I had a hidden feeling that over past couple of decades Indian Cinema has largely helped in deterioration of Indian Traditional Values. Barring movies by few directors like K. Viswanath, there were movies, portion of whose, attacked the traditions. Some attacked Guru-Sishya relation by treating Teachers like buffoons. Some attacked Parent child relation by making fathers look like idiots. But thankfully not many movies in Telugu attacked marriage system completely and made a ridicule of it. This I must say is merely a relative comparison with the bollywood movies which repeatedly attacked marital relation.
In Aarya-1 its director Sukumar tampered with “love”. I am not much worried about it as there was no precise description/guideline for boy-girl love. But in Aarya-2, he tampered with marriage, which is not in good taste. Especially when the movie is targeted for youngsters who are future of the country and supposed to be torch bearers for our cultural values into future. It is also risky as if it “influences” them and it is proven fact that bad influences faster than good.
Story Line:
Honestly I am confused or the director is confused rather. Storyline says it is story of a man who wants everyone to be happy. It is real good as Sarve Janah Sukhinobhavantu is real good thing to preach. But before passing this judgement, please mind that definition of everyone is merely Aarya, his friend and his lover turned wife. What’s so special in this? I am unsure. Either I misunderstood the storyline or the director misunderstood definition of everyone. Also most part of the story every lead character looks like a sadist in the making than anything else. Of course it was packaged and written on top of it as lighter vein.
Performances:
Arjun:
He is usual routine self. There is nothing special that can be mentioned here. I would hate to know a person like his character in real life. His dance performance is also good.
Navadeep:
He did justice to his allotted role as supporting artist. He probably is getting breaks in his second entry with revised look.
Kajal:
She is beautiful if that is all is required for heroin. But she did her bit of acting too when required. If only characterization is a bit better, I would have been happy. She depicted confused bubbly girl who is confused about love. I could have tolerated her that far. But she is confused even after marriage. Its unpardonable. If today’s girl identifies herself with the lead character, then I dare say future of our tradition is in real risk.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Karma - A Perspective
What is good Karma and what is not? Is there a standard?
Answer is Yes. Karma that is abided by rules of Dharma laid out by Vedas, experts on Vedas. Manu Dharma Sastra is considered best book which laid out human dharma. If we are deviating from it, we are not doing good karma. Sastra has laid out the dos and donts for each varna and each asrama (like brahmachari, grihasta etc.,) If we are violating these we are not doing good Karma.
True realization is when you do all karma with out attaching yourself to fruit and not emotionally bonding yourself to the karma itself. King Janaka attained it. To wise men like him happiness and sorrow are one and the same. He was childless for long but he was not sad. At the same time he did not sit idle stating that it is vidhi. Instead he did all yagnas, homas for getting a child.(Karma) When he got Lord Rama as his son-in-law he did not go overboard with his joy. When his daughter had to go to forest with Rama he did not doom in sorrow. He was simply unattached, neither to sorrow nor to joy.
Ravana did lot of good deeds and tapas. How ever he did some wrong deeds like falling for other persons wives. Lord Rama had to wait till his bad karma dominates his good one so that he can kill Ravana. When he had Goddess Lakshmi in form of Sita in his Lanka, he looked at her with kama and that kept nullifying his good karma. In fact Hanuma said after Rama killed Ravana “Sita killed Ravana by staying in his Lanka for 9 months. Rama merely shot an arrow on the corpse left”
Eg
1. Actin sought here would be to correct the individual, if possible. If someone is not willing, it makes sense to do inevitable. If one lets his emotions here it is going to be tough to do “good karma”
2. Donating money is good karma. Doing it for sake of increasing bank balance of punya is deed of ordinary. Real wise man helps for sake of helping not for punya or fame. Helps because helping someone in need is dharma.
3. Some one cheated you by doing a bad karma. There is no unique answer here. Revenge definitely is not a right answer. Nor giving the person taste of his own medicine is recommended. Ideal way would be not to bother about it and continue doing what is dharma. When we are not doing Dharma ourselves what right do we have in pointing out fault of others? (This something that haunts me most of the times)
Answer is Yes. Karma that is abided by rules of Dharma laid out by Vedas, experts on Vedas. Manu Dharma Sastra is considered best book which laid out human dharma. If we are deviating from it, we are not doing good karma. Sastra has laid out the dos and donts for each varna and each asrama (like brahmachari, grihasta etc.,) If we are violating these we are not doing good Karma.
True realization is when you do all karma with out attaching yourself to fruit and not emotionally bonding yourself to the karma itself. King Janaka attained it. To wise men like him happiness and sorrow are one and the same. He was childless for long but he was not sad. At the same time he did not sit idle stating that it is vidhi. Instead he did all yagnas, homas for getting a child.(Karma) When he got Lord Rama as his son-in-law he did not go overboard with his joy. When his daughter had to go to forest with Rama he did not doom in sorrow. He was simply unattached, neither to sorrow nor to joy.
Ravana did lot of good deeds and tapas. How ever he did some wrong deeds like falling for other persons wives. Lord Rama had to wait till his bad karma dominates his good one so that he can kill Ravana. When he had Goddess Lakshmi in form of Sita in his Lanka, he looked at her with kama and that kept nullifying his good karma. In fact Hanuma said after Rama killed Ravana “Sita killed Ravana by staying in his Lanka for 9 months. Rama merely shot an arrow on the corpse left”
Eg
1. Actin sought here would be to correct the individual, if possible. If someone is not willing, it makes sense to do inevitable. If one lets his emotions here it is going to be tough to do “good karma”
2. Donating money is good karma. Doing it for sake of increasing bank balance of punya is deed of ordinary. Real wise man helps for sake of helping not for punya or fame. Helps because helping someone in need is dharma.
3. Some one cheated you by doing a bad karma. There is no unique answer here. Revenge definitely is not a right answer. Nor giving the person taste of his own medicine is recommended. Ideal way would be not to bother about it and continue doing what is dharma. When we are not doing Dharma ourselves what right do we have in pointing out fault of others? (This something that haunts me most of the times)
Sruti, Smriti ad Purana
Sruti: Heard.
This is not written by some one. That’s why it is called Apourusheyam. Vedas are srutis. Vedas are books with out a beginning and with out an end. How can a book be with out a beginning? So Vedas mean no books. It is accumulated Knowledge passed from one generation to another by great Rishis of our country. Till the time of Vyas Vedas have no division. How ever Vyasa recognized that by the end of Dwapara people become weak and their intelligence is going to be diminished. They can’t handle the huge knowledge in Vedas. So he has partitioned them into – Rig Yajur Sama Adharvana. His intention being people who can handle only one veda will handle one. Etc., The sur names Trivedi and Dwivedi came from this only. Those are family who had expertise in 3 and 2 vedas respectively.
Now we are in a time when knowledge of Vedas is rarest. People blame Brahmins for leaving Vedas behind and getting on with other professions. How ever argument in favor of them is simple and candid. Who is ready to give food to a Brahmin who gains authority on Veda? I have witnessed with my own eyes Veda pundit in Bhadachalam temple who sit in a corner and wait for somebody to give sambhavana (Dakshina) and who can’t beg money live on small salary temple pays out to them(imagine case of others who don’t have sucha job also and working as Sanskrit pundits in colleges. They are never on par with Physics/math lecturers). On the contrary a vyartha(useless) Brahmin like me who cannot even recite a single verse in veda with swara is filled more than enough money in my pocket. At least it is because of TTD which pays Rs3000 as stipend for students who learn veda vidya we still know that there are Vedas.
Smriti: Remembered
Smritis are at a lower level than Sruti and are written/professed texts that aid humans in regularizing lives. These are given to aid people who cant read/understand Vedas. These are mostly generated by great people who have authority on Srutis and try to help people by giving easy access. In case of any contradiction between Smriti and Sruti, one has to remember that Vedo Dharma Mulam (Gautama Smriti). Manu smriti is most popular of them which was adopted loosely for hindu law today. To be honest today's law contains very less of Manu Smriti and more of today's intelligence.
Smritis for each Yuga
Mau Smriti ->> Manu is first Man as per hindu mythology. He has given Dhrama Sastra that every one must adhere to. His is more suited to Kruta Yuga
Gautama Smriti ->> is written with slight customizations for Treta Yuga (Customizations based on Yuga Dharma) In Treta Yuga itself deterioration started in terms of following Karma
(Don’t remember name) but suited for Dwapara Yuga
Parasara Smriti ->> Suited for Kali Yuga. I am trying to find a copy of this book if available.
Purnas
These are main sources that are with in our reach now. Ramayan, Bhagavatam, Bharatam etc.,
Ramayanam is Ideal Life
Bhagavatam is Divya (blissful) Life (Lifes of great devotees )
MahaBharata is Practical Life.
If one sees Characters in these Itihasas they understand what to do and what not to do. Vyasa has proclaimed that what ever is present in MahaBharata is present in reality and what ever is not written is not any where. He writes with sad feeling that people are becoming bad and bad. If we read 2008 New Year days news in Mumbai where a mob of 70-80 people molest two young girls by stripping their dresses and attacking them in public, are they not reminding the kauravas(100) who try to strip Draupadi in Kuru Sabha? (In 2007 same incident repeated in Gateway of India location where a woman was molested by Mob in front of her boy friend/hubby which is sickening)
This is not written by some one. That’s why it is called Apourusheyam. Vedas are srutis. Vedas are books with out a beginning and with out an end. How can a book be with out a beginning? So Vedas mean no books. It is accumulated Knowledge passed from one generation to another by great Rishis of our country. Till the time of Vyas Vedas have no division. How ever Vyasa recognized that by the end of Dwapara people become weak and their intelligence is going to be diminished. They can’t handle the huge knowledge in Vedas. So he has partitioned them into – Rig Yajur Sama Adharvana. His intention being people who can handle only one veda will handle one. Etc., The sur names Trivedi and Dwivedi came from this only. Those are family who had expertise in 3 and 2 vedas respectively.
Now we are in a time when knowledge of Vedas is rarest. People blame Brahmins for leaving Vedas behind and getting on with other professions. How ever argument in favor of them is simple and candid. Who is ready to give food to a Brahmin who gains authority on Veda? I have witnessed with my own eyes Veda pundit in Bhadachalam temple who sit in a corner and wait for somebody to give sambhavana (Dakshina) and who can’t beg money live on small salary temple pays out to them(imagine case of others who don’t have sucha job also and working as Sanskrit pundits in colleges. They are never on par with Physics/math lecturers). On the contrary a vyartha(useless) Brahmin like me who cannot even recite a single verse in veda with swara is filled more than enough money in my pocket. At least it is because of TTD which pays Rs3000 as stipend for students who learn veda vidya we still know that there are Vedas.
Smriti: Remembered
Smritis are at a lower level than Sruti and are written/professed texts that aid humans in regularizing lives. These are given to aid people who cant read/understand Vedas. These are mostly generated by great people who have authority on Srutis and try to help people by giving easy access. In case of any contradiction between Smriti and Sruti, one has to remember that Vedo Dharma Mulam (Gautama Smriti). Manu smriti is most popular of them which was adopted loosely for hindu law today. To be honest today's law contains very less of Manu Smriti and more of today's intelligence.
Smritis for each Yuga
Mau Smriti ->> Manu is first Man as per hindu mythology. He has given Dhrama Sastra that every one must adhere to. His is more suited to Kruta Yuga
Gautama Smriti ->> is written with slight customizations for Treta Yuga (Customizations based on Yuga Dharma) In Treta Yuga itself deterioration started in terms of following Karma
(Don’t remember name) but suited for Dwapara Yuga
Parasara Smriti ->> Suited for Kali Yuga. I am trying to find a copy of this book if available.
Purnas
These are main sources that are with in our reach now. Ramayan, Bhagavatam, Bharatam etc.,
Ramayanam is Ideal Life
Bhagavatam is Divya (blissful) Life (Lifes of great devotees )
MahaBharata is Practical Life.
If one sees Characters in these Itihasas they understand what to do and what not to do. Vyasa has proclaimed that what ever is present in MahaBharata is present in reality and what ever is not written is not any where. He writes with sad feeling that people are becoming bad and bad. If we read 2008 New Year days news in Mumbai where a mob of 70-80 people molest two young girls by stripping their dresses and attacking them in public, are they not reminding the kauravas(100) who try to strip Draupadi in Kuru Sabha? (In 2007 same incident repeated in Gateway of India location where a woman was molested by Mob in front of her boy friend/hubby which is sickening)
Marriage - A Perspective
I must confess that I was thinking about similar thing for quite sometime. (May be because it is nearly time for me to start this whole exercise) I hate the bad culture of Pelli Chupulu. But I could not find a convincing alternative. I have thought about almost all the options right from KanyaSulka days to VaraKatnam days to Love marriage days. There is no fool proof alternative. It cannot be designed because we have the habit of looking for loophole.
1.KanyaSulka – The man with money will reign. I am really surprised to see that some of us are really following it even today even though in a more sophisticated format. Girls/Parents today are also evaluating the pay packet, fixed assets, depreciating assets etc., before closing in on the man. Even though it does not look as gross as Kanya Sulka, it ultimately means the man with less money will lose out in the game.
2.VaraKatnam – The man sells himself off for money. I hear “I want to marry a girl who is working or an MCA/BTech with 65% above in academics”. I am tempted to ask if it is Varakatnam offer in easy monthly installments.
3.Love marriage – The less I talk about this the better. I am an ardent hater of the word “love”. Every time some one utters this word, I hear “lust” instead.
Vedas are the basis for human (hindu) life and represent how one should get on in the world. This is the ideal side. There were times when people confirmed to it. Marriage is a most important thing in life of any person. The mantras chanted at the time of marriage are nothing but promises made by the couple to ideal life for years to follow and blessings from the elders. It enforces a household discipline. When the bridegroom says “mama”, the priest recites all the mantras for him. (It means on behalf of him the priest is making the promises) And honestly not many understand what promises are made at that time. We are busy in waving hands to friends or things about honeymoon plans.
King Janaka when giving his daughter Sita to Lord Rama said “Iyam Sita mama Suta Saha Dharma charitava”. (Please take my daughter Sita to follow you in Dharma as wife) Here he talked about Dharma but not Artha, Kama or Moksha. If you follow Dharma, all three follow. If you follow Kama ignoring Dharma, you can never achieve Moksha. (Mokha is state where you need not take a rebirth to face problems of the world) That’s why wife is called Dharma Patni rather than Kama patni.
Who wants to live in an ideal world? We can make practical amends to them without compromising the underlying ground rules. One may say that wife & husband should be like friends and is the practical side of it. But it is as well said in vedas. (One step in Saptapadi is for ever lasting friendship) Role of wife in progeny’s prosperity is evident. There is no Chatrapati Sivaji if Jijiabhai is not his mother and we would have never heard of Swamy Vivekananda if Bhuvaneswari Devi is not his mother.
Unless people understand this there cannot be a permanent solution. If I can convince my parents on all decisions of my life, I don’t see why I cannot convince them abt dowry. (unless there is reluctance to convince)
As concluding word I would want to reemphasize that Marriage is not business, it should be understood by both man and woman.
1.KanyaSulka – The man with money will reign. I am really surprised to see that some of us are really following it even today even though in a more sophisticated format. Girls/Parents today are also evaluating the pay packet, fixed assets, depreciating assets etc., before closing in on the man. Even though it does not look as gross as Kanya Sulka, it ultimately means the man with less money will lose out in the game.
2.VaraKatnam – The man sells himself off for money. I hear “I want to marry a girl who is working or an MCA/BTech with 65% above in academics”. I am tempted to ask if it is Varakatnam offer in easy monthly installments.
3.Love marriage – The less I talk about this the better. I am an ardent hater of the word “love”. Every time some one utters this word, I hear “lust” instead.
Vedas are the basis for human (hindu) life and represent how one should get on in the world. This is the ideal side. There were times when people confirmed to it. Marriage is a most important thing in life of any person. The mantras chanted at the time of marriage are nothing but promises made by the couple to ideal life for years to follow and blessings from the elders. It enforces a household discipline. When the bridegroom says “mama”, the priest recites all the mantras for him. (It means on behalf of him the priest is making the promises) And honestly not many understand what promises are made at that time. We are busy in waving hands to friends or things about honeymoon plans.
King Janaka when giving his daughter Sita to Lord Rama said “Iyam Sita mama Suta Saha Dharma charitava”. (Please take my daughter Sita to follow you in Dharma as wife) Here he talked about Dharma but not Artha, Kama or Moksha. If you follow Dharma, all three follow. If you follow Kama ignoring Dharma, you can never achieve Moksha. (Mokha is state where you need not take a rebirth to face problems of the world) That’s why wife is called Dharma Patni rather than Kama patni.
Who wants to live in an ideal world? We can make practical amends to them without compromising the underlying ground rules. One may say that wife & husband should be like friends and is the practical side of it. But it is as well said in vedas. (One step in Saptapadi is for ever lasting friendship) Role of wife in progeny’s prosperity is evident. There is no Chatrapati Sivaji if Jijiabhai is not his mother and we would have never heard of Swamy Vivekananda if Bhuvaneswari Devi is not his mother.
Unless people understand this there cannot be a permanent solution. If I can convince my parents on all decisions of my life, I don’t see why I cannot convince them abt dowry. (unless there is reluctance to convince)
As concluding word I would want to reemphasize that Marriage is not business, it should be understood by both man and woman.
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