It was the awesome geographical span of the story that captured me. That, and the amazing precision of locations, events and places in the numerous stories that seemed never ending. One story went into another. One religion wove into another. Historical and pre-ancient time-spans seemed to enter mythology and mythical individuals, deities and demons were in and out of real events. How could one not be captivated by it all?
There was Valmiki, the sage, whose childhood had not been in an ashram, had never been taught the vedas, and had never led a saintly life. He had never travelled out of his forest, and he had never written a textual line, leave alone poetry. Yet, he is the fountainhead of the Ramayana, and he describes Rama's journey throughout the Indian Subcontinent and to battle with Ravana in Lanka. Not forgetting Rama's wedding in Mithila, how did Valmiki come up with so many people, events and places, in perfect rhythmic poetic lines, in a language that he had not learnt? And, the magic of it all, so many thousands of years later, the story is the top bestseller of all times.
There was Shiva, the dancing destroyer. One of the trinity. Deadly and yet benevolent. He kills his son, and brings him back to life, but with the head of an elephant. How does one even imagine such a concept? So many thousands of years later, can we think of an India or an Indian who does not understand Vigneshwara? Nobody would ever argue against the very concept. Its simply not done. But, once you have accepted Ganapati and before you know it, you are swept and drowned into the hundreds of stories that have numerous tales about the lovable deity.
There was Vyasa, the supreme. Definitely, to be recognised as the best writer of all times, for his books are being read, interpreted, established as spiritual, cultural or religious schools of thought, and rewritten by countless students-sages-scholars through thousands of years. Who can better his mastery over words, characters, events and thought? His teachings have become the established way of choosing right over wrong. The Bhagavad Gita is always the first choice of reference for any teacher to examine, if one is going to teach ethical behaviour. Millions of people through many centuries would have picked up the Bhagavad Gita to choose their path ahead when in grief and distress.
The ultimate attraction was Kartikeya. Shiva's son, Shanmukhananda. In a moment of disagreement with Shiva, the young Kartikeya leaves Kailasa and travels throughout the Indian Subcontinent. His journey is known to us through hundreds of stories in excellent detail, from the early years, of how he came to be Shanmukhananda to the stories that we do not know. He is the major deity to be uncovered in the Indus scripts of ancient Meluha. He leaves the region, and the Saraswathy River goes underground. What was the story? Towns and cities recounted by Vidura during his travels while the Kurukshetra war was being fought, are no longer present. Later, the journey of Kartikeya through Maharashtra, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and finally to Kataragama in Sri Lanka, is tremendous. The precision cosmogeography of Kailasa and Kataragama at 81 deg. E Longitude is the most amazing aspect of spiritual knowledge possible in the Indian Subcontinent.
There was Valmiki, the sage, whose childhood had not been in an ashram, had never been taught the vedas, and had never led a saintly life. He had never travelled out of his forest, and he had never written a textual line, leave alone poetry. Yet, he is the fountainhead of the Ramayana, and he describes Rama's journey throughout the Indian Subcontinent and to battle with Ravana in Lanka. Not forgetting Rama's wedding in Mithila, how did Valmiki come up with so many people, events and places, in perfect rhythmic poetic lines, in a language that he had not learnt? And, the magic of it all, so many thousands of years later, the story is the top bestseller of all times.
There was Shiva, the dancing destroyer. One of the trinity. Deadly and yet benevolent. He kills his son, and brings him back to life, but with the head of an elephant. How does one even imagine such a concept? So many thousands of years later, can we think of an India or an Indian who does not understand Vigneshwara? Nobody would ever argue against the very concept. Its simply not done. But, once you have accepted Ganapati and before you know it, you are swept and drowned into the hundreds of stories that have numerous tales about the lovable deity.
There was Vyasa, the supreme. Definitely, to be recognised as the best writer of all times, for his books are being read, interpreted, established as spiritual, cultural or religious schools of thought, and rewritten by countless students-sages-scholars through thousands of years. Who can better his mastery over words, characters, events and thought? His teachings have become the established way of choosing right over wrong. The Bhagavad Gita is always the first choice of reference for any teacher to examine, if one is going to teach ethical behaviour. Millions of people through many centuries would have picked up the Bhagavad Gita to choose their path ahead when in grief and distress.
The ultimate attraction was Kartikeya. Shiva's son, Shanmukhananda. In a moment of disagreement with Shiva, the young Kartikeya leaves Kailasa and travels throughout the Indian Subcontinent. His journey is known to us through hundreds of stories in excellent detail, from the early years, of how he came to be Shanmukhananda to the stories that we do not know. He is the major deity to be uncovered in the Indus scripts of ancient Meluha. He leaves the region, and the Saraswathy River goes underground. What was the story? Towns and cities recounted by Vidura during his travels while the Kurukshetra war was being fought, are no longer present. Later, the journey of Kartikeya through Maharashtra, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and finally to Kataragama in Sri Lanka, is tremendous. The precision cosmogeography of Kailasa and Kataragama at 81 deg. E Longitude is the most amazing aspect of spiritual knowledge possible in the Indian Subcontinent.
No comments:
Post a Comment