"Quarantime"

One of the earliest accounts of a quarantined life is the story related to King Parikshit. He was cursed to die of a snake-bite in 7 days. He quarantined himself for the period to try and escape from his imminent death. Parikshit's actions as documented in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana make interesting reading.

We learn valuable lessons on how the king spent his quarantined time. He focused all his attention on only two fronts: to seclude himself in a palace built atop a tower so that there would be only a single point of entry and to learn the Eternal Truth of life from the sage Shuka. On the 7th day, a snake converted itself into a tiny worm and entered a fruit. The sentries did not suspect the fruit. The king bit into the fruit- the snake struck him and he died. But by then, King Parikshit had successfully discovered the Truth of life and had made the best possible use of his quarantined existence.

 

 Today, faced with a  Corona call to quarantine ourselves, we get vexed. It is as if time hangs heavy and we know not what to do. May be, we lack King Parikshit's maturity to pursue such a lofty goal. But we can definitely do better.

As the author of the Panchatantra  says- "kaavya shastra vinodena, kaalo gacchati dhimataam" - the wise spend their time revelling in the beauty of literary works and enriching their scientific knowledge. Our shelves are filled with books we intended to read some day, but never got the time. Now is a golden opportunity to curl up the entire afternoon with one such favourite book.

 

In the rut of everyday life, many of our hobbies have gathered rust. They fell by the wayside. Now is the time to pick up that paint-brush, that knitting needle, that old violin, that guitar languishing in the garage. Now is the time to pick up the phone and make those phone calls we planned to, but never did- to a long lost friend, to that second-cousin, to that distant aunt...and hear their forgotten voices once more. 
If not anything, we can simply look out of the window. "What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare, no time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep and cows"- the poet William Henry Davies asks. We simply watch the day going past...the redness of the early morning, the blazing afternoon sun, the tranquility of the twilight hour, the gathering darkness and the twinkle of the multitudinous stars. The crow caws, the pigeon flits across, the butterfly flirts amongst the bushes and a monkey stealthily climbs the water-pipe. It is all alive and happening out there. Our eyes miss the obvious.

 

We often complained that life is too stereotypical and boring- the same dull faces, the same old food, the same old homework, the same old news as a yesteryear advertisement said. Someone heard our call and has changed the tempo! It's as if we were walking on the treadmill for too long at a languid pace. Through the Corona storm, someone cranked up the speed by several notches! We lurch this way and that, but for sure, we will have to get used to the new pace, the new norm. We complained that the movie was too boring. Someone heard our call and jerked the movie-plot after the intermission. It looked like a comic film till this point, but now, suddenly, has the tell-tale signs of a horror film! We learn to enjoy this too, sitting at the edge of the seat and biting our nails in feverish excitement. "Picture to ab baaki hai!"

As Manna Dey sings from the classic  film "Anand"- Zindagi...kaisi hai paheli..haay...kabhi to hasaaye...kabhi yeh rulaaye".

In these exacting times, we appreciate the eternal mystery of life, that makes the gurgle of laughter possible on one day, and on another day, makes us wail in helplessness.

Such is life.