In Indian mythology their are some million gods (hey we like variety) and each typically has their favorite ride to get around.
If you could compare them to today's human incarnations and try to draw a parallel (or some lines or parabolas) in terms of what Americans consider their favorite rides it lends itself to some pretty interesting observations -
1. Ganesh or Ganpati or Heramba or Vinayaka by far is the most conservative of drivers - what with a small mouse to get around - that compares to today's Prius or Smart car drivers. As it should be since Ganesh - the god of learning does seem to have a lot of smarts.
2. Durga Mata - or the Goddess Kali - btw these gods and godesses did also have many alternate names to confuse the invaders and tyrants I think so they never knew what hit them - anyway - Durga preferred to ride a lion - that would be like today's muscle car - like a Corvette or Dodge Charger V8 to get from zero to sixty in a nifty.
3. Dattatraya - or the 3 headed one - this guy was intellect and all knowing but hung out on a cow - more like someone riding a Chevy Caprice - all smooth and steady.
4. Lord Ayyappa (this guy was commonly found in the south of India) preferred to ride a Tiger - real stealth and agility was what he needed like someone today might ride a tricked out Mustang or a mighty Lamborghini (zero to sixty in a blazing 3 seconds)..
and finally -
5. Ganesh's dad or LORD SHIVA - the supreme leader - preferred to ride a powerful bull - don't know how he did in the equities market but clearly was charging forth like someone would in a Humvee today, taking care of business and putting out any terrorism that prevaded their times.
On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...
Yamraj (God of Death) had a buffalo- that might be mapped on to a Tata truck!
ReplyDeletehe he - although ideally comparable to a 'Yama'ha - motorcycle with many cylinders (those were vehicles of death in college days)
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