Scholar- Scholarship debate - Self Bhashyam of collage of cliches .

It was about a few nights back, when on an impulse I got up and wrote down in a note-book, a few one –liners, which just came to me in a flash. The set of about 6 odd took less than two/three minutes, and when I finished and read them again I found it appealing and went back to a decent sleep. 

In the morning I decided that I will share this with all, as a part of “daily thought” series. I have always found it difficult to copy any of my handwritten pieces without an automatic urge to edit. The option of cut & paste available for a piece in the computer software is alas not available here. 

Even then, barring a few changes mostly relating to the flow of sentences, I was done. And as I came to the end and gave the piece a once-over, I felt that the piece was not just nice; it struck me as something which was kind of providential, so I should try and curb my enthusiasm, to elaborate further immediately, but instead mull it over, understand, and savor it. I used the phrase “let me not dilute it” or something similar and ended the piece, and mailed it as it came to be written about.  

I hadn’t imagined then the import of this sentiment on others. My brother Narasimhan in a very light vein thanked me for pre-empting him from even nurturing a thought of commenting.  Naresh then came up with a very strong critique, which is now blogged. It then struck me that I should -- in all fairness to myself -- try and explore these further. If indeed – my reasoning went – these clichés were Providence inspired, I should (a) try and understand them (b) see if there is anything which contradicts any of my avowed beliefs expressed ad-nauseum in the Jignyaasaa columns, over a period of 5 odd years,get the message, and (c) share these with others to partly counter any misunderstanding of the cliches.  

Do I discern a bit of sophistry here, since even the slightest bit of attempts at self-glory in others, makes me declare it as some such thing. How is this then different in any way?  I have no answer really. But honestly the way it happened and later I found that there was cogency in those set of clichés, that’s the way I feel. I decided therefore that I will re-visit them, expand and go along with a commentary, as my thoughts flow. 

It is my fondest hope that this would aid in unraveling “samadhaanams” to various doubts that prop up in my apparently endless jignyaasaa to know myself. Having said this, I am however tempted to ask myself as to why I feel that urge to share? Frankly there is no honest answer to this.  

 But then, I do take a kind of solace from a comment made by one of my dear friends, quite some time back. He had wondered as to why saint Thyagaraja, that epitome of Bhakthi Marga, in every Kirtana of his, felt the need to leave an imprint of his signature “thyagaraja” to let all know that those are his creations. I am no saint like Thyagaraja, nor am I a scholar nor have any great scholarship. 

I am just Vichu – the ekalavya – and therefore my temptation to share & leave an imprint in the hope that they are good and they are from my stable by the way. This is excusable, I guess. Writing provides for an opportunity to re-visit and dwell on it at any time later in the future. 

With this heavy pre-amble let me now get to the  commentary part without further ado: 

The word “scholar” in common usage generally refers to someone who has "knowledge" on any subject. In my “jignyaasaa” realm – a journey of over 5 odd years now- the word (that’s my own license) has a distinct ‘spiritual” tinge, and I use it to denote someone who knows his/her true self.

Scholarship in a general sense refers to “learning” in the subject and in my realm it is just the manifestation of the scholar’s knowledge. 

The great old ex-CM of Tamil-Nadu once famously asked as to which Engineering College Lord Ram went to know how to build the “Ram-Setu”. I am indeed happy with this wonderful query; this in an oblique way proves my point expressed in that very first cliché which goes like this:

“You are a scholar, & so you have scholarship, it’s not because you have scholarship, that you are a scholar”. 

Ram is the Lord is my faith. He is the scholar as per my jignyaasaa vocabulary. Remember that famous “aarati”?

“Everything in the Universe (being His creation) shines after Him, and we are illumined by His light alone”.

All scholarship is innate in Ram the “scholar” and He didn’t become “ONE” because of His scholarship. 

Let me attempt two more examples.

Dhruv was a 5 year old child who could not sit in His father’s lap as the stepmother “Suruchi” would not allow that. As advised by Narad Muni, he goes on a penance and when Lord Narayan appears before him, the child is just speechless.

Lord Narayan, then touches and lifts the child’s chin. As Dhruv beholds Him, there comes forth a eulogy in Praise of the Lord which is a masterpiece in “scholarship” 

And what is my romantic interpretation of this beautiful narrative? In that very moment of the Lords touch, and Vision, the Child “realizes” and it is this scholar who brings forth his scholarship.  

Still not convinced, you moron (me)?

Take the “scholar” Kalidas. The legend has it that he was a moron: sitting at the end of a branch of a tree, he is seen busy cutting its base. Goddess Saraswati takes pity and thru her immense Grace, Kalidas becomes a scholar. His scholarship later manifests itself thru his works.

Scholarship therefore (to me) is purely incidental and has no individual identity. It’s innate in the scholar. The scholar, when and if necessary decides to manifest His scholarship so that we mortals have a chance to savor. Or more probably to tell a moron like me -- giving me that midnight impulse --  “arre bhaiya eh dekha naa scholarship? Is se ubharo, kyon ki yeh scholar ka sirf kuch hissa hai, makaam nahin”. (well dear friend you have seen the scholarship, “no”? now, transcend from this as this is just a part of that scholar, not the ultimate stage.”)   

I will come to other clichés one by one more for my own “sukhoon”, and hopefully touch upon that doubt earlier expressed; whether there are any contradictions to anything of what I had said in my earlier pieces or I am still more or less in the same wave-length.  

(to be continued……)

Love Vichu