்து
சிப்பந்தி ஒருவரிடம் சொல்லி அவரை உள்ளே அழைத்துக் கொண்டுபோய் பூணூல் அணிவிக்கச் செய்து ஆசிர்வதித்தார் மகான்.

யாருக்குமே கிட்டாத மாபெரும் பாக்கியம் அவருக்குக் கிடைத்தது. தொடர்ந்து அவரது இன்னல்கள் யாவும் பனிபோல் விலகின…..

எளிமைக்கு இது ஓர் எடுத்துக்காட்டு.

Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/4661/#ixzz3FNSj5vJE

Natarajan

Image For the Day… Total Lunar Eclipse ….

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Total eclipse of Blood Moon on night of October 7-8

View larger. | Last year's Hunter's Moon by EarthSky Facebook friend John Michael Mizzi on the island of Gozo

TONIGHT FOR OCTOBER 7, 2014

There is a total eclipse of the full moon on October 8, 2014. This is the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon – the name for the full moon after the Harvest Moon. It’s also aBlood Moon, and this eclipse is the second in a series of four so-called Blood Moon eclipses. For North America and the Hawaiian Islands, the total lunar eclipse happens in the wee hoursbefore sunrise on October 8. For New Zealand, Australia and eastern Asia, the total eclipse is seen after sunset on October 8. A partial lunar eclipse can be seen before sunrise, October 8, from much of South America, or after sunset, October 8, from western Asia. Follow the links below to learn more about the 2014 Hunter’s Moon and the October 8 total lunar eclipse.

When is the October 2014 moon exactly full?

Who will see the October 7-8 total lunar eclipse?

Who will see the partial lunar eclipse on October 8?

Eclipse times in Universal Time.

Eclipse times for North American time zones.

Lunar eclipse computer courtesy of the US Naval Observatory

Eclipse calculator courtesy of TimeandDate

A double Blood Moon eclipse on October 8?

How is the Hunter’s Moon different from other full moons?

North Americans see partial solar eclipse on October 23

Hurry! Purchase eclipse-viewing glasses for the October 23 partial solar eclipse here.

Animation of the October 8, 2014, total lunar eclipse, whereby the moon passes through the Earth's shadow from west to east. The horizontal yellow line depicts the ecliptic. The nearby dim

Day and night sides of Earth at instant of the October 2014 full moon

Day and night sides of Earth at instant of the October 2014 full moon (2014 October 8 at 10:51 Universal Time)

When is the October 2014 moon exactly full? Generally speaking, we in the Americas will say the moon stays full all through the night tonight, October 7-8.

But to astronomers, the moon turns full at a well-defined instant: when it’s most opposite the sun for the month.

That instant happens on October 8, 2014 at 10:51 UTC. At our U.S. time zones, that places the precise time of full moon on October 8 at 6:51 a.m. EDT, 5:51 a.m CDT, 4:51 a.m. MDT or 3:51 a.m. PDT. At that time, because there’s an eclipse happening, the moon will be totally submerged in the Earth’s dark umbral shadow.

Meanwhile, because of the difference in time zones, this same full moon happens at local midnight (October 7-8) for far-western Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. It’s sunrise (October 8) for northeastern North America and far-western South America, and it’s sunset (October 8) in Asia.

Watch the full-looking moon on the night of October 7-8 rise in the east as the sun goes down. Like any full moon, the Hunter’s Moon will shine all night long. It’ll soar highest in the sky around midnight and will set in the west around sunrise.

Who will see the October 7-8 total lunar eclipse? The October 2014 full moon passes directly through Earth’s dark (umbral) shadow. The total part of the October 8 eclipse lasts nearly 1 hour. A partial umbral eclipse precedes totality by about one hour and 10 minutes, and follows totality by about the same period of time, so the moon takes about 3 and 1/3 hours to completely sweep through the Earth’s dark shadow.

North and South America, the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, Australia and eastern Asia are in a good position worldwide to watch the total eclipse of the moon on October 8. If you live in the Americas or Hawaii, the total eclipse happens before sunrise October 8. In the world’s eastern hemisphere, the total eclipse happens after sunset October 8.

A very light penumbral eclipse comes before and after the dark (umbral) stage of the lunar eclipse. But this sort of eclipse is so faint that many people won’t even notice it. The penumbral eclipse would be more fun to watch from the moon, where it would be seen as a partial eclipse of the sun.

Who will see the partial lunar eclipse on October 8? A partial lunar eclipse may be visible in the haze of morning dawn from the extreme eastern portion of North America (Newfoundland), before sunrise on October 8. A partial lunar eclipse can also be observed from western Asia (eastern India, Nepal, western China) after sunset on October 8.

source:::::earth sky news

Natarajan

 

” Are You God”s Wife ….” ? !!!

NatarajanLeave a comment

>> LOOK OUT FOR THE LAST STORY……
>> IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF  !!!
>>
>> *Author And Lecturer Leo Buscaglia Once Talked About A Contest He Was Asked
>> To Judge. The Purpose Of The Contest Was To Find The Most Caring Child.*

>> * The Winner Was: A Four-Year-Old Child, Whose Next Door Neighbour Was An
>> Elderly Gentleman, Who Had Recently Lost His Wife. Upon Seeing The Man
>> Cry, The Little Boy Went Into The Old Gentleman’s’ Yard, Climbed Onto His
>> Lap, And Just Sat There. When His Mother Asked Him What He Had Said To The
>> Neighbour The Little Boy Just Said, ‘Nothing, I Just Helped Him Cry’.*
>>
>> ******************************* ****************
>>
>> * Teacher Debbie Moon’s First Graders Were Discussing A Picture Of A
>> Family. One Little Boy In The Picture Had A Different Hair Colour Than The
>> Other Members… One Of Her Students Suggested That He Was Adopted. A
>> Little Girl Said, ‘I Know All About Adoption, I Was Adopted…’ ‘What Does
>> It Mean To Be Adopted?’ Asked Another Child. ‘It Means’, Said The Girl,
>> ‘That You Grew In Your Mommy’s Heart Instead Of Her Tummy!’*
>>
>> ******************************* ****************
>>
>> *Whenever I’m Disappointed With My Spot In Life, I Stop And Think About
>> Little Jamie Scott. Jamie Was Trying Out For A Part In The School
>> Play. His Mother Told Me That He’d Set His Heart On Being In It, Though
>> She Feared He Would Not Be Chosen. On The Day The Parts Were Awarded, I
>> Went With Her To Collect Him After School. Jamie Rushed Up To Her, Eyes
>> Shining With Pride And Excitement… ‘Guess What, Mom,’ He Shouted, And
>> Then Said Those Words That Will Remain A Lesson To Me….’I’ve Been Chosen
>> To Clap And Cheer.’*
>>
>> ******************************* ****************
>>
>> * An Eye Witness Account From New York City, On A Cold Day In December,
>> Some Years Ago:*
>> * A Little Boy, About 10-Years-Old, Was Standing Before A Shoe Store On The
>> Roadway, Barefooted, Peering Through The Window, And Shivering With
>> Cold. A Lady Approached The Young Boy And Said, ‘My, But You’re In Such
>> Deep Thought Staring In That Window!’ ‘I Was Asking God To Give Me A Pair
>> Of Shoes’, Was The Boy’s Reply. The Lady Took Him By The Hand, Went
>> Into The Store, And Asked The Clerk To Get Half A Dozen Pairs Of Socks For
>> The Boy. She Then Asked If He Could Give Her A Basin Of Water And A
>> Towel. He Quickly Brought Them To Her. She Took The Little Fellow To The
>> Back Part Of The Store And, Removing Her Gloves, Knelt Down, Washed His
>> Little Feet, And Dried Them With The Towel. By This Time, The Clerk Had
>> Returned With The Socks… Placing A Pair Upon The Boy’s Feet, She
>> Purchased Him A Pair Of Shoes… She Tied Up The Remaining Pairs Of Socks
>> And Gave Them To Him… She Patted Him On The Head And Said, ‘No Doubt,
>> You Will Be More Comfortable Now.’ As She Turned To Go, The Astonished Kid
>> Caught Her By The Hand And Looking Up Into Her Face, With Tears In His
>> Eyes, Asked Her, **’Are You God’s Wife?’*

 

SOURCE::::Unknown…input from a friend of mine

Natarajan
>>

Eid In India …. Few Pictures reflecting the Festive and Religious Moments …

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Children celebrating Eid-al-Azha at the historic Jama Masjid in New Delhi. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

 

Children exchange greetings at Idgah Masjid on the occasion of Eid-al-Azha in Nalgonda on Monday. Photo:Singam Venkataramana

 

People greet each other at Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid al-Azha in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

 

People offer prayers at Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid al-Azha in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

 

Devotees gathered at the Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi to offer Eid prayers

SOURCE:::: The Hindu.com

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Lesson We Learn From Warren Buffett’s House !!!

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What Warren Buffett’s House Can Teach You About Success

warren buffets housevia The Motley FoolWarren Buffett’s house.

Warren Buffett’s house is the object of endless fascination when people learn about him — and for good reason. Buffett is one of the richest people in the world; therefore, it’s always surprising to learn that he’s lived in the same house for most of his adult life.

Looking more closely, Warren Buffett’s house can teach you a lot about success and what’s important in life.

Warren Buffett bought his house in Omaha, Nebraska in 1958 for $31,500. The house is stucco, and has five bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Warren Buffett has called his house “the third best investment” he ever made, behind only wedding rings.

In reverse order, here are the biggest lessons we can learn about success from Warren Buffett’s house.

Wealth Is About What You Don’t See

What does Warren Buffet’s house tell you about how much he’s worth? Nothing.

Most people’s idea of wealth isn’t someone who has a million dollars in the bank; it’s of someone spending a million dollars. Too often, people confuse the trappings of wealth with actual wealth.

Warren Buffett is now worth an estimated $68 billion. You can’t tell how much someone is worth from his or her house or car. Wealth is about what you don’t see.

Warren Buffett’s house is the same house he originally bought; but it was not a financial investment in the sense that Warren’s goal wasn’t appreciation in value. Warren bought a house he could afford, and has called it one of his best investments because, “My family and I gained 52 years of terrific memories with more to come.”

Warren didn’t lose sight of the idea that a home is for living in rather than for speculation on housing prices. When you mix the two, bad things can happen.

Possessions Don’t Bring Happiness

One thing you may notice about Warren Buffett’s house is that there is only one. As Warren Buffett wrote in his Giving Pledge:

Some material things make my life more enjoyable; many, however, would not. I like having an expensive private plane, but owning a half-dozen homes would be a burden.

Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner. The asset I most value, aside from health, is interesting, diverse, and long-standing friends.

Stocks Are Better Investments Than Real Estate In The Long Run

“All things considered, the third best investment I ever made was the purchase of my home, though I would have made far more money had I instead rented and used the purchase money to buy stocks,” says Buffett.

On a purely financial level, data shows that, over the long term, houses do not return much above inflation, while the stock market generally does. Robert Shiller has collected home price data in the U.S. as far back as 1890. On an inflation-adjusted level, home prices have not risen much.

home chartRobert Shiller

mf chart^SPX data by YCharts.

Success Has Nothing To Do With The House You Live In

There are many definitions of success, but the size of your house has nothing to do with it. While life will have its ups and downs, continuous learning, thinking for yourself, developing good habits, focusing on the long term, and having fun on the journey, is what you need to set yourself up for success in life. It’s as simple as that.

Source:::: http://www.businessinsider.com/

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Read more: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/10/04/what-warren-buffetts-house-can-teach-you-about-suc.aspx#ixzz3FKkPy7MH

Hell and Heaven !!!

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A man, his horse and his dog were traveling down a road.

When they were passing by a gigantic tree, a bolt of
lightning struck and they all fell dead on the spot.
But the man did not realize that he had already left this
world, so he went on walking with his two animals;
sometimes the dead take time to understand their
new condition…
The journey was very long, uphill, the sun was strong
and they were covered in sweat and very thirsty. They
were desperately in need of water. At a bend in the road
they spotted a magnificent gateway, all in marble, which
led to a square paved with blocks of gold and with a
fountain in the center that spouted forth crystalline
water.
The traveller went up to the man guarding the gate.
“Good morning. What is this beautiful place?”
“This is heaven.”
“How good to have reached heaven,we’re ever so thirsty.”
“You can come in and drink all you want.”
“My horse and my dog are thirsty too.”
“So sorry, but animals aren’t allowed in here.”
The man was very disappointed because his thirst
was great,but he could not drink alone; he thanked
the man and went on his way.
After traveling a lot, they arrived exhausted at a farm
whose entrance was marked with an old doorway
that opened onto a tree-lined dirt road.
A man was lying down in the shadow of one of
the trees, his head covered with a hat, perhaps asleep!
“Good morning,” said the traveler.
“We are very thirsty – me,
my horse and my dog.”
“There is a spring over in those stones,”
said the man, pointing to the spot.
“Drink as much as you like.”
The man, the horse and the dog went to
the spring and quenched their thirst.
Then the traveler went back to thank the man.
“By the way, what’s this place called?”
“Heaven.”
“Heaven? But the guard at the marble
gate back there said that was heaven!”
“That’s not heaven, that’s hell.”
The traveller was puzzled.
“You’ve got to stop this! I am really confused!”
The man smiled: “Not at all. As a matter of fact they do
us a great favor. Because over there stay all those who
are even capable of abandoning their best friends…”
Point: Heaven is where you have loving companions…


PS: Story Seems to be taken out of Mahabharatham! 

Source::: unknown…. Input from a friend of mine
Natarajan

Message For the Day…” Surrender to GOD… HE will Free You from sin and sorrow…”

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Just as you prescribe minimum qualifications for any profession, the minimum qualification for grace is surrender of egoism, control over senses, and regulated food and recreation (ahaara and vihaara). You are made or marred by the company you keep. A bad person who falls into good company is able to shed his evil quickly and shine forth in virtue. A good person falling into evil company is overcome by the subtle influence and quickly slides down into evil. Reading that Krishna advises in the Gita the giving up of all individual responsibilities (Dharmas), an enthusiastic devotee gave up all obligations and limits; but he had to be told that one obligation still remained if the grace of God had to be secured: maam ekam sharanam vraja – “Surrender to Me only”. When that surrender is complete and all acts, words and thoughts are dedicated to Him, along with all their consequences, then the Lord has promised that He will free you from sin and sorrow

Sathya Sai Baba