Mangalvedhe Bhoomi Santaanchi: Part 3

 

The Saints of Mangalvedhe ( मंगळवेढे)

Part 3

Oos donga pari rasa nohe donga

Oos donga pari rasa nohe donga

Kaay bhulalasi varaliya ranga

Kamaan dongi pari teer nohe donga

Kaay bhulalasi varaliya ranga

Nadi dongi pari jal nohe donge

Kaay bhulalasi varaliya range

Chokha donga pari bhaav nohe donga

Kaay bhulalasi varaliya ranga

ऊस डोंगा परी रस नव्हे डोंगा । काय भुललासी वरलीया रंगा ॥१॥

कमान डोंगी परी तीर नोहे डोंगा । काय भुललासी वरलीया रंगा ॥२॥

नदी डोंगी परी जळ नव्हे डोंगें । काय भुललासी वरलिया रंगें ॥३॥

चोखा डोंगा परी भाव नव्हे डोंगा । काय भुललासी वरलिया रंगा ॥४॥

Sugarcane ( stick) may be ridged, bent or crooked

Yet the juice it holds within is the sweetest of all.

Why are you mistaken by the outward appearance?

A bow may be arched, curved.

Yet it is perfectly capable of launching a straight arrow that will hit on the target.

Don’t doubt the efficacy of the bow from its shape.

The river may not flow in a straight path . It may have many turns and bends.

But the water flowing through it is not distorted.

Why does it matter to you how the river appears?

Chokha may be of low birth order(mahar) and have many inherent faults.

But his devotion is real, his heart is pure and sincerity not to be doubted.

Why do you judge him based on superficial characteristics?

One of the simplest and shortest of poems, this eternal classic and its oft quoted lines, especially the first line, constitutes perhaps the most famous of Chokhoba’s compositions. The imagery he has applied here is relatable for a common man and effectively drives home the point he is trying to make. 

A meek, emotionally and socially destitute Chokhamela had risen from hard circumstances to become a confident man of great spiritual strength and authority. His poetry had attained the clarity and wisdom from personal experience and also achieved the sharpness to address the issues that needed most attention.

The shallow thinking that he observed in people caused him great grief. The value of any person if inferred from external factors is a matter of great social injustice. He was one of the few that are determined to address such moral, ethical and intellectual blindness that pervades the society. 

The entitlement of a few often propagates a pattern of mistreatment, disrespect and undermining basic rights of others. Many virtuous and qualified men and women are denied equal rights and opportunities based on outdated traditions and prejudice, whether conscious or unconscious . Chokha called upon an awakening to value a person for what he or she brings to the table rather than his/her family lineage or physical appearance. A man’s intentions, efforts, and talents are what should count.

 But that’s not always the case.

I am reminded of a few famous examples as I think about this topic. 

Many cricket buffs would know this story. India won the World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of a young dynamic all rounder from Haryana. Kapil Dev was all of 24 then. His appointment as the captain was greatly debated at the time. The point brought up against him by a member of the cricket board was that he couldn’t speak good English! His famous response to that was “ If you want a person who speaks good English please get an Oxford scholar. I am here to play cricket because that’s all I know.” Thankfully better sense prevailed. Rest was history. 

What is the job/ position/ situation and what qualifications are you seeking when selecting the person for that job/ position ? One mustn’t lose sight of this. 

One incident had to do with an American celebrity. Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of American Talk Shows, was vacationing in Switzerland and walked into a high end boutique to look for something. When she enquired about some items there she was bluntly told not to bother because she couldn’t afford anything there! Reminds you of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? Except this wasn’t a fictional incident. A Black woman, famous in her country, but not recognized in another, is told off based on her skin color !! What does skin color have to do with the bank balance?

Oprah’s humiliation reminds me of a situation that was encountered by Mrs Sudha Murthy, the well known philanthropist and founding member of Infosys. One day while she waited to board a flight in business class she was questioned whether she had a ticket for that higher class. A woman who could have bought the entire airlines and its employees was judged based on her clothes and appearance. She was told she looked like she belonged to “ cattle class”. Lack of glamour, expensive clothing or other visible signs of wealth led someone to doubt if she could afford the ticket. What a pity! 

This reminds me of a personal experience I had on an international flight to Milan on a well known airlines when I answered an overhead announcement calling for a physician to help a sick passenger on board. I was the first one to reach there and quickly diagnosed the elderly woman as having a panic attack. I was asked to show my credentials and asked several questions before addressing the passenger’s symptoms. The moment another doctor, this time a white man, showed up, the chief stewardess completely ignored and dismissed me and let him take over. He acknowledged he was a surgeon and that was enough to please the stewardess. His credentials were accepted at face value, he was not asked for proof. People from the medical community would know whether a surgeon or an internist has more experience treating someone with panic attack ? Oh well. Race and gender take precedence in real life , and clinical competence is given a back seat. 

It brings to the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion ( DEI) which are collectively a hot topic everywhere currently, even in healthcare. In the times of Chokhoba certain communities were excluded from education, or entering temples and social gatherings. Disparities took on different forms in subsequent generations. Several centuries later we are still striving for equal pay for women, equal access to education and healthcare for certain ethnic groups in the USA and other parts of the world, equal social rights such as for marriage for the LGBTQ community and many such things. 

From the spiritual and religious perspective all beings are equal in the eyes of God and God exists in all creation. Yet we have a blind spot for many sections of society. Do we really see divinity in every human being ? Do we treat animals like we treat our family? Do we treat servants with the same respect as we treat our guests? There is a lot of room for awakening in each of us. What pricey conferences, work shops and training sessions today are focusing on to increase awareness of issues of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) in the corporate sector, Chokhoba did free of charge in the fourteenth century. That too without a high school diploma or college degree! 

When you go to Pandharpur do stop to pay respects to Chokha’s samadhi at the temple entrance. Reflect on his abhangas.  Let his teachings remind us at every juncture to value a person’s virtues and qualifications, not outward appearance. If the rare and special virtues are recognized one can learn to ignore or forgive the minor faults in the personality. 

Mindfulness of every situation, awareness and honest acknowledgment of our personal prejudices and clouded thinking need to be understood at every step to become better human beings as well as to practice social justice and adhere to spiritual principles.

Chokhamela’s words remain pertinent after centuries and will continue to do so. 

Saree is a silk cotton Maheshwari in sandalwood color. The chevron border is inspired from waves on the Narmada river. Fine checks in white adorn the body. It is a very light weight and comfortable drape especially for summers in India.