Quid Pro Quo With The Gods

E. Ve. Ra. Periyar

I think the word Periyar denotes a "learned person". When the entire Tamilnadu relied upon Vedic Scriptures to understand right living, he became very popular to bring his Rationalist ideas to the common people with very logical and substantial arguments against the prescribed right living principles. He also chose to attack Hinduism in particular as it was the majority religion and he didn't bother to attack other religious beliefs.

When Dr. Ambadkar wrote the Constitution of India, he also emphasized the need to create a reservation system not purely driven by merit but based on the caste system. When this was enforced across the nation, EVR represented those who were underprivileged in the society and won their heart through his rational ideas. Particularly, those who preserved and protected the Scriptures were targeted for verbal attack.

The Vedic Scriptures classified people into four classes a) Those who are supposed to preserve and protect Scriptures that teaches us about right living, b) Those who need to rule the society for the well-being of the society, c) Those who need to do business to distribute the essential products across various regions and d) Those who would provide hard labor for the well-being of the society.

To my knowledge, these classifications are based on Satwic, Selfless Rajasic, Selfish Rajasic and Tamosic qualities dominant among the people. People with a dominant Satwic quality should teach the right living to others and live their life with austerity based on the donations given by others, Selfless Rajasic should rule the society for the well-being of the society so that they can establish righteousness, Selfish Rajasic can indulge in business to make profit for themselves but through their distribution benefit others in the society and lastly those with Tamosic dominant quality to do hard labor for the well-being of the society.

These classifications in the Scriptures are interpreted as indication of various castes and hence Rationalist like Periyar created a greater impression in the minds of those who belong to Backward and Reserved communities. Also people with dominant Satwic and Rajasic qualities drifted from the recommended right living principles and became selfish to amass wealth. Zamindari system determining how much money others can make and politicians making money for their services to the community became an enforced system on others and promptly resisted by them. Particularly, a portion of the Scriptures that describes how the human beings were made from various parts of the God is very contentious in the past, contentious now and will continue to be contentious.

People failed to recognize the fact that what is said in the Scriptures have nothing to do with caste system practiced by the human beings. In my personal view, the Scriptures recommended to adopt what Guna comes naturally to every human being and not based on the family each person is born. Even a person born in a family with dominant Tamosic quality can learn Scriptures and become a teacher and vice versa but he should be willing to lead a life of austerity and live out of donations from the society or willing to work hard to contribute to the society as the case may be. All of these have become redundant when everyone started doing everything they need to make their lives better without worrying about others in the society.

Caste System followed the Scriptures or Rationalist ideas of Periyar based on where they belong hoping that would help them in their lives. Periyar was very instrumental in eliminating some of the evil practices established by the society under the name of the religion. At the same time, he has also insulted the Gods worshiped by the Hindus as well.

Note: All the opinions expressed here is limited to my understanding and anyone is welcome to correct my understanding. I am always willing to learn and change my understanding. I seek forgiveness, if anything I said here hurts anyone's feelings.

Viswa

 

Altered QPQ

Ira: What can I do with aubergine, avocado and coriander? I decided to do this.

Viswa: No, you should have done a salad that looks like this.

Ira: I am trying to make something that would satiate my appetite and not try to eat something healthy.

Viswa: No. Salad made this way is not only healthy but delicious as well.

Cheeniya Sir: Stop this nonsense. I am happy with what my wife makes at home and I don't have to listen to this nonsensical discussion about food. I created QPQ to satiate my appetite for my brain.

Ira: Hungry mind doesn't contribute anything concrete.

Viswa: Healthy eating promotes healthy thoughts.

Cheeniya Sir: Fine, now you both had sumptuous discussion about food for hunger and healthy food making, when are you going to contribute something meaningful?

Ira & Viswa:

Viswa

 

Rationalism/Humanism/Secularism

I see, so Periyar denotes intellectual standing and not social standing. I thought it was representational of his fatherly Leo Tolstoy figure. Rationalism is uncharming to public. Hence, I doubted if the masses were able to cotton on to his then radical and subversive cry of change. Take the 'Religion of humanity' of Auguste Comte and his prodigious secular calender here. The movement was outrageous and marvellous alike. I have my doubts around how many understand these uprooting whims. Nevertheless, I admire these provocative feats.

 

Time

Unlike Zen, I don't know why Sufism never picked up much traction in the West. Gibran's works are widely read in the West but Sufism as a life-affirming credo is sparse in the West. The verse you have recalled is very confiding to the abstraction of time: And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream. The soothing precepts of Sufism deserve more renown. There is certain elegance and charm in that reckoning faith.

 

Team Ramblers,

My back ache has gone worse. Battery of tests and diagnostics to run. I will be away as I cannot sit proper for long. Will return when I feel better. I have never had such back problems, now I realise and miss my healthy spine. I intend to take some time off from work as well. I am going to miss QPQ. Return soon.

 

Take it easy now and get well soon. We can catch up after you straighten yourself.

Viswa

 

The Viral Wink

"Did you hear about Priya Prakash Varrier?"
"Is she a badminton player?", I inquired.
"No, search for her. She is trending in India. Search, search .."

Aww! Such a cute gig. How can such a cute eye-dialogue not go viral. First, it is not that singular wink in the frame but the entire flirtsome sequence which is cute. Many people are wondering, what's so distinguishing about that wink. IT IS NOT THE WINK! It is the unspoken (flirty) dialogue which is drawn from spontaneity and cheer in life.

A girl with shaggy hair and ear piercings, a boy with spindly features.

Boy: "Hey, what's up?" (brow raise)
Girl: "Hey, hey again, what's up at your end?" (alternate brow raise)
Boy: "Well, such excitement ..." (he mimics)
Girl: "More to come." (she winks)

How could people not read that playful transmission. And the wink only intercut briefly but the sequence has been tastefully rendered between high school throbs. Hold on! It does not end there. The best expressions in that sequence are in that afterward when the boy blushes at her pert wink and hugs his friend and the girl melts her winky chutzpah into a coy shake of her chin satisfied with her poised quip. It is that last few seconds since the wink which is adorable! The whole sequence should be demystified to enjoy the clip and not merely focus on the wink.

The idea is natural but the couple deserves kudos for enacting it so natural ...I mean there was no way for the director to teach them that curly and expressive tease, the kids were ekdam playful. I loved the scene. I usually never forward stuff to my friends but this clip I forwarded albeit five days late. Simply cyoot!

 

Thayil's Key

Last night, I found out something very QPQ-rated.

Leela Naidu who acted in that 1960's film adaptation of KM Nanavati case ("Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke") married Dom Moraes (who was earlier married to Henrietta Moraes, muse of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon). So I was reading the poetry of Dom Moraes and came across his poem

But the child with brown hair and eyes,
Smudged all over with toffee?
I lick his cheeks. I bounce him in air.
Two bounces, he disappears.

Fifteen years later, he redescends,
Not as a postponed child, but a letter
Asking me for his father who now possesses
No garden, no home, not even any key.

-- Key

That's so striking: a child returns as an adult when the father is bereft to provide him any more. I came across DM and Francis Newton Souza in that Book of Chocolate Saints by Jeet Thayil. But I didn't know the key turned back on Leela Naidu whom I only vaguely recall because of the resurge in Nanavati case by way of Akshay Kumar's Rustom (2016) movie. Very interlinked key!

 

Misericord

I am doing an art course these days so I am fascinated with artsy medieval vocabulary. I came across "misericord".

What is that? In medieval times, the monks and priests were NOT permitted to sit during liturgy. They had to stand and chant. But, when such rules exist, sly exceptions also exist. So our clever and cheeky monks commissioned hidden ledge-like structures on the underside of the chairs. When the chairs were folded up, the monk would briefly prop his buttocks on these wooden plates to rest. This underhand structure is also called "mercy seat" for the glimmer of rest it provided to the weary monks during outrun prayers.

If that's all these rigged seats served for, they would never have broached QPQ. These (underside) seats are free reins for artistic expression. Artists could carve what ever they pleased. Humour, satire, vulgarity, burlesque and grotesque! Behold, here are some pictures.