When Time Stops….

It is said that time stops when Nataraja, the King of dances, does not dance! Time stood still in Chennai today! Not because the King did not dance but because the queen danced! I did not realise that it was a two hours concert… I did not blink an eye for that long… did not even drink water for that long… thankfully, breathing and heart beat etc. are involuntary actions! If not, I would not have done that too :-)

When I was getting ready to go to the concert, I was thinking, I am in no frame of mind to go watch Krishna stealing Gopika's clothes or Seetha asking for the golden deer or the heroine longing to see the hero, losing her bangles, hip chain etc.!!! I am glad that Shobana too was not in a mind frame to dance for these stories! Except for one thukkada, the rest were in alignment with what I was looking for!!! :-)

After I wrote the previous article, I was thinking of வாழாப்பத்து (Not wanting to live) songs of திருவாசகம் referred to in the article. Slowly my mind drifted off to Kannappa Nayanar, Shiva, Bhagirata, Mahishasura Mardini and Ardha Naareswara. I was wondering why they are so special! It is interesting how mind connects these stories!!!

After Kannappa Nayanar pierced one eye out with an arrow, that eye (or eyehole) must have been bleeding… how did he manage to see Shiva's second eye bleeding… what kind of mental strength does it take do that… what kind of stamina one should have, not to worry about his own bleeding eye but think about someone else' bleeding eye… how can one get that kind of conviction  to go to any extent towards their passion / goal…

Why should Shiva test Kannappa Nayanar so very tough… Will He only test… does He not descend for other reasons… what does Shiva consuming the deadly poison (ஆலகால விஷம் ) imply… why did Shiva decide to bear the speed of Ganga on His head…  Why did Ganga yield to Bhagirata's penance… why is Bhagirata so special to Ganga and Shiva… how could he believe that this will happen when there was no sign of Ganga emerging… how does one persevere when there is not even a ray of light… how can someone differentiate futile fight from perseverance…

Is only strength of Shiva portrayed in the stories… Is He not the most handsome man… in fact He is the only man in the world… Is He the only strong power… How about Mahishasura Mardini… She is fierceful, beautiful, ferocious and kind… how can someone be all this at the same time… why did Indian philosophy see these two together in one form as Ardha Naareswara… Before I thought of anything more I slept off :-)

And…. Wow… Shobana did a katha-maalika (string of stories) in a Raaga Maalika set to Tala maalika!! She was answering my questions… The time stood still… I did not feel like getting up… did not want any more dance… did not want anything… Looks like, in a beautiful moment like this too, one may want to leave the world like Maanickavaachakar did… But then… there is life left still… waiting for me to go thru the motions of life வருகஎன்றருள் புரியும் வரை… rest of my life is just bonus time till then… :-)