*********************************************************************************************************
Just now, out of curiosity, I typed 'curiosity' on Google and got a whopping 47,000,000 hits.
Curiosity is second nature to man...and first to woman. Maybe the higher apes are also highly curious.
In our Hindu scriptures, curiosity is extolled as a prerequisite for the acquisition of spiritual knowledge.
It is called Jijnasa (inquiry). The celebrated Vedanta Sutras (Brahma Sutras) start with the sutra (aphorism):
********************************************************************************************************
Just now, out of curiosity, I typed 'curiosity' on Google and got a whopping 47,000,000 hits.
Curiosity is second nature to man...and first to woman. Maybe the higher apes are also highly curious.
In our Hindu scriptures, curiosity is extolled as a prerequisite for the acquisition of spiritual knowledge.
It is called Jijnasa (inquiry). The celebrated Vedanta Sutras (Brahma Sutras) start with the sutra (aphorism):
Atha to brahma jijnasa (then therefore the inquiry into Brahman)
Gita also has this line:
Arto jijnasu: artharthi
And the first thing to do to satisfy your curiosity is to ask questions. Gita says:
Tad viddhi pranipathena pariprasnena sevaya
Pariprasnena means to ask repeatedly till you get a satisfactory answer.
The basic instinct in the progress of pure sciences (as opposed to the impure engineerings) is curiosity to know how nature works. I guess the voyage of Darwin on the HMS Beagle is the epitome of curiosity to find out how we evolved from amoeba. Pope of course resisted teaching Darwin's account of evolution. He even resisted teaching the Big Bang Theory. Stephen Hawking narrated how, 30 years ago, Pope grudgingly permitted him to teach Big Bang Evolution as long as he didn't touch the Big Bang Moment itself. However, about 5 years ago, Vatican endorsed Darwin's Theory reluctantly. This momentous event led me to this impromptu limerick:
St. Charles
We are so pleased and gratified
That Darwin's Theory is sanctified
Both Pope and us
Came from Apes
And Sir Charles is to be beatified!
But one moment. Pope's own favorite theory of evolution is based on the curiosity of the primal female Eve in the Garden of Eden just to see how that forbidden apple tastes.
Also the mythological origin of all Misery in this world (and Hope) is another female's curiosity...Pandora and her Box.
It is however rash to conclude that females are more curious than males. The Big Boss of curiosity and news gathering and its propagation is our Sage Narada. Of course he had a naughty streak in him and used to disseminate the news he gathered in his roaming over all the three worlds to bless people as well as to spread mischief.
Even nowadays whenever two people meet in our family circles the first question asked is:
"What is news?"
There seems to be nothing wrong in such an open exhibition of curiosity. Of course, in our previous generation, it was the privilege of old women to ask anyone who is willing to answer everything about him or her. Married, or not, if not why not, how much is the household income, how many kids, any paramours and so on...
And, in my generation, youngsters would avoid answering such blatant inquisitions. Things got subtler but the instinct remains strong. Folks nowadays know how best to gather news. First, they should be extremely friendly and hospitable and willing to spend money on samosas, tea and cigarettes. And they shouldn't use the news they gather for evil ends....just as a matter of hobby.
News-gathering and dissemination is now a highly specialized and profitable business. My son works day and night for the biggest ever multinational firm in the world whose business is 'news'...
My mom (at Gudur) openly admits that there is nothing wrong in curiosity. And asks leading questions without meaning any offense. This hurt me sometimes but helped me in my most critical moment...getting a wife for my son.
There is this cousin of mine at Nellore whose hobby is news-gathering. On one of his visits to Gudur, he asked my mom:
"What is news?"
And my mom told him that I was on the lookout for a suitable bride for my son. And within a week this cousin of mine was on one his frequent visits to the President of the Brahmana Sangham at Nellore. And as he was talking to the HoD of the CPU of Nellore and narrating the details of my son's educational and professional qualifictions, he found another stranger there on his visit to find a suitable groom for his daughter, Sailaja.
The matter took off instantly...like an IED...
No comments:
Post a Comment