Brute force:
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I am deeply agonized by knowing one of the inhuman activities that recently took place. The person who suffered lost her husband just 10 days before. She is 81 years old – counting the last few days of her life, the life she lived being very traditional, very ritualistic. Of course the way she led her life had direct and indirect impact on so many other lives. Let us not look at the other side of the coin at this point in time. What is more important now is the fact that she is 81.
Just that.
According to the family’s traditional, non-rational, illogical, non-spiritual, slip-shoded practice, she had to shave her head off and wear sober clothes after 10 days of mourning. The very person who was a great believer of all this didn’t want to go through this particular ritual. The reason can be anything.
The bottom line is : s h e - n e v e r - w a n t e d - t o .
But her sons and ‘two’ of her grand sons wanted her to follow the 'tradition'. One of the grand sons is an engineer and another is an engineering student at one of the prestigious institutions of India. The super six doesn’t have a heart to know that there is indeed a language of the heart. The so assumed logical intellect of the heart-less over rides the feelings of the heart-felt.
The antagonistic behavior of the super six, in spite of strong opposition from the humble hearts, is today being applauded by the ‘nears and dears’.
From the 9th day the lady was reciting only one mantra – ‘I don’t want to go through this ritual’. She never got up from her seat and she-didn’t-even-go-to-the-toilet-in-the-morning, fearing that she might be taken away forcibly to perform this f^$@#%g ritual.
Eventually, she was forcibly taken out and her sons (and grand sons) had her head shaved off. I could see the sense of ‘victory’ on their faces once they accomplished this hasty act.
They just wanted to follow the tradition. Didn’t even think of how and when this ‘tradition’ started. They want others to provide proofs against these rituals while they don’t have a single proof to support their shameless act.
Some history:
During the Vedic period, boys used to get married at the age of around 12. They used to get married and then go back to gurukul for higher studies. During that period the bride would stay with the in-laws, get accustomed to their customs. By the time the groom returns from the gurukul, she would be well prepared to set up her own family and help her husband in his spiritual ascent. Over a period of time this practice found no followers because boys would return after completing their acedemic studies. In the whole of Ramayana and Mahabharata the only child marriage is that of Rama and Sita. You cannot find another example for a child marriage in the entire text of Indian epics.
Again, during the days of British rule in India, people feared that their girl-children will be kidnapped and raped by the English people. Hence they wanted to get rid of them by getting them married at a very tender age of 8. By doing this the responsibility of the safety of the girl child is with the in-laws. If the husband dies, the wife would get a head shave and would be scrapped off her jewelry and colorful clothes just to look sober to the evil eye.
So, the tradition has started very recently - just a few hundred years ago. It is not an age old tradition as claimed by these fanatics.
Can any one get me at least one proof for this hasty act, from the either the Vedic literature or from the Epics – Ramayana & Mahabharata or from the 18 puraanas of Vedavyasa. I bet no one can.
In the days of Mahabharata, males and females used to dress alike. Men used to grow long hairs and have them decorated with flowers just like women. Men used to wear bangles just like women. And one more fact, women most often were top-less. Yes. Top-Less. And one more fact was that women never used to have 'kunkum' or the 'sindhoor' on their fore head untill marriage. During the marriage, the husband would apply the kunkum/sindhoor. Just like mangala-sootra. So, if the husband dies before the wife, the wife would remove kunkum/sindhoor and the mangala-sootra provided by her husband. I don't understand why some people shave their head off. Hair is not given by the husband.
What a pity that the Indian philosophy, the language of the heart, is suffering under the brain less (il)logical conclusions of the heartless.
You cannot prove anything by logic because you can prove anything by logic. Your logic will be based on your belief. If your belief is wrong, your logic will also be wrong.
- Vj
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