Imposed Love

Prof (Dr) Viyatprajna Acharya
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Those were the days of cassette and tape recorders in 90’s. Unlike today, it was difficult to get any music of our choice like we are getting today on our fingertips. To learn a Bollywood song we used to rewind again and again and listen to it repeatedly, at times the machine failing us, at times cassettes giving way in the middle or making that screeching sound, actually etching lines on our hearts in the fear of losing a loving cassette.

At such an era I procured or may be copied (cassette plagiarism was ample those days) Vishnusahasranaam on one side and “Bhaja Govindam” by Ms. M S Shubhalaxmi on the other side. These two were very favorite of mine when I used to listen to them daily early morning when it used to flow feebly from The Lingaraj Temple. It was during my +2 days that were spent in my Mamu’s house, whose house was adjacent to the great temple. Though I was attuned to the music, I could never know the lyrics. Hence this cassette was a real gem in my hand and I felt that I can share the music with everyone else who comes across me. After all I was drenched in emotional devotion or devotional emotion!!

My tape recorder blared at its highest so that I could make the music so dear to me to our neighbors, my Mom doing Puja downstairs in Puja room. After all it was such heavenly music…if I like it so much then how can not every other person living on this earth not love it!

But to my bafflement, my mother gave me sharp instructions to shut up the machine and start studying. I was on the verge of tears….how can anyone not love the music, and the least I expected that from my Mother who is so adept in many stotra mantras!

Later understood that what appeases me not mandatorily please another. That is why Hinduism has given us the freedom to worship Formless God in different forms till we become aware of the formless one. Even though other religions claim to be monotheist, they worship at times the son, who can’t bear the sorry figure of a crucified figure, worship the mother holding the son, some religions furrow on the basis of principles and so on.
Recently during my early morning meditation, the blaring “Azan” broke my reverie…might have disturbed many people’s sleep, someone’s music practice, some kids’ studies and the likes too. Thankfully nowadays we are not hearing any music from any temples as we used to hear in our childhood days, after the decibel limit has been set.
After all Silence has the greatest music hidden in it!

Few questions popped up in my mind:

1. Can we impose our love for anything on others?
2. Are the rules discriminative of any certain religion?
3. Are we not nurturing delinquency for minorities?

I am not politically connected to anyone. But as a simple perception I feel rules should be followed equally by all.
Humbly yours….