Krishnas Speech at the Battleground chapter sixteen by Ramesh Mukhopadhyaya

< THE RITUALS TO BE OBSERVED DURING WAR Krishna in the last chapter clearly legitimated the rituals. Earlier, it seemed that Krishna did not pay that much attention to the rituals and tradition. When Arjuna pointed out that the war would sound the death-knell of caste-system, Krishna’s answer was ambiguous. Although he claims to have founded the caste-system, he does not mind revolutions in the society. Change is unavoidable. So, one need not bother what happens to the society. One should do the duty as ordained by the society knowing full well that the reality lies in a different kind of perception of life. There the self is all in all. Every action has to be observed to the end of the development of the self. Of course, if anyone tries that, people will be less concerned with the mundane world. There may be peace in thee society. But that is not always possible. Hence the rituals of the society should be observed. Krishna himself adheres to rituals. Or else the herd will be led astray. Still, Krishna never underlined the rituals. He even did not eulogise them who lead a life of high altruistic ideals. Disinterested doer and knower is the ideal man for him. But presently Krishna argued that there are to kinds of men in the society. Those who are charged with service-to-self or cafeteria attitude are with the devils. Those who are simple, honest and loving beings to the party of gods. This is not all. It is they who observe the rituals. Ritual, as the Concise Oxford Dictionary (eighth ed.) defines it, is a prescribed order of performing rites. Of course, observing ritual, is not enough to reach one to the goal. But they help. But what happens to one who is concerned with the development of the self and yet who does not observe the rituals? Are the rituals compulsory or optional for the seeker? Hindu society is largely free from such rituals which might scandalize a person. But let us take an ancient Mexican ritual into account. The ancient Mexicans believed like Krishna that we take flesh of the paddy-gods; in return we must sacrifice at the altar of god. Krishna took the sacrifice symbolically. In that sacrifice, we must kill our egotism and meanness and offer our clean hearts to god. But Mexicans took it literally. They said that the gods shed rains. We should shed blood in turn to appease the gods. The rain gods shed as much rain, as we shed blood. So, two Mexican tribes joined in a compact. Every year they would fight each other. Persons who became prisoners would be sacrificed at the altar; of god of course, the prisoner would be given a hero’s ovation. What would Krishna say in such a context if an Arjuna raised questions? Krishna would perhaps say for the ritual. Of course, the battle to be held at Kurukshetra is a ritual. Wars have been fought time and again in the annals of man. In answer to Arjuna’s query Krishna argues that no one can live without rituals. Everyone has respect for certain things. Yes, man is not born with a clean slate. He has in his unconscious many written down message. He brings them with him from earlier birth. All great literature is an instance of it. Vedavyas, the poet, creates a figure greater than the world he created in the Mahabharata. Krishna, the charioteer grows taller and taller in his speech till he touches the skies. Men discover themselves in their speech. They often did not know that they would say like that. Did Shakespeare know beforehand what he would write? He began somewhere. Then language carried him off his feet. This surely happens because there is an inexhaustible written code in the unconscious which is translated into spoken words. Krishna is a man who knows his unconsciousness. But others do not know themselves. Their regards for particular aspects are a priori. This can be best understood among the adolescents. While some find it heroic to take drugs, others are keen on working hard keen on making careers. Some again take it easy. Their regards for the objects of the world can be broadly classified into three categories corresponding to the three qualities of Nature. Those who are born with neutral qualities worship the gods. Those who have positive qualities worship sub-gods and ogres. Those who have negative qualities worship ghosts and ghouls. This is very simple. He also wants to be rich tries to make friends with men richer than him. When a poor neighbour invites him heartily to a dinner, he does not enjoy it. But when a rich man throws at him crumbs of cake he is overjoyed. That is what it should be. Those who want to become rich should worship the votaries of Mammon. One who wants knowledge, hangs on to one’s professor. One hopes that the professor, despite his busy schedule, can find some time for one. Everyone makes one’s god in one’s own image. Those who worship their gods with a motive that does not fit in with the notion of the well-being of the society pain Krishna who is at their heart. Such men are self-centred , proud and have antisocial desires in their hearts. Is it at all possible that Krishna who is a man, seated on the chariot , will be hurt, if any one among the vast armies, has ill –desire for the society? Let us recount a tale from first hand experience, as told to this present author by Mr. Birendrakishore Chakrborti, whose devotion to god has been a constant inspiration to the present author. It was in his youth that Mr. Chakraborti met a god-man. His name was Santa Das Babaji. Although Mr. Chakraborti did not have any aptitude for such spiritual teachers, still he was compelled to observe him from very close quarters. He had to serve the teacher as the latter’s personal attendant for some days. One day the teacher was delivering his sermon. The sermon over, his disciples would have food. The food was being cooked in a house some hundred furlong away from the venue of the sermon. The food would be first served to god. Then it would be distributed among the servants of god. There was a disciple of the teacher engaged in supervising the preparation of the food. Now it came to pass, that the disciple at the request of the ladies present where food was being cooked, had a glass of coconut juice. Hundred furlongs away, the teacher all on a sudden broke off in the midst of his sermon. He asked someone to call his disciple who was engaged in cooking. The disciple came with his head hanging. The teacher did not tell him anything. But he begged apology if his teacher, because it was his duty to take no food while he cooked food for god. In other words, the teacher knew what his disciple was doing though the latter was away from him. Believe it or not. But Mr. Chakraborti was a witness to it. Mr. Chakraborti is eighty four years old. He lives at 9 Pearce Rd., Liluah; Howrah, West Bengal, India. Worship of ghosts and goblins are not there in the upper class Hindu society. But when someone goes to a god with ignoble desires for personal ends, he makes a ghost of the god. The aptitudes of men are discernible from their good habits. Those who have affinity to neutral quality of nature take hygienic food. It will give them longevity, enthusiasm, strength, health and happiness. Those who have positive mentality are fond of food that is too bitter, or too hot or too salty or too acidic. Such foods give them a burning sensation. It makes them ill. Food which has prepared long back, cold and rotten, is favourite with the negative mind. The meaning is clear. Surely, Krishna would not frown at our taking ice-cream. When people observe sacrificial rites in accordance with the custom without any personal ambition, it is sacrifice after neutral outlook. When people do such sacrifice with personal ends and with a view to advertising themselves in the society it is sacrifice positive style. Commonly sacrifice is observed according to prescribed rules. It is performed respectfully. The priests are duly paid. The poor are given food and clothes on the occasion. But when all these rules are flung into the four winds, it is sacrifice negative style. In secular states such sacrifices are rarely seen. But the states themselves and different organizations often observe sacrifices in a different way. For example, the states as well as the different organizations observe the centenary of great man. Lot of money is spent on such occasions. Lot of high sounding promises to the society gurgle out from the nahsty mouths of the leaders. But do they mean what they say? Often they send fruits and sweets to the ailing in the hospitals. But that is show-biz. If we Indians are really concerned with hospitals and the ailing, no dog would have eaten away a new born baby on the hospital premises only. Such incidents are not rare in India. Such incidents do not take place in hospitals in remote villages. They take place in the towns. In the face of all these when World Health Day or similar something is observed it is sacrifice of the most nefarious kind. If Krishna speaks the truth, people who organise such sacrifices will be hanged upside down for ages together in lives hereafter. Worship of gods, worship of the wise, worship of the priests, cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy, and non- violence are called penance on the physical plane. One should not speak to hurt anybody. One should speak the truth. One should speak sweetly to others. One should have good will for everyone. One should devote oneself to the study of scriptures. Such is the penance on the plane of speech. Happiness at heart, straight-forwardness, silence, control of the self and purity of thought are penance of the mental plane. This is penance of the neutral kind. Thus penance does not necessarily mean to go to the woods and pray without taking food for days or months together. Those who observe penance for materialistic gains often control their speech and outward appearance. This kind of penance is of the positive type. It does not stand in good stead for the doer’s spiritual growth. It does not help the society as well. Humility, if it is not an end in itself, is young ambition’s ladder. Once the lowly man comes to power, he may reveal his serpent self. Actuated by unattainable desires, men often observe penance. They often do it to harm others. Often they torture themselves to that end. For example, one may think that one will shed own’s own blood to appease god. God being pleased should do harm to his enemy. A penance of this kind is negative. Charity is another ritual that should be observed. But carrying coal to New Castle is not charity. One should give somebody who has not done any good turn to the giver. One should not make gift to any body with a hope of any future return. This is charity of the neutral type. But what do we do in everyday life? We give presents to those who give us return. We do charity to keep up our social status. These are positive charity. They are bootless. Neither the society gains anything from it, nor the giver. Often people have lots of money. They do not know where to spend. A lady just alights from the aircraft. She has dollars in her purse. Two persons from a rich organisation ask for donation. She gives them hundred dollars without giving it a thought. The organisation will arrange seminars on how to better the sanitation system in the rural India; its venue will be a five star hotel. When rally needy and enthusiastic people ask for money for altruistic ends, she cannot afford to give them a penny. Such charity is of the negative kind. Those who give away money without love and regard for the done, are also negative in outlook. Krishna says that the three names ‘Aum’, ‘Tat’ and ‘Sat’ signify the Cosmic Being. The priest chants “Aum” and performs sacrifice, penance and charity for their own sake. Such activities keep up the society. If every work is looked upon as sacrifice, and if penance is done to equip one’s mind to become worthy of performing a sacrifice, we shall have a better world. There are men who do such sacrifice with a view to getting salvation. They want the Cosmic Being as ‘Tat’ or ‘That’. The name “Sat” means “exists”. If a man knows that the Cosmic Being exists everywhere, in every action and in every possible result of action, whatever he does or speaks or thinks constitutes sacrifice, charity and penance. Sleeping or awake, a man’s whole life is a sequence of rituals. If one observes the rituals in the spirit of ‘Yes” to all things or in the spirit of god-exists-in-all-things- or in the knowledge of nothing is destroyed whatever, one triumphs over lower self and the world. Arjuna should fight in this spirit. War is a ritual like any other activity in human life.