Dear Friends,
Many times I have been in a situation where people have questioned me whether our greatest epics such as the Raamaayana and Mahaabhaarata are fictitious or they are history. Some, who probably believe that it might have happened really, tend to tweak to their convenience, the tales, the characters, messages, situations, that the poet/author/creator had intended to convey.
For example, for our Kannada's aadi kavi Pampa, Karna was a great character. He stresses that 'nenevoDe karNanam nene' (if you want to remember somebody in Mahaabhaarata, it is Karna). Kumaaravyaasa starts his Bhaarata saying 'peLvenu kriShNana kateyam...' (I am going to tell the story of Him, the supreme, Krishna...). For each one, perspectives are different.
Irrespective of whether they fall under history or mythology, we are always safe to see the story from the creator's view point to understand the real and intended message and values. It is very simple. According to Vedavyaasa, Mahaabhaarata is mainly about Krishna's greatness and establishment of Dharma. Similarly Vaalmeeki's RaamaayaNa portrays Raama as the ideal person (aadarsha purusha) who does not have even a single bad quality. I sometimes tend to think why would people start questioning some of their qualities. For some, Karna is better than Krishna, Raavana better than Raama and so on! Each person is entitled to have their opinions. But I feel, when it comes to believing in such epics, there is all harm if we follow wrong characters as our role models. Positives must certainly be picked from everyone but there is a reason why the creator portrays somebody good or bad. That becomes the basis for him to spawn the story and to convey the values and messages. If that is mis-perceived, the damage to the society in future will be huge.
I just wish, I drink my mother's milk of love and affection without doubting there is poison of hatred and partiality in it......I just wish, I get the same emotions by watching a play scene like how its director wanted the audience to feel in that scene........I just wish, I understand the tones and rhythms of a musician with the same details and beauty with which he composed them............I just wish, I understand Raama and Krishna the way they are portrayed in these epics........ If at all I have mistaken any of these, I pray to god to forgive me and to help me in shedding my ignorance....I have tried to convey this through a poem 'nanna mannisu' (Forgive me) pasted below, where 'nanna' (Me) can be any ignorant person.
ರಚನೆ : ಕೃಷ್ಣಕಾಂತ್ ಬಿ ಎನ್ (ಗುರುಗಳ ಆಶೀರ್ವಾದದಿಂದ)
Many times I have been in a situation where people have questioned me whether our greatest epics such as the Raamaayana and Mahaabhaarata are fictitious or they are history. Some, who probably believe that it might have happened really, tend to tweak to their convenience, the tales, the characters, messages, situations, that the poet/author/creator had intended to convey.
For example, for our Kannada's aadi kavi Pampa, Karna was a great character. He stresses that 'nenevoDe karNanam nene' (if you want to remember somebody in Mahaabhaarata, it is Karna). Kumaaravyaasa starts his Bhaarata saying 'peLvenu kriShNana kateyam...' (I am going to tell the story of Him, the supreme, Krishna...). For each one, perspectives are different.
Irrespective of whether they fall under history or mythology, we are always safe to see the story from the creator's view point to understand the real and intended message and values. It is very simple. According to Vedavyaasa, Mahaabhaarata is mainly about Krishna's greatness and establishment of Dharma. Similarly Vaalmeeki's RaamaayaNa portrays Raama as the ideal person (aadarsha purusha) who does not have even a single bad quality. I sometimes tend to think why would people start questioning some of their qualities. For some, Karna is better than Krishna, Raavana better than Raama and so on! Each person is entitled to have their opinions. But I feel, when it comes to believing in such epics, there is all harm if we follow wrong characters as our role models. Positives must certainly be picked from everyone but there is a reason why the creator portrays somebody good or bad. That becomes the basis for him to spawn the story and to convey the values and messages. If that is mis-perceived, the damage to the society in future will be huge.
I just wish, I drink my mother's milk of love and affection without doubting there is poison of hatred and partiality in it......I just wish, I get the same emotions by watching a play scene like how its director wanted the audience to feel in that scene........I just wish, I understand the tones and rhythms of a musician with the same details and beauty with which he composed them............I just wish, I understand Raama and Krishna the way they are portrayed in these epics........ If at all I have mistaken any of these, I pray to god to forgive me and to help me in shedding my ignorance....I have tried to convey this through a poem 'nanna mannisu' (Forgive me) pasted below, where 'nanna' (Me) can be any ignorant person.
ರಚನೆ : ಕೃಷ್ಣಕಾಂತ್ ಬಿ ಎನ್ (ಗುರುಗಳ ಆಶೀರ್ವಾದದಿಂದ)
