Troy David Loy Raghunandan Kuppuswamy...Nature @Kolkata in Magh: I liked the image for this one, and...

1 Agnijaat and Agnishatdal Yearbook 2018

Sharmishtha Basu

Agnijashatadalama

12/31/2018

Yearbook 2018

Troy David Loy

*

Raghunandan

Kuppuswamy

*

Dom Collucci

*

Brieuc Martin

Onraet

*

Citizen Null

*

Bitter Pill

*

Sharmishtha Basu


Creative group of Agnishatdal

Agnijaat is a solo venture of Sharmishtha Basu

Troy David Loy

https://troythulu.net

Raghunandan Kuppuswamy

https://ksriranga.wordpress.com

Dominic Collucci

https://wrotethesequotes.blogspot.com

Brieuc Martin Onraet

https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com

Bitter Pill, Citizen Null and

Sharmishtha Basu

https://agnishatdalezine.wordpress.com

https://troythulu.net/

https://ksriranga.wordpress.com/

https://wrotethesequotes.blogspot.com/

https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/

https://agnishatdalezine.wordpress.com/


CONTENTS

1 Content index 1

2 Critiques Poush-Magh 4

3 Agnishatdal Parivar Authors bio 71

4 Shoptly Books Bookstore links 81

5 Amazon Books Books republished 85


1 critiques Magh 1424

By Troy David Loy @ https://www.amazon.com/author/troyloy

Agnijaat Magh 1424

There are some good images this month, one, in celebration of Saraswatipuja,

and this month’s Window to India image shows a woman and girl enjoying the

outdoors with the sun low over the horizon. Dawn? Dusk? Hard to tell, but

nicely colored.

Indie Author Speaks 7 – the right time The authoress notes the usefulness of

the ‘save as draft’ button on the publishing window for self-published books.

Good advice, especially to those of us who don’t want to continually edit and

re-edit books as annoying as that can be.

Diary entries of an accidental home minister: 7:

The authoress discusses the importance of financial independence, for those

times you may need it!

Happiness Skills: Skill 19: Kids are not must a a happy life: I can agree with

this, even as a man, as I’ve no wish to father children given my . . . condition,

and the harm it could do to any offspring, especially at my age. It was trying as

it was just raising a kitten (looks at Mr. Eccles).

Nature @Kolkata in Magh: I liked the image for this one, and here the

authoress speaks of the chill in the air, a boon for those who like to get out and

about in Kolkata.

Shaan (Shantanu Mukherjee)

Good singing here, and good that he’s still around. Heck, he’s younger than me.

I’ve found a linky, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcG-AGi2L7c

Spotlight On – Glenn Campbell

https://www.amazon.com/author/troyloy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcG-AGi2L7c


This is one country artist I’ve never found annoying, as his music is quite

good. It’s tragic what happened to his mind in his later years, but he’s best

remembered for his work, not the cause of his death.

Window to West – Constantine

Ever since I read the comic Swamp Thing in the early 1980s, I’ve liked this

character, his irascible nature, and gritty attitude when it comes to sorcery

and supernatural beings. He’s a no-nonsense guy who’s faced down Lords of

Hell themselves and advised even more powerful characters than he with his

knowledge and street smarts.

Noreen Barron has created a picture for one of the authoress’ poems. Very

nice use of color and contrast!

The Touch:

Young Misha discovers something about herself that’s been kept from her for

her own safety from enemies. She dreams often of being a creature of water

rather than flesh, in her case in fact as well as dream.

This month, the theme is Hope:

One: this features an image of a green-feathered bird perched on a finger.

Two: This is a pic poem hand with a butterfly resting in someone’s palm.

Three: features a 17 word verse. Four: this verse is about butterflies or

possibly bees of hope. Five: a short fiction about a mysterious glowing being

and her butterflies, agents of hope. Six: verse on the darkness of the world and

the need for . . . yes. Seven: essay, on why the death of hope is the death of the

human spirit.

Goodbye colours of 2017: This shows a variety of beautiful digital paintings:

1. a faun in a forest accompanied by birds; 2. an islet in the ocean with but a

single tree; 3. sailboats in a river; 4. a woman in a field or meadow with an

orange-lit sky; 5. a girl inside a dimly lit room, herself only seen as a

silhouette; 6. masted sailing ships at sea; 7. A woman lazing about with her


head on a pillow; 8. a reddish and purple sky with woman by a river bank; 9. a

crying face with hair of leaves; 10. a girl picking flowers in a pond; 11. a girl on

a boat gathering stars with her hands.

So that’s it for this month, and I’ll see you in the next with the critique for the

Falgun issue, and . . .And in proper Soruggon to Anglic,

Talotaa frang. Talotaa kas, Talotaa tranga suulaat.

“Be safe. Be well. Be brilliant as the stars.”

I’d like to offer fond farewell to 2017, and ring in 2018. May this year be better

by far!

Agnishatdal Magh 1424

Bhartrihari:

How interesting that this man who had for so long failed in his objective

finally achieved it: pursuit of the spiritual life. His was clearly the case that,

like the ancient Greeks and Romans, philosophy was more than merely an

academic discipline, but a way of life.

Sagar Sen:

Sen’s music career appears to have been quite an accomplishment. Just

listening to him now, I can see how he got the accolades he did. It’s really a

shame that he died so young. Here’s a linky I found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N85ITWAPTY

The Black Queen:

Brieuc relates the tale of Nguyen Van Ty, a discrete, even mysterious man who

seems bound for trouble in his new village home.

The Haunt:

Raghunandan gives a story about a swami and a most unusual client who

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N85ITWAPTY


petitions for a spirit-cleansing, a client who may be more than meets the eye.

No more roses for you*:

Dom’s verse tells of the passing of love and parting ways. It’s beautiful and sad

at once.

Degree, pedigree:

BP discusses the prevalence of credential fraud in India. I’m pretty sure that

there’s the same thing going on everywhere else on earth where political

corruption holds sway.

The Old Memories image

Dragonish Cinquains:

Freya offers some brilliant poetry, on knights, dragon-slayers, and those

favorites of fantasy with scaly wings, and smelly, fiery breath.

Platitudes:

Gayle’s verse really touched me, though it has a depth of meaning that

required several readings to piece through. Each reading uncovered more

than the previous. Gayle’s and Freya’s poems both made excellent use of form,

word-selection, and meter. I doff my cap to both women!

Pragati Chaudhary Interview

I liked this one. Pragati seems like an interesting writer, and I would really like

to get to know her work better. Thanks to the authoress for this one!

Sitara Devi:

Now this is cool! I’ll have to poke around online maybe, and find recordings of

her dances on video – Oh, look here! I found a vid of one of her early

performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdPYLC-Hmw0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdPYLC-Hmw0


Four Stunners of Hollywood:

Four Western actors are discussed, Tom Cruise, Gerard Butler, Orlando

Bloom, and Brad Pitt. Two of those are favorites of mine, one not so much, the

fourth I’m unfamiliar with. But this is a good presentation nonetheless.

Magh Recipe: Peyaj Poshto

This is another good poshto recipe. It looks a little work-intensive, but that’s

good, for if you want something to turn out really well, you have to put effort

into it, and this is no exception.

Minutes together this month has a good image, with a child sitting on a cloud,

book in hand. The miniature deer are a nice touch.

The five verses from the Authoress’ “Pen and Brush” book, the Moon, and

Excuse or reality? Waking up the dawn, Cowards and bullies, and Song of Rain,

make good use of arrangement and word choice. They seem more freeform

than some poems I’ve read, and in a very good way. The images are evocative,

too.

Sheet Sundari – Winter Queen, and Andhera – Darkness are interesting,

particularly the first, for the apparent smoothness of the translation to Ingreji

in poetic form and word choice, at least from my perspective as a dabbler in

Bangla. These work well, and have been saved to Evernote.

Good images this month for both Saraswati Puja and Republic Day, showing

Goddess Saraswati enthroned in a lotus blossom in both. The detail is quite

nice!

Ahmad Shah Abdali

This one showed himself to be a canny, but ultimately defeated warlord. As a

man whose favorite pastime was conquest, he seems typical of the sort. The

lesson here: count your blessings, and ever mess with Sikhs, especially

Punjabis!


Sage Markandeya and Mahapralay:

A fascinating account of the destruction of the universe, or rather, a universe

existing prior to the current one. This isn’t all that far from modern

cosmological ideas, though the details and nature of the destruction differ

from modern cutting edge ideas.

Behind the veil:

Here’s a four-frame cartoon critiquing the practice of dowry, and those who

favor it. The final image shows Goddess Saraswati and possibly her faun

Buddhu. It’s a tossup for me as to my favorite Hindu gods, Ganesha or

Saraswati, as these beings are so colorful and personable even from a

nonbeliever’s perspective.

That’s it for now, and I’ll see you again next month, for in Soruggon to Anglic,

Talotaa frang. Talotaa kas. Talotaa tranga suulaat.


Goodbye 2017, it’s been a crazy ride, so welcome 2018: may you be saner and

less ominous.

Agnijaat Falgun 1424

Agnijaat Falgun Critique by Troy David Loy https://troythulu.net

Happy Holi! Loved the image for this one, and the passage following reminds me of a quote

from Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor from Doctor Who: “Of course I’m being

childish! What’s the point of growing up if you can’t be childish sometimes?”

This is arguably my favorite Indian festival. I lament my country’s lack of

anything like it.



Indie author speaks 8 This was interesting, on not being overly satisfied with one’s own writing, and

not giving up when it’s a passion. The authoress notes the doors to the world

opened by her pursuit.

Single in India 1 This is a new piece, with cartoons of literal dogs on the depravity of skeevy

types and lechers in society. Actual dogs would probably be embarrassed by

such so-called men.

Fake cheques and what else? Good essay on bank fraud, be it forged signatures or online bank hackers!

Shoving them to darkness: Ooh! I like this image! Very grim and monstrous-looking, of a hideous creature

of the night with huge red eyes!

Unemployment the demon 1: A call for measures to limit border-crossing by migrants so that those already

present can be effectively integrated into Indian society and gainfully

employed. This is a new installment!

Happiness Skills…: Here the authoress relates her views on love, and on what kind of love is

really important.

Nature @Kolkata in Falgun: A simple image this time, showing a good mix of curves and angles. The essay

notes the onset of summer in Bengal, and the fun of Holi celebrations.

Constantine vs Supernatural vs Holly Here the authoress notes her take on the recent competition between


Supernatural and the Constantine series. I’m myself a bigger fan of

Constantine as I’m familiar with the graphic novels and the gritty nature of the

character – John Constantine is NOBODY’S mere comic book character!

Indian Raga Now – Shailendra Singh Here is a singer worth checking out. Always good to broaden one’s horizons!

Spotlight On: Ananda Shankar I’m listening to this fellow’s cover of “Jumping Jack Flash,” fusing Indian

sounds with the music of the Rolling Stones. Here’s the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbVSFVOJnLU

Window to West: the dead zone Ah! I remember seeing this movie once on television many years ago. It was

good for a film adaptation for the Stephen King book, and I enjoyed it muchly!

Sweet Memories – better days! Good commentary about predators masquerading as friends, or tutors!

Festivals this Month – Holi Here again, perhaps my favorite Indian festival, making me envious that

except among Indian Americans, it’s not celebrated here! Good advice for

surviving the mischief involved!

Theme for Falgun – Spring/Love: One: a brightly colored image, perfect for the coming season in March! Two:

likewise, but this one also includes a poem along with festival colors! Three: a

seventeen-word diamond verse on the union of true love between two hearts.

Four: this one, a 7x2 diamond verse on the onset of spring and life’s return

after winter. Five: a very short story, of the fragility of love in the darkness.

Six: verse on the incompatibility of love in human communities and hidden

agendas. Seven: essay on the things human beings ought to keep alive inside,

https://www.youtube.com/watch


and the human tendency to betray.

Fir milenge: Beautiful image for this, reminding me of the greys and cloudiness of winter,

showing a young woman seen from behind in a voluminous black gown.

Behindtheveil: Two cartoon panels of a longstanding tactic used by “patriots” to push

substandard products (and services) as a marketing strategy. It hasn’t

changed one bit since 1947! So, that’s it for this month! I’ll see you next when I

review Agnijaat for the month of Chaitra! And in proper Soruggon to Anglic:



Copyright © Troy David Loy, 2018

Agnishatdal Falgun Issue by Troy David Loy:


Welcome, O kind readers! Here is my coverage of the previous issue of this

eZine! I hope you enjoy it!

Let us begin… virtual trip to India: Good selection of colors for this month’s image, just right for Holi!

Shraddharghya – Salutations: This image shows a nice balance between light shades, in the flower held, to

darker, in the hand holding said flower and background.

Ashutosh Mukherjee:



Here was truly a scholar and gentleman of advanced thinking, whose ideas on

education were unconventional and needed in his era, and needed now, in my

own country. Too often is education decried by conservatives as “horribly

elitist” when in fact it raises all to a better level than before when done well

and wisely, not just elites.

Bankimchandra Such a classic writer deserves a close look from this critic, as I’ll have to read

any Ingreji translations of his works I can. His conscientiousness as a worker

serves as a model to emulate in my own pursuits!

Stories reflections and thoughts: This image uses simple shapes and colors, appearing as a chest of pearls, to

very good effect.

Afterparty: I liked this piece a lot. The idea of one year welcoming the next is brilliant, and

the advice it gives sound, at least from my perspective. Good work, Hemdiva!

Not cursing the darkness: Null, this month, speaks on positive note, with hope for the future of his nation

despite the evident present turmoil.

The Black queen 2: Nguyen seeks marriage with his resident village’s chief’s daughter, getting it,

and fathering a son a year later. It will be interesting to read the next chapter

in his life.

Pritamji and his Nuskas: A discussion of home remedies takes place on a walking path between two

friends. Well-written and humorous yet without sarcasm – largely fictional.


Yesterday was a visitor: Good verse by Dom. It notes the difficulty of seeing the future and relative

ease of the same with the past.

K3 of Kolkata…: Bitter Pill critiques the loss of genuine refinement and culture in K-town by

usurpers to leadership.

Fading: A good piece of verse on the passing of seasons, and the desire for

Springtime’s coming. Excellent, Freya!

Midnight Tolls: Gayle’s verse on the grieving of late night wakefulness, and the comfort that

comes with sleep. I enjoyed this one.

Child of woods: Kevin Cooper reviews the authoress’s book, Child of woods, with an excerpt

from the story “spurned lover.”

Star of the Month: Amita Dutt I’d love to see her dance, so I’ll be looking for online recordings, however

limited the effect when seeing her live and in person. Ah, I’ve found a link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2KuvqkG7AA

Flute Cool! Indian flutes! Interesting that they have been developed independent of

those in the West, and are perhaps more ancient!

Sikkil Kunjumani and Neela: Two flautists I’m listening to as I type this. These ladies could play! Here’s a

link I’ve found to a good collection of their music on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ16cME38fU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2KuvqkG7AA


Minutes together* Image of a child reading with large insects or perhaps insect-faeries with him

as he reads. Good mix of shapes and color!

Agnikorak: Four image-poems from the authoress’s new illustrated poetry book. These

are good! Do check out the work their published in!

Bhandananda Uvach Good satire, with the message that evil always seeks to avert blame from itself

onto others.

Jonakir alo – firefly, and Neela aasman – blue sky: Good verses, both

of these. I’ll practice reading them in their original languages!

Valentine’s Day: Good image, showing two lovers in Western formal dress, seen almost in

silhouette as they dance together.

Bengal this month

This month shows an image depicting the romance of Shiva and Parvati,

together, with nice attention of details and color balance!

Glimpses from Past: Al Biruni: Here is an interesting scholar, who if I’m not mistaken commented on what

could be a surviving work in Arabic translation of Aryabhata. Worth looking

into deeper!

Story from Red Puran – Syamantak Mani A tale here of a magical gem of great power that changes hands in very

unfortunate ways to those handling it, finally finding its way to Krishna.


Agnishatdal and Agnijaat: Two simple but well-balanced images, one of a lotus, the other of a four-leafed

clover. Spoiler 1: Pic from Agnijaat: Beautiful piece with brilliant colors just

right for Holi.

behind the veil: Interesting cartoons, commenting on the deceptive nature of media coverage.

That’s it for Falgun’s critique, and I’ll be with you again next month with

Chaitra’s!

…And in proper Soruggon to Anglic:



Copyright © Troy David Loy, 2018

Two


Agnijaat Chaitra 1424

Critique by Troy David Loy (https://troythulu.net)

Agnijaat:

Well, well! This will be my final critique of this eZine for the year BS 1424.

Let’s do this!

Summer hours!

This image shows a pair of women in traditional garb reclining and

attempting to survive the encroaching summer heat. Good proportions, great

mix of colors, too!

Indie Author Speaks 8 – help others!

Sound advice to writers and bloggers alike, for no one is an island in the

publishing world, and there is a real sense in which a rising tide raises all

ships.


From the Quill of Femme Sole 2:

Pic memes of the affairs had by both young and old guys — on the same

women!

Unemployment the Demon 2:

This discusses the downside of urbanization in a country with a traditionally

agrarian economy.

Happiness Skills…. (21):

Marriage doesn’t have to come early, or at all! One ought to get married at any

age they are ready to, if they have any actual need to to begin with.

Nature @Kolkata in Chaitra:

The harshness of summer and its muggy, steamy devilry approach as the end

of 1424 looms on the horizon.

Those beautiful ladies…:

A discussion of the feminine stars and starlets of early Indian cinema, and the

lost art of advocacy through example onscreen.

SPOTLIGHT ON – ABBA:

A piece on the backstory of the popular band ABBA. I too like a lot of their

music, though it’s seldom played in the states except on ’70s oldies stations.

Window to West – The Echo:

Ooh! A scary movie! I might want to check this one out, though I doubt that

there’s much in American cinema that beats IT for sheer terror value. Worth a

look at any rate!

Basantipuja: topped by a digital painting that shows a great color choice and

balance, the authoress discusses the spring festival of Goddess Durga, but

commemorating the killing of the demon king Ravana by Rama, and attributed

to same.


Theme for Chaitra is Final Moments:

This month, in picture, verse, and story, the authoress conveys the urgency

and often sadness of nearing the ends of the stories we tell each other and

ourselves, including the stories of our lives, and here too, the end of BS 1424.

Fir Milenge:

I love this image, with the dreamlike quality I’ve come to recognize in the

authoress’s work!

“Mia padre!” Cartoonpunz:

A cool selection of memes, this reminds me of one of my favorite online comic

strips, Randall Munroe’s XKCD. Here, an older man gets turned down by a girl

not into that sort of lechery, and poisons her reputation in revenge.

Well, now that it’s currently BS 1425, that’s it for 1424. And in proper

abbreviated Soruggon may you always…

.

Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal Chaitra 1424 Critique by Troy David Loy

(https://troythulu.net)

Bah! This will be my last piece for the year 1424 for Agnishatdal, so I’ll try to

make it a good one!

Shraddarghya — Salutations:

Here we have an image with a really nice selection and balance of color. The

authoress is really upping her game with this and other of her recent pieces! It

features a flower blossom centered in a stylized heart. Simple, and good!

Dr Meghnad Saha:

That this man contributed as much as he did to the scientific process is


impressive, and not at all surprising to me. Pre-Independence India has

produced many great scientists, while modern India continues to. Thumbs up!

Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay:

Hmmm. I’ll have look for Ingreji translations of this author’s books. If not

there are bound to be copies online in the original language for me to practice

on during study. For one whose life took a darker turn much of the time, his

writings are with little doubt bound to be insightful.

Happy Holi:

Hemdiva’s story is a sound warning of the celebratory hazards of careless or

harmful pranks during an otherwise enjoyable and generally fun festival.

The future looks bright from here:

Null gives a bright perspective this month on teenage advocates of social

change.

The Black Queen, Piece 3:

Brieuc’s serial adventure in French Indochina continues, with a bit of

foreshadowing into a darker turn of events.

Pritamji and his Nuskas 2:

Verbal mischief rears its lighthearted head, with strike and counterstrike in a

conversation about remedies among friends. Fun stuff!

A dot signs the page:

Dom gives here a verse on cold weather, the snowstorms following the

nightfall.

K 3 OF KOLKATA:

BP speaks of lecherous old men being, well, lecherous old guys toward

younger, often much younger, women, but worsening the matter by not acting

their age.


Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan:

Here is a good singer to look up online. If he’s anywhere near as good as

suggested here, it’ll be well worth it!

Pandit Raghunath Seth:

I love flute music. I don’t know why, but I do. Perhaps it was during an episode

of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, but nonetheless, this artist’s stuff sounds delightful.

Creator’s Quill:

This is a really cute digital painting of a lion cub. Good separation of colors

here, even without a gradient mapping.

Minutes Together …:

This digital painting shows a girl reading with a rabbit nearby. Simple color

selection, with sparing use of outlines.

The Lotus of Fire 2018 book—few works

Here are a few interesting digital paintings with poems. Four in all, they show

a good choice of colors, shades, and font selection to allow easier reading

against the image background.

Shukatara — Morning star & badal ka saya — shadow of clouds:

Good reads, both of these photo-poetries. I’ve saved them to Evernote for

further reading during study days.

Basantipuja:

EXCELLENT digital painting this month, for the eponymously named festival.

Lots of colors in this one, and VERY well arranged.

Pieces of Past — Bairam Khan:

Not unlike nowadays, dirty politics has always been a frequent companion to

leaders, as this bit of history from the Mughal empire shows.


Story from Ved and Puranas — Two Ganges:

The origin story of the Two Ganges Rivers, the Godavari and the Ganges, is

told.

Modern Lovers (!!):

Two cartoon pics of typical guys turning down possible brides for

underhanded reasons. For stick figures, these are very expressive in their

body-language.

Final Image:

This one shows a girl in green with fawns. Nice one!

That’s it for this year! I’ll see you again next month now that are into the BS

1425, so do take care, and in abbreviated Soruggon….

Tf. Tk. Tts.


Agnijaat Boisakh 1425

Review by Troy David Loy https://troythulu.net/

Bah! It’s already 1425! So here is the critique for Boisakh’s issue! Ready, set….

….Go!

Indie Author Speaks 9 – Scheduling

Sound advice for those in need of blogging time, especially with posts

readymade for scheduling!

Unemployment the demon – 3:

Here’s a commentary on societal and governmental corruption, including

some ideas on resolving it.

Happiness Skills…. Skill 22:

Here the authoress discusses stalking, otherwise known as “seeing love

without real evidence that it is actually there.” Seriously, guys, don’t do this if

you don’t want to be deemed a danger to others and locked up. It’s creepy as

f***.

India THEN:

A pic of an ancient Indian, possibly a scribe, priest, or other scholar of some

king’s court.

India THEN: Aurangzeb

A discussion of one of the strictest of the Mughal emperors, reputedly one of

the least popular and allegedly a failure when it came to effectively and justly

ruling his empire. It’s a question worth examining regardless of the

conclusions reached.

Nature @Kolkata in Boisakh

A pic showing a bird perched on a tree branch. He looks like he’s surveying the

territory for rivals.



Nature @Kolkata in Boisakh

Here’s hoping the weather this summer stays rainy, at least for a bit longer.

It’s no fun living in a pressure-cooker!

Movies and Society….

A commentary on the reflection of popular culture and society through

movies. I’ve noticed something similar in Hollywood flicks myself, even with

the movies that sell; they often sell because they reflect the culture, not

despite it.

INDIAN RAGA NOW: Sukhwinder Singh:

Now here’s a new singer to check out! I’ve heard a bit from Punjabi artists

before, including the death-metal version of Tunak Tunak Tun.

SPOTLIGHT ON – The Bee Gees:

Once of my favorite bands of the ’70s. I never saw Saturday Night Fever, as I

was a bit young at the time, but the Bee Gees are to me a highlight of the

decade’s music.

Window to West – The charade

A movie I’ve not seen but worth looking at all the same. Will check it out!

Sweet Memories – Noreen Barron

The authoress reminisces on an old friend who helps maintain her faith in

humanity.

Story Time:

A pic of a girl reading a book while nestled in a tree limb.

Agnimalya: The ones left behind:

A tale from the authoress’ collection of stories, this one is of evil cultists and

stolen children.


Nabobarsho*

The authoress commemorates the Bengali New Year with painting and

words…

Theme for Boisakh is Life Begins:

An image of a goddess with vermillion on her outstretched hand, and what

looks like a pouch held in it.

One: An image of a baby in diapers, apparently active and happy while trying

to get an adult’s attention – AND without crying to get it.

Two: An image of planetary crescents, with verse included. My own

understanding of the question it asks, as a layman, is that the evidence favors

the Big Bang, AND doesn’t rule out anything prior to that, including a God. We

simply don’t know what came before.

Three: Some 17 word diamond verse addressing the above question as well.

Four: 7x2 diamond verse on the good and bad memories of the previous year. I

like this one.

Five: A cute little story of God being annoyed by the errors of a mischievous

angel – for creating humans!

Six: Some verse with advice not unlike the Stoic wisdom from the

philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome.

Seven: Que sera sera:

The authoress on her thoughts of the passing of an old year and the beginning

on the new. Good musings here.

Frog Princess*

A frog princess falls for a butterfly, and goes crying to the frog king when


rejected. It does not end well for the butterfly, or for its lotus….

Goodbye 1424, Welcome 1425:

Here are some nice digital paintings, celebrating the New Year, with Bengali

script that I had no trouble reading – progress!

So, that’s it for the first 1425 issue of Agnijaat. I’ll be back next month with the

this issue’s critique!

Aaand, in proper abbreviated Soruggon….Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal Boisakh 1425 Review by Troy David Loy

https://troythulu.net/,

Well, here’s a few thoughts on the eZine at the dawn of BS 1425. Funny how

months go by so fast!

Ishwar Chandra Bidyasagar:

A good tribute to a great reformer, this one. The suffering he alleviated with

his advocacy of social causes and concern for the poor and distressed shows

me that there is hope for the human species. Not necessarily grounds for

optimism, but hope.

Jagadish Chandra Bose:

Here was a good scientist, and one with a love for teaching others as well. I

might add to this by noting that he was also the father of Bengali science

fiction, having written Niruddesher Kahini (The Story of the Missing One) in

1896.

The Black Queen: piece 4

Brieuc’s tale continues, with the revelation to Nguyen of an old . . . foe? The

titular Black Queen looms threatening in her domination of local waterways.

What will Nguyen do to protect his village?



How fate was outwitted 1:

A young boy becomes a disciple to a guru and his consort, treated as though

one of their own children, but something momentous is about to happen! good

story so far! Spring will never die*:

Dom offers here a nice bit of verse on the season of rebirth and renewal.

Kolkata’s third K-Kutta aka dogs

BP here discusses the trouble with dog hoarding in crowded neighborhoods,

especially with those who lack consideration for the quality of life for others

not so favorable to excessive numbers of canine company.

18th Century:

An amazing bit of art, this one. It reminds me pictures I’ve seen of the inside of

an old apothecary shop in colonial America!

Cap Series 1 and 2:

A couple of good reviews for two of Hemdiva Dev’s stories: A Birdy Adventure

and Oodhi Baba.

Bharatanatyam:

This has to be my all-time favorite of the Indian classical dance styles. Many

years ago, there was a live performance at a local library, and I was lucky

enough to attend. It was absolutely amazing.

Rajendra Kulkarni

It seems like I’ll have to add another musician to my listening roster. Oh,

cool…Here’s a linky I found!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFSpZkJBvhc

Boisakh Recipe: banana curry

Hmmm. I’ve never tried recipes with green bananas yet, though I’ve written a

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFSpZkJBvhc


story about them – bananas, not recipes using them – yet. Nonetheless, this

sounds tasty, or will be if I should EVER be lucky enough to find bananas that

green in a grocery store.

Ashwin – Autumn & Varun Stuti – Praises for Rain God:

Cool! Two poems, one in Bangla, the other in Hindi, both get saved for study

during the next couple of weeks.

Bengal This Month:

With two illustrious figures born this month, AND the celebration of the New

Year, it’s hard to tell which is cooler about this month – certainly not the

weather, and that’s no joke! Less facetiously, it’s fun to call up old friends to

help them celebrate the first day of 1425!

Pieces of Past: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

And unusual figure in many respects, though probably not that unusual as a

Bhakti saint. They tended to be eclectic and less hidebound to ritual and

convention, a trait not uncommon among mystics.

Story from Ved and Purana: Sharmishtha, Yayati, and Devyani:

Fascinating bit of lore, this.

One Witch Saga:

In this cute collection of six cartoons, a silly witch and her poor minion try to

replace a princess, finally ending with a not-so-convincing impersonation

attempt after the princess’ family has been, ahem, “eliminated.”

The final six images celebrate the Bengali New Year begun on April 15th. Two

of them remind me of the sun cooking eggs on a hot day – in their shells!

Well, that’s it, for the start of 1425. I’ll see you next month, and in abbreviated

Soruggon….….Tf. Tk. Tts.


Agnijaat Jyeshtha 1425:

By Troy David Loy https://troythulu.net

So, from the screaming heights of random wordplay, sentence wrangling, and

the spelling-shocked war-zone of consonantal conflict, I give you this critique!

Window to India*

Lovely digital painting this time, with what appears to be a lake or river with a

bird perched on a flowering plant of some kind (My botany is incredibly rusty,

as I haven’t really brushed up on plant species since boyhood.) on the

nearside shore. I love the mix of color here, and the definition of form used.

Indie Author Speaks 10 – Scheduling

I concur with the authoress on this. The biggest pain, and subsequent worry at

times is scheduling a post, only to have an error in text or links, or lacking a

needed update to time sensitive information, especially when I have to be

away from my devices and can’t just log in and update the entry before it

publishes. Grrr!

From the Quill of Femme Sole*

I’m not sure what to make of this painting, though I do like it. It catches me

between amusement, of a pupper playing with a cloth doll as though a prized

possession, and the sense of a giant adorable doggo with a normal-sized

human in his mouth. I remember from an old animated cartoon I saw as a kid

growing up, of a too-friendly dog character saying, “I will hug him, and I will

pet him (or her, in this case), and I will call him ‘George’.”

Unemployment the demon – 4

Interesting. That such things discussed here happen is probably not

uncommon in corrupt systems, and worthy of needed reform. The trouble is,

the system favors those in power, and they are unlikely to change things as

they are. Still a racket is a racket, and corruption is corrupt.


Happiness Skills – Of Siri and popsicle

The authoress comments here on the personalization, and sometimes

sexualization of artificial intelligences. For my own part, I don’t see it as a

thing to do: I can’t relate to digital assistants like Siri if they can’t even

accurately belt out the lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody” when I say, “Hey, Siri. I

see a little silhouetto of a man…” Try it yourself. Siri gets it wrong nearly every

time. Artificial, yes. Intelligent? Not so much to me, and definitely not sexy.

Baz Bahadur:

Now this is interesting. As Malwa’s last Sultan, he had a good motivator in his

queen, but even he couldn’t stand long against the might of the Mughals

despite his skills as ruler.

Nature @Kolkata in Jyeshtha:

Hmmm. This makes me wish I knew a mad engineer who could build

something that would switch weather patterns between countries, giving

Kolkata some of my hometown’s rain on hot days.

Movies and society….2:

Unfortunate that the appeal of some performers doesn’t reach as far as it

could. But moviegoers are often fickle, and sometimes too particular in their

tastes.

INDIAN RAGA NOW – Suresh Wadkar

Great! A new performer I must listen to. I’m often oblivious to movies from the

1970s, but this begs to be looked at closer… Woo hoo! Here’s a linky to some

of his performances with Lata Mangeshkar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73TyZ8r6WhE

Story Time*

Cute pic! Here’s a girl reading on a tree limb, with a doll (or maybe a faerie

without wings?), or could it be…a fractal version of herself? Cool!


May Day:

The authoress discusses some unfortunate local history in West Bengal,

particularly the public processions of a previous regime.

Theme for Jyeshtha – Youth

This month, here’s a collection of images, image poem, story, poetry, and

commentary.

My fave of all of these is One, showing a young man and girl in picturesque

dress together, reaching for each other by a riverside. Well done!

Fir Milenge*

Image of a girl by a roadside, waiving goodbye to departing company unseen

but implied in the distance.

New Day (comic): flower or frog?

Cute little pics about the uncertain fortunes and misfortunes each day brings.

That’s it for now! Tune in next month, same bat-time, same bat-channel, and

in proper abbreviated Soruggon, Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal Jyeshtha 1425 Critique:

By Troy David Loy: https://www.amazon.com/author/troyloy

So, from deep within the vowels of the earth, with cacophonous consonants,

and a dash of slightly mad punctuation, here is this month’s critique!

Enjoy!

Kazi Nazrul Islam:

A true iconoclast in an era of colonial domination, and an innovator of poetic

works. His vast number of songs alone would serve to make his mark on the

world!



Manna Dey:

Here is an award winning singer worth checking out! It’s rare when

someone’s voice is considered the gold standard for performance, but not

unexpected given his uncle!

Stories reflections and thoughts*

Here, a young girl combs the shore for shells, an oyster with pearl nearby –

Nice balance of colors with this one.

The Black Queen piece 6

Nguyen warns his friend, Lieutenant D of the Black Queen’s approach.

Preparations for combat are made with D’s garrison and the villagers, but

surprises are in store…

How fate was outwitted 2

The Guru’s wife is giving birth to child, and Vidhyadhar is told to guard against

strangers, but Brahma comes to mark the baby’s fate, and it is not one in the

baby’s favor…Vidhyadhar is told not to tell of it… Or else!

Mount Graylock*

Here are two gorgeous photos by Dom, one of a valley, the other of a forest

lake.

Get em Boys:

BP comments on anti-Muslim sentiment in India, with the Hindu fear of losing

women to Muslim men gaining traction, causing tension in interfaith relations.

A bouquet of Hope and Love* – Sherri of Palm Springs:

A lovely image, and a brief personal intro by the artist herself!

Treats of D Month*

This time, an image of a bird perched on someone’s finger


Jackie Chan:

Here’s a good actor, one whose moves in action flicks are worth watching!

Rajendra Prasanna:

Hmmm. A performer I’ve not previously heard of. But I’m listening now, and

here’s a bit of linky love I’ve found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6VUg0RCbic

Creator’s Quill*

A puppy and writer’s quill adorn this month’s image heading the authoress’

work.

This month, the Bengali and Hindi poems are each 17 words, so that’s 34

going into my study files!

Pieces of Past: Firdausi

This month’s story is worth 60,000 golden reasons not to diss your court poet.

he might say bad but true things about you!

Story from Ved and Purana – Dakshayagnya

Here we learn that never, ever, fail to invite a major deity to a royal

celebration, especially the Destroyer of Worlds himself!

Mannequins and Girls:

Comic memes of girls who are magically transported to a world of living

mannequins. These mannequins are more judgemental but apparently much

less dangerous than the ones in Doctor Who, Season One, Episode 1 “Rose.”

Aaand that’s it for this month! I’ll be back again for another critique, and until

then, in proper abbreviated Soruggon, Tf. Tk. Tts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6VUg0RCbic


Ashar 1425 Critique

Agnijaat by Troy David Loy @ https://www.amazon.com/author/troyloy

Welcome! Lets go through some major points in this issue of Agnijaat for1425!

Indie Author Speaks 11 — Duotrope

Advice here on a website that provides various publishing services. I’ll poke

around on the site myself this month, and see what I can find.

From the Quill of Femme Sole*

Here’s a cute little digital painting of a girl trying to talk above the howling and

barking of naughty dogs. Methinks there may be some symbolism here, some

social commentary, given the text.

Unemployment the Demon — 5


Looking for a job? Don’t be stupid, be a smarty, come and join my political

party! The authoress discusses the downside of civic engagement and its role

in getting a government job — in exchange for your MIND and SOUL!

India THEN: Birbal

Here’s a man who served Emperor Akbar, even died in his service, but never

seems to have lost his favor because of a good mix of loyalty and wits. I would

be terrified to get into a contest of zingers with this man, as I have enough

trouble with ordinary puns!

Nature @Kolkata in Ashar

The Authoress relates the seesaw pattern of weather this month in her

current hometown. I’d really like to give the city some of the rain we’ve been

getting in Norfolk.

Movies and Society….3

Here’s a discussion of the downside of being a virtuous woman in India, and

its futility in attempts to succeed in the film industry.

INDIAN RAGA NOW: Udit Narayan

I’ll have to listen in to some of this fellow’s singing. Lately I’ve been expanding

my horizons, music wise, and he seems a good choice to hear perform.

Window to West: Lilo and Stitch

I’m noting this one on my to-do list of movies to rent. I’ve been doing that a lot

lately, and who knows what screenwriting tips I can get from it!

Sweet Memories - Hyderabad House

Wow! Just from the photo alone, that looks like it was a magnificent (or at

least incredibly cool) place to live! It reminds me of my late Grandparents’

place up north in Deerfield New Jersey, now long since demolished. But it too

was a great place to live in its heyday.


Theme for Ashar: Dark Days

One:

This looks like a tower of some kind on a coastal area, or part of an ancient,

sunken city now exposed, with seaweed wrapped around it.

Two:

A digital painting of a faerie in pain, with verse suggesting a metaphoric way

to get pack at pain and make it something better.

Three:

17 word verse on falling, rising, and despair.

Four:

7x2 = diamond verse on past beauty that remains still despite the ravages of

time.

Five:

Here is micro-fiction of a monster who snuffs the light, devours those in the

dark, and moves about to seek better pastures elsewhere once everything is

eaten.

Six:

Freeform verse on avoiding the darkness within.

Seven:

Essay on darkness without, darkness within, and avoiding the latter.

Fir Milenge (Till we meet again)* Interesting image this time. It’s done well,

and reminds me a lot of a Disney princess from the hair and dress style.

In this circle, like any, without end, do join me again, next month when I cover

the essentials of Agnijaat’s Shraban 1425 issue!

And, in proper abbreviated Soruggon:

Tf. Tk. Tts.

I really must create a dictionary on that language!

Troy David Loy



Agnishatdal Ashar 1425 Critique by Troy David Loy @


So, let’s take at look at this month’s issue of Agnishatdal

Let us begin…. Our virtual trip to India

This image shows a pair of young women in differing but recognizably Indian

dress and hairdos. This is pretty cool, as it shows some of the interesting

contrasts in Indian styles, and how difficult it is to generalize on those styles

once you know a little more about them!

Shraddarghya – Salutations

Nice image this one, and I’ll take some space here to wish a happy birthday to

both Raghunandan, the twin eZines, and the Authoress herself! She has a

fractal birthday card heading her way this month!

Matangini Hazra

Such persistence and bravery to be combined in the same person is a rarity,

but to have these in such a dangerous time for revolutionaries makes for a

truly outstanding woman!

Michael Madhusudan Dutta

It amazes me that such lyrical versatility existed at any one point in time in the

same man. The tumultuous nature of his personality, and life, combined with

his genius made him someone well-worth remembering.

The Black Queen, piece 7

Nguyen meets an unfortunate but heroic end in defense of his village.

Suddenly, the story takes a turn elsewhere and elsewhen with a chess game

victory by a young woman named María. What will follow next chapter? I can’t

wait, but I shall if I must!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?C=Z9SQXHR9LXA4&R=33BX9A7EEZFRX&T=C&U=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fauthor%2Ftroyloy%3Fref_%3Dpe_1724030_132998060&A=MQDIOO8EGVPUIMBMNZALSJKVBTAA&H=BORAPEX6AYIVIIEEALI6UYIOSDOA&ref_=pe_1724030_132998060


Nice twist!

How fate was outwitted 3

Raghu continues Vidyadhar’s adventure, after his graduation from his guru’s

tutelage, to his return after the demise of his old Guru and gurukul. He

encounters his old Guru’s son Sunandan caught in a bad trade deal, and

approaches him… How will this go?

None is the sound that came around*

Dom gives us a verse on fatigue, and the sleep that follows a slow day giving

way to night. Nice one!

I HATE….

BP relates their views on those who push their perspectives, likes and dislikes

onto others unsolicited. Give it some hush, O Pushy Ones!

Here a pot there a pot*

Lovely image by Sherri, reminiscent to me of some fractal art I’ve seen, even a

few I’ve made myself, but very different in nature and detail. It definitely

stands out!

Horror and Hope

Null gives those things about his country that frighten him on the one hand,

and inspires him on the other hand. Brief but succinct.

Soul

Hemdiva gives here both image and verse, both well-executed, the latter

skillfully written and to the point!

Treats of the Month*

Here we have a brightly colored digital painting showing a bird alighting on

someone’s outstretched hand. Good balance of tones!


Kathakali

A new dance style worth looking at. I’ll have to look for performances both

online and off. Maybe my local library has something on it with enough juicy

detail to savor the art in fuller detail than the Internet!

Mala Chandrasekhar

I love carnatic music! Here is an artist I must check out online. I’ll look for

recordings of her music, both downloads and streaming! A good pick for the

curious!

Ashar Recipe: Bhindi Bhaji

Ooh! I’ve never had lady fingers before, so this will be a treat once I master

cooking it properly! I’ll try adding tomato to it, and see how that compares

with the tomatoes-free version!

17 Bengali and Hindi

On the passing of night, and the immutability of the past, these are verse well

worth remembering!

Eid*

This shows a man in silhouette praying toward Mecca. In two shades of green,

with a pale crescent Moon, this one has a nice balance of contrast and shades!

On this month’s festivals, that reminds me, that I must look out for vids of Rath

Yatra’s Puri celebration, as that’s always a spectacle!

Pieces of Past: Guru Nanak:

Here is described the life of the founder of Sikhism. In my own country, to its

shame, there is mistreatment of Sikhs by ignorant Americans who equate any

brown person wearing a turban with, in their benighted and foolish minds,

terrorism. Pheh! I’m more worried about extremist American militias with

more guns than sense, not Muslims, or Sikhs!


The Saurus Pun 2

A cute little digital painting/cartoon on grammar pedants! Grammar Nazis is

more like it, Godwin’s Law be darned!

So, this is it for the month, and I’ll see you for another critique in the next! And

as always, in abbreviated Soruggon,

Tf. Tk. Tts!

The critique for Shraban 1425

Agnijaat Shraban 1425 Critique by Troy David Loy @ https://www.amazon.com/author/Troyloy Hello! I bid you welcome to this month’s critique of Agnijaat!

https://www.amazon.com/author/Troyloy


Indie Author Speaks 12 — Goodreads:

I too spend far too little time on Goodreads, either to update my book

challenge or to manage my Author page. Perhaps soon, after September….

Passwords are not that safe:

Beware the powered-down computer left unattended! I’d add that this is

particularly a problem when the password is written down, easy to

remember, or is not kept in a locked safe or truly secret place by the owner!

Unemployment the demon — 6:

The Authoress discusses the theft of wages by rich employers in business,

aided and abetted by government after a little greasing of the palms.

India THEN: Hamida Banu:

This, then was the mother of a great emperor who worked hard to raise her

son. it’s said that behind every great man there is a woman, often most

importantly one’s mother. Akbar was certainly no exception.

Nature @Kolkata in Shraban:

Good that Kolkata is getting rain this season, and hopefully not too much! The

summer here is just awful, terrible for walks at the local Botanical Garden!

Movies and Society….5:

The Authoress talks about substandard products, in both movies, and at the

chemist’s when buying medicines.

Indian Raga Now: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan:

Here’s a man difficult to join in a duet, and I’ve found a link worth listening to

here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca1vb-AIWAs

Window to West — Brother Bear:

These look like movies worth watching. I’m a bit behind on my popular

culture chops, and not in favor of hunting myself, unless done for food, and not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca1vb-AIWAs


sport!

Sweet Memories — Narendrapur Flat:

Bird calls are a wonderful thing to wake to, especially birds that tend not to be

overly afraid of humans!

Theme for Shraban: Satisfaction:

1: First, we have a digital painting of a man, perhaps a yogi, or even a god or

godlike figure, in deep meditation and framed by the setting sun.

2: Here, there’s a digital painting with two scenes, a girl who seems to be

discarding a necklace of beads, and in the other, a pair of divine lovers on a

swing, accompanied by verse speaking of the illusion that satisfaction often is,

especially in love.

3: a 17 word diamond verse on the variation in how satisfied people tend to

be, some easily, some not at all.

4: 7x2 diamond verse on the elusiveness and impermanence of satisfaction.

5: Tale of two old men on their death beds, on happy, and one not, one who

failed but with purpose, one who succeeded, but confronted with his end in a

life without meaning.

6: Here’s verse by the Authoress on finding meaning and happiness in writing.

7: A commentary on contentment and how difficult it is to achieve, even by

sages and saints!

Behind The Veil — 5:

Cartoon memes on the victim/victimizer roles of the upper classes in Indian

society before and after 1947.


That’s it for this month, so tune in next month for this month’s Agnijaat

review, and in proper abbreviated Soruggon,

Tf. Tk. Tts. (Be well. Be safe. Be brilliant as the stars.)

And in romanized Tamil, naan pooyittu varaenga (I shall go and return.).

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Agnishatdal Shraban 1425 Critique by Troy David Loy @ https://www.amazon.com/author/Troyloy G’day! Here is this month’s review of Agnishatdal and of the coolness within

its pages!

Let’s start with….

Let us begin …. Our virtual trip to India:

Lovely digital painting, this one, of a woman, or perhaps goddess, bedecked in

fiery blossoms and garbed in red. I like the balance of colors and proportions,

along with the background shades, even without the anti-aliasing.

Shraddharghya – Homages:

Beautiful balance of flesh tones and blue with this one. The objects in hand

seem to be blue seedpods, flowers, or perhaps small butterflies!

Prafulla Chandra Roy:

A scientist this one was, a chemist no less, and a great one at that. Good that he





https://www.amazon.com/author/Troyloy


achieved so much in his life, despite chronic health problems and financial

woes early on. That is inspirational.

Subhash Chandra Bose:

I’ve heard of this man in a course on Indian history I took some years back.

Not adverse to working with evil men to achieve freedom for India, he was

nonetheless a patriot, not a villain himself. He would have made an interesting

partner for debate had he lived today, and would likely best me quite easily.

Stories Reflections and Thoughts:

An image of a girl on the shore, holding a large pearl from an oyster at the

water’s edge. I like the mix of sand and blue, as well as the proportions of the

figure in it.

The Black Queen, P.8:

The chess-players match wits, with the Black Queen victorious, and the White

King somewhat worse for wear. I like the conversation after game’s end, and

of learning something of the origins of the board!

How Fate was Outwitted 4:

Vidyadhar meets the now-grown son of his teacher, and engages him in a

series of good works, though now without even his sole means of support, his

bullock. What is Vidyadhar’s plan?

No-thing is a “now”-thing:

Nice verse from Dom, this time in long-form. So much to think about from this

one!

Pisces:

Sherri’s image this time is a brilliantly gleaming, almost neon-light colored

piece with a pair of sea-going creatures evoking dolphins or dolphin-like fish.

The Haunted Friend, Part 1:


An antique farmhouse in a remote locale, and haunted too. Hemdiva gives a

great beginning to A Scary Vacation.

The Shapeshifters:

BP discusses Ye Olde Folks who try to pass as younger with fake birth

certificates and baffling intent!

Audrey Hepburn:

I’m sure I’ve seen some of her movies as a kid. She was definitely a regal-

looking actress in just the right roles for that demeanor.

Ghatam:

Now this is an instrument I was wholly unfamiliar with. Lot’s of good stuff

with this one!

Minutes Together …:

I like this one, two young people sharing a fresh blossom between them. Lots

of feeling with this one!

Guru Purnima:

Respect for teachers, a good idea when your country values education as an

investment in its future. Sadly being a teacher in my country is an extremely

high-stress, low-reward job, with minimal pay. What can I say? The American

educational system is broken and run by fools and zealots who do NOT value

the nation’s future.

Pieces of Past: Kabirdas:

Men like this are sorely needed in the current World on Fire, with so much

strife between religions and cultures, even when not outright warfare.

Story From Ved and Purana: Garud Teertha:

I love stories like this. Garuda was probably the first Hindu being of note I

read about as a child, when my reading habits ventured sometimes, but not all


that far from the usual. I think it was an Ingreji translation of a chapter of the

Mahabharata, a different story than the one told here, if memory serves me

correctly.

Behindtheveil 6:

Some cool stick figure political cartoons.

Saraswati Spoilers:

This is kind of neat! a couple of verse pictures of the Goddess Saraswati, in

both Bangla and Ingreji.

I’ll see you once more next month, and in proper abbreviated Sorrugon,

Tf. Tk. Tts. (Be well. Be safe. Be brilliant as the stars.)

Or in romanized Tamil, naan pooyittu varaenga (I shall go and return.).

From the Editor-creator of the Ezine aka Sharmishtha Basu: The secondannual digests of the Ezines:









The Critique of Bhadra 1425:

By Troy David Loy @ http://troythulu.net

Agnijaat






Greetings, vanakkam, and namaskar! It’s time for this Bhadra’s issue of Agnijaat! Let the journey begin: Here is an image dominated with neutral and dark shades, with a perched lack-feathered bird overlooking a grey-lit river under cloudy skies. Good one! Indie author speaks: Facebook Hear, hear! As onerous as Facebook can be with regard to the spread of Fake News, it has made itself useful, and to many of us with any presence on the Web, a necessary part of life! FTQFS Bhadra: Get lost! This cartoon shows a young femme been bothered by annoying doggies; Bad doggos! Techbabble: Hover-phones? I’d not heard of them before this piece, though that seems plausible given the strides made in drone technology! SOS Bhadra Being bullied by peers is common, too common perhaps, and something with which to assess a sound rejection of those peers! Words of the Wisest 14: Good advice no matter your beliefs or religious/spiritual orientation. One’s duties involve those to oneself as well as those of others, regardless of what or if we worship something! India Then: Jinnah I’ve seen lectures before discussing his role in founding Pakistan as its first Governor-General. As a figure in tumultuous times, and the effects of the Partition, he nonetheless had noble goals and did the best he could to fulfill them! Kolkata in Bhadra: Agreed. I prefer cloudy days where I live as well, and while not fond of


downpours, any getting increasingly tolerant of rain during walks outside! Teespring: Cool! Here’s another website worth checking out. I’ll have to look over its user terms and see if those are friendly enough to join myself! Movies and society….4: Hmmm. The detrimental role that movies often play in whatever culture they are geared for, and often with government encouragement too! I’m reminded of 1980s action flicks, and their part in establishing the culture of the day, as well as reflecting it! Indian Raga Now — Shamshad Begum A singer in Hindi movies, I’ve been poking around for links to her performances, and here’s one that shows promise! Give a listen, here: Spotlight on: Billy Joel Here’s a piece on a singer and songwriter I confess I seldom listen to, but whose work I thoroughly enjoy each time I hear it. Joel’s music brings back memories of my boyhood in the 1970s. Here’s a little linky-love to some of his work online: Works from Agnimalya August: Soul Devourers continues as the heroine gets to know the spark of her potential on her new island home, as she awakens to her power as a warrior of the Light. This month’s theme is Excess, with…. One: here is an image of mountains in a vast snowfield Two: a picture meme with a world held in a titanic hand in the void of space Three: a seventeen word diamond poem with a good warning against too much, for both the gifter and the gifted! Four: a 7x2 diamond giving good reasons in favor of moderation in those things that can motivate us to good or ill. Five: a short story on how an excess of feeling can turn cold with rejection and annoyance.


Six: a warning of excess in virtue and vice alike, and how dangerous those can be. Seven: an anecdote on the on better things, and how that contrasts with things that corrupt like having too much. Fir Milenge (Till we meet again) Here is a digital painting with a black-garbed girl and a grey, overcast sky, possibly by a river or at a lakeside. Space Pun 1:* In this set of cartoons, wary and tricky aliens hide from pesky Earth intruders. So, that’s it for this Bhadra! I’ll be back after Kartik for that month’s eZine and until then, in abbreviated Soruggon …. Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal Bhadra 1424 Critique

By Troy David Loy


Greetings, namaskar, and vanakkam to all of you! Here’s the critique of Bhadra 1425’s Agnishatdal: Virtual trip to India: Here we have a woman, possibly a bride given the colors of her garb. This piece shows good definition, a bit stylized, with hard shadows and bright colors. Shraddharghya — Salutations* Here, a hand holding fresh white blossoms shaped like tiny bells. Coral jasmines? Good colors with this one. Raja Rammohan Roy:



What an amazing life, as a forward thinker instrumental in the abolition of widow burning, a widely learned scholar, even made a king by the then Mughal emperor! If only more strove to accomplish a fraction as much and travel as much as he did during life! Travel, after all, lessens one’s prejudices and mistaken notions of others! Sarat Chandra Chatterjee: Having served time as a soldier in Rangoon, and a writer with such a wide grasp of Indian languages, too! That he enjoyed mixed success from his writing nonetheless speaks volumes despite the prolific nature of it. Few reach even that level of achievement! Assorted gems: Here is an image of an open pearl oyster apparently washed ashore by the tide, found by a local girl with her gathering basket while combing the beach for shoreline treasures. I like the color balance with this one. The monkey incident, pt 1: Brian relates a tale of Bad Monkeys, in this case a baboon, the sort not known for being very nice, despite the possibility, however remote, somewhere, of nice monkeys! I sympathize with his cat even with the exceptional intelligence, and with it the unpredictability, of monkeys in general. How fate was outwitted 5: Vidyadhar has concocted a clever scheme, forcing a tired, callous-footed Brahma to overwork himself to keep up his end of the wording of his very own dictate of fate, each day forced to bring a bullock to the struggling Sunandan after the previous day’s had been sold. The fact that Vidyadhar never once mentions Sunandan’s fate in this life is a fitting end to this tale! Spirit of flesh and bones: Dom Here is in verse the testament of a believer, a shared covenant, with multiple layers of meaning. Time after time: Sherri* Sherri shows a colorful piece with a chiaroscuro of light to dark shades, leaflike in shape, perhaps the stuff of a dream. I like this one!


Kowtowing to the master: Null Null gives scathing commentary on the abasement by 45 to his true masters, who regard him as a stupid, unstrategic leader. Haunted Friend 2: In part two of ‘Diva’s tale, the girls discover a haunted mirror, when a serious Aalia warns of the spirit of the mirror, her deceased aunt Kamini. Mirrors . . . there’s always something vaguely sinister about them! Manipuri: One of the eight classical India dance styles, here’s one from Manipur state, and this popular performing art is noted for beautiful and elegant female costume, and multiple dance-themes. I’ll watch a few as I ready this critique! Coolness! Stars of East: T.H. Vinayakram A skilled musician using the ghatam, who performs Carnatic music, and John McLaughlin’s Remember Shakti, here’s a link to a collection I’ve found of his performances: Egg curry: Mmmm! Boiled eggs! Here’s a tasty treat, especially using pre-boiled ones found at stores! Creator’s Quill This image shows a small animal, perhaps a calf or foal, with a feather, using few colors this time, and with good balance. 17 Bengali: Short diamond verse on monsoon clouds, and the seasonal blooming of the Shiuli in the grey autumn sky. 17 Hindi: Have you ever wanted to say things from the heart, but can’t because your own tongue and time itself betray you? This and the previous are worth keeping in practice files. Rakhi and Bakrid:


One image in green and black, with a crescent moon in the sky and a man at worship. Nice, balanced one! And the other I just love! It shows a good mix of colors, and the hands of siblings in this celebration of brothers by their sisters. It has good contrast, and very good anti-aliasing in the outlines, at least at this resolution! Bengal this month: This is a m month of many festivals including not only Bakrid and Rakhi, but also Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma puja. Lord Ganesha, in my view is one of the coolest Hindu deities, but all of them are colorful in character, and in many cases quite personable when treated respectfully. Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami: Here are two more digital painting by the Authoress, featuring Lord Ganesha, and the infant Lord Krishna, the latter in a scary scene, seemingly unperturbed by his surroundings! Story from Ved and Puran — Shwettirha In this interesting tale, it shows that even gods are killable, at least by other gods, Shwet being under Lord Shivas protection, here we see that even Death can be killed, and Death’s army by one more powerful still! Space Pun 2 These two simple cartoons involve clever, tricky aliens, who dissuade colonialist humans from ruining their world! Let’s be together* This has a good mix of pleasing colors, very easy on the eyes with cute deers fed by a young woman beneath a tree. Very balanced! So, that’s it for this month! I’ll see you again in another, and until then, in abbreviated Soruggon …. Tf. Tk. Tts.

The Critique for Ashwin 1425

Troy David Loy https://www.amazon.com/author/troyloy


Agnijaat

Greetings, vanakkam, and namaskar! Here, I give you the critique for this Ashwin’s issue of Agnijaat! Indie Author Speaks – YouTube: First, here the authoress offers some tips on making the most of your YouTube experience, especially on one’s own channel! Women vs Men 1: The authoress comments on those women who trap other women, delivering them into the hands of male predators in societies where men and women cannot freely mingle. India THEN: Jodhabai – Akbar’s wife: Harkha Bai must have been quite a figure in Akbar’s court, as wives tend to be very influential to their husbands, and Akbar was no softie, as one of the Mughal empire’s toughest rulers! Nature @Kolkata in Ashwin: Oh, noes! Here’s hoping that the heat eases up, and preferably from water from the sky and not from the skin! Women in Movie (Indian Mostly) The authoress notes the issues of female role-models in Indian cinema, with the dangers and ironies of emulating them in contemporary culture. INDIAN RAGA NOW: Geeta Dutt Here’s a real songbird, and here is a link to a collection of some of her music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsMrpO0YuxY Sweet Memories – Ice-cream: Here the authoress fondly recalls a favorite treat from her childhood. This month, the theme is youth, with One: a digital painting of two women, or possibly just one, from her youth waving to her husband in the distance to old age, and widowhood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsMrpO0YuxY


There’s two:two swans in love, with a fantastical but lovely mix of colors. There is three: 17 word verse on love’s fatal flaw in surrender during youth. Also, there’s four: 7x2 diamond verse on the foolishness of youthful selfishness and cruelty toward the forgiving, then, five: the pain of youthful love, verging on infatuation, and six: the folly of love at an early age, when few truly understand it, and finally, seven: advice using an analogy of a garden and intruding monkeys for wisdom in love, as rare thing at an age tender in more than one way! Fir Milenge (Till we meet again)* A girl in a dark room, with mostly black and grey and the girl with flesh tones and blue dress. Toadsy Puns 1* A toad contemptuously uses a flower for its own gain while pretending to admire her. That wraps it up for this Ashwin! Please join me next month for Kartik’s critique, and until then, in abbreviated Soruggon …. Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal

Greetings, vanakkam and namaskar! This month I offer you Agnishatdal’s critique for this Ashwin. This should be a fun one! I had a certain monkey-cat, the diabolical Mr. Eccles, sleeping on my lap as I typed it and this month’s Agnijaat, so …. Here, on our …. Virtual trip to India:


Is an image of a girl, lit in the darkness of night by a solitary flame. Better to light a candle than curse the darkness! Sister Nivedita: Here was a woman at the forefront of change in India, and a true model of altruism, not the straw-person caricature of it invented by philosophical hacks like Ayn Rand! Amala Das: Here’s an early Tagore singer of whom few in my country, and sadly, myself as well, have heard of. Regardless, she will make an interesting listen, even with old recordings! Monkey Incident, Piece 2: Brian and his cat tangle with a not-very-nice monkey, to discover the monkey-repellent benefits of brooms! Astrologer: An astrologer predicts the early demise of a client … or does he? Here, there’s a twist in the means of avoiding nearly certain death that even an astrologer couldn’t foresee! Happy Birthday: Dom offers a fond wish that goes deep into the heart. Haters: BP discusses those who try to make others’ lives miserable, broken types who insist in making the world an awful place to live. Firework: Eleanor’s picture here shows holiday pyrotechnics at night. I like the clarity of the image here! Dragonish: Freya Skillful verse in several stanzas on both dragons and an iconic Dragonslayer with leggings herself! The unfaithful Earl:


Doug begins a tale of ghostly legend, of a nobleman who betrayed his king, and over the most human of failings! Thanks so much to the authoress for the birthday wishes! I’m older, maybe a bit wiser than I was, but we’ll see about that! Hemdiva Dev interviews the authoress in an enjoyable piece, a meeting of creative minds! Arnie and Stallone: I concur with most of the authoress’s points here. I would add that I also liked Stallone in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, where he played the leader of the Ravagers, Yondu Udontu’s boss, and Arnie for his role in Kindergarten Cop. I wasn’t too fond of End of Days though, as apocalyptic movies just don’t float my boat, but even then, Arnie’s one-liners were fun. True Treasures: Kotakkal Madhu A singer in Kathakali performances, this is a fellow worth hearing! Here’s a link to some of his performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvykufCEBZk Ashwin Recipe: Dimer Kaliya I like eggs, at least for breakfast, and here is another way to enjoy them. Some stores here sell pre-boiled eggs for the efficiency-conscious, so those would serve well here! Yum! Evil Stepmom: Here’s a tale of revenge, for rejection by one’s stepson, and the ease at which it can be done with the right online access! 17 Bengali: Oh, the lovely things to be found beside a simple dirt road, with the white blossoms of coral jasmines lit by an autumn sun! 17 Hindi: Verse on the special moments, forever gone, but remembered. I’m reminded of the saying by the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus that you “never cross the same river twice.”


Mahalaya: Two digital paintings of idols and goddesses for this month’s and next’s festivities, not to be trifled with! Bengal This Month: Five festivals this cycle! I’ll have to listen to the radio program mentioned here, or at least poke around for an online stream of it! Navratri: Two digital paintings, colorful and bright, to commemorate the season and dancing for its festivities! Pieces of Past: Rahim An interesting and powerful man, as a minister of Emperor Akbar, who wrote on astrology at a time before it parted ways with astronomy in the West during the time of Johannes Kepler. Some interesting reading references are mentioned of him! Story From Red and Purana: Shukratirtha Here’s a fascinating tale! Still, I wonder what consequences befell Shukracharya for becoming the guru of the giants, if any? Surely the gods would take exception to this! Multicoloured Pun 1: In this cartoon, a chameleon points out the why for their colors, so make not the mistake of confusing these exceedingly cool lizards with clowns! The next three digital paintings show the days of Janmashtami, Mahalaya, and one for the five days of Durgapuja, a time when Goddess Durga and others are given homage in the mortal realm. And that is it for this month! I’ll see you again next, for Kartik’s critique, and as always, in abbreviated Soruggon …. Tf. Tk. Tts.

Kartik 1425 Critique

By Troy David Loy



Agnijaat

G’day! Where to begin? Well, this Kartik’s issue has a lot going for it, and I’ll

highlight the things that caught my eye below!

Window to India features a couple of paintings, my favorite being the

second one, of Goddesses Laxmi, Durga, and Kali

Indie Author Speaks – Manuscripts The authoress discusses creating ready-to-go manuscripts for publishing,

traditional or self-published, and being prepared for when the submission bug

strikes!

Women vs Men 2: This is a critique of women using their charms to get ahead in business, even

though without much in the way of real qualifications or genuine work skills.

Happiness Skills: To gauge success in life, know who peoples your world and adjust

accordingly!

India THEN: Maham Anga (Foster Mother of Akbar): Here’s a bit of history, with the chief nurse, foster mother, and one time regent

of the Mughal Empire, head of what’s become known as the Petticoat

Government, died in 1562

Nature @Kolkata in Kartik: The authoress notes the unpleasantly dry and hot weather in Kolkata this time

of year.



Women in Movies (Indian mostly) 2:

SB discusses a notable lack of strong, self-sufficient female leads characters in

many Indian movies, where many women serve much as mere shadows of the

men, an unfortunate state of affairs indeed!

Indian Raga Now: Suraiya Here was an actress who, not only lovely to behold, also sang her own songs,

even as I listen to her now from so long ago. Here’s a link to a collection of

songs from her movies here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d66Hh-

MPVBk

Window to West – Corpse Bride I love Tim Burton movies, from his first Batman with Jack Nicholson as the

Joker to Nightmare before Christmas, to James and the Giant Peach and others,

Corpse Bride looks like another I’ll have to add to my list!

Sweet Memories – The Stars: The authoress relates her thoughts on the beauty of the cosmos as seen in the

night skies. Who doesn’t look to the stars and wonder what they are, how far

away, and what worlds may spin around them? I think her sentiment is a

near-universal in humans, at least to anyone with mind and heart in

agreement! It’s a curiosity and sense of wonder that first led our ancestors to

study them, from ancient astrology to modern astronomy.

Efiles 2: Detective Agni uncovers the truth about a prospective client who bugged her

office, a fellow who is not who he claims to be!

Chhatpuja: This is the largely Bihari festival of deities Surya, Usha, and Pratyusha,

something entirely new to me, as shame on me, I’ve read little on Bihar and its

folk. Very interesting, though!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d66Hh-MPVBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d66Hh-MPVBk


The theme for this month is the Divine: From a digital painting of a god’s hand holding sphere of blue, a world,

perhaps, to a critique of skeptics, in very stern terms. In my view, the very

worst enemies of skeptics are not believers or proponents of unproven claims,

but those skeptics who deride believers as “crazy” or “stupid,” or similar

things. Name-calling is for children, and acceptable, when it is, only among

preschoolers, and it’s also not a valid argument against the claims being made,

no matter how extraordinary those may be.

Fir milenge* Here is an image of a sad girl dressed in dark brown highlighted against a

stark white door atop steps. This one is evocative in style.

Indian Love Puns 1: Cartoon strip in one frame critiquing courtship requirements in modern India,

by both partners in a relationship.

Lastly, we have five digital paintings celebrating Durgapuja, from the Goddess

herself facing off with an enemy, to a clay jar holding divine essence, to a

conch shell, to a censer, and finally, a lion these are quite good, some even

using unusual digital texturesas well as shape and color.

So, that’s it for Kartik 1425, and I hope to see you again for the next issue of

Agnijaat, and in abbreviated Soruggon….

….Tf. Tk. Tts.

Agnishatdal

G’day humans! It’s still 1425, so I’ll start this year’s Kartik eZine critiques here,

with lots of cool stuff this issue!


This month are featured two singers of Tagore songs who not many of us non-

Indians know of; Amiya Thakur and Amita Sen. I think that more should know

of singers like these, at least for the cultural value, and for a better

understanding of their art. Excellent!

The little boy and the Tiger: Brian begins the tale of a time spent in Cambodia from an encounter with a

tiger cub, then to another recollection, of the family maids and a cool little

regional custom in that locale of Southeast Asia in naming, without involving

real names!

Brahma Rakshasa 1: Raghu begins the tale of a village priest as the priest relates it to a young

visitor, eager to hear the account. This one starts off nicely!

Move along like a breeze*: Dom offers verse of a day going casually on and on one’s way.

Haters 2: BP has strong words for those who hate people genuinely their betters as

human beings, in this case the critics of Tagore himself, who was by any

reasonable estimation many steps above and beyond the naysaying parvenus

of his day.

Need Again* Eleanor offers another of her fascinating images, this one reminding me of

some kind of heavy metal construction, perhaps a gate or the rail-supports of

a roller coaster.

The unfaithful earl, Part 2: Doug continues this tale within a tale with silly Americans, when a ruckus

outside happens, hoofbeats, and shouting in a dead language, immediately


followed by….silence? It gets stranger by the minute!

Sattriya: The authoress relates a national dance of Assam, which I simply must see

more of! I’ve found a link here, but there’s much, much more to see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcRQs7uy1U4

Alfred Hitchcock: One of my favorite classic movie makers, The Birds is one of my favorites, and

almost rings true in my town’s parking lots when noisy seagulls invade for

scraps, or cat-birds swoop down to torment the local strays!

Uppalapu Srinivas: Wow! This guy’s good! I found a link to one of his performances here, where

he plays an electric mandolin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsiPp6AQuAw

Leo Rojas Now this is interesting! I’m listening to a collection of his best hits as I type

this, and here’s the link to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MysB4SfoWJw His music has a

very New Age quality to it!

Creator’s Quill* A cute pic of a cow and quill in shades of brown. Good color balance!

Sky Fairy: The authoress offers a piece from her Pen & Brush collection, of a beautiful

and powerful Fay spirit of the skies!

7 Bengali: A verse to celebrate Durgapuja, with dhak and blossoms of coral jasmine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcRQs7uy1U4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsiPp6AQuAw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MysB4SfoWJw


7 Hindi Verse of a million lights, burning under the sky. I especially like the painting

that come with this, its symmetry and color balance!

Kojagari Laxmipuja: Here, the authoress has a colorful digital painting of Goddess Laxmi atop a

pink lotus blossom, and in what looks to be full regalia! I like this one!

Bengal This Month: In Bengal alone there are so many festivals to celebrate!

Kalipuja Etc: An image of Goddess Kali, not to be messed with by the wise! A nice mix of

bright and dark shades, here.

India This Month: This month, all of India has many festivals, and a few overlap with Bengal’s!

Pieces of Past: Sufism Hmmm. Islamic mysticism, indeed, mysticism of any kind is an interest of

mine, and the Sufis are one of the most iconic movements of this sort. There’s

a lot here to take in, all of it shining a light on the human condition.

Story from Ved and Purana: Paulastyatirtha I love that these accounts are so rich in detail and literary color, with such

powerful yet personable beings in them. Family relations, like Kubera’s with

his step-brothers, add to the complex and interesting narratives, lasting for

centuries.

Multicolored Pun 1: A digital cartoon, with a contemptuous and mean-spirited frog trying to lord


over a flower.

Then, there are seven digital paintings with good mixes of color, and a few

with textures I wasn’t expecting – excellent for that last!

That ends this critique, and I’ll see you next month, so take care and, in

abbreviated

Soruggon….

….Tf. Tk. Tts!

Agrahayan 1425 Critique

By Troy David Loy @ https://troythulu.net

Agnijaat:

Greetings, humans, first, there’s…

…Big News this month!

Yay! Congrats to the Authoress on becoming a traditionally published author!

Red Butterfly and Harmony are now a thing in the publishing market!

Shub-Wootithoth, sayeth ye Darke Druids of ye Enchanted Woode!

Window to India*

I like the photo included with this issue, of lamps lit in darkness to celebrate at

least one of this month’s big festivals!

Indie Author Speaks – Sprucing up your old books:

Here’s some good advice on revising one’s works over time and its usefulness

to writers! I’m a terrible typesetter myself, so I can attest to that!

Women vs Men – 3:

The problems, not only of men who oppress women, but women who do it to

each other… The patriarchy’s reach extends far, even into the hearts of



women!

Happiness Skills…

A good and brief piece on the dangers of assuming things about people based

on mere stereotypes!

India THEN: Ruqaiya Begum – Akbar’s First Wife:

As the woman who raised the future Shah Jahan, while childless, she played an

important role in the future of the Mughal empire after the reign of Akbar and

then Jahangir. Fascinating!

Nature @Kolkata in Agrahayan:

The Authoress relates the recent conditions in Kolkata, of the currently

pleasant vs the often unbearable!

Trishakti:

The Authoress includes a few image/poems from her new collection.

celebrating the festivals of Goddesses Laxmi, Durga, and Kali. These look good!

Literature and movies (Indian mostly):

The Authoress opines on the decline of Bollywood movies in intelligent film-

making, with that following the exit of Bengali and Muslim scriptwriters!

Indian Raga NOW: Noor Jehan:

A brief piece on a Pakistani singer that’s new to me, (as are most!) I’ll give her

a listen this evening!

Window to West – Beetlejuice:

I love this movie! A friend I knew many years ago once went in full costume

and makeup as the title character to a local, now defunct, science fiction

convention. The movie was fun, and in my view, a classic!

Sweet Memories – Storm:


The Authoress muses on the magic of often violent thunderstorms, and I

sometimes share that, excepting hurricanes, tornadoes, and tropical storms in

this age of the Internet!

Guru Nanak birthday:

Here, the founder of Sikhism is commemorated this month with the

celebration of his birthday by the faithful.His teachings have made a

considerable impact, given the numbers who follow them!

Theme for Agrahayan: Trust:

One: This shows a puppy sleeping in someone’s hand, completely convinced

of its safety in the palm of a human.

Two: Quote-Pic, of a butterfly resting on a human’s finger, and the fragility of

trust once broken!

Three: seventeen-word verse, on trust lost once damaged.

Four: Verse on damaging trust and its consequences afterward, never fully

mended.

Five: A story of an angel readying another for training as a guardian, and the

beauty of consciousness unsullied by mistrust.

Six: Freeform verse on trust as a game, a game with a sometimes bad

outcome!

Seven: Commentary on the dangers of trust, and finding oneself in a

dangerous world where trust has consequences if misplaced!

Fir Milenge*

A lovely image of a young woman in dress, with a nice color palette of greys

and blues of varying intensity. I like this one for its simplicity.

Bhandananda:

The Vile Creature of politics plots to divide the nation for his own ends during

elections. I like the Kalipuja images for this issue, good photos of Goddess

Kali’s idol, and the lamps of Bhootchaturdashi to ward off ghosts! Neat!


So, that all for this month, and please join me in Magh when I present my

critique for Agnijaat Poush, 1425!

In Soruggon,


Agnishatdal

Vanakkam. Welcome to my secret volcano lair, and here I bring you the

critique of last month’s eZine offerings!

We’ll start with….

Let us begin…. Our virtual trip to India*

Two young women dressed in saris, perhaps at a wall or near the opening of a

large well. Good color palette for this one, and good use of proportions.

Debrabata Biswas:

As a Rabindrasangeet artist, Debrabata was prolific, and if I were to compare

him to more recent musicians, I’d have to liken his output and flair for the

dramatic with Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Assorted gems*

Here’s an image of a young girl stringing pearls, or beads perhaps, into a

necklace, or maybe flowers into a garland, with a large body of water in the

distance. I like this one, and would like to see how it would look with anti-

aliasing before being saved as an image file, just for comparison!

The Little Boy and the Tiger:

Brian recalls the time his father spent in Cambodia as head of an airline during

a peaceful period in Indochina, before the tragedy of the Vietnam War and the

Killing Fields of Pol Pot’s regime. A good bit of history, with interesting vintage


images to spice things up!

Brahma Rakshasa 2:

Raghu’s tale continues, as the origin of the village’s woes are revealed: a

powerful demon summoned by an angry yogi. The village priest dies suddenly,

with his son not fully initiated! What will happen to the village, and how will

they keep the demon at bay?! I like this one, with lots of interesting lore, and

enough uncertainty in the plot, lots of questions to ask!

Emptiness does not “think”

Here, Dom relates a many-layered verse, on seeking a thought, only to

discover something profound in the search for it.

Haters 3:

BP relates the example of Swami Vivekananda and the toxic views of his

critics, ingrates who understood not the things he achieved for his country!

An Attack on Women Worldwide:

Null relates the then-recent reports of malfeasance in his country’s diplomatic

objectives as directed by the corrupt top branches of federal government.

Mridangam:

Cool! This is a good intro to something I’d probably seen online but haven’t

seen named or described. Another bit of knowledge to add to my totally

amateur understanding of India’s deep South.

Creator’s Quill*

Brown with black lines image of perhaps a bunny and feather on white

background. This one is cute.

Gateway from Agnimalya Patreon:

A man dispossessed of his inheritance summons demons/ghosts to get it back.

But first, he must do something for them, but what will it be…? Very cool, and


the use of a well as a doorway to the Otherworld is a nice touch!

Bengali 7:

A nice bit of verse asking the question of the of moonlight shining, and what it

may mean!

Hindi 7:

Good verse, this time freeform, of love and a mailing list!

Jagaddhatripuja*

Lovely image of a goddess riding astride a lion. Well done, with good

definition of form!

Eid ul Milad*

Here’s a nice image commemorating this month’s festival of the prophet

Muhammad’s birthday! The following article gives a history of the festival, its

ups and downs over time, with some information of its practice but differing

sects of Islam!

Pieces of Past: Vallabhacharya(1479-1531):

This Agrahayan’s piece gives a brief look at a leading proponent of the Bhakti

movement in the late 15th and early 16th centuries!

Story from Ved and Purana: Agnitirtha:

Here’s a nice tale, telling of the rise of Agni as the god who gets first choice in

sacrificial offerings! Coolness!

Bhandananda:

The Vile Creature of politics is at it again, stirring up trouble with the help of

his minion, causing distraction from the real issues at hand!

Bhootchaturdashi*

Some ghosts looking for a way in find their entry blocked by lamps! Poor


things! Maybe next year the living won’t be so careful!

Halloween:

This cute cartoon has ghosts frightened of that most dastardly and fearsome

creatures of the living world, humans, as the ghosts prank each other with

terror of the lIving!

Kalipuja*

Pics showing the Destroyer of Evil Herself, Goddess Kali. These show Her in

different framings. Nice!

Diwali – Laxmipuja*

Two images, one of Goddess Laxmi, commemorate this festival! Nice color

choice for these!

And, that’s it for Poush! I’ll see you again in Magh 1425, and in

abbreviated Soruggon…….Tf. Tk. Tts!


TROY DAVID LOY

Troy David Loy is an American student and writer with a love for things

Indian, creating fractal art, and science. He is owned by two cats, Mr. Eccles

and Ricky, and is engaged in a program of lifelong learning in an attempt to

make sense of an increasingly irrational world.

He is the author of Dirge: A Short SF Story available at

https://www.amazon.com/Dirge-short-Troy-David-Loy-

ebook/dp/B00XMS1ZJ2

https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Forsaken-Galaxies-Collected-Fiction-

ebook/dp/B01ND0R1VC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

He can be found online @Troythulu on Twitter and on his blog The Call of

Troythulu at https://troythulu.net

Like it? Check out Troy’s new book in store-

https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Forsaken-Galaxies-Collected-Fiction-

ebook/dp/B01ND0R1VC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Dirge-short-Troy-David-Loy-ebook/dp/B00XMS1ZJ2

https://www.amazon.com/Dirge-short-Troy-David-Loy-ebook/dp/B00XMS1ZJ2

http://kestalusrealm.wordpress.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Forsaken-Galaxies-Collected-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01ND0R1VC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Forsaken-Galaxies-Collected-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01ND0R1VC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


RAGHUNANDAN KUPPUSWAMY

A retired IT professional with nothing better to do than 'pen' a few lines now

and then.

A few words from Agnishatdal (aka her creator Sharmishtha Basu)

Raghunandan Kuppuswamy is full of wisdom and knowledge. He writes

amazing stories from Indian history and mythology, though I will smugly say

that I have read A LOT of stories in these two genres but still most of the

stories he scoops out are new to me, and reading his works is a privilege!

Apart from these his sense of humour and corporate knowledge is at par!

Check out his blog you will only be glad that you found it.


https://tskraghu.wordpress.com


DOMINIC COLLUCCI

My name is Dom Colucci. I am a writer and a poet. I have written three books

as I am an author as well.

I was inspired by a man named David Robert Ord who is the Director of

Editors at Namaste Publishing in Vancouver, Canada. He has written to me

when I sent my first manuscript, The Tree Becomes A Soul that obviously I

have talent in what I am doing and urged me to self publish this book. It is

about a journey with poems that I did during my meditation sessions.

My second book I shifted gears into romance and wrote another book called

The Love of My Life. This book was read by the editors at Lulu Publishing and

this is what they had to say, "In closing, I found your poems fanciful, sincere,

and filled with wanderlust. Your line breaks are impeccable as is your timing.

It’s a fine debut collection. Well done." This book is about a romantic journey

with the love of one's Soul*. I was inspired by a painting my father did many

years ago of two dancers under a moonlit night seeking the romantic passion

of the moon up above.

My third book I remained in the romantic mood and it was a continuation of


the second book. This books name is Love Continues from within and as well I

did it in romantic journey format with many poems and love quotes

comparable to a man I love to read from always, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi.

How he talks to the heart and Soul* of those that read into him. This book's

editor was a woman and this is what she had to say as well, "This book has the

potential to pull at the heartstrings of the reader."

I am inspired by the love of nature as I have climbed many mountains in the

past 7 years and listen attentively which captivates me always from within as

I know it comes from the Soul*.

A few words from Agnishatdal (aka her creator Sharmishtha Basu):

Dominic Collucci is full of Zen wisdom, unfortunately I can’t grasp it! But I

have learnt a bit about it from him by constantly pestering. He is an amazing

poet, his poems on nature as so vivid that you will feel that you are actually

there! Apart from that his photographs well… you will be seeing that in the

magazine, how amazing they are!

A few words about his works from other readers:

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Becomes-Soul-Dominic-Colucci/product-

reviews/1257271253

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-tree-becomes-a-

soul/15647591?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-love-of-my-

life/18668665?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

https://zendom777.wixsite.com/mysite-2

https:// wrotethesequotes.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Becomes-Soul-Dominic-Colucci/product-reviews/1257271253

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Becomes-Soul-Dominic-Colucci/product-reviews/1257271253

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-tree-becomes-a-soul/15647591?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-tree-becomes-a-soul/15647591?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-love-of-my-life/18668665?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-love-of-my-life/18668665?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_14739082_

https://zendom777.wixsite.com/mysite-2



Brian Martin-Onraet was born of French parents in Pakistan, a few years after

the Partition. He was later raised in Africa and educated in France and

America. A marketing consultant by trade, he has taken writing as a hobby. He

now lives in Mexico with his wife, a researcher, and their cat Miao Zedong. You

can visit Brian’s blog at:


Few Words from Agnishatdal ( aka her creator Sharmishtha Basu):

Brian is well… what can I say about a person with such amazing talents? He is

a brilliant writer, an enviable photographer with eye for the very best models!

You will have to read his blogs to enjoy his way of telling stories- adding

magical photographs (his collection is downright enviable) to go along. If you

love photographs and different cultures his blog is your dream destination.



Bitter Pill

Who, and What, is the Bitter Pill?

I’m the Bitter Pill, an ordinary scrivener who’s dealt with all kinds of crap

from the worst people and finally found a voice to speak out. I’m a remedy for

an ever-increasing tide of social BS from silly people who manipulate and

exploit others for power.

I welcome any viable challenge offered to what I write, to any facts-based

valid argument showing I’m biased or just plain wrong. No other comers will

even get to step into the ring. No, so-called “alternative facts” will not even be

entertained, not worth my time. Failing valid, accurate critique, readers can

take these missives as yr. humble svt’s personal experiences, observations,

and conclusions.

I’m a great admirer of those figures like Socrates and Chanakya with the

courage to call things as they are, who spoke truth to power at great risk of

personal danger.

Suicidal? Possibly, but the pursuit of truth has always been dangerous to those

given to abuse their ill-gotten power!


Citizen Null

Citizen Null is an ordinary American who wants the very best for all in their

beloved United States, not merely a chosen elite, or so-called ‘Real Americans’

of only the right or left. Do let us try to avoid any ‘No True Scotsman’ fallacies

here!

With…complicated political views, a mild manner, yet strong opinions, Null

finds the rising tide of nationalism, bigotry, and xenophobia in the United

States and abroad irrational and disturbing in the extreme, threatening the

long-term future of human civilization.

Citizen Null lives in a Bible-Belt state with pets and family, and comments on

people and things American which ought to concern anyone.

Think clearly. Love the Good. Be vigilant…

…and be excellent to each other!

Citizen Null is watching.


Sharmishtha Basu-

Adriana Ochoa Margain

Sharmishtha Basu is a prolific writer, digital painter, blogger, and current resident of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. She has written an astonishing number of poems, stories, and commentary on things Indian over the years. She authors and moderates an ample no. of blogs. She has produced a wide range of images to illustrate her works, and has published at least twenty-six book-length collections of her writings and images to date. With a fertile imagination and keen understanding of social issues in India


and thereabouts, her writings encompass such genres as culture, politics, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and matters of the heart. She is the creator and moderator of the twin eZines, Agnishatdal and Agnijaat, and continues her writing and painting unimpeded by those things that would discourage lesser creators of words and images. She is currently keeps herself busy on hours of writing, reading, and creating evocative images. Tirelessly working on writing and painting projects, she spends much of her time immersed in music while painting, and it shows in the colorful results of her artistry, and writing with the music switched off. Her social media mumbo-jumbo for you: https://www.patreon.com/sharmishthabasu https://www.paypal.me/sharmishthabasu https://shoptly.com/sharmishthabasu https://www.amazon.com/author/sharmishthabasu Email id she checks almost regularly (say once each month for sure): [email protected]

https://www.patreon.com/sharmishthabasu

https://www.paypal.me/sharmishthabasu

https://shoptly.com/sharmishthabasu

https://www.amazon.com/author/sharmishthabasu


Agnishatdal Parivar

Agnishatdal is blessed with selfless affection of its creative group, these

selfless authors, artists have shared their wonderful creation for free and no

matter how much I try to thank them for this gift, it will be nothing! Here they

are (No order please, just the names as they appeared in mind) :

Troy David Loy

https://troythulu.net

Raghunandan Kuppuswamy


Dominic Collucci

https://wrotethesequotes.blogspot.com


https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com

Bitter Pill, Citizen Null and

Sharmishtha Basu

https://agnishatdalezine.wordpress.com


https://ksriranga.wordpress.com/

https://wrotethesequotes.blogspot.com/


https://agnishatdalezine.wordpress.com/


BOOKS IN SHOPTLY (31.10.18)

http://Shoptly.com/sharmishthabasu

Saraswati

https://shoptly.com/i/roq

Seven

https://shoptly.com/i/ror

Seventeen

https://shoptly.com/i/ros

Trishakti (Three divine powers)

https://shoptly.com/i/z7v

AGNIKORAK

Agnikorak Book 1

https://shoptly.com/i/vkj

Agnikorak Book 2

https://shoptly.com/i/vkk

Agnikorak Book 3

https://shoptly.com/i/vkm

Agnikorak Book 4

https://shoptly.com/i/vkn

Agnikorak Book 5

https://shoptly.com/i/vko

Agnikorak Book 6

https://shoptly.com/i/vkc

Agnikorak Book 7

https://shoptly.com/i/vk9

AGNIMALYA

Agnimalya Book 1

https://shoptly.com/i/vma

Agnimalya Book 2

https://shoptly.com/i/vmb

Agnimalya Book 3

https://shoptly.com/i/vm3

http://shoptly.com/sharmishthabasu

https://shoptly.com/i/roq

https://shoptly.com/i/ror

https://shoptly.com/i/ros

https://shoptly.com/i/z7v

https://shoptly.com/i/vkj

https://shoptly.com/i/vkk

https://shoptly.com/i/vkm

https://shoptly.com/i/vkn

https://shoptly.com/i/vko

https://shoptly.com/i/vkc

https://shoptly.com/i/vk9

https://shoptly.com/i/vma

https://shoptly.com/i/vmb



Agnimalya Book 4

https://shoptly.com/i/vmt

Agnimalya Book 5

https://shoptly.com/i/vmu

Agnimalya Book 6

https://shoptly.com/i/vmv

agnimalya book 7 an adult love story

https://shoptly.com/i/p2b

Agnimalya Book 8 The Tower

https://shoptly.com/i/qeg

Agnimalya Book 9 The Soul Devourers


SBPnB

SBPnB Book 1


SBPnB Book 2

https://shoptly.com/i/vmp

SBPnB Book 3

https://shoptly.com/i/vmq

SBPnB Book 4

https://shoptly.com/i/vmr

SBPnB Book 5

https://shoptly.com/i/qei

AGNIJAAT

Agnijaat Magh, january

https://shoptly.com/i/vms

Agnijaat Falgun, February


Agnijaat Chaitra, March

https://shoptly.com/i/vwz

Agnijaat Boisakh, April

https://shoptly.com/i/24b

agnijaat jyeshtha 1425, may 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/vmt

https://shoptly.com/i/vmu

https://shoptly.com/i/vmv

https://shoptly.com/i/p2b

https://shoptly.com/i/qeg



https://shoptly.com/i/vmp

https://shoptly.com/i/vmq

https://shoptly.com/i/vmr

https://shoptly.com/i/qei

https://shoptly.com/i/vms


https://shoptly.com/i/vwz

https://shoptly.com/i/24b


https://shoptly.com/i/pv9

Agnijaat Book 5

https://shoptly.com/i/vmw

Agnijaat Book 6

https://shoptly.com/i/pvo

Agnijaat Ashar 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/qee

Agnijaat Shraban 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/rov



Agnijaat Bhadra 1425, August 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/746

agnijaat Ashwin 1425, September 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/xyy

Agnijaat Book 7 - Durgapuja 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/y8y

Agnijaat Kartik 1425, October 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/x9t

Agnijaat Agrahayan 1425, November 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/zc8

AGNISHATDAL

Agnishatal Magh, January

https://shoptly.com/i/vmx

Agnishatdal Falgun, February

https://shoptly.com/i/vmy

Agnishatdal Chaitra, March

https://shoptly.com/i/vw1

Agnishatdal Boisakh, April


agnishatdal jyeshtha 1425, may 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/p2a

https://shoptly.com/i/pv9

https://shoptly.com/i/vmw

https://shoptly.com/i/pvo

https://shoptly.com/i/qee

https://shoptly.com/i/rov



https://shoptly.com/i/xyy

https://shoptly.com/i/y8y

https://shoptly.com/i/x9t


https://shoptly.com/i/vmx

https://shoptly.com/i/vmy

https://shoptly.com/i/vw1


https://shoptly.com/i/p2a


Agnishatdal Book 5

https://shoptly.com/i/vmz

Agnishatdal BOOK 6

https://shoptly.com/i/pvc

Agnishatdal Ashar 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/qeh

Agnishatdal Shraban 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/rop



agnishatdal bhadra 1425, august 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/74d

agnishatdal ashwin 1425, september 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/xyz

Agnishatdal Book 7- Durgapuja 1425

https://shoptly.com/i/y8z

Agnishatdal Kartik, November 2018

https://shoptly.com/i/x9u

Agnishatdal November 2018, Agrahayan 1425


If you can’t buy via shoptly for one reason or other you can buy my creations

(any one listed in shoptly, patreon) directly from me, via my paypal account.

But, after you make the payment DON’T FORGET TO SEND ME THE LIST OF

THE BOOK(S) YOU WANT AND YOUR EMAIL ID.

My email id for that list is: [email protected]

But somehow I have a feeling that you can add a comment with your paypal

payment, if you can PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL ID AND BOOKLIST THERE,

THAT WAY I WILL GET THEM INSTANTLY.

https://shoptly.com/i/vmz

https://shoptly.com/i/pvc

https://shoptly.com/i/qeh

https://shoptly.com/i/rop


https://shoptly.com/i/74d

https://shoptly.com/i/xyz

https://shoptly.com/i/y8z

https://shoptly.com/i/x9u


mailto:[email protected]


BOOKS REPUBLISHED IN AMAZON IN 2018

February 2018

The Lotus of Fire

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00o8m3o5e

A bouquet of wild flowers

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RF97HXW

April 2018

Moments from the Journey [Prices: KDP: $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5VIDHE

Butterflies from life's garden [Prices: KDP: $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/b00w6tgly2

May 2018

Waves that became songs

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WNZ63Z6

Melodies from moonlit nights [Kin $1.07]

https://www.createspace.com/5441113

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WTXA11O

June 2018

Black Mist And Other Stories [Kin $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ontgsbe

Tell Me A Story [Kin $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00p2bnl8a

When The Clouds Dance [Kin $1.01]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105j2jko

Of Dreams And Reality [Kin: $1.01]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105jdvh4

July 2018





October 2018 Createspace has merged with Kindle.

Myriad colours of earth [Kindle 1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00o8m3o5e

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RF97HXW

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5VIDHE

http://www.amazon.com/dp/b00w6tgly2

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WNZ63Z6

https://www.createspace.com/5441113

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WTXA11O

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ontgsbe

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00p2bnl8a

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105j2jko

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105jdvh4




https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105jpae6

Wildflowers in bed of rocks [Kindle $1.07]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105j2jfe

The child of woods [ Kindle $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1XD66

spirits of darkness and light [Kindle $1.07]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1XHTY

December2018

The heart beats on

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b00ztn8z1e

The bridge of her dreams

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK117J6

The prisoner of sand castle

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1X4AG

crystal eyes

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK11F3O

Crème de la crème my first traditionally published book

https://my.justfiction-edition.com/catalogue/details/gb/978-613-7-40142-

2/red-butterfly-and-harmony/

https://www.morebooks.shop/store/gb/book/red-butterfly-and-

harmony/isbn/978-613-7-40142-2

Two stories in one jacket-one about a very beautiful, perfect world, Harmony a world where your dreams may come true too, if you think outside the box! A journey into a beautiful planet where magical creatures still roam. A wanderer travelling in space finds love and home. The other story is a reminder of how wicked often hide behind mask of innocence. A story of two brave kids and a wicked witch.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105jpae6

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0105j2jfe

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1XD66

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1XHTY

https://www.amazon.com/dp/b00ztn8z1e

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK117J6

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK1X4AG

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QK11F3O

https://my.justfiction-edition.com/catalogue/details/gb/978-613-7-40142-2/red-butterfly-and-harmony/

https://my.justfiction-edition.com/catalogue/details/gb/978-613-7-40142-2/red-butterfly-and-harmony/

https://www.morebooks.shop/store/gb/book/red-butterfly-and-harmony/isbn/978-613-7-40142-2

https://www.morebooks.shop/store/gb/book/red-butterfly-and-harmony/isbn/978-613-7-40142-2


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Troy David Loy Raghunandan Kuppuswamy...Nature @Kolkata in Magh: I liked the image for this one, and...

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