Bhaktamar Stotra in Sanskrit

Bhaktamar Stotra is a Jain prayer having the composition of very sacred verses. There are forty-eight verses and each verse has four parts.

It is recited as stotra (prayer) or sung as stavan (hymn) with religious regularity in Jainism. It is sung by many famous singers and one of that melodious stavan (hymn) can be listened here:

Bhaktamar Stotra was written by Shri Manatunga Acharya in the seventh century when he was put under arrest by King Bhoja of Ujjain city. He was kept inside forty eight-chambers. As he sang Bhaktamar Stotra, the locks of each chamber opened automatically and he no more remained imprisoned. Shrine of Shri Manatunga Acharya is still available in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

Bhaktamar Stotra is originally in the Sanskrit language and written in Devanagari script. Each verse is believed to be very effective in the fulfilment of different purposes. The effect of each verse is also mentioned at the end of each verse:

भक्तामर-प्रणत-मौलि-मणि-प्रभाणा-
मुद्योतकं दलित-पाप-तमो-वितानम् ।
सम्यक्प्रणम्य जिन-पाद-युगं युगादा-
वालम्बनं भव-जले पततां जनानाम् ॥1॥
सर्वविघ्न विनाशक काव्य

यःसंस्तुतः सकल-वांग्मय-तत्त्वबोधा-
दुद्भूत-बुद्धि-पटुभिः सुरलोक-नाथै ।
स्तोत्रैर्जगत्त्रितय-चित्त-हरै-रुदारैः,
स्तोष्ये किलाहमपि तं प्रथमं जिनेन्द्रम् ॥2॥
शत्रु तथा शिरपीडा नाशक

बुद्धया विनापि विबुधार्चित-पाद-पीठ,
स्तोतुं समुद्यत-मतिर्विगत-त्रपोहम् ।
बालं विहाय जल-संस्थित-मिन्दु-बिम्ब-
मन्यःक इच्छति जनः सहसा ग्रहीतुम् ॥3॥
सर्वसिद्धिदायक

वक्तुं गुणान् गुण-समुद्र! शशांक-कांतान्,
कस्ते क्षमः सुर-गुरु-प्रतिमोपि बुद्धया ।
कल्पांत-काल-पवनोद्धत-नक्र-चक्रं,
को वा तरीतु-मलमम्बु निधिं भुजाभ्याम् ॥4॥
जलजंतु निरोधक

सोहं तथापि तव भक्ति-वशान्मुनीश,
कर्तुं स्तवं विगत-शक्ति-रपि प्रवृतः ।
प्रीत्यात्म-वीर्य-मविचार्य्य मृगी मृगेन्द्रं,
नाभ्येति किं निज-शिशोः परि-पालनार्थम् ॥5॥
नेत्ररोग निवारक

अल्पश्रुतं श्रुतवतां परिहास-धाम,
त्वद्भक्ति-रेव-मुखरी-कुरुते बलान्माम् ।
यत्कोकिलः किल मधौ मधुरं विरौति,
तच्चाम्र-चारु-कालिका-निकरैक-हेतु ॥6॥
विद्या प्रदायक

त्वत्संस्तवेन भव-संतति-सन्निबद्धं
पापं क्षणात्क्षय-मुपैति शरीर-भाजाम् ।
आक्रांत-लोक-मलिनील-मशेष-माशु,
सूर्यांशु-भिन्न-मिव शार्वर-मन्धकारम्॥7॥
सर्व विष व संकट निवारक

मत्वेति नाथ तव संस्तवनं मयेद-
मारभ्यते तनुधियापि तव प्रभावात् ।
चेतो हरिष्यति सतां नलिनी-दलेषु,
मुक्ताफल-द्युति-मुपैति ननूद-बिन्दुः ॥8॥
सर्वारिष्ट निवारक

आस्तां तव स्तवन-मस्त-समस्त-दोषं,
त्वत्संकथापि जगतां दुरितानि हंति ।
दूरे सहस्त्र-किरणः कुरुते प्रभैव,
पद्माकरेषु जलजानि विकास-भांजि ॥9॥
सर्वभय निवारक

नात्यद्भुतं भुवन-भूषण-भूतनाथ,
भूतैर्गुणैर्भुवि भवंत-मभिष्टु-वंतः ।
तुल्या भवंति भवतो ननु तेन किं वा,
भूत्याश्रितं य इह नात्मसमं करोति ॥10॥
कूकर विष निवारक

दृष्ट्वा भवंत-मनिमेष-विलोकनीयं,
नान्यत्र तोष-मुपयाति जनस्य चक्षुः ।
पीत्वा पयः शशिकर-द्युति-दुग्ध-सिन्धो,
क्षारं जलं जलनिधे रसितुँ क इच्छेत् ॥11॥
इच्छित-आकर्षक

यैः शांत-राग-रुचिभिः परमाणु-भिस्त्वं,
निर्मापितस्त्रि-भुवनैक-ललाम-भूत ।
तावंत एव खलु तेप्यणवः पृथिव्यां,
यत्ते समान-मपरं न हि रूपमस्ति ॥12॥
हस्तिमद-निवारक

वक्त्रं क्व ते सुर-नरोरगनेत्र-हारि,
निःशेष-निर्जित-जगत्त्रित-योपमानम् ।
बिम्बं कलंक-मलिनं क्व निशाकरस्य,
यद्वासरे भवति पाण्डु-पलाश-कल्पम् ॥13॥
चोर भय व अन्यभय निवारक

सम्पूर्ण-मण्डल-शशांक-कला कलाप-
शुभ्रा गुणास्त्रिभुवनं तव लंग्घयंति ।
ये संश्रितास्त्रिजगदीश्वर-नाथमेकं,
कस्तान्निवारयति संचरतो यथेष्टम ॥14॥
आधि-व्याधि-नाशक लक्ष्मी-प्रदायक

चित्रं किमत्र यदि ते त्रिदशांगनाभि-
नीतं मनागपि मनो न विकार-मार्गम् ।
कल्पांत-काल-मरुता चलिता चलेन
किं मन्दराद्रि-शिखरं चलितं कदाचित् ॥15॥
राजसम्मान-सौभाग्यवर्धक

निर्धूम-वर्त्ति-रपवर्जित-तैलपूरः,
कृत्स्नं जगत्त्रयमिदं प्रकटी-करोषि ।
गम्यो न जातु मरुतां चलिता-चलानां,
दीपोपरस्त्वमसि नाथ! जगत्प्रकाशः ॥16॥
सर्व-विजय-दायक

नास्तं कदाचिदुपयासि न राहु-गम्यः,
स्पष्टी-करोषि सहसा युगपज्जगंति ।
नाम्भोधरोदर-निरुद्ध-महा-प्रभावः,
सूर्यातिशायि-महिमासि मुनीन्द्र लोके ॥17॥
सर्व उदर पीडा नाशक

नित्योदयं दलित-मोह-महान्धकारं।
गम्यं न राहु-वदनस्य न वारिदानाम् ।
विभ्राजते तव मुखाब्ज-मनल्प-कांति,
विद्योतयज्-जगदपूर्व-शशांक-विम्बम् ॥18॥
शत्रु सेना स्तम्भक

किं शर्वरीषु शशिनान्हि विवस्वता वा,
युष्मन्मुखेन्दु-दलितेषु तमःसु नाथ ।
निष्पन्न-शालि-वन-शालिनी जीव-लोके,
कार्यं कियज्-जलधरैर्जल-भारनम्रैः ॥19॥
जादू-टोना-प्रभाव नाशक

ज्ञानं यथा त्वयि विभाति कृतावकाशं
नैवं तथा हरि-हरादिषु नायकेषु ।
तेजःस्फुरन्मणिषु याति यथा महत्वं,
नैवं तु काच-शकले किरणा-कुलेपि ॥20॥
संतान-लक्ष्मी-सौभाग्य-विजय बुद्धिदायक

मन्ये वरं हरि-हरादय एव दृष्टा,
दृष्टेषु येषु हृदयं त्वयि तोषमेति ।
किं वीक्षितेन भवता भुवि येन नान्यः,
कश्चिन्मनो हरति नाथ भवांतरेपि ॥21॥
सर्व वशीकरण्

स्त्रीणां शतानि शतशो जनयंति पुत्रान्-
नान्या सुतं त्वदुपमं जननी प्रसूता ।
सर्वा दिशो दधति भानि सहस्त्र-रश्मिं,
प्राच्येव दिग्जनयति स्फुर-दंशु-जालम् ॥22॥
भूत-पिशाचादि व्यंतर बाधा निरोधक

त्वामा-मनंति मुनयः परमं पुमांस-
मादित्य-वर्ण-ममलं तमसः पुरस्तात्
त्वामेव सम्य-गुपलभ्य जयंति मृत्युं,
नान्यः शिवः शिव-पदस्य मुनीन्द्र पंथाः ॥23॥
प्रेत बाधा निवारक

त्वा-मव्ययं विभु-मचिंत्य-मसंखय-माद्यं,
ब्रह्माण-मीश्वर-मनंत-मनंग केतुम् ।
योगीश्वरं विदित-योग-मनेक-मेकं,
ज्ञान-स्वरूप-ममलं प्रवदंति संतः ॥24॥
शिर पीडा नाशक

बुद्धस्त्वमेव विबुधार्चित-बुद्धि-बोधात्,
त्त्वं शंकरोसि भुवन-त्रय-शंकरत्वात् ।
धातासि धीर! शिव-मार्ग-विधेर्-विधानात्,
व्यक्तं त्वमेव भगवन्! पुरुषोत्तमोसि ॥25॥
नज़र (दृष्टि देष) नाशक

तुभ्यं नम स्त्रिभुवनार्ति-हाराय नाथ,
तुभ्यं नमः क्षिति-तलामल-भूषणाय ।
तुभ्यं नमस्त्रिजगतः परमेश्वराय,
तुभ्यं नमो जिन! भवोदधि-शोषणाय ॥26॥
आधा शीशी (सिर दर्द) एवं प्रसूति पीडा नाशक

को विस्मयोत्र यदि नाम गुणैरशेषै,
स्त्वं संश्रितो निरवकाश-तया मुनीश ।
दोषै-रुपात्त-विविधाश्रय-जात-गर्वैः,
स्वप्नांतरेपि न कदाचिद-पीक्षितोसि ॥27।।
शत्रुकृत-हानि निरोधक

उच्चैर-शोक-तरु-संश्रित-मुन्मयूख-
माभाति रूप-ममलं भवतो नितांतम् ।
स्पष्टोल्लसत-किरणमस्त-तमोवितानं,
बिम्बं रवेरिव पयोधर-पार्श्ववर्ति ॥28॥
सर्व कार्य सिद्धि दायक

सिंहासने मणि-मयूख-शिखा-विचित्रे,
विभाजते तव वपुः कानका-वदातम ।
बिम्बं वियद्-विलस-दंशु-लता-वितानं,
तुंगोदयाद्रि-शिरसीव सहस्त्र-रश्मेः ॥29॥
नेत्र पीडा व बिच्छू विष नाशक

कुन्दावदात-चल-चामर-चारु-शोभं,
विभ्राजते तव वपुः कलधौत-कांतम् ।
उद्यच्छशांक-शुचि-निर्झर-वारि-धार-
मुच्चैस्तटं सुर-गिरेरिव शात-कौम्भम् ॥30॥
शत्रु स्तम्भक

छत्र-त्रयं तव विभाति शशांक-कांत-
मुच्चैः स्थितं स्थगित-भानु-कर-प्रतापम् ।
मुक्ता-फल-प्रकर-जाल-विवृद्ध-शोभं,
प्रख्यापयत्-त्रिजगतः परमेश्वरत्वम् ॥31॥
राज्य सम्मान दायक व चर्म रोग नाशक

गम्भीर-तार-रव-पूरित-दिग्वभाग-
स्त्रैलोक्य-लोक-शुभ-संगम-भूति-दक्षः ।
सद्धर्म-राज-जय-घोषण-घोषकः सन्,
खे दुन्दुभिर्-ध्वनति ते यशसः प्रवादि ॥32॥
संग्रहणी आदि उदर पीडा नाशक

मन्दार-सुन्दर-नमेरु-सुपारिजात
संतानकादि-कुसुमोत्कर-वृष्टिरुद्धा ।
गन्धोद-बिन्दु-शुभ-मन्द-मरुत्प्रपाता,
दिव्या दिवः पतति ते वयसां ततिर्वा ॥33॥
सर्व ज्वर नाशक

शुम्भत्प्रभा-वलय-भूरि-विभा विभोस्ते,
लोकत्रये द्युतिमतां द्युतिमा-क्षिपंती ।
प्रोद्यद्दिवाकर्-निरंतर-भूरि-संख्या,
दीप्त्या जयत्यपि निशामपि सोम-सौम्याम् ॥34॥
गर्व रक्षक

स्वर्गा-पवर्ग-गममार्ग-विमार्गणेष्टः,
सद्धर्म-तत्त्व-कथनैक-पटुस-त्रिलोक्याः ।
दिव्य-ध्वनिर-भवति ते विशदार्थ-सर्व-
भाषा-स्वभाव-परिणाम-गुणैः प्रयोज्यः ॥35॥
दुर्भिक्ष चोरी मिरगी आदि निवारक

उन्निद्र-हेम-नवपंकजपुंज-कांती,
पर्युल्लसन्नख-मयूख-शिखा-भिरामौ ।
पादौ पदानि तव यत्र जिनेन्द्र धत्तः,
पद्मानि तत्र विबुधाः परि-कल्पयंति ॥36॥
सम्पत्ति-दायक

इत्थं यथा तव विभूति-रभूज्जिनेन्द्र,
धर्मोप-देशन विधौ न तथा परस्य ।
यादृक् प्रभा देनकृतः प्रहतान्ध-कारा,
तादृक्कुतो ग्रह-गणस्य विकासिनोपि ॥37॥
दुर्जन वशीकरण

श्च्योतन-मदा-विल-विलोल-कपोल-मूल-
मत्त-भ्रमद-भ्रमर-नाद विवृद्ध-कोपम् ।
ऐरावताभ-मिभ-मुद्धत-मापतंतं,
दृष्टवा भयं भवति नो भवदा-श्रितानाम् ॥38॥
हाथी वशीकरण

भिन्नेभ-कुम्भ-गल-दुज्ज्वल-शोणिताक्त-
मुक्ताफल-प्रकर-भूषित-भूमिभागः ।
बद्ध-क्रमः क्रम-गतं हरिणा-धिपोपि,
नाक्रामति क्रम-युगाचल-संश्रितं ते ॥39॥
सिंह भय निवारक

कल्पांत-काल-पवनोद्धत-वह्नि-कल्पं,
दावानलं ज्वलित-मुज्ज्वल-मुत्स्फुलिंगम् ।
विश्वं जिघत्सुमिव सम्मुख-मापतंतं,
त्वन्नाम-कीर्तन-जलं शमयत्य-शेषम् ॥40॥
अग्नि भय निवारक

रक्तेक्षणं समद-कोकिल-कण्ठ-नीलं,
क्रोधोद्धतं फणिन-मुत्फण-मापतंतम् ।
आक्रामति क्रमयुगेन निरस्त-शंकस्-
त्वन्नाम-नाग-दमनी हृदि यस्य पुंस ॥41॥
सर्प विष निवारक

वल्गत्तुरंग-गज-गर्जित-भीम-नाद-
माजौ बलं बलवतामपि भू-पतीनाम् ।
उद्यद्-दिवाकर-मयूख-शिखा-पविद्धं,
त्वत्कीर्त्तनात्-तम इवाशु भिदा-मुपैति ॥42॥
युद्ध भय निवारक

कुंताग्र-भिन्न-गज-शोणित-वारिवाह-
वेगावतार-तरणातुर-योध-भीमे ।
युद्धे जयं विजित-दुर्जय-जेय-पक्षास्-
त्वत्-पाद-पंकज-वना-श्रयिणो लभंते ॥43॥
युद्ध में रक्षक और विजय दायक

अम्भो-निधौ क्षुभित-भीषण-नक्र-चक्र-
पाठीन-पीठ-भय-दोल्वण-वाडवाग्नौ ।
रंगत्तरंग-शिखर-स्थित-यान-पात्रास्-
त्रासं विहाय भवतः स्मरणाद्-व्रजंति ॥44॥
भयानक-जल-विपत्ति नाशक

उद्भूत-भीषण-जलोदर-भार-भुग्नाः,
शोच्यां दशा-मुपगताश्-च्युत-जीविताशाः ।
त्वत्पाद-पंकज-रजोमृतदिग्ध-देहाः,
मर्त्या भवंति मकर-ध्वज-तुल्य-रूपाः ॥45॥
सर्व भयानक रोग नाशक

आपाद-कण्ठ-मुरुशृंखल-वेष्टितांगा,
गाढं बृहन्निगड-कोटि-निघृष्ट-जंघाः ।
त्वन्नाम-मंत्र-मनिशं मनुजाः स्मरंतः
सद्यः स्वयं विगत-बन्ध-भया भवंति ॥46॥
कारागार आदि बन्धन विनाशक

मत्त-द्विपेन्द्र-मृगराज-दवानलाहि-
संग्राम-वारिधि-महोदर-बन्धनोत्थम् ।
तस्याशु नाश-मुपयाति भयं भियेव,
यस्तावकं स्तव-मिमं मतिमान-धीते ॥47॥
सर्व भय निवारक

स्तोत्र-स्त्रजं तव जिनेन्द्र गुणैर्-निबद्धां

भक्त्या मया विविध-वर्ण-विचित्र-पुष्पाम् ।
धत्ते जनो य इह कण्ठ-गतामजसं
तं मानतुंगमवश समुपैति लक्ष्मीः ॥48॥

मनोवांछित सिद्धिदायक

|| समाप्त ||

National War Memorial of India

A war memorial is a building or a monument that is used as a remembrance of the victory and deaths of war heroes. The oldest war memorial in the world is found in Oxford city of United Kingdom. It was built in 1435 in memory of those killed in the war with France. Many nations saw massive devastation during World War 1 and war memorials became very common since then.

During British rule, thousands of Indian soldiers joined the British Indian Army during World War 1. Though England won this war against Germany the victory came after the loss of millions of soldiers including 70,000 Indian soldiers. India Gate was constructed in 1931 in memory of these brave soldiers.

Since independence in 1947, India faced several wars with neighbouring countries like Pakistan and China. Though several decades have passed after independence and many political parties came into power but none of them decided to have a war memorial in the memory of the killed war heroes. Recently in 2019 government of India inaugurated the country's first National War Memorial which is spread across 40 acres in the heart of Delhi.

National War Memorial of India includes the name of martyrs killed in below war and military operations:

• The Indo - Pakistani war in 1947
• The Annexation of Goa in 1961
• The Sino - Indian war in 1962
• The Indo - Pakistani war in 1965
• The Indo - Pakistani war in 1971
• The Indo - Pakistani war on Siachin conflict in 1985
• Operation Pawan of Sri Lanka in 1987
• Kargil war in 1999
• Operation Rakshak in 2005

This memorial has now become a distinct place to celebrate the war victories and pay respect to the sacrifices of martyrs. National War Museum is also getting in shape near this war memorial.

What is Article 370 and 35A?

Article 370 of the Indian constitution grants autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was a "Temporary, Transient and Special" provision designated to Jammu and Kashmir while writing the constitution of India.

Jammu and Kashmir region was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. He was a Hindu king and his princely state had a population with a Muslim majority. He was willing to join India during the partition but his Muslim population was inclined towards Pakistan. Hence the Article 370 was introduced by presidential order as an incentive for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to join the Union of India.

Key highlights of Article 370 are as follows:

• Jammu and Kashmir citizens have dual citizenship (i.e. India and Kashmir).
• If Jammu and Kashmir women marry a person of any states of India, her citizenship to Jammu and Kashmir ends.
• A Pakistani resident gains Jammu and Kashmir citizenship if he marries Jammu and Kashmir citizen.
• Jammu and Kashmir citizen can buy land in any state of India but people from any other states cannot buy land in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly tenure is of 6 years whereas other states of India have tenure of 5 years.
• Jammu and Kashmir national flag is different from the national flag of India.
• The orders given by the Supreme Court of India are not valid in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Indian laws like RTI, RTE and CAG are not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Hindus and Sikhs are in minority in Jammu and Kashmir but they don't get a minority reservation of 16%.

Article 35A protects Jammu and Kashmir state in the defined constitutional form. This article permits special rights to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir and denies these rights to people outside of this state.

History of Indian Constitution:
Document of Accession that brought Jammu and Kashmir into India was signed on 26th October 1947. This document was exactly the same that was signed by 562 other princely states to merge into India. All the Document of Accession were conditional as there were 4 things that were kept in the power of the Union of India: External Affairs, Defence, Communication and Currency.

Few days before the constitution was concluded in writing the idea of Article 370 emerged. Sheikh Abdullah who was part of the assembly that wrote the constitution of India came to Nehru and said we are a Muslim majority state so what about the special status for us. He redirected to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar who was chairman of the drafting committee but he rejected it.

Congress was in majority so Nehru thought if Congress adopts this the constitution assembly will automatically have to adopt it but it was rejected by everyone. So while his visit to London he asked Sardar to make sure this is included in the constitution.

As it was interim government and Sardar Patel and Nehru had a difficult relationship, so Sardar Patel did not want to plot against his prime minister so he had to comply. In order to safeguard he wrote two words preceding and defining this article saying that it is a temporary and transient provision.
So Article 370 as per its text is a temporary and transient provision in the constitution of India.

Jammu and Kashmir has a different constituency than India and Article 370 says that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable part of India. The Constitution of India has given privileges to minorities that are not available to majorities. The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir didn't even mention minority once, because 97% of Muslims there were coming under minority and 3% Hindus were becoming the majority.

Can Article 370 be removed?
Article 370 is a temporary provision and can be revoked if the assembly of Jammu and Kashmir convene on the revocation. Parliament of India also has the power to revoke this article by amending the constitution.

Don't say “YES” when you want to say “NO”

Tell me if this sounds familiar - someone asks you to do something that you really don't want to do or you honestly don't have time for. It might be a request or an unreasonable request from a friend, a neighbour, a close relative, a family member, your office colleague or your boss for just working late. But you feel like you will let the other person down if you say no. You feel GUILTY already, and you haven't even responded yet! So you say, "Sure," even though doing so is going to put you under tremendous stress and pressure. You know that you will probably end up resenting this activity, and maybe even ducking some of your responsibilities because your heart's just not in it, but you go ahead and agree anyway.

Why are we so afraid to tell people "NO"? For some reason, we have been taught that saying "no" is DISRESPECTFUL - and even insulting. We seem to value other people's time more than our own - feeling that we need to bend over backwards to accommodate others, even if it inconveniences us. I know we're atoning for the "me" 1980s, but let's be reasonable! "No" is actually one of the healthiest words that can come out of your mouth. When you tell someone "no," you are really saying that you understand and accept your own limits, and don't want to do a shoddy job by overwhelming yourself. That you value your time and priorities and aren't willing to take away from the truly important things in your life. A little selfishness is necessary if you want to maintain a balanced and sane life!

So how do you say "NO" without insulting the other person, feeling consumed with guilt, or hurting your own credibility? We need to find a way to say "no" without dragging up all of those HIDDEN FEARS - they'll think I'm lazy or selfish, that I have no career drive, that I'm not ambitious, that I have no concern for other people. And it's time to give up all of those roles you're so proud of - supermom, martyr, hero -- but are keeping you from finding true peace. Once you've accepted that you have the right (and often responsibility) to turn someone down, you can do it in a way that doesn't seem like a REJECTION. Let me show you how:

Here are 20 ways to say "NO" without hurting others:

• "I CAN'T RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN DO IT LATER".
• "I'M REALLY NOT THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE JOB".
• "I JUST DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM IN MY CALENDAR RIGHT NOW".
• "I CAN'T, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO CAN".
• "I HAVE ANOTHER COMMITMENT".
• "I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SEVERAL PROJECTS AND CAN'T SPARE THE TIME".
• "I'VE HAD A FEW THINGS COME UP AND I NEED TO DEAL WITH THOSE FIRST".
• "I WOULD RATHER DECLINE THAN END UP DOING A MEDIOCRE JOB".
• "I'M REALLY FOCUSING MORE ON MY PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE RIGHT NOW".
• "I'M REALLY FOCUSING MORE ON MY CAREER RIGHT NOW".
• "I REALLY DON'T ENJOY THAT KIND OF WORK".
• "I CAN'T, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HELP OUT WITH ANOTHER TASK".
• "I'VE LEARNED IN THE PAST THAT THIS REALLY ISN'T MY STRONG SUIT".
• "I'M SURE YOU WILL DO A WONDERFUL JOB ON YOUR OWN".
• "I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, SO I CAN'T HELP YOU".
• "I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT".
• "I HATE TO SPLIT MY ATTENTION AMONG TOO MANY PROJECTS".
• "I'M COMMITTED TO LEAVING SOME TIME FOR MYSELF IN MY SCHEDULE".
• "I'M NOT TAKING ON ANY NEW PROJECTS RIGHT NOW".
• or a simple, straight, direct "NO".

If you like this article, you can also walk through articles on Positive Thoughts and Ten Ways To Overcome Shyness.

Internet Explorer not recommended by Microsoft anymore

Microsoft recommends not to use Internet Explorer anymore by calling it as a compatibility solution, not a browser.

Internet Explorer has been one of the most popular browser since beginning of Windows operating system. IE has given tough competition to beat the market and remain one of the top browsers.

Windows OS has evolved at great pace towards cloud based architecture, and it required its peripherals also to evolve. But this hasn't been the case with IE as its architecture has very limited options to improve further. IE was improved in the direction considering Silverlight to be the future technology, but this technology was not lightweight and didn't follow new web standards. On the other hand Chrome is modernising its browser by focusing on Material Design framework.

Since Windows 10, Microsoft has shifted their focus from Internet Explorer to new browser named Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer 11 is considered to the last upgrade and planning to stop its support it by 2025.

Microsoft Edge is also tightly coupled with Microsoft OS and so isn't installable on Windows 7 or Windows 8 and so it also fell far behind its strong competitors like Chrome and Firefox. Microsoft has finally announced that they are adopting Chromium open source project for development of Edge. As it will be decoupled from Windows 10, so users of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Mac will also be able to install this new version of Edge.

Chris Jackson, a cybersecurity expert from Microsoft has outlined not to use Internet Explorer as your default browser. Hence Internet Explorer should not be used as a browser but as a compatibility solution for legacy applications. This is because several legacy application were developed to solely support Internet Explorer considering Microsoft's reliability and its powerful customer support.

Evergreen Hollywood and Bollywood Movies

Though tons of movies hitting the theatres every weekend, there are few evergreen masterpieces that cannot be missed.

Even if the movie is packed with famous celebrities and high-end visual effects, but if there isn't an impressive storyline then it will turn into a flop. Whereas sometimes even low budget movies become hit due to their good storyline.

Here is the list of few such movies that are packed with so much fun and entertainment that you will be desperate to see it till the end once you start it:

Motivational Movies:

• The Pursuit of Happyness
• Cast Away
• Forrest Gump
• Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
• Drishyam
• 3 Idiots
• PK
• OMG: Oh My God
• Dasvidaniya
• Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
• The Terminal
• Sully: Miracle on the Hudson
• Padman
• Gold
• Dangal
• Lagaan
• Waqt: The Race Against Time
• M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
• Gladiator
• Taxi Driver

Action Movies:

• Mission Impossible
• Wednesday
• Life of Pi
• Argo
• Behind Enemy Lines
• 3:10 To Yuma
• Django Unchained
• 300
• The Hateful Eight
• Lone Survivor
• Gangs of Wasseypur
• Special 26
• Wazir
• Ip Man
• Troy
• The Da Vinci Code
• Rustom
• Baby
• Holiday
• Ghajini
• Memento
• Sarkar
• Aankhen
• Singham
• Blood Diamond
• North by Northwest
• Kill Bill
• Shutter Island
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Baahubali

Mind-bending Movies:

• A Beautiful Mind
• In Time
• Lucy
• Gone Girl
• Cast Away
• 12 Angry Men
• The Revenant
• Whiplash
• Kahaani
• Rustom

Horror Movies:

• Lights Out
• The Conjuring
• The Domestics
• The Shallows

Romantic Movies:

• Notting Hill
• Toilet - Ek Prem Katha

Fantasy and Sci-fi Movies:

• Passengers
• The Hunger Games
• Now You See Me
• Source Code
• The Dark Knight
• Lord of the Rings
• Interstellar
• Jurassic Park
• Harry Potter
• Tau

War Movies:

• The Pianist
• Schindler's List
• Braveheart
• Life is Beautiful
• Papiloon
• The Dam Busters
• Hacksaw Ridge
• The Man with the Iron Heart
• War Dogs
• Saving Private Ryan
• Sajjan Singh Rangroot
• Airlift
• Begum Jaan
• Uri

Comedy Movies:

• Borat
• Dirty Grandpa
• Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
• Fukrey
• Jolly LLB
• Bajrangi Bhaijaan
• Vicky Donor
• Badhaai Ho
• Andhadhun

Animation Movies:

• The Adventures of Tintin
• Hugo
• Ice Age
• Madagascar
• Finding Dory
• The Jungle Book

Chrome arrived with massive design revamp

This article was written when Google had decided to revamp its flagship UI of Chrome on completion of its 10 years. Finally, Chrome version 69 is released with all the expected changes.

As seen in the below snap, Chrome now looks having a sleek and flat interface with the power of the "Material Design" framework:

Tabs of Chrome now looks exactly similar to Firefox whereas the address bar has curved borders. Shortcut icons are modified from large squares into smaller circles. So now 10 shortcut icons can be accommodated instead of 8 icons earlier. A new interface is experienced on the Settings page also.

Google Chrome is the lightweight and most popular browser due to its consistent user experience across any platform. Chrome is already improved in terms of security aspects in their recent upgrade. In a bold step further, they have announced to uplift the look and feel in the next upgrade which is a massive design revamp.

The new version of Chrome is planned to be rolled out at the beginning of September according to 9to5Google. This upgrade will apply to all operating systems across all devices.

Google has already developed the "Material Design" framework for responsive design which is a tough competitor of the Bootstrap framework.

The upcoming roll-out of Chrome will be based on "Material Design" themes to include rounded edges. The browser tabs will now appear in the form of a pill shape which is a huge divergence from the initial launch of Chrome that had angular edges.

Refer to this article to explore more recent security upgrades done in Chrome by enabling a default ad-blocker.

You can also have a preview and try new features that are going to arrive by downloading the beta version of Chrome.

Improve code quality in .Net applications

Writing source code for any requirement is always a head-scratching activity. But when it comes to improving the quality of code, it seems to be a different world.

Though maintaining code quality looks like overhead at the beginning of the project, but as code grows and the development team expands, the initial effort on focusing on setup quality gateways looks fruitful.

Few tools and techniques are summarised here which should become an integral part of each .Net project.

Find unused code:

ReSharper is one of the best code analysis tools that can be integrated with Visual Studio. 

To find unused code in your solution right-click on the solution > Select "Find Code Issues" > One of the results is "Unused Symbols". This will show you classes, methods, etc. that aren't used.

Reference - https://stackoverflow.com/questions/245963/find-unused-code

Discover dead code using Visual Studio Code Analysis:

Visual Studio provides this feature out-of-the-box. Right-click on the solution > Analyze > Run Code Analysis on Solution.

Reference - https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/habibh/2009/07/31/discover-dead-code-in-your-application-using-code-analysis/

Static code analysis tool:

StyleCop and FxCop are the most popular tools that can be included in the project to maintain coding standards defined by the organisation. 

They are available as a NuGet package and gets auto-configured when added. These tools follow basic coding standards defined by Microsoft but can be customised further as per the need.

It can be configured to fail the build if any of its code quality checks fail. It can also be configured to fail the build if any warnings are identified. This ensures the code delivered is of optimum quality.

Enable Gated check-in using VSTS Build Definition:

Gated check-in builds ensures that the checked-in code is always free from compilation errors. This can be enabled in Visual Studio using TVFS projects using VSTS Build Definition, though this feature is still not available in Git team projects.

Reference - https://www.codeproject.com/Tips/1168853/Enabling-Gated-Check-in-using-Visual-Studio-Team-S

Code coverage analysis:

Code coverage analysis is available out-of-the-box in Visual Studio. This analysis indicates the percentage of unit tests written for the project.

The attribute [ExcludeFromCodeCoverage] can be applied to the class files that need to be excluded from code coverage. Make sure not to apply this attribute on the application code, as it will produce over-inflated coverage metrics.

Class files created automatically by adding service references must be excluded from code coverage. The CodeCoverage.runsettings file can be used to accomplish this.

Include automation scripts:

When development is in progress, there are several instances where fixing one issue or developing a new story would unexpectedly break existing functionality. 

QA team can only focus on testing the specific feature or user story in a sprint. But as the system scales, it becomes practically impossible for the QA team to perform integration testing in each sprint.

Automation scripts are proven to be a boon in such cases which can be executed either manually or scheduled after each deployment. This can also be added into the Continuous Integration pipeline to automatically run after each deployment.

Selenium scripts are recommended for automated testing in .Net applications. Selenium is powerful enough to execute scripts on the server even in absence of any browser. This is made possible by adding a specific browser driver as a NuGet package. Some browsers like chrome can be run in headless mode to execute the scripts faster as this will run chrome in the background.

Though surprising it is not recommended to use Internet Explorer anymore but focuses your application to fully functional on Chrome or Firefox.

Use mocking framework:

Mocking frameworks like NSubstitute or MOQ helps to write unit tests by mocking the reference layer. This means while writing unit tests for the web layer you can mock the business layer; similarly while writing unit tests for the business layer you can mock the service layer.

Design patterns:

Few design patterns are a must-have for any development. They include dependency injection, factory pattern, service pattern and repository pattern.

Dependency injection with Unity framework can be easily integrated with a NuGet package. It is highly recommended to use the DI pattern as it also helps in writing effective unit tests with a mocking framework.

Exclude NuGet packages from code check-in:

TFS or VSTS can be configured to download the NuGet package from nuget.org during the Build process.

Whenever a NuGet package is added to any project, it not only download its assemblies but also adds an entry into packages.config file. Hence it is the best approach to eliminate any NuGet package from check-in into source control and just check-in respective packages.config file.

Build quality checks:

Add task "Build Quality Checks" in the VSTS Build process. Build can be configured to break based on quality metrics like a number of warnings or code coverage.

You can also specify a code coverage threshold that is the minimum code coverage value in percentage terms.

Modify email files arriving into SMTP server

When you send any email it arrives in the Pickup folder of the SMTP server in the form of a .eml file. SMTP server continuously monitors the Pickup folder for any incoming file.

As soon as any email file is received in Pickup, it is picked to check its integrity. If the format of .eml is incorrect then it is sent to the BadFiles folder, otherwise, it is sent to the Queue folder from where SMTP forwards email to specified recipients.

If there a requirement to modify recipients, subject or content of the email after it arrives in the SMTP server, then it can be achieved using a different mechanism.

SMTP server rules:
You can create rules in the SMTP server to modify email before forwarding it to recipients.

Create macros:
Macros are very powerful scripts that can read the content of .eml files. They can be written in VB Script (.vbs file) which can read each incoming .eml file within the Pickup folder and process as needed.

Socket programming:
Write a code based on socket programming or HTTP pipeline that picks the inflow of content to the SMTP server.

Drink green coffee for weight loss

There are ongoing debates around the health benefits of drinking coffee and the controversy on green coffee beans. They gained popularity as a weight-loss supplement after being featured on "The Dr Oz Show".

Green coffee beans have high levels of chlorogenic acid which is thought to have several health benefits. This compound gets destroyed if the beans are roasted to form regular coffee beans. Green coffee doesn't taste like traditional black coffee flavour as its beans are not roasted.

These beans are a boon for those who want to lose weight naturally without any side effects. Green coffee not only helps in weight loss but also boosts metabolism due to the high level of antioxidants. Green coffee is also thought to be useful in lowering high blood pressure, obesity, Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes but more evidence is required.

The beans extract is sold in the form of capsules and can be found online or in health stores. It is also readily available in the form of beans or powder.

Green coffee is slightly bitter in taste and can be flavoured by adding honey or cardamom.

Method to prepare green coffee from beans:

Ingredients

• Whole green coffee beans (1 tsp)
• Water (1.5 cups)

Steps

• Take the green coffee beans and wash them in running water to remove any dust or other particles over beans.
• Then, soak the beans in the water (amount of water required for drinking coffee).
• Let the beans boil in the water for at least 10 minutes along with continuous stirring.
• Then, switch off the gas and leave the beans in the water for 10-15 minutes.
• Then, pour the water into a cup by filtering through a sieve to separate the beans and enjoy the green coffee.

Method to prepare green coffee from beans powder:

Ingredients

• Green coffee beans powder (1 tsp)
• Water (1 cup)

Steps

• Add the green coffee beans powder to the boiling water and stir it for at least 10 minutes and keep the remaining powder for future use.
• Then, switch off the gas and leave the mixture for 10-15 minutes.
• Then, pour the water into a cup by filtering through a sieve and drink the green coffee.

Green coffee can be taken empty stomach in the morning as well as afternoon.

Merge, Compress or Convert documents to PDF

We frequently come across the need to merge multiple documents into one document or convert image to PDF document. Even there are requirements to compress large PDF document without losing their quality. Though these are basic requirements in our day-to-day life but are not freely provided out-of-the-box by Adobe Reader.

Here are some of the fantastic websites that swiftly merge, compress or convert any document to a PDF file:

http://jpg2pdf.com - Merge multiple images into a single PDF document and share with others. There is no limit in file size, no registration and no watermark. This service automatically rotates, optimizes and scales down images, but retains the original resolution.

http://combinepdf.com - Merge multiple PDF documents into a single PDF document without installing any software.

http://pdfcompressor.com - Compress PDF files for publishing on web pages, sharing in social networks or sending by email. Unlike other services this tool doesn't change the DPI, thus keeping your documents printable and zoomable.

http://topdf.com - Instantly convert text documents, presentations, spreadsheets and images to PDF format with this free online PDF converter.

How to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple in India?

Several virtual currencies are available in the market for years, but they have recently gained much popularity in India. The main reason behind this increased attraction towards cryptocurrencies is a sudden spike in their price which raised public eyeballs all over the world. Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency that came in highlights when it surged from $1000 to $19000 within just one year.

Multiple platforms are operating in India through which you can buy or sell cryptocurrencies. A platform having the facility to trade more than one cryptocurrency is also referred to as a currency exchange. This is similar to a stock exchange where you can buy or sell various stocks. The stocks are stored in a Demat account, similarly, cryptocurrencies are stored in currency wallets.

Buying any cryptocurrency like bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, etc. can seem a little scary for the first time but it is just as simple as registering in any shopping cart, authenticating the registration and placing a new order. Follow these four simple steps to accomplish this:

1. Find a cryptocurrency wallet provided by portals like Zebpay, Unocoin, Ethx, Koinex, etc.
2. Create an account within the selected portal and complete KYC.
3. Transfer fund from your linked bank account.
4. Place order to buy cryptocurrency.

These wallets offer referral programs through which users gain a small percentage of cryptocurrency as a welcome bonus on registering to their platform. To register to these platforms use the referral links available here:

• Zebpay and UnoCoin are two popular mobile apps that can be used to buy or sell bitcoins using indian rupees of your bank account.
• Ethx.in website can be used to buy ethereum at a cheaper rate.
• Koinex.in can be used to buy bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, litecoin and bitcoin cash.
• Sragy.com can be used to buy ethereum, ethereum classic, ripple, litecoin, dash and iota.
• BuyUcoin.com can be used to buy various cryptocurrencies.

A new concept of the crypto community platform is also catching public interest nowadays due to their commitment to very high monthly returns from either lending, staking, mining or trading of tokens provided by them. A detailed analysis should be done before investing in such community platforms.

Few crypto community platforms that are growing at a faster pace are shared below:

• Crypterium - digital crypto-bank with credit subtoken and open platform.
• Storiqa - a crypto marketplace that connects one million offline stores worldwide.

What is Cryptocurrency and how to buy them?

The world is evolving rapidly and so is the mode of exchange. Each country has its own currency but when the trade is to be done across borders, then there is no common currency and so the transaction has to be leveraged upon Dollars which is again the currency of the US.

Digital technologies have virtually connected the world via the internet. Blockchain is one such technology through which decentralised digital currency or virtual currency has come into existence. These virtual currencies are nothing but timestamp-based cryptographic identities generated using a very distinct algorithm. These algorithms are very secure and keep detailed traces of each transaction within Blockchain ledgers. This has made economists and technology experts rely on virtual currencies generated by Blockchain technology. 

As these virtual currencies are generated digitally using cryptographic algorithms, they are also known as Cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency that came into existence in 2009. After its worldwide acceptance, various other virtual currencies were launched with little enhancement over bitcoin. Till the end of the year 2017, there were more than 100 such virtual currencies in existence out of which few popular ones are Ethereum,  Litecoin, Ripple, IOTA and BitcoinPower.

Each physical currency has an acronym: USD for dollar, EUR for euro, INR for rupees, etc. Similarly, an acronym is also specific for each virtual currency: BTC for bitcoin, ETH for ethereum, LTC for litecoin, XRP for ripple, etc.

Similar to the stock exchange available for the stock market, cryptocurrency exchange websites also exist. Through these cryptocurrency exchange, you can buy, sell or exchange cryptocurrencies with other digital currencies or traditional currency like the dollar or euro. Coinbase, Kraken and Bitstamp are the most popular cryptocurrency exchange websites where you can create an account and start trading.

Even though virtual currencies are not yet made legal by many countries, but multinational enterprises have started upgrading their applications to accept cryptocurrencies as a mode of exchange. World giants like the US, Japan and Canada have started using cryptocurrencies for long and other countries are also working on this digital revolution to amend their taxation policy.

India has not yet legalised cryptocurrency transactions as its impact on the economy is still being analysed by experts and economists. Its government has given a clear indication that they are amending their taxation policies to restrict unauthorised inflow/outflow of funds so that such transactions can be legalised.

Though it is not necessary to start doing transactions in cryptocurrencies on an immediate basis, it is better to keep the account ready to operate whenever the opportunity grows. Here is a list of few exchanges where cryptocurrencies can be bought in Indian rupees:

• Koinex
• Ethx
• Sragy
• BuyUCoin

These are two mobile apps that can also be kept handy:

• Zebpay
• UnoCoin

Open source, peer-to-peer, community-driven decentralised cryptocurrencies are also available that allow people to store and invest their wealth in a non-government-controlled currency, and even earn a substantial interest in investment. This means anyone holding such currencies in their wallet will receive interest on their balance for helping them maintain the security of the network.

Refer to this article on how to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple in India.