Quid no Quo

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Apropos of nothing I recalled this morning a delicious cartoon that appeared in DC about a year ago.

Rahulbaba (as he is lovingly called) started his political apprenticeship with a study tour of election-bound rural UP. He traveled by all sorts of weird modes of transport like crossing streams on boats and walking jungles.

And spent a night in a dalit household as their guest, sharing their humble meal and sleeping on their floor.

The cartoon shows the head of this family with his wife and half a dozen starving kids in rags at Rahulbaba's doorstep later in Delhi announcing themselves to the Gatekeeper who heralds them in with the shout:

"Sir, here is that dalit family and they want return hospitality!"

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All of us know roughly what 'quid pro quo' means:

'Do a favor to someone in need and he returns your favor when you are in need'

This is supposed to happen 90% of the time in your social and political obligations.

Well, 'quid no quo' is the opposite of 'quid pro quo'.

Indeed there are three classes of opposites all covered under the blanket 'quid no quo':

Class A:

'Do a favor to someone in need and he refuses to even recognize you when you are in need'

Class B:

'Just do your pleasant duty to someone in need and he does a millionfold favor to you when you are in need'

Class C:

'Do nothing but pray and someone appears from nowhere and helps you in your hour of need'

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Class A:

In Vedantic parlance this comes under 'nijeccha', meaning you do a favor hoping a return.

But it doesn't come.

The classic example is that of Shakuntala and Dushyant.

Let me correct any impression you may have that the Kalidasa's poetic drama is the pauranic truth...no, sir! It is all gul.

The true story as told in Vyasa Mahabharat is more likely to happen with a Raja.

When he doesn't keep his promise of returning within a week to take her to his Palace, Shakuntala thinks he was too busy. But weeks rolled into months and months rolled into years, till one day her loving foster-parent Kanva Rishi decides to unwillingly send her and her son Bharat (that is India) to Dushyant with proper escorts.

When she accosts him in his Full Court, Raja Dushyant tries to evade all knowledge of her till the Kula Guru Rishis (Senate) in his Court bang him left and right for his selective amnesia.

(Giving Ph Ds to QIP Research Scholars also comes under this category; mostly)

Class B:

In Vedantic parlance this comes under 'pareccha'.

This is exemplified by the lovely story of Kuchela (aka Sudama), a poor Brahmin kid (like me). He happened to be a great friend of Krishna when he (Krishna) was a cowherd boy in Mathura. For all I know, Kuchela must have saved Krishna from drubbing by his mom Yashoda (she was a benign despot, tying him up to all sorts of road rollers) by telling a dutiful lie.

Many decades later, as we all know, Kuchela had an unplanned big family and was unable to feed, dress, and house them properly.

And his wife reminds him of Krishna who by now had become the King of Dwaraka (in Modiland).

Reluctantly he travels all the way with just a fistful of chure (beaten rice) as a gift; and gets palaces, servant maids, and dollars as return gift.

(Giving Kuchela-type recos to UG students also comes under this category)


Class C:

In Vedantic parlance this comes under 'ishwareccha'.

The prime example is Lord Krishna rescuing Draupadi in her hour of distress, supplying miles and miles of Gadwal Saris.

(Also, like HNB taking me in as AL at IIT KGP)

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