The Year that was….

Its curtains for 2010, and when I look back at the achievements of the year, I don’t know which glasses to see through – the positive or the negative glasses. To avoid the confusion, I decided to put on my bifocals!

The good things about the year were that we did well in sports. India has started collecting medals and we have started showing up in the medals tally! India has come out of the shadows of being a single-sport (read Cricket) nation, and has started flexing muscles, literally, in other sports too. We seem to have done well in the international arena, where we are standing tall and all by ourselves. We have done away with the crutches of the developed nations and are a nation to reckon with and the visits by the premiers of six developed nations, is a testimony to that.

The list of bad things can go on, what with the second half being the year of scam-stars and fraudsters. When the sportsmen brought us laurels, the officials made sure, that the country hangs its head in utter shame. When technology was trying to show its potential, the serpent of corruption raised its venomous hood. When the system was trying to shelter its war-widows, the powers-that-be tried to take it away from them, in a crass display of cheap greed. Mangroves are making way for airports; Social workers are made to suffer humiliation by a few wanton justice-keepers, politicians are stooping to cheap gimmickry called funeral-politics, brazen outburst, and what have you.

As a nation we are today a combination of manav and danav. Some are epitomes of humanity and we can still some living examples of them, but unfortunately we can also see the danav’s in their full nakedness. It is said this is prakriti, nature, a blend of both. Life is all about striking a balance. But as a law-abiding citizen, the layman seems to be having law against it, and the upholders of law, seem to have made a slave out of the blind-folded lady. So what should the mere mortals like you and me do? Wait for Lord Vishnu to don the Kalki avatar or be one himself/herself? What if Lord Vishnu is in his cosmic slumber?

Rise O ordinary Indian! Speak your mind, and take action for yourself. Vishnu will come when he has to, but you do your bit. Vote for the right candidate, speak out in forums, stop paying bribes, teach true values to our children, raise your voice against child-labour, stop female infanticide and vulgar displays of misplaced honour……. The list can go on. But that’s not the point.

The point is with so much to do, how much is each one of us willing to do? How far are we willing to traverse naked-foot that extra mile? It is said – that god helps them who help themselves, and that is the truth behind the delay in Vishnu’s Kalki avatar. We have not done enough for Him to feel that we have done our bit. If as a nation we resolve to do our bit, we might not even need Kalki, the danav’s, asura’s, and the rakshasha’s of our nation will meet their end anyways. This is the time for the might of the mortal. So wake up O Indian and take your rightful place in the limelight. Don’t let any botched hand take away this right of yours. If we do our bit, I am sure as the noted lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi has said – ‘Woh subaah kabhi to aayegi, ….’

With this optimism, which is the hallmark of every Indian, I wish all my readers a very happy New Year and may 2011, bring the much needed dawn in the resurgent India!

This has been my 100th article in this Blog, and I would like to thank each and every one of you who have been following my Blog! Have a great 2011!

Do you know why Brahmins are Poor?

Well there is an interesting myth regarding why Brahmins are poor.

First another myth from Brihatdharma Purana. According to this myth, Goddess Lakshmi was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and she used to worship Shiva everyday and as a ritual used to offer one thousand lotuses during the worship. During one such day, she realised there were two lotuses less, and it was already too late to go looking for the lotuses. It was then that she remembered that once Lord Vishnu had described her breasts as blooming lotuses. She immediately decided to offer them for her worship. Lakshmi cut off one of her breasts and when she was about to cut off the second one, Lord Shiva appeared and stopped her. Satisfied with her worship, Shiva then changed the breast into a the Bael (wood apple) fruit and sent it down to earth to grow outside every temple of Shiva’s. 

Though Bael fruit and its leaves are offered to Lord Shiva, it is supposed to be the house of Goddess Lakshmi. Now let’s get back to the original question, as to why are Brahmin’s poor?

Once Lord Vishnu asked Lakshmi that she visited everybody and changed their fortunes, but why did she never visit the Brahmins, especially when they were responsible for the upkeep of temples, the abode of gods on earth, and were also knowledgeable and followed all religious rituals and practices and also helped other people to follow them?

To this, Lakshmi replied, that she was upset about the fact that the Brahmins, kept tearing off leaves from her home (i.e. the Bael tree) and offering them to Shiva. When they didn’t take care of her home, then why should she enter the homes of Brahmins? 

I guess, Vishnu had no answer to this, and we have probably got the answer to first question!

Sharabha Deva – A form of Lord Shiva

All of us are quite well aware of different forms of Shiva, be it in the form of Pashupati from the Harappan times, or Rudra from the Vedic times or other forms like Mrityunjaya, Sadashiva, Maheswara, or Nataraja form. The ascetic form and the family form of Shiva or the Linga form of Shiva are all well known.

However, let me introduce a relatively unknown or lesser-known form of Shiva and probably a form whose motivation was more ‘political’, which I will come to later. It is the Sharabha form of Lord Shiva.

Sharabha Deva killing Narasimha

According to Shiva Purana, Sharabha was a fierce looking creature. It had the wings and beak of a bird, body of a lion, sharp teeth, many legs and huge arms. It had sharp claws and was blazing fire. Its voice was like thousands of thunders striking together and the three eyes were like raging fire.

The myth has its origins in the Narasimha avatar of Vishnu. Having achieved its purpose of killing the demon Hiranyakashipu, Lord Vishnu was supposed to go back to his original form. But Narasimha having tasted blood was in no hurry to return to his original form. There was a growing belief that Vishnu might not go back to his form, and so to tame it, Lord Shiva had to take a more dangerous form to subdue it. A battle ensued, where Narasimha tried to strike at Sharabha only to realise that Sharabha was invincible. On striking Sarabha, it was Vishnu who groaned in pain only to realise that it was none other than Lord Shiva, and thus was Narasimha subdued, who later sang praises of the Sharabha Deva!

This rationale of such a form of Shiva can be found in the conflict between the Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Bhagvata Purana mentions Hiranyakashipu as a terror to mankind and to eliminate him, Lord Vishnu had to come to earth in the form of Narasimha. The Skanda Purana however, mentions Hiranyakashipu, as just an irritant on earth and not at all a terror. One must not forget here, that Hiranyakashipu was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, though the boon given to him was by Lord Brahma! The Shaivites believe in this form of Lord Shiva and find its rationale of taming a form of Vishnu, quite palatable, however, the Vaishnavites do not believe in Narasimha being defeated by Sharabha. Rather, they believe that Narasimha manifested itself into Sharabha after killing the demon and Sharabha even finds place in the 1000 names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama)!

Believing in Sharabha Deva is left to ones individual inclination. Sharabha Deva in due course stands for the Lord who destroys those who cross moral and ethical boundaries.  

The Jujube Tree

Ber is the fruit of the tree Zizyphus jujube – a small, hardy tree that yields small berry like fruit, called the ber. Not many know that the ber tree or the Jujube tree can grow from just a small root leftover even after it has been cut. Some say, because it is a sturdy plant, but as usual the answer of this trait of it lies in mythology.

In Ramayana, after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, both Ram and Lakshman were looking for Sita. It was then that they heard a faint voice, calling them and it was none other than an ill-kept Jujube tree. When Ram went to it, the tree, recounted the incident, that when Sita was being taken away, it tried to stop with all its might, but because it had weak branches, all it could manage was to tear off a small piece of cloth from Sita’s sari, which was also a testimony to its effort to stop the kidnapping.

Ram was moved by the gesture and granted it immortality, by saying that henceforth, even if the tree was hacked from its roots, it could grow back to life from a small leftover of the root.

The ber fruit has been again immortalised in the episode of Shabari and her ber, where Shabari would bite a bit from each ber before offering it to Ram, in the later chapters of Ramayana. Many scholars feel that the selection of the ber fruit is kind of odd, as it is not a very popular tree in India, but to put in some logic in the selection of the fruit could be that ber could have been a totem tree of the concerned tribe which Shabari belonged to.

Santa Claus

Is Santa Claus a mythical character? Well many might know that Santa Claus is based on a true character of the 4^th Century Bishop of Myra, who was known as St. Nicholas. Just how did he change into a “ho-ho”-ing Santa Claus? Well it seems to come from the Dutch pronunciation of St. Nicholas, which is Sinterklaas!

So what is it about Santa Claus coming down the chimney bringing gifts for children? This ‘belief’ comes from the famous and oft-recounted, story of St. Nicholas and the merchant Demetri. Nicholas (who was anointed Saint later), was well meaning and was known for his kindness and generosity. There are numerous stories of his generosity being extended towards numerous people including children, women and just about anybody who needed aid. One such instance is about a merchant Demetri who didn’t have money for the dowry of his daughter’s wedding. It is said that Nicholas, dropped a bag of gold coins down Demetri’s chimney. Such stories and many other were later adapted to the character of St. Nicholas post his Sainthood. Though, December 6^th was celebrated as the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, over the years, it has got merged with Christmas and is now celebrated on December 25^th. 

Though the origins of St. Nicholas have Dutch roots, the modern day version of Santa Claus, has its beginnings in America of today. The present day avatar of Santa Claus being a cute old man who is slightly overweight, is based on the drawings of cartoonist, Thomas Nast. Over a period of time, the cute drawings got well ingrained in people’s mind and the present day pot-bellied, bearded Santa Claus is what has stuck on in people’s minds. Along with Santa Claus, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and other characters and concepts have got attached and today you have a whole bunch of myths associated with St. Nicholas.

So Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, children have loved this character over the ages. Parents have helped perpetuate this myth of Santa watching children from the heavens, and bringing gifts only if you have been good all the year, etc.! Children over the years have been children, but parents still buy gifts keeping up with the tradition of Nicholas, giving gifts to all who are in need. Many also feel that the practice of giving gifts to all during Christmas is based on the gifts brought by the Three Wise Men (Magi) to the new-born Jesus.

Whatever, the practice, or the belief, and despite the accusations of commercialising a religious festival, I for one feel, that anything that brings a smile on someone’s face is worth doing, and that should be the true nature of any festival. So this festive season, spread the cheer and joy and give from your heart!

Merry Christmas to all and hope Santa visits your home, through the door as many of our apartments do not have chimneys anymore and may he bring along with him all the goodies that you need or want or simply wish!!