[Advaita-l] What we could learn from Mythology

[Nithin Sridhar]

Why would I say such a thing? Devdutt Pattnaik may say though!

On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 7:42 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 7:12 PM, Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> The central issue with DP's arguments is that Krishna is a bad father.
>>
>
> The Srimad Bhagavatam portrays Rama as someone who showed to the world  by
> his misery that such would be the fate of those attached to wife/woman.
>
> https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/9/10/11
>
> //  Thus He showed by His personal example the condition of a person
> attached to women.//
>
> Would you say that the Bhagavatam is accusing Rama as a lustful person and
> a bad husband when it came to his banishing his pregnant wife on the words
> of a washerman? How many Rama bhaktas would agree with this assessment of
> Rama?
>
> regards
>
>
>
>
>> 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
>> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Nithin S