Manage Your Problems - The Gopal Bhand Way

Vishal Goyal

Description

Gopal Bhand, the barber, was the chief jester at the Rajbari (Royal Court) of Raja Krishnachandra Rai, the famous Emperor of Krishnanagar (Nadia), West Bengal during the 18th century. Gopal was a genius and is included in the genre of Birbal and Tenali Raman. Countless stories of his exploits where he outwits other fellow courtiers and men are narrated in Bengal and Bangladesh even to this day.

Gopal as a court jester was able to influence the King in many matters. He always had wit at his disposal, whether in the form of puns, riddles, doggerel verse, antics or babble which he used to soften the blow of a critical comment or edgy moment in a way that prevented a dignified personage from losing face. His ability to make people laugh coupled with his riotous imagination with the tinge of sympathy and pathos did have a stunning effect to defuse tense situations.

A hilarious bouquet of Gopal’s timeless anecdotes are presented in this book which really are eye openers – imparting new thoughts, new dreams, new solutions, new ideas, new wordplay, newer takes on humour, parodies, satire and a window to a whole new world of imagination and basic wisdom.

The reader might ask himself, ‘What makes the book a compelling read?’ Sure, the answer is . . . the stories of the book are short with a heady mix of wit, comedy, funny description and wonderful characterizations dusted with Gopal’s inimitable sprinklings of humor which provoke one to think beyond the seemingly simple things. The book offers tales of wise men and their battles of wit during the medieval royal Bengal; stories of knotty problems with ingenious solutions and mind fertilizing anecdotes which not only inform, advise, enthuse, inspire and amuse but impart specific and terse wise lessons appropriate to the issues at point to ‘Manage the Problems’ neatly.

In one story, Gopal was walking down the road with the Zamindaar (landlord). The arrogant Zamindaar said, “I am the Ruler of this great big earth. Everybody should fear me.” Gopal immediately questioned, “Who told you that Sire?” “God himself told me!” said the Zamindaar confidently. “But I never told you that!” replied Gopal leaving the Zamindaar tightlipped.

The author has taken great care to narrate the anecdotes in the most descriptive manner focusing on wise lessons at the end of each account laced with equally fascinating illustrations. The presentation of the book is unique as it can be read from any chapter, but still it will stimulate the reader – like a pealed banana, which can be eaten from any side, thus enjoying its sweetness.

It’s a fascinating assortment of entertaining anecdotal short stories guaranteed to leave the reader in stitches. It tends to work like an aspirin. Only it will work twice as fast. So you can’t afford to be without this.

Informations

• Publié par: V & S Publishers
• Date de parution: 07 août 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789381588550
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

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© Copyright: V&S Publishers
ISBN 978-9-3815-8855-0
Edition: April 2012
The Copyright of this book, as well as all matter contained herein (including illustrations) rests with the Publishers. No person shall copy the name of the book, its title design, matter and illustrations in any form and in any language, totally or partially or in any distorted form. Anybody doing so shall face legal action and will be responsible for damages.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Gopal Bhand's P.R.O.B.L.E.M. Philosophy for Success
Stay Dumb
Coming of Age
Masterstrokes
Star Power
What an Idea!
Warning Signs
Tough Opponent
Speaking his Mind
More on The Anvil
Aiming for Reform
Mental Issues
Good Luck, Dear Gopal
The Perfect Answer
The Blame Game
Mind Muscle
Blind Greed
Smarter Way
Chasing A Dream
Dangerous Liaison
In the Red
Just Like That
Load-Sharing
Loop in A Loop
Lucrative Business
New Ideas
On a Slippery Track
One For Many
One-on-One
Out of Sync
Play of The Day
Precious View
Call of Duty
The Ugly Truth
Thinking Out of The Box
Too Little, Too Late
Tough Reality
Unlearn To Learn
Spirit of Devotion
Waste not, Want not
Utterly Devoted
Wit and Wisdom
Wrong and Right
Serious Approach
Desire Again
Hope Floats
Leading the Way
Preferred Choice
Swinging Fortunes
Surprisingly Solid
Supporting Role
Helping Hand
In principle
Hack and Steal
Divine Presence
Dynamics of Business
End of Embargo
Falling Flat
Fatal Course
Fuel for Thought
Gallant Effort
Rare Insight
Sigh of Relief
Some Respite
Speed of Thought
Chasing Wisdom
Brazen Attack
Cause for Celebration
Between the Lies
Thought for Today
A Progressive Decision
Droplets of Wisdom
An Inbox
Dedicated
To
My Mother and Father
The Masters of Profound Wisdom
Acknowledgements
No one walks alone on the journey of life. So, perhaps this book and its pages will be seen as “thanks” to the tens of thousands of you who have helped me, joined me and walked beside me all along the way continuously urging me to put my thoughts down on.
Among the many people who helped me with this book, my special thanks to my parents for encouraging me and showing keen interest in the progress. Above all, I want to thank my brothers, my wife and rest of my family, all of whom, in their own ways inspired me and subconsciously contributed a tremendous amount to the content of this book. My son Aryan, who at his tender age sacrificed many hours which we could have spent together.
I am grateful to Sh. Sahil Gupta, Director of V&S Publishing for having great confidence in me and enabling me to publish this book. I am truly thankful to Sh. Dibya Borah, Executive Editor, for giving the final shape to this book with beautiful illustrations and pleasing cover which in itself speaks a lot. V&S Publishers is an amazing organisation comprising talented individuals who shared their knowledge, their ideas, and numerous tips all of which culminated in the completion of this book.
Last and not least: I beg forgiveness of all those who have been with me during the course of completion of this book and whose names I have failed to mention.
— Vishal Goyal
Prologue
India's extraordinary history is intimately tied to its geography. A meeting ground between the East and the West, it has always been an invader's paradise, while at the same time its natural isolation and magnetic culture allowed it to adapt to and absorb many of the peoples who penetrated its mountain passes. No matter how many Persians, Greeks, Chinese nomads, Arabs, Portuguese, British and other raiders had their way with the land, local Hindu Kingdoms invariably survived their depredations, living out their own sagas of conquest and collapse. All the while, these local dynasties built upon the roots of a culture well established since the time of the first invaders, the Aryans. In short, India has always been simply too big, too complicated, and too culturally subtle to let anyone empire dominate it for long.
The Indian history has variety which is its special hallmark. Underneath its history, lies the continuity of Indian civilisation and social structure from the very earliest times until the present day.
During medieval India, a prominent Hindu Kingdom was Krishnanagar , also called Krishnagar, named after Raja Krishna Chandra Rai . It is located in Nadia District of present day West Bengal State, lying on the banks of River Jalangi. An important centre for culture and literature, it contained the residence of Raja Krishna Chandra Rai.
The Krishnanagar (Nadia) Empire included the present day prominent city of Nabadwip meaning “9 islands” in Bangla. Being the birth place of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nabadwip is a pilgrimage city and had been a great centre of learning and intellectual prowess to be aptly referred to as “Oxford of Bengal”. Other well-known towns of Kalyani, Ranaghat, Kaliganj, Birnagar and Tehetta were also a part of the Krishnanagar Empire.
During the 18 th century (1710-1783), Krishnanagar (Nadia) was ruled by Raja Krishna Chandra Rai, son of Raghuram Rai. Raja Krishna Chandra was an able Ruler and an Administrator par excellence. The Empire flourished under the rule of Raja Krishna Chandra Rai.
The 18th Century was a time of political turmoil and instability in Bharat . The Mughal Empire declined after the death of Aurangzeb (the last Sultan of Delhi Sultanate) under the later Muslim Rulers, i.e. Bahadur Shah Zafar and so on, and the Maratha Empire ( Marathas are an Indian caste found predominantly in Maharashtra) was rising. In Bengal, however, the Muslim governor became independent and the Nawabs flourished.
At that time, the Marathas spread terror in Bengal especially amongst the Nawabs through their constant raids and Bargi invasions (large scale plundering by armed Maratha horsemen). The Nawabs usually sought the help of Bengali Hindu Rajas. Raja Krishna Chandra realised that Muslim power was on the wane and a new era was going to start. He always wanted to revive the Hindu Rule.
At first, the relation between Krishna Chandra and Nawab Alivardi Khan was cordial. But things changed when Siraj-ud-Daula (grandson of Alivardi Khan) became Nawab of Murshidabad. Raja was sad to see the suffering of Hindus during the reign of Siraj especially the Hindu women.
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Murshidabad remained a constant nuisance for the Raja. He collaborated with Robert Clive (a British officer who established the military and political supremacy of the East India Company in Bengal. Together with Warren Hastings, he was one of the key early figures in the creation of British India) against Siraj, thus hastening the downfall of Siraj in the Battle of Plassey. Again during the time of Mir Kasim , Krishna Chandra was imprisoned and sentenced to death. But the British helped to secure his release with whom he maintained cordial relations.
Raja Krishna Chandra is still remembered for providing relief to Hindus besides leaving his mark in field of literature, art and architecture. Krishna Chandra Rai was proficient in Bangla, Sanskrit and Persian and during his reign, the Bengali literature developed. He was known for his public welfare activities. His wife, Rani Bhabani, was also a patron of Sanskrit culture in Bengal. He established a large Shiv temple at Shivnibash . He was the first to introduce Jagaddhatri Puja in Bengal.
Like King Vikramaditya, he too, maintained a Navaratna Sabha (Royal Court with Nine Jewels) which included men of letters like poet Raygunakar Bharatchandra, Ramprasad Sen, Pandit Baneswar Bidyalankar, Krishnananda Bachaspati, Jagannath Tarkapanchanan and Hariram Tarkasiddhanta and the famous GOPAL BHAND .
Gopal Bhand, the barber, was a simpleton but a witty village barber who spent his early days in extreme poverty. He later became the chief jester at the Rajbari (royal court) of Raja Krishna Chandra. Gopal was immensely clever and wise, entertaining the Raja and imparting wise lessons by telling anecdotes, parables and stories appropriate to the issues at point. Gopal was a genius and the King considered him to be ‘gem’ of his Court just like Sultan Akbar considered Birbal and Raja Krishnadeva Raya took Tenali Raman to be. Not only did Gopal entertain the King and the courtiers with his unusual wit, but he often helped the King with unexpected advice when no one else could. Gopal was given great freedom of speech. For these reasons, Gopal Bhand could be described as the Birbal of Bengal . His native shrewdness enabled him to turn every situation to his advantage.
He was favoured by Raja Krishna Chandra and whenever the eccentric Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Murshidabad gave Raja an impossible assignment, it was Gopal who came to the Raja's rescue. Being the Raja's favourite, however, did not turn his head. He mingled freely with the common people and often helped them too to solve their problems. That explains the popularity of this folk-hero to this day.
Gopal's concise observations concern people from all walks of life – the common man, beggars, Kings, landlords, the clergy, scholars, the trading class, warriors and others. In most of his tales, the fish – the favourite cuisine amongst Bengalis, had been his cherished subject matter.
Gopal's witty tales usually contain some hidden meaning or moral and can be interpreted at various levels. His anecdotes are now being spun in modern avatars, however, this book deals with his tales of yore right from his vagabond childhood days through his initial days of struggle to the Rajbari .
In one story, there was a rich farmer wh