MOM yay!

It was quite thrilling to read the news about Mangalyan entering space orbit. Got reminded of the joke that used to go around during my school days – what does SLV stand for – Sea Landing Vehicle. GSLV – Guaranteed Sea Landing Vehicle, PSLV – Planned… and so on.  And in case you didn't know the actual expansion is Satellite Launch Vehicle. We have come a long long way. What a triumph that Mangalyan is a success in the first attempt.  And the cost effectiveness is astounding. Was a moment to get teary-eyed.

There was also the joke about Indian trains never being on time. That has been put to rest as well.

In the town of Baghdad...

These past months I have switched to getting my daily dose of news stories later in the evening. I settle down on my papasan chair with my shiny new ipadmini and trawl the internet for stories from all over the world. Needless to say, Iraq pretty much dominated the scene this week. There is the usual punditry – its Bush’s mistake, its Clinton’s mistake [or was that Crimea?], it’s Iran, it’s the Iraq government… But fundamentally the pictures and repeated coverage desensitize and dehumanize the stories.  It seems like we are stuck in a time-warp. Though one could argue its just tools, no one talks about the military-industrial complex or the easy access and mass production of the weapons.

Those stories I read as a young girl starting with the time immemorial phrase – ‘In the town of Baghdad’ were much simpler. They didn’t say whether Aladdin was a Shia or a Kurd.

Whats in a blog

After much hemming and hawing I have linked this personal blog to the radhikanathan.com one. Why would any stranger want to know my opinion on sundry matters just because I have scribbled [Okay not quite the manuscript type] a novel, I doubt.  Putting a non-intrusive link feels a little less conceited as opposed to an opinion fire hose in the same blog. On the other hand it is somewhat ironic and somewhat ridiculous to dwell over it so much. When a tree falls in the forest and all that...

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.