Mahabaratha - A Hot, Spicy, Zesty Epic

The Mahabaratha is a wonderful "soap opera" that highlights deceit, deception, jealousy and depicts everything that demonstrates the failings of humankind. It glorifies war and portrays how the Kshatriya's act in the name of honor and bring about death and destruction by retaliation. It describes acts of trickery, manipulation, granting of boons (with strings attached), and the casting of curses.

The epic covers a gamut of interesting socially taboo behaviour such as pre-marital sex, polygamy, polyandry. It also mentions cannibalism - human eating rakshasas. It includes advanced sci-fi concepts such as shape shifters/changelings, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that can be willed by reciting mantras, and hyper-transportation. Also mentioned are surrogate parenthood, and the fact that Duryodhna had a hundred identical brothers suggests cloning. The very fact that this epic was conceived so many years ago and handed down by word of mouth is a miracle in itself.

The book by Rajagopalachari is a popular G version. It is a toned down narration suitable for children. One must read the 850 page Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam for a detailed treatise on this Epic. 

Duryodhana, the son of blind Dhritarashtra, is a jealous, dissatisfied zealot who is always unhappy with what he has and covets what is not his. Not only is he an extortionist, he is an oppressor as well. In spite of grabbing what he covets, he wishes ill and hardships on the people he vanquishes. It is not surprising, that with the way in which the Mahabaratha is revered, that the "Duryodhana Complex" is pervasive in India. The lack of dysfunctional characters does not stop with Duryodhana. 

The Pandavas, the sons of the Pandu (the albino) are rife with flaws as well. Yudhishthira is a vain and compulsive gambler who twice gambles away his kingdom. He also dishonors his wife by offering her as collateral, even after he has lost his kingdom. He is forgiven once by the intervention of Dhritarashtra, but that doesn't stop him from gambling again. Arjuna is a trigger-happy warrior, who does not have a mind of his own. He constantly relegates his thinking to Krishna. When he comes across Ekalavya who demonstrated better skills than him, he exhorts Drona to keep his promise that no one will surpass him. Ekalavya had approached Drona to learn Archery. But Drona says he cannot do so because Ekalavya is of a lower caste. Nevertheless, Ekalavya makes a statue of Drona and reveres Drona as his guru. When Ekalavya recounts this to Drona, Drona asks for “guru dakshina”. When Ekalavya replies that he is willing to give anything, Drona asks for his right thumb, which Ekalavya cuts off immediately and gives to Drona. This is great drama. But is this for real? Bhima is a strong man with more brawn than brains. Nakula and Sahadeva are portrayed as simple-minded innocent bystanders who go with the flow, wherever it takes them. Krishna, the all powerful, is a trickster and in many ways a con-artist who is good at finding loop holes in prevailing customs to manipulate situations to further his agenda.The Mahabaratha describes all sorts of behavior that is looked down upon in all major religions, such as pre-marital sex, extra-marital sex, adultery, polygamy, deception, jealousy, etc. etc. 

Take the case of Satyavati. Satyavati was born inside a fish. A fishermen chief, caught this fish, found her in it and adopted her as his own daughter, as he had no children. Since she was born inside a fish, she had an odor of fish about her. As a youngster, she assisted her father by running a ferry service across the river. One day the great sage Parasara wanted to cross the river and availed himself of her services. Midway through the crossing, the sage was seized with a longing for this girl. He expressed this to her. She was flattered but frightened. At last she consented to his request, with the condition that no one should no of this escapade. By his yogic powers, the sage created an island in the middle of the river and surrounded it with mist, hiding it from prying eyes. In this island they consummated their relationship. The sage also granted her a boon and turned the fish-aroma into a divine fragrance. After this a miracle happened, within minutes Satyavati gave birth to a son. What is more, the son grew right away and attained adulthood. This was none other than the sage Vyaasa, who would compose the Mahabharata later. He saluted his mother and said that he would go his own way, but she only needed to think of him to command his presence. Satyavati continued her ferry service even after this incident. No one knew about her indiscretion, as her virginity had been restored by a boon from the sage. Later, the king Santanu came to visit her father. He saw Satyavati and was smitten by her beauty. Her father imposed a condition that Santanu must disinherit his only son Devavrata or the marriage would not take place. The King could not agree to this and went away in sorrow. His son however, after finding out the cause for his father's sorrow, met the chief-fisherman and renounced his claim to the throne and also took a vow of celibacy, so that he would sire no children that might pose a threat to Satyavati's children. For this terrible vow, he became known as Bishma from that point onwards. 

Satyavati married Santanu and had two children named Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya. There was a Gandharva king called Chitrangada. He did not relish a mortal having his name and challenged his human namesake to a duel. The Gandharva killed Chitrangada. Vichitraveerya died of illness without leaving behind a heir. Faced with no heir to the throne, Satyavati implores Bishma, her step son to have sex with her two daughter-in-laws, who are sisters, namely Ambika and Ambalika but he balks for he took a vow not to marry, and be celibate so that her sons could become king. He suggests she adopt a son to have sex with her daughter-in-laws to sire a heir. Finally, Satyavati confesses that she had a pre-marital affair and Vyaasa is her illegitimate son. Vyaasa is a very learned sage, but very ugly. She calls upon Vyaasa and implores him to have sex with her daughter-in-laws. Vyaasa is reluctant (yeah really), and says he is ugly and it will not be a pleasant experience for the women, but finally agrees. The first women is so taken aback by his ugliness that she keeps her eyes shut all night while Vyaasa does his thing. Vyaasa reports to Satyavati that a son will be born, but he will be born blind. And so Dhritarashtra is born blind. Satyavati implores Vyaasa to sleep with the other daughter-in-law. Vyaasa protests, but agrees in the end. She is so taken aback by his ugliness that she blanches. Vyaasa reports to Satyavati that her daughter-in-law blanched and so a "pale" son will be born. And so Pandava, the son of the heroes of Mahabaratha is born an albino. Satyavati is aghast and asks Vyaasa to do the deed again. He protests and says this is the last and final effort. The chosen daughter-in-law sends her maid to have sex with Vyaasa. The maid and Vyaasa have a good time together. Vyaasa reports that a wise son will be born, but he will be ineligible for the throne. And so Vidura is born, who is wise, respected and can tell the future when he comes of age.

Pandu grows up to be an able and accomplished adult and rules the kingdom on behalf of Dhritarashtra. He takes two wives, Kunti and Maadri. When Kunti was a child, she took care of sage Durvasa, who was so pleased with her, that he taught her a Mantra. If she recited it, any Deva whom she thought of would “come to her”. She was a child and she did not understand the true implication of this Mantra. One day she was taken in by the Sun and recited the Mantra and the Sun materialized beside her. Having appeared he said he had to do his deed. Little did she know that “Come to her” actually meant that he would “Come in to her”. And so Karuna was born, who she put in a box and let it float down the river. One day Pandu was hunting in the forest and he killed a dear while it was making love to its doe. There was an understanding that hunters never killed animals in the act of love. The dear turned out to be a Sage who had taken the form a dear with his wife so that they could enjoy the joys of love. Apparently Sages were forbidden to have sex while in their human form. The dying Sage cursed Pandu, saying that he would die if and when he had sex. Poor Pandu was aghast and he left Hastinapura (the capital) to live in the forest with his wives. Many years passed and he bemoaned the fact that he had no sons. One day Kunti mentioned this Mantra of hers to Pandu and he asked her to invoke Dharma. So she did and Dharma appeared, did his deed and Yudhishthira was born to Kunti. A year later he asked Kunti to invoke Vayu. She did, he appeared, did his deed and Arjuna was born. Pandu was not satisfied he wanted another son. This time he asked Kunti to invoke Indra. She did, Indra appeared, did his deed and Bhima was born. Pandu was still not satisfied. This time Kunti suggested that she teach Maadri the mantra, since Maadri had no sons. Maadri invoked Asvini Kumara, the heavenly twins. Two of them showed up, (a two for one deal) and Nakula and Sahadeva were born to Maadri.

In addition to polygamy, polyandry is also depicted in this story. When Arjuna proudly announces to his mother Kunti, “Mother, we have brought a Bhiksha” Without seeing and assuming it is a donation she replies, “All of you can share the Bhiksha you have brought”. And so Draupadi, whose hand Arjuna won in a contest, is a shared wife amongst the five Pandava brothers.The Mahabharata does not portray a single icon that one can emulate. Surely one does not want to emulate Krishna or Yudhishthira. Bishma (the uncle) who took a vow of celibacy is the closest one could look up to but he is marginalized.

Unlike other major religions, a person did not found Hinduism. It evolved as a philosophy that was handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Consequently one has to realize that perfection is an ideal notion and one has to look beyond an icon’s failing and celebrate the goodness in them.

Friday August 18, 2006

The Brits taught us well

In order for anyone to move ahead, maybe, just maybe, it is relevant to know how one got to the present. We can then determine what decisions and actions need to be taken so that the past does not hamper the present.  And more importantly, by being aware of the current situation we should not look back in the future and say to ourselves we wish we had done something about what we knew, when we knew it.  After Sixty Years of Independence, India has made tremendous progress.  However, there are some dysfunctional vestiges of the past that we inherited that if remedied would catapult us even faster for a better Quality of Life for all.

The British set up an elaborate bureaucracy implemented using Indians, designed to protect Britain’s interests, to enrich their coffers at the expense of India.  It included a web of procedures and rules that enabled a few, the rulers to oversee an organization involving many, the ruled, who could not be trusted.  And then when they left, we Indians perpetuated the bureaucracy they established, the ruled became the ruler, and the Naukar became the Sarkar.  The once obedient “civil servant” came into power and the system that was designed to enrich the British, was quickly transformed to enrich the “new rulers” of India, namely the “Brown Sahibs”.  The British did a lot of good for India, whose benefits are discernable today.  They left a legacy of education, transportation and communication etc. At the same time they oppressed, exploited, exhorted and controlled India as well.  And when they left, the loyal bureaucracy they established quickly adopted all of these traits.  There were a few good Britishers who were concerned about the welfare of the Indians, and there were a few corrupt and conniving individuals amongst them as well.  The same can be said of our bureaucracy today. And it is this system that we adopted blindly that has resulted in the situation we are in.

In order to maintain control, the British established many departments often with over lapping authority.  Getting things done required the approval of multiple departments, which results in no clear authority or accountability. This is a classic case of divide and rule.  By pushing an issue through multiple departments many angles of an issue are gleaned and an overseer can then determine and approve what is the best approach that protects and enhances their agenda. Now this same scenario results in grid lock and promotes corruption.

The typical bureaucrat’s approach is no different from the British. They use their position to serve themselves and protect their interests first before serving their constituents. They hinder legitimate initiatives and allow illegal initiatives to enrich themselves. Unfortunately, this malaise spread to all levels of our Government. Now even a clerk or a peon uses their level of control to their benefit. It starts with requesting “Bakshish” to supplement their meager pay to survive. Then, greed sets in and it moves to an entirely new level.  Now there is a “capitation” bribe to secure a position.

This malaise prevalent everywhere, besides the the government and corrupt politicians, we have corrupt business men. Zamindars who oppress the poor, and village upper classes prey upon the lower classes and so on. 

Unlike the British, who had a steadfast allegiance to the crown that brought about justice whenever there were major infractions, Indians have allegiance only to themselves and in some areas there is a total breakdown of law and order. The British adhered to a set of rules that Gandhi exploited to their disadvantage. Today our justice system is stacked in favour of the lawbreaker.  Another big difference is that the amounts being stolen now is staggering.  It would be interesting to find out if adjusted for inflation, who stole more, the British or the Indians themselves?

The British collaborated with local rulers and businessmen when it suited them and served their interests.  They established monopolies like the making of Salt; they taxed locally produced goods heavily to encourage imported material like textiles.  In some ways they operated like the mafia, the only difference was it was on a larger scale and it was legitimized, simply because they could.  And when they left, they left the reins with a new class of rulers, namely us and it has been a constant struggle of Indians Vs Indians ever since.  The legacy of oppression, exploitation, extortion and control left by the British continues to manifest itself today in many ways.  Our government too in some ways (even today, more so in the past) operates as a Mafia by maintaining control over areas that are best left to private enterprise. 

Despite all of the setbacks of the bureaucracy established by the British, India (urban) and Bharat (rural) have made great strides and has catapulted itself as a rapidly emerging world economic power.  The challenge now is to increase the pace of economic growth along with making sure the ensuing tide lifts the fortunes of the lowest rung of our society as well.

All is not bad about the bureaucracy.  It is a classic command and control system that does perform when commanded.  Also it goes by “the book” that spells out the rules and regulations that exist.  If the book is changed, the bureaucracy will follow and implement it.  Change is difficult to assimilate and granted the changes should be debated and refined and implemented with the interest of the country in mind.  There will be missteps and mistakes and corrective action can and should be taken to either reverse or modify these missteps.  At the same time, we cannot afford not to act and take a laise-fare approach to change.  We must rapidly implement ethical and rational rules, laws and policy that unleash the entrepreneurial talent of Indians.  Ultimately, everyone will agree that inarguably, the solution to deal with a huge human pool of un-educated, un-skilled, un-employed residing in Bharat and the slums of India, is to enable individuals and families find a sustainable source of income by which they can survive and progress.  This will require the cooperation of the Government, Industry, NGOs, businesses and entrepreneurs.  For instance the current labour laws are skewed towards protecting the interests of the labourer at the detriment of companies that hire large number of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.  While it is important to provide workers with a safe environment and prevent exploitation it is also imperative to be able to weed out incompetent and un-productive workers that are currently protected by the labyrinth of labour laws.  Our experience shows that the knowledge sector is unbridled with these handicaps and is thriving.  We need to pay heed to the manufacturing sector if it is to thrive.  The current labor laws are curtailing the establishment of labor-intensive industries in rural areas where the bulk of the uneducated, unskilled and unemployed reside.  This is just one of the many changes that need to be implemented.

To increase the rate of change, we have to accelerate a top’s down approach that involve changes in policy that transition the role of the bureaucrats from one of control to one of governance.  Besides changing the “book”, we need to establish clear lines of separation between the Politician, the Bureaucracy and the Judicial Branch.  This is a topic that requires an in-depth analysis.

After gaining independence from the British, the citizens of India were lulled into a false sense of security and allowed the malaise to perpetuate and take root.  In many ways, the citizens of India have themselves to blame for, by perpetuating a general sense of apathy and blaming it all on the government.  What citizens can do and are pursuing, is a bottom’s up approach of activism wherein the people assert their rights and demand from the bureaucrats what they are entitled to. 

The need of the hour is a second Independence Struggle, this one from the surrogate “rulers” the British left behind.  We must “push” change through Tops Down Policy and “pull” change through Bottums Up citizens involvement and Activism. In doing so, we can raise the Standard of Living and Quality of Life of Indians and Bharathvasis. 

Jai Hind,

http://www.mbapursuit.com/erosion-and-corrosion-of-corruption-in-india

http://www.hindu.com/af/india60/index.htm

The Indian Mystique

Indians are a study in contrasts. On an individual level Indians are very gracious, caring and sentimental. On a collective level they are divisive, undisciplined, non-cooperative and difficult to deal with. This is the mystique of India. People you've just met, welcome you wholeheartedly with genuine openness which engulfs you in a current of acceptance. You are swept away in a tide that makes you feel you belong.

In India you are defined by your associations. India is a highly networked society. One is born into a network. Whose child you are, who you are related to is the network one acquires at birth along with where you stay, what you do for a living becomes an integral part of who you are. The warmth that was showered on your associations and relatives is showered on you and often times one is taken aback by the intensity of the warmth and welcome that one receive. If one is meeting for the first time, new relations are created and existing associations are strengthened. Indians embrace foreigners readily. The associations applied to foreigners are that they are from a far away place. Indians are a curious lot. Many questions are asked. Some very probing. All of this information becomes part of the persons definition.

Foreigners may find this questioning and curiosity somewhat invasive. However, these questions are asked due to genuine curiosity and there is no malice intended. Gossip is always welcomed. One of Indians favorite pastimes is to relay and exchange gossip amongst their friends and relatives. This preoccupation with gossip can work to one’s advantage or disadvantage. If one wishes some sensitive information to be conveyed, one can utilize this phenomena effectively. On the other hand if one wants to be secretive about something one has to hold the information extremely close to one’s chest.

Recently, I went on a hike in a rural part of Karnataka. I followed a dirt road that gently inclined upwards and passed by many farm houses and fields. I took a fork which led to a small clearing in which there was a lean to, which consisted of four poles and a sloped thatched roof. I was examining its construction and taking a few pictures when two young men approached me. They asked me where I was from, and what I was doing there, what it is that I was looking for, how did I get here etc.. These questions were asked in what would seem in an interrogative fashion. They were satisfied once I answered their questions and mentioned to them that I enjoyed to walk/hike. Then I asked them where the path led to. They answered that one path led back to town and the other went on into the forest. They also mentioned that there was a cave nearby. I asked if they could take me there and they readily agreed. We had a great hike to the cave and on returning they invited me to their house, gave me chilled water and some lemon juice. When we met we were all strangers to each other, and then we shared a memorable experience that we will look back on fondly. This is an example of the Indian mystique.
February 7th 2006