Are we so barbaric?

 

Recently most of us were highly disturbed by a video of a man desecrating a dead body. In the video, the person seems to be having unimaginable joy while jumping on that deceased person. Are we humans so inhuman? Are we so barbaric? These are not new questions. For the last many decades this discussion is on.

There is a general feeling that human being is fundamentally violent and vicious. In his latest book called, “Humankind- A Hopeful History”, Rutger Bregman discuss this point in detail. In the book he shares the view point of Thomas Hobbes and Rousseau. While one school of thought says we are fundamentally evil, the other argue we are born with benevolence in our gene and it is the circumstance which define our character.

If that is the case, can it be the circumstances that drove this guy to the ghastly act? Even in jungle such brutality is unheard of. Off late there is big propaganda about the richness of our so-called culture. It cannot be that our culture advocates such violence. I would like to draw your attention to two instances from our epics.

In the first case we have  Bhishma, who was the grandfather of both Pandavas and Kauravas. He is the one who will decide the outcome of Kurushetra war. Due to some circumstances, he is fighting for Kauravas though his mind and blessings are with Pandavas. Nevertheless, this blessing is not evident in the war. He unleashes terror among Pandavas. At last, as per the story, Pandavas seeks his advice on how to kill him and with all benevolence he tells them the way. Accordingly, Bhishma was defeated the next day. As he fell on to the ground, upper part of his body was pierced with arrows so that he was hanging on an array of arrows. Seeing this, Arjuna, who in fact shot him down, arranged a head rest with the help of arrows and even made a bed of arrows at his feet. Bhishma can decide when he should die. He is bestowed with the boon to choose his time of death. Though he decided to end his participation in the battle, he was not yet ready to leave his body altogether. He was waiting for an auspicious time. So, when he was thirsty, it was Arjuna again, who shot an arrow so as to form a fountain of water which will quench his thirst. It may sound strange, but it is the same person who shot him who is trying to make his death as peaceful as possible.

In the second story from Ramayana, while Ravana was lying in the battle field, wounded fatally, Rama asked Lakshmana to go and pay his respect to Ravana and also to request him to part some of his wisdom. Lakshmana was aghast. They had taken all these troubles to kill this person and why should he pay respect and ask him to share his wisdom. Rama said, with all his vices, Ravana was a great scholar, devout and artist. He has got his punishment and is no more the same person. He is purified and before his soul departs Lakshmana should ask him to impart the wisdom and knowledge which he had acquired over years and after great penance. Lakshman, always dutiful, obeyed his brother and the epic gives great importance to this incident.

If this is the way even the enemies are respected, then what will explain such horrendous acts mentioned above? Is it because we are not taught the essence of these stories properly? Are there forces who are trying to corrupt us by misinterpreting our culture?

I personally like to believe that we are fundamentally peace- loving people. We wish to love and be loved. There is no denying the fact that there are agents constantly trying to lead us off from the path of harmony and compassion and push us to the path of hatred and hostility. Let us not fall prey to it. As Rousseau said, “ What wisdom can you find greater than kindness”.