One step forward, two steps back.

As a corollary to the Sixth Commandment, the Law of Moses decreed that a woman taken in adultery should be stoned to death. This was devoid of mercy & also patriarchal, as it was not applied to her partner in crime.

When Jesus Christ made his advent, the people wanted him to uphold this law. But He said "Let him without sin, cast the first stone" (Gospel according to St. John, Chapter 8, line 7) & made a quantum leap both in mercy & against patriarchy. It also exemplified the expectation of highest integrity in the law enforcers, as against the present attitude of tolerance, saying they are also part of a corrupt society.

But when the Prophet (PBUH) arrived, his religion reverted to the earlier barbaric practice, which was almost abandoned. The noblest idea of punishing the sin & not the sinner was given the go by.

This has a contemporary relevance in populist democracy. The putting out of commission of (may be incorrigible) wielders of power, gains the stamp of approval of the majority. It is conveniently forgotten that most of the majority might have done the same offence, if they had the opportunity, human nature being what it is.

British (mostly) Catalysts for Indian Greats.

"All that was good & living within us was made, shaped, & quickened by the British" - So goes the famous & controversial dedication to "The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian" by Nirad Chaudhuri.

Let us examine the facts which tend to support the above quote.

Alan Hume, the British ICS officer was known as the "Father of Indian National Congress" which later had luminaries like Gandhi & Nehru fighting for India's political independence.

Rev.William Hastie, ironically a clergyman told the future Swami Vivekananda about Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa & advised him to meet him, which later led to the resurgence of Hinduism on the global stage for the first time.

Later spreading of Hinduism globally was done in a spectacular fashion by Sri Satya Sai Baba, whose power was documented & presented to the world by writers led by Howard Murphet (Australia), John Hislop & Dr.Samuel Sandweiss (USA).

Even though Tagore won the Nobel Prize, it was the enthusiastic support of W.B.Yeats, which made him known world-wide.

Similarly Graham Greene's sponsorship made R. K. Narayan a known voice all over the world.

Though Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali" was very popular in Bengal, it's success in New York & Cannes, made Ray one of the all time greats of cinema.

The first LP record of Indian Classical Music by Ali Akbar

Khan had a spoken introduction by Yehudi Menuhin. His subsequent friendship of & collaboration with Ravi Shankar (not to mention Ravi Shankar's mentoring George Harrison) catapulted the Sitarist to dizzy heights of mega stardom.

In the very popular  Hindi film "Rang de Basanti", it is the Colonial British Jailor's grand-daughter, who while making a documentary about the freedom fighters, ignites the latent patriotism among Indian youth.

A Personal list of best Sitar & Sarod Records.

Sitar:

Ravi Shankar: Raga Ramkali. Bhairav"That" with unique use of Tivra Madhyam.

Vilayat Khan: Raga Saajgiri. Marwa "That" with occasional use of Shuddha Madhyam.

Nikhil Banerjee: Raga Shyam Kedar. A blend of Shyam Kalyan & Kedar.

Indraneel Bhattacharya: Ragas Puriya Dhanasri, Bagesri, Bihag & Khamach. Even though Nikhil Banerjee is supposed to have absorbed both Maihar & Etwah gharana styles, it is not evident in his playing. Only in Indraneel's playing it is evident because his first guru was from Etwah gharana & later he was trained by Allauddin Khan of Maihar.

Balaram Pathak: Ragas Ahir Bhairav & Peelu.

Unmatched delicacy of touch.

 

Debu Chaudhury: Senia gharana. Ahir Bhairav & Maru Bihag.

Budhaditya Mukerjee: Ragas Lalit & Sahana.

Sarod;

Ali Akbar Khan: Raga Malayalam: Named after his parents. Yaman "That."

Amjad Ali Khan: Raga Shyam Shree: Blend of Shyam Kalyan & Shree. Marwa "That."

Buddhadev Dasgupta: Raga Kamod. Rarely recorded. Professional Engineer.

1934 & about 10 years later: Two Turning Points in Sitar Music.

In 1934, Ravi Shankar decided to become a disciple of Enayat Khan. (Father of Vilayat Khan). But on the previous night of the formal ceremony, Ravi Shankar got typhoid & was hospitalized & the ceremony never took place.

About 10 years later, Allauddin Khan (guru of Ravi Shankar) was in Delhi, listening to the radio in his host's house, which was near AIR  station. He was impressed by the live performance of the Sitarist. Someone fetched him from the AIR station & Allauddin Khan recognized him & told him that as he, Vilayat Khan had lost his father & guru, he himself was prepared to teach him. Vilayat said yes, but never turned up.

If either of the above events had turned the other way, Ravi Shankar & Vilayat Khan would be "Gurubhais" (fellow students of the same master) & not rivals!

Another conjecture is, if Ravi Shankar had not got typhoid in 1934, he might not have met & married Annapurna Devi, & she would have continued to perform & become greater than either Ravi Shankar or Vilayat Khan!

A Brahmo & Brahmins

Though Satyajit Ray, a Brahmo, started his film career by making films about an impoverished Brahmin family (Apu Trilogy), towards whom everyone would sympathize, towards the end of his career, he made "Sadgati", a Hindi telefilm, whose Brahmin Character, is a completely unsympathetic man.

In between, in many films, he depicts the lingering respect for Brahmins still present in Bengali milieu. 

In "Ashani Sanket", the Brahmin priest, goes out to buy rice during the Bengal Famine. Even though he is willing to pay, none is to be had. But a hoarder, though refusing to sell, invites him to have as much rice as he can eat (of course cooking it himself, as he is a Brahmin).

In "Jana Aranya", the educated unemployed Somnath, meets an acquaintance who suggests he become self-employed & points out a ground-nut vendor as an example, but adds, being a Brahmin, he cannot be a nut vendor, & advises him to become a sales agent, which Somnath becomes. (It is quite another matter that to bag a lucrative contract, Somnath has to pimp his friend's sister, hardly a Brahminical activity!)

Arachnophobia & Children's literature

Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) is a feature of many books, notably "Lord of the Rings", where Shilob, a vicious female spider, who ranks with the other vicious characters like the Dark Riders, Balrog & Ring-wraiths appears. It takes all the ingenuity of Frodo Baggins & Sam Gamgee to outwit her.

In the "Harry Potter" books also, Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley suffers from Arachnophobia.


Such being the case, it is going against the grain to picture a spider as a sympathetic creature in "Charlotte's Web", one of the most popular children's books. Without downplaying her essential nature of spinning  webs, catching flies & eating them, Charlotte  the spider, befriends the lonely pig Wilbur & with her wily webs prevents him from ending  up as bacon or ham. He, in gratitude, saves her eggs & helps her progeny to grow.

Metallurgy & Divine Incarnations

In Hindu mythology, Rama & Krishna are considered Divine Incarnations. But in their sojourn here, they had perforce do many ambiguous things. Like Rama shooting Vaali from behind a tree & subjecting Seetha to repeated tests. Similarly Krishna, during the battle, suggesting the killing of Karna & Duryodhana. 

One way of looking at these things is to study Metallurgy, where one finds pure forms of rare metals very rarely useful. Only when they are alloyed with base metals, do they become useful for daily activities.

Similarly noble qualities like truthfulness, honouring promises etc., may have to be alloyed with a little deviousness & expediency in order to survive in this world, even by Divine Incarnations!

Fathers & Sons.

No, this is not about Turgenev's pre revolution classic of the same name. Though one connect of the novel to the present parlous time is when Bazarov, an important character, while conducting an autopsy, cuts himself, contracts an infection & dies in the prime of life, like so many doctors during this pandemic.

However, this note deals with two fictional  fathers, separated by space & time, abandon their sons, because their mothers died giving birth to them. One is Archibald Craven (The Secret Garden, 1911) abandoning his son Colin, & the other Apu ((Aparajito, 1928) abandoning Kajal. The difference between the two uxorious husbands is that Archibald is wealthy, buys everything money can buy for his son, but travels abroad while Apu has to work for a living but sends money to his father-in-law for Kajal's upkeep. But both novels end with the fathers reuniting with their sons because of fortuitous circumstances.

Neuroscience & Panchakosha

Dr. V. S. Ramachandran, the eminent neuroscientist, in his path-breaking book "Phantoms of the Brain" discusses the curious case of amputees still feeling their missing limb. He quotes the case of Tom Sorenson, whose left arm above the elbow was removed. But he could feel every part of the missing "phantom" limb. Other patients also after waking up from anasthesia, are incredulous when told that their arm had to be sacrificed, because they still vividly feel its presence.

It is curious that the learned doctor, in spite of his Hindu origin, has not made even a passing reference to the "Panchakosha" theory of Hindu philosophy, even though it may not be accommodated in mainstream Western Science.

The "Panchakosha" (five sheaths) are mentioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad of Krishna Yajurveda. These are supposed to cover the "Atman" (soul) & comprise:

1.Annamaya Kosha (Food sheath)
2.Pranamaya Kosha (Breath sheath)
3.Manomaya Kosha (Mind sheath)
4.Vijnanamaya Kosha (Intellect sheath)
5.Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss sheath)

Of course, if one dissects a cadaver, one finds only the Annamaya Kosha. Rene Descartes postulated the (artificial) seperation of the body & mind. But Leonardo da Vinci was the first to discover the "holistic science" & considered them inseparable. In the twentieth century, the physicist Fritjof Capra demonstrated that most illnesses are psycho-somatic in origin, finally dispelling the dichotomy between body & mind. This may be considered to integrate the first three koshas, even if only the first is perceived by the senses.

Taking this analogy further, the pain or feeling in the phantom limb may be considered to be felt because of the unseen presence of the third & fourth koshas. In fact, one may even argue that the "phantom limb" phenomena proves the panchakosha theory!

As William Shakespeare's Hamlet says 
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
(or Western Science in this case!)

HEALING POWER OF NATURE & POSITIVE THINKING IN TWO CHILDREN'S CLASSICS

In both Johanna Spyri's "Heidi" & Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden", the above theme is fully exploited. In both books, the unwitting catalysts of change are two orphan girls, Heidi & Mary Lennox.

Sweet natured Heidi is brought to be a companion to a wheel-chair bound rich girl, Clara Sesemann in Frankfurt. But Heidi is homesick for her poor home in Swiss Alps, where she used to live with her grandfather. Though fond of Clara, she manages to go back to her home in the Alps, not before inviting Clara to visit her. When Clara gets to visit Heidi, the invigorating climate & gentle nudging from Heidi, persuade Clara to stand up & take a few tottering steps. This gradually improves so that when Clara's father visits her, she is able to walk up to him!

In contrast, the sour tempered Mary Lennox after losing her parents in India, arrives to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, who after losing his wife, shuts up the garden loved by her & also neglects his sickly, bed-ridden but willful son Colin. Mary discovers both the "secret" garden & the crying spoiled cousin, Colin. She, with the help of Dickon, brother of a maid at the Craven manor, renovates the garden & persuades Colin to visit it & regain his will to live & regain his health.