Quid Pro Quo With The Gods

On Donkey

As promised, I spent some time and look what I found. We started with Kalaratri, then Katyayani, then Shitala, and the plot is getting thicker with the entry of Gardhaba Nisvana.

There was a demon by the name “Gardhaba Nisvana”. He performed a great penance and Lord Siva was pleased with it. The demon sought a boon that no God or demon or yaksha should kill him. Siva granted the boon. Siva’s boon emboldened the demon Gardhaba Nisvana (the one who brays like a donkey). The demon used to bray very loudly killing the listeners.

Unable to bear the deeds of Gardhaba Nisvana, many sages and Indra (the Lord of heaven) went to complain Brahma, the creator of the universe. Brahma said that since the demon was a devotee of Lord Siva, it is better to seek Lord Siva’s advice. Lord Siva said that he couldn’t kill the demon devoted to him. The sages Indra, Brahma and Siva than went to Lord Maha Vishnu. Lord Vishnu assured them that he would kill the demon. Lord Siva interrupted: “It would be difficult to kill the demon Gardhaba Nisvana as he is protected by my grace”. Lord Vishnu replies: “The demon’s strength is diminishing, due to his misdeeds and I shall surely kill him”.

Lord Siva said emphatically: “It would be impossible to kill Gardhaba Nisvana. If you do kill him, I shall serve you”. Lord Vishnu replies: “If I don’t kill the demon, I shall become the servant of the Siva and stay at Kailasa it self”. After these proclamations, Lord Vishnu once again took the form of Mohini, the celestial beauty. Lord Vishnu in his female form, entered the garden where Gardhaba Nisvana was resting, carrying a vessel filled with an intoxicating drink. The demon was attracted by Mohini and sought her to be with him. She sought him to drink the wine she was carrying as a prelude to their enjoyment. The demon started drinking and soon fell down, unconscious. Lord Vishnu left his form as Mohini and took the form of a Wolf and tore the abdomen of the Gardhaba Nisvana, killing him instantaneously. Having lost his wager, Lord Siva got ready to serve Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu dissuaded Lord Siva, saying that their wagers were intended for the welfare of the universe. “You will serve me incarnated as a Kapi Veera (Monkey Hero) when I incarnate as Sri Rama in Treta Yuga”, asserted Lord Vishnu. Thus Lord Siva incarnated as Sri Hanuman to serve Sri Rama, to fulfill his word to serve Lord Vishnu.

Dud! How nice it would have been if Gardhaba Nisvana reincarnated as our Kaalratri donkey. The chase is still on.

 

On chatter

Do I talk more is what I always wondered? Just few days ago, I was locked in a discussion in one of the whatsapp groups and as usual your undersigned pounded away her unsolicited gyan. A close buddy of mine texted to the group, “You talk for yourself, you talk for others, you can talk for ten people. You can talk both sides of the argument. You can kneel and flip the argument around. You don't abate nor run out of steam. Not everyone can do that. You talk so much!”

I reviewed my life. I send bada bada emails to friends. I send bada bada texts. I post bada bada comments here. Do I really talk so much in life? Then everyone wonders may be only she emails, she only texts, she only comments. Gosh! I wonder what happens when they come to know that I email and text and post and on top of that have a 9-7 job. I am beginning to wonder if I attempt to knock up sense in my writing I might talk less. I talk so much because it is all very nonsensical.

 

On Devadas

‘Affairs’ in youth are common. Falling for a girl a day! And calling her the one! But those crushes are stimulating as they are fodder for others to counsel. But then even Romeo wasn't a steady lover. He fell head over heels with Juliet while he was still wooing Rosalind. If we take Romeo's name in the same breath of other great lovers, then love itself is flawed whereby the flames of those lovestruck torch leap from one heart to another.

This is true of many of us. Not even fifty years, we might like someone today and one year down the line wonder what did we even see in that person to take to them so fondly. I think people change rapidly in the age bracket of 19-40. I tell my friends, true love can happen only at the age of fifty because that is when you are exhausted to revamp yourself and as George Orwell quoted, "At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” Till then every form of love emanates as crush — a passing crush, a striking crush, a deep crush, an intense crush — and that last incurable crush is called “love”.

 

On romances of friends

Growing up, I often wondered what is with guys falling for the mispaired gals. A bright, happy, go-lucky bloke would bring in the most bore gal (recall: foodie group). He would fawn on her, and in few months time, cry his heart out on his break up at her artifice and fake love. What is it that he even saw in her? But then friends are not meant to cross-examine a broken heart. You are supposed to say cliches like "More fish in the pond" or something to that tune. The foodie group of the yore was one of the most interesting groups I was associated with where occasionally we would introduce passing crushes. I was always stumped with the men who bring in ladyly characters so mismatched and who defy rational romance. One or two of them were sane and engaging, the rest were a question mark to us. You may even say that "rational romance" is an oxymoron.

Just to let you know, I moved in progressive and liberal circles, don't take that as libertine but an urbane, youthful and bright crowd of fun-loving and lovesick puppies always getting into troubles with their romance misadventures. That 1-2 years was amazing! Studying very deeply for which our parents were sending their hard-earned money... and not just anything ...we were all studying the inscrutable life at close quarters in our foodie hangouts.

 

Prehistoric men had no bald head, no adipose, and no vices. I am beginning to wonder how do we know so much about them. Paleo-diet was the fad a decade ago. Companies sold concoctions that purportedly resembled prehistoric man's diet. That diet was vaunted to eliminate modern-day maladies starting with obesity and now compound that with no bald head. Therefore, no diseases, no stress, no bald dome for a head, how did these men bide their time with no worries. A modern day man has no time to sleep even with pressing anxiety that keeps his mind occupied. One thing you cannot tell me is that they had no social network also back then. I won't be taken for a fool. We have solid proof of its existence