Is the man. My dream man. The dream man of women all round the world for the past 2 centuries of his birth and travel through the classics.
Born in the fertile brain of Jane Austen, Darcy sets fire to every woman's heart. Tall, debonair, ENGLISH, Handsome, intelligent,honest, resourceful, interesting, romantic, brave, caring, and of course rich. Darcy is the personification of what women want. Though he is English, he expresses his emotions and his love ardently..:)))
I read Pride and Prejudice in my 8th or 9th grade. If there is something called love and yearning, I would say he had mine for life. When amma asked me what were the traits I expected in someone I loved, I made her gasp saying I already met him. My mom was like, "Omigosh!!!". Fitzwilliam Darcy.
I got the book recently in Barnes and Noble as I wanted to read through the book with the eyes of a woman.
I have been reading the book ever since: 6 months. Leafing through favorite sections, narrator describing Darcy, his emotions, thoughts, Darcy through other's eyes. Written in 1796 and first published in 1813, if after 200 years, this man brings life to emotions, never seen, never met, conceived in print. Love in theory is the term I would choose to say. One of my friends asked me about my opinion of a perfect man : Darcy. In many many ways Sarang is Darcy.. In one especially. I have NEVER seen a man like that. Which is why I want to go to ENGLAND.
Not that he is faultless. No way close. He is projected at first as a proud, disdainful man and after a series of self confessions,he portrays himself to have behaved rudely and in pride many a time to prevent not only lower connections but in the belief induced from childhood from mistaken notions of confidence and pride. He himself believes that his pride is under control and does not realize that his behaviour has been abominable until Elizabeth says so.
But the quickness with which he corrects himself, forgives Elizabeth herself for her prejudice and still loves her inspite of every improper conduct of her family single him out to the reader.
I think every Austenite thinks herself to be Lizzy or hopes that she is.
For me, having read almost every one of Austen's books, and being a hopeless romantic...there is NO chance of escape. I am head over heels in love with Darcy.
The person who can may be come close to Darcy would be Vanthiyadevan from Ponniyin Selvan. The same braggadacio character who charms the head out of Kundhavai. Maybe. But not quite.
There is one person in real life (long long ago, so long ago that nobody knew how long ago!!!) whom I met who came close to Darcy though nowhere by any means as tall. :) His pride, his behaviour, his general personality everything reminded me of Darcy. But I lost contact with him. So I cannot introduce you to him.
But in case you do decide to grab a book from the shelves : "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, and you get through to the last page, meet someone you know who resembles Darcy and is NOT 200 years old(more like 29-32 :)))), you know who to tell first. Dont you????
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sendru ser Thiru Vengada Maamalai
There cannot be a Shrine more popular and beloved of all the Hindu shrines than the one of the Lord of the Seven Hill. Thirupati. The Lord’s appellation is Srinivasan from the prehistoric times, named so in the Vishnu Sahasranamam. Thayar Padmavati, Alar mel mangai.
I remember going to Thirupati as a kid. Very vague recollections and almost no memory of the Lord till it pleased Him to call me again and take a good look at how much I had grown. This was during my college days. After which I did get to go a lot of times during the 2 years before I came to the US.
The first time I did get to go back, I was strangely petulant. I had not traveled much to shrines before then and I was unadjusted to the rigors. To tell you the truth, I did not even climb the Hill nor take a public bus. We drove up the Hill in comfort, boarded in a great hotel and ate at a choicy place.
Then took our places in the queue to see the Lord. Hour after hour stretched out without the site of the Temple entrance. The group consisted of my parents, my brother, my mama/uncle and good ole me. For a while I stretched thin the patience of others by being a bundle of energy. Then fought with my brother, discussed philosophy (mine) with my uncle and refused to talk to my parents for not booking a more convenient ticket with which we could have gone straight to the sanctum. But all this did not fill the time. I grew more and more sober and silent and by the time we came to the Gates, I was drooping on my brother’s shoulder and almost in tears. No patience at all.
To be truthful, all the desire of seeing the Lord was gone. I just wanted to go out.
In time we reached the inner sanctum and the frenzy around us rose to a tremendous pitch. Chants of the Lord’s names, prayers, tears, sheer joy and happiness in the face of the people going the other way, solemn urges that they would stand 1000 more hours if need be to catch a glimpse of the Lord’s face. Then I saw the Dharma darshan’s queque. Poor people waiting for hours and hours patiently from the smallest child to the oldest granny. No sign of irritation, hunger, unhappiness or malcontent. It was an awakening. I was ashamed of my behaviour.
It was a few more steps to the Lord’s sanctum. We turned the corner and there He was, resplendent, shining, and amazingly handsome. The time had come. I forgot everything else, shouted the Lord’s name unashamed, happy, tears rolling down my face, forgot all my wishes and desires. Just seeing Him was the balm to all sufferings. I just said, “I love you and will do so for all my life”. Came outside completely rejenuvated. Oh! I will stand 1000 hours for the same darshan. My mom smiled and we went to Mayuri for lunch.
Thirupati has always been a fascinating experience to anyone who goes there. I have heard astounding stories of faith being answered and the instant succor the Lord extends to His devotees.
Swami Ramanuja perceived the Lord in the Hills and through His divine sight found that the entire hill was made of Saligrahmam, a holy stone and crawled on His knees to find the temple and the Lord. The Ramanuja circle in the Lower Tirupati is a small tribute of man to the Acharya who took the Lord by His love. Udaiyavar.
In the older days, before I went back again, if I prayed to Srinivasan, the picture that the TTD released eons ago, the famous “in all homes” picture, came to my thoughts. But after this visit and the subsequent ones, I can recall the Lord as He stands and pray to Him in my mind. Alwar says that one has to visit a divya desam/ temple atleast 3 times for the Lord’s face to be imprinted on to the mind.
My first trip back. It was a lesson. In patience, in humility, in devotion and in faith. It prepared me mentally and physically for my subsequent trips to Ahobilam and other places. I learnt that the Lord chooses to see us in the most appropriate moment. The next time I went to Tirupati, I was at the temple on my birthday, unplanned and not even realized.
Since then, my philosophy of going to temples has been this. If the Lord wants you there, you will be there no matter what. Even if after years of planning, you miss a darshan, it is because there is a better time for Him to see you.
As my cousin laughingly says, “Na Perumala pakkarenangarthu mukkiyam illa. Avar enna pakkararangarthu than mukkiyam.” --- “It is not important whether I see the Lord. But rather that He sees me”.
As Aandal lovingly prays,
“Thingalum Aadithyanum ezuntharpol
annkan erandum kondu engal mel nokkuthiyel,
engal mel sabam ezainthelorempaavai.
“If thou graces to gaze upon us with eyes that shine as though the moon and the sun shine together, all the sins upon us be done to perdition.”
My Lord! Thy will be done.
I remember going to Thirupati as a kid. Very vague recollections and almost no memory of the Lord till it pleased Him to call me again and take a good look at how much I had grown. This was during my college days. After which I did get to go a lot of times during the 2 years before I came to the US.
The first time I did get to go back, I was strangely petulant. I had not traveled much to shrines before then and I was unadjusted to the rigors. To tell you the truth, I did not even climb the Hill nor take a public bus. We drove up the Hill in comfort, boarded in a great hotel and ate at a choicy place.
Then took our places in the queue to see the Lord. Hour after hour stretched out without the site of the Temple entrance. The group consisted of my parents, my brother, my mama/uncle and good ole me. For a while I stretched thin the patience of others by being a bundle of energy. Then fought with my brother, discussed philosophy (mine) with my uncle and refused to talk to my parents for not booking a more convenient ticket with which we could have gone straight to the sanctum. But all this did not fill the time. I grew more and more sober and silent and by the time we came to the Gates, I was drooping on my brother’s shoulder and almost in tears. No patience at all.
To be truthful, all the desire of seeing the Lord was gone. I just wanted to go out.
In time we reached the inner sanctum and the frenzy around us rose to a tremendous pitch. Chants of the Lord’s names, prayers, tears, sheer joy and happiness in the face of the people going the other way, solemn urges that they would stand 1000 more hours if need be to catch a glimpse of the Lord’s face. Then I saw the Dharma darshan’s queque. Poor people waiting for hours and hours patiently from the smallest child to the oldest granny. No sign of irritation, hunger, unhappiness or malcontent. It was an awakening. I was ashamed of my behaviour.
It was a few more steps to the Lord’s sanctum. We turned the corner and there He was, resplendent, shining, and amazingly handsome. The time had come. I forgot everything else, shouted the Lord’s name unashamed, happy, tears rolling down my face, forgot all my wishes and desires. Just seeing Him was the balm to all sufferings. I just said, “I love you and will do so for all my life”. Came outside completely rejenuvated. Oh! I will stand 1000 hours for the same darshan. My mom smiled and we went to Mayuri for lunch.
Thirupati has always been a fascinating experience to anyone who goes there. I have heard astounding stories of faith being answered and the instant succor the Lord extends to His devotees.
Swami Ramanuja perceived the Lord in the Hills and through His divine sight found that the entire hill was made of Saligrahmam, a holy stone and crawled on His knees to find the temple and the Lord. The Ramanuja circle in the Lower Tirupati is a small tribute of man to the Acharya who took the Lord by His love. Udaiyavar.
In the older days, before I went back again, if I prayed to Srinivasan, the picture that the TTD released eons ago, the famous “in all homes” picture, came to my thoughts. But after this visit and the subsequent ones, I can recall the Lord as He stands and pray to Him in my mind. Alwar says that one has to visit a divya desam/ temple atleast 3 times for the Lord’s face to be imprinted on to the mind.
My first trip back. It was a lesson. In patience, in humility, in devotion and in faith. It prepared me mentally and physically for my subsequent trips to Ahobilam and other places. I learnt that the Lord chooses to see us in the most appropriate moment. The next time I went to Tirupati, I was at the temple on my birthday, unplanned and not even realized.
Since then, my philosophy of going to temples has been this. If the Lord wants you there, you will be there no matter what. Even if after years of planning, you miss a darshan, it is because there is a better time for Him to see you.
As my cousin laughingly says, “Na Perumala pakkarenangarthu mukkiyam illa. Avar enna pakkararangarthu than mukkiyam.” --- “It is not important whether I see the Lord. But rather that He sees me”.
As Aandal lovingly prays,
“Thingalum Aadithyanum ezuntharpol
annkan erandum kondu engal mel nokkuthiyel,
engal mel sabam ezainthelorempaavai.
“If thou graces to gaze upon us with eyes that shine as though the moon and the sun shine together, all the sins upon us be done to perdition.”
My Lord! Thy will be done.
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