Universal appeal of "Savitri"

This story, originally found in the "Aranya  Parva" of Mahabharatha, is about Savitri, who married Satyavan, in spite of knowing of his allotted short life span. When the Lord of Death arrives to take him, Savitri argues with him & claims back Satyavan. In this, she is similar to Nachiketa (Katha Upanishad), who was presented to the Lord of Death by his own father, but triumphantly won the Supreme Knowledge, while still a teenager! So much for the much touted "Teen Angst" now!

Sri Aurobindo, metaphysically analysed this story in his Magnum Opus, the epic poem of the same name in 24,000 lines of blank verse. The theme here was the transcendence of Man into a Supramental being.

The English composer, Gustav Holst, composed an eponymous opera, inspired by this story. His daughter, Imogen, has conducted a recorded version with Dame Janet Baker, the celebrated Soprano, singing the title role.

Sri Ramakrishna & Women's education

Mahendra Nath Gupta, who chronicled Sri Ramakrishna's teachings for posterity, writes about his second visit on March, 1882. Sri Ramakrishna asked him whether his wife is "under the power of avidya?" The disciple, replied "I am afraid she is ignorant" probably referring to conventional education, as he was a school teacher.  Sri Ramakrishna, displeased, asked him "Are you a man of knowledge?" meaning spiritual knowledge.

In this second decade of the 21st Century, the above conversation has assumed ominous, sinister overtones. First one has to accept that, in the famous opening words of the immortal Jane Austen, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that" the Ultimate goal of Hindu life is Moksha, or liberation from the cycle of birth & death. It was followed not only by learned lady scholars like Gargi & Maitreyi but also by Queen Chudala (Yoga Vasista), who was the spiritual preceptor of her husband the King, & Queen Madalasa (Markandeya Purana), who was the spiritual preceptor to her sons.

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was an Abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, medical writer & practitioner. Christine de Pisan (1364-1430) was a pioneer, being France's first professional woman of letters, when she wrote "The Book of the City of Ladies", arguably one of the first feminist texts, detailing the achievements of women. 

Female secular education, which picked up momentum in the beginning of the twentieth century, satisfied the longing for secular knowledge, as movingly described by the great Virginia Woolf. Also it transformed able women into cultured ladies, conversant with the arts & sciences.

Unfortunately, in a quest to use education as a tool for earning money, the perennial Saraswathi is converted into a mere conduit to get to the fickle Lakshmi. So, to come back to the beginning, Sri Ramakrishna's remarks about women being "Vidya" or custodians of spiritual knowledge, has not only completely evaporated, but has not even left the residue of cultured ladies (with a few honourable exceptions of course.)

"Religious Correctness" as opposed to "Political Correctness"

In the current scenario, even non politicians are obliged to be "politically correct". But it may be equally, if not more prudent, to be "religiously correct", religion being potentially more incendiary in its effects. It is axiomatic that a multiplicity of religions have come up to cater to the needs of different sections of people around the globe, at various points of history.

The ideas of "Chosen People" & "God's Own Country" being bandied about, are too ridiculous for words, implying a "step fatherly" God! The essential oneness of God & various religions as alternate ways was reiterated in India by near contemporaries, Shirdi Sai Baba & Sri Ramakrishna.

If one accepts the omniscience & omnipotence of God, one has to willy-nilly accept that God himself has allowed different religions to come up (like different languages) for different civilisations spread across space & time. So it ill behoves the human race to quarrel about the "true" or "better" religion.

One way out of this apparent conundrum is to elevate one's mindset from mere religion to spirituality, from which sane & logical viewpoint, one can observe things in their true perspective. This is brought out in the startlingly similar ideas espoused in the "Tat twam asi" of the Chandogya Upanishad, the "Ten perfections" of the Dhammapada, the Seven mansions in the "Interior Castle" of St. Teresa of Avila, the "Revelations of Divine Love" of Julian of Norwich & the love of Allah experienced by Rabia of Basra, to name a few.

To sum up, as writers from Thomas Paine (Age of Reason) to Richard Bach (Seagull) have opposed organised religions, with good reason, (which have an unfortunate tendency to sow discord), a spiritual viewpoint may be a more harmonious way of looking at things