More adventures

[Valmiki Sarga 31-, Kamban Velvi padalam]

Valmiki

There is one more skirmish before they could fully claim victory. Mareecha and Subaahu attack the vedic ritual. 

aavaarya gaganam megho yathaa praavR^iSi dR^ishyate |

tathaa maayaam vikurvaaNau raakSasau abhyadhaavataam || 1-30-11

The idea of  comparing the demons to dark clouds of torrential rain is a very powerful imagery. After all, what could create more havoc than massive clouds ready to pour down rains on the fire centric rituals. The demons actually pour down blood. Despite that Rama is at first reluctant to kill Mareecha. Is it because he just killed Mareecha's mother? Rama blasts a Maanava missile [expounded by Manu, clearly not The infamous Manu]. He kills Subaahu, even declares he is ready to kill the both of them but doesn't kill Mareecha. Perhaps because Mareecha is incapacitated and Rama doesn't want to hurt him then. Perhaps he knows as an omniscient being Mareecha is an important character that would bring about a major twist in the plot.

Whatever the case may be, the demons are out, all is well with the sages. Now comes the journey to Mithila. The bait is dangled - "there is this fantastic bow you must see." mind you, it is not - this fantastic girl you must see.

tvam caiva narashaarduula saha asmaabhir gamiSyasi |

adbhutam ca dhanuu ratnam tatra tvam draSTum arhasi || 1-31-7

A grand bow with such awesome powers, but sadly no one has been able to even lift it let alone string it, wouldn't he want to see that - what a tempting invitation for a twelve year old.

Doniger's book

Read the news about Penguin India's agreement to pulp The Hindus: An Alternative History with profound sadness. Many months ago I read the book. I found it gripping and read it in one breath. It helped I was travelling to Chennai by a day train. On the way back I got one of those four seater, two facing the other two. Three men sat around me while I got the window seat. When I raised my head for something the middle aged, bespectacled man across my seat asked if he could see the book. I gave it to him and he peered at the blurb and the cover. He quickly turned a few pages, in what could at best be called skimming. Then he handed it to me with a look of disdain. He said and his exact words were, "If you want to know about Hinduism, you read the Bhavan's journal, not these kind of books." I was quite astonished at his presumption, condescension [I am no school girl] and lastly the disdain. 

I still am not clear as to why this well researched, brilliantly written book that could have resulted only from someone's deep commitment to Hinduism studies, is provoking such anger. I was so moved and inspired by the book that I wrote a short piece on the Ramayana that I was planning to work into a series.

Sad, sad event. 

Sherlocked

The whole of 2013 went in anticipation of Sherlock season 3. I waited for only one other movie with comparable interest.

The movie was 'Star trek into darkness'. Naturally with all the speculation and no spoilers [it got released in India before the rest of the world could tweet that the villain was indeed Khan], it was a nail-biting wait. And I had mixed feelings after watching the movie. As an aside, it was easy to spot the few trekkies in the audience - I believe about five us gasped when Cumberbatch declared his name was Khan. I found the new version lacking in depth despite having so much material, and potential actors. With the strides made in genetics and with the very polished Benedict Cumberbatch available to deliver lines from Milton, I thought it was a missed opportunity. But then the movie was entertaining.

Now on to Sherlock season 3. Again mixed feelings. I kept thinking, 'this series is fun, but what have you done to Sherlock?' I found it somewhat annoying that Sherlock was folding opera houses out of napkins when there was an unsolved case. And did he really solve anything with Magnussen? It was like watching a nice rom-com. And I do love rom-coms. And yes I did miss Moriarty.

Melkote

Drove to Melkote in a sudden burst of piety. It was heartening to see the lakes filled up. Nothing like a good monsoon. The view from the top, on a cloudy day with a light drizzle against your skin is to die for. 

Prejudice

The recent judgment on the Trayvon Martin case and the sad demise of Ilavarasan in TN, reinforced the feeling how similar we all are. It is ironic and tragic. Though the details of the two cases are very different, fundamentally there is the common element of how our preconceived notions dictate what is perceived as aggression and what is perceived as defense.

In the Trayvon case a young unarmed black boy of seventeen is allowed by the system to be perceived as the aggressor. In the Ilavarasan case a young man of the lower caste is perceived again to be the aggressor because he married a young woman of the upper caste. And the act of aggression on them is justified defense!

'They are out to get us, so let us get them before'.

In the TN case, I don't even want to get started on the women's lib angle. Nothing so clearly brings to relief the stark reality of how women are fundamentally considered to be possessions!