Raji P. Shrivastava
Superlatives that describe Shiv
Easily attained, Lord Shiv is petitioned by saint and sinner alike. Demons and gods gain boons from him — sometimes in contradiction of each other, sometimes cleverly cancelling each other out.
Pre-battle jitters
My limbs give way, my throat is parched, a shiver runs through my body… my hair stands on end, my skin burns all over, my mind is in a whirl, I can no longer hold myself steady…”
High school student’s pre-examination jitters?
Model conduct
The emotionally charged protests over a brutal gangrape in Delhi have given rise to introspection. Let us leave aside the theories and focus on that which concerns the aam aadmi directly: Why are our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends not safe in a country with a rich tradition of peace and amity?
Worshipping strength
The world acknowledges, respects and worships strength. A tongue-in-cheek subhashita (verse laced with wisdom) goes: “Nobody has heard of a rajyabhisheka or coronation ceremony being performed in the jungle for the lion. A lion is recognised as king of all animals on account of his superior strength.”
Devi, the giver of boons
The Mother Goddess is worshiped in various forms, of whom Durga (the slayer of terrible demons), Saraswati (the bestower of knowledge) and Lakshmi (the giver of wealth) are prominent.
Fortnight of forefathers
The peerless warrior Karna gave away gold to those who approached him at the end of his daily obeisance to the Sun God.
Ganapati: First and foremost
The Matsya Purana says that Ganesha (lord of the ganas or hosts) was lovingly moulded by his mother Parvati out of the scented scrapings of bath-paste and oil from her own body. The Varaha Purana has it that Ganesha sprung from the radiance of his father Shiva’s luminous gaze.
Krishna’s identity
Krishna is many things to many people: He is the naughty butter-thief of Gokul, the apple of the eye of his mother Yashoda and the object of the adoration of the gopis in Vrindavan. He is the slayer of a long list of demons, evil strongmen and tyrannical rulers. He is the king of Dwarka and the secret sweetheart of Rukmini. He is a friend and guide to the Pandavas and the saviour of Draupadi.
A bond at the wrist
A proud princess tore off a strip of her jewel-encrusted sari to stop the flow of blood from a battlefield wound of a charming hero. The special relationship between the two is mentioned in the Mahabharata. She, Draupadi, is called Krishnaa, and he is, of course, Krishna: both magnificently dark of hue. This may have been India’s first rakhi.
Music adds value to life
Novelist George Eliot said, “I think I should have no other mortal wants if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain.”
