The Creation Hymn

It was in November 2002, a chilly evening in a crowded auditorium in Santa Clara University that I met Amartya Sen. There was something about him which moved me as he gave a passionate talk on globalization and poverty. As I stood shaking his hand after the talk I felt what it might feel like to stand in the presence of a divine being, to be doused in his aura, to feel peace and exhilaration in the same instant.

I am now in the midst of reading His collection of essays “The Argumentative Indian” covering Indian history, culture and identity strung together by the argumentative tradition. I came across a gem that I would like to share with you.

In an essay concerning secularism in India, Sen touches on the topic of ‘Skeptics, Agnostics and Atheists’ and religious skepticism expressed in the 3500 year old Creation Hymn from the Rig Veda:

Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of the universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen - perhaps it has formed itself, or perhaps it did not - the one who looks down on it, in the highest heaven, only he knows - or perhaps he does not know.

This is a seductive verse. It agitates your mind and leaves you pondering on the question that has tormented man since the dawn of reason.

This version of the creation hymn is from a translation of the Rig Veda by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty.


Iyer

A Quote

"If a woman could completely fill a man...

The man must be really shallow."



Iyer

God

As far as I remember, God, the super-natural’s existence and whereabouts never did appear in my entire schooling. It never confused me that at school Darwin took credit to explaining evolution while at home Brahma, the Creator, was behind intelligent design. Either I could clearly separate theology from science in my young mind, or, I was just incapable of such deep thinking. I was independently presented with the concept of evolution versus that of intelligent design. And the choice didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.

An amusing battle rages in America over the question of separating church and state and of introducing the conjecture of “intelligent design” in the schools. Some things we can never do in a clear fashion. At least not yet and one such is keeping the state free of religion. It is probably because we have gotten so used to ruling over the sheep by telling them each night that they better behave or else the wolf would come get them. But one thing we can do is to keep science and religion separate and do a favour to the future generations. It’s absurd to talk of God’s hand or leg in creation in school unless it is presented in a separate setting like theology or philosophy class and includes a mandatory disclaimer that the ideas presented are the author’s alone and stand as long as another idea doesn’t demolish the former.

Let us look at the Judiciary and the potential confusion God can create there. I came across this paragraph in a Service Level Agreement of a certain company.



How can you have such abstract concepts like “Act of God” in a legally binding SLA? If I do contest a case and the crux of it comes down to defining “Act of God” how would the judiciary be able to do this in a “fair” and “just” manner?

Ok, God may be omnipresent. Doesn’t mean you go and introduce him everywhere and anywhere just to prove your point! Let’s leave him out of some places – starting from SLAs, Constitutions and Club Momo.

Iyer

WTF?

This week has been strangely frustrating.

To begin with, I was cursing myself for not having planned anything for the week dotted with days off. The Bintan trip just happened and turned out pretty good in fact. Still there is this feeling of rot and doing nothing.

But I am like the laziest bum in this part of the city and could always do with doing nothing, or so I thought.
And, now that I have been lying around in bed doing nothing for eight hours straight I have this weird PMS-like (a guess) feeling. I am actually frustrated with this bed and this not-so-comfy pillow and my groaning stomach.

Last week I wanted to pull away, take a bus to Johor Bahru and run away some place, just like that. That hasn’t happened.

I just want to feel totally liberated, totally free of this idle-man discomfort, I want to be on the move.

I better figure out something before I bite my finger off.


Frustrated Iyer

Bintan Loola Cottages
Posted by iyer

Sun Rise at Bintan
Posted by iyer

My Pottie moment of the year!

Thought I shall re-collect the Pottie moment for me this year...

It was April Fool's day.... was ard 1am or so.. Iyer and I had just finished our nite out and were back at my place
and we decided to get Machee over too.. Machee stays milez away ( just in case you guys didnt know .. evn though Singapore is a small place and traffic is no big deal... he still stays far far far away from the city...)
I was like - No way this dude's going to get up and come to my place... I mean especially knowing he stays with his folks and especially If I am calling him... Here is a secret - Machee really has a partial feeling for Iyer... and if there is one guy who can change Machee's mind, thats Iyer! And theres no two ways abt it

But then we took the chance and believe it or not we spoke for an hr or so convincing him - abt how much it would mean to us him coming down - especially when both Iyer and I were too lazy to make bkfast next day in the morning or even a cup of coffee... and two is company and three is crowd... and thats better when on one bed :p

And the deal was we would pay for the cab... And so Machee gets up and just casually tells his parents sleeping in the other room, that he is going out. I mean 2 am your son just stepping out - which parent wont get mad at you....

Meanwhile, Iyer and I decide to make this even more memorable by refusing to pick his calls when he was reaching my home...

So there is Machee stranded with not enough cash to pay the cabbie and no where to go.... In fact the cabbie felt so much for Machee or did he feel Machee, we will never know, but he sure did waive Machee the outstanding...

The look on Machee's face outside my house - the anger, the anguish, the pain, the plethora of curse words blurting out in all possible and impossible permutations and combinations.. was simply soo soothing to the ears... and amidst all that animosity and acidity - we save Love, we saw Affection..... and we saw Machee!!

The rest of the night - we watched some movie... and as usual I dozed off on the bed... only to find Machee and Iyer talk about sex in the most pornographic way they could possibly do so... So much hat I just had to wake up and ask them to shut up!!

Machee's folks were obviously very pissed by his behaviour... so much that I stayed back at his place the next day to take on some of the parental assault! hahah two 23 yr olds guys - getting blasted for spending a night out togther .. talk abt this world being homophobic! hehe

I had a strange feeling then though - u know that things were going to change, our priorities were going to change soon..

But what the hell - the three of us having harmless fun at the expense of each other was priceless that night

and next day's cheese omlette - a Machee special was worth the shit!

There are many more -Our escapade with Godzilla look alike chic at KM8, Machee and I stranded at some god forsaken place at 3 am thanks to another Godzilla, Iyer and I at Ranjana's concert...

But none match this :)

Lolly

My New Blog home

Pple

Its official. I have moved now to

http://lollysprakyshady.blogspot.com

Cheers
Lolly