Saturday, July 28, 2012

Strange beastly tales from then and now

Then

A five year old child is crying and refusing to go to sleep. The mom gives up and passes the parcel to her mother. The grandmother rocks the child on her lap and starts telling him a story. It is a strange tale of beastly battles. It is a story from a long time ago. The Asuras were mighty and powerful evil lords who fought with the Devas for control over the dominion. The Devas were the sublime and gentle lords with innate goodness. The night the child refused to sleep, the grandmother recounted the strange tale of the Asuras and the Devas. The Asuras and the Devas were always fighting each other to dominate the world, or rather all the worlds. However, due to a strange twist of fate, the Devas lost supremacy and shared control of the world with the Asuras. At this time in history, the Asuras and the Devas discovered the nectar of immortality deep down in the middle of the cosmic ocean. The only way to get it was to join hands and to churn then ocean. So, the Devas and the Asuras made an uneasy pact and they prayed to the Lord to help them churn the ocean. There was no big rope that one could use to churn the mighty ocean. The Lord sent down his confidante, a serpent king named Vasuki. He was a long serpent and agreed to be used as the rope to churn the ocean. The Asuras and the Devas churned the ocean seeking the nectar of immortal life, Amrut. There were many skirmishes in between, but finally the nectar was found. Once the nectar was discovered, the Asuras and Devas fought over it and many more lives were lost fighting over immortality. The little child was fast asleep by the time the nectar was flowing. He dreamt of the glorious battles between the Asuras and the Devas, he believed in the heroics of the good, he was enamored by the fight between good and evil, and by the eventual triumph of good over evil.

Now

A five year old child is crying and refusing to go to sleep. The mom gives up and passes her woes to soothing sights and sounds of the television. It is a strange tale of beastly battles. It is a story from the recent past. The Middle East had just discovered black gold in the seas. The western world was keen to help with technology and expertise to extract the oil riches for mutual benefit. The two powers made an uneasy pact to help churn the oceans for the nectar of prosperity. There were many skirmishes in between, but the oil was found and prosperity reigned. Overpowering greed lead to a fight over the control of the riches. The world fought over it and many more tears were shed fighting over prosperity and happiness. The little child was fast asleep by the time they struck oil in the rigs off the coast. He dreamt of technicolor battles between the good and the bad. His definitions of good and bad shaped by his own side of the world. He was enamored by the fight between good and evil, and he dreamt of the triumph of good over evil.

Forever

The stories are the same forever. The drama is the same, and the dharma is the same, good over evil. The beastly tales will never change, only the players will. Once it was Draupadi being humiliated by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata. Now, it is another Draupadi being molested by the beasts of Guwahati. How can man be so barbaric? Evil lurks in the dark corners of your own mind. The evil is in your beastly impulses. The good is in your sublime control. The battle between good and evil is always fought in your own mind first. The Asuras are the materialistic impulses, the Devas are the sublime signs of moderation, and you are the storyboard....Strange beastly tales forever.

5 comments:

  1. Nice! These beastly tales definitely show us that good always triumphs. With the control of the good, let us keep these beastly tales true.....forever.

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  2. I do agree in the maxim that says 'History repeats itself' except that God seems to have forgotten his schedule visits.

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  3. Unfortunately, the stories won't change ever. Evil is as much a part of us as the good. If there is no devil, there will be no god either. Isn't the devil the negation of god or the other side of god? Isn't darkness the absence of light? If there were only the good, would we ever be able to distinguish it as good?

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  4. I like the point you are making :)

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