Philosophy

சிவன் தனது ஒரு கையில் உடுக்கையை ஏந்தி நிற்கிறான். லயத்தின் தலைவன் லய வாத்தியம் வாசிக்கிறான். சமஸ்கிருதத்தின் அடிப்படை ஆதாரமான ‘மஹேஷ்வர-ஸூத்திரங்கள்’ சிவன் தனது உடுக்கையைத் தட்டுகையிலேயே ஏற்பட்டன என்று நம்பப்படுகிறது. சிவன் தனது உடுக்கையை ஒலிக்கச் செய்கையிலே, தமிழ் ஒரு பக்கமும் சமஸ்கிருதம் மற்றொரு பக்கமுமாக வெளிவந்தன என்ற அழகான ஒரு கருத்தினைத் தமிழர்கள் குறிப்பிடுவார்கள். உடுக்கையைக்கொண்டு சிவன் வெளியில் ஒலி எழுப்புகிறார், எனினும் அவர் உள்ளத்திலோ என்றும் அமைதி நிலவுகிறது – உண்மையில் சிவனது உடுக்கை ஒரு விசித்திரமான குறியீடாகும். கன்னட எழுத்தாளரான திரு டி. வி.

இந்திய சம்பிரதாயங்களில் சிவன், ராமன், கிருஷ்ணன் எனும் தெய்வங்களை கற்றோரும், மற்றோரும் தொன்றுதொட்டு வணங்கி வருகின்றனர். ராமனும், கண்ணனும் வரலாற்றுக் கதாநாயகர்களெனில், சிவனோ ஒரு புராண புருஷன் ஆவான். ஆத்திகராயினும், நாத்திகராயினும் இம்முப்பெரும் தெய்வங்களின் கொள்கைகளைக் கடைபிடிப்பதன் மூலம் பெரிதும் பயன்பெறலாம். இதுவே சிவ-ராம-கிருஷ்ணர்களின் தன்மையாகும்.

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ऋततत्त्वे त्रिचतुरर्थच्छायाविच्छित्तयः सन्तीव भान्ति—

India’s greatest gift to the world is perhaps Vedānta, the science of reality, which can be hailed as the crown-jewel among the various treasures that our unbroken tradition of over five thousand years has offered.

Public life is replete with seeming paradoxes. A person closely involved in the public space cannot be hassled by what other people think about him but if someone accuses him of a wrongdoing, he must be capable of clearing his name. After all, his reputation is one of his greatest assets. A classic example in the case of Krishna is the episode of the śyamantakamaṇi. Satrajit’s brother who had been wearing it was found dead. Krishna was accused of theft and murder by Satrajit. He declared that if he did not find the jewel within twenty-one days, he would not return to Dvaraka.

As individuals, we can be utterly honest and upright. But that will not work at the societal realm. A public figure will have to resort to strategies. We see Krishna’s brilliance and foresight throughout. Long before he befriended the Pandavas, he was laying out a strategy for change.

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When Akrura comes to Gokula and invites Krishna to participate in the dhanuryāga, he takes leave of his foster-parents Yashoda and Nandagopa, and goes off with Akrura taking his brother Balarama with him. Even as the brothers enter the city of Mathura, they meet the royal washerman. Krishna and Balarama were honourable guests in Mathura but when they requested the washerman for a pair of clothes, he refused and abused them. Krishna immediately revolts. It didn’t matter who the other person was. They say that democracy needs eternal vigilance. We see that in Krishna’s life.

By the time Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judaea, by envious Jewish priests accusing him of treason and blasphemy, the Jewish high priest Joseph Caiaphas had already pronounced his death sentence. Jesus was produced before the governor only to get a formal administrative approval. They merely wanted Pilate to uphold the judgment of the Jewish high priest. That Jesus had to be awarded capital punishment was a foregone conclusion.

Fascinated by the Mahābhārata, Dr. S L Bhyrappa wrote the novel Parva in the 1970s, which narrated the human story of the epic, keeping aside the fantastical elements. In Parva, while referring to the character of Krishna, Vidura tells Dhritarashtra, “You’re completely mistaken about Krishna. He is such a person that even if the Pandavas die on the battlefield, he will make Kunti or Draupadi the queen and get them to rule the kingdom. He won’t give a damn to your wicked children!”

Krishna never stood for any individual; he stood for dharma.