There is a story about friends, foes, trust and time (kaalam) in Book 12, Section
139. In this story, a bird takes care of its own baby and a prince, with love
and affection. But, the prince picks up the baby bird one day and squeezes it
to death. The mother bird pokes the eyes of the prince in vengeance. The bird
justifies itself by saying: “a sinful act done deliberately leads to loss of merit
(punya). But they who avenge themselves of an injury never lose their merit”.
The king (father of the prince) understands the bird’s anger
and thinks that the birds action was justified. He is ready to forgive and asks
the bird to stay but the bird refuses. The bird’s reason is that even if the
king forgives, his future generation may carry the anger and try to take
revenge. This is an extremely important observation. Several conflicts around
the world are based on ancestral enmity.
The ensuing conversations are full of life’s observations.
For example, the bird says that a trust that is broken is
like a broken pot. It cannot be the same pot again, even if repaired. This is
what my mother used to say about husband and wife getting back together after
divorce.
The other observation is that once an animosity arises it
smolders and can never be quenched. Therefore, like smoldering fire, it can
erupt at any time.
The bird lists five causes of hostility. They are women (like
between Sisupala and Krishna), land (like between Kaurava and Pandava), harsh
words (such as between Drona and Drupada), natural incompatibility as happens
with snake and a mongoose or between cat and mouse and finally injury, as in
this episode where the prince killed the chick and the bird blinded the prince.
The bird says that as a policy, one should not place confidence on others,
particularly on an injured party.
In this world, the father and the mother are the only
reliable friends. It is interesting that the spouse is not in this small list. “The wife is merely a vessel for drawing the seeds”. This is
an exact quote as a further evidence of what I have written about the view men
had of women in those days. (see my blog on Seeds and Fields). Our ancestors
must have thought that everything needed to make a baby came from men and the
woman was needed only to provide a womb for the baby to grow. They probably did
not know that the woman produced the ovum.
In trying to persuade the bird that she is forgiven, the
king says that Time is responsible for everything that happens and therefore no
one can feel responsible. This is a common theme in the Indian psyche. “What
can one do when the time is not right?” is a common statement. The other
version is that whatever happened was destined to happen. This argument is also used
several times in Maha Bharatha to explain events. Even the mistreatment of
Draupadi is explained using this lame argument by the great Bhishma. Another
related theme is that whatever happened was due to past karma. In my view, this
attitude also pervades the collective Indian psyche.
The quotes on time, fate and karma from the ancient texts are
used extensively in daily life. But, no one to my reading has made any mention
of the following observations of the wise bird during this conversation.
When the king says that it is all the effects of Time (the
implication is that Kala or Time is a god), the bird asks several pointed questions. “If everything happens under the influence of time and no one
can do anything against it, why is it that relatives and friends seek revenge?
Why did the gods and asuras fight? Why do physicians treat the sick? What is
the use of performing religious acts to acquire merit?”
The bird also says that destiny and effort depend on each
other. She thinks that one should not blame time and fate for everything but
should act and do the proper thing using knowledge, courage, intelligence,
strength and patience. These five are one’s natural friends and should be the primary
sources of support. The secondary sources of support are home, wealth, land,
wife and friends.
The bird goes on to say that “Life is dear to all creatures.
All creatures seek happiness and suffer grief from misery. Misery arises from
several sources such as loss of wealth, association with anything disagreeable,
separation from friends and fear of death, matters related to women, death of
one’s child and other natural causes. Only he who has suffered misery can
understand the misery of others”.
Other comments include those of the king who says that one
cannot get anything done if one does not trust anyone. Such a person will live
in fear all the time.
1 comment:
Another deep post.
I find the comments of the bird very wise. Perhaps it was a wise old owl !
You are absolutely right in your comment that several conflicts in the world are due to ancestral enmity.
I am intrigued by the bird's observation that revenge will not diminish punya. A lot of our scriptures do prescribe revenge and argue it is dharma. I somehow feel that this is an explanation of convenience.
Finally I find it interesting that patience is elevated to the status of a natural friend along with other seemingly more important qualities.
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