Dear friends I am reacting to the mail from Sridhar regarding myths.
How interesting myth is, how dull reality is!
But is it difficult to sift truth from myths? I don't think so. It requires a tranquile frame of mind. In my opinion some more baggage would also be helpful. More later.
I would like to just touch upon one fundamental issue. That is what we call, history, culture and tradition.
Who said history is nothing but a chronology of exceptions? Does history record achivements of common man - a man and a woman bringing forth a lively family leading a joyful life, acting on the basis of shared wisdom? Isn't this caused our great culture - our cuisne - morkuzhmbu, idly, briyani etc our unimaginal range of textiles, motifs and dresses - sari, salwar-kameez, pavadai-dhavani, spontaneity of thalattu (lulluby) etc, etc? Aren't these created by the silent mejority? I shall leave this topic for the time being, leaving to a future time when some one of you provoke me!
Last year around this time I was talking to a most venerable person most of you know and respect. The discussion turned to something on the above lines. I mentioned that our kings of the past had been fighting incessantly for no rhyme or reason, causing untold mysery to common people. He defended the action of the kings that they were taking avenge of the humiliation meted out their ancesters. i did not accept the argument, for I felt that they were simply satisfying their ego at the cost of people who were nothing to do in the matter.
OK, there was no concept of democracy then. How do we feel to day? Can we also consider their great conquest in this light? A Chola king defeating the Pandya king will burn down villages, towns, and everything; will heap untold and unspeakable horrors on the people. The Pandya's son will play on the same coin. This kind of 'an eye for eye' has left every blind. Many of the great manuments are built to satisfy the ego of the man in power.
Poets of the period extolled such vitues. It looks that women of the sangam period bore sons only to send them to the warfront.
What I am attempting to say we allow ourselves to be carried away by such exploits. Myths have a similar effect on us. (I ma fully aware of benefits of myths in our life.)
Right in the beginning I mentioned that it is totally possible look at the situation with equanimity. I will elaborate on this later if there is an occation in the future.
With the refrain 'shouldn't the common man be our concern, I close this long letter.
> >Who said history is nothing but a chronology of exceptions? Does history >record achivements of common man - a man and a woman bringing forth a >lively family leading a joyful life, acting on the basis of shared wisdom? >Isn't this caused our great culture - our cuisne - morkuzhmbu, idly, >briyani etc our unimaginal range of textiles, motifs and dresses - sari, >salwar-kameez, pavadai-dhavani, spontaneity of thalattu (lulluby) etc, etc? >Aren't these created by the silent mejority? I shall leave this topic for >the time being, leaving to a future time when some one of you provoke me!
In my opinion, history records everything- nothing is too unimportant for history. Its the people who fail to catalogue it.:-)
I've heard of epics like Silapathikaaram and Periya puranam- that detail the lives of common people, their trials and tribulations.
People have the tendency to pick out sensation and cling to it. My guess is that a good deal was recorded- but very little was made use of.
>What I am attempting to say we allow ourselves to be carried away by such >exploits. Myths have a similar effect on us. (I ma fully aware of benefits >of myths in our life.)
Somehow, I think Myths are a way of reminding us of our own strengths- at a time when depression threatens to overwhelm us. The knowledge that we were great once, inspires the belief that we could be great again.
>Right in the beginning I mentioned that it is totally possible look at the >situation with equanimity. I will elaborate on this later if there is an >occation in the future.