[Advaita-l] What we could learn from Mythology

[Nithin Sridhar]

The central issue with DP's arguments is that Krishna is a bad father.
While Samva's failings are a given, to consider Krishna as a bad father is
incorrect and misleading. This is what the rebuttal points out.

DP's misleading portrayal of Hinduism is well established now and his
articles must be taken with a pinch of salt.

Regards,
Nithin

On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 6:58 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

>  I think the response by Nadumuri has gone tangential. DP's emphasis was on
> the moral aspect of Samva while Nadumuri is completely highlighting Samva's
> valor. Valor does not come from father's training, etc. But the morals
> require that. Nadumuri did not have even a word against DP's instances of
> Samva's misadventures on the moral side. Why would he earn a curse from his
> own father who had all appreciation for him as a warrior? For that matter
> even Ashwaththama was extremely valorous and yet turned out a villain. DP
> had only these issues to say and he said that all perfectly well and he
> could thereby convey his point.
>
> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 6:53 PM, Sudhakar Kabra via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> >  Beautiful rebuttal. Thanks Mr Nitin Sridhar for the link.Shows how half
> > baked ideas work and anybody writing anything.
> > Regards,Sudhakar Kabra
> >     On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 5:10:39 PM GMT+5:30, Nithin Sridhar
> via
> > Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> >  Pl see this rebuttal to Devdutt's article-
> > http://indiafacts.org/no-mr-devdutt-patnaik-krishna-not-
> negligent-father/
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 1:34 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> > > This message was received by WhatsApp group: ( As written By Devdutt
> > > Pattanaik):
> > >
> > > One of the most disturbing stories that we find in the Puranas is the
> > story
> > > of Krishna's son Samba, whose mother was the bear-princess, Jambavati.
> > >
> > > He dupes his father's junior wives by disguising himself as Krishna and
> > is
> > > cursed by Krishna that he will suffer from a skin disease that will
> > enable
> > > his wives to distinguish father and son. Samba is cured after he builds
> > > temples to the sun. All sun temples in India, from Konark in Odisha to
> > > Modhera in Gujarat to Markand in Kashmir, are attributed to this son of
> > > Krishna.
> > >
> > > Samba also attempts to kidnap Duryodhana's daughter and this leads to
> war
> > > between the Kauravas and the Yadavas. Peace is restored, and the
> marriage
> > > is solemnised, only after Balarama, Krishna's elder brother, and
> Samba's
> > > uncle, in a fit of fury threatens to drag Hastinapur into the sea.
> > >
> > > Then there is the story of Samba pretending to be a pregnant woman and
> > > duping sages who were visiting Dwaraka. They sages were not amused and
> > > cursed Samba that he would give birth to an iron mace that would be
> > > responsible for the end of the Yadu clan.
> > >
> > > Must not Krishna's son be as noble and divine and wise and loving as
> > > Krishna? But that is not so. Samba comes with his own personality and
> his
> > > own destiny over which Krishna has no influence. Or does he?
> > >
> > > Can we wonder if Samba was a product of his father's neglect? For was
> not
> > > Krishna spending most of his time with Arjuna and the Pandavas and in
> the
> > > politics of Kuru-kshetra?
> > >
> > > There are hardly any stories of Krishna as father. He is friend,
> > > philosopher and guide to Arjuna, but the only stories of father and son
> > are
> > > of tension, rage and violence.
> > >
> > > In conversations about corporates, we often forget about the other half
> > of
> > > our lives, the personal one. As more and more people are working 24x7,
> > > thanks to Internet, and smart devices, the lines between professional
> and
> > > personal, work and life are getting blurred. In fact, people feel noble
> > > when they sacrifice family for work and guilty when they take a holiday
> > to
> > > take care of their family.
> > >
> > > Family is not seen as achievement. Children are not seen as purpose.
> They
> > > are seen as obligations, duties, by-products of existence, even
> > collateral
> > > damage.
> > >
> > > We admire leaders who sacrifice family for a 'larger' cause. Like
> freedom
> > > fighters who neglect their wives and children. Like business men and
> > > entrepreneurs and consultants who spend most of their time in office.
> > >
> > > With the rise of feminism, women are also working. Parenting has been
> > > outsourced to maids, teachers, computers, videogames and grandparents.
> > >
> > > Women who work in the office have not been compensated by their
> husbands
> > > spending more time at home. Instead women are made to feel guilty for
> not
> > > being good mothers. No one questions men for not being good fathers.
> > > Eventually, the office wins. Absent parents rationalise how office is
> > more
> > > important than the children: we need the money, the children eventually
> > > grow up, surely our needs are also important.
> > >
> > > Many great Krishnas in the workplace discover that they have nurtured
> > Samba
> > > at home: sons who either follow destructive paths as they seek
> attention,
> > > or sons who make their way away from parents, as they have grown used
> to
> > > not having them around. Who wins?
> > >
> > > Corporates were supposed to create wealth for the family. Now families
> > are
> > > creating only workers for the corporates.
> > >
> > > We have many more Krishnas in this generation and maybe many Sambas in
> > the
> > > next.
> > >
> > > As written By Devdutt Pattanaik............
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> >
> >
> > --
> > Nithin S
> > _______________________________________________
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-- 
Nithin S