One of the more contemplative, philosophical, yet heart wrenching novel by the genius Saraswati Putra, Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa. In the Epilogue of the English version, the authors explain that there is no accurate meaning for the word “Niraakarana” and hence, the refusal is the closest approximation. Personally, I totally agree with this assessment. While some of the other famous novels make us contemplate about the external world, the happenings of which have immense and far reaching ramifications on the self and the world alike, this is quite a different one. This novel purely delves into the internal world or rather an assumed internal world of the protagonist and the ramifications thereof on his family, specifically his children.
The book is the journey of Narahari, a twice-widowed father of five children, who gives them up for adoption and seeks solitude. Yearning for detachment from attachment, he undergoes an arduous journey through Himalayan peaks to the plains of Ganga and the ultimate city of Kashi. Life brings him back to Mumbai where his journey started and along with it some harsh realities. What happened to the 5 children? How their lives get intertwined with him again and what it leads him to becomes the rest of the story?
There are 2 phrases which stand out in the entire book. Captured on the back cover of the English version, the first one to comprehend is thus: “People who claim to have a vedantic bent of mind are always keen on running away from their responsibilities”. For a person like Narahari who has deep interest in Spirituality and vedantic pursuits, I personally wonder why didn’t he ever comprehend that performing one’s own ordained duties itself is the path to pursue. One of the most surprising and quite frankly irritating aspects of his personality is that one never learns why he wants solitude. He represents those of us who aspire for something very exotic or utopic without comprehending the rationale and need for the same or applicability of that ideal on self.
In every stage of his journey, Narahari constantly craves for something, yet keeps claiming that I want to free myself from detachment. I wonder if he ever realises that “freeing from attachment” itself is the biggest attachment he has. Every time he comes face to face with a problem of samsara / society, he uses this garb as his escape route. He comes across someone who hasn’t found the peace or rather made compromise with the past, for he is searching for his motherly love in his wife or a rank outsider like a prostitute.
In Srimad Bhagwad Gita, Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to free oneself from the attachment of success and failure, but implores him to perform the duties nevertheless
योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ||2.48||
Narahari comes across as someone who is fixated on the detachment and exotic locales of snow clad Himalayas, yet doesn’t understand the basic tenets of dharmic wisdom. What shocks the reader is thus: A person is willing to be a father figure to 50 orphans, yet wants to run away from the same when his son is brought into the orphanage. What is that which drives him away from the responsibilities of a father? Quite a complex character.
The next phrase that haunted me a lot is what Bhavani asks her father: “Are Sanyaasa, Saksatkaraa and Mukti meant only for you”. A simple sentence with tremendous profound implications. Quite often, humans get attracted to the utopian Sanyasaa ashrama while foregoing their other responsibilities. This reminds of a very important and relevant story from Devi Bhagwatha Purana, wherein Shuka i.e. son of Veda Vyasa wants to embrace Sanyasa and is recommended not to do so by his father, Bhagwan Veda Vyasa. Finally, Vyasa recommends his son to meet Janaka, ruler of Mithila (not father of Seetha - Janaka is a titular position), who teaches him the importance of Grhastaashrama. We have one more example of a normal person like Butcher teaching a Sanyasi in Mahabharatha (also termed as Vyadha Gita). Life is all about embracing the responsibilities and working hard to fulfil them.
Beyond these, the novel provides a deep insight into the plight of adopted children and the hardships faced by them. The realities of a couple does deliver a sucker punch in the belly. Quite gut-wrenching.
A fantastic novel, which needless to say is a MUST READ one. The English version is absolutely fantastically translated and is very close to the Kannada original. A novel that leaves with more questions, some anger and quite a bit of melancholy.
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