The story of Satyakaman, Jabala, Gauthama and Internet Hindus

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The story of Satyakaman is from Chandogya Upanishad, often used in 'modern' times in the debates on who is a Brahmin.  Before we talk about Internet Hindus, listen to the story of Satyakaman in Tamil or read it in English here.

In current times, the debate centers around the definition of Brahmin or about honesty. In a way, we, the people of today look for a Śabda Pramāṇa - that is proof from well-recognized texts.  In the recent past, people may have looked for a Upamāna Pramāṇa.  That is, when a situation demands, this story may be compared to arrive at a resolution.

The purpose of all these stories, Purana and our Itihasa aren't just for proof.  They have served a much bigger purpose than just referencing texts like the Bible or the Quran.  (Grammarly suggested changes from 'a Bible' to 'the Bible' and 'a Quran' to 'the Quran'.  That explains the difference between a Hindu system of values and an Abrahamic system of values.)

The lives of our Puranic characters are examples for us to follow.  They aren't rule books.  There are diverse situations and personalities to guide us through the challenges of our lives. 

The Internet Hindus are stuck in proofs and references.  A 'trad' or a traditional Hindu would reject the story of Satyakaman and stick to his definition of who a Brahmin is.  But a 'rayta' would agree with the decision of the master Gauthama and continue his tirade against the trads.  

What we seldom realize is - the characters in these stories guide us in our lives.  The characters Satyakaman and his mother Jabala are straightforward - honest to the core.   The relevant character for Internet Hindus is the master Gautama.  He defined who a Brahmin is, for himself.  He didn't need any Pramāṇa to decide.  He was free from acquired knowledge.

That's what a Hindu is - someone who can aspire and get that freedom from the bindings - including that of knowledge.  And that's what Internet Hindus should aim for.

Coloniality, Legal System and the Common Man

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 "If they go to High Court, I'll go all the way up to Supreme Court.  I have financial strength.  Even if I die, my son would fight the case." said the angry old man.  

He said that when I tried to work out a compromise between two warring parties in a civil dispute.  I'm no lawyer, but believe that older people can live a lot happier if they don't have to deal with the courts or the governments.  The parties involved were highly educated, held high offices in the government or private sectors.

This gives one of the many reasons for the cases piling up in our courts.  Unlike a village Panchyat that has a responsibility and an interest towards resolving local issues, our courts are the creations of coloniality.  They are often disconnected from the ground realities.  The farther the courts are from the locations of dispute, the more disconnected they are.  To be fair to the system, in this specific case, the local court simply ordered the two parties to come to a compromise, left it to lawyers to work out the details.

To work out a compromise, the mediator must be independent.  But lawyers by design are paid by the clients and so end up obeying them.  So, no progress was made and the case moves to the next stage on its way to become one in the crores of pending cases.

There is a clear absence of mediating personalities in our current social setup.  In cases where lawyers play the role, one party is wiser to buy peace for a monetary value.  Nothing wrong with that.  When the object of the dispute is not wealth, the role of lawyers is reduced.  That is where a social setup like Panchayat played a role.  The Panchayat was definitely for the people, of the people, and by the people.  It has its share problems, but the biggest problem is their loss of respect.  Part of it was due to its own conduct and the rest was due to our constitutional judiciary.

This loss of respect for Panchayat is well reflected in our movies. 

In Devar Magan (1992), when a dispute is discussed, Periya Thevar wants the Panchayat to be called.  He was a man from the previous era who believes in resolution by a local body than justice.  The next generation goes to the court and fights it out.  In another famous comedy scene from a movie released in 2003, the Panchyat is ridiculed with the son character played by Vivek asking his father if he has studied law or was at least an apprentice to a lawyer.  (He then shoots the accused at his private part.) 

The constitutional legal system declared itself supreme by declaring the Panchayats rulings have no legal validity in 2010 even if the community accepts its decisions. Destruction of a distributed system for dispute resolution, disconnected people with no-skin-in-game given the responsibility to provide justice, and general corruption of values have made a mess.  

It is our misplaced stress on justice instead of dispute resolution that has given such authority to our legal system.  Most of our people would accept a verdict even if it is not favorable to them but comes from a respected authority.  The question now is, are our judges respected? Why do cases move up the courts and why there are appeals on judgments?  

Pre-school Days

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Till my uncle from Mumbai visited us, no one at home probably thought of enrolling me in a school. Maybe they thought I was too bright or too dumb to gain anything by going to school at that age.  Anyhow, my uncle had made up his mind and decided to take me to a school.  He may have got me admitted.  But I had the last laugh.  I refused to go to school walking and indicated that I’d consider it if a rickshaw was arranged.  Since the family didn’t want to commit to a higher expense just to keep me occupied, the plan was shelved.

I don’t remember how or when, but remember that I was taken to the Principal who ran a tutorial college attached to a preschool.  The radio in his office was playing ‘Allah Allah’ song, sung by M S Viswanathan in his metallic voice.  I have heard that song and liked it.  So, I didn’t throw tantrums at his office.  Little did I realize that the event was just to enroll me in that ‘school’.

The next few months were traumatic - for my family, especially the school/college-going cousins and brother.  They had the big responsibility of taking me to the school.  If you were in Trichy around that time, you might have heard of a helpless girl or a boy dragging a crying toddler on Nandi Koil Street.  I was told that I was that famous.

In the few months I was in that school, many teachers came and disappeared. Too many for that single class of about 15 kids.  There were a few Anglo Indians and one Indian teacher.  The Ayah probably remained the same as she was also paid by the parents for ensuring the kids ate their lunch and for dropping off the kids at home.  The Ayah played a big role in maintaining the traditions of our family.

I was and am fond of sweets.  Pumpkin cooked in jaggery was my favorite food item.  One day, during lunchtime, I happened to see something that looked like pumpkin in jaggery in a classmate’s lunch box.  It looked more interesting than the usual pumpkin.  I had seen pumpkin in jaggery before, but that was the first time I saw the food also looking at me.  I insisted that I was given that item.  The Ayah bluntly refused and insisted that the food I was referring to was fish and I’m not supposed to be given fish.  The traditions were maintained and she saved me from guilty consciousness later in my life.

Since my fame had saturated at Nandi Koil Street, my family decided to put me in a school in the Nangavaram store.  Instead of my cousins, it was my brother’s responsibility to drag me to school.  My tantrums didn’t have much impact on him; he has compliance in his blood.  He went on to become a Charted Accountant. 

The school was friendly and sleepy.  There were enough items to stay distracted there - the tree right in the middle of the class, the lizards in the tree, cobwebs, spiders, kids in the next class who I can poke with a twig.  Sleeping wasn’t formalized but wasn’t a crime in the class.  

Some examination happened; I had scored 28 on 100 and was glad to see big numbers on the slate.  I happily waved it all the way home.  Everyone smiled and I felt good.  That’s probably when I realized that being happy matters more - even if I was mediocre.

Understanding the Non-translatables

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I have been reading the book Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sanskritizing English by Rajiv Malhotra and Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji. The book explains the limitations of English in representing Indic thoughts. As we adopt more English, we run the risk of losing some of the elaborate meanings attached to the Sanskrit terms. From the book:

Manas is not Mind 

Manas occupies a pivotal and central position in the Indian psychological tradition. It performs the role of connecting consciousness (atma) with the physical body. Perception involves 1) the contact of jnanendriya-s with the external objects; 2) jnanendriya-s with manas; and 3) manas with the atma. Thus, manas is the interface between the internal and external worlds of a human being.

There are associated components called Buddhi, Chitta, and Ahankara. Needless to say, as per the authors, their English equivalents are equally incorrect. In Indian languages too, we have narrowed down every psychological aspect to be that of the mind. 

A few decades ago, there was more than one term to represent various mental conditions such as Mana Sanchalam (மன சஞ்சலம்), Bhudhdhi pEtalitttal (புத்தி பேதலித்தல்), Chitta Bramai/Chitta Swadeenam (சித்தப் பிரமை / சித்த சுவாதீனம்). The older generation was probably capable of differentiating a condition with respect to a component.

Before we delve deep into the functions with respect to an activity, let’s list down what Rajiv Malhotra has mentioned about these.

“Manas connects the atma and the concrete body in a linear relationship. It qualifies an object of cognition with a like/dislike feeling. Western theories on the mind are varied and even conflicting. Consciousness apart from the mind is not considered; Western theories also do not have an equivalent cognitive apparatus to the indriya-s and the antahkarana. 

Buddhi ≠ Intelligence. Buddhi is the chief form and functional aspect of the antahkarana that produces cognition. Discrimination is the main function of the Buddhi. Intelligence is not precisely defined and refers to something that can be measured and the dharmic concept of Buddhi has little to do with this. 

Chitta ≠ Unconscious Mind. Chitta is the individualized aspect of mahat and is the foundation of the complete psychological complex of an individual. It retains memory in the form of samskara-s and is responsible for the distinct conditioning of each individual. Chitta is very different from the unconscious mind which does not consider the laws of transmigration, rebirth and karma. 

Ahankara ≠ Ego. Ahankara is a component of the antahkarana responsible for the individuality and agency of a person. It is also the individuating principle responsible for limitations, separation and variety in the Universe. Ego, unlike ahankara which is ever-present, comes into existence during infancy or childhood. Ego’s goal is to find safe and socially acceptable ways of satisfying desires." 

(from "Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sanskritizing English)

Manas can be viewed as a component that supplements sensory organs. The components have a feedback mechanism to refine and enhance the functionalities of them. 

My Understanding

To expand on the functionalities of manas, budhdhi and chitta:

• The primary function of manas is to experience and the secondary function is to interpret and the tertiary function is to enhance the system.
• It interprets the inputs from the sensory organs and the feedback from Budhdhi and Ahankara as good or bad.
• The experiences and feedback from the other components are in turn used to optimize the functioning by giving readymade responses – without repeatedly processing with Budhdhi and Chitta.
• The Manas is also responsible for emotions like curiosity (which may be related to a more primitive emotion of fear.)
• Chitta is the repository of knowledge, not just that of an individual but of the collective. Some are conscious memory but the unconscious memory many times that. When I refer to the collective, it covers the societal, generational experiences and also what Indic systems refer to as ‘vasanas’ or impressions carried forward across births. In his book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’, Daniel Kahneman probably refers to this as System 1.
• Budhdhi is the analytical mind, more developed in humans than in animals. But that’s debatable when you are interacting on social media. Daniel Kahneman refers to this as System 2. It needs more energy to apply Budhdhi. So, a lot of our actions do not involve Budhdhi, but are more of autonomous actions learned and stored in the Chitta. 

Example Interpretation

I’ll try to map an event with the functionalities of these components. I chose an event that happened when I was less than three years so that there are minimal distracting aspects.

One day, when no one was around I reached out to my grandfather’s tobacco canister, took a pinch of tobacco, put it in my mouth, choked, cried and got everyone running to me to save me.

• The memory did not have the relationship (that was added later when I understood relations) but had vague associations with a few people at home. So, ‘grandfather’ person and his secret canister were in Chitta.
• Ahankara must have preceded this memory. Without Ahankara, I would not have differentiated myself and others.
• The Manas would have processed the visuals of this grandfather consuming that secret stuff from a box and stored in Chitta.
• The Budhdhi analyzed that it must be something special because I was fed the usual food from a bowl but never from that secret canister.
• The Manas was curious to experience.
• The Budhdhi identified that the moment was right that no one is around to experience it.

Many events must have happened during that period, but I remember only unusual events like the one above. Others were – monkey attacks, hailstorms in Turaiyur (that was the place the family was in during those days). Other memories from that period were repeated experiences – like seeing the light from a distant house's window or my cousin reminding my father to wind the clock every week.

There is an over-simplification of the complex processing of the ‘mind’ in popular psychology into three functions called encoding, storage, and retrieval. It isn’t easy to map the components to the functions of encoding, storage, and retrieval. Some events are superficial and they may be processed by the manas and some need analysis to be processed by ‘Budhdhi’. And there are high-impact events that might be processed by multiple components. Some of them may be in the Chitta that carry forward to generations and the larger society. 

முன்னேற எந்த மொழி?

முதலில் கொஞ்சம் அனுபவம், அறிமுகங்கள்.  அனுபவங்களிலிருந்து கற்கும் பாடத்திற்கே நான் அதிகம் முக்கியத்துவம் தருகிறேன்.

நான் ஐந்தாம் வகுப்பு வரை தமிழ் வழிக்கல்வி; பின்னர் ஆங்கில வழி.  ஆங்கிலம் புரிந்தாலும்,  அறிவியல், புவியியல், வரலாற்றைப் புரிந்து கொள்ளத் தேவையான அளவு ஞானம், கல்லூரிப் படிப்பை முடித்தபின் தான் எனக்குக் கிடைத்தது.  காரணம் சூழல் அப்படி.  படிப்பைத் தாண்டி ஆங்கிலத்தில் பரிச்சயம் பெற வாய்ப்பு இல்லை.  கடனே என்று பள்ளி, கல்லூரிப் படிப்பை முடித்தேன்.  ஓரளவுக்கு ஞாபக சக்தி இருந்ததால், 50-60 மதிப்பெண்கள் வாங்கித் தேருவது கஷ்டமாக இல்லை.  (கல்லூரியில் எழுத்துத் தேர்வுகளில், தமிழில் மட்டும் தான் 60க்கு மேல் வாங்கியிருக்கிறேன்.)

பல கோடி மாணவர்களின் பிரச்சினைக்கு என் அனுபவம் ஒரு உதாரணம்.  நேர்முகத்தேர்வுக்கு வரும் பலர் ஆங்கிலத்தில் பதில் சொல்லத் திணறும்போது, இந்திய மொழிகளில் பதில் சொல்ல ஊக்குவித்திருக்கிறேன்.

முடிவு 1: பள்ளிக்கல்வி தாய்மொழி வழியில் இருப்பது சிறப்பு

பள்ளியில் படிக்கும் போது ஹிந்தியிலும், தெலுங்கிலும் பரிச்சயம் ஏற்பட்டது.  பின்னர் ஜெர்மன், ஜப்பானீஸ், சமஸ்கிருதம் கற்க முயன்றேன்.  வயதான பின் மொழி கற்றல் எளிதல்ல.  இளம் வயதில், தாய் மொழி தவிர ஒன்றிரண்டு பிற மொழிகளில் பரிச்சயம் இருந்தால், காலம் பூர உடன் வரும். 

முடிவு 2: பள்ளியில் தாய் மொழி தவிர ஒன்றிரண்டு பிற மொழிகளை பரிச்சயம் பெரும் அளவிற்குக் கற்பது நல்லது.

சமீப காலங்களில் ஆங்கிலத்திலிருந்து தமிழுக்கு மொழி பெயர்த்து வருகிறேன்.  ஆங்கிலச் சொற்களுக்கு இணையான அழுத்தமான சுருக்கமான தமிழ்ச் சொற்கள் இல்லை.  கணிதம், அறிவியல் கலைச்சொற்கள் மட்டுமல்ல; சமூகவியல், தத்துவம் ஆகியவற்றிலும் இணையான சொற்கள் கிடைப்பது கடினம்.   

கடந்த 60-70 ஆண்டுகளில் வந்த தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்புகள் முரட்டுத்தனமான ஒற்றைப் பொருளையே தருகின்றன.   ஆங்கிலச் சொற்களில் உள்ள வளைந்து கொடுக்கும் தன்மையோ, சொல் சிக்கனமோ தமிழில் இல்லை.  

அது மட்டுமல்ல; கடந்த நூறு ஆண்டுகளில் தமிழில் புதிய உவமைகள் எதுவும் பொதுவில் வரவில்லை.  வடிவேலு, விவேக் நகைச்சுவையைத் தவிர புதிய பேச்சு வழக்குகளும் இல்லை.

நூறு ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் முன் நாராயண ஐயங்கார் என்பவர் மணிமேகலையின் ஒரு பகுதிக்கு விளக்கம் ஒன்று எழுதினார்.  அனுமான விளக்கம் என்ற அந்தப் புத்தகத்தில் உள்ள சொற்கள் சமஸ்கிருத மூலத்திலிருந்து பெற்றவை.  இப்போதைய பெரும்பாலான தமிழர்களுக்கு அதில் ஒன்றும் புரியாது.  அந்த அளவிற்கு நாம் அறிவுப் புலத்திலிருந்து நகர்ந்து விட்டோம்.  தனித்தமிழ், தனித்தெலுங்கு என்பது எல்லா மொழிகளும் தேங்கி நிற்பதிலேயே முடியும்.

முடிவு 3: சமஸ்கிருதத்துடன் மீண்டும் தொடர்பு இல்லாமல், அறிவுப் புலத்தில் தமிழுக்கு எதிர்காலம் இல்லை.

சமஸ்கிருதத்திற்கும் பிற இந்திய மொழிகளுக்குமான உறவை - மழைக்கும், நதிக்கும் உள்ள உறவு என்று சன்க்ராந்த் சானு குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.  சமஸ்கிருதம் பிற மொழிகளிலிருந்து சொற்களைப் பெற்று, அதை செறிவூட்டி, பிற மொழிகளுக்கு அளிக்கிறது.  எது முதல் மொழி, எது முதல் குரங்கு என்ற வெட்டி விவாதங்களை விட்டுவிட்டு, இந்திய மொழிகளை எவ்வாறு செறிவூட்டலாம் என்று யோசிக்க வேண்டும்.  ‘ஆம்’ என்ற சொல் சமஸ்கிருதத்தில் பயன்படுத்தப் படுகிறது.  இது தமிழிலிருந்து போயிருந்தால் தமிழர்கள் பெருமைப் படட்டும்.

நாம் ஏன் ஹிந்தி படிக்க வேண்டும்?

தேவையில்லை தான்.  நிச்சயமாக தாய்மொழிவழி கற்பதே சிறந்தது என்பதில் சந்தேகமில்லை.  ஆனால், இன்னொரு மொழியில் பெற்ற பரிச்சயம், நம் சிந்தனையை சற்றேனும் விசாலமாக்குகிறது.  அது ஹிந்தியாக இருக்க வேண்டியதில்லை - தெலுங்கு, மலையாளம், கன்னடம் கற்றாலும் அதற்குப் பலன் உண்டு.

முன்னேற வேண்டும் என்ற பேரார்வம் கொண்டவர்கள் அதிக மொழிகளைக் கற்பது நல்லது.  

ஹிந்திக்காரர்கள் பிற மொழிகளைக் கற்பதில்லையே?

இதை நானும் பிரச்சினையாகத்தான் பார்க்கிறேன்.  பெங்களூரிலோ,  சென்னையிலோ புணேவிலோ, ஹைதராபாத்திலோ ‘அலுவலக’ வேலைக்கு வரும் இளைஞர்கள் தங்கள் ஹிந்தியை வைத்துக் காலம் தள்ள முடிகிறது.  (கூலி வேலைக்கு வருபவர்கள் கொஞ்சமாவது பிற மொழியைக் கற்கின்றனர்.)   மொழிகளுக்கிடையே ஒரு பரஸ்பர மரியாதை தேவை.  அது இல்லாவிட்டால், இந்தியாவின் சிறுபான்மை மொழி பேசுபவர்கள் தாங்கள் இரண்டாம் தரக் குடிமக்களாக நடத்தப் படுவதைப் போல உணர்வர்.  இது பிற மொழியை அவமானப் படுத்துவது என்று ஒரு அதீத முடிவுக்குப் போகலாம்.  இது நாட்டிற்கு நல்லதல்ல.

சிறுபான்மை மொழிகள் ஒன்றிணைந்து தங்களுடைய இருப்பைக் காட்டினாலொழிய இதில் மாற்றம் வராது.  இந்த ஒன்றிணைப்பு, அரசியல் ஒன்றிணைப்பு அல்ல.  

இதுவரை, சிறுபான்மை மொழிகளுக்கிடையே அவற்றின் ஒற்றுமைக்கும் வளர்ச்சிக்கும் ஒரு துரும்பையும் எந்த மொழிவாரி மாநிலமும் எடுத்துப் போடவில்லை.  தக்ஷிண பாரத ஹிந்தி பிரச்சார சபாவைப் போல, ஏன் தக்ஷிண பாரத பாஷா சபாவை வட மாநிலங்களில், தென்னிந்திய மாநில மொழி வளர்ச்சித் துறை ஆரம்பித்தால் என்ன?  பிற்காலத்தில் எல்லா சிறுபான்மை மொழிகளையும் வளர்க்க முயலலாம்.  

வட மாநிலத்திலிருந்து, தென்னிந்திய நகரங்களுக்கு வேலைக்கு வருபவர்கள், உள்ளூர் மொழியில் சில அடிப்படை வாக்கியங்கள் பேசும் அளவிற்குப் பயிற்சியை, தனியார் நிறுவனங்கள் அளிக்க நிர்ப்பந்திக்கலாம். 

எந்த மாநிலம் இதற்கான முதல் அடியை எடுத்து வைக்கப் போகிறது?

Artists, Technology, Economy and Ethics

"Xyz has bought a car!"  That was my brother wondering, just around the time India's economy opened up.  The economy had nothing to do with Xyx, but owning a car was a big deal in those days.  My brother, after having slogged for a few years to get to a respectable qualification couldn't come to terms with a cinema comedian buying a car.

Photo by Felix Mooneeram on Unsplash

A century ago, performing artists have to perform regularly to earn a living.  Two technological inventions made a huge difference in the lives of performing artists - Faster transportation and more importantly the invention called cinema and its offsprings like Television.  Before cinema became pervasive, actors, dancers, and singers moved around in trains and cars, could earn a better living than their ancestors.  With the invention of cinema, a movie is produced once, distributed many times, and earns revenue even long after the death of those creative people who created it.   That's when the disproportionate remuneration for actors started.  

The real reason why a product can generate so much wealth is the technology's ability to distribute it far and wide corners of the world.  Neither the writers nor the actors can claim ownership of such a success.  It is those nameless scientists, engineers, technical people who made it possible for even a useless piece of creative work to be distributed across the world.  Such a thankless job.

Equating them to the pirates of software, music, and movies is a stretch of the imagination, but not too much. 

Unlike an entrepreneur, these actors don't invest in a movie to have their skin in the game.  They take a salary, disproportional to the effort or the talent, however good it may be.  When the movie fails to earn a profit, the fall guy is the one who invested in it, not the actor.   This is ethically wrong.

Such an accumulation of wealth by an incapable person often shows up.  We've seen actors and musicians who lost all their money in a matter of decades and ended up in the streets.  Setting aside the fall of individuals, this model of economy can bring down the whole industry.  It does not happen as often as it should, because of the same technology.  

Various regional cinema industries have faced near collapse and figured out a way to rationalize the salaries.  Bigger industries like Bollywood and Hollywood would continue to survive because of the huge market they have access to.  Below the glitz of cinema, there sure must be hundreds of sorry losers, and none of them would be actors!

Grandma and A God Next Door

The lunchtime conversation centered around the new age Guru like Jaggi and Sri Sri.  I explained why society needs them and the masters are naturally wiser than the four discussing them.  Not satisfied with hurting the ego of a few, my ego turned to the silent man.  I know he was a traditional person and prefers a traditional Guru.  I just told him that his faith in his traditional master is on thin ice.  I didn't explain it then but would do so here.

When I about four years old, our family moved to a house in a street half-way up the hill in the Rockfort area in Trichy.   Our house was right next to a temple of Vanni Adi Karuppu - roughly the dark guy under the Shami or Khejri Tree.  (It is interesting to note the naming a person wasn't too different across communities in the ancient days.)   Calling it a temple would be an overstatement.  It was a small 8'X6' room in which a piece of the tree and a huge sword was kept.  It probably belonged to a warrior or a local hero, who lived a few centuries ago.  There was another temple considered to be that of an elder Karuppu down the hill.  I heard the elder's sword was bigger.

The Karuppu, the elder, and the younger were the protective deities of the locals in that area.  The Gods wielded limited powers in the twentieth century, nothing beyond ensuring the basic livelihood of the priest's family. 

As we moved in, my Grandma readily accepted Vanni Adi Karuppu as one of her Gods.  She already had inducted a few deities in the family.  It wasn't difficult for her to accept one more.

There was a room in our home right behind the temple.  It was believed that the God would walk around at night and we shouldn't be sleeping on his path.   I never managed to stay awake beyond 9 PM or could wake up before 7 AM.  Though I was innocent enough to believe it, never got to see Karuppu.

Coming back to Grandma, she was very orthodox.  Though her eyesight wasn't great, she didn't take anyone's help to do her chores.  She would wash and dry her clothes.  We aren't allowed to go near her till she completed her morning prayers.

But her neighbor Karuppu didn't conform to her Brahmin Orthodoxy.  He was offered meat and cigar, just once a year.  Had there been no prohibition, he might have been offered liquor too as with other such local deities.

But how could such an orthodox person accept a deity who doesn't conform to her values?  Since we are given the freedom to choose our deity, we are bound to go wrong on this.  Remember, our Gods were just as human as we are.  (So are our masters.)  If the common values determine who one's deity is, then such a faith is weak.  What happens if the believer comes to know that the deity's values were different?  The faith ends and the person has to look out for another hero, with common values.  It can be devastating to a few.  But that's for another day.

Then what can ensure a strong faith?  The answer lies in the relationship.  If the chosen God be related like a father, mother, friend or child, then there will be acceptance.  After all, we accept our worldly relations as they are and expect them to serve just the purpose of that relationship.

For my Grandma, she accepted her God unconditionally as her neighbor.  What if the neighbor eats meat or smokes a cigar.  He's a protecting neighbor and the matter ends there.

(This is a translation of my blog post in Tamil.)