Vishnu Purana, by Bibek Debroy

Vishnu Purana, by Bibek Debroy

This is the thirteenth purana I am reviewing, and it is a sattvika purana. After this, I only have one other sattvika purana to read which is the Varaha purana. All the Puranas have been composed by Vedavyasa, except this Purana which was composed by Vedavyasa’s father Rishi Parashara. This Purana comes third in the order of Puranas and contains twenty-three thousand shlokas. The Vishnu Purana is narrated by Rishi Parashara to Rishi Maitreya who came to him to know about the creator of the universe. It is then that Rishi Parashara narrated the Vishnu Purana. The Vishnu Purana is divided into six major sections or amshas and the last amsha is relatively short. This Purana starts with the creation of the universe and goes on to talk about elements that are commonly included in most Puranas like the different kinds of hells, and the geography of the world. The first few stories are stories that I have commonly read in the rest of the sattvika Puranas. The story of Dhruva, the churning of the ocean, the story of Prahlada and the story of king Prithu are mentioned in almost all the sattvika Puranas. The rest of the stories are extremely interesting ones and are either different versions of stories or entirely new stories.

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Exam Warriors, by Narendra Modi - Review

Exam Warriors, by Narendra Modi

This book was given to me a few days back by my father, who recommended I read it because he said it was educational. The title says, ‘Exam Warriors’, and I decided to read it as my exams are nearing. This book gives you various tips that would help you concentrate before, during, and after the exam. It is written by Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, and is a very motivational book. Each chapter has a point you should follow, and all of them are valid and help. It is not boring, as the author uses day-to-day examples to prove his point, and the language is simple. All the points mentioned in the book are what most people have gone through before and during exams. I really like the first chapter, as it made me start to love the book. The first chapter says that festivals are the occasions that anyone waits for, and the same way, kids wait for their exams, and before the exams, there is a lot of talk and preparation. The book also points out that both, festivals and exams, are meant to bring out the best in us. We should not treat exams like a burden but enjoy them. The book makes such a strong point, that you start to understand what the author is trying to stay.
Let me briefly go through the contents of the book. 

• Mantra 1 – Exams are like festivals – Celebrate them 
• Mantra 2 – Exams test your current preparation, not you. Chill! 
• Mantra 3 – Laugh in, Laugh out 
• Mantra 4 – Be a Warrior, not a Worrier 
• Mantra 5 – Knowledge is permanent – pursue it 
• Mantra 6 – Compete – with yourself 
• Mantra 7 – It’s your time – make the most of it 
• Mantra 8 – The Present is God’s greatest ‘Present’ – live here and now 
• Mantra 9 – Technology is a great teacher – embrace it 
• Mantra 10 – To do your best, take adequate rest 
• Mantra 11 – Sleep is a great weapon – sharpen it 
• Mantra 12 – Play to shine Mantra 13 – Be your own anchor – celebrate your own strengths 
• Mantra 14 – Revise and become wise 
• Mantra 15 – Little things matter – observe exam discipline 
• Mantra 16 – Your exam, your methods – Choose your own style 
• Mantra 17 – Presentation is key – master it 
• Mantra 18 – To cheat is to be cheap 
• Mantra 19 – The answer sheet is a one-way ticket – move ahead 
• Mantra 20 – Discover yourself – experience all that life offers 
• Mantra 21 – India is incredible – travel and explore 
• Mantra 22 – As one journey ends, another begins 
• Mantra 23 – Aspire, not to be, but to do 
• Mantra 24 – Be grateful 
• Mantra 25 – Yoga brings transformation – practice regularly My favourite points were 

Mantras 3, 5 and 23. I have noticed that when anyone laughs, they look more relaxed. When you are more relaxed, answers come to you more quickly. During exams, if only part of a chapter is coming, no one looks at the other part, as they only want to study what will be coming in the chapter. They do not get that we study so that we can carry the knowledge with us to our next academic year. The last mantra explains to you that we should not keep dreaming, but get on with the work. If you want to become a singer, do not keep dreaming, but go for classes, and practice singing instead.

The book has entertaining exercises after every mantra and a page that reads ‘MY MANTRA’, which is where you can write your own principle that you follow during the exams. At the bottom of some pages, there is a QR code that if you scan, you can upload your exercise on the Narendra Modi App, and read what other exam warriors have written. The simplicity of the book is what attracts me to it. The book does not include anything that we cannot do but has simple techniques that will assist us. For a student taking exams, it is a must, as it reassures, motivates, and most importantly calms you down before an exam and helps you do much better.

This review first appeared in OpIndia on Feb 17, 2018.

Book details:
Paperback: 208 pages 
Publisher: India Penguin 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0143441507 
ISBN-13: 978-0143441502

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© 2018, Anvita Agarwal. All rights reserved.