ITIHAAS and HISTORY

Manan (Contemplation) is an inherent human tendency. It is only the duration and the depth of contemplation that varies in one person from the other. Acquisition of proper education and sense of responsibility further boosts contemplation because Shravan (learning), manan (discerning how to put in practice that which has been learnt), and Nididhyasan (the act of putting into practice after Shravan/learning and manan/discerning) are three limbs of education.

And, when we contemplate ourselves (i.e. Human predicament), the following two tendencies are commonly found in our mind.

Sometimes we think that humanity is evolving while at others, we think it was our seers and saints in the past who were more evolved as compared to ourselves.

At this point, some of us find it tough to discern which line of thought will be more helpful in our journey of figuring out reality in a better manner?

While looking through the Indic Itihaas Drishti, at the works of seers of yore like, Maharshi Vashishtha, Bharadwaj, Vishwamitra and Vyas, to name a few, we can definitely say that they were the human manifestation of a much higher consciousness than many of us are today. But, Itihaas also says that not all humans who existed in that duration on earth were equally attained.

For instance, when Maryada Purushottam Bhagwan Ram was present on earth, Lankesh Ravan and ilk were also present. This means that everyone living any period is not equally attained at any point in time across time cycles. However, at some points in time, the number of highly attained beings may be higher on earth, while at other times, it may not be so.

But, when we look at the accounts of history, we find it replete with barbaric events that most of humanity would shudder to make common cause with those events’ perpetrators. In that sense, historically, we in present times find ourselves more evolved than our ancestors.

But, there are still many such norms in our times that have implied or expressed consent of society (ourselves) to condone acts of barbarism committed to protecting these very norms in the name of nations and religions!

But, you must comprehend the difference between Itihaas and history before agreeing or disagreeing with my narration. As, without comprehending the aforesaid difference, the point of difference existing in the vision of the two tendencies cannot be comprehended. And, real appreciation of any phenomenon is possible only when we understand it threadbare with minutiae.

Heart of itihaas looks at the eternal aspect of consciousness in each and every mundane event it describes, while history doesn’t budge from the mundane aspect of an event even if it is of eternal importance.

The world is woven seamlessly into the web of global organisations like the United Nations’ various organs, which most of the world’s countries comply with. We also have cultural exchanges, diplomatic relations and smooth functioning provisions for migrating from one country to another.

Yet, there are incidents of organised terrorism and instances of vicious mechanisation applied by some countries to expand their boundaries by intruding boundaries of other countries and many other unpleasant things.

On the one hand, there are acts of individual excellence where one person lays one’s life to save another unknown person, and on the other hand, there are heinous crimes taking place even within the confines of one’s own neighbourhood.

I gave this varied description to remind readers that the individuals with highly evolved consciousness have been sharing time and space in all phases of self-playing consciousness, with the ones who may not even be termed as civilised human beings.

And, like the present day scenario, it has been the case across Yugas. Precisely, Krishna and Kansa both may be found living in the same period.

Inculcating good human consciousness tendencies is possible when we as humans see our real image (identity). The question is, where will our yathaarth swarup (self/character/consciousness/reality) be visible to us, in the mirror of history or Itihaas? Contemplate.