Arunachaleshwara at Tiruvannamalai

Just returned from Tiruvannamalai. The trip gave the much needed impetus to look up a few related topics. In particular, listened to Muthuswami Dikshitar's kriti on Arunachaleshwara. Some random thoughts on this kriti.....

Dikshitar has composed a kriti on each of the "pancha bhuta kshetras".  "Arunachala naatham" in the raaga Saaranga is the kriti we want to discuss here. Before going to this kriti, a brief background to these pancha bhuta kshetras and their significance is given here.

Father's ink drawing of the temple based on Silpi's work

Father's ink drawing of deities based on Silpi's work

Pancha bhutas:

The concept of the Lord as "vishvarupa" is unique to Hinduism. The Lord is not only the creator, but also "appears as the very creation". The pet example that the Upanishad gives.... is that of a spider spinning a web- "yathornanaabhi srjatey grhnnatey cha" -  the material that the spider uses for the web.... does not come from outside. It comes from within itself.

So too, for this universe, He is the maker, He is the material too.
Scripture describes the creation of the universe in stages- first the "five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth" (pancha bhutas) are manifest and these elements combine in various proportions to form the "elementals" and finally this visible, tangible universe (pra-pancha).

Thus, the visible universe is the Lord alone.... with the five elements serving as the basic raw material. We can remind ourselves of two well known quotations here:

"etasmaat jaayatey....kham vayur jyotir aapah prithvi vishvasya dhaarini" -Mundaka Upanishad.
From that Lord  (etasmaat) are born (jaayatey).. kham (space), vayu (wind), jyoti (fire), aapah (water) and prithvi (earth).

"tasmaad vaa etasmaad aatmanah aakaashah sambhutah. Aakaashaad vaayuh, vaayor agni, agner aapah, adbhyah prithvi" - Taittireeya Upanishad
From that Lord, space (aakaasha) is born (sambhutah). From space, wind. From wind, fire. From fire, water. From water, earth.

After introducing the pancha bhutas, the Mundaka Upanishad rounds up the discussion by saying that this visible universe is the Lord alone. "Purusha eva idam vishvam"

Shiva as ashta-murti:

Sometimes, instead of taking 5 elements, scripture divides the entire creation as "eight-fold"(ashta murti). Here, the five elements are taken and beyond that, three more are included: the sun (standing for all heavenly bodies in the cosmos), the moon (standing for the "time" principle) and the "life principle", the "jeeva"- representing all living beings.

The reason we want to look at the "eight fold creation" instead of "pancha bhutas" is because Shiva is normally personified as "ashta murti bhrit" and hence relevant for our discussion about the kriti "Arunachala naatham".

Where do we find this "8-fold division"?

"jagata eeshadhi yukta sevanam, ashta murti bhrit deva pujanam"- Ramana Maharishi's "Upadesha Saaram". (May you serve the world with the idea that the Lord alone is manifest as the world in his "8-fold form").

These 8 are actually enumerated in Adi Shankara's Dakshinamurti stotram:

"bhur-ambhaamsynalonilombaram-ahar naatho-himaamshu-pumaan"- This universe is the Lord alone appearing as bhuh (earth), ambhas (water), anala (fire) anila (wind), ambaram (space), ahar naatha (sun), himaamshu (moon) and pumaan (living beings).

Finally, the Shiva Mahimna shloka gives a unique name that Shiva has for each of these 8.
"Bhava-sharvo-rudra-pashupatir athogra-sahamahaan tathaa bheemeshaanaav-iti yad abhidhaanaashtakam"- Shiva's 8 fold-names (abhidhaana-ashtakam) are "Bhava", "Sharva", "Rudra", "Pashupati", "Ugra", "Sahamahaan", "Bheema" and "Eeshana".

(Note that the 8-fold division is found in the Geeta too. The pancha bhutas are mentioned as building blocks of this world, but the other 3 are slightly different. "bhumir-aaponalo-vaayu-kham-mano-buddhir-eva cha, ahankaara iti yam mey bhinna prakritir ashtadhaa"- chapter 7.)

In keeping with this tradition, we have 5 temples for Lord Shiva in Tamil Nadu, one for each element:

At Chidambaram, Shiva is worshipped "as space".
At Kalahasti, Shiva is worshipped "as wind".
At Tiruvannamalai, Shiva is worshipped "as fire".
At Tiruvaanaikaaval, Shiva is worshipped "as water".
At Kanchipuram, Shiva is worshipped "as earth".

With this background, we can look at the kriti "Arunachala naatham" which describes Shiva as "Arunachaleshwara" at Tiruvannamalai.. where Shiva is manifest "as fire".

Pallavi:

arunaachala naatham smaraami anisham apeetakuchaamba sametam

I always (anisham) meditate (smaraami) on "arunaachala naatha" who is with (sameta) Devi who has the name "apeetakuchaamba".

Two stories have to be remembered in the context of this kshetra- one about Lord Shiva and the other associated with Devi.

The story of Arunachaleshwara:

This story is well known and finds a mention in the Skanda Puraana. Brahma and Vishnu had an argument as to who is superior. Shiva appears before them in the form of a fire pillar which stretches to infinity above and below. Brahma takes the form of a swan and tries to touch Shiva's head. Vishnu takes the form of a boar and goes in search of Shiva's feet. Both accept defeat and their pride is humbled. They request Lord Shiva to be available to all devotees. Shiva accedes to their request. The fire pillar cools down to form the Arunachala mountain. While Mt Meru and Mt Kailash serve as Shiva's abode, Shiva is actually "present as Arunachala mountain itself". As fire is red (aruna) and it is now available as a mountain (achala), Shiva is called "Arunachala" here. Hence, "arunaachala naatha" smaraami.

At the back of the sanctum of every Shiva temple, we can see this episode carved. Shiva has a special name "lingodbhava murti" in the context of this story. But the significance of Tiruvannamalai is that this important incident actually took place there.

The story of Devi:

In a playful mood, once Parvati covered Shiva's three eyes. The sun, the moon and fire being Shiva's 3 eyes, the world was plunged in darkness and the creation met an untimely end. (Note how both stories are related to "fire" and "light" and ultimately its relationship to this kshetra where Shiva is worshipped as the fire principle). Parvati realized her mistake, but by then, it was too late.
Parvati decided to atone for her act. Shiva instructed her to go to Kanchi and meditate under a special mango tree. He tested Parvati by trying to wash away the sand Shiva Linga that she was worshipping on the banks of the River Kampu, but Parvati was up to the task. Shiva was pleased and asked Parvati to proceed to Arunachala and take the blessings of Sage Gautama with the promise that he would once more be with her at Arunachala.

Thus, Parvati finds her way to Arunachala and gets companionship with Shiva once again (as apeetakuchaamba). Another aspect about this story is that the two khetras- Prithvi kshetra where Shiva is worshipped as Ekaamreshwara (Lord of the special mango tree which bears a single fruit) and Agni kshetra (Tiruvannamalai) are related.
Thus, sthala puranas across temples and spanning different geographical locations have a common thread.

Anu pallavi:

smaranaat kaivalya prada charanaaravindam

Lord Shiva grants moksha (kaivalya) to those who meditate (smarana) on his lotus feet (charanaaravindam).
A popular verse says that a person gets moksha by being born at Tiruvarur (jananaat kamalaalaye), by passing away at Kashi, by thinking about the Lord at Arunachala (smaranaat Arunachalam) etc. Hence, the usage of the word "smaranaat" by Dikshitar here.

A verse in Adi Shankara's Vivekachudamani says:
"vastusiddhir vichaarena na kinchit karma kotibhihi"- Moksha is attained only through "shaastra vichara" and never through any other means. How do we reconcile Dikshitar's line with the above quote?

The Lord's feet (charanaaravinda) always symbolize the shaastra, scripture. One foot stands for aparaa vidya (all supporting sadhanas) and the other foot stands for paraa vidya (the primary sadhana, which is brahma-vidya - shaastra vichara). Hence, regardless of the number of heads Gods have (Kartikeya has 6 heads) and the number of hands (e.g. 12 hands), Gods are always portrayed only with two feet because they represent the two scriptures (aparaa vidya and paraa vidya).

tarunaaditya koti sankaasha chidaanandam

The One who is as brilliant as a crore rising suns (koti tarunaaditya) ..... and the One who is available as consciousness (chit) and happiness (aananda).

This line reminds us immediately of the description of the vishvarupa in the Geeta:
"divi surya sahasrasya bhaved yugapad uttithaa"- exactly the same metaphor! Krishna's cosmic form was brilliant... as if a thousand (sahasra) suns (surya) had risen together. In that context, we interpreted this line as follows: The cosmic form is dazzling because galaxies, stars, suns- any light anywhere in the universe is the Lord alone. The same meaning can be taken here too.

A question may be raised that the above quotation was for Krishna. How can we borrow that for Shiva? As Paramacharya amusingly observes in one of his discourses, though Krishna showed his cosmic form, he repeatedly uses the word "Ishwara"- pashya mey yogam aishwaram. Moreover, Krishna's cosmic form was not a benign one at all. It was verily Rudra's form as Krishna himself says- "kaalosmi loka kshayakrit pravriddah" (I am verily the Time principle (kaala tatwam), with destruction as my sole purpose!).

In any case, we have a description of Shiva's cosmic form in Shri Rudram- "sarva vyaapinam ishaanam rudram vai vishwarupinam" - Lord Rudra is all pervading (sarva vyaapi)

Hence, "tarunaaditya koti sankaasha" stands for "vishvarupa Shiva".
"Chidaanandam" stands for "arupa Shiva" where the Lord exists in his "absolute form" (without reference to creation) as "sat-chit-aananda".

karunaarasaadi kandam sharanaagata sura brindam:

The One who shows karuna  (compassion) on groups of Devas (suras). Notice the choice of words in this kriti: arunaa, smaranaa, karunaa, sharanaa... and later...aparnaa. Arunaa-karunaa are familiar rhymes which remind us of other works:
(1) arunaa karunaa tarangitaaksheem... (Dhyaana shloka in Lalita Sahasranama)
(2) karunaa kaachid arunaa (Adi Shankara's Saundaryalahari).

Of course, both the quotes are used in Devi's context, whereas here, Dikshitar uses it for Shiva.

Ok, so when did Shiva show compassion to hosts of Devas? In fact, around Arunachala, we have the Agni Lingam, Indra Lingam, Yama Lingam, Kubera Lingam, Varuna Lingam etc. as well as tirthas associated with each devata. Each devata had some problem which was relieved after he propitiated Lord Arunchaleshwara. There is an elaborate account given in the Arunachala Puranam.


Charanam:

apraakrita tejomaya lingam:

We have seen this- Dikshitar specifically mentions that this is "agni kshetram" by stating that the linga is tejomaya. It is also "apraakrita" (divine, extraordinary) in keeping with its origin... which we've seen in the story mentioned above

atyadbhuta kara dhrita saarangam:

Lord Shiva is depicted with a deer (saarangam) in his hand (kara dhrita). He is the pashupati- who is the Lord of all beings. Deer here stands as an upalakshanam for all creatures. We can recall the following dhyaana shloka from Shiva Sahasranama:

vande shambhum umaa patim sura gurum vande jaagat kaaranam
vande pannaga bhushanam mriga dharam vande pashunaam patim

Mriga is the same as saaranga. Sometimes, mriga/saaranga is used for the mind... just as the deer flits from place to place, so does the mind.... The Lord helps us to master our mind when we surrender unto him. This meaning can also be taken.

The raaga-mudra (Saaranga) is also embedded here. This is of course Dikshitar's speciality.

aprameyam aparnaabja bhringam:

Aprameyam has many meanings- all of which can fit for Lord Shiva. Shiva is the indescribable, especially as vishvarupa. Hence apreyam. Also, as sat-chit-aananda, in His essential nature, he is never the object of any pramaanam (instrument/source of knowledge). Hence, aprameyam. We can take any number of quotations for this. One from the Kena Upanishad for aprameyam is "na vaak gacchati no manah" (Cannot be described in words, neither can be conceived as a concept in the mind).

Aparnaabja bhringam:

Parvati (Aparna) is compared to a lotus (abja) and Shiva is compared to a bee (bhringa). Parvati observed severe austerities to propitiate Lord Shiva. In one of them, she stopped even eating leaves (parna). Hence, she got the name "aparna". Paramacharya specially mentions Kalidasa's Kumaarasambhavam where the name Aparna is explained.
Note that in the Arunachala story as well, Parvati performed austerities at Kanchi and at Arunachala. Hence, the choice of the name "Aparna" here.

The simile used here is interesting. Typically, Devi is compared to a bee and Shiva to a flower. We have Lord Shiva as Mallikaarjuna at Shrishailam. In this temple, Devi is called "Bhramaraambika". He is the mallika (jasmine) blossom and she is the bee (bhramara).

In Adi Shankara's Kanakadhaara Stotram too, the same simile is used. "Bhringaanganeva mukulaabharanam tamaalam". Lord Vishnu is the tamaala tree, Mahalakshmi is the bee (bhringa).

In a role reversal here, which is unusual, Dikshitar compares Devi to a lotus and Shiva to a bee!

aarudhottunga vrisha turangam:

The One mounted on a bull, Nandi- vrisha. We can recall Shri Rudram- "namo babhlushaaya"- babhlu or babhru refers to a bull. We have seen this in other keertanas. A bull stands for dharma, moral order. The Lord is in the form of "dharma" and hence mounted on a bull.

viprottama vishesha antarangam:

The One who is specially manifest in the minds (antarangam) of saintly people (viprottama).
"veda paathena viprasyaat" is the traditional meaning of a "viprah", the one who is an expert in the veda-paatha. However, in a generic way, we can take a viprah to mean a cultured, saintly person.

The Lord is present in all minds as the witness-consciousness. However, in a saintly person, He is "more evident".
The Arunachala kshetra is associated with numerous saints. Sage Gautama (whom we saw earlier in the story) instructed Parvati herself. Hence, he can be taken as "vipra-uttama". In addition, the Tamil saint Tirugnyaanasambandhar's visit is specifically mentioned in the Arunachala Puranam. He can also be taken as the vipra-uttama here.
Moreover, saints like Arunagirinathar and in more recent times Ramana Maharishi (who was of course after Dikshitar) are also vipra-uttamas. The Lord is specially manifest in all these people.

veera guru guha taara prasangam:

The one who is dear to the heroic Kartikeya. Kartikeya's valour (veera) is legendary as "deva senapati" and needs no elaboration.
Kartikeya is also intimately connected with "fire" and hence relevant for our discussion on this "agni kshetra". The Amarakosha gives 3 names for Kartikeya: "Senaani", "Agni bhuh" and "Guhah".
Kartikeya was born from 6 sparks coming out of Shiva's eye. Hence, he is called "agni bhuh"- one born from fire.
Also, Kartikeya is the "light of consciousness" in our own mind. Hence, he is called "Guhah". The mind is called "guha" or cave because like a cave, it is dark. We need the light of consciousness to enliven the mind and to "light up each thought" and thereby convert each thought into a "live experience". Hence, as consciousness, we have a special name for Kartikeya- "Guhah". We have the following quote from the Mundaka Upanishad which explains this:
"aavihi sannihitam guhaacharan naama"- Consciousness (aavihi) is intimately present (sannihitam) in our mind (guha).

Dikshitar's mudra "guru guha" is present here.

swapradeepa mouli vidruta gangam:

The One who holds the Ganga on his head. This is well known. Ganga stands for the brahma-vidya parampara- which flows in an unbroken stream originating from the Lord Himself... down to us.  The Ganga is perenial, flows from a higher level to a lower level and refreshes and cleanses us. So too, Brahma vidya. The teaching tradition is unbroken, comes from the guru to the shishya and cleanses us by removing the impurity of agnyaana and granting moksha. Hence, the comparison with Ganga.

swaprakaasha jita somaagni patangam:

The One who is self-evident (swaprakaasha) and who is superior to the sun, the moon and fire (patangam-soma-agni).
Dikshitar ends this kriti with the Upanishadic description of the Lord (Brahman) in his Absolute Nature as "consciousness" present in our own mind. We can recall the famous verse from Mundaka Upanishad which is used in daily aarti:

na tatra suryo bhaati na chandra taarakam
nema vidyuto bhaanti kutoyam agnihi
tameva bhaatam anubhaati sarvam
tasya bhaasaa sarvam idam vibhaati

The simple meaning is that "we use the light of the sun, the moon, the lightning, the fire.. to help us to know the objects in this world. They illumine the objects for us. But none of them can illumine the subject, the Self, the consciousness."
It is like trying to see the "make of the battery inside the torch" using the light of the torch... in a dark room! So too... the consciousness- It can never be illumined using any light, any instrument. It is aprameyam.
But quickly, Dikshitar adds "swaprakaasha" - meaning "it *need not* be illumined... because it is self-evident".

To prove that we have eyes, we do not need to "see" our own eyes. The fact that we are seeing any object... is proof for the presence of eyes. Hence, swaprakaasha. So too... with the consciousness...Every experience that we have, is proof for the presence of consciousness. We do not need a "special experience" to "experience consciousness".

Dikshitar uses both words "aprameyam" and "swaprakasha" in the same kriti and follows the traditional method of Brahma-Vidya teaching.

We have similar quotes in the Geeta too:

"na tad bhaasayate suryah na shashaanko na paavakah (Chp 15)" - Surya, Chandra (moon, called Shashaanka here) and Agni (paavakah) cannot illumine the Self, the consciousness... the same three that Dikshitar has used here.

Also, "jyotishaam api tad jyotihi (Chp 13)"- IT is the light of all lights. Every source of light sheds light on some object or the other and makes the object known to us. But the source of light itself is recognized ultimately through the "light of consciousness". Without the "light of consciousness", all other sources of light become meaningless. Hence, "jita somaagni patangam" here.

Rhyme in this kriti:

A final note on the rhyme used in this kriti- It is called "antya-praasa" where the final syllable rhymes in each sentence. The kriti is replete with this usage. Look at the Charanam. We see the sentences ending with "lingam", "saarangam", "bhringam", "turangam", "antarangam", "prasangam", "gangam" and "patangam"!!

Hyderabad Brothers singing this kriti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFmaVReLFi8












 

1:45 to 2:25 pm class

"Why are you sweating like a pig? Go and wash your face!" Ms Marie screamed. That was just the excuse Sridhar needed to get out of class. He took his time to walk to the toilet towards the end of the corridor. As he walked down the corridor, he peered through the windows of other classes and grinned at his friends. They looked just as bored- and now a tad envious that Sridhar should be freed from captivity..at least to go to the toilet!

The period after lunch- from 1:45 to 2:25 pm was the longest and the most wearisome. Time seemed to come to a standstill and just wouldn't budge. It was compounded if it was the History and Civics class. Ms Marie was a veritable "shruti box" (metronome)- her voice maintained the same pitch all the time.. with little deviation. Hitler may have conquered country after country in Europe during the Second World War. Ms Marie betrayed no excitement whatsoever. She read through those passages in the same drone which she  reserved for enumerating the powers of the "Zilla Parishad". The only time she raised her voice was to send someone to the toilet!

Toilets were invariably smelly. The urinals did not flush and reeked. It was difficult to hang around  the toilet for more time than it deserved- perhaps, it was by design! Sridhar though.. took his time. Even the present environs seemed a relief from the monotony of class. The wash basin tap matched his mood and squirted water..barely... in a trickle. He washed his face, scrutinised the graffiti on the wall for some time and with great reluctance trudged back to class.

There was no dramatic change in the class proceedings. The time read "2:03" by the watch. Sridhar yawned. Ms Marie had covered just one more paragraph- she had moved on to the "formation of panchayats". It didn't matter to the students. They amused themselves in their own ways. Students seated close to the windows were considered the luckiest. They looked out at Khalsa College- an imposing building on the other side of the road where college students hung around in groups. Life was colourful and "happening" across the road.
An occasional crow... perched at the window sill and jolted the students from the stupor of the class with a shrill caw. Sridhar held the opinion that crows always suffered from a sore throat gauging by the cracking nature of their voice! 
The back benches boasted of students who kept themselves busy...munching- surreptitiously of course. Their front pockets bulged with a packet of "supari" which they bought from "Kaalia"- the hawker outside school. As Ms Marie briefly looked down at her book, Dinesh took a pinch of supari and stuffed it into the corner of his mouth. The rest was rather easy...he rested his hand on his chin and appeared to pay rapt attention to the class...as he worked on the supari. As Ms Marie looked down at her book again, he reached out for the next pinch...

Students made tall claims which couldn't be exactly verified- Rocky claimed that he had gobbled an entire "vada pav"- an eatmeat which could shame the hamburger in volume.... right in class! Valentino boasted that he read the latest Sportstar magazine- cover to cover.. by strategically placing it in the lower recesses of his desk, just beneath the History textbook! Mehernosh amused himself with his watch- the sunbeam reflected off his watch and made interesting patterns- which he directed either at the ceiling or at one of his friends on the far side of the class. There was one occasion when he tried to shine it at the teacher....Pandey sir, and had his ear pinched. He didn't make the same mistake again!

Sridhar was busy. It looked suspicious- after all no one worked with such focus! The electric bell rent through the air exactly at 2:25 and brought the class to a close... eventually! Everyone crowded around Sridhar's desk. Sridhar blew the wooden filings off the "divider", quietly put it away in his Camlin Compass box and glowed with pride. There was a collective gasp as we viewed Sridhar's handiwork. On the wooden desk, right under the nose of the teacher, he had carved this most exquisite bas-relief. It was a tombstone with a cross at the top- in 3D...which seemed to spring out at us! In neat calligraphic handwriting, the tombstone had these words inscribed- "In memory of all those who died in class... out of boredom! RIP!"
It said it all.







 

Saamagaana lolane (Lord Kapaaleeshwara, Mylapore)

Papanasam Sivan had a special affinity for the Kapaaleeshwara Temple at Mylapore, Chennai.
In this temple, Shiva is known as Kapaaleeshwara and Devi as Kalpaka naayika (or Karpagaambaal in Tamil).

Kapaaleeshwara Temple: (My father's ink sketch based on the artist Silpi's work)

Sivan has composed many kritis in praise of Lord Kapaaleeshwara, which are often rendered in concerts. In particular, we recall the popular ones: Saamagaana lolane in Hindolam, nambi kettavar evaraiyya again in Hindolam, Kapaali in Mohanam and of course that Madurai Mani Iyer favourite in Kambhoji raaga- kaana kan koti vendum.
In this essay, we want to look at the kriti Saamagaana lolane and dwell on some of the ideas.

Pallavi:

Saamagaana lolane:

Lord Shiva, as Kapaaleeshwara is presented here as one who enjoys "saamagaana". Saamagaana refers to the musical rendition of Saama Veda. The Rig Veda is in "padya rupa" i.e. in metrical/poetic form, the Yajur Veda is in "gadya rupa" i.e. in prose. Saama Veda is in "geeti rupa" i.e. in musical form. "Vedaanaam saamavedosmi"- "Amongst the vedas, I am Saama Veda," Lord Krishna says in the Geeta. Thus, Saama Veda is captivating because it has the added element of music.

Ravana and Saamagaana:

There is a popular mythological story of how Ravana lulled Lord Shiva with Saama gaana and extricated himself from an impending crisis.
Once, Ravana was puffed up with pride that he could take on Lord Mahadeva  Himself. He tried to lift Mount Kailash with his twenty arms. As he slowly raised Mount Kailash, the denizens of the snow capped mountain ran for cover. Even Parvati quavered in fear. Lord Shiva came to their rescue. He simply pressed his big toe as he sat on the mountain peak. Immediately, the mountain came down and Ravana was on the verge of being crushed. He helplessly held onto dear life and wondered how he could get out of this precarious situation.
He tore off one of his ten heads and one of his twenty hands. He joined them together to form a veena- the head as the veena's drum, the hand as the veena's stem and his nerves as the veena's strings! An exponent of the veena, Ravana regaled Lord Shiva with Saama Gaana. Lord Shiva, the saama gaanalolane, was truly mesmerised with the rendition and gently removed the pressure of his big toe so that Ravana could release himself!

This incident finds a prominent place in one of the sannidhis at the temple of Tiruvidaimarudur (Madhyaarjuna kshetra, close to Kumbakonam). If you hold your ear against one of the apertures in the praakaaram, you can even now hear Ravana's Saama Gaana! Seriously! You can verify it for yourself!!

He is the enjoyer of music, He is the music.. and the instrument too:

Though the word "saama gaana lolane" (the enjoyer of Saama gaana) is alone mentioned, we need to include the other two of the "triad" ("triputi"as it is technically known). Lord Shiva is the enjoyer, He is the enjoyment, He is the instrument of enjoyment too.
For instance, in the Vishnu Sahasranama, we see the names "bhojanam" (food) and "bhokta" (enjoyer of food) mentioned in the same verse. (bhraajishnur bhojanam bhokta......).  Lord Vishnu is the eater, He is also the eaten!

Similarly, in this kriti, for our understanding, we need to add that Shiva alone is manifest as "Saama gaana" itself as well as.....in the form of the musical instrument through which "Saama gaana" is played.

In the Tyagaraja kriti, "naada tanum anisham shankaram namaami", we see that Lord Shankara is described as having "naada" (music) itself as his tanu (body). Further, Tyagaraja says, "modakara nigamottama saama veda saaram"- Lord Shiva alone is manifest as the essence (saaram) of Saama Veda, the best (uttama) among the vedas (nigama). Tyagaraja, as though complements this Papanasam Sivan's kriti and gives us the reference for Lord Shiva appearing as "saama gaana" itself.

Finally, where is Lord Shiva described as a musical instrument? For this, we can go to Shri Rudram. We have the anuvaka beginning with "namo dundubhyaaya"- salutions unto Lord Shiva, who is manifest as "dundubhi", which is a kind of drum. Dundubhi here should be understood as an "upalakshanam" for all musical instruments. Instruments are classified into "skin instruments"-like the drum, "string instruments" like the veena and "wind instruments" like the flute.
All musical instruments from the Rudra Veena to the bagpipe to the Hawaiian guitar are Shiva swarupa alone!

Thus, He is the enjoyer of music, He is the music, He is the musical instrument too.

Why not samagana priyane?

Papanasam Sivan could very well have used "samagana priyaney". Why "lolane"? The metre would have been fine even with "priyane".
Since the raga is Hindola, it is apt to use "lola"! Further, "sa", "ga", "ma" "da" "ni" being the notes of Hindolam, by using "saa-ma-gaa-na", there is a nice swaraakshara achieved as well. In fact, throughout this kriti, we see examples of swaraakshara.

Sadashiva:

Shiva has many aspects. "Sadashiva" is normally associated with Dakshinamurti- the Brahma-Vidya "aadi guru". The Lord alone is the originator of the teaching of brahma-vidya which flows down to us in an unbroken parampara. We have the well known shloka:
 
sadaashiva samaarambhaam shankaraachaarya madhyamaam
asmadaacharya paryantaam vande guru paramparaam

Sadashiva can be looked upon... as moksha-karta too. Typically, the Lord is associated with three primary functions: as the creator, protector and destroyer. Sometimes, two more functions are added: the one who ties us down to samsara through the veil of maya (tirodaana karta, the "veiler" ) and the one who helps us in overcoming samsara (anugraha karta or moksha karta). In this expanded functionality portfolio, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the protector, Rudra is the destroyer, Ishwara is the "veiler" and Sadashiva is the moksha karta. Of these, Rudra, Ishwara and Sadashiva are all different aspects of Lord Shiva alone.
Where do we find this mentioned? In Adi Shankara's Saundaryalahari:

jagat sutey dhaata harir avati rudrah kshapayate
tiras kurvan etat swamapi vapur eeshas tirayati
sadaa purva sarvam tadidam anugrnaati cha shivah
tavaagnyaalambya kshanachalitayor bhrulatikayoho

 In this verse, sadaa purva shivah is sadashiva.

There is no real difference in the two meanings of Sadashiva given here. Through brahma-vidya teaching, Sadashiva as Dakshinamurti functions as anugraha karta or moksha karta.

One more point:
"Saamagaana lolaney Sadashiva" can be connected together as follows:
Sama Veda contains the most popular mahavakya - "tat twam asi"- "Essentially, tat (the Lord) and you (the individual) are one and the same". This occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad of Sama Veda. Every teacher in the brahma vidya parampara beginning from Sadashiva takes recourse to this mahavakya. Hence, Sadashiva has a special place for saama-gaana because the content of saama gaana is "tat twam asi".

Coming to the kriti, "sa-da-shiva" serves as a swaraakshara. If the word "saa-ma-gaa-na" reminds us of the notes "sa-ma-ga-ni" in Hindolam, the only remaining swara "da" is brought out in "sa-da". Thus, in the very first line, Papanasam Sivan covers Hindolam's scale through his very choice of words!

Shankaraney:

"Sham karoti iti shankarah"- the one who bestows happiness (sham) is shankara. As Sadashiva, He makes brahma-vidya available to us. Through brahma vidya, the student owns up his essential nature as brahman whose nature  is aananda swarupa (nature of happiness). We have the famous quotation in Taittireeya Upanishad- "brahmavit aapnoti param"- the knower of brahman gains the highest (param). The Upanishad goes further to explain "param" as "happiness" in the section "brahmaananda valli". Hence, Shankara means the one who bestows brahmaananda itself through the brahma-vidya teaching.

In Shri Rudram, we find a different shade of meaning. We find the phrase "namah shankaraaya cha mayaskaraaya cha" - Salutations unto "shankara" and "mayaskara". Both words "sham" and "mayah" mean happiness. Hence, these two words are differentiated by saying that "shankara" refers to the one who confers happiness in this world itself, while "mayaskara" refers to the one who bestows the happiness gained hereafter.... through spiritual benefit. We can take "Shankara" in this meaning as well.

An additional point:
Sadashiva alone appeared as Adi Shankara- "shambhor murtis charati bhuvaney shankaraachaarya rupaa"- "Shambhu or Sadashiva moves around (charati) in this world (bhuvaney) in the form of Shankaracharya"
As Adi Shankara too, he gave happiness to the world through the message of advaita, which is contained in a capsule form in Sama Veda. Hence, saamagaana lolaney sadashiva shankaraney....We can take this meaning too and tie up all the words in this stanza.

dayaakaraney:

Lord Shiva as the Compassionate One (dayaakara) is well known. We can go to the well known "samudra mathanam" (churning of the ocean) story. All the devas and asuras were interested in amruta and even Lord Vishnu benefited through material gain- after all, Vishnu  got married to Mahalakshmi who arose from the ocean! Lord Shiva was the only one who was totally altruistic and compassionate. While everyone ran helter-skelter when poison arose from the ocean, Lord Shiva, ever the dayaakara, swallowed the haala-haala poison and saved everyone.

We can also go to Anuvaka 3 of Shri Rudram. In this section, veda mentions varieties of cheats, thieves and murderers. However great one's paapa may be, however questionable ones past, if one gives up adharma and truly surrenders to Lord Shiva, he acts as a "sahamaana"- one who condones all our blemishes. He is indeed dayaakara. The reader may remember this anuvaka beginning with- "namah sahamaanaaya nivvyaadhina..."

As Adi Shankara too, he is dayaakara. We have the well known shloka:
shruti smriti puraanaanaam aalayam karunaalayam etc. Adi Shankara went around the country as many as three times, wrote extensive commentaries, composed hymns,  established yantras in temples and spread the message of Unity. Why did he have to do all this?  He was indeed karunaalayam, an embodiment of karuna, of dayaa, compassion.

Jaya:

Hail to such a Lord Shiva! We are familiar with the refrain "jaya jaya shankara.. hara hara shankara" with reference to Adi Shankara. "Jaya" here has a similar connotation- "Hail", "Victory unto..." etc.

Anupallavi:

Somasundara chandrashekhara:

Soma is the moon. Chandra too refers to the moon. The one who looks beautiful (sundara) with the moon on his head is "somasundara chandra shekhara".

When Shiva is portrayed in "anthropomorphic form" (i.e. with hands, legs), he is represented as having a "crescent moon" on his head. "chandrah vakra api sarvatra vandyatey"- "even though the moon is not full and in fact crooked in shape (vakra), still, it is praised by everyone (vandyate)... only because the moon is associated with Lord Shiva". The story of Somanatha at Saurashtra is known to everyone.

However, when Shiva is considered in the form of a "linga", he is associated with a "full-moon". We have the well known dhyaana shloka before the chanting of Shri Rudram-
"aapaatala nabhasthalaanta....." where we see the words "purnendu-vaantaamrutaihi".
This shloka has a beautiful imagery. If the entire Universe is a giant Shiva Linga, who will do abhisheka for it? The full moon (purna-indu) spreads its cool moon-beams all around and bathes the entire world, the shiva linga as it were, with its rays! These rays are like squirts of water, of amruta......and perform abhisheka to the Lord.

Philosophically.....
The moon stands for the "principle of time". Hence, in Indian tradition, we use "tithis" (phase of the moon) to measure time. While all of us are "cooked by time" (kaalo jagat bhakshakah!), the Lord is the master of Time. Hence, Chandrashekhara.... the one who wields "Time".

Somaaskanda:

Somaaskanda is one of the special aspects of Lord Shiva where he is seated on "Nandi" with Uma (Parvati) and Skanda (Kartikeya) beside him. Here, "soma" does not stand for the moon. It has to be understood as "soma: umayaa saha vartatey"- one who is with Uma Devi, i.e. Parvati.
Uma stands for kriya shakti, Ishwara's creative power. Skanda holds the gnana "vel" and can be taken as "gnyaana shakti"- the power of knowledge. The Lord is normally understood as wielding 3 powers- iccha shakti, kriya shakti and gnyaana shakti".

Nandi stands for "dharma" - "moral order". A bull (rishabha) stands straight and is used as a symbol for "dharma". The Lord exists in the form of "order"- not just moral order...but all "orders". There is a cosmic order, a physiological order, a psychological order etc. Everything is orderly in creation and the Lord alone exists as these different orders.

 Again, we notice the choice of words and its connection to Hindolam. The kriti is replete with "so-ma", "saa-maa" to gently remind us of Hindolam's notes.

Shritajana shubhakara:

Shubha-kara- One who confers shubham, mangalam, i.e. "wellness" to shritajana- to those who surrender to Lord Shiva.
Movies (at least in the past!) used to end with the word "shubham" splashed across the screen to convey "the end".  It carries with it the flavour of the English phrase- "and they lived happily ever after". Lord Shiva is the "shubhakara" who bestows us with "shubham".

Is "shubham" available only to shrita-jana, to those who surrender? Is the Lord partial? What about those who don't surrender to him?
We have seen this point in one of the previous essays. The Lord is always impartial- "samoham sarva bhuteshu na mey dveshyosti na priyah" ("I am impartial. I do not hate anyone or specially like anyone either").
As an example, we can take a bonfire.
The bonfire is always impartial. If on a cold night, one person sits close to it, he benefits from its warmth. If another one stays far away and complains that the bonfire does not warm him, then, the bonfire cannot be blamed for being inconsiderate!

 Hence, the onus is on the bhakta to tap the anugraha of the Lord. His grace is always available for everyone.

Charanam:

kaamaare:

One who is the enemy (ari) of kaama, Manmatha, desire. We have the well known story of Manmatha burnt to ashes when Shiva opened his third eye. Using the fire of knowledge (gnyaanagni), symbolized by Shiva's third eye, he reduced Desire to ashes and spread the ash on himself. Lord Shiva smeared with ashes symbolizes the Lord who wears "desire" as an ornament (bhushanam). 
For us, desire is a problem, for the Lord, it is his iccha shakti, the power of intention!

All this is well known.

Puraare:

One who is the enemy (ari) of "pura/city". This refers to Shiva as "Tripuraantaka"- one who conquered the asuras who appeared in  the "3 puras/cities". This story is again popular- how everyone teamed up to defeat Tripura- the "earth" was Shiva's chariot, Mount Meru assumed the form of his bow, Vishnu manifested as Shiva's arrow, the Sun and the Moon were the chariot wheels and Brahma was the charioteer.
But all Shiva had to do was smile...(mandahaasa).... and that was enough to destroy Tripura!!

The philosophical meaning of this episode is also known to us. The 3 cities stand for the 3 bodies- sthula shariram (body), sukshma shariram (mind) and kaarana shariram (basic matter for the other 2 bodies). Once we destroy (as it were!) our association with the 3 bodies, (i.e. we understand them as "mithya"/not absolutely real...don't want to get into more technicalities here!), we can own up our essential nature as the Self, brahman.

The three cities can also refer to the three states of experience: jaagrat, swapna, sushupti (waking, dream, deep-sleep). By destroying them, (by not associating absolute reality to these states), we understand Brahman as the basis for these states, but not any one of them in particular.

 

Hence, puraare.

kalpaka naayika naatha:

It is here that we know that this kriti was composed with the Kapaaleeshwara Temple at Mylapore, Chennai, in mind. Devi is present in this temple as "karpagaambaal" (in Tamil), which is "kalpaka naayika" here. She is verily a kalpaka vriksha, one who fulfils all the desires of a devotee. While other Gods need to use their hands (paani) to "bless" (abhaya mudra) and grant wishes (varada mudra),  the dust of Devi's feet is enough to take care of all wants of a devotee and even exceed his expectations! We have such a shloka in Saundaryalahari- "tvad anyah paanibhyaam abhaya varado daivata ganah" (verse 4). The reader can look it up.

Devi's residence is a palace of gems called "chintamani grham". It is made up of a special gem called "chintamani" which can grant whatever we ask for! The palace is surrounded by "sura vitapi vaati" (garden of divine trees) like kalpaka, paarijaata etc. These too are wish fulfilling trees! Evidently, anything and everything associated with Devi can grant whatever we want.
Shiva is the naatha (Lord) of such a "Kalpaka naayika".

Kapaali:

We have moved this name up (from the order of words in the kriti), just to create a contrast here. OK, Devi is "kalpaka naayika". How about her Lord? He is presented here as Kapaali. Kapaalam is a human skull. Devi may be a wish fulfilling tree all right, but Shiva moves around as "Bhikshaatana" (mendicant) with a human skull as his begging bowl!

Devi in Kashi is Annapurneshvari- All food comes from her. Devi in Kanchi is Kamakshi who has an akshaya paatra- an inexhaustible vessel to serve food to one and all. But what does Shiva do?
He still goes out and begs for food. That is the picture of Kapaali- (seeming) poverty amidst plenty!!

The Shiva Mahimna Stotra, composed by Pushpadanta and very popular in North India has a beautiful verse which mentions Shiva's minimal possessions- "mahokshah" (bull), "khatvaangam" (wooden club), "parashu"(axe), "ajinam" (tiger skin), "bhasma" (ashes), "phaninah" (snakes) and "kapaalam" (human skull).
Still, through a "twitch of the eyebrow", Shiva grants all that we may ask for. This verse also gives the reason for Shiva's minimalistic lifestyle.
It says- "na hi svaatmaaraamam vishaya mriga trishnaa bhramayati"- for the one who is ever in the bliss of the Self (svaatmaaraamam), all material pleasures (vishaya) are like "mriga trishnaa" (mirage) and hence irrelevant. Such is Lord Shiva's glory. The reader can look up this verse too (8).

Adi Shankara's Shivaanandalahari also mentions Shiva as "kapaali" (20) and in a different verse narrates all the opulence that Shiva has at his beck and call.. and still moves around with a simple lifestyle.
It says..... at Shiva's arms length are the Himalayan peaks filled with gold (karasthey hemaadrau), beside him  is "dhanapati", Kubera Himself. Shiva's house has a "svarbhuuja" (wish fulfilling tree), amarasurabhi (celestial cow) and chintamani (wish fulfilling gem). The reader can look up verse 27. Still, Shiva follows a spartan way of life.

It is here that Lord Shiva serves as an ishta devata for both the grhastha (householder) and a sanyaasi (recluse). He exemplifies the lifestyle of both ashramas.

Mahadeva deva:

Finally, he is the God of all Gods- Mahadeva. As Verse 100 of Shivaanandalahari says- "twaam agraganyam"- "Shiva, you are the foremost!" amongst what? stutyaanaam gananaa prasanga samaye- "when we consider all those to are worthy to be glorified" and finally says "Shiva, you are the true grain, while the rest are like chaff which can be discarded!" (dhaanaatushas stomavat).

jataadhara:

Shiva is portrayed as "kapardhina" (jataadhara), with matted locks..... and as "vyuptakesha" (with mundana), with shaved head. We see this in Shri Rudram.
As jataadhara, Shiva is "yogeshwara"- the one who is the initiator of  "yoga", all supporting sadhanas to moksha- especially upaasana.
As vyuptakesha, with shaved head, Shiva is the initiator of brahma-vidya (primary sadhana for moksha), which is mainly associated with a sanyaasi's lifestyle.

Jata and yoga/upaasana go together, mundana and sanyaasa go together.

Further, as we look at the sky, Lord Shiva is available in his vishvarupa form, as the very cosmos.
The night sky, black and dense.... is Lord Shiva's jata...... studded with the moon.
In another dhyaana shloka, it is mentioned as "pingala jata". Pingala means "tawny colour", an orangish hue. What about this?
When the sky is ablaze with a wash of orange during sunset..... that too is Shiva's  "pingala" jata alone!

"May such a Lord Kapaali protect me," implores Papanasam Sivan. "Raama daasan" is Papanasam Sivan's "mudra" which he uses in all his songs. He uses the adjective "deena" (feeling of helplessness) to show his humility and to add a plaintive mood to his plea here.

Why raagas like Hindolam and Mohanam?

Papanasam Sivan has composed multiple songs in Hindolam and Mohanam in praise of Kapaaleeshwara. One reason is the following: Both these ragas are "five note ragas" (pentatonic scale).

Panchaakshari-  "namah Shivaaya" with "five syllables" - "na-ma-shi-vaa-ya" is the best mantra for Lord Shiva.
Also, Shiva is supposed to have five faces- "pancha mukha"- (pancha brahma as it is sometimes referred to)- Sadyojaata, Ishaana, Vaamadeva, Tatpurusha and Aghora.

Little wonder that Papanasam Sivan has used ragas with five notes for Lord Shiva!

Papanasam Sivan is a master at choosing words with apt notes in the raaga. The more we look at it, the more patterns we discern! In the kriti "kapaali", set to the raaga Mohanam, the kriti begins with the phrase "kapaali" and "ga-paa-ri" as the swaras as well! If we follow the rule of "ra-la-yor abhedah" (the rule that letters "ra" and "la" are interchangeable), "ga-paa-ri" would actually be "ga-paa-li". In Tamil, "ga" and "ka" have the same letter. Now, we get "ka-paa-li" in the notes and in the sahitya too!!
Note that "ra-la-yor abhedah rule" is observed in Devi's name itself.... as well as the conversion from the "ka" sound to "ga" sound.  "kalpaka" seems to have become "karpaga" in the Tamil pronunciation!

With this, our analysis of this kriti is complete! Hopefully, it is not overly laboured in presentation!!

Bombay Jayashree's rendition of this kriti:
http://www.hummaa.com/music/album/bombay-s-jayasree-2/27844



 

On socks

Folding socks from a heap is the truest test of your patience. It tells you exactly where you stand in the evolutionary ladder- whether you can maintain your cool or whether you will succumb to irritation.
The socks are all washed nice and clean. All that you need to do is to match up each pair, fold them in half and neatly stack them up in your wardrobe. Easier said than done! The socks are supposedly of the same colour, size and brand. However, each one seems to have acquired a distinct personality over time- some are spotlessly white- this is their first wash, others a little yellow with age, the heal is protruded in one, the height a tad shorter in the other.
That's what makes folding socks such a compelling task. You take one, rummage through the entire heap, pick its partner, click your tongue in disapproval for it doesn't exactly match up, pick another which seems a better fit, fold it in half and put it away. When you get to the last pair, you're in for a rude shock. Either there is no partner for the last sock you are holding up or if there's one, they are as well matched as Laurel and Hardy!
Evidently, you've made a mistake somewhere. It is an onerous task now... to go back to each folded pair, put them all back on the table and start the process all over again. Even the Rubik's Cube can be solved in 16 moves, but not this. At the end of it, you've had enough of this nonsense. You simply take the last pair..and regardless of their credentials, match them up. If marriages can survive with ill matched partners, why not a measly pair of socks!!? They go right into the wardrobe as they are, they deserve each other you mutter.... slam the door... and dive into some other fruitful activity!

Socks can never be domesticated. They look upon their entire existence in the wardrobe as a life in solitary confinement. Andy Dufresne took 20 years to tunnel his way out of his prison cell at Shawshank. All that he needed was "geology and time". Socks can do it with much less- their favourite Houdini Act is to make a getaway from the washing machine. You swear that they were all in. By the time the washing machine has exhausted itself and you pull all the clothes out, one sock is gone. You twirl the drum multiple times, you stick your head and peer into it to ensure that it is not stuck between one of the rims- it is terribly perplexing...but the fact is....the sock has escaped... as clean as a whistle!! By the time you realize it, the sock is possibly well on its way to some island in the South Pacific... to a "warm place... with no memory"! You can keep twirling the washing machine drum with your hand faster and faster...in exasperation... but he ain't coming back any time soon!!

Our Drill Teacher in primary school was Miss Grace. That was just her name, it didn't exactly influence her personality. She liked all the students to be arrayed in rows..and dressed smartly. She didn't care whether the uniform was frayed or the shoes were dirty or the laces hung out liked tangled hair. But the socks had to be just right. They had to stretch up till the shin, just below the knee roll- "taut and white". If you occasionally wore shoes without socks because they got wet in the rain, you were castigated- "doodhwala bhaiyya...coming to school.. is it!?"- in obtuse reference to the milkman who wore footwear which required no socks.

By the end of the academic year, the socks were as tired as the students. After all, nothing changed in the Drill period the entire year. We were still marching up and down in the blazing sun. The elastic was frayed with use.... which meant that they went about their duty in a rather desultory manner now. As Mehernosh kept marching- left, right, left, right... the elastic gave up... and the socks slid down ever so slowly. There was nothing he could do about it. Soon, they were at his ankle, hugging his feet rather apologetically... making his legs stick out even more prominently like a pair of thin pipes! Miss Grace grabbed Mehernosh by one ear and while he winced in pain... pointed to his socks and said that he had better have them corrected.
This dressing-down ensured that Mehernosh followed a rather peculiar ritual from then on. He marched left-right-left.. and as Miss Grace went to the back of the class, he would stoop down, tug at one sock till it came right up to the knee roll; and again as Miss Grace passed him once more to the front of the class.. he would reach down and pull up the other sock and continue marching!!  A delicate balancing act all right, but it kept him afloat for the remainder of the year.. till he could buy another new pair of socks- "taut and white"!
If at all there was a hitch, it was this one- the rest of us who were positioned behind him in the row and copied his actions verbatim.. found it difficult to avoid this act alone. Soon an entire row had a different technique.... with a rhythmic tug at the ankles included in the marching regimen !!

Students used socks for all kinds of activities. They wore them on their hands and pretended they were lepers and went around the class begging ...or caught dragonflies and grasshoppers and stored the booty in their socks. It made them itchy and like Mehernosh, they just *had* to scratch and twitch right in the middle of the never-ending exercise drill. It was tough.

The showdown happened one afternoon... when Sridhar turned up in a pair of socks-a shocking pink colour. Miss Grace's eyes bulged as never before. Cool and composed, Sridhar was the first to speak- "Ma'am, my mother washed my socks with her sari in the same bucket! Ma'am, we are not so rich that she can buy me a new pair of socks."  In two straight sentences, he had completely disarmed Miss Grace. She was silent for the rest of the class, while Sridhar turned back and gave us one of his mischievous winks. That sly fellow!!



 

On umbrellas

"No! I cannot carry this old-fashioned grandfather's umbrella to school. My friends will laugh at me!" I protested at home. No school boy with an ounce of self-image carried a tent-like, black, "manual" umbrella with a handle curved at its end like a hockey stick! That was simply not done. Dabbawalas and bhaajiwalas carried an umbrella with those features, not school kids at Don Bosco. "Doesn't Subra carry one of these umbrellas?" my mother persisted. Subra was after all my hero- if he ate curd rice with his hands, I ate curd rice, if he listened to Carnatic music, I listened to it as well, however hideous it sounded! "Subra can do whatever he wants- he can shave his head and come to school if he wants to, I can't do something, just because he does it!"

That's when I made the transition from a traditional umbrella to a sleek, automatic umbrella. A press of a button and it unfurled- rather it exploded- on the person in front of you or worse on your own face!
As long as the Principal was out of sight, the short recess was put to good use. The school corridor was filled with kids armed with umbrellas as light sabres- each one re-enacting the famous Star Wars duel between Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker! It would have looked absolutely comical for someone to prance around and threaten the opponent with a traditional umbrella- more like Gandhiji taking on Darth Vader! It just wouldn't have won the approval of ones peers.

In many ways, the automatic umbrella had several challenges which its counterpart didn't have. Having unfurled the umbrella, it took a lot of effort to bring it back to ground state- the spring would be just too resistant. One had to position the umbrella handle at the belly, clench your teeth and plunge it down- with almost suicidal intent to get the required momentum to close it. The umbrella would close half-way- only for it to protest and groan and snap back to its full-blown form. It was especially frustrating to close the umbrella in time to get onto the BEST bus. Often, the attempts were unsuccessful- either you missed the bus simply because you couldn't close the umbrella  or you tried to gate crash into the bus with the umbrella still open, only for the bus conductor to deny you entry with a brusque show of hand. A traditional umbrella had no such drawbacks- it was just an eye sore!

A traditional umbrella was robust- it could take on the might of Mumbai's rains effortlessly. It was made for it. The automatic umbrella had no such capability. The rains toyed with this umbrella with  mischievous glee. Sometimes, the wind snatched the umbrella right out of your hand and made it perform a few somersaults, while you pursued it with your  hands held aloft- all drenched and looking absolutely silly. At other times, like Bakasura pouncing on his hapless prey, it turned the entire umbrella inside out. It was always a losing battle. After the incident, one of the steel rims would invariably give way. For the rest of the season, you walked around with an umbrella, looking more like a shapeless octopus with one of its tentacles sticking out like a needle! When three of  the four rims gave up, you simply discarded the umbrella and bought a new one- a new, automatic, sleek umbrella.

You always started the year by drawing an umbrella in the Drawing Class. Mrs Sequeira, our Art Teacher, examined the handiwork at the end of the class. Drawing an umbrella was never simple. There is always an irresistible urge to continue drawing curves, once you start one. Soon, almost a dozen curves would be drawn, spanning the entire page. The tough part was drawing the dome of the umbrella connecting the start of the first curve to the end of the last one. Many a student incurred the wrath of Mrs Sequeira for drawing an umbrella which at best looked like a UFO! If he got the dome right, the handle was not at the centre. The umbrella resembled a giant banyan tree with a single   adventitious root hanging apologetically from one side!
Mehernosh wanted to get the umbrella correct to the most intricate detail. He tried to draw even the ornamental cone on top of the umbrella. Only, he got his proportions wrong and drew a cone with dimensions rivalling the handle. At the end of it, it became terribly confusing. His umbrella appeared to have two handles- one at either end. The creation looked the same regardless of which way you turned the paper! Mrs Sequeira was not amused. She squinted her eyes and gave him a mouthful, "You gaddha..." (Donkey! in Anglicized Hindi)... she began.
It was tough to please Mrs Sequeira.

Traditional or automatic, Mumbaikers carry an umbrella for most part of the year. We have an umbilical relationship with umbrellas!





 

Sour grapes!

I have a problem with short stories and the inevitable moral that has to be derived from them.

Sometimes, the moral is right, but the story is questionable, at least for the mind of a child. Take the story of the "Thirsty Crow". We agree that the crow was clever and as an Indian bird, took recourse to "jugaad"- that "desi" trait to make things "work" with a crafty and street smart mind. But what you don't want is for your curious two-year old to take the story too seriously and try the experiment out with the glass of milk... and in the process, swallow both the milk and the pebble! It is a serious possibility with absolutely horrendous consequences, something which the story in all its simplicity just doesn't bother about.

Sometimes, the story is wrong and the moral is also wrong. We go to that story of the woodpecker which pulled out the bone stuck to the throat of the lion. That's exactly why the first story has a problem! Evidently, the lion appears to have towed the crow's line and put pieces of bone along with its water in its water-bowl and yes... paid a very dear price.
Anyway, coming back to this story, the lion, on a different day was ungrateful and wouldn't share its food with the woodpecker. It is known to have remarked to the woodpecker- "I could have swallowed you when you tried to remove the bone from my throat. But I didn't. Be thankful for that and don't disturb me!"
There are some factual anomalies here. How could the lion have swallowed the woodpecker when the bone was already stuck to its throat? Wouldn't the thought- what if the woodpecker also gets stuck along with the bone...crossed the lion's mind!? Or does the story mean... that after pulling out the bone, the woodpecker would have gone in...for a second inspection, to see if the throat was now perfectly fine and on this second attempt, the lion would have had the possibility to consume the woodpecker? The story is obviously flawed with some gaping holes in its plot line.
The woodpecker flew away. At a later point in time, when the lion was asleep, it pecked off one of the eyes of the lion. The lion howled in pain and questioned the woodpecker. The woodpecker is said to have retorted-"I could have blinded you in both eyes. But I didn't. Be thankful for that and don't disturb me!" The moral of the story is of course "Tit for tat".
A popular story all right.. which finds a mention in most picture books that we read out to children. It is left to the reader to imagine what impact it could have on the fertile, tender mind of a child-  leading to a society which justifies revenge and each person bays for the other's blood.
Thankfully, children are a lot more intelligent than we make them out to be. They take the story only at face value, memorize it, parrot it verbatim in class (along with the moral)... when their story-telling turn comes and are off in a flash to some other sensible activity.

The third possibility in the analysis of short stories is....where the story is right, but we have got the moral completely wrong. The fox entered a vineyard and tried to get the grapes which were a little too high. After jumping a few times, he is said to have slunk away with the remark "These are sour grapes". We laugh at the fox.
The question is... what else is the fox expected to do? Obviously, the grapes were too high and couldn't be reached. Do we want the fox to keep jumping till he possibly perishes out of sheer exhaustion!? 
Or do we resent only the remark of the fox- "these are sour grapes"? Again....what is the problem with this conclusion? Let's say that the grapes in that vineyard were all sour. In that case, it would simply be a statement of a fact and perfectly fine.
That's exactly where we poke at the fox- he didn't know that the grapes were sour but simply assumed that they were. Now....what should the fox have said? Do we want the fox to have a life-long complex that he is a downright loser ....because in a particular vineyard, on a specific creeper...some of the sweetest of grapes existed but he couldn't reach them? A conclusion such as that, would have surely nailed the fox's future.

The fox was right. May be, the sweetest of grapes existed, may be not. He tried a few times. He couldn't be faulted for lack of effort. He was pragmatic and gave up an exercise in futility. Most importantly, he made peace with himself with the remark.."these are sour grapes". He was mentally at ease. He moved on....moved on... to greener pastures where the sweetest of grapes sprang from the ground and required no effort at all!
Such is life. Be that frisky fox. Be a winner!!


 

Wrapping up the trip

When Lady Luck finally smiles, she doesn't just smile... she laughs!! How else can you explain this? A full flight from San Francisco to Dubai spanning over 15 tiresome hours- While the rest of humanity is packed like sardines for the entire duration, I get a window seat with no one sitting either in the next seat or the one next to that!! Enough room for me to even do somersaults!

Needless to say, I found it impossible to wipe the smile off my face for the entire journey. Though I tried to avoid eye contact as far as possible (which is always risky in these circumstances), it was tough not to be pierced by shafts of envy from many a pair of eyes! Also, when providence has favoured you in such a special way, you don't want to make a hash of it by being overly chatty and inviting unwanted company! That would be perfectly fine another day. Not for a 15 hour plane journey in economy class. Hence, I tried to be as aloof and unsociable as possible and I must say... I rather enjoyed my flight!!! A most despicable attitude all right, but under the circumstances, may be, a tad legitimate.

Never saw darkness the entire 15 hour journey! By nightfall, the flight was already in the upper reaches of Canada where the sun doesn't set till about 11:00 pm. Close to midnight, the flight was near the North Pole. The sun hovered around the horizon all the time, but never set! By 1:30 am, the airplane was over the Arctic Ocean and the sky was lit up as if it was 7:00 am in the morning! From then on, it was bright sunshine all the way.. right through Russia and Iran till it reached Dubai late in the evening.

Cloudscapes are fascinating- they seem to have topographical features of their own when viewed from an airplane. Flat and creamy, they extend like ice-fields all the way to the horizon, sometimes, fluffy and jagged like rock formations and at times, like a cliff edge... they end abruptly... only to reveal the actual ground... way below... where fields, mountains and the occasional river winds its way. The rays of the sun lit up one side of the clouds and created some of the most brilliant skyscapes.

Wrapping up in the Bay Area wasn't easy- I just about had time to pack up and rush to the airport. I seem to have somehow made a lot of purchase so that the two suitcases are full. I actually had to leave behind an old pair of jeans, my old shoes and even some underwear to make room for the new stuff!
Of course, underwear wouldn't occupy space or contribute to weight. But the dryer at the Hotel had other ideas. After the wash and dry, they all appear a size smaller and seem to squeeze the life out of me! Hence, had little choice but to leave them behind (except of course for the journey). And yes, I did inform the Hotel front desk about it. Last thing you want is a reputation that Indians vacate hotels without their underwear!! This is dark humour all right, but these are facts nonetheless, which need to be documented in appropriate detail!

In a few hours, I should be in Bangalore. It's truly disorienting no doubt- You are driving around El-Camino with the mountains behind you.. with a song on your lips and suddenly, that entire world view completely changes.

I can picture myself at Bengaluru, standing at one one of the BMTC bus stops. I can't read Kannada letters or numbers. As a bus comes by, I need to holler, "Gottigere! Gottigere!! Hogatta?" If the conductor responds in the affirmative, I get on the bus. He offers me a ticket to Gottigere. But I don't want to go to Gottigere. I want to go to Kalena Agrahara!

"Why did you shout Gottigere Gottigere then?"  the conductor questions, positively confused.
"Well, that's because Kalena Agrahara is too big a name! By then, the bus would have moved on and I wouldn't have got an answer from you!!" I offer an explanation.

The conductor shrugs his shoulders... in disapproval.. completely baffled by his passengers and their IQ!!
Bengaluru, here I come!