Praneshacharya's Actions in Samskara - Essay Example

Samskara For a long time, humans have organized or segregated into different structures like countries, communities, cultures, etc, and carried on with their activities. Among these different structures, the activities of people following specific cultures will be unique exhibiting their age-old traditions and their perspective of various spheres of life. People following this specific or even orthodox form their culture will try to maintain their identity and distinctness, even if they live in the midst of a larger or composite culture. For them, the culture and the related historical traditions and customs is an important aspect that mainly shapes his/hers life, their personality and even their after-lives. As they give utmost importance to it, they will try to incorporate all the set cultures, traditions and customs in all phases or stages of life, starting from birth till their death as part of samskara. So, samskara is the broad term in Hinduism, which is given to all the personal and traditional sacraments observed by individuals at every phase of their Hindu life, starting from the moment he/she is conceived in womb till their death, including the funeral rites to facilitate smooth transfer of the soul to the other world. All these samskaras got formed and evolved from the various ancient texts including puranas, epics, gṛhyasutras, etc. Although, they differ noticeably according to the various regions, castes, or even families, there is a generally accepted list of 16 saṃskaras. Each one of these samskaras correlates to each phase of a Hindu life, and involves a collage of rites and ceremonies. For example, during the samskara of Jatakarma, which is carried out after the child’s birth, the impurities that is tend to be associated with children from the pre-natal stage of birth is removed and he/she is made pure, and fit to become a temple for the god to live. So, it is clear, the samskara are cultural and traditional rituals, which are performed by the individuals to achieve higher sanctity and transform into an ‘optimum’ individual. With this motivation only, the protagonist of the fictional work, Samskara, Praneshacharya follows and undergoes the various tenets of samskara throughout the life. However, when a life ends and that results in various hurdles, Praneshacharya misses following certain samskaras and thus becomes a hurt, pathless and a complicated soul. So, this paper by analyzing how Praneshacharya’s actions reflect the above discussed different definitions of samskara, will take a position that he did not make the correct choices all the time, although he could taken a correct path in his early life. Finally, the paper comparing and contrasting his choices to those of the characters in the Ramayana, will spell out what he could have done differently. Reflection of Praneshacharya’s actions in these different definitions of samskara The short novel "Samskara" was written by U. R. Anantha Murthy in 1965. Murthy belonged to the Brahmin community as is the protagonist Praneshacharya. However, he brings out many of the contradictions that are visible in the samskaras of the Brahmins, and these contradictions reflect in the character of Praneshacharya. The crux of the story is about the funeral or samskara, which has to be given to Naranappa, an anti-Brahmin in the Brahmin community and the related events. In the novel, Praneshacharya is portrayed as the epitome of brahminhood, as he follows all the customs and traditions as part of samskara, with fullest satisfaction. He goes to Kashi (Benaras) to study all the ancient religious scriptures as part of his education and returns to his village with the title “Crest-Jewel of Vedic Learning”. As he accomplishes the important phase of education, he fulfills the samskara of Samavartana. Because of his learned knowledge, he is regarded as the guru by all the Brahmins in his village of Durvasapura and also by those living in the surrounding villages. His elevated treatment by the villagers kind of fulfills the end result of samskara, which is to reach higher sanctity. To further achieve his aim of higher sanctity, Praneshacharya deliberately married a sick and disabled woman, who cannot involve herself in family or sexual life. That is, as he wanted to lead a life of celibacy and also as he wanted to serve a helpless individual or woman, she married her. By fulfilling these two purposes, Praneshacharya wanted to live a pure life devoted only to religion, and thereby following the samskara, Sanyasashrama which stipulates the individuals to lead a life of a monk in some phase of their life. His actions reflected this samskara and he lived a monk life, devoid of any anger and selfish motives. That is, when the villages wanted Naranappa to be evicted from the village, because of his extreme non-Brahminical activities, and approached Praneshacharya to take steps, he asked them to calm down. He had hopes that Naranappa would ‘reform’ himself by abhorring all his current extreme activities and would choose the proper path of Dharma. However, his correct following of samskara through his positive actions, takes a negative turn, due to his actions after Naranappa’s death. That is, his actions after the death do not reflect various samskaras and so he could not reach his wish of higher sanctity. When Naranappa died, Praneshacharya being the guru of the community and following the samskara regarding funeral ceremonies should have cremated him. However, because of the dubious character of Naranappa, he and other villagers did not come forward to do the cremation. Although, villagers may not be that daring, but Praneshacharya being the ‘leader’ and whose actions reflect samakaras should have conducted the cremation, thereby fulfilling the samskara related to funerals. Apart from not fulfilling this samskara, Praneshacharya by delaying to take the decision also starved the whole villagers. That is, according to one of the tenets of samskara, when a death has occurred in a community, the Brahmins living in that community should not eat food, until the dead body is cremated. But, as he delayed in taking the decision, villagers starved, so, here again, his actions in the aftermath of Naranappa does not reflect samskara. He traveled further on the road of non-samskara and went to the point of no return, when he gets attracted to Chandri, Naranappa’s mistress, and sleeps with her. This non-samskara act was very unbecoming of a learned, spiritual guru and also illicit for a married man. So, his exploitation of Chandri, instead of helping her in the cremation of Naranappa, ‘washes’ all the sanctity he built by following all the tenets of samskara till that point of his life. Although, he has thoughts of revealing to his fellow Brahmins about this illicit act, he decides against it, and after her wife’s death, with guilt-ridden mind he leaves the village. Thus, it is clear that, although Praneshacharya’s action in the first part of his life clearly reflected all the definitions of samskara, his actions in the aftermath of Naranappa’s death bordered on negativity, and does not had any reflections to the good tenets of samskara. Comparison with Ramayana character and how Praneshacharya could have done differently When Praneshacharya’s actions, particularly his illicit relationship with Chandri and thus being dishonest with his wife, is viewed from a particular perspective, it has some correlation to Rama’s character in Ramayana. That is, although both Praneshacharya and Rama had a very good relationship with their respective wives and cared for them very well, their later actions bordered on the negative side. Rama appears in popular Indian representations (especially in the north) as the very model of the monogamous husband and just and good king...But even a superficial reading of the Ramayana puts this interpretation at some risk. (). Praneshacharya took care of her invalid and struggling wife very well, with all happiness. Likewise, when Ravana abducted Sita, Rama defeated an entire army and got her back. However, Praneshacharya slept with another woman behind his wife’s back, while Rama focusing on the baseless rumors about Sita’s fidelity, asked her to prove through a public test. “Though Rama realized that his wife was the very paragon of virtue untainted, and that she would not have submitted to the sexual advances of Ravana… some doubts began to creep into his own mind…Consequently, he subjected Sita to a public test: if she could emerge from the flames of the fire unscathed, that would be the touchstone of her unimpeachable moral character.” (). Sita passes the test (agnipariksha) with flying colors, and henceforth takes her place besides Rama, and together they preside over Ayodhya. Though he flees from his native surroundings, Praneshacharya comes face to face with his real self and he realises that he is basically no different from the hedonistic Naranappa. He contemplates on his past life as he walks aimlessly through the adjoining villages with a vague notion of searching for Chandri. Even the character of Rama is not without its blemishes [see Rama]. Contrariwise, even Tulsidas’s Ramacaritmanas, which is the most patriarchal of the widely read versions, recognizes that Ravana was not without certain admirable qualities. Indeed, the tales about the Ramayana suggest a wonderful self-reflexivity . Do you think that he made the correct choices? Why or why not? . Should he be courageous and say openly what he did, should he hide it and live as if nothing has happened? Initially Praneshacharya decides on the second course of action. He even runs away from home after his wife dies of plague. But wherever he goes he is haunted by the fear of discovery and haunted by Chandris touch. The novel ends as Praneshacharya decides to return to Durvasapura, and to own up his fall. ": What is "Samskara"? Is culture only maintained if tradition is followed with blind fervour?. His decision to marry an invalid woman and to deny himself earthly pleasures begin to appear to him as vanity, even sheer hypocrisy. He realises that he had been vain to think that he was above the likes of his dear friend Mahabala and Naranappa, who had descended to revelling in the lower pleasures of life. Traits of gluttony, lust and greed within the Brahmins are portrayed in a direct, down-to-earth manner, implying that these are the inherent traits of humans beyond boundaries of caste and creed. . Putta lives in the moment, he enjoys the various small amusements available in the fair..The acharya does not participate in any of the things that putta did. putta lives in the moment and by all his acts at the fair he becomes a complete human being. When the acharya is accumulating good karma for a better life after his death, putta cherishes the god given life and lives when he is alive Read More