Friday, October 03, 2008

gitopadesha or arjuna vijaya ?

oct 2nd, 2008

this may well be true. i have passed by the statue in jakarta and thought it was gitopadesha but maybe it isn't.

thanks arun for the kind words, and yes, please ask your friends to subscribe to this blog.

i am a little upset about karna, as i think he is the true hero of the mahabharata (see the fabulous work in malayalam by p k balakrishnan "ini jnan urangatte" -- and now let me sleep -- with episodes from the pov of karna and draupadi). but i see also that arjuna is the hero -- and the everyman -- of the bhagavad gita, which is the most sublime scripture ever written. the main thrust -- that of questioning everything based on the dictates of your own dharma and conscience, is something that the semitics can never understand, because they are so dependent on their idols -- their books.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: arun


Dear Rajeev
 
Congratulations on crossing 5000 posts ! Though I miss your frequent rediff columns as it used to be a few years ago, an active blog makes up for it. I have added the blog on to my blog as one that I follow
 
Just noticed you mentioning the Arjuna/Krishna statue in Jakarta .. I have not been to Indonesia, however isn't it "Arjuna Vijaya Statue" (and not in the Gitopadesha posture) ? In fact that makes it more significant for me, for what they chose to depict is actually a victorious Arjuna ( apparently against Karna, as per http://www.wcities.com/en/record/,107963/190/record.html ) rather than an advice seeking Arjuna. Here are some pics that I found online
 
http://www.geocities.com/ssksurya/Gitopadesam_Jakarta.jpg ( Surya also names it Gitopadesha though I don't think so)
 
With all due respect to Gitopadesha and that beautiful depiction, I think the  need of the hour for the Hindus is not imitation of a psec Arjuna ( a la Gita first chapter's Arjuna who defends his own inaction against injustice) and awaiting a saviour in Krishna, but a victorious one at that.. No point in expecting sympathies being the victim ; victories and strength alone will fetch respect and lasting peace for Hindus
 
Just a thought that came to my mind as I saw the post . Keep up the good work
 
regards
arun

2 comments:

witan said...

OF Raoul “Lending a hand”
It is a photograph showing Raoul "lending a hand" (not literally) to a young woman labourer who appears to be working as a hod-carrier.
Given enough time, and if he works diligently, Raoul might yet learn the trade of hod-carrier's assistant.

witan said...

"Bishopadesha"
I invite you all to read Karnataka: The unnecessary Christian blurt by B D Narayankar.
“It was unkindest cut of all - Archbishop Barnard Moras of Bangalore berating and shouting at Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in full public glare. It was a strange and uncivilized behaviour which was unwarranted and unexpected from a Godman.” ... “The evangelists are working towards creating a docile native constituency through conversions that will oblige to the wishes of powerful Christian nations - America, UK and Rome among others. There is nothing saintly about it, it simply is demoniac pretensions to subvert Hinduism and subjugate Hindus. That some educated and well-connected Indians support their activities only means that traitors exist and should be treated as such.”...etc