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---------- Forwarded message ----------radha_canada <radha_canadaNov 9, 2008 7:41 PM

[ind-Arch] The Yavana Presence ....IndiaArchaeology

 

 

 

 

The long and hot discussions on the Yavana presence in the north west of India have been very interesting and informative. Four or five years ago, I posted in a couple of e-forums about a Yavana presence of a different nature. I searched for the post but was put off by

the long time was taking to find them. So, here is the post from memory for your reading pleasure.Thanks and regards,Radhakrishna WarrierP.S. Please take it in the light vein it was intended. Hope this

provides a light diversion amidst hot discussions :-)-------------------------Yavana SundariA text book of Microwave Communication was in my hands but my attention was more towards the sweet voice of Yesudas that gently

flowed out of the CD drive. " Yavana Sundaree.. " he sang, and my memories flew decades back. I was interrupted in my walk down the memory lane by a knock at the front door. I opened the door and lo, there stood before me a Yavana Sundari in flesh and blood.

Susan is definitely of 'Yavana' (European) descent. In her mid forties she is still a 'sundari' in spite of the wide gray streak that has encroached upon her wavy blond hair, and in spite of the

countless cans of beer and innumerable packets of cigarettes that she must have consumed over the years. But she was a troubled soul. Her deaf, unmarried daughter in early twenties lived separately. Her step daughters (her husband's daughters by a previous marriage) who she

claims grew up as her own daughters have married and live away from her. They visit her occasionally and then she gets an opportunity to be with her little step grandchildren. Her husband divorced and left her a few years ago. She now lives with a female " partner. " Susan is

my neighbour. " Rad, I have something for you " , she said, showing me a packet of agarbatties. " I bought it from the Indian store at Robbie and North Street. Please burn these before your gods and pray for me " . I stood

speechless for a few moments. " Yes, I will Susan, but is something troubling you? If you want, you can tell me what it is " I told her. Something was indeed heavy on her mind but she did not seem to want

to discuss it. She started to speak but it appeared she was not actually speaking about what really troubled her mind. " Rad, I want to ask you something about your Hinduism " . Why would she want to ask me about Hinduism at seven o' clock in the evening? It is a time

when she is normally at the hospital (she is a nursing assistant) or at some bar with her female " partner. " I began suspecting this visit to be a sequel to a conversation we had a few days before Christmas

when she invited me to a session of drink and snacks at her house. She knew I didn't drink alcohol or eat non-veg food. She had coffee, cakes and cookies for me while she and her friends drank beer, smoked

cigarettes, and chewed on parts of animals under various degrees of cooking. " What is your principal religious book ? " she had asked me then. I had to tell her that mine was a bookless religion. I told

her that myths, history and philosophy were all entwined almost inseparably in the Hindu religious lore, as it is in the case of other religions including Christianity. The Hindu myths were no less colorful than such cherished beliefs as a Father in

heaven " begetting " a son through a virgin human woman with a " Holy Ghost " acting as an intermediary. At some point in the conversation I had sensed that there was not much sense in discussing high flown

philosophy with a half drunk " Yavana Sundari " and her equally drunk friends, and so had managed to finish my coffee, cake and cookies rather quickly and to politely take leave at the earliest opportunity. We had met several times later but she had not asked me

anything about Hinduism on those occasions. " Susan, what is it that you want to know about Hinduism at this time of the day? " I asked her. " Rad, What is the fundamental principle of your Hinduism? "

What is the fundamental principle of Hinduism?I told her I myself was unaware of any one fundamental principle of my religion. I told her very politely that I would explain it to her some other time after consulting with my friends. For the time being,

I had to go through a boring book and finish some assignments that had a deadline the next day. Thankfully, she left me without giving further trouble.What is the fundamental principle of Hinduism? What should I tell

Yavana Sundari if she asks me again?