Spent a peaceful and quiet Diwali in Lonavala, catching up with reading, approach notes, the world and myself.

One of the themes that fascinates me, is the entire battle between Good and Evil, especially as it is represented in various mythologies. For the last year or more, i have been revisiting some of the ancient narratives – both the epics, and then the Bhagwat Purana, the Shiva Mahapuran. I began reading the Devi Bhagwatam‘, quite sometime ago, I finally finished reading it over the weekend

The Devi Bhagwatam is the story of the Devi – the supreme female goddess, the mother of the universe, the origin of all that lives including the Gods. She is beyond space and time and along with her mate Shiva are immortal. There are many Brahma’s, Vishnu’s and other Devas, but these two abide. She is the Goddess that even the Gods pray to – and her various manifestations – be it Uma, Lakshmi, Tulsi are the female Shakti’s that complete the male Gods. Without her the universe will be inert. It is for Shakta’s – the follower’s of Shakti – the single most important book of their faith, equivalent to the Shiva Maha Puran for the Shaivites and the Bhagwad Puran for the Vaishnavaites. The thing to undertand about ‘Hindu Gods’ is that they are an inter connected family who more or less live in peace with each other, help out each other and clean up each others messes.

The theme that runs through all the three purans is simple – devotion – God & Goddess are terribly devoted to their devotees – and the triumph of good over evil. What is also very clear is that mistakes can be made. Just because someone is a ‘God’ doesn’t mean that they can’t get it wrong, or commit ‘adharma’ or do plain wrong things. The purans are fairly matter of fact in describing these transgressions, and the atonement that various characters perform to undo their ‘adharma’. What is interesting is that anyone can be a devotee. The Asura’s are just as devout as the deva’s, and htey can be just as noble – if not more noble.

God’s – even the great God’s can be fairly irresponsible and amoral. Check out Brahma’s boons to a variety of Asuras’ which plunges the whole universe into chaos; or check out Soma’s seduction of Tara – the wife of Brihaspati, the teacher of the Gods – and her refusal to go back to her husband’s home; or read Indra’s behavior on a variety of things – from the seduction of Ahalya to the killing of Virat; or even the legend of Tulsi and Vishnu’s behavior to get her husband to lose the battle. All these are addressed in terms of right and wrong and the ‘prayaschit‘ that has to be performed to undo the sin.

if the books were written for the first time today, I am fairly convinced that the religious right will burn them and their authors. Hindutva’s absolute views on ‘Hinduism’ will defintely be at cross purposes with the Purana’s that take a more tolerant view of both Gods, Men & Women. When Tara – the wife of Brihaspati runs away with Soma, the Gods almost come to war. And when Tara personally refuses to go back to her husband and chooses the Moon God (Soma) – the Gods back down and tell all that the Tara has made her choice.

which brings me to the second part of my musings. If religion tells the story of the triumph of good over evil, or the triumph of ‘faith’ over ‘attachment’ – then how would the Gods & Devi deal with those who have appointed themselves as ‘defenders of faith’?

When i read about the rape of nuns, the burning of prayer areas, the torching of innocents in the name of God or Goddess , it is identical to the kind of stuff that is described in graphic detail in the Puranas. it is the tactics and the actions of Asura’s. And, it is scary that the so called defenders of Hinduism are adopting the tactics of those whom the Gods have traditionally destroyed….