Kusum Choppra

J A Y A This is a little known but very ancient poem, believed to be the precursor of the Mahabharat.  The poem, sung at bards at courts,  recounting   a king overcoming  his rival kinsmen; wandering minstrels sung the tales far and wide for the people, ala Luv Kush.    The various singers were banded under the name ‘Sutas’, often illegitimate offspring of Kshtriyas who performed several courtly duties, including charioteers and bards. Jaya is believed to be the forerunner of the Mahabharata and its wide ranging tales of the Kurus; along with the Ramayana, it spawned the Puranas i.e. tales of the various dynasties and everything to do with them.   Dr. S V Ketkar called this Sauta literature, composed, preserved and sung by the Sutas. This literature had a more ritualistic counterpart that Ketkar called the Mantra literature that focused on hymns, rituals, sacrifices, philosophical and esoteric discourses; later even grammar and philoso...

Some years ago, Dan Browne’s Da Vinci Code captured the imagination of the world in its print and cinematic versions, opening a whole new range of thought in popular minds to the teachings handed down about Jesus Christ. Now the Sana’a Code, under study since discovery from Yemen’s National Museum over five decades ago, holds out similar promise of possibly revealing the earliest versions of the teachings of the Prophet himself.    Recent hardening of stands in Islam has suspended earlier dialogues between the various schools of thought. Hence the excitement over the unveiling of the Sana’a Quran to serve as a reminder that open, yet respectful conversation is possible.     Some experts opine that if written from a firsthand account within 15 years from his death, this may become doubly precious as THE words of God, for 3 Judiac religions; despite the over writing on this palimpsest, common practice for ancient recycling of expensive parchment. Radiocarb...

    India has always had “Vellas”, those who have nothing to do except timepass; our record for employment was sad in those early days when agriculture was the major employer. That’s why cattle rearing and handloom weaving was a big boon.   But Vellas existed even then.   Now times have changed; we’re heading up to the higher slots of the industrial table.   But we still have Vellas….   those young/ old men with nothing to do except gossip, candidates for indoctrination, ripe for mischief. Now the suggestions that they are paid to do that? What do Vellas do?   They opine loudly on things they know nothing of, just enough to make headlines and mischief. Those men who thrashed the Dalit boys at Una … with something productive to do, would they have spent the better part of a day thrashing 4 half starved humans? Those regularly in the headlines for thrashing someone somewhere, killing policemen, hit and run butchers, petty crimes, theft, eve...

Was Ancient India actually as straight laced as our later day patriarchial Dons would have us believe?   Evidence mounts for the Nyets. Cursory looks at the carved, sculpted décor of numerous ancient temples and edifices around the country show proud, confident women/goddesses leading a good life. The Kamasutra certainly adds to the belief.   What of the Feminine Divinity that predates male gods in some ancient civilisations? At what juncture did patriarchy overtake this evident celebration of the Feminine?   It is difficult to set a date or to pinpoint a culprit.   The movement was certainly invidious.   Although there is no historical evidence of cavemen slinging cavewomen over the shoulders, as depicted in Western cartoons, thank Heavens discernible clues to our own much better past do exist.   It is the task of modern mythologists to brush away later day interpolations to such to arrive at the actual sequence of events logically … no mean task...

China’s One Belt One Road initiative is neither new, nor about A road. Essentially it proposes to resurrect the ancient land and sea Silk Routes from China to the West, with modern infrastructure in roads, rails, ports, power plants etc. China will play $115 billion Santa Claus to 60 odd countries strung across Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. It scored early by co-opting earlier projects like the Europe-China rail and CPEC into OBOR … since there is no definitive project list anyway.    The aim of OBOR?    Anything from using up China’s     mythical cash hordes; to resurrecting centuries-old domination over South East Asia, later Africa and now Europe and Australia too; to establish its hegemony over more than half the world with cheap loans, after its moves over the South China Sea. The territory is familiar to India, History’s hoary Trading Nation. International trading routes cannot ignore India, straddling the Indian Ocean, with Zanzibar, ...