Kurma Avataara

Pasu to Pasupati

There are several questions, which lead to certain notions and they define code of ethics. In the absence of any social system, a man is subject to the laws of the jungle, he is a Pasu. However, he learnt to question it and hence a civilization arose. A man can choose empathy or he can choose the opposite. These lead to the margas of Devas and Asuras. The one who gives it all to the society and the one who isn't conscious of his personal gains is the Pasupati. 

Origin of Civilisation

Matsya avataara is basically the origin of civilisation, when man challenged the rules of the jungle. Nature dictates certain constraints. However, we challenge that and we evolve technology to grow the space we can live in. This is illustrated by the story of the fish which grows and asks for a bigger pool to live in. Even Abrahamic religions have this story expressed in a different form.

Avataar

An avataar is basically the abstract god expressed in a certain context. The journey of human beings is written in the form of the Dasavatara Roopakam, which is essentially a journey from Pasu to Pasupati. 

Manthan

The Ksheera Sagara Madhana Marmam is described briefly, metaphorically, in the previous post. The churning of the milky way is a metaphor to describe brainstorming and the process of churning knowledge. While a side presents its argument, the other side applies anti-force, thinks about it and vice-versa. When, even one of the sides doesn't play constructively, the discussions turns into an arguments and perhaps that's not desirable.

Kurma Avataara

Kurma Avataara illustrates perseverance. When you are staring at a seemingly difficult task and when you don't the get the outcome which you deserve, negative feelings seep through. You need to realize that the only feeling which can defeat defeat is Perseverance.

Evolution selected pessimistic narrow minded short term thinking, as our survival was essential. However, since the advent of civilization, we started dictating nature, to a fairly good extent. All those marvels, were possible only through perseverance.If inception of civilization was the first achievement, which was told with the help of Matsya avataara, Kurma avataara talks about perseverance, which can take civilization to the next level.

Why tortoise?

Indian stories are essentially some incidents (usually true) embedded with philosophical layers. Some rishis would go through these and come up with arguments which summarize it, philosophically. The poets like Vyasa, do the retelling along with the philosophy imbibed in it. Perhaps an incident where the presence of a tortoise reinforced the importance of perseverance led the philosopher into coming up with this story. 

Link between Manthanam(or Madhanam) and Kurma

This is the reason why this article is being written. The Kurma basically facilitates manthan. When you are thinking through a process, churning of ideas takes place. However, you need them to be anchored and you need to be persevere. 

This metaphor is clear, when you see it with the help of an analogy. How do you grow physically stronger? You need to workout in a gym, maybe! Say, you can do twenty push-ups at a time. You need to push yourself, for a few more. Remembering your goal/destination will push you a few steps further. We have been so used to this story that we take perseverance for granted and we lose patience.

So, when we are trying to understand something, manthanam leads to ideas for and against, the force and the anti-force churn(manthan) it out. All the beautiful things will come out of the universe as a result of this process. Although you tried to get 'amrit' out of it, you get so many awesome things. When people try to solve some problems, they get solutions of more fascinating problems. That's the best of manthan, you get things other the 'amrit', you were craving for.

However, whenever, you don't get these results and negative energy seeps through, when waves of impatience start rising, you need to listen to the kurma, that only perseverance can defeat the defeat.

The Ksheera Sagara Madhana Marmam

Hi!

How are you? Hope you are doing well!
Kya hain yeh? Sudden empathy?

May be first time, in an explicit form, may be it was always there.Well, this is a public letter to a friend. The sad part is that I can't tell you who it is. When I explain why, I'd be slaughtered. keeping jokes apart and keeping it simple, let me present some nice fiction for you.

Arjun, was a boxer. He was known for his track record, besides his "never say die" attitude, disciplined practice, agility, swiftness and all the other things, which the pundits quickly makeup after finding a successful athlete. After all, it is this poetry, which makes everybody, including the sportsman, listen to the 'experts'. This dude, however, ignored the adulation and went back to his childhood days and began thinking.

As a kid, he loved his practice bouts. Sometimes he would take on more than one player, at once. Once he even resorted to a five on one and spent the rest of the day laughing over it, perhaps this ability made a difference which could eventually make a difference. Like the sun, success, would come at some random time, periodically, everyday. He loved failure even more, as it introduced him to the spirit within. They say that a string's strength can only be measured by the force which can break it. This was his journey, like everybody else's, it was full of colors. However, he could see happiness in each and every color. The diversity of colors would emerge like the flow of a stream- persistent and beautiful.

Several clouds surround the sun and bring out the 'suryadeva'. He could see the emergent value which the clouds brought. There is something which he could see and which the world couldn't- the earliest bouts in his career. When he was injured, it was all fine, really fine. Even when he injured his friends, he knew it was alright as the injuries only strengthened his friends. But one small thought worried him. Morning walk is good for health, but can you force it? May be yes, but at what cost, at the cost of their friendship? The bouts and the strained relationships were like the flowers which beautify a garden. They are small and wonderful, but only noticed by those who pay attention to it. He did and so he decided to apologize for each and every injury which he had caused.

How do you water every flower? You could use sprinklers and several other technologies, but can they beat specialized attention provided by a passionate gardener. The answer may be yes, but an engineer has some apprehensions while answering, but why? This 'apprehension' drove him to reach each and every friend, through the combination of a sprinker and a jug, technology blended with passion. He realized that the best apology could be a simple "thanks", told in person!

I would like to point you to a related thought. Manthan or brainstorming, is no different from a bout. Unlike in 'tug of war', in manthan, one side applies force the other side applies anti-force and viceversa. This is churning and this is how we prepare curd. This is how brainstorming works. This is no different from a bout and a boxer is no different from an intellectual. This is one awesome secret, from the 'intellectual universe' and the Milky Way is a mere metaphorical representation of the same. You need to brainstorm, to grow your intellectual capital. Pulling it all yourself is difficult, you could ask Indradeva.

I am going through a journey, as a science communicator and my garden has quite a few flowers already. I will have to remember all those conversations I had with you. I loved the beating and thrashing which happens during debates, we tore into each other's skin, didn't we? I guess that makes us harder, much like the bouts which made the boxer stronger. I loved each and every punch I took and everyone that I returned. Well, I cherish the punches I gave and they might have really hurt, didn't they? Looks like I started it all over again. Let me stop, okay?

You know the number of people who make it this far-the number of awesome boxers in the country. You know that a bout is different from a nice movie or may be a trip to a place like this. We could say success comes with sacrifices and all the other crap told by self-styled crap-men and self-hurt books. Wait, before we buy that shit, let me ask one question. Is this journey, more awesome than all the movies and all the destinations? Can we actually compare them?

You can't compare apples with mangoes? But, you'd fancy one of them don't you? Well yeah, this is perhaps one of those few awesome journeys one can undertake. There is a difference between a Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and the others, isn't it? It does take a journey to make it to the pinnacle, wherever it is and however it looks! I guess its the churning process which will help emerge stronger after every bout and reach there, right on top! This article, was just to thank you, for your participation, in the Manthan. Thank you, but, can we start the next bout(I really miss that smiley here)?