DO YOU KNOW THE VEDAS?
The arrogant Brahmin had asked this question to the poor, illiterate boatman, who was peacefully rowing the scholar to the other side of the river.
"No sir, I don't," the innocent boatman had replied.
"What? You've wasted your life," the arrogant Brahmim had shouted.
"What about reading and writing; at least you must be able to do them?"
"Sir, I am a poor soul of this village; I have never entered the doors of a school."
"Ayyo Rama, what a waste of life!"
"Can you not speak Sanskrit, at least?
"No sir; I can not."
"It is a criminal waste of life, in deed!"
By now, the boat had reached the deep-middle of the river. A ferocious wind blew, causing a violent storm, and the boat began to go down. The highly learned man was all panic personified, and began to tremble. "Please help me; please save me," he cried for help before the calm and composed boatman.
"Have you learnt swimming, sir?" the illiterate, and low-caste, boatman asked.
"No, I haven't," the scholar begged for help.
"What a waste of life!" the poor man threw his hands up, as the boat went down, taking along the arrogant.
This is the ancient tale from our Panchatantra. All of us have grown up on the diet of these stories. At least, I have. Today, as our brave defence men, commandos, and police continued to fight out the hardened terrorists and rescue the innocent hostages from them, I received this message on my cell phone:
"Where is Raj Thakeray and his 'brave' sena?
Tell him that 200 NSG Commandos from Delhi( NO Marathi manoos! All South and North Indians) have been sent to Mumbai to fight the terrorists, so that he can sleep peacefully. Please forward this message so that it finally reaches the coward bully."
Even for a moment, I did not consider this message to be a 'hate message'.
If at all it contained anything, it was: PAIN ... ANGUISH!
I chose not to forward the message. Instead, touched by it, write on it. And, here I am.
Why should I 'tell' Raj Thakeray this truth?
Even if I write on this subject, with all my passion, a half-a-dozen-pages thesis, it will serve no purpose. I, immediately, applied the truth to my own life. I kept it for myself ... so that, I can walk on this God's soil - a little humbler, and a little more grateful.
Can any one change the minds of these young terrorists? Please try.
Try that of a religious fundamentalist.
Try that of a cunning politician.
Try yours and mine, when our hearts are hardened.
Yes, only the fools and fanatics are so sure of themselves!
Others are not. They know that their lives are inter-dependent; that, they need the low caste, illiterate boatman to row them to the shore!
The gun battle at the Luxurious hotels of Mumbai is still not over as I write this piece. In a little while from now, the brave men from all the wings are expected to mount the final onslaught on the heartless 'fool and fanatics'. So that, we the mortals, the less sure ilks, can go to bed tonight relived ... a little humbler and
a little more grateful.
I really do not know who forwarded that message to me, today. But, whoever it is, it has reminded me of the plain, and the ancient, truth:
that, I may know the Great Vedas; but, if I do not know the swimming, I do need the simple boatman's hand.
And, I really do not know how to swim this 'river'!
GERALD D'CUNHA
"No sir, I don't," the innocent boatman had replied.
"What? You've wasted your life," the arrogant Brahmim had shouted.
"What about reading and writing; at least you must be able to do them?"
"Sir, I am a poor soul of this village; I have never entered the doors of a school."
"Ayyo Rama, what a waste of life!"
"Can you not speak Sanskrit, at least?
"No sir; I can not."
"It is a criminal waste of life, in deed!"
By now, the boat had reached the deep-middle of the river. A ferocious wind blew, causing a violent storm, and the boat began to go down. The highly learned man was all panic personified, and began to tremble. "Please help me; please save me," he cried for help before the calm and composed boatman.
"Have you learnt swimming, sir?" the illiterate, and low-caste, boatman asked.
"No, I haven't," the scholar begged for help.
"What a waste of life!" the poor man threw his hands up, as the boat went down, taking along the arrogant.
This is the ancient tale from our Panchatantra. All of us have grown up on the diet of these stories. At least, I have. Today, as our brave defence men, commandos, and police continued to fight out the hardened terrorists and rescue the innocent hostages from them, I received this message on my cell phone:
"Where is Raj Thakeray and his 'brave' sena?
Tell him that 200 NSG Commandos from Delhi( NO Marathi manoos! All South and North Indians) have been sent to Mumbai to fight the terrorists, so that he can sleep peacefully. Please forward this message so that it finally reaches the coward bully."
Even for a moment, I did not consider this message to be a 'hate message'.
If at all it contained anything, it was: PAIN ... ANGUISH!
I chose not to forward the message. Instead, touched by it, write on it. And, here I am.
Why should I 'tell' Raj Thakeray this truth?
Even if I write on this subject, with all my passion, a half-a-dozen-pages thesis, it will serve no purpose. I, immediately, applied the truth to my own life. I kept it for myself ... so that, I can walk on this God's soil - a little humbler, and a little more grateful.
Can any one change the minds of these young terrorists? Please try.
Try that of a religious fundamentalist.
Try that of a cunning politician.
Try yours and mine, when our hearts are hardened.
Yes, only the fools and fanatics are so sure of themselves!
Others are not. They know that their lives are inter-dependent; that, they need the low caste, illiterate boatman to row them to the shore!
The gun battle at the Luxurious hotels of Mumbai is still not over as I write this piece. In a little while from now, the brave men from all the wings are expected to mount the final onslaught on the heartless 'fool and fanatics'. So that, we the mortals, the less sure ilks, can go to bed tonight relived ... a little humbler and
a little more grateful.
I really do not know who forwarded that message to me, today. But, whoever it is, it has reminded me of the plain, and the ancient, truth:
that, I may know the Great Vedas; but, if I do not know the swimming, I do need the simple boatman's hand.
And, I really do not know how to swim this 'river'!
GERALD D'CUNHA
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