Book Title: Shiva’s GraceAuthor: Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv KhannaISBN: 978-9356739512Page: 813 About The Book: Discover the transformative power of yoga with ‘Shiva’s Grace,’ a captivating journey that transcends the boundaries of time and space. This comprehensive book invites readers to embark on a life-changing adventure of physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Through the wisdom of yoga, explore the depths of self-discovery and unlock the hidden treasures of ancient wisdom blended harmoniously with modern-day insights. Delve into the profound teachings of sacred texts, unravel the mysteries of yogic philosophy, and embrace the transformative potential of dedicated practice. From the majestic Himalayas to serene ashrams, embark on an enchanting voyage filled with heartwarming stories of yogis and rishis, alongside exhilarating personal anecdotes that inspire and uplift. ‘Shiva’s Grace’ illuminates the path to inner harmony, bliss, and transcendence, guiding readers toward their highest potential. Interview: Akhila: Did you envision writing “Shiva’s Grace” from the outset, or did the idea come to you later? Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv Khanna: Namaste, I had never thought of even writing an essay let alone writing a series of books based on yoga. What you see today has taken over 6-7 years to put together as a book format and is knowledge gained over 12 years through applying it. The beginning of this book was very humble. The Indian version of this book has 815 pages, and it began its journey to become a book from just a bunch of randomly written notes that I used to have while giving seminars because there wasn’t sufficient information available in one place when I was giving my yoga education programmes. My students would make notes from each seminar, compile them together and give them to me so that I could further elaborate on them. The students were the main driving force behind this book and it was at their behest the full writing process took place, so in a way we should thank them more than me for this book. Akhila: Could you share the inspiration behind your book, “Shiva’s Grace”? Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv Khanna: There are at least a few reasons behind the book. One is what I mentioned earlier, that is surely one of the main driving forces behind the book. But there were another few significant reasons also. While I was interacting with various yoga professionals who had done their yoga teacher trainings to become yoga instructors and teachers, I had an unexpected surprise waiting for me in the form of what little knowledge they had upon the subject of yoga when it came to authentic practice and teachings of yoga and this was a very worrying sign. Truth is simple, and it is already out there, but sometimes in this world which is overwhelmed by information overload at every corner, it is becoming harder and harder with each day to find what is genuine and what is not; I took it upon myself to put a systemized version of knowledge together hoping that through this both teachers and practitioners of yoga can get hold of the authentic path and teachings of yoga for themselves in their quest and search for self realisation. Akhila: How did you approach the creation and development of your book? What motivated their distinctiveness in “Shiva’s Grace”? Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv Khanna: Sometimes even reading a book is difficult due to the complex nature of the book, and in most cases these books are available in Sanskrit. The ones which are available in English, I have noticed that many times the interpretations of words is wrong and many times the commentary does not justify the expansive nature of that single idea which was being given. So the main principle was to keep it as simple as possible and make the language as accessible as possible. Beyond this, the book had to be written in a manner that each word, sentence, paragraph as well as topics and chapters of book seamlessly merged with each other just like the practice of yoga itself while the essence of the book did not compromise even by the slightest of margins. The development of book was very difficult in all fairness, what topics to include, in what order should they be, how much knowledge is enough, what knowledge should be kept out, how to manage writing in a language which a 8 year old child will understand aswell as a 90 year old person enjoy without compromising. Akhila: What themes and messages were you aiming to convey through your book? Did “Shiva’s Grace” provide ample space for expressing your ideas? Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv Khanna : The book is based on a theme that Yoga essentially is a timeless and eternal cosmic knowledge which begins as a dialogue between Shiv and Shakti, therefore it transcends the boundaries of time space and causation and is relevant for each and every creature of this the universe regardless of their age, sex, origin. Within yoga there is something to be found that can help a person overcome the obstacles of life, including transcending their own ego and becoming self realised. I have used logic, stories and the help of various other wise yogis and rishis who have come before us to pen down on how to achieve yoga. Akhila: Do you believe that “Shiva’s Grace” extends its relevance to universal issues and current events? Guru Shri Siddhartha Shiv Khanna: As I mentioned earlier, Yoga essentially is a timeless and eternal cosmic knowledge which begins as a dialogue between Shiv and Shakti, therefore it transcends the boundaries of time space and causation and is relevant for each and every creature of this the universe regardless of their age, sex, origin. Shiv and Shakti being the very embodiments of time space and causation create this dialogue of yoga which is based upon various mechanisms available to all or any living creatures. It has been carefully combined keeping in mind the diverse kind and types of individuals. it’s perfect for every
An Interview with Aruna Shaibya, Author of Book ‘Niyatinati’
Aruna Shaibya was born in the Mirzapur district of India and grew up in the city of Varanasi. She graduated from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) with a degree in Hindi Literature and also holds a master’s in Social Work and a doctorate in Vedic Studies. In place of boring government job it is with writing that she has deepest connection and she is founder of an NGO called Aali-Foundation, which works to help women and children who are facing problems in life. Motivated by her father who still spends hours reading and writing every day, she has already written 5 Hindi poetry books and two novels, Niyatinati and Apoorva, and is now working on a 5 book series based on Indian mythology, called VIJAYSANGRAM Today, Aruna lives in National Capital Region (N.C.R.) and spends her free time reading, writing, listening to music and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen. She has a deep connection with nature and children and enjoys travelling to quieter corners of the planet whenever she can, visiting temples and sacred places that provide her with comfort and inspiration. Her hopes for the future include doing enough positive things that bring great change to the world, causing others to one day write about her. She wants to see women treated as equals in society and have the same opportunities as men and to bring Indian mythology to life through her books so that even more people can learn about it and use it to change their own circumstances. Author Interview Akhila Saroha: I would like to begin by congratulating you on the publication of “Niyatinati.” How has the response to the book been so far? Aruna Shaibya: Thank you Akhila! I am getting very good response from the readers out there and I am very thankful to them for such a great response and reviews. I am very grateful to have all of you take some inspiration from my novel and bring some change in the society. Success comes the hard way so do the justice we have to work for it. No, matter what we must always follow the good and fight against bad. Ignoring what is going around us is not going to help any of us. So, we must fight for the good and make world a better place for the coming generation. Akhila Saroha: What led to the idea of writing “Niyatinati”? Were there any events that inspired the work? Aruna Shaibya: Yeah, this novel is related to some real-life events. Since, the day I am born I have seen the different colours and shades of life. Evil is spreading wide each day as most of us nowadays are just focusing ourselves and no, one wants to take interest to bring positive change in society. No, one wants to fight against the crime and violence in the society until it has happened to them and that’s when we all realize the importance of good karma and ultimate justice of niyati. Through this novel I am sending a message to the society that always fight for good and justice for the greater good of coming age and your next generation it will make our life peaceful and joyful. Akhila Saroha: How easy or difficult was it for you to decide the placement of ideas in “Niyatinati” and keep it simple to understand for the readers? Aruna Shaibya: No, it was not difficult and I think it is not much difficult to write and place the ideas in your novel when you know exactly what you want to convey and tell your readers. As an author, we do know how to create fictional and non-fictional stories. This novel of mine is non-fictional novel. It holds real-life events and experiences from my life so it came to me that it would be the perfect idea to put this in an inspirational novel. So, I was able to express emotions of each character and have put them in such an inspirational which all of the reader can understand easily in simple language. Akhila Saroha: What are your views about present-day writing? Do you think it does complete justice in depicting human nature in the light of “Niyatinati”? Aruna Shaibya: In present-day writing as an author, I want to make human society a better place for women. I hope to bring change to human society and make women seen as equal to men. I want to bring out the sinful things, crime and violence against women in society in the light of “Justice” and help women and society to stand and fight against crime and violence. Yes, it does complete justice in depicting human nature in the light of “Niyatinati”. We all get paid for karma whether it is good or bad. However, we must not rely on destiny and just sit there and do nothing. We must work hard for our dreams and goals. By, bringing change in ourselves we can bring some change in society. We should bring light to the bad things happening around us otherwise we will lose the peace in our life. Akhila Saroha: “Niyatinati” shows the uniqueness of your style of writing. Are there any authors that you enjoy reading or any books which are your favourites? Aruna Shaibya: Yes, it does. Thank you!!! I enjoy reading books and novels by Narendra Kohali. “Mahasamar” by Narendra Kohli which is a series of 9 books is my favourite and I love and enjoy reading it all the time. Akhila Saroha: How would you categorize “Niyatinati” as its appeal seems to be to a broad audience? Aruna Shaibya: “Niyati” is an inspirational non-fictional novel written for a social cause. It brings light to the unspoken reality of our society. In Niyatinati readers will find different phases of our lives and how life can change at any moment. Youth should learn about these parts of life. They should learn to take inspiration from such events in life like “Vivek” from this novel. In
Interview with Archana Sundareshan author of the book : The moments I took a pause…
Archana is a Technologist by profession, Writer and Photographer by passion, Yoga Teacher by conscious choice, English Teacher to underprivileged girls from rural parts of India by inspiration, Mother to a tenacious daughter and an endearing furry canine son, Mrs. India Earth 2021 Winner (2nd runner up) and a Traveler at heart making every journey of life count and a Seeker at soul uncovering more of her every day. Archana has traveled to 27 countries so far and she counts this as her most valuable investment in life. What started off as a holiday morphed into a cause she strives for and a lifestyle she promotes via her website www.somedaynomadic.com. “The moments I took a pause…”, is a conglomeration of 80 of countless pictures Archana Sundareshan has taken and her commemoration to the spirit of travel, openness, adventure, fearlessness, seeking and experiencing the quintessence of life. Let talk with Author Archana, Welcome to The Rise Insight Swapna Peri: Hello Archana, Congratulations on the book. We would like to know more about you! Author: I am Technologist by profession, Writer and Photographer by passion, Yoga Teacher by conscious choice, English Teacher & career mentor to underprivileged girls from Rural parts of India by inspiration, Mrs India Earth Pageant winner(2nd runner up, Mrs Compassionate, Mrs Best Traditional Costume), Mother to a tenacious daughter and an endearing furry canine son (a golden retriever) and a Traveler at heart making every journey of life count and a Seeker at soul uncovering more of me every day. Currently I am living with my loving family in Bangalore. Swapna Peri: What was that one thing that made you write this book? Author: Travel was an integral part of my lifestyle and with the world raging pandemic and lockdowns that followed, traveling was a farfetched dream. I missed traveling and during one of those days I was flipping through my travel photographs, a thought occurred that it may be a good idea to use the time during pandemic to commemorate my love for travel by culmination of all my travels so far into a fine piece of art – A Book. Through this art I can share with the world how travel has touched and transformed me and let the art do its own magic by gravitating the readers to embark on their next transformational journey. Swapna Peri: There must have been an intellectual trouble while deciding the title. Can you share the journey with us? Author: This was the easiest part for the book journey. Every shot I take, it is truly a moment I take a pause from everything else going on in my life or in the world, to totally give into a photograph. Every shot has my soul in it. Also, it a metaphor for readers too to take a pause to appreciate how magnificent this life and everything that fuels the life is. We comprehend and cherish life so much more when we take a pause. Swapna Peri: In the book which is your most favorite photograph and what is the story behind it? Author: I love every picture in the book. It was rather tough to limit the number of pictures to the ones published. However, over a gunshot, I would say the cover picture reflects me. It is a shot of a leaf in dense forest, just one of the insignificant leaves amongst billions in a forest and yet it is significant in its own way when you take a closer look and how beautiful it is. Being one amongst the billion, it still adds to the magnificence of the forest. This is a conundrum we all battle with related to significance and insignificance of our lives in this cosmos. The beauty is in this enigma. Swapna Peri: When did the tinge of photography occur to you? Author: This is an interesting story. I loved being photographed and many a times I would be disappointed with the quality of photographs taken by my family or strangers that I requested for a click during my travels. It was on our road trip to New Zealand, I decided to channel my energy and enthusiasm in photography by getting behind the camera than being in frustrated being in front of it. The quality of photograph I expected, I could get it being behind the camera. As for my musing, I found a better one than myself in every spec of this world when I looked through the lens. Also, I feel humbled that my narcissism had translated into creative energy. That was the beginning, and it became a part of who I am today and I love being behind the camera Swapna Peri: What is your dream destination? Author: The whole world is immensely beautiful. It is the theme of my book too to embrace the extremities or contrasts we see in the world and feel the breeze of inclusiveness. I would like to set foot on as many places as I can on this earth and with my camera, I will be able to show how every place can itself be a dream destination. Swapna Peri: Who is your favorite nature photographer and why? Author: I do not have favorites. There are way too many amazing photographers in the world and some who haven’t even come to the limelight. I appreciate and get inspired by a great photograph irrespective of who has taken it. The art is more important to me than the artist. Swapna Peri: Can you also mention about your other hobbies and interests? Author: Most of the interests I pursue are a result of travel like hiking and blogging. I am an internationally certified Yoga Teacher and I see yoga as a guiding light to lifestyle. I do take time out to teach underprivileged girls from rural parts of India as I believe that educating a girl/woman can be a solution for most problems that plagues the world today. I am an engineer by profession, and I rise
Interview with Author Hasnain Shawl
Book: The Exhilarated SoulISBN : 9789354469176 About His Book Hailing from Jammu Kashmir, Hasnain aims to tell stories inspired by his life or the event he sees around. “I want to live my life fullest to generate amazing ideas and put them down” Lets talk with Author Hasnain Shawl The Rise Insight: What encourages you to become an Author? Author: I’m a kind of observer, during my childhood I used to observe people and their conflicts, I felt that from the day someone is born to the day they are buried, there is always a conflict. So why don’t I put those conflicts on paper and present my art out to the world? That’s how I started writing. The Rise Insight: What are your favorite topics of writing? Please tell us something about your interest areas in the literature. Author: I’m not sticked to any genre, I believe that stories can come from anywhere or anytime but if you ask me what kind of stories I want to write? The answer would be stories that excites me, stories that doesn’t let me sleep for days. I want to live my life fullest to generate amazing ideas and put them down. I like comedy, thriller, drama and many other genres. Infect not just books, I believe that stories can be told through many other mediums. So I have a great penchant for cinema and theatre maybe as a Writer. Director. Apart from that I have started telling stories through my poems, I have felt that poems are a great way to express what you feel or what’s inside you. The Rise Insight: We were hoping you could tell us about some of those writers who had inspired you and whom you follow! Author: Yeah, I have grown up reading William Shakespeare, I’m really inspired by the work of that man. The characters he wrote in his plays is worth remembering for everyone. Apart from him, I love the work of a Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, who is one of the most successful director of Hollywood known for creating science fictions and epic films. The Rise Insight: The titles seem different and catchy; how you decided it? Please let us know the story behind it. Author: Absolutely, I was thinking for an unusual name for my book. So all this material was written during nights, because I don’t like writing in a chaotic environment. So I often got excited while writing and used to generate a lot of material. So that’s what the title is. “The Exhilarated Soul” The Rise Insight: What are your achievements so far? Tell us something about your writing career. Author: I’m still grappling, I’m just a seventeen years old boy who has just started out and figuring out his identity in this chaotic world. I have written scripts as a screenwriter but that’s not something worth considering until it get made So “The Exhilarated Soul” is my debut book. It has narrative poems, Sonnets and short stories in it. The Rise Insight: What is your current goal in writing a career? How do you see your future in writing? Author: I’m the one who never gives up, as I have already told during the introduction of my book. When you start something unusual, people try to prompt you or starts breaking your self confidence, so that doesn’t affect me now. I have realised that stories have magic in them and this what I would like to do, on the other hand it haunts me that where my future will go, will I be able to earn from this career? I often grapples with these questions. But right now I’m enjoying what I’m doing, so hopefully I will be pursuing it but I’m still figuring out for what I have to write. Theatre? Cinema? Or just books. The Rise Insight: Are there any other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects. Author: Of course, my second book, or you can call it my debut novel is set to get published. If not this year but hopefully next year as I want a gap between my books release time. “Car on the highway” is the story of a T.V anchor who works on the case of an overnight police murder case and while working on that story she realises that the accused guy is no one except her own son. So basically, it’s a thriller. The Rise Insight: How you see Indian writing in the 21st century? What changes do you see in the modern way of writing? Do you feel it has been changed by the time? Author: I haven’t read too much work of Indian writers but if we talk about the modern world, of course it has brought a lot of changes. The technology has made it easier to present your work out there. So there might be some limited people who still uses a typewriter or a pencil to write. The Rise Insight: How easy/ difficult it was for you to publish your book? What message would you like to give to budding authors? Author: I’m no one to advice someone because I’m myself a budding writer but if you ask my opinion for those who want to get started, I would say, yes, writing is hard, all you need is patience, you might face multiple dark days, but if not, today then tomorrow the sun will rise upon you. So just start it out if you haven’t and keep working until your name gets out. Thank you.