The Hindu pantheon has a number of
eminent, eclectic, and enigmatic deities. But few can be more
mysterious than its god of war -- a key figure in any divine
assemblage.
Yet, Kartikeya's origin and even appearance have variant
accounts, his achievements eclipsed by his younger sibling, and his
following not as universal.
While the general consensus is that he
is the son of Shiva, the Destroyer, and Parvati, born to defeat the
asuras, who yet again dethroned the devas, there is a certain school
that attributes his parentage to fire god Agni.
Then there are
accounts that say six babies were born of Shiva's seed and became
one, while some say he was one with six faces.
Then did Kartikeya defeat the asura
Taraka, or was the asura ruler Soorapadma? What did he do after
defeating the asuras? And why is he more popular across south India?
Despite Sanskrit's pre-eminent poet
Kalidasa writing about the birth and exploits of the god in
"Kumarasambhava", there are no definite, conclusive answers
-- but that doesn't mean there aren't any.
As Anuja Chandramouli, who
is a unique combination of new age classicist and a most compelling
storyteller, shows in this book.
And her work on Kartikeya -- one of the
three new books she has out this month -- is not merely a recounting
of the god's story in modern language, but an inspired and
imaginative retelling. And in this, comes out the essence -- which
was these accounts' original motive before form trumped content, and
ritual bested right conduct.
For Chandramouli, who has earlier
presented Kamadeva and Shakti as seen never before, keeps to her
trait of not only working a unique and contemporary sensibility into
the lore, but also a more nuanced depiction of good and evil, duty,
destiny, power, love, gender relations and rights, especially, and
above all, mercy and redemption.
And true to her style, she doesn't
begin with the travails of the devas, but Parvati, who has finally
realised her goal of union with Shiva. And when the devas come, it is
with their king Indra, who is delivering a long harangue to the
trinity's Preserver, Vishnu, how the divine couple are delaying
emergence of their progeny, who will help him regain power.
Chandramouli doesn't have a very high
opinion of the king of the gods as per her unflattering depictions in
the past, and here too, it is not much different -- with Indra more a
resentful, manipulative power-hungry debauchee than a celestial
being.
On the other hand, Soorapadma, despite
being the "undisputed Lord of the three worlds", has "grown
heartily sick of it all". And then while his his brother Simha
is conscientious in helping better the lot of his subjects despite
facing slurs, the other, the infamous Taraka, is cruel but mostly to
keep his family's honour.
The obvious point is that even those
portrayed as evil have redeeming points and those as good may not be
spotless, and it can also be a circular process -- like the cyclical
idea of time in the Hindu ethos.
But coming back to our protagonist,
Chandramouli lyrically recounts the strange circumstances of his
birth -- and how it affected the fire god, and the wind god and Ganga
herself, his raising, and his relationship with his parents.
And before his battle with the asuras
(instigated most cynically by Indra), there is a telling episode
where Soorapadma and Simha go to see Kartikeya on Mount Kailash and
discuss the limitations of power. The inevitable conflict -- told in
a dream form that is a staple of Chandramouli -- is set against how
Kartikeya treats his defeated foes.
All this has to be read to be relished,
but not necessarily believed as gospel. For that is the beauty of
Hindu religion, in which many versions can co-exist without any
problem.
original review on: http://www.business-standard.com
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