Saraswati

 

Introduction

  Action produces reaction. So is my composition of “Saraswati” after reading Mahasweta Devi’s “Draupadi”. The story of ‘Dopdi’ infused a storm in my mind, much alike other readers. What created spark in my mind was Mahasweta Devi’s super applaudable idea to relate the character of a tribal woman with a character from the Hindu Mythology bearing the same name. This kindled a thought in my mind, of offering this relativity a new plot, a literary reaction caused by a rich literary action.

The only image that kept reflecting on my mind was of her. It was about a ‘kaj er meye’ who toils in our locality, who chose struggle to injustice, a tribal woman in twenties who eloped with rage from her husband’s den. To assume that the tribal feature is the only similarity between the protagonist of my story and Mahasweta Devi’s, will certainly be a misapprehension, since the other connection arrives later, a huge awaiting irony indeed.

( I )

  Holding my impulse right after reading Mahasweta Devi’s “Draupadi”, I requested my Maa to ask the ‘kaj er meye’ come and meet me sometime, when she is not soaked in her sweat or mach or detergent odoured saree. Well that can be ironical for her – free hours for a ‘kaj er meye’ ?  However, she did turn up after a few days, with a face stamped with question marks.

I took her to my room and tried to calm her down with a glass of ‘nun-chinir jol’. Reading the impatience in her curious eyes, I triggered our question-answer round.

I : “I want to know about your life and incidents. Will you share those with me?”

She : “Will that earn me any money?”

Digesting my shock, I continued…

I : “Do you hold an ST certificate to exercise over the benefits that the government promise you people?”

She :  “I don’t. But Shonu babu’s father has it.”

Immediately, I :  “Shonu babu? Who’s that?”

And then the coy reply touching her tummy, she said : “My 7 weeks old baby boy!”

Okay, should I’ve said anything further? Aah..may be..something like…’Oow.. wow! Congrats!’ What else reaction can be expected from me, being completely unaware of the fact that she’s nomore living a single life, but has advanced with such conjugal updates. Still holding my purplexities,I heard her saying : “Spare me from your questions. Let Shonu babu arrive. His father looks very improved and hopeful this time. He’s happy to get an heir to his plumbing job soon. You better write a story on Shona babu then.”

And she left my house for the day. She…Saraswati.

( II )

   Saraswati Oraon, that’s her complete name I’ve collected from my neighbours. The Hindu Mythology states, Brahma didn’t know how to bring order in the universe. While thinking over the problem, he heard a voice say knowledge could help him achieve order. So Brahma’s mouth emerged the magnificient figure of Saraswati – the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. But my neighbours could hardly state about this Saraswati’s origin.

   Besides Saraswati, Vishnu married Ganga. One day Ganga was looking wistfully at her husband, and Vishnu was reciprocrating the glances. This was too much for Saraswati who began to accuse Vishnu of partiality. Vishnu left the place to give Saraswati time to calm herself down. But this only served to anger Saraswati more. She advanced threatingly to Ganga when Lakshmi intervened. Lakshmi held Saraswati away from Ganga. Saraswati then cursed Lakshmi. Vishnu, having found out about what happened, cursed both Saraswati and Ganga with transformation into rivers. And similar was the reason why this Saraswati moved out of her husband’s den with rage.

  According to the Upanishads, the Gods wanted someone to transport "fire" or Agni to the sea and entrusted the Saraswati river to perform the task. Although the water of the ancient river dried up, one can still ride on the currents and waves of Saraswati to become pure. Struggling against the brutality of fate and the frailty of her sex, Saraswati learnt to stand untouched and pure in her self-dependent life. Saraswati removes the stains from the clothes and utensils with mastery over the work using the running tap-water. Her sweat soaked saree is pure as the white saree of the goddess.

  Transformed by Vishnu into a river, Saraswati was given to Brahma as her new husband. Shonu babu’s father was a human being, unable to allocate a new husband for his wife. So he came back in a reformed avatar of Shiva, the lord of pro-creation. Blame it on her loneliness or undying latent love for her husband, Saraswati succumbed to the power of the ‘rosary’ signifying the union of god.

  The ‘swan’ demonstrates the discriminatory power between right and wrong. Saraswati is a human being. Bewildered between the rights and wrongs, she chose to follow her heart of innate wisdom. She tunes no ‘veena’ but whispers the ‘taanum’ which rejuvenates the ‘gayaki’ in her and inspires her to accomplish the daily chores of her life.

( III )

  I was lost. Lost in my thoughts, lost in my words, lost in the rights and wrongs of life. I got lost in search of the truths of life. What is life all about? Money? Education? Is money is just about survival, why do people race in building a status? What is education then? Being learned or being wise? The life of this Saraswati is intriguing, just as the intriguing questions in my mind. If this tribal woman is called uneducated, who is responsible for the lack of her education? If she possesses such a gulf from the goddess, who is responsible for the irony of the name? If she was never inspired to hold a pen, why is she to be blamed for holding a baby in her womb? So is the underlying truth, life is easy to throw questions, and as difficult to answer them.

. . .