These gods are hard to please

These gods are hard to please: As a former Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration who had settled down in Dehradun, ‘RP’ used to be often invited to the Academy to talk to trainees on good governance...


The Hindu, Open Page, June 14, 2016
Excerpts:
"But the truth of RP’s quandary dawned on me when some 20 years later I settled down in a house of my own, for the first time in my life, after retirement.
An experience re-lived
When I look at my predicament these days, I think he used to make a gross understatement. The day begins with a prayer to our daily maid (Oh Lord, give us this day our daily maid!). If she comes, we are eternally grateful to her. If she doesn’t, there is hang all we can do about it. We do not expect her to tell us in advance about her inability to come .


In the meanwhile as the usual time of her daily arrival goes by, our tension increases by leaps and bounds because the dilemma is huge: whether to wait any longer or to start doing the work ourselves, particularly if we have an engagement elsewhere, including an appointment with a doctor.
That brings me to the second set of gods and goddesses in our pantheon. Getting the electrician, plumber and carpenter is next only to getting a maid to work, in terms of degree of impossibility.
Keeping time
First, any good workman worth his salt is generally too busy with large projects and has little time for small householders. If he agrees to come, you have to be hugely lucky if he comes at the time he has promise to come. For example, if your plumber says he would be there in half an hour, you can rest assured that it will stretch to nearly two hours, that is if it does not spill over to the next day or the next.
Meanwhile, you have no option but to wait and pray. Your appointments get postponed or cancelled; but you can do nothing but pray.
Thus we pray by rotation and by rote to about half-a-dozen gods and goddesses of our household pantheon."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NAVAGRAHA STOTRAM

NAVAGRAHA STOTRAM* According to astrology, the positions of the nine planets in the twelve constellations of the zodiac and their movements are considered to be quite significant. The nine planets ‘Navagraha’ affect every aspect of human life. They play an important role in the activities, physical and mental health and life of any individual. The unfavorable positioning of any of these planets can be the cause of problems, bad health, and stagnation for many people. However, there is a solution to avoid the ill effects of the position and movement of the ‘Navagraha’ in our lives. Navagraha mantras (or stotram) are simple mantras which work as powerful healing tools to reduce the negative effects of any of the nine planets. These mantras are Hindu holy hymn addressing the nine planets. Benefits Of Navagraha Stotram And The Way to Practice The Navagraha Stotram is written b y Rishi Vyasa and is considered to be the peace mantra for the nine planets. They are powerful m
Read more

THE SUNSET OF THE CENTURY

*SUNSET OF THE CENTURY: Rabindranath Tagore THE LAST SUN OF THE CENTURY SETS AMIDST THE BLOOD-RED COLOURS OF THE WEST AND THE WHIRLWIND OF HATRED. THE NAKED PASSION OF SELF-LOVE OF NATIONS IN ITS DRUNKEN DELIRIUM OF GREED IS DANCING TO THE CLASH OF STEEL AND THE HOWLING VERSES OF VENGEANCE. THE HUNGRY SELF OF THE NATION SHALL BURST IN A VIOLENCE OF FURY FROM ITS OWNSHAMELESS FEEDING FOR IT HAS MADE THE WORLDITS FOOD, AND LICKING IT, CRUNCHING IT AND SWALLOWING IT IN BIG MORSELS, IT SWELLS AND SWELLS TILL IN THE MIDST OF ITS UNHOLY FEAST DESCENDS THE SUDDEN HEAVEN PIERCING ITS HEART OF GROSSNESS…   *Note: “The Sunset of the Century”, translated by the poet, from Naivedya; The English Writings of   Rabindranathtagore, Volume II,Delhi 1996, page 466. Quoted in his article ‘Critiquing nationalism’ by K Satchidanandan (Frontline, November 14, 2014). The article takes you to a much broader spectrum. HAPPY READING(READ MORE STAN
Read more

The King of Ragas: Sankarabharanam

                       The King of Ragas                      --------------------------     Long ago  serpents were put to lot of hardships.They  were afraid of other animals. They had to seek refuge in the hermitage of sage Saraba.The sage was a true devotee of Lord Shiva.He used to pray Shiva with melodious songs. As he sang a particular raga the snakes were much inspired and they began to dance,. Slowly the serpents became friendly with the sage. They brought water in their mouths for the pooja.They secreted  a special fluid in which the flowers got stuck to their bodies.The sage was much astonished by the service of the snakes.As the sarpas became very close to the sage ,they requested him to help having Darsan of Lord Siva. As requested by the sage Shiva appeared in the form of  a  Kapalika and stayed in the ashram.The music and dance of the snakes continued. The snakes rendered service to the kapalika as they considered him  a Shiva bhakta.Shiva was much pleased with t
Read more