BHAJA GOVINDAM

My Comment:

1.     Bhaja govindam; bhaja govindam                                

     Govindam bhaja moodhamate;                                     

     Samprapte sannihite kale;                                           

     Nahi, nahi rakshati; Dukrinj karane.

2.    

            Moodha jahihi dhanagama trishnam;                                    

     Kuru satbudhim manasi vitrushnam;               

     Ladlabhase nija karmopatham                                 

     Vitham thena; Vinodaya chitham.

3.   

            Naree sthanabhara nabhee desam;                            

     Drushtva ma ga mohavesm;                                           

     Ethad mamsa vasadi vikaram;                                       

     Manasi vichinthaya varam, varam.

4.  

          Nalinee dalagata jalamati tharalam;                          

    Thadvad jeevithamatisaya chapalam;                                  

    Vidhi vyadhya bhimana grastham;                                     

     Lokam sokahatham cha samastham.

5. 

         Yavadvithoparjana saktah:                                         

    Thavad nija parivaro rakta:                                            

    Pashchad jeevati jarjara dehe;                                          

    Vartham kopi Na prischati gehe.

6.

        Yavad pavano nivasati dehe;                                      

   Thavad prishchati kusalam gehe;                                          

   Gatavati vayou dehapaya;                                               

    bharya bibhyati thasmin Kaye.

7. Balsthavad kreedasakta:                                      

   Tharunasthavad tharunee saktah:                                 

   Vridhasthavad chintasaktah:                                             

   Pare brahmani kopi na sakta:

8.

       Ka the kanta kaste putra:                                  

   Samsaroyamative vichitra:           

   Kasya thvam va kuta aayatha:                                       

  Thathvam chintaya thadiham bratha:

9.    

       Satsangatve nissangatvam;                                           

   Nissangatve nirmohatvam;                                          

   Nirmohatve nishchintatvam;                                

    Nishchintatve jeevan mukti:

10.              

      Vayasi gate ka: kamavikara:                                            

   Shushke neere ka: kasara:                                     

   Ksheene vithe ka: parivara:                                               

   Jnathe tatve ka: samsara:

11.                      

      Ma kuru dhana jana youvana garvam;                                 

  Harati nimeshad kalassarvam; 

   Mayamayamidamakhilam hitva;                                                                Brahmapadam tvam pravisha viditva.

12.                   

           Dinayaminouw sayam prata:                                                                                Shishira vasanthouw punarayata:                                                                         Kala kreedati gachatyayu:                                                                                thadapi munjatyaasha vâyu:

There are too many legends on Adi Shankara and here is one of them. During his travels and preaching’s he came to Kasi or Varanasi on the banks of river Ganga. This ancient city is too famous for learning and scholars. All subjects are debated here. Shankara saw the scholars engrossed in the professional subjects. He met on of them a grammarian. He was upset and these poetic verses came out of involuntary outpourings. They are in twelve in number. The annotators and commentators found in these verses profound wisdom and the essence of the teachings of the vedantic philosophy.

1)    The acharya addresses the scholar “Hi. You idiotic mind.” I feel that it is unbecoming of a guru to address a scholar in this word, a word derogatory and abusive. What is that being conveyed? “The grammatical knowledge will not protect you when the time of death approaches nearer.” Does it mean that there is a way to avoid approaching death? There will be no answer.

2)    The next verse is not continuity from earlier one. It says: “Ye fool, reject the greed to acquire wealth (money) cultivate your mind with good thoughts away from greed. Whatever you get for your work (labor) make merry within that amount (wealth).” This seems to be a most idealistic position possible. However, it has too many problems to address. One of them is the measure of the value of one’s labor. There are two carpenters say A and B. A is talented and makes one chair a day. One chair is worth one day’s labor. He makes three chairs in three days. B could make only one chair in three days. What is his labor worth? Could it be compared with the value of labor of A? I was thinking and thinking and was unable to reconcile the two. Thus it proves that reality is completely different than an ideal.

3)    The next message has nothing connecting the earlier. It says that “don’t be seized with high infatuation, when you see the high milky busts of a female and her naval region that goes down to the vagina. They are the evolved form of meat and fat. So think again and again.” This looks as one despicable tending to abusive of the female body form. Not just the form but female as such. With their natural voluptuous curves, they entice men from being pious and devoted to God Govinda. It means that men are to be liberated from female sexuality so that they turn towards Brahman and escape from birth death cycle. But what is to happen to female since they are half the human kind? No answer. If and when the man rejects the female half from his life then at least the humans of the world will get extinguished like some earlier beings such as dinesores from the face of earth. It will be the greatest boon to nature; already polluted by the innumerable humans.

It reminds the characterization of the female as all powerful according to another composition “Soundarya Lahari” by the same author. The first verse in this praises the female deity as all powerful in whose absence the male Shiva is absolutely immobile. The man cannot praise her or prostrate before her unless he has accumulated lot of good deeds (devotion) in life.

Her power is illustrated in 13^th verse in this composition. It is absolutely derogative to all females.  It reads like this: “When your (goddess’s) side glances falls upon an old decrepit and idiot of a man; hundreds of young ladies run after him, with tresses unknotted, their bust coverings blown away, their jingling metal belts broken and all clothes slipping (stark naked).” What a degrading description? Is this a devotional poem? Yes; no commentator in my view did criticise this anywhere. Power of all powerful goddess indeed!! While her glances fell on an old man she did not see the running naked lasses. A tragic position!! There is no need to speculate on anything here. They are so clear. Females as a whole is pictured here as being lusty and sluts in turn.

4)    The next is not connected with earlier. It says that “like water lolling in a lotus leaf; the life is very much versatile. Understand; that the world is infected with severe deceases and gripped with egoism and therefore the whole world is in dead grief.” There is no need to comment on this except that the world is supposed to have created by the all powerful god itself.

5)    Some follow up here on. “As long as one is engaged in earning wealth; he is cared by his own family but when he is old and wrinkled, no one at home ask about him.”

6)    The next follows: “As long as breathing remains in body; people around ask about his wellbeing (this is in complete contravention of the earlier). When the last breath leaves the body dead; his wife (who was always with him sleeping with him all nights in past) fears this body.”  We all see such situations and accept this fact.                                                       

7)    “One is engrossed in play while a child (a natural act); on attaining the age of youth one is interested in young damsels and when one gets old, immersed in worries (for not completing tasks or not attaining desired results and so on). The first two are very much natural and the third is partially so). The last one laments the living for not getting interested in the ultimate Brahman. A sad future to the world!! The teacher wants us not to follow the natural course but contemplate on extra or supra natural Brahman of whose existence we have no proof. That is it.

8)    Next is a kind of philosophical question. Hi, brother, think of the truth that this worldly is so much surprising that questions remain; who is your wife; who is your son; of whose are you and where from you came. If it concerns present the questions could be answered as truthfully as possible. Going deeper into the matter we come across questions that could not be answered by us. The reference is to the Riigvedic Suktam “Nasadiya Suktam” (Rv. X. 129. 6 & 7). The seer is speculating about emergence of something from nothing and not satisfied. He says that:                   

“But, after all, who knows, and who can say                                                            whence it all came, and how creation happened?                                               The gods themselves are later than creation,                                                            so who knows truly whence it has arisen?” //6//

(Here Gods mentioned are Rigvedic like Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Maruts and others.)

“Whence all creation had its origin,                                                                     whether he fashioned it or whether he didnot,                                                            he, who surveys it all from highest heaven,                                                            he knows - or maybe even he does not know.” //7//

So the ultimate is; nobody knows or could know.

9)    Here is another riddle; spiritual or otherwise. “When one is associated with groups of pious; then slowly gets disconnected and when thus disconnected; one loses the need of desires; on losing desires one gets inactive and there after attains salvation in life.” Do all these mean that one should get to state of inactivity before death? Or death comes after salvation or before? What is the sign of such a stage?

10)                       Again next. “ What is sexual emotion when one is past his youth; what is a pond from which water dried up; what to do with family when one is short of wealth and what is worldly when truth is known?”

Let us look at these a little closer. What is age when youth is passed? Is there any uniformity; say 40, 50, 60 and so on? Though aged men feel young as long as their mental faculty is functioning. It is true the sexual abilities remain for long in some as long as 90 and more. So the first statement is partially true. The second is true. Third is also not fully true depending on given circumstances. The last could not be perceived except with those contemplate on it.        

The entire above are too exaggerated statements to impress the disciples. Nobody in history took them seriously enough to follow them. There is no need to elaborate.

11)                       “Do not feel too proud about your wealth, people around and young age. Time will snatch them all within seconds and so leave all these as Maya i.e. unreal and then enter the abode of the Brahman.” These bring more questions than those stated. Who says that all is unreal and wherefrom he got this revelation? Yes; it is all from this world whose picture he has formed in his mind. Are they not unreal coming from an unreal world or mind? So the unreal come out of another unreal!! That is real. Could it be that the one pointing the unreality of is real or Maya? Would one conclude that some are real while others are unreal? Many more questions are waiting but let this be short.

12)                          After so many homilies follow his path to Brahman the teacher is frustrated and blames everything on desires. “While the life is ebbing; time plays its changes repeatedly; from days to nights; evenings to mornings; winters to springs and even then one does not get rid of his storming desires.” It looks like that there no use in exhorting people to go on chanting the name of Govinda. Still chanting goes on mostly in groups. No one thinks about the meanings and their relevance to time. Here one remembers the late Kanchi Periyaval Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathy; maintains that chanting is all that is important and not its meanings. According the melody queen of the south M.S.Subbalaxmi rendered many these chanting including Bhaja Govindam to music and was singing them and also made records of them. They are available here and now.    

The entire tenor of this composition is anti female degrading them using venom and hatred unprecedented. The all powerful female depicted in the first verse of Soundarya Lahari is hypocritical and unsound.  

One needs to contrast this hate female composition with another namely Gita Govindam. Both are regarded as highly devotional to God Govinda. The later is being sung in many Vaishnava temples including the Jagannath Puri and Guruvayur in Kerala. At the outset Jayadeva tells us that his composition is the descriptions of sexual play indulged by the God Vasudeva Krishna. The author has combined the two i.e. Bhakti (devotion) and Bhukti (imbibing pleasure and happiness in worldly i.e ultimately sex).

Couple of references could prove this. “One young mature cowherd lady went on singing melodiously; after embracing Hari in lust with the weight of her heavy hard busts.”  Hari “embraces one, kissing one, making love to one, looking at the smiling beautiful face of another and follows still another.” (4^th Ashtapadi-2 & 7)  In her hurry to start the sexual play Radha did something surprising; she mounted Krishna from top (viparita ratam), at the end her midriff stood still. The delicate hands loosened their grip, her two heavy busts heaved and eyes closed. How is that the women get the manly trait? (Verse 82) These and many more explicit descriptions are presented everywhere in this composition. All these show that both devotion and seeking sexual satisfaction go hand in hand. In Gita Govindam is earthier in its contents than just devotional. It celebrates the sexual union of mortals; though one of them Devine.

Indian or ancient Hindu tradition makes out that one should pursue the four worldly goals namely Dharma (righteous path or living); Artha meaning seeking wealth (righteous); Kama pleasure and happiness through sexual relations and Moksha meaning salvation. All the four goals are not antithetic but harmonious to each other and get adjusted in course of time. So seeking pleasures, wealth and lovely sex are not ungodly and or unethical in our tradition. The ras leela of Krishna and Gopies in Vrindavan is the ultimate tradition. However, today tradition is so pulverized and twisted by people that we have forgotten the true tradition. Even today the fanatical group of so called godmen and very many scholarly persons consciously reject them and gloss over with modern scientific terms like energy etc.  Gita Govindam shows the way. Let me rest with this.  

K.N.Krishnan

 

Review & View

True life memoirs of Jeannette Angell.

CALLGIRL. This book I got in November 2004 and read in about a week time. It did not keep me interested for long. I have almost forgotten the book as well as its theme. Now after 8 years I just happened to spot it in the cupboard. I started reading it in slow pace and would like to pen some notes on it.

Jean was 47 in 2004 and she was a callgirl under an agency between her age 34 and 37 about three years. The profession of a callgirl is giving sex to selected callers and getting paid for it. Jean was not a professional but was working as teaching assistant in a university in US. She was from a ordinary middle class family and was not able to meet both ends with the money received thru teaching. Beside she was cheated by her boy friend using her credit card for all his extravaganzas. She calls him as rat. Yes. He fully used those opportunities bankrupting Jean and leaving credits to be returned. This compounded her financial situation. Her income from teaching was not regular. It was something like contract depending on the number of classes assigned. The stark future stared at her. She decided to do this side line work to add to her income. It was work and sex. She kept the two apart though they were completely opposites.

The teaching curriculum was “death and dying” and “life in asylum”. They were really tryingly interesting and she made demands on her pupil to prepare notes with references and the pros and cons. The debates in the class were stimulating. Students made out a case against the existing practice of committing people deficient mentally or physically; to asylums. They argued that it is a case of human rights violation. As teacher Jean asked them to think about the way on how to save them from hurting themselves without restraint of an asylum. Still some vehemently opposed such restrained. She asked them to write all that in their papers.

Jean entered sideline profession through an agency headed by Peach. The later was sensitive to the girls and tried to counsel and protect them from unwanted situations. She advised them to get out from the clients if she wished. That way Peach was very supportive as per Jean. Peach interviewed Jean on the phone and not in person. She asked her about weight, height, size of bra, age, complexion etc. etc. she sought more of the girl from the clients. All that looked nice to Jean at her first assignment. Although she was 34 Peach asked her to pretend being 25 and less. Yes, Jean looked too young for her age. All these helped her carry on for about three or more years. She had had all kind of experiences. Both violent and peaceful. Most those clients Jean happened to meet were pathetic and psycho deficient. They fantasized sex in various ways and positions which they could not do with their wives or even mention about them. They were not too young. Jean was asked to go down on them in most cases as a preliminary to real sex. The girls were sent on an hourly basis and payments go double if extended. Such things could be done only after Peach gives her consent. Jean gives a number of instances and incidents to supplicate her story. The sex acts whether blow jobs, massaging, allowing clients to manipulate her breasts or vagina on even anus are said in plain language and with all necessary details. It is fascinating though repeating.

Meanwhile Jean did cultivate real friendship with some. One of the most trusted men finally called her a whore and offered to pay for sex. That ended that friendship. Another also ended. The third was disappointing when she met his parents at their home. The mother was a school teacher and father an intellectual. They pried her about subject being thought in her classes. When she revealed them they were too upset. She was starting a course on the history of prostitution and present day. It did not tick with the parents. The one she loved; did not stand up to her and that ended the relationship.

During this period her teaching on prostitution attracted the attention of several in academic circles both in US and out of it. She was invited to lecture on the subject also debates and discussions. This brought her not only a name but lecture fees as well. She was getting a better treat now. She was to prepare the lectures with more and more references. She was feeling better both mentally and financially.

In her memoirs there are certain episodes she covered little extensively. One is her close friendship with a Chinese young girl. The girl was feeling guilty of leaving her parents in China. She started taking liquor and drugs. Jean also imitated her. She was thinking that being her friend she will succeed in getting her normal. But all her efforts failed. The girl started selling her things at home to finance her habits. Slowly in time she started pinching cash and other valuable left by Jean at home or the girl’s place. Finally Jean abandoned the girl to her fate.

Her dallying with a client was covered more for his obsessions.

Still another was her liking a Pakistani. This man just manipulated her to enjoy sex without paying. Jean felt a kind of love towards him which made her have relation with the Pakistani outside of agency. She realised it little late when she came to know the man boosting his catch of white American women for his pleasure. He was saying that while the whites were paying for sex with any white woman; he was getting it free. Jean left him for good.

Her last experience was with a police officer in mufti. The client was completely new even for Peach but the earlier quest from Jen made Peach to call. At the outset Jan was a little cautious from the start. The way the fellow was talking made Jen to doubt his real intention. She saw him using a video camera concealed in the mirror. She used her wit to get out of the situation with speed.

She informed her employer her decision to quit. She did not listen to any more persuasions. That was the end.

Now it is double fast forward. She was having a stable income and also profession in teaching. She felt comfortable to marry Tony and have kids. The story of her meeting Tony and other details are left to our mind. In conclusion she admitted that she kept for herself for long before Tony himself found about it. They did overcome the situation and continued a regular life.

Here I am making some digression from the book but connected to the subject. Prostitution was mentioned in our ancient literature also. They seemed to be a kind of honored section of the then society that was kingdoms. These women were learned in fine arts like singing and dancing etc. they were depicted as adepts in the 64 fine arts. They were partners in courts. One of the best samples is that of Vasanta Sena in Mrishchhakatikam drama of Sudraka. One of the ten types of drama is called “Bhana” a kind of one actor plays. There were a good number in earlier and later Sanskrit literature. Some of them are as late as 14 and 16 centuries CE. I did read many but not able recollect much. In the “Bhana” format the city dweller “Vida” takes the stage and goes about the lanes of prostitute quarters meeting and conversing with all he meets both female and male. He starts his trip in the morning and ends up in the evening with his appointed lover. The dialogues are in the form of messages from himself and the respondents. He conveys what he heard from others. I remember one of those racy conversations depicted in “Mukundananda Bhana” by an orthodox Brahmin for Tamil Nadu. The contents are like as below. At that time the Gujarati businessmen are in that part already. Concentrating on their jobs they neglect their wives. Here the actor  says meaning that “in the households either the reader of ancient Purana or the priest or the servant is the hidden lover of the women.” He talks to the Purana reader going to the house a Gujarathi. The other says: “who will wish to have intercourse with a Gujarati whose stout high busts is tightly covered by corset; when one is holding the hard globular busts of a Dravidian dame.” The Vida replies thus: “though the corseted busts of Gujarati is of not easy access but her pubis mound is of easy access because she do not use a tightly knotted under clothing. It is different in case of Dravidian beauties (the use knotted clothes). It shows that if one thing is of easy access at one place; another thing in another place.” This ends the dialogue. This shows that Brahmin scholars in those times were not demeaning a professional.

Up to the first quarter of last century the big temples of South India did employ devadasi’s to prepare pooja materials, sing, dance and engage in many other services. They were considered betrothed to the deity hence all times virgins. (Nitya Kanyaka.) it is said that some of the earliest film stars in Tamil were from such families. May be. May not be.     

The prohibition came along with foreign rule Muslim, British or other. A number of Hindu orthodoxy absorbed this as their own moral stand. I am of the view that prostitution should not and must not be criminalized at all. It has created middle men in the form of agents and dalals every where making the life of the women in the profession absolutely miserable. Remedy is to free girls and women to choose any profession where they should be protected by law and society.

There is the question of STD & HIV infection. Although many killer deceases like pox and flue and malaria were eradicated or controlled the above two are still here with us. These make prostitution very serious danger to life. Until medical science discovers effective remedies like vaccine or other, the risk accompanying the profession needs a second look by those who enter it. The freedom to enter; will facilitate to understand the future. The poor and illiterate ones should be educated well to understand the risks and seek redress.  

K,N,Krishnan.

May 18, 2012.                                                      

WE DISCUSS

Akhil:

My dearest appa,

Jay has forwarded his email written to you. Myself & Govind was reading yours as well as his reply to you.

Govind had the opinion for example the lines which i have quoted in RED had alerted Jay's thinking towards Anarchism. He said to forward me the article of John Mathew which i have forwarded you and Govind in earlier email about the subject 'I Don't Care'. According to Govind i have marked some lines in red colour which u can go thru directs the opinion that the generation of now doesn't understand etc..I have forwarded to Jay and he wrote to me in SPANISH this morning which I have cliked for TRANSLATION and u can view jay's e-mail below the article.

You can go thru the opinion of Jay as well. Now Jay wants a reply from his Nana. I have not mentioned the opinion of Govind to Jay. I am just mentioning to you only my dear appa.

Ravi called me this morning after checking in from the Madrid Airport. Hope his flight took off in time. After reaching Washington he may send message if he gets time there. Otherwise after reaching the hotel in Los  Angeles he will text me. He has to collect his baggage from washington but they have issued the boarding pass from washington to Los Angeles. Hope his journey will be pleasant. Will be waiting to hear from you soon daddy. Love you so much. Take care.

Your loving daughter,

From Jay:

I wanted to ask you about all these, because I am very interested in Anarchism, as I told you in previous mail. The difference about Communism, is that there is no centralization, no dictatorship, and focuses on development of the individual and forming groups, societies and federations based on the person's will. It predicates freedom, in the sense that there should be no ruler, nor leader, and you don't rule over others. All these matches quite a lot with my personality and way of life.

The "I Don't Care" Generation from Mathew.

I don't understand these MTV guys, I really can't. There seems to be some perverse force at play making my understanding of this channel into the equivalent to my trying to understand the moods of my son, who, by the way, is a big fan of the channel. He is glued to "Splitsvilla", "Roadies", and that Akshay Kumar something where he talks in his high baritone-gone-bad voice about adventure and how he loves it.

Yeah, I watch these channels as my son sits glued to them. I try to understand his understanding of what is happening in these channels. Wait, this is getting a bit confusing, so I will simplify, simplify. I am trying to understand how the younger generation is being misled by the notion of what young people should be doing in the modern world. Hope you get the drift! The dominant theme here is to "not care about anything," or, as "Splitsvilla" puts it "Be Raw."

Being Raw as I understand it means: saying what comes to mind (without thinking), doing what you feel like, and disrespecting everybody. Be Raw also mean, by a corollary, that I don't care. There's great danger in bringing up a generation in this belief. People do not understand this. A generation weaned on "Be Raw" or "I don't care" should also be prepared for rawness from others, and also be prepared for "don't care" when some social atrocity has been committed on them. They should know that there are wars being fought, genocides being planned in this world. These young people are still in the care of their loving parents. However, are they prepared to face the world alone, on their terms, as their parents did around thirty years ago? 

We as parents did whatever we could to cocoon them from the world and its ills. We worked hard to provide them a home, clothes, bikes, education (which is very expensive these days). We genuflected before tyrannical bosses, ate humble pie in office meetings, took shit from our clients, and swallowed our pride before aggressive colleagues to hold on dearly to our jobs. If we were raw and "I don't care" they would have ended up in a broken family, all alone, living in some slum, without a job to give them the security they are flaunting. 

Okay, I will stop ranting now.

But why I don't understand these MTV guys is because on the other hand there is this guy Raghu exhorting everyone to be caring, polite and a good citizen of the world. And he bloody imposes himself of the poor trembling darlings. A girl said she wanted to be in Roadies because that would make her famous and give her the right break. Girl, grow up! This thought of instant stardom through the teevee is figment of the fertility of your imagination. And there's this show where the spoilt brats of rich industrialists are summarily insulted and traumatized by another presenter, or Veejay, or whatever.

Now "I don't care" has become something of an anthem for the youth. There are young gangs everywhere sporting their "I don't care" on their sleeves, in a manner of speaking. I saw a girl crossing the traffic, ears plugged by a hearing device, talking to someone, unmindful that the cars are honking impatiently for her to cross. "I don't care," she seems to be saying. And there's this guy, his hair like spikes on his head, his ears, nose and eyebrows pierced, wearing skin-hugging clothes, and a pointed pair of shoes. He also seems to say, 'I don't care."

Do you care? Do you? I don't understand this generation.  

THIS IS JAY'S REPLY FOR THE ARTICLE:

Hello ma,

I'll write my opinion, that does not mean what I say is what is right. It's just what I think:

The opinion of your friend seems to me ridiculous, really bad. Why? Because this debate has always existed. Young people always have other fashions, trends, etc.. that in our generation were different, and our parents and grandparents said the same of us.

The MTV show he speaks, who has a real effect? Who are these programs? The young, not old, or those who work or who have to work to survive. This depends very much on education with those children and youth. This protection that he speaks of the parents, also influences to take that attitude, because being so protected, and have as many facilities are not capable of perceiving the real world. And so when they finish their career or whatever, and have to deal with reality, out other problems that previous generations had not faced because they worked from small, or whatever.

As much as the parents have sacrificed everything they do, not going to save their children from all life's problems, that is. And the attitude of "I Do not Care", because when these children grow up and have to seek life, sooner or later have to face reality and change, or those who are brave enough, crazy, or free ( whatever you call it) will continue with that attitude until the end of his days.

That's it ma, do not understand what has to do with my mail this article to nana. Come, see you later!

Dears Akhil & Jay,

Yes, I did see the article by Mathew as forwarded by you earlier. I did a fast reading. I found it distressing on the part of an intelligent parent like Mathew who cannot be considered as an orthodox. However, it seems common among all parents towards their children though they are mature to think by themselves. I did not think at that moment to put my thoughts in words. Think of Binu here. Many here did think about getting her married but she did not take anything serious. Similar is your thinking of Ravikuty. Let us not think for our children; let them do it independently. Keep conversing so that the children confide in their parents. Some guidance from experience might help but. Yes, but.

I am of the firm view that no generation carries all the baggage of their earlier generation. They do change while some might go back. You could find examples from our own families. I don’ want to illustrate them here. A good portion I covered in my autobiography. I myself have changed in the process. All these make me think again on subjects to my heart. Mathew’s children are not a don’t care lot. They do enjoy MTV just like me some years back. Now I don’t go to that. When time comes they will take care of not only Mathew but others as well. There was a time when I did think that I will not be able to care even for my small family. It all passed. Now Kala and Binu do take care of me beside Amma. They may not go out, organize rallies and demonstrations for some seemed public cause but they will be human to each other in or out of the family. We don’t want rabble rousers carried by ego centric reasons just the team Anna set of crowd.

On 9.5.2012 the Mumbai papers carried a news from the division bench of Bombay HC. The court was hearing a few appeals from family court litigants. One of them a man married and having children but living separately at Port Blair in Andaman Islands in Bay of Bengal. He is employed n shipping. He married the woman in 2001 an arranged marriage. Wife was born and bred in Mumbai. Upto 2005 the man was going out on ships and was home after long intervals. But when he was posted at Port Blair he wanted his wife to go along which she refused. The judges hearing the case were Justice Mujumdar and Justice Mohta. Mujumdar made an observation saying that our tradition is that of Sita of Valmiki, who followed Rama to the forest. This shows that people even two generations old are not aware of or not bothered to know the present day realities. If my memory is correct poets and writers of that and earlier generations were much critical of the treatment meted to Sita by Rama of Valmiki. The remarks made by the Justice are unwarranted and ill thought out. I am going out of the way to recall that Laxmana also followed Rama his elder brother. Are we to follow this tradition today? Secondly, Laxmana has a wife and she did not follow her husband. He took leave of his mother that is prominent in Valmiki. But there was nothing mentioned there about taking leave of his wife. Further on at the end of battle in Lanka; Sita was released and brought before Rama. He did not accept her purity and wanted her to take a fire test that was arranged. When Sita entered fire the fire god became cool and presented her to Rama as a purest wife. The story does not end here. A few months after coronation, Sita was pregnant. She desired to visit the abodes of sages in the forest. Meanwhile Rama heard some nasty saying by certain people against Sita and directed Laxmana to leave her near some rishies abode in the forest. Sita did not know this. When he was leaving he told Sita on the instruction of Rama that she is exiled from the kingdom. Years passed. Sita delivered twins. They were educated by Valmiki including on the use of weapons the boys being Kshatriya. Rama was conducting a great horse sacrifice. They boys caught the horse foraging in the sage’s abode. Laxmana failed to get the horse released. It all ended in Valmiki bringing Sita and the boys to the palace. Rama did not accept Sita. He wanted another fire test to prove the purity of Sita. In short a huge fire was lit for Sita to enter. She did enter while crying for mother to rescue her. (All women even though very mature cry for mother even if her mother is not alive and Sita did the same.) The story ends with the goddess earth coming out of the earth and taking Sita in her lap disappeared. No one could say that the judge did remember all these when commenting about our tradition. He is too casual with traditions.        

The ideal wife Sita never had a happy married life as proved by the Valmiki’s text. Imagine on her life. Possible she was happy with her parents but got married by about the age of 14/15 and went to her marital home. Only a few months there then she accompanied her spouse to forest. Along with her husband and brother in-law she also wandered from Ayodhya to south to the banks of Godavari in Nasik Panchavadi.  They might have been there for a few years before she was abducted and confined in Lanka. In 14 years of dwelling in the forest Sita lived a life of denial. When she was back in the palace of Ayodhya; she was a mature lady nearing 30. Then a couple or three months later she was exiled into the forest while pregnant. She lived under the consoling grace of Valmiki and for the sake of her two sons. When the boys were out of teens might be 14/15 years of age; she was presented in the court by Valmiki. Sita may be near 45 years now. She was asked to undergo fire test for the second time but she vanished in to mother earth. Can we say it was suicide? Not exactly from the epic!! What kind of “Ramrajya” that made the queen suffers all her life and loses life?  

NOW LET ME COME TO                                      THE TOPIC OF ANARCISM.

I found some articles on this theme years back when I was following Marxism to understand it. It was only a side theme. Then I started reading about atheism in India there were ideas of freewill and all. They were propagating for cooperation, federations etc. sans all authorities. It was like communism without communists. The first requirement is that of likeminded people in a large majority to be elected on a promise of changing everything upside down. Even if this is achieved on some day what will they do with the administration, the industry and other infra structure? Let us assume that all wealth will be taken over by the new authority in order to distribute them equally among all people. How to distribute a coal mine, oil refinery or all those basic and infrastructural bodies? Very difficult to imagine!! Among the population there are talented and less talented as well as lazy people though may be a minority. Should they get equal share? Let us be clear that money is not wealth at all. Wealth consists of material objects, products of labour. Talented and skilled will work hard to create new and more wealth which they will not share with others who don’t do work. It is natural and true for millennia. The oldest existing work of the ancients in India is the Rigveda. It describes conflict between same groups of people at many places. They were not sorted peacefully but through annihilating one or other group. Mamma could spot from notes made by me on reading Rigveda that is with her. It is in Malayalam. Now I am looking in the net on the subject and found a lot, much confusing than resolving. There was an autobiography of a famous atheist “Gora” Gopalraju Ramachandra Rao. I will forward it.          

Dearest Nana,

I am very happy that you wrote such a huge and rich content, in reply to our mails. 

I totally agree with you with the example of the Indian judges. It is pathetic and a shame, that such a country as India, which delivers excellent and well rounded scientists, engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc., is one of the top countries in many aspects (military, nuclear arsenal, etc.), has at the same time such "bondages" as social and religious thoughts, the casts system, such a big gap between rich and poor, inequality for women, corruption, and a very large etc. 

Regarding Anarchism, I believe that is not the solution for all issues in the world. That is why, I am very curious, and wants to learn more about it. Even between them, they have lots of difference of opinions. Also, some of them believe that Communism is a mandatory step, as a transition to Anarchism. The good thing about all these ideologies is that they make you think, and form your own opinion. They encourage you to learn, to read, not only the media, but many from many other sources, and contrast what you learn.

I will surely read the article of the Anarchist you have sent, and give you a reply accordingly.
Yours,

Jay