December 14, 2011
Amma came back this morning from Kannur. She took the official opportunity to visit the famous Parassinikadavu temple. The "Muthappan" temple is bound to shock anyone who is only familiar with the sanitized, Sankritized and priest-dominated temples of south India. Toddy and fish are the favorite offerings for Muthappan. The origin stories of this deity involved the deep affection for alcohol...and dogs. The objects of worship, for a change, are alive in this temple. They are two "Theyyams" dancers. The "Theyyams" have been, over time, cast into 'Vishnu' and 'Shiva' molds though they might have originated long before those two of the 'Hindu' trinity made their way down to Kerala. The dancers are the channels for the divine.
"There are no sacred threads around," Amma was surprised. She was equally impressed with the majestic 'Valapattanam' river. "Kannur is so much developed compared to Thiruvananthapuram," she said. But that statement of comparison can be made with any other place in Kerala. You see, the thing is that most of the constituencies in Kerala have sworn their loyalty to politicians who get repeatedly elected from there and it is in their best interest to pump development into that area. Thiruvananthapuram, by contrast, is the capital where all politicians congregate. It is the temporary home. It is the constituency where ambitious politicians (with National aspirations) are fielded by the different political parties. Election here is not a measure of loyalty or performance or development but rather a competition where voters of Thiruvananthapuram display their selective acumen.
Talking about politicians, reminds me that the Kudumbashree garbage collection operation is being wound up. Government is providing subsidy for people to establish garbage disposal units at home itself. Plastic is being slowly phased out, yet it is difficult to find a recycling center.
My new modem has developed a problem. Each time it is turned off and back on, the wireless network vanishes. All the network settings are remembered by the modem/router. A good hour of the day was spent trying to fix it. No use. Currently, I am stuck with the brute force solution of connecting with an ethernet cable to the modem after each power off, clicking the "save" button on the wireless settings again to revive the network. Will get help from techies soon.
The Hidumbi episode of the Mahabharatha is followed by the Baka episode. Baka is another rakshasa (demon). One cannot help but compare these episodes to the rakshasa killing-spree in the beginning of the other epic, the Ramayana. Rama was called to duty by Vishwamitra. His duty was to protect the Brahmins. The Rakshasas had to be eliminated from the forests so that the sages could engage in penance in peace. Rama, the teenager, obliges.
Bhima, in contrast, does not kill indiscriminately. Hidumba is killed in defense. Before fighting Hidumba, there are some wonderful verses that capture Bhima's growing anger and frustration seeing his mother and brothers forced to sleep on the ground instead of palace beds. Hidumba appeared at the wrong time to bear the brunt of this anger. After his marriage to Hidumbi and birth of Ghatotkacha (pot-like head), Bhima and brothers move onto Ekachakra. Already in this episode, the killing of a Rakshasa (Hidumba) was balanced with marriage to his sister, Hidumbi, and birth of a sort of hybrid son. The attempted introduction of Rakshas into the mainstream shows the change in attitude from the time of composition of Ramayana to the time of the Mahabharatha.
The story of Baka, I remembered to be too simplistic from the good old illustrated Amar Chitra Katha series. Basically, Baka the demon had demanded that every day someone from the city of Ekachakra should go to him with bullock carts laden with food. He would eat all the food, the bullocks and the cart driver. The citizens took turns in providing this sacrifice. One day, the Pandavas hear the loud wailing from their host Brahmin's home. It is the turn of his young son to go to Baka. Bhima offers to go instead. He kills Baka. Citizens are happy. End of story. Simple.
The original Mahabharatha packs this episode with so much drama and details. It explains that Ekachakra had a useless king who was powerless in front of Baka. The citizens did not leave the city because the presence of Baka protected them from other attacks. So it was sort of like a mafia arrangement...with a cannibal mafiahead! May be there is a potential movie in Hannibal meets Godfather! Cannibal Sopranos!
Anyways, there is a hint in the epic that the citizens could buy slaves to serve as cart-drivers and Baka's dinner. Suicide-drivers! The Brahmin says that he is too poor to afford that. So someone from his family must go. A chunk of the episode consists of the elaborate appeals by the Brahmin, his wife and their daughter explaining why they should be the one to sacrifice their life. But before stating his case, the Brahmin, just like a realistic husband, puts all the blame on the wife. It is only because of her insistence on staying in the godforsaken city that this horrible fate has befallen them, he cries. "How many times I told you that we should move?!"
Great drama!
The son is a very young. After the rest of the family deliver their tearful appeals, he plucks a blade of grass and innocently says that he will kill the troublesome demon with it. Heartbreaking!
Kunthi consoles the Brahmin and says that her son will go instead.
While reading the episode, I wondered why it is included in the epic. The Hidumba episode made sense, because the birth of Ghatotkacha is important and he plays a crucial role in the final battle. But why bother with a Baka?! I think the genealogical treasury role played by the epic comes to the front here. Couple of episodes down the lane, there is the list of origin of so many different races from Nandini, the cow. These include Yavanas, Berbers, Huns, Chinese and surprise, Keralans!
Ekachakra, the city, must have been important. It must have gone on to become a pilgrim spot as the place of Bhima's heroic display after the mention in the epic.
Also, there is an interesting and significant dialog between Kunthi and Yudhishtira, the eldest son, in this episode. Hearing that Kunthi is sending Bhima off to meet Baka, Yudhishtira doubts her sanity. He tells her that Bhima is the pillar of their strength. He has literally carried the whole family during their escape. His strength is what they would depend on when the ultimate battle with the Kauravas begins. How could Kunthi throw his life away just to save a Brahmin family?! Yudhishtira wonders. Kunthi takes the opportunity to castigate him to believe more in his brother's strength. She is a mother supremely confident of her son's strength.
Bhima has little difficulty finishing Baka off. Baka's physical description and the violence of the battle is given in detail. The other Rakshasas rush in after Baka dies. Bhima does not kill them. He asks them to leave the city and never to eat human flesh again. They promise not to in return for their lives. A contract! And they are allowed to inhabit the forests. The safety of the citizens is prioritized, not the need of the sages. Epic change from epic to epic!
The next section of Mahabharatha describes the birth of Draupadi who would go on to be the brothers' common wife. Her birth-name is Krishna because she is dark in complexion. When she emerged from the ritual fire, all the courtiers are stunned by her incredible beauty. While I was reading it, the new Fair&Lovely ad played on TV. Two south Indian actresses, drop their gowns from their shoulders, to display their fairness that shocks and wows a Caucasian model.
We have certainly strayed far away from the days of Krishna, the dark beauty, who could stun crowds.
Fair is lovely in India today!
Epic change!
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