AN Moorthy Rao
The issue of the superiority of
Vishnu or Shiva came up incidentally. Now, let us return to our original
subject.
Vishnu or Shiva came up incidentally. Now, let us return to our original
subject.
We began – didn’t we? – by
considering the stories about God which are prevalent among the common people
and trying to understand through them the nature of God. Now, let us list the
qualities[i]
and beliefs about God that emerge from them:
considering the stories about God which are prevalent among the common people
and trying to understand through them the nature of God. Now, let us list the
qualities[i]
and beliefs about God that emerge from them:
- God is not necessarily immortal. Even He could die. Example: Our Dakshyani, Asiris of Egypt,
Balder of the Norse people. - Gods love being worshipped. We must perform ‘vratas’ and so on and they will
grant our prayers. Example : Satyanarayana Vrata - Gods are short-tempered and, at times, even merciless.
They kill young boys. Proof: Shiva killing t e y who was later to become
Gajanana: Athena of Greece who, casting her spell on Ajax, caused him to commit suicide;
Sathyanarayana, who because the merchant’s daughter failed to partake of His prasada, caused her husband’s ship
to sink. - Gods love money and ostentation. Proof: Venkateshwara
who accepts offerings and grants prayers and who is pleased with the
golden sheets to cover this temple towers; Udupi Krishna who wants a
silver (or, is it gold?) chariot and a diamond crown. - They do not hesitate to commit even heinous deeds in
return for some benefit. Proof: Vishnu, who violated the modesty of
Brinda. - It is likely that they lack discrimination. Proof:
some of the boons they granted to monsters: Shiva, who fixed up the head
of an elephant for Ganapathi, instead of Ganapathi’s own head. - They could be womanizers, too. Proof: Zeus of the
Greeks, our Indra, and Shiva, who fell at the feet of Mohini. - They are not ail-knowing. Shiva could not know that
Parvathi had asked Ganapathi to stand guard. - They are not omnipotent, either. Proof: Shiva, who
chased Mohini, could not check his own lust. There is a belief among some
people that if we master some ‘mantras’ we can even gain control over
deities. In Janamejeya’s ‘Sarpa
Yagna’, the moment the priest chanted “Sendraya Takshakaya swaha“, Indra, along with Takshaka,
would have fallen into fire, if he had not taken proper care! There are
also stories in which men are said to have cursed God.
Anthropomorphism
Having bestowed names, forms andbodies similar to those of himself on God, it was only natural that man should
also ascribe to God his own qualities – good and bad. Also, such attributions
give us a certain kind of joy. Through such attributions, God, instead of being
remote and abstract, comes close to us. That explains why we talk of the ‘marriage’
of Gods, harassment by the second wife and so on. Krishna,
it seems, got a taste of it after He married Satyabhama. It is pleasing and
comforting to know that even Vishnu was not spared these tribulations.
But, in reality, what have we
done? We have brought down God from His sublime status and we have made Him
just another human being. It is difficult for us to attain sublime heights and
so we brought Him down to our level. The happiness we get from the feeling that
even the one whom we revere is not spared our travails is trivial.
done? We have brought down God from His sublime status and we have made Him
just another human being. It is difficult for us to attain sublime heights and
so we brought Him down to our level. The happiness we get from the feeling that
even the one whom we revere is not spared our travails is trivial.
Some decades ago, Sthanam
Narasimha Rao’s troupe from Andhra staged the play ‘Sri Krishna Parijatha’ (?) in Mysore. The play was full of the envy between
Rukmini and Satyabhama. The younger wife Satyabhama was very aggressive and
domineering. Krishna appeared helpless before
her, which pleased the audience no end.
Narasimha Rao’s troupe from Andhra staged the play ‘Sri Krishna Parijatha’ (?) in Mysore. The play was full of the envy between
Rukmini and Satyabhama. The younger wife Satyabhama was very aggressive and
domineering. Krishna appeared helpless before
her, which pleased the audience no end.
Some folk stories, which describe
the jealousy between Ganga and Gowri, give us
great happiness. Even Kalidasa had described it in his ‘Meghadoota‘[ii].’The
hero of that epic, Yaksha, tells Megha: ‘Go to Kanekhala. There Gange, the
daughter of Jahnu, who elevated the sons of Sagara to heaven, has come down
from the Himalayas. Her jealousy aroused by
the approach of Gange, Gowri stands frowning. Laughing derisively at her
displeasure Gange pulls down Shiva’s hair with her billowy hands’.
the jealousy between Ganga and Gowri, give us
great happiness. Even Kalidasa had described it in his ‘Meghadoota‘[ii].’The
hero of that epic, Yaksha, tells Megha: ‘Go to Kanekhala. There Gange, the
daughter of Jahnu, who elevated the sons of Sagara to heaven, has come down
from the Himalayas. Her jealousy aroused by
the approach of Gange, Gowri stands frowning. Laughing derisively at her
displeasure Gange pulls down Shiva’s hair with her billowy hands’.
Both ‘Sri Krishna Parijatha’ and Kalidasa’s poem attribute envy to the
gods. Both these give us happiness. But, this happiness is not trivial. Our
happiness here is not because God is brought down to our level but because the
context is beautifully rendered Art veils, in literature and music. (one
recalls Jayadeva’s ‘Geetagovinda’ )
value related shortcomings But, all rational persons would agree that God
cannot have such shortcomings.
gods. Both these give us happiness. But, this happiness is not trivial. Our
happiness here is not because God is brought down to our level but because the
context is beautifully rendered Art veils, in literature and music. (one
recalls Jayadeva’s ‘Geetagovinda’ )
value related shortcomings But, all rational persons would agree that God
cannot have such shortcomings.
Obviously, the qualities listed
above cannot be those 0 an all-knowing, all-powerful God Who rules and sustain
the world and Who is to serve as the model for all man kind. Is it not our
belief that God is immeasurably noble than man? But, the God who emerges from
these stories is certainly not superior to us if we ignore his ability t break
the laws of nature. That one power alone cannot make Him great. Even we
ordinary mortals do what we can for those who praise us. We cheat. We do have
the shortcomings of anger, lust, revenge etc. And, sometimes, we do good
things, too.
above cannot be those 0 an all-knowing, all-powerful God Who rules and sustain
the world and Who is to serve as the model for all man kind. Is it not our
belief that God is immeasurably noble than man? But, the God who emerges from
these stories is certainly not superior to us if we ignore his ability t break
the laws of nature. That one power alone cannot make Him great. Even we
ordinary mortals do what we can for those who praise us. We cheat. We do have
the shortcomings of anger, lust, revenge etc. And, sometimes, we do good
things, too.
These stories affirm that in all
these matters, God is very much like us. If that is true, how is He superior?
We cannot but say that He is no God.
these matters, God is very much like us. If that is true, how is He superior?
We cannot but say that He is no God.
[i] Clearly,
it is the stories which attribute them to God, not I.
it is the stories which attribute them to God, not I.
[ii] Tesmadgacharanukhanatehalam
Shilarajavatheeram
Shilarajavatheeram
Jahnoh kanyam Sagarathanayaswargasopanapanktim|
Gowrivaktrabhrukutirachanam’ yaa vihasyea vhenyaha
Shambhosh keshagrahanamakarodindulagnormihasta||
(Meghadootam‘
edited by KoB. Pathak – Poorvamegha – 52)
edited by KoB. Pathak – Poorvamegha – 52)
Akkihebbalu
Narasimha Murthy Rao (June 16, 1900—August 23, 2003) was an eminent
Kannada writer. He was the first Director of Kannada and Culture
Department of the Karnataka Government.
His
popular book, Devaru (God),
won (1992) the Pampa Award instituted by the Government of
Karnataka.
popular book, Devaru (God),
won (1992) the Pampa Award instituted by the Government of
Karnataka.
This essay is from Chapter III (Stories about God) of the book, which was translated
into English by Prof LS Seshagiri Rao and published by Kannada Sahitya
Parishath, Bangalore in
1995
into English by Prof LS Seshagiri Rao and published by Kannada Sahitya
Parishath, Bangalore in
1995
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