Lost in Translation

Lost in translation

A social obligation, one I wanted to avoid brought forth a discussion and a chance to listen to one of the finest discussions I have heard on morality and the declining standards in Punjab. I went to this obscure village, off the beaten path to attend a Shagun, which I thought would be the same, sit in the shamiana and then see the customary traditions taking place. Was, I in for a surprise! In front of the gathering, a saintly person sat on the dais and started speaking in chaste simple Punjabi. My first reaction was that, Oh I was in for a long boring sermon and it was going to be a run- of the mill katha (discourse of the verses from the holy book).

Well this cynical jaded person was in for the best refreshing talk ever had. Babaji (the saintly person ), talked in detail ; over an hour of the declining moral standards of Punjab. He lamented over the falling moral views of the people. In fact, he says as the people have forgotten what was written in the scriptures , the times dictated , the raags to be read that the complete dis-regard and the moral degradation and corruption has led to the rise in divorce, killing of girls is rampant.

The angle which he highlighted appealed to me; he says that the time given was before 12 in the afternoon, a time which is pure the time given in the SGGS but now the time of marriage vows is as late as 4 pm. Incidentally that is time for the reading of the scriptures for someone’s death /demise.

How do we expect the union to be blessed, if it is not at the time stated? Hindus, always read the holy vows at the time stated and that is their auspicious time. Why are we after the materialistic pomp and show and have forgotten the times as set by our Gurus? Right now, the population of Punjab is in a mindless frenzy of show where everyone tries to out do the other by bigger marriage palaces, ostentatious display of jewels, wealth, senseless display of food, flowers and might. A union of two souls is sacred. Now, we  don’t give that importance or the time as dictated by the almighty but the whims of the pomp , band wallah, the caterers or worse the orchesterated wedding planner who decides what time the grand entry should be made!

His view-point also covered the rising silent unabated killing of the girl –child. An ordinary man gives all he can to marry off his daughter, what ever he can afford, or possibly mortgage to give his princess the marriage of her dreams but such is the trend that the boy-side will ask for the moon or the one thing which has not been given. He highlights a common homily of the town of Maalpur (a progressive town of Doaba) where a man a married his daughter and gave her every thing in her dowry, the wedding festivities carried on for four days. Maalpur is a town which geographically has a lot of ‘choes’ and when the wedding procession was going back , the bullock cart got stuck in the mud , so the father inlaw remarked that the girl –wallahs should have atleast given a shovel…

Hearing this the girls father said , it would have been better to have kill the girl when she was born rather than face this day .

One word captures , Punjab sad.

This according to him was the numero one decision why girls are being killed unabashedly . When girls were married off in earlier times, the father gave his turban to the the boy side; a sign of izzat, and his honor which he was giving to the groom , and his family . Now it is not about the girl, the human behind the name but how much is exchanged when the ‘milni’ is done. It is all about the clothes, the expensive shawls, the blankets, the gold so exchanged. How are we putting a monetary value on something so precious as life?

 His discourse lamented over the total disregard of the teachings left by the Gurus. Should’nt we have been the dispeller of the dark ages with the advancement of civilization; instead we have thrown ourselves back into a dark deep abyss where light cannot reach ever.

Punjab , currently tops with the highest inequal ratio between sexes and is not far behind the discrimination and harassment of women. Where has all the talk of Shakti , primordial force of life and the land where great saints, pirs once walked gone , a poor reflection of the golden age?

Has the translation been lost by the so –called keepers of religion? Religion remains the same it , is the keepers who are defiling it.