AQI / 700

The Air Quality Index in Noida touching 700 is not just a statistic — it’s a warning bell. The air has turned toxic; breathing feels like punishment. Children cough through sleepless nights, hooked to nebulizers, their fragile lungs paying the price for our “development.” We’ve mistaken luxury for progress — bigger homes, fancier cars, endless sosha on social media. Our values are degrading; we chase appearances, not substance. In trying to outshine each other, we have darkened the very sky above us. We flaunt what destroys us — plastic-wrapped lifestyles and fossil-fueled pride — forgetting that true prosperity is harmony, not excess. The Bhagavad Gita warns us: “Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate.” (Gita 2.44) — “For those attached to pleasure and material opulence, the resolute intelligence for spiritual advancement does not arise.” And so, blinded by indulgence, we destroy what sustains us. The smog outside mirrors the fog within — a loss of clarity, compassion, and purpose. Unless we return to simpler, value-driven living — consuming less, caring more — no purifier, no policy, and no post will save us. The crisis is not of air alone, but of consciousness

When Pet Prams Outnumber Baby Prams

Recent data from South Korea reveals something remarkable: pet pram sales have overtaken baby prams. Over 57% of all strollers sold in 2023 were for dogs and cats — not children.
In a nation with the world’s lowest fertility rate (0.72 births per woman), this trend is more than a shopping pattern; it’s a mirror to our collective mind.

As marriage rates drop and loneliness rises, people still feel the need to care, nurture, and serve. They now find that outlet in their pets. But this shift, while tender on the surface, quietly signals a deeper disconnection — from family, lineage, and the sense of sacred duty (dharma) that once bound generations together.

The Bhagavad Gita (3.5) declares:

“Na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt — everyone is compelled to act, even against one’s will, by the modes of nature.”

No one can remain inactive. The living being must serve — it is our intrinsic nature (jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa).

If we do not serve God, we serve society; if not society, then self, family, career, or even pets. The instinct to care never disappears — only its direction changes.

In today’s world, where convenience replaces commitment, this verse becomes prophetic. The Gita urges us to channel our actions toward selfless service (seva) — to act in harmony with divine purpose.

A stroller, whether carrying a child or a dog, symbolizes our instinct to love and serve. The question the Gita asks us is — “Whom are we truly serving?”