CRICKET AND VEDANTA

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THERE WAS A ARTICLE IN HINDU.

Vedantic cricket

 

Chennai: Kapila enunciates the 25 tattvas of the Sankhya Yoga. These 25 tattvas

can be understood in terms of the game of cricket, said Srivatsa Jayarama Sarma.

Cricket has been defined as a game of glorious uncertainty. Life too is a game

of glorious uncertainty. Life therefore can be analysed using cricketing

terminology.

 

The prapancham, that is the world, is the ground in the game of Vedantic

cricket. The running between two sets of stumps is akin to the constant

preoccupation of a samsarin, with the day-to-day aspects of life. The three

stumps signify the qualities of sattva, rajo, tamas. The 10 fielders just

waiting to get the batsman out, may be compared to the five gnanendriyas and the

five karmendriyas. The bowler is the Kala Purushan — Time. He keeps track of our

karmas in previous births.

 

But in cricket there are two batsmen. While one bats, the other is idle at the

other end. How can there be an equivalent to this in real life, when we are

talking of a samsarin? The answer is that, when a person is born and lives in

this world, he constantly has an impact or an influence on another person's

life. This is inevitable. When a child is born, for example, it gives a woman

the status of mother. Just as the bowler tries in various ways to get us out, so

do the many factors that tempt us and cause us to stray from the right path in

life too. But the batsman, however careful he is, does get out one way or the

other.

 

He may be clean bowled — die a natural death. He may be run out — have an

accident. He may get out if he himself accidentally knocks down the stumps —

suicide. He may be declared lbw — he puts his bodily concerns above his

spiritual concerns. He may be caught out — trapped by one of his indriyams. The

scorer is like Chitragupta, keeping a tally of our score.

 

There are three umpires in life too. Lord Krishna Himself says, " We are three.

I, together with the Vedas and those who know the Vedas, hand out retribution or

reward. " If the batsman scores four runs in one shot, he is applauded. If a man

lives in accordance with the four Purusharthas of dharma, artha, kama and

moksha, he deserves to be applauded too.

 

COPY RIGHT: THE HINDU DAILY.