There is a regular column on religion in The Hindu that normally irritates me. It deals usually with a concept from Sanatana Dharma, quotes a scholar on the matter and then cites an example from a range of mythological sources to underscore the point. I have no problem with the subject, of course, but the juxtaposition doesn’t always work and I often find its tone a trifle pompous and dissatisfying.
But I happened to glance at it today – ‘Follow atma dharma’ was the title – and I was intrigued sufficiently to scan through. It spoke about ‘Saranagati’ – usually surrender but, in this case, more specifically sanctuary: “To accept surrender and to save the one who has surrendered are essential. This is not negotiable.”
The article went on to quote the example of Tvashta:
My mind went instantly to Balika Vadhu, where this dilemma was explored only last week. Ganga is a young woman who has been saved from her villainous husband Ratan Singh – and she has been accepted warmly into the protection of the Badi Haveli of Jaitsar, our protagonist family. When Ratan Singh attacks the haveli, demanding that his wife and son be handed over to him, the matriarch Dadisa hides Ganga and Mannu as well as she can and refuses to hand them over or divulge their whereabouts. At risk are her sons, her daughters-in-law (one heavily pregnant), and two dearly loved grandsons. The men are beaten, the women tied up and the young scion of the family is threatened with fire and sword. The crisis throws up differing stances: Sumitra, the younger daughter-in-law, is all for handing Ganga over and becoming rid of this menace. Unable to see her protectors suffer, Ganga emerges from hiding, willing to sacrifice herself if it means their safety.
Luckily, the police arrive in time to take care of the matter, but the episodes left me thinking how consistently Indian soaps illustrate the higher moral ground. There is almost always a diverse set of reactions depicted and they are almost always backed by well-articulated arguments but the protagonists... they consistently occupy the loftier, nobler space. This particularly true of this beautifully nuanced soap. Bhairo Singh, Sumitra’s husband, is shocked and disappointed with her petty, self-preserving attitude. “Does only your family matter?” he asks her.
Although the serial doesn’t bring it up, the story is based in Rajasthan, a land where such values are taken very seriously indeed. Protecting the ‘sharanagat’ (with your life if need be) is your dharma. And that standard – out of step with this pragmatic world though it be – nevertheless exists in pockets, in people’s hearts, or we would not hear moving stories of courage and selflessness during war and strife.
But I happened to glance at it today – ‘Follow atma dharma’ was the title – and I was intrigued sufficiently to scan through. It spoke about ‘Saranagati’ – usually surrender but, in this case, more specifically sanctuary: “To accept surrender and to save the one who has surrendered are essential. This is not negotiable.”
The article went on to quote the example of Tvashta:
The celestial beings wanted to kill Tvashta who ran to their wives and sought refuge. Tvashta was given shelter. When the celestial beings came looking for Tvashta, their wives refused to hand him over. Thus if a person surrenders, we must take care of him or her even if it means incurring the displeasure of one’s own family.
The celestial beings saw this act of their wives as an act of disloyalty, and angrily questioned their wives about their conduct. How could they take the side of a person who was the enemy of their husbands? But the women replied that the connection between a husband and a wife is a connection not of the soul, but of the body. It is a tie that has nothing to do with the atma... The celestial women were adhering to atma dharma, which is more important than sareera dharma (dharma born of bodily ties).
My mind went instantly to Balika Vadhu, where this dilemma was explored only last week. Ganga is a young woman who has been saved from her villainous husband Ratan Singh – and she has been accepted warmly into the protection of the Badi Haveli of Jaitsar, our protagonist family. When Ratan Singh attacks the haveli, demanding that his wife and son be handed over to him, the matriarch Dadisa hides Ganga and Mannu as well as she can and refuses to hand them over or divulge their whereabouts. At risk are her sons, her daughters-in-law (one heavily pregnant), and two dearly loved grandsons. The men are beaten, the women tied up and the young scion of the family is threatened with fire and sword. The crisis throws up differing stances: Sumitra, the younger daughter-in-law, is all for handing Ganga over and becoming rid of this menace. Unable to see her protectors suffer, Ganga emerges from hiding, willing to sacrifice herself if it means their safety.
Luckily, the police arrive in time to take care of the matter, but the episodes left me thinking how consistently Indian soaps illustrate the higher moral ground. There is almost always a diverse set of reactions depicted and they are almost always backed by well-articulated arguments but the protagonists... they consistently occupy the loftier, nobler space. This particularly true of this beautifully nuanced soap. Bhairo Singh, Sumitra’s husband, is shocked and disappointed with her petty, self-preserving attitude. “Does only your family matter?” he asks her.
Although the serial doesn’t bring it up, the story is based in Rajasthan, a land where such values are taken very seriously indeed. Protecting the ‘sharanagat’ (with your life if need be) is your dharma. And that standard – out of step with this pragmatic world though it be – nevertheless exists in pockets, in people’s hearts, or we would not hear moving stories of courage and selflessness during war and strife.
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