AJAYA - RISE OF KALI (Book 2) (68 page)

The
sadhu
smiled at me and said, “Son, if those who passionately argue for one side or another, care to pause in their arguments, they will hear Barbarika laughing and mocking them.”

It was a revelation to me, another of the wonderful stories that never fail to surprise me. The fact that the story was very similar to that of Iravan, which is another popular tale in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, may be incidental. In Tamil Nadu, the cult of Iravan is the most prominent of all village cults. The idol of Iravan, locally known as Aravan, often 10 to 15 feet tall, stands guard at the entrance of many Tamil villages. People unfamiliar with Tamil culture often mistake the statue of Aravan for Ravana. Aravan is considered a guardian God, the God of Koothu, the village dance form, and the protector of women. He is also a God of harvest. In some parts of Tamil Nadu, he is associated with transgenders.

In Kerala, Iravan is linked to death and he is the bird locally known as Kalankozhi (Mottled Wood Owl). Kalankozhi or the bird of death, is considered to be none other than the son of Arjuna, who was sacrificed before the great Mahabharata war. The bird is a harbinger of death. I still remember lying trembling in my bed, listening to the haunting cries of the Kalankozhi, afraid that the morning would bring news of some death. Now the groves that nestled such birds have vanished, swept away by rural development and a generation disdainful of tradition. Along with the sacred groves and the birds of death, the water too has vanished from the village wells. Although the state receives more rain than most parts of the world, drought is a harsh reality now. In modern India, where there are only absolutes of right and wrong, and everything has become ‘us versus them’ rather than the accommodative culture of our ancestors, the old traditions are slowly vanishing with the Kalankozhi.

But everyone and every faith has a place in the great mosaic of our culture. Nothing is absolutely right or wrong. We may perhaps need the head of Barbarika to see the bigger picture. My attempt here has been to show that another side exists to our stories, as important and as relevant as the conventional tale. Stories, I believe, should be about questions, never about answers. Every answer should give birth to a hundred questions. That is the mark of a confident civilisation and that is how we, the sons and daughters of Bharatavarsha, have always celebrated our stories – with debate, argument and counterargument. Certainly not by accepting without dissent.

Perhaps Barbarika is laughing at all of us. Let us celebrate that laughter.

*****

S
UGGESTED
R
EADING

1.  Sarva Daman Singh.
Polyandry in Ancient India.
Motilal Banarsidass New Delhi, 1988

2.  John Dowson.
 Classical History of Hindu Myth and Religion.
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi, 2000

3.  A.L. Ahuja.
Women in Indian Mythology.
Rupa & Co. New Delhi, 2011

4.  Ram Sharan Sharma.
Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India.
Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi, 2012

5.  Vettam Mani.
Puranic Encyclopedia.
Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi 2010; Malayalam ed: DC Books, Kottayam 2013 [Ed: Perhaps the most comprehensive book on various Puranic characters; written as short notes, alphabetically arranged. A good reference source for anyone interested in Hindu mythology.]

6.  
The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
– Translated from original Sanskrit to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguly, (1883-1896), ebook converted by sacred-books.com

7.  
18 Puranas,
unabridged version, DC books, 2014 [a collection of 18 Puranas in Malayalam, published by DC books, Kottayam]

*****

S
ELECT
G
LOSSARY

Aarti
– Worship with lamps
Acharya
– Guru, teacher
Achuyuta
– Another name for Krishna
Aghoris
– Ascetic worshippers of Shiva who do not believe in caste or the taboos of Hinduism; known for extreme and even outlandish penance
Ajaya
– Unconquerable
Andha
– Blind
Anga
– Ancient Indian kingdom; present-day Eastern Bihar and parts of Bengal
Angavasthra
– Shawl worn by nobles
Ashwini Twins
– Gods of sunrise and sunset
Astra
– Arrow/shaft; described by the epics as having divine powers
Asura
– Hindu mythology portrays Asuras as demons of darkness – the antithesis to Devas, the Gods; here, they are one among many tribes
Atharva
– The fourth
Veda
, which speaks of magic, spells, etc.
Atma
– Soul
Avarna
– A person who does not belong to the first three castes; literally one without colour
(varna);
opposite of
savarna
(person with a good colour)
Ayurveda
– Ancient Indian system of medicine
Bindi
– Red dot worn on the forehead by Hindu women
Brahmacharya
– Self-imposed vow of celibacy; a period of life as a student when a man observes
brahmacharya
; to seek or follow God
Brahman
– The Supreme Power responsible for Creation and the Universe
Brahmin
– The highest Hindu caste and
varna
– Priests and scholars; Hindu society was divided into four
varnas
(refer Varna for details), and further sub-divided into
jatis
(castes); these varied from region to region (eg. a Brahmin from Kashmir in the north and one from Andhra in the south, belonged to the same
varna
but did not intermarry as they belonged to different castes)
Chaitra
– Indian calendar month when spring begins
Chandagyo
– One of the most important of the
Upanishads
Chandalas
– One of the lowest of the Untouchable castes; keepers of graveyards; those who carried the dead
Chaturvarnas
– The four
varna
s (refer Varna for details)
Chenda
– A south Indian drum beaten with a curved stick; known even today as the
Asura Vadhya
or ‘musical instrument of the Asuras’ and used during festivals in Kerala and parts of south Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Chera
– Ancient kingdom in south India, with Muzaris as its capital
Chettis
– Merchant caste of south India (corruption of the term
shresti)
Crore
– One hundred lakhs; ten million
Dakshinajanapada
– Land south of the Vindhyas; south India
Darshan
– Literally ‘view’; it was customary for Indian monarchs to appear at a balcony and hear petitions from their subjects
Dasa
– Servant or slave
Dasi
– Female servant/slave
Devi
– a polite way to address a woman. Also means goddess. ‘Bhavathi’ was a later day usage.
Dhanurveda
– Science of arms and weapon-making
Dharma
– Rough translation: duty, righteousness etc; but
dharma
encompasses more – it is the code of life; antonym:
adharma
Dharmaveera
– Warrior or hero of
dharma
Dharmayudha
– Ancient code of battle
Dhoti
– Traditional lower garment for men, made from an unstitched length of cloth; also worn in different styles by lower-class women in ancient India
Gandhara
– Present-day Kandahar in Afghanistan
Gandharvas
– Singers in the courts of the Gods; considered to be supernatural beings pining for love; messengers between the Gods and men; here, they are simply another aboriginal tribe
Ganga
– Ganges
Gangotri
– Glacier from where the Ganga originates
Gayatri
– Sacred Hindu
mantra
from the
Rig Veda
; when the caste system was at its zenith, many texts forbade Shudras from even listening to it; some texts advocated pouring molten lead into the ears of Shudras who heard the
Gayatri
even accidently – though it is doubtful if it was really practised
Ghat
– A broad flight of steps leading down to a river
Gobar
– Cow dung
Har Har Mahadev
– Hail Shiva, the Greatest God
Hari
– Another name for Lord Vishnu
Hastinapura
– City of Elephants, capital of the Kuru kingdom
Indra
– King of the Gods; used here as a generic name of the tribe who are the nominal rulers of the Devas; Indra, their last King, lives in penury; he is also the biological father of Arjuna
Indraprastha
– Ancient capital of the Pandavas; present-day New Delhi
Jambu Dweepa
– Ancient Indian name for Asia
Jaya
– Victory
Kala
– Time; also God of Time and Death, commonly known as Yama (derived from the unit for measuring time –
yamam)
Kalaripayattu
– Traditional martial art form of Kerala
Kalinga
– Present-day Odisha (roughly)
Kaliya Mardana
– Kaliya: a poisonous snake
(naga)
, in the original
Mahabharata;
Mardana: punishment, suppression etc. Kaliya Mardana is one telling of the legend of Lord Krishna punishing the
naga
for his evil deeds.
Kamarupa
– Ancient name for present-day Assam
Karma
– Action or deed
Kashi
– Another name for the holy city of Varanasi or Benaras
Kauravas
– Scions of the Kuru dynasty
Khandiva
– Present-day Delhi
Kingara
– Servants; soldier-slaves
Kinnaras
– In Hindu mythology, these are celestial musicians, half-horse and half-human; ere, they are treated as just another tribe
Kirata
– A wild tribe
Kshatriyas
– The warrior caste; often kings and rulers
Kuravan, Malayans, Vannans, Velans
– Tribes from the Western Ghats (Sahyas) of India. They were Priests before the Brahmins became prominent; even today, many rituals in the Malabar region are conducted by these people
Kurta
– Indian shirt
Lakh
– One hundred thousand
Lathi
– Baton, usually used by the police to control crowds
Leela
– Divine play or drama
Lord Vishwanatha
– Lord of the Universe; another name for Shiva
Ma
– Mother
Madhava
– Another name for Krishna
Mahadeva
– Great God; another name for Shiva
Maheswara
– Great God; another name for Shiva
Mahout
– Elephant handler
Mata
– Mother
Maya
– Illusion
Mela
– Gathering
Milavu, Timila, Maddallam & Mrudangam
– Percussion instruments
Mlecha
– Barbaric/uncivilized people; term usually used for foreigners like the Greeks or Chinese, in ancient India
Moksha
– Salvation;
nirvana
in Buddhism
Muzaris
– Ancient port city on the South-Western coast of India, 50 kms north of modern-day Cochin, in Kerala
Nagas
– An ancient tribe; literally ‘serpents’; here they represent a warring tribe that rises against caste oppression
Namaskara
– ‘I bow to the goodness in thee’ – a form of greeting; also
Namaste
Nishada
– A hunter tribe
Onam
– The only Indian festival celebrated in honour of an Asura King – Mahabali; State festival of Kerala; people still believe the reign of this Asura King (cheated of his kingdom by Lord Vishnu in his Vamana
avatar),
is the ideal, and every human being was considered equal
Pallavas
– Ancient south-Indian kingdom; its capital was Kanchipuram/Kanchi
Pallu
– The loose end of a sari draped over the head or over one shoulder
Panchayat
– Indian village Council, usually with 5 members
Pandavas
– Sons of Pandu
Pandya
– Ancient kingdom in south India with Madurai as its capital
Parameswara
– Literally ‘Supreme God’; another name for Shiva, one of the Trinity of Hindu Gods (the other two being Brahma and Vishnu)
Parashuramakshetra
– Place of Parashurama – the ancient kingdom of Cheras (Gokarna to Kanyakumari, between the Sahyas and the sea). It is believed Parashurama reclaimed this land from the sea and gifted it to the Brahmins
Pariah
– Lowest caste, and the most discriminated against
Parvati
– Lord Shiva’s consort
Pasupathi
– Literally ‘Lord of the Beasts’; usually applied to Shiva
Patala
– Netherworld; here, capital of the Asuras in exile
Poorna
– River in Kerala; also known as Periyar
Prabhasa
– A city in present-day Gujarat
Prabhu
– Sir, an honorific; also used to mean a rich man
Puja
– Religious ritual
Purendra
– Indra, King of the Gods; also known as ‘destroyer of cities’
Ragas
– Scales in Indian classical music
Raja Dharma
– Code of ethics for rulers
Rajasuya
– Sacrifice performed by Indian Kings in ancient times, who considered themselves powerful enough to be Emperors
Rakshasa
– Mythological evil being
Sabha
– Court or assembly
Sahya
– Mountains running parallel to the Western seaboard of India
Samhita
– A collection of holy hymns/science/knowledge
Sanathana
– Eternal; Hinduism is often considered to be an eternal religion without beginning or end
Sarpasatra
– a sacrifice of serpents. This perhaps refers to an ancient pogrom when the Naga race was eliminated
Sari
– Traditional attire of Indian women, made from -six yards of unstitched cloth
Sarpanch
– Village Chief/Head of the Panchayat
Sarswati
– A mighty river which once flowed between the Indus and Ganges, which has now vanished
Shastras
– Rules, codes, tradition, science, specialised knowledge
Shiva
– The Destroyer, one of the Hindu Trinity of Gods who at the end of each eon, destroys the Universe, after which Brahma the Creator, re-creates it
Shivalinga
– Phallic symbol of Lord Shiva
Shravan
– Fifth month of the Hindu calendar; considered to be a holy month
Shri
– Honorific for gentlemen; equivalent to Mister; also spelt
Sri, Shree
etc.
Shudra
– Lowest of the four Varnas, the other three being (in order of precedence): Brahmana, Khshatriya, and Vaishya
Sindhu
– River Indus; also the land around it; here, Indus is ruled by Jayadratha, Duryodhana’s brother-in-law
Smritis
– ‘That which is remembered’; Hindu laws written by different sages; including
Manu Smriti
, the code for society in ancient India
Soma
– Important ritual drink during Vedic times; also the moon
Somanatha
– Celebrated temple of Lord Shiva – Lord of Somas (life energy)
Stithapranja
– A rough translation is ‘one who maintains equanimity in joy and sorrow’; however, the word has a deeper meaning and is said to encapsulate the essence of the Gita
Suta
– Charioteer caste; also famous as storytellers. Kings often used them to propagate tales of their valour in battle
Swami
– Sir, an honorific used to address a social superior
Swayamvara
– Ancient Indian custom wherein a girl chose her groom from a gathering of suitors, sometimes through competition
Tapsya
– Penance
Timila
– Percussion instrument of Asura origin
Trimurti
– Trinity of Gods: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer
Tulsi
– Holy Basil; a plant revered in Hinduism, especially in the worship of Krishna or Vishnu
Upanishads
– Collection of holy books; along with the commentaries (called
Brahmanas)
, forming the basis of Indian philosophical thought
Urumi
– Sinuous, belt-like sword used in Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form of south India
Uttariya
– Shawl, worn as a shoulder cloth
Vaikunta
– Abode of Lord Vishnu and the heaven reserved for his devotees
Vaishya
– Merchant caste
Vana
– Grove or forest
Vanara
– Monkey; here they are a tribe of mixed descent, living in southern India
Vanga
– Present-day Bengal, including Bangladesh
Varna
– Literally ‘colour’; also meaning ‘social groups’; Hindu society was divided into 4 basic
varna
s: Brahmana or Brahmins (Priests and teachers) at the top; Kshatriyas or warriors second; Vaishya or merchants third; and Shudras (farmers, craftsmen, foot soldiers, petty traders, dancers, musicians, etc) at the bottom of the caste hierarchy; below these were the poorest of the poor, the Untouchables
Varnashrama
– In the ancient Hindu way of life, the ideal lifespan of an individual maintaining
dharma
, was divided into 4 stages: student, householder, retiree; and renunciation
Vatapi
– Present-day Badami, a city in north-central Karnataka
Vayu
– God of Winds
Vedas
– The four holy books (
Rig, Yajur, Sama
and
Atharva)
of the Hindus; considered to possess all the wisdom of the world