India Appreciation Edition
From opera through ancient epics to cannibalism
India recently placed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the South Pole of the moon, an incredible achievement made even more satisfying, in my view, as it bested the Russian Luna-25 craft, which miserably crashed. Welcome to the India Appreciation edition of my newsletter!
Philip Glass's Satyagraha
First, let's talk about one of my favorite operas—Philip Glass's "Satyagraha." While it's based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, this isn't a straightforward narrative opera. Instead, it serves as a meditation on scenes from Gandhi's time in South Africa. The opera is in Sanskrit, a language I don't speak but find beautiful. Even though I couldn't understand a word, its emotional impact was clear. The opera invites us to reflect on themes of dignity and respect, which resonate universally.
If you're not well-versed in Gandhi's life, here's a good short introduction:
Continuing with the non-narrative theme, a significant portion of the libretto consists of quotations from the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Indian text. This brings me to my next point.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, who is later revealed to be an avatar of the god Vishnu. This text offers a compelling perspective on divinity, differing substantially from what we often encounter in Western thought. Unlike in European views where God is usually a human's superior (father, king, shepherd), Krishna is primarily Arjuna's friend. He doesn't dictate but advises, granting Arjuna agency.
Reading the Gita is challenging due to its ancient origins and rarely spoken language; fewer than 25 thousand people in India speak Sanskrit. Additionally, there are over 300 English translations to choose from, varying widely in quality. I was looking for something that would keep the feel of the original while being accessible, and that would be enjoyable to read. Luckily, a new verse translation by acclaimed poet and novelist Amit Majmudar was published in 2018 that meets my criteria. Here's the New York Times review.
The Gita's diverse fan base includes figures like Simone Weil, Steve Bannon, Heinrich Himmler, Walt Whitman, and Thoreau. One thing that Mahatma Gandhi and his assassin had in common was the great appreciation for the Gita. On the day of his murder, Gandhi started the day by listening to a recitation of the Bhagavad Gita – and his killer carried it with him to the gallows. Note to self: it’s probably better to pass on any invitation to the Bhagavad Gita fanclub meetings.
While the text provides a brilliant framework and insightful questions, I think it's essential to approach its answers with healthy skepticism.
The Caste System
We cannot talk about the Bhagavad Gita without touching in some way the controversial subject of the caste system. While it is not central to the Gita, it is part of it. When Arjuna describes how the world will go to hell, the first thing he can think of is that people from different castes will intermarry (the horror):
Lawlessness in power, Krishna,
The family's women grow corrupt.
The women once corrupted, Krishna,
The colors pour together
Despite its ancient roots and being illegal, the caste system continues to influence life in modern India. We shouldn’t forget, however, that while bad, originally it wasn’t that extreme. For making it truly horrible the Indians have to thank the British. (I am tempted to write one day a post about all the horrible things the British did, but it seems there’s simply too many of them.)
Here's a brilliant answer by Haribabu Thilakar to the question In practice, how does India's caste system work in the 21st century? (I quote it in full because I don't quite trust in Quora being accessible in the future):
Shikha glanced uneasily at the man standing next to her in the elevator. Just a week before, there had been a long thread in their apartment community group on Facebook. The general consensus had been that the main elevators should be used only by residents and their visitors. The maids, gardeners, drivers, security guards, delivery boys, and all support staff were to be instructed to use only the service lift. This man was probably a driver in one of the apartments. Some people just didn't keep their drivers in check. Shikha made a mental note to start another thread in the group.
The carpenter arrived just as she was unlocking her door. She made him wait outside while she fetched the money to pay him for the work he had done the previous week. She was glad that her husband wasn't home. He had this annoying habit of inviting everyone inside and letting them sit on the sofa while they were waiting. The man was a social embarrassment. Last year, while visiting relatives, he had elicited gasps of horror from everyone when he gave a thousand rupees as shagun to the cook’s daughter. Who gives that much to these people?
She noticed the slight chip on the rim of the cup the maid served her tea in. It was from an old set. Some of the cups were already broken. Perhaps she should give it to the maid? They had separate utensils for their live-in maid. It was more hygienic that way. One of her friends once claimed it was ironical that it was hygienic enough for the maid to wash their utensils, but not to eat out of them. That damned female. She was always the NGO types.
Her husband returned in the evening. He was in a foul mood, pissed off at a colleague who was clearly incompetent despite being from an IIT. “He must be a quota guy,” she quipped. Both had a hearty laugh.
They had to go to her husband’s office party that night. She was chatting with one of his colleagues. He was a bachelor - smart, attractive, successful. Perhaps she could hook him up with one of her still unmarried friends. She found her opening when he was joking about how much he hated capsicum. “Are you vegetarian?” she asked. “I’m not fussy, I eat everything,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. Not clear enough. “Were you born non-vegetarian?” she persisted. “When I was born, I could only drink milk. Was it any different for you?” he grinned. Idiot. Couldn't he answer a simple question straight? Maybe she should hook him up with that NGO types.
Later that night, after her husband was asleep, she logged into her favorite website – Quora. There was a question, clearly crying for a strong answer. “In practice, how does India's caste system work in the 21st century?”
“The caste system is almost non-existent, at least in urban areas…,” she began answering with total conviction.
Regrettably, the system's influence extends to Indians abroad, as detailed in this Washington Post article: India’s engineers have thrived in Silicon Valley. So has its caste system. (archive).
Finally, I invite you to watch an episode of Reza Aslan's Believer.
This series was unfortunately canceled by CNN after Aslan was mean to the then-U.S. President Donald Trump on the service then known as Twitter. It is an incredible mix of religious studies and gonzo journalism. In every episode, Reza Aslan hangs out with some... unconventional religious group. There's a doomsday cult, Santa Muerte, Voodoo, reform minded scientologists... In his India episode, he explores the Aghori, a sect known for challenging traditional Hindu purity rules in shocking ways. They live in cemeteries, smear cremation ashes on their bodies, drink from skulls, and sometimes even engage in cannibalism (the eating corpses, not hunting people to eat them type). Intriguingly, under Baba Bhagwan Ramji, part of the sect has evolved into a socially conscious movement, helping marginalized communities like leprosy sufferers and Dalits. Which, from the point of view of some Hindus, isn't actually that far away from their morbid theatrics...
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