Pointers from the Parlok Sabha

With Parliament back in session, we, the people, have to brace ourselves for another round of sorrow at the unruliness of some of our elec...

With Parliament back in session, we, the people, have to brace ourselves for another round of sorrow at the unruliness of some of our elected representatives. Last time round, Yashwant Sinha may have presented a paltry, pedestrian Budget, but his office entitled him to be heard with civility. It8217;s frightening to think that these eminences might figure as behavioural role models, especially for a generation weaned on televised Lok Sabha sessions. However, in an age when push comes to shove with depressing regularity, our own myths provide a charming lesson in how to get our way, with maximum damage control.

Just think of Mohini. The Enchantress, whose role Bhagwan Vishnu assumed at several critical junctures in mythic history. The first and most telling instance is during the Kshirsagar Manthan, the Churning Of The Milk Ocean. The Devas Celestials and the Asuras Titans are threshing the waters to bring up Amrita, the nectar of immortality. Advantage Asuras, because their guru Shukracharya is able to revive their dead with a Sanjivini mantra, which the Devas lack. But both sides want Amrita, because it8217;s a guarantee of life.

When the nectar is finally churned up, a riot seems imminent as the Devas and Asuras fight to drink it. At this point, Bhagwan Vishnu, already on the job as Kurma Avatar, the tortoise supporting Mount Mandara which was used as a churning stick, assumes the form of Mohini. He uses industrial strength, tact and charm to get his way: gypping the Asuras to feed the Devas.

Again, when Shiva rashly grants Bhasmasura the boon of turning anyone to ashes simply by placing his hand over their head, it is Vishnu as Mohini who rescues Shiva himself from destruction.

Waylaying Bhasmasura in his pursuit of Shiva, Mohini entices him to dance with her. The infatuated Asura follows every movement she makes and is tricked into placing his hand over his own head and burning himself up. The phrase fatal charm8217; acquires both literal and literary bite, here. But the message in this battle is not what it may seem. In fact, it is best explained by something from the Bible: A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger Proverbs 15:1.

What the Bible says with beautiful brevity is embellished by voluptuous imagination in Hindu myth could we ever resist a good story: especially one with girls, guns and gadgets?. But the take home8217; as they seem to be fond of saying in corporate jargon is: confrontation is achieved wi-th the least blood-letting if we exercise the option of polite firmness. As the Chinese prov-erb has it, quot;Who raises his voice first, loses the argum-entquot;. Of course, it8217;s important to shout when there8217;s no other way of getting through. But in Parliament?.

If we do not relate to the poetry of either the Enchantress or the King James8217; version of the Bible, surely the same lesson is spelt out more tersely by that astute ancient politician Kautilya aka Chanakya in his Artha Shastra. Kautilya recommends four ways to overcome the opposition, an euphemism for getting your own way, be it with a parent, a colleague, the boss or a rival.

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He grades them in descending order: Saama, Daana, Bheda and Danda. Conciliation, Bribery, Sowing Dissension and Force. Force is the very last option. Conciliation is top of the class.

This premises a positive value system aimed at co-existence with minimal, or at least controlled, violence. But yet another rule must prevail: Decorum. It is not old-fashioned, it is not naff, it is not prissy. It is simply lubricating the wheels of civilisation. How horrendously tough to achieve though! It8217;s so much easier to hurl invectives, chairs and bottle bombs than to grind back righteous anger and wait to cool down, before making your move. But moral high ground is the ultimate high. Don8217;t believe it? How else did the priestly class everywhere manage to stay on top of the heap for millennia? Not necessarily because they had a monopoly on charm8217; but because they thought ahead and set inflexible standards of self-control once upon a time.

So the Enchantress has yet another lesson to teach us: the importance of grace in our dealings with each other. It8217;s not enough to destroy our enemy. We must do so with a certain artistry. Psychological warfare8217; a la Obelix isn8217;t fun. And many of us simply don8217;t have the strength to go Paf!Despite the good press given to honest anger8217;, don8217;t think for a minute that the Mohini Method is sly. How is it sneaky to deliberately choose the path of peaceful negotiation over open confrontation? Isn8217;t it less noisy, more energy-saving and less damaging to innocent bystanders? And if we8217;re looking for an endorsement, doesn8217;t it say so in the Good Books? What are we waiting for? The next telecast from Parliament, of course, on how not to be. As our ancestors said in exasperation, while trying to define God:neti, neti, neti: Not this, not this, not this.