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In
the days gone by Mother would rise with birdsong and go about her
household chores. As she sprinkled the house and surroundings
with cowdung water, , as she decorated the courtyard with kolam and as she churned the curds, she recited tales
from the Puranas. Children got to know such stories by listening
to their mother or grandmother. A deep impression is made on
their youthful minds by listening to narratives that contain
lessons in dharma, stories told with such art that the characters
come to life. When the boys and girls grow up they add to their
knowledge of the Puranas by reading or by listening to the
pauranikas.
Today
all such good practices are forgotten. From childhood itself
people become addicted to film songs, politics, fiction,
newspapers. It is true that puranic themes are enacted on the
stage or potrayed on the screen and may be some people benefit a
little. But it is doubtful whether they will have the right kind
of knowledge of the Puranas from them. More often than not the
impact made by puranic films is unhealthly since the producers
usually attempt to make them as spicy or as exciting as possible
with the addition of undesirable features for, after all, the
purpose of making movies is popular entertainment, not providing
moral or spiritual instruction. Cinema does not come under the
category of kanta-sammita because the producers or directors
abuse their licence, so much so that the original story is
changed in an objectionable manner.
Those
who frequently go to see a film or a dramatic performance become
more interested in the qualities of the actors and actresses than
in those of the characters of the stories itself.
You
must listen to puranic discourses given by great men of virtuous
conduct who are also steeped in the qualities of the high-souled
characters whose stories they tell. Only then would you be drawn
to the virtues exemplified by these characters and to the dharma
practised by them. To listen to discourses given by pauranikas
who are after money and fame and who do not practise the dharma
that they ostensibly uphold is no better than seeing a drama or a
movie. Dramatic (and cinematic) performances are likely to do
good if they are based on the principles of drama enunciated in
our canonical texts. For instance, only a couple married in real
life can performance the roles of the a hero and a heroine
[husband and wife] in a play. The sastras have also restrictions
with regard to the enactment of erotic scenes [portrayal of
srngara].
Nowadays
puranic and other religous discourses are held almost every day
in the towns and cities. I myself am amazed to see so many listed
in the engagement columns of newspapers. Talks are given on
religious themes, on stories, on the Puranas, in fact subjects I
myself am not familiar with. People flock to them, educated
people who may be said to be "modern" or
"sophisticated". It seems as if there is a religious
awakening.
But
a point to consider is how far discourses given by pauranikas are
in good taste. Adding a few stories on their own to the main
theme is all right so as to enhance audience interest. Similarly,
a little bit of humour and brief references to politics also seem
to be not altogether improper. But these should not be far
removed from the main story, the main theme, and must be without
prejudice to the truths to be driven home to the listeners.
Otherwise the whole exercise will be in bad taste ("rasabhasa" ). That which calls
the Lord to mind is "rasa", a true flavour. The puranic
stories must be told without straying too far from the text and a
healthy impression must be made on the minds of the audience. The
narrator must have faith in Isvara, must adhere to traditional
customs and must firmly believe in dharma and in the principles
he himself expounds in the course of his discourse. If he has
profound knowledge of the subject of his talk he will not be
tempted to depart from the main theme to tell irrelevant stories
or make tangential references to current happenings. Puranic
discourses will serve no purpose if they are treated as a pastime
like films and fictions.
In
the villages and the smaller towns not so many discourses and
bhajans are held as in the cities and bigger towns. It is in
places where more and more people have taken to the modern style
of living (and perhaps as a reaction to it according to the
Newtonian law) that you see a growth of interest in subjects
related to our religious and cultural traditions. Religious or
puranic discourses must be held in every village, also bhajans,
at least on every Ekadasi.
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"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1907 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
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