Xena

[Guest guest]

Here's a note that I wrote to a protestor the other day:

 

Dear prabhu,

 

Hare Krishna. Because of the controversy, I decided to watch Xena. I

taped it this Sunday, and just got a chance to see it

yesterday. Krishna is not made into a "laughingstock" by the program;

rather, He is treated with respect, referred to as the "Supreme

Personality of the Godhood" and "not like other gods, because He is in

everyone's heart." Xena is quite incompetent to kill her enemy on her

own; she gets both her arms chopped off and then suddenly remembers to

call out the name "Krishna!" Only at that point does she get the power

of KAlI to go and kill her enemy. The speech that "Krishna" gives is

based on the Bhagavad Gita. There is no reference to lesbianism in

this episode (I have heard that there is never any lesbianism; that

part was made up by the BJP and the WVA.).

 

Hanuman, however, was not treated evenly in this episode. In

particular, there are 3 apasiddhantas from "Hanuman". In one place, he

says "Don't hurt me, I mean no harm" -- this is not said as a

supplicant, but just matter-of-factly. Nevertheless, it may give the

impression that Hanuman can be hurt by a mortal. Second, when Xena

asks Hanuman if he is immortal, he says "Almost... Only one being can

kill me -- Indrajit." That is patently false, since Hanuman was the

one who made it possible for Lakshmana to kill Indrajit. Third, he

tells Xena that she should be the one to get God's attention since He

knows that she doesn't really respect God or trust God -- thus, she

has to pray to Krishna.

 

However, these apasiddhantas can be explained easily if we give the

producers the benefit of the doubt; the first was to prevent Xena from

taking an offensive attitude toward Hanuman and thus falling into the

well of VaiSNavAparAdha. The second was to make Xena do her personal

duty, and the third was to make Xena pray. In this way, "Hanuman" acts

as Xena's guru throughout, finding a way for her to turn her mind

toward Krishna. [Additionally, in the scene where "Krishna" appears,

it is never entirely clear whether "Krishna" actually came out of the

Deity, or if the entire thing was a dream sequence -- in particular,

right after the conversation ends, "Hanuman" walks into the temple,

and Krishna is there as the Deity only].

 

Of course, we can impute all sorts of evil motivations to the

producers if we like. However, perhaps it will be us that will be the

"laughingstock" (and rightly so), if we do so. In particular, it is

much easier to give the producers the benefit of the doubt with regard

to their misstatements toward Hanuman than it is to give Hindu temples

across the USA the benefit of the doubt with regard to their

worshipping Krishna as just one of many demigods. Nevertheless, we

have never been encouraged to hold up pickets outside Hindu temples;

that would be ridiculous. Similarly, I see no reason to protest Xena.

 

Yours,

 

Vijay S. Pai

[Guest guest]

Haribol. I agree with Avadhut prabhu 100 percent -- I am a strong believer

in moderated conferences, and feel that the moderator should reject anything

off-topic: this was certainly off-topic for Krishna Katha. My apologies for

causing any disturbance.

 

Yours,

 

Vijay S. Pai

[Guest guest]

[Text 74017 from SOCHI]

 

>Haribol. I agree with Avadhut prabhu 100 percent -- I am a strong believer

>in moderated conferences, and feel that the moderator should reject

>anything off-topic: this was certainly off-topic for Krishna Katha. My

>apologies for causing any disturbance.

 

Why, wasn't it about Krsna? It was interesting to see how KC is penetrating

the world.

 

Ys apd