GAYATRI PAGDI The Katha Upanishad tells the story of Vajasrava, a Brahmin, performing the Viswajit ritual. He is supposed to give away all his valued possessions during the ritual. His young son, Nachiketa, observes that his father has violated the rules of the ritual by giving away only cows that are incapable of reproduction, or are too […]
GAYATRI PAGDI In the elaborately-carved, beautiful shrine my grandmother had for her idols was a shiny, smooth stone, resting in a case of gold. It was golden-yellow, with a definite red hue. I wondered what it was even as I saw it being anointed with sandalwood and vermillion every day. Flowers were offered to it […]
GAYATRI PAGDI An acquaintance was being described, the other day, as follows. “His values are too rigidly in place. The man’s so moral; he’s almost holy!” This wasn’t exactly a compliment, of course. It’s more of a censure, but it set us thinking. How different are morality and holiness in their characteristics? Could an essentially […]
GAYATRI PAGDI Purity is part of all faiths. It is considered the basis of the sacred and the godly. Hence, the perception when one approaches the divine, or something holy, one needs to be sanctified is ‘universal’ in indigenous cultures. This ‘enhancement’ could be of a person/patron, or a priest, place, object, devotees, animals, ceremonial […]
GAYATRI PAGDI It is part of the Indian cultural landscape, or canvas. A part of the traditional cultural calendar and ethos. Pitru Paksha, or the fortnight for ancestors, has just gone by. It’s a time when thousands of Hindus, the world over, as we know, remember their forefathers and perform sacred rituals for their souls to […]
GAYATRI PAGDI The invite made me wonder. It was an erstwhile neighbour’s fourth wedding. Sheer misfortune had seen him lose his first two wives in a period of ten years, one after another. He was now trying his luck at matrimony, again. But, when did the third marriage happen? His second wife had passed away […]
GAYATRI PAGDI “I’m the soul of this world, in the hearts of all beings am I. I’m the beginning, middle, and also the end of all beings,” says Lord Krsna in the Gita [X; 20]. He also notes, “I’m the immortal and also death. I’m death that seizes all, the origin of all that shall be.” […]
GAYATRI PAGDI The Moon waxes, wanes, and disappears. It also appeals to the ‘nocturnal domain of our mind.’ It has an existence that is subject to the Universal Law of ‘becoming’ life and death. The Sun, on the other hand, has always been itself — the giver of life. Ancient cultures describe the Sun as […]
GAYATRI PAGDI Some years ago, while working for a newspaper, I did a piece on the role of tears in people’s lives. I interviewed several people on whether they ever cried. “Don’t mention my name, and I’ll tell you if I cry,” a hunk had told me with an embarrassed smile. “I cry when I’m […]
GAYATRI PAGDI Myths regarding divinity — right from the most archaic exemplars of culture to the most complex and sophisticated thoughts — are amazing spiritual creations. When it comes to deities, gods, goddesses and celestial beings of different types, diverse aboriginal cultures reflect remarkable archetypal contents. The concept of divine twins is one of them. […]