Aditi Banerjee

Delighted to have curated and co-edited this volume on lesser known stories from the Mahabharata. Gratitude to @YudhamanyuP for co-editing and all the rest of the authors for their wonderful stories, including @anuradha_author @artwaniparas @mukherneena @MadhaviKunte @raghuram1998 @RamSharaph @Shaanemaan @skavitham @SaamaanyaJ. More to come soon on the book and each of the stories! Pre-order available from @PadhegaIndia_.

I accidentally discovered how to compress a semester of learning into 48 hours. A grad student at MIT showed me his NotebookLM setup. I thought he was just organized. Then I watched him pass a qualifying exam on a subject he'd never studied before. Here's exactly what he did: First: he didn't upload a textbook. He uploaded 6 textbooks, 15 research papers, and every lecture transcript he could find on the subject. Then he asked NotebookLM one question: "What are the 5 core mental models that every expert in this field shares?" Not "summarize this." Not "explain this topic." Mental models. The stuff that takes professors years to develop. But the next part is what broke my brain. He followed up with: "Now show me the 3 places where experts in this field fundamentally disagree, and what each side's strongest argument is." In 20 minutes he had a map of the entire intellectual landscape of the field: the debates, the consensus, the open questions. Most students spend a full semester just figuring out what those debates even are. Then he did something I've never seen before. He asked: "Generate 10 questions that would expose whether someone deeply understands this subject versus someone who just memorized facts." He spent the next 6 hours answering those questions using the source material. Every wrong answer triggered a follow-up: "Explain why this is wrong and what I'm missing." By hour 48, he could hold a conversation with his thesis advisor without getting destroyed. The tool didn't change. The questions did. Most people treat NotebookLM like a fancy highlighter. These students are using it like a private tutor who has read everything ever written on the subject. The difference between a semester and 48 hours isn't the amount of content. It's knowing which questions to ask.

“The Literal Written Word” by Aditi Banerjee My reflection on the practice of Likhita Japa, a simple yet powerful sadhana, and how it can help us through the toughest of times. abaner01.medium.com/the-literal-wr…

Incoming message from Iran: “Today they’ve shut down all the schools and announced martial law starting at 6 PM — meaning anyone who goes outside will be shot; they have orders to shoot. At the same time, the Prince’s (Reza Pahlavi) call is also for 6 PM. Please pray hard for us so that at least we don’t lose too many people. The situation is truly very bad, but respect to the people — everyone is brave, everyone is standing together and pouring into the streets. And they are genuinely doing something that will benefit all of us, all generations, our children — all of us.”

🚨 Breaking: The flag of Iran's embassy in London was replaced with the lion and sun flag 👇

🔴 BREAKING: Tehran tonight. First confirmed video. Huge crowds forming. Via Starlink.

Una mujer joven baila en Irán con el cabello descubierto. Dos delitos a la vez, según el régimen islámico. Primero, no lleva hiyab. Segundo, está bailando. Esto no es solo un baile. Es una batalla, ¡y ella es una heroína!

🚨 Breaking: Iran's two largest cities, Tehran and Mashhad, are now under the control of the protesters

I can't overstate how monumental tonight is, as someone who has followed every major uprising since 2009. The islamic regime has always fallen back on two things when pressured into a corner: 1) Communication blackout 2) Mass murder This has always worked in the past, silencing Iranians into going home battered, scared and traumatised. This time however, Iranians responded to both 1 and 2 by coming out in even greater numbers. This has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I tell you this as someone who saw the images of Neda Agha-Soltan's dying breaths in 2009, who saw the 2017 uprising crushed, who saw the 2019 November blackout and massacre, who saw the 2022 uprising fizzle into nothing after relentless oppression. Not only has this movement not died out - for the first time there is a commanding leader and a guiding voice who makes calls and decisions for his people. He is the Shah of Iran, and the vast majority of Iran has proven to want him back on the throne. Nobody can deny this any longer. And now, we have a unified Iran defying regime blackouts AND regime massacres, organising and fighting back, inflicting real and devastating casualties. There has been nothing like this ever. The regime did not expect people to come back out. I repeat: This wasn't supposed to happen. This is a living nightmare for the mullahs and all their cheerleaders. I don't know what happens next. All I know is this has moved from an uprising to a revolution.

Esto es hermoso, emocionante. En pleno centro de Teherán, la capital de Irán, las mujeres se están quitando los velos y los prenden fuego. Todo un símbolo de liberación. La mayor revolución femenina del siglo XXI está ocurriendo frente a nuestros ojos ahora mismo.

To all of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives for freedom we will rebuild Iran soon in your name, in your honor. You are the lions and lionesses of Iran به همه برادران و خواهران مان كه جان خود را در راه ازادى فدا كردند: ما به زودى ايران را به نام شما وبه افتخار شما دوباره خواهيم ساخت شما شيران وشيرزنان ايران هستيد

BREAKING: Anti-regime protesters have set a government building on fire in Tehran

These brave, young women sparked the 2022 uprising in Iran. Today is built on their courage and their sacrifice. I hope they’re looking down, proud of how far this has come. I wish they were here to witness it. We won’t ever forget you 💔

“I’m not afraid! I’ve been dead for 45 years.” After being injured by Khamenei’s forces, an elderly Iranian woman continued to protest, defiantly screaming that she was not afraid. A true Iranian lioness. I truly hope we are witnessing the final days of Khamenei’s reign of terror. Very soon, the great people of Iran will be free.

Chills all over my body. This is Tehran right now, the masses screaming “azadi azadi azadi” (freedom freedom freedom). For reference, 48 hours ago, @PahlaviReza issued a directive to take to the streets today at 8pm (it’s now around 11pm). The video was viewed almost 90 million times. The population of Iran is about 90 million. They heard his word and poured into the streets, unafraid. To everybody that said the people of Iran don’t want regime change—echoing the regime’s propaganda that this was American imperialism or a “Zionist psy-op”—it’s time to disappear into the bushes like Homer. The Iranian people have trampled every lie under foot. They are coming for the terrorists. Stand back. It’s go time.

Right from ancient times in Bharata Desha there have been many women scholars like Maitri, Gargi and many who were well versed in Shastras. See here, Shastra Vaakyartha by Kumari Sudakshina in the presence of Sri Kudali Sringeri Swamiji.👏 Such a paanditya at very young age ☺️

This little puppy is just starting his life as a herding dog - and instead of leaving him behind, the sheep adjusted their pace, moved gently around him, and guided him forward. Animals understand more than we think. They’ll protect him today so he can protect them tomorrow. ❤️

One of the purposes of the Immigration Act of 1924 was to shut out Italian immigrants, who were considered non-white. So deep was the stigma that Dino Paul Crocetti changed his name to Dean Martin to be more acceptable in show business.

Clearing misconceptions !

It is said that if the Guru is pleased, all miraculous powers come in of their own accord.

Stored in Drafts for several months: Many ways to be a hero--One of my favorite passages from the Mahābhārata When Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma (who is on his death-bed made of arrows) about, among several other things, the puṇya gained by a śūra (hero) who does not flee from battle, Bhīṣma proceeds to answer this volley of queries; and when he comes to the subject of heroes, he expands Yudhiṣṭhira’s narrowly phrased question (which restricts the ambit of “śūra” to the warrior on the battlefield) and utters these beautiful ślokas: śūrā bahuvidhāḥ proktās teṣām arthāṃś ca me śṛṇu | śūra-anvayānāṃ nirdiṣṭaṃ phalaṃ śūrasya caiva ha || 22 || yajñaśūrā dame śūrāḥ satyaśūrās tathāpare | yuddhaśūrās tathaivoktā dānaśūrāś ca mānavāḥ || 23 || buddhiśūrās tathaivānye kṣamāśūrās tathāpare | ārjave ca tathā śūrāḥ śame vartanti mānavāḥ || 24 || tais tais tu niyamaiḥ śūrā bahavaḥ santi cāpare | vedādhyayanaśūrāś ca śūrāś cādhyāpane ratāḥ || 25 || guruśuśrūṣayā śūrāḥ pitṛśuśrūṣayāpare | mātṛśuśrūṣayā śūrā bhaiḳṣyaśūrās tathāpare || 26 || sāṃkhyaśūrāś ca bahavo yogaśūrās tathāpare | araṇye gṛhavāse ca śūrāś cātithipūjane || 27 || sarve yānti parāṃl lokān svakarmaphalanirjitān || 27 Heroes are spoken of as being of many kinds (śūrā bahuvidhāḥ proktāḥ). Hear from me their meanings (teṣām arthāṃś ca me śṛṇu), and to the result prescribed for the lineages of heroes (śūra-anvayānāṃ nirdiṣṭaṃ phalaṃ) and for the hero himself (śūrasya caiva ha). There are heroes of sacrifice (yajñaśūrāḥ), heroes inself-restraint (dame śūrāḥ) and heroes of truth (satyaśūrāḥ). Heroes of battle (yuddhaśūrāḥ) have also been spoken of, and likewise men who are heroes in giving (dānaśūrāḥ). There are others who are heroes in intellect (buddhiśūrāḥ) and others who are heroes in forgiveness (kṣamāśūrāḥ). There are heroes in the matter of honesty (ārjave śūrāḥ)--men who live in peace (śame vartanti mānavāḥ). Through various observances, many other kinds of heroes exist (tais tais tu niyamaiḥ śūrā bahavaḥ). There are heroes devoted to Vedic study (vedādhyayanaśūrāḥ) and heroes devoted to teaching the Veda (śūrāḥ cādhyāpane ratāḥ). There are heroes by reason of service to their preceptors (guruśuśrūṣayā śūrāḥ), and others by their service to their fathers (pitṛśuśrūṣayā). There are heroes in their service to their mothers (mātṛśuśrūṣayā śūrāḥ) and others who are heroes of the mendicant life (bhaiḳṣyaśūrāḥ). Many are heroes of Sāṃkhya (sāṃkhyaśūrāḥ) and others are heroes of Yoga (yogaśūrāḥ). In the forest (araṇye śūrāḥ) and in the householder’s dwelling (gṛhavāse śūrāḥ), men are also heroes in the honouring of guests (śūrāś cātithipūjane). All of these heroes go to the highest worlds (sarve yānti parāṃl lokān), won by the fruits of their own actions (svakarmaphalanirjitān). The Mahābhārata is a treasure beyond compare.