Return to Roots

Attending an enlightening lecture-cum-interaction with Prof Bharat Gupt on Natyasastra opened up several cupboards in my household I had never bothered to unlock and see what treasures lie over there. I was found asking myself this simple question: how is it that all these years I had not ventured to know and learn more about some of the rich traditions we had been beholding for several centuries. It is no wonder, we may not be aware of many of the rich treasures of our homeland, which have found home in the West, even with adequate copyright and intellectual rights. On the one hand I felt so proud to be part of this great land of cultures and religions, and on the other felt embarassed not knowing the intricacies that this great literature transpose!

It would be beyond the scope of this little blog to enter into some of the salient features of Natyasastra, but it would be worthwhile to highlight one or two key aspects which interested me. This great classic has been popularly known as the Fifth Veda (the other four being Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, which had been appropriated by the Brahmins), meant for the hoi poploi, the aam janta, the nothing-special about people. Is it a generous gesture on the part of Bharat Muni to hand this treatise to the common people, as a consoling factor? Whatever critics say, one thing is for sure: this can be appropriated by any one, especially the non-Brahmin!

The world today is moving at a break-neck speed to explore everything that is possible to harness the world's resources to the best way possible. Brain-drain has not yet become a problem that would disturb the developping nations, but the ancient traditions are slowly finding their place not in schools and colleges, but in archives of archaic manuscripts and museums. The great literature that had enlivened the literature and art of this great nation for several centuries has suddenly become a thing of the past, and we are looking for viable alternatives to replace them. Shame, shame! We have no qualms of conscience to bury alive living traditions, because we are not equipped to take a dip into them!

Some of the great literatures of the ancient India have been path-breaking in several fields, and many of the things that modern science and technology re discover have found mention in many of our scriptures, but who is there to really go through the palm leaves, scrolls to decipher the rich material that had been treasured for hundreds of years. If we ourselves bury these rich materials, then we shall be answerable to the future generations for burying living civilizations as a sign of our incapacity! It is time that we wake up, and unearth the scrolls and manuscripts which are fast eaten up by whiteants and moth! Who knows we may find remedy for many of the evils huanting the world in some of them.

But the responsibility to return to our roots lies with every one of the Indian citizen, who feels obliged to own up what has been our collective tradition, irrespective of culture, religion or language. If our children are taught to return to their roots, in the study of culture, language, literature and religion, then there would be less conflict and attempt from one section of people to assert their cultural hegemony. We do not need to swallow all that the ancient literature and scriptures teach us; we need to look at them critically, and study them at the particular socio-cultural context, and take them for what they are worth. But our lives will be quite different if only we take a close look at them, and shape our lives in the light of our discoveries!