Statue of Woman who prayed for ugliness at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art!

The 13th Century statue of the 6th Century Tamil saint known as Karaikkal Ammaiyar is at the MET, New York.

She was named Punithavathi & was an ardent Shiva devotee from childhood. But she was a perfect wife to her materialist husband. Once her husband gave her two mangoes to be kept for his lunch & went out. A hungry Shiva devotee arrived & asked her for food. She gave him one mango. 

When the husband came home, she gave him the other. When he asked for the second, she went to the Puja room & prayed & got another & gave it to her husband. It was far more tastier than the first. The husband became suspicious & asked for another. She prayed again & got another but as her husband was about to take it from her hand, it vanished right in front of his eyes. His disbelief also vanished & he realised that his wife was no ordinary woman & he could not treat her as wife. He saluted her, went away & married again.

Punithavathi, still youthful & beautiful, prayed to Lord Shiva to take away her charms, as she had no husband to enjoy them. He turned her into an aged crone & she spent the rest of her life praying to & worshipping Shiva.

Paradox of a Popular Saint

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897) was one of only four women saints & Doctors of the Church. She is one of the most popular saints in the history of the Church. Pope Pius X called her "the greatest saint of modern times."

When only 15, she became a nun after overcoming various obstacles, including her young age. She spoke out against some of the claims made concerning the lives of the saints written in her day. She said "We should not say improbable things or things we do not know. We must see their real, & not their imagined lives.'

In her last eighteen months, she fell into a "night of faith", in which she is said to have felt Jesus was absent & been tormented by doubts that God existed. Readers of John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" may recall Christian's encounter with the "Giant Despair" & subsequent imprisonment in his "Doubting Castle."

In the film made on her life, the little Therese on being told of Joan of Arc's life, exclaims that she wants to be like her. This came true as she was declared Patron Saint of France posthumously along with St.Joan. During her last days, the Mother Superior of her convent admits she voluntarily humiliated her but says that Therese would not have become a saint without it. This again draws a parallel with the "Valley of Humiliation" in Bunyan's book mentioned above.

At the age of 24, she died coughing blood, because of consumption.

As such she belongs to the pantheon of women who devoted their lives to God like Akka Mahadevi, Meerabai, Sri Andal, Karaikal Ammaiyar & others.

Rich man, Poor man & Krishna Part 2 (Supported by St. Catherine of Siena)

There is an apocryphal story of how once Krishna & Arjuna were travelling & at nightfall came across a rich man's house & asked for shelter. The rich man refused rudely & Krishna left saying "May your wealth increase. "Then they came to a poor man's hut & asked for shelter. The poor man gladly welcomed them & fed them with milk & said he had only this hut & a cow. As they were leaving in the morning Krishna told him "May your hut burn down & your cow die of natural causes."

Arjuna, shell-shocked, asked him the reason. Krishna said the rich man thinks happiness will come out of wealth, so I blessed him with more so that after innumerable births he will know that happiness does not come out of wealth. The poor man is very near liberation with only his hut & cow standing in his way. If they are removed, he will instantly attain liberation, which is the true goal of human life.

St. Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380), one of only four female Saints & Doctors of the Church, dictated while she was in spiritual ecstasy, a book called "The Dialogue of Divine Providence", a dialogue between soul & God. In it she quotes God as saying "I give more to the sinner than the righteous man, because the righteous man is able to endure privation & I take from him the goods of the world that he may the more abundantly enjoy the goods of heaven. Even for worldly people, I give them time & do not quickly punish their sins."

St. Hildegard of Bingen/ Hinduism - Part 2

Sequestered in her meditation cell, St. Hildegard received a series of psychic tableaus that she sketched on wax, which were subsequently turned into paintings. Her accompanying interpretations of these visions were also later transcribed.

She says, "I saw a vast instrument, round & shadowed, in the shape of an egg, faithfully showing Omnipotent God, incomprehensible in His majesty & inestimable in his mysteries & the hope of all the faithful."

One hymn of the Rigveda (RV 10.121) known as the Hiranyagarbha Sukta, suggests a single creator deity. Hiranyagarbha is also Brahma, so-called because it is said he was born in a golden egg.

The Matsya Purana (2.25-30) says after Mahapralaya, Swayambhu, the self manifested being arose. It created the primordial waters first & established the seed of creation into it. The seed turned into a golden womb, Hiranyagarbha & then Swayambhu entered into that egg.

St. Hildegard of Bingen/ Hinduism

St. Hildegard of  Bingen (1098-1179) was a Benedictine abbess & polymath, active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary & as a medical writer & practitioner.

In 1146, she wrote to Bernard of Clairvaux, the great churchman of her day, about "The sacred sound through which all creation resounds" (similar to the "Anahata Nada" or Primordial Sound in Hinduism.) Also she wrote to him about "the Word from which all the world was created" (similar to the "Aum" in Hinduism, which means the essence of the cosmic world.)

Fritjof Capra, wrote how Holistic theory (as opposed to the Cartesian theory) was pioneered by Leonardo da Vinci. He extended this logic to the Systemic Model vs the Biomedical Model in Healthcare. But in 1158 itself, Hildegard  wrote "Causes & Cures & Physica", with emphasis on wholeness, balance & diet, anticipating the holistic view. Of course, the traditional Hindu system of Healthcare, Ayurveda, evolved much earlier, employed a holistic approach.

Between 1161-63, (when marriage was common among the clergy), she called for the clerics to lead celibate lives & distance themselves from the world. This mirrors the Hindu idea of celibacy being the "sine qua non" of any spiritual life.

She also supported meditation as the practice of reading aloud & pondering with the whole person - not only with memory, will & attention, but also with body, mind & spirit - on the meaning of the text. This is a reflection of "Sravana, Manana & Nididhyasana" of Vedanta, leading to "Tat Twam Asi."

Medical Care in 1950's Bangalore

At that time, it was primary & simple. Most of the medical practitioners were qualified only with L.M.P. (Licensed Medical Practioner) a much shorter course than M.B.B.S., which was acquired by only a handful of elite doctors. All these general practitioners were "single point contacts" in that they would not refer to further tests (no diagnostic labs). They would not even write out a prescription, but give out powders (probably pounded from tablets) & a liquid mixture in bottles like fever mixture, cold mixture etc., prepared by "compounders" employed by them.

In extreme cases, they might refer to specialists, of whom there were only one each in the whole city! For example, Dr Venkatasubba Rao was the only Cardiologist & Dr. Srinivasamurthy the only Orthopaedic Surgeon in the city. For dental problems, one would visit the Govt. Dental College. For life or death cases, there were only Govt. Hospitals. For Eye check-ups, Dr. Mekhri (near Lalbagh) was the only go-to  eye specialist, apart from the Minto Hospital. S. R. Gopala Rao was the only shop preparing & selling the spectacles.

Though the care was extremely elementary & unable to diagnose & cure many diseases which are easily cured now, the silver lining in the cloud was, none would recommend (probably avoidable) tests & treatments just to keep the diagnostic labs & other specialists busy & occupied. This trend started with the mushrooming of private "nursing homes", which were the precursors of the current Corporate Hospital Chains, who prioritise stockholder dividends over patient care & doctors' well being.

Famous French Fictional Female

Honore de Balzac wrote a classic novel called "Eugenie Grandet." The eponymous  character is the only child of Monsieur Grandet, a wealthy miser. When her cousin Charles visits her, she falls in love with him & they promise to marry. However Charles has to leave on a business trip. Meanwhile Eugenie's parents pass away & she is left a wealthy heiress. These events occupy the major part of the book.

However Charles on his return wants to be released from his engagement to marry a lady more suitable for his social ambition. He is also in debt. Eugenie, in her magnanimity,  releases him & also pays his debts.

The real nobleness of Eugenie's character comes out at this point. Though very wealthy, she dresses simply & has a frugal lifestyle, donating munificently to the local church. Monsieur le Cure of the Church visits her & advises her either to enter the convent or marry. She prefers to enter the convent. But the priest advises her to marry &  remain in the world because of her great wealth which is being distributed to the needy. She agrees & accepts Monsieur de Bonfons, a local luminary, who paid court to her but stipulating to him not to insist on his conjugal rights, as her memories were permanent & not likely to fade. He agrees, satisfied by a wealthy wife, who may advance his social upward mobility. However, he passes away a few years later, leaving Eugenie a wealthier widow. So the novel ends with Eugenie at 33, still beautiful, but with all the dignity that is acquired by suffering, & the saintliness of a person who has kept her soul unspotted by contact with the world & spending the rest of her life in philanthrophy.

Eugenie's demeanour reminds one of the famous opening lines of George Eliot's "Middlemarch" in which the heroine, Dorothea Brooke is described thus: "She had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress. She could wear sleeves not less bare of style than those in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to Italian painters; her profile as well as her stature & bearing seemed to gain the more dignity from her plain garments."

Great Illustrated Animal Stories in Western Literature

The one book with a multi-layered approach is A. A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh" stories. In addition to the honey loving Winnie the bear, the other characters are the bossy Rabbit, the anxious Piglet, the wise Owl, the depressive Eeyore, the mother Kanga & her son Roo, (making the kangaroo pair) & the ever bouncing Tigger. Looking after this menagerie is the boy Christopher Robin. "Decorations" by E. H. Shepard are integral to the books.

The first books to be loved by very young children were the ones by Beatrix Potter, who insisted that the books be small to suit children's hands. Her artwork was in a class of her own. Not only Peter Rabbit but other animals & birds appear in her stories.

The Little Grey Rabbit stories written by Alison Uttley & illustrated by Margaret Tempest brought to life the unselfish Little Grey Rabbit, the boastful Hare, the vain Squirrel, the Hedgehog family, postman Robin, Moldy Warp the mole, & again the wise Owl (like in Winnie).

Probably the most attractive books with incredibly detailed illustrations are the Brambley Hedge books featuring adorable mice, written & illustrated by Jill Barklem.

Even though "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame was not conceived initially as an illustrated book, it must be mentioned that the edition with the impressionist illustrations by Inga Moore, is really out of this world.

Soundaryalahari (Attributed to Sri Shankaracharya.)

This work comprises 100 verses, the first 41 verses purely devotional in nature & the rest describing the physical beauty of the Divine Mother. As Swami Vivekananda said "The Absolute is formless, but energy is female. When the energy takes form, it is called 'Mother.' Mother is the moving power, disturbing into waves the water-calm of the Absolute." It is also a tantric text giving the yantras, their description, details & benefits for all the 100 verses.

The unique aspect of the work is the celebration of idealised feminine beauty according to the norms of classical Sanskrit poetry (from verse 42 onwards) but as adoration of the Divine Mother.

A similar adoration of Divine feminine beauty is celebrated in Western Art by artists ranging from Giotto di Bondone to the celebrated Renaissance triumvirate of Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo Buonarotti & Raphael Sanzio in their adoration inspiring Madonnas holding the Infant Christ. The spiritual radiance in the countenance of the Virgin Mary in their paintings is luminous.

Invaluable Historical Handbooks

The Domesday Book (1086) is one of the most famous documents in English history. It was compiled towards the end of William the Conquerer's life, after the Norman Conquest of England, when he commissioned surveyors to travel the length & breadth of the country, itemising the 'possessions of each of the magnates, their lands, their habitations, their men.' Few countries have an equivalent historical resource. (From "The Penguin Classics Book" by Henry Eliot.) It's usefulness & relevance can be gauged by the fact that it is still in print.

Sri. D. V. Gundappa (DVG) compiled a "Mysore  Mirror" for the year 1915. It was first prepared in English & later translated into Kannada. He writes in the preface that necessary development activities cannot be undertaken without first having an exact picture of the present. This is presented in the table of contents listing the geographical area, climate, flora & fauna, minerals, population (with various types of break-up), religions, language, history, livelihoods, industries, trade, education, government (including legislative, executive & judiciary) & detailed, meticulous, quantitative presentation of the above. It gives an exact objective picture of the state on that year & is an invaluable source book. This occupies 130 pages in the last section of the last of the 11 volumes of DVG's complete works in Kannada.

'Useless' (?) Knowledge & it's Uses

Lord Bertrand Russel, mathematician & philosopher 'extraordinaire', wrote an essay  called 'Useless' Knowledge. In it he postulates that the Renaissance involved a revolt against the utilitarian conception of knowledge. The utilitarian concept is the needs man shares with the animals like sustenance & pecking order (called 'Status' euphemistically in human society.) Learning, in the Renaissance, was part of the 'joie de vivre' like drinking or love-making. The French Revolution gave a blow to 'gentlemanly culture' whereas the Industrial Revolution offered new scope to the exercise of 'ungentlemanly' skill. Lord Russell felt that there is indirect utility in the possession of knowledge which does not contribute to technical efficiency. He also thought that some of the worst features of the modern world could be improved by a greater encouragement of such knowledge & a less ruthless pursuit of mere professional competence.

Dr. Zena Hitz, in her book "Lost in Thought" devotes an entire chapter to "The Uses of Uselessness." Her credo is that "The exercise of the love of learning is a form of the inner life; it requires withdrawal from the pursuit of wealth & status, from politics & the pursuit of justice." She quotes the American Doris Day as saying "I am always telling people to read Dickens or Tolstoy." She also cites Jonathan Rose, author of "The Intellectual Life of the British Working  Classes" as saying the workers cultivate an inner world not subject to poverty's power to diminish. (Free public libraries being copious in England.)

The above views are particularly cogent here & now, where single minded pursuit of wealth & status have become the new be-all & end-all of human aspiration.

Modesty, defined by Mary Wollstonecraft

In her epoch-making book, "A Vindication of the Rights of Women", instead of the perceived view of her as a militant feminist, Ms. Wollstonecraft promotes the virtue of modesty. She writes "The woman who has dedicated her time to pursuits purely intellectual; and whose affections have been exercised by humane plans of usefulness, must have more purity of mind than the ignorant beings whose time & thoughts have been occupied by gay pleasures, or schemes to conquer hearts." 

If the word "intellectual" is replaced by "spiritual", she could well be describing Miranda, a fictional female paragon of Christianity in William Law's "A Serious Call to a Devout & Holy Life." This view also finds an echo in Zena Hitz's "Lost in Thought - The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life". 

Ms. Woolf also states that till men are more chaste, women will continue to be immodest, putting the onus squarely on the men. She writes about men, with debauched minds, coolly bringing forward indecent allusions or obscene witticisms in the presence of fellow creatures comparing them to lewd jokers setting the table in a roar.

She also berates women for being too familiar with each other, which leads to that gross degree of familiarity that renders the marriage state unhappy. She naively thought it was due to their minds being uncultivated in her time. Sadly, even though women are more supposedly more "educated" now, their minds remaining quite uncultivated is the "new normal" now!

It may be mentioned in passing that in traditional Hinduism, modesty is a prized virtue, protecting its possessor from the sin of vanity. In Quran (24:30), also both men & women are enjoined to turn their eyes away from temptation & to preserve their chastity. The Bible says, (1 Timothy 2:9), "women should adorn themselves modestly."

Kautilya & Thucydides

Even though Kautilya's "Arthashastra" is more known as a treatise on statecraft & Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War" is considered the first accurate objective history, there is a striking similarity of views in both works, probably because Kautilya's work is believed to be composed in the 3rd Century B.C., Thucydides's work is believed to be from the 4th Century B.C.

Arthashastra has chapters on foreign policy, defence & war, going into details like neighbouring countries being allies or enemies & how & when to enter into treaties with allies. Both in India & Greece, there were vassal kings, who would pay tribute. So how to plan joint activities with them & start campaigns are minutely discussed.

"An enemy's destruction shall be brought about even at the cost of great losses in men, materials & wealth." (7.13.33) advises Kautilya. A Corinthian, an ally of the Spartans, urges them "Your inactivity has done enough harm. Give your allies the help you promised & invade Attica at once." (1.5.71) His advice was heeded & Sparta entered into the Peloponnesian wars against Athens, which lasted for 27 years. Even though Thucydides himself served as a General in the Athenian army, it did not prevent him from writing an impartial history of the war.

As Kautilya was writing about a landlocked country, the armed forces were divided into infantry, cavalry, chariots & elephants. The Greek forces consisted of infantry & the navy as they were surrounded by sea. But apart from these differences, the viewpoints are remarkably similar, proving the adage "Great minds think alike."