Part I : MYTHS- Section 1- Introduction 2 of 4

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas,

Presented below is Part I : Myths- Section -1 : Introduction 2 of 4.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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" As a person grows up in India, he is told stories, participates in

events, sees other peoples and finds himself seen in terms of specific

sense of values - a ' Hindu point of view'. Hindu children soon come to

know what is expected of them and why. They learn how to live each day

in the direction of the ultimate destiny which they believe is building

in and through their specific acts and choices. But, all this is so

natural, so matter of fact that they may be unaware either that there is

or that they have a 'Hindu point of view'... It is remarkable that in

India even slightly educated villagers have so little trouble practicing

what learned scholors have such difficulty explaining" - 3

 

Another dimension that lends importance to legends is the fact that

moral instructions cannot be forced down the throats through aphorisms

and commandments. Works like Bartruhari's Neeti Satakam, Vairaghya

Satakam, Sringara Satakam of 100 verses each in Sanskrit, Aathichoodi,

Konrai Vendhan, Nanneri, Innaa Naarpadu, Iniyavai Nararpadu, Vetri

Verkai, Moodurai, Nalvazhi etc in Tamil and similar works in other

languages were in the form of aphorisms commanding observance of codes

of conduct. They are masterpieces in their own right and were followed

implicitly in the olden times and even formed part of the curriculum of

primary grades unti recently. But, the modern minds refuse to be swayed

by such commands anymore. It is the sugar coated story types of

Panchatantra, Hitopadesa, the encounters of Maharaja Vikramaaditya with

the Vampire (Vetal), the exploits of Madana Kama Raja, wise saws, witty

sayings, biting humour and wisecracks of Tenaali Raman, Mariyaadai

Raman, Birbal, Mullah Naziruddin and the like that appeal better.

 

In the Hindu traditions, we have the earliest scriptures known to

mankind called the Vedas and the Braahmanaas which seem archaic and

abstract, the Smritis and Sutras which seem academic and astral but the

Puranas and Itihasas are simple though sometimes goofy, sometimes

grotesque but nevertheless having an unmistakable undercurrent of

emphasis on morality and good conduct elevating human to a divine level.

While the Vedas command, Itihasas and Puranas show the ways as a good

friend would advise, combining both myth and mystery with principles and

precepts.

 

'Purana' means though old (Pura), they are new (Nava) and relevant even

today. Purana has been called the Vedas of the common people because

they record the TRUE happenings in the olden times that are retold in

the form of traditional and religious folklore narratives. They impart

faith in morals through mythology, allegory, legend and symbolism. No

subject of human concern was left untouched by the Puranas.

 

'Itihasa' means 'So, Indeed, it was'. They refer to a class of

literature which chronicle the REAL happenings of events as they

occured in the Tretayuga and the Dvaparayuga . These are periods which

the modern mind cannot even visualize and just because of our own

inability to comprehend, even by stretching our imagination we cannot

dub them as figment of imagination.

 

Ramayana has been translated into several All- India languages and

various foreign languages inspired by its lofty ideals. Mahabharata

which contains the famous Bhagavad Gita- is hailed all over the world

as ' the celestial song of Lord Krishna' There is a famous saying about

the author of Mahabharata thus: "Whatever Vyasa wrote can be found

elsewhere; Whatever he did not write on did not exist"

 

" We have several rivers flowing across the country like the Ganga and

Kaveri which provide a good source of drinking water. But, We should

remember that they are also holy and perenniel rivers worthy of our

veneration. So also, the Itihasas and Puranas are not mere story books

though they make good stories too. They are the archives wherein are

treasured the nobility of the mind and vitality of spirit of our

forebears who shared the good, bad and the indifferent vicissitudes of

life with admirable fortitude, experienced the mysteries of life more

fully than we are capable of with our limited perceptions and our

interminable material pursuits".

 

Our folklores have taken care to inculcate the noblest traditions and

handed down a rich heritage of ideals. If some perversions,

incongruities and deviate characterizations are painted here and there,

it is for cautioning the common mind as to what one should be wary about

and how one should avoid them.

 

Our scriptures portray certain events that are not edifying. for

example, Devas are shown to have exhibited weaknesses that would taint

even ordinary human beings. Some of the sages like Durvasa, Viswamitra

and Gautama have been shown as overcome by Kama and Kroda (lust and

anger), jealousy and suspicion. Why? The poets could have avoided

showing them in bad light,-if they wanted to. But, they did not do so

because subjecting such evolved souls also to moodswings would be an

eye-opener for all of us. However high their spiritual evolvement,

humans as they are, they are as prone to foibles as any others. This is

also to show how by giving room to passions.one forfeits spiritual merit

so assiduously built by severe penance.

 

In the case of Devas who are seen constantly at war with Asuras and

resort to mean and unethical subterfuges, it evokes a sense of revulsion

in us. This is because the Devas are visualized as wedded to virtue,

rouse high level of expectation in their demeanour. Any deviation on

their part seem too unpardonable in our perception like a blot on a

spotless canopy. The Demons are usually associated with evil and

therefore their wicked deeds seem so natural to their disposition that

they do not bother our attention like a black spot on a black cloth.

 

Thus, it is seen that the Puranas, Itihasas and other religious books

which seek to preach Dharma sometimes show characters and events of

moral turpitude. It is not as if we in our superior intelligence and

detective skills have unravelled these lapses. They are all the

handiwork of the authors themselves - a kind of deliberate strategy by

which the lapses are designed to distress the reader's mind to serve as

warnings against weaknesses that wait to overtake and destroy the

unwary. This is to show that even virtuous men can and do commit

mistakes and sins unless they exercise a conscious and eternal vigilance

on their own behavior to avoid the pitfalls.

(Continued)