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Big picture from evergreen epics

A study of religion, philosophy and psychology tells us that angels and demons reside in the human psyche
Last Updated 26 October 2021, 18:42 IST

Hindu mythology is full of symbolism. A person who is introduced to the subject for the first time will be fascinated by the stories within the stories. The debutante will be foxed by the farfetched imagery and the lack of apparent logic in its vast content. Some rational minds also put them down as poppycock nonsense. Yet, a true admirer of these tales will go back to them from time to time and explore their infinite immensity. Every time one is exposed to the already well-known tales, a new meaning emerges.

What is more fascinating is the fact that it always, invariably caters to the mental and spiritual necessities of all age groups at all times. Just about every subject explored by mankind has been touched upon by these wonderful classics. The concepts of the sciences, technology, medicine, psychology, astronomy, astrology, occult, arts, architecture, trade and commerce, management principles, marketing mantras, soft skills et al have been interwoven ever so beautifully in these tales.

A study of religion, philosophy and psychology tells us that angels and demons reside in the human psyche. When we lead a life of intrinsic goodness, the latent godly qualities in us are awakened. When we resort to deception, jealousy or violence, the devil in us will perk up. So, if we are under the impression that the Asuras or demons are evil entities, who are always prowling around to attack good people, we must stand corrected.

The epics Ramayana and Mahabharata hold flashcards of lofty characters with impeccable values, incorrigible black sheep and those with characters of all shades in between. They mutely allow us to choose our role models.

There is a couplet that says that sage Vyasa communicated only one message through his eighteen Puranas and his epic the Mahabharata: The best way is to gain Punya is to help others as much as possible. On the other hand, if one wants to accumulate sins, it can happen when you trouble others.

All one has to do is just sit back and ruminate on the message of the stories. Parallels and similarities are bound to descend on us sooner or later. New solutions to old problems and old solutions to new can help us clean up the big picture of our lives.

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(Published 26 October 2021, 16:25 IST)

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