Looking up to the stars in the sky

 When asked during an interview if the veteran actor Dilip Kumar had in any way influenced his acting, the legendary actor Mr Amitabh Bachchan had no hesitation in admitting that it was true. He went on to add that if any actor claimed otherwise it would be less than honest. The legacy of Mr Dilip Kumar is much too towering to be ignored. Whether consciously or unconsciously, every actor who came during or after Dilip Kumar’s time was inevitably influenced by his style and body of work. 

In the world of Marathi spiritual literature the same is true about Dnyaaneshwar. Sant Dnyaneshwar. Dnyaaneshwar Mauli. Although I qualified the field as Marathi Spiritual Literature, in reality the field is not limited by language, religion, culture, country or time period. In the sphere of religious or spiritual philosophy, Dnyaneshwar is the ruling king. His literary style, depth, sensitivity, personal character, purpose and body of work are at an unparalleled height. To use the analogy of Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, there is always room for a Bachchan to make his own name and have an independent legacy and having put in sincere efforts to remain original, to earn a stamp of originality. Yet as Mr Bachchan himself rightfully conceded, there is no way anyone can escape being influenced by the one  who is established as an extraordinaire. 

While the likes of Mr Dilip Kumar and Sant Dnyaaneshwar must be duly acknowledged for their indisputable greatness, it is important to recognize the immense worth of a Bachchan who follows after a Dilip Kumar, or a Sant Tukaram who follows after Sant Dnyaaneshwar or Asha Bhonsle who follows after a Lata Mangeshkar. To reach their independent heights while striving to remain original and facing the constant challenges of comparison with someone else is no easy feat. Their lives need to be closely studied by anyone whose star is on the rise. Because they hold a lesson that you cannot learn from a Dilip Kumar or from Sant Dnyaaneshwar. Besides deriving oxygen from self effort and energy from passion, as they hike up their way to new peaks in their respective careers they firmly hold on to the stick of originality in one hand and humility in the other. Without those sticks they couldn’t have made it to where they are. 

And if you look closely, these people don’t ever stop climbing even when they are far ahead of the nearest one behind them. Their path goes into eternity. 

Each of us on the ground should therefore learn from both, a Dilip Kumar and an Amitabh Bachchan when we walk our path. We must take a page out of Sant Dnyaaneshwar for sure but not forget to do the same thing with Sant Meerabai ,Tukaram, Kabir or Nanak. 

It is not just humility that counts, but originality too.

It is not just originality that matters, but humility as well.

Each of the two is a culture in itself that calls to be cultivated. One day at a time. 

In a world riddled by plagiarism, copy paste culture and fierce competition when you come across these two virtues it feels like finding a breath of fresh air after surviving a polluted day. 

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