When the Gods came down......

When the Gods came down…..
And the demons existed outside not within.


A supernatural force that controls everything and keeps tabs on us and the chaos we create....


Some of us have a natural inclination to believe in God and I don’t want to use the
word blindly but rather inherently feel at ease in trusting. Some on the other hand outright refuse to believe that there could be something out there beyond human comprehension and finally there are those of us that like to sit on the fence and tend to believe in this force possibly because we don’t want to question something we don’t understand, possibly because we are afraid to bring on its wrath by doing so.
But  I do believe ardently that all religions at the end of the day came to fruition to bring forward one message – that there is something out there watching over all of us and if we only find it within us to believe and trust, there is hope for us. But Hinduism is one of those religions that always never separated man from God. God was always given a human form and personality and his many miracles and foibles alike were passed on through folklore. The modern world often scoffs idol worship but I think there is a certain ingenuity in the way these ancient religions brought God closer to us, through these means.
The underlying message seems to be that God is not some cosmic force that we can’t see and touch. He does not live on another planet, nor is he just a source of a light or energy. Not to disregard that in fact he might be all those things as well. But by making him human with emotions, his anger, his dispair, his love and his misgivings, he comes closer to us. Who can turn their back on the endearing pranks of the adolescent Krishna, or the chubby sweetness of Ganesha, the generous hearted Lakshmi who brings prosperity to whatever she touches, or the strong hearted and loyal Hanuman who would take on anything for his king or the cheeky games of Naradhar. The brilliance of  folklore and religious icons is evident in that they have survived all these centuries and still continue to live on today. They are the stories that children grow up with and whether they then grow on to question religious fanaticism and religion in general one can’t deny how much these stories shape our lives and our beliefs and our love for that elusive almighty.
One of the stories that has always touched me is one related to Muraga , the son of lord Shiva. Like we all do at many  instances in our life he questioned authority and he got into a tiff with his mother and father over a piece of fruit. A task was set out to both him and his brother Ganesha and he lost and was denied the fruit. He loses his cool and in a fit of anger gives up all his material belongings and heads off in a huff to the mountain of Palani where he then sets camp as an act of protest. How endearing is that? How can we not relate to this when so many of us have had these moments when we are estranged for whatever reason from our dear ones? There is a song out there "Ennakavi Padinalum" that actually talks about all the emotions he must be going through and trys to abate his childish anger. I can't think of anything more enchanting than the fact that this song reaches out to the almighty himself to rethink his decision and we actually end up feeling sorry for him. Imagine! the one who rules over everything and the song actually urges him to see sense. That's what Hinduism thrives on, bringing the gods down from the heavens so we can reach out and feel their misgivings and triumphs.


This beautiful song was sung by one of my new favourites Aruna Sairam.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExcbNWLBwLE&feature=autoplay&list=FL33QnRxwcH8jatzSgnE4vTA&lf=mh_lolz&playnext=2