Most mythological tales are monochromatic. There are white , pristine , pure and good people and of course the black powerful figures of evil hood. Of course , with great deals of dramas and twists in the tales , the good triumphs over the evil, the world is saved and everyone sighs with relief .
Hinduism , on the other hand , has remarkable mythological stories. Stories that make you sit up and re-read. Or scratch your head with sheer exasperation . Or wonder! The interplay of good and evil is so profound that in the end , every victory is deemed pyrrhic(which most battles are), every hero has a dark side to him , and large feet of decadent clay, most of the villains are either victims of circumstances , or are just plain heroes, on the other side of the fence . Every diplomat is an evil-plotter cum benign sage , every God a stockpile of destructive powers gone berserk,or worse , a pedophile/casanova to boot.
For these iconoclastic reasons , I love Mahabharata. Everyone who is riddled with existential questions should read this great book . Everyone who wants to be cofounded further , that is. All the conventional wisdom , great theories of fair play, justice , black and white sense of right and wrong , is thrown to the winds , to the great delight of the anarchist. There is no right or wrong . Even Gods twist judgements gleefully , to suit themselves . The great war is a colossal farce and in the end, there are no clear winners . Sages , teachers , grandparents are slaughtered by so called heroes , and villains
emerge better warriors .
Hinduism , on the other hand , has remarkable mythological stories. Stories that make you sit up and re-read. Or scratch your head with sheer exasperation . Or wonder! The interplay of good and evil is so profound that in the end , every victory is deemed pyrrhic(which most battles are), every hero has a dark side to him , and large feet of decadent clay, most of the villains are either victims of circumstances , or are just plain heroes, on the other side of the fence . Every diplomat is an evil-plotter cum benign sage , every God a stockpile of destructive powers gone berserk,or worse , a pedophile/casanova to boot.
For these iconoclastic reasons , I love Mahabharata. Everyone who is riddled with existential questions should read this great book . Everyone who wants to be cofounded further , that is. All the conventional wisdom , great theories of fair play, justice , black and white sense of right and wrong , is thrown to the winds , to the great delight of the anarchist. There is no right or wrong . Even Gods twist judgements gleefully , to suit themselves . The great war is a colossal farce and in the end, there are no clear winners . Sages , teachers , grandparents are slaughtered by so called heroes , and villains
emerge better warriors .
No comments:
Post a Comment