krishna's inheritors

The papers yesterday had an interesting quote from a murder accused. Sentenced to life in prison, the accused man is said to have quipped that he was not too put out by his sentence. After all, he argued, he was a Yaduvanshi and inheritor to krishna's legacy!!
A case of selective reading of mythology, or perhaps, a reflection of how myths are misappropriated and misused in our country.

Alexander and Hercules

Myths have a strange way of uniting the most disparate forces, characters and events. Religion uses this quality of myth to unite the faithful and stir up a feeling of awe in doubt laden minds while others (a large group of unclassifiable, non labeled personalities like us…) are drawn to the marvelous stories that the quality invariably yields. Here is one such from a book that I am reading, On Alexander’s Track to the Indus by Aurel Stein.

Stein says that some of Alexander’s conquests in the Swat valley were inspired by the myth of Hercules. According to him, ancient accounts mention that after Alexander had captured several key points of the valley, the local people fled the towns to a 'rock fastness' in that country called Aornos. Alexander then made known to his troops that he wanted to conquer this rock by any means because it was believed that “this is a mighty piece of rock in that part of the country and a report is current concerning it that even Herakles, the son of Zeus had found it to be impregnable.”

Naturally, given Alexander's desire to be world conqueror, he was drawn to that place on earth where even Herakles or Hercules the great met his match. However Stein tells us, factual history can never corroborate the existence of Herakles let alone trace his journey across the world. Did Herakles come as far as India? We will never know. But, the story of Alexander’s obsession with the capture of the rock definitely makes the reading of history more wonderful.

Studying myth in India-2

My interest in myth led some of my teachers to suggest that I should enrol into a PhD programme. I hesitated at the thought of committing my time and energy into getting a degree or as many would say, a worthless piece of paper. But I saw this as the only avenue open for a regular and structured study of mythology and I found that I was more eager to work at a doctoral program than I was twenty years ago as a student.

In India, the only department that offers myth as a subject of study is the Sanskrit department at the University of Mumbai. However to enrol with them, I would need to know Sanskrit --- not learn it as I went along but be a master in it even before I could submit the first of the many forms that mark a PhD student’s journey. Alternatively, I needed to have an M A degree in a humanities subject with a minimum 55 per cent. I have neither and having worked as a writer and educationist, I am appalled that we still go by these ridiculous standards.

My graduation and post graduation studies were in economics. Today I want to study mythology – comparative mythology – an area that I had been studying informally for several years. In the interim, I have worked in various capacities in different organisations.

I tried telling the people concerned that work experience should make a difference and that I had co-authored two books. That should count?? I was also willing to sit for an entrance exam, if it were possible. However nothing has worked, nor is anyone willing to let me in through the door.

Mythology is not a subject that interests many (my class had five students) and the university admits that it may have to close it down for lack of students. And yet, when there is a student, there are no takers.

I am still trying and hoping for that crack in the door -- however thin it may be.

Studying myth in India-1

It is a year since i enrolled myself into a course in comparative mythology with the mumbai university. The course is conducted by the sanskrit department at the university of mumbai. I have had a great time reading and studying myth and having dithered over it for a long time, i am glad that i finally did the course and more importantly completed it and even sat for the exams!! Twenty years after my last exam which, by the way was disastrous, i never thought i would go through with it.

To spin back a bit in time, i have been a student of economics and never really thought that i would study further after the terrible time i had doing my masters. I cant seem to remember any other time in my life where a subject seemed so totally out of whack with my abilities!!

But then I fell in love with stories and writing and mythology careened into my existence. I was well into my adult life by then -- mother of two daughters and juggling furiously between managing home and part time jobs and reading up the various mythologies of the world. My first reaction which, i think is that of every person who is interested in myth, was that of joy, surprise and then amazement at the similarities in language and imagery used by disparate cultures from all over the world.

The more i read, the more i was drawn into the layers and layers of meaning held by a single myth. I wanted to know more, read more, discuss more. Thus began my hunt for a space that would allow me to do that. And that is when it hit me that in a country that is universally considered to be a grandmaster of the mythic dimension, there are no avenues open for a student of the subject. A one-year diploma conducted by Sanskrit department conducted over weekends is the only place where myths are studied. The course is great and is taught by people who are genuinely interested in the subject. Its content is varied and designed to provide an impetus for further research in the subject. However, if like me, you do want to research the subject further, then welcome to the abyss. You can study it as part of religious philosophy under a guru or a godman; you can study it as a byproduct of psychology or sociology but, there is no pure study of myth possible.

Strange, isn't it, for a country that prides itself on its mythological tradition!