CULTURALQA 03-2024-13 All the below QA are from Quora DIGEST to me on 13-03-2024.
Selected quora answers generally interesting including jokes areincluded Still they need not be 100% correct answers. Iam only a compiler. Compiled and posted by R. Gopala Krishnan, 80, on 13-03-2024. Q1 Why wasKrishna silent in Karna's humiliation by Draupadi at her Swayamvara? If thatwas dharma, then why was Karna's silence in Draupadi Vastraharan consideredadharma by Lord Krishna? How is this justified? A1 YashasviSharma, Asst Manager-Business Excellence Corporate Quality at Relaxo FootwearLimited (2018–present) Updated 5y Karna was an ambitious person who no doubt was a verygood human being by the virtue of his genes but he had the upbringing from a family which wasdifferent from the upbringing which prevailed in the kshatriya families. Draupadi was a kshatriya born girl who had right to chooseher husband. Shehad right to accept the one who had fulfilled the condition of syamvar as well asshe had right to reject even if someone had fulfilled thecondition. It was totally her own choice to reject or accept anyone. Karna should have known that according to the rulesof society at that time, his belongingness to a different class of society madeit unacceptable for him to be a groom of a kshatriya born girl but being an“over ambitious” man, he wanted all the perks which a kshatriya man enjoyed. Itwas Karna’s perceptionthat he didn't deserve to be treated as a chariot driver's son instead he wanted everyone to treat himlike a kshatriya and give him same place in the society as a kshatriya man hadas he was tired of facing the discrimination all his life. But the fact is that he was brought up as a chariotdriver's son and being called as a chariot driver's son was no insult. Beingrejected for being at a wrong place or I should say being stopped toparticipate in an irrelevant competition was no insult. It wasDraupadi’s choice that she wanted to marry a kshatriya or brahmin not the chariot driver'sson, and she had full authority to reject anybody. It was only Karna whoperceived it as an insult but it was no insult at all. This incident onlydepicts the over ambitiousness of Karna and his reluctant attitude to acceptthe truth. At last Draupadi made no mistake in choosing her soulmate as later on Karna turned out to be a man who didn't know the definition ofdharma. Karna was a great human being & warrior but his upbringing was not upto the mark to teach him the true meaning of Dharma. My note-Opinions differ. I have selected this QA from the viewpoint of Droupathi. Profile photo for Shyam Sunder Q2 DidKarna ever regret the misbehavior to Draupadi? A2 ShyamSunder, It gives us a lesson rather than a history.8y There was no need for Karna or Draupadi to regrettheir behavior of what they had done to each other. Did Draupadi regretted her action for what she did toKarna? Because it was an usual thing they used to follow in ancient times.Karna was adopted and brought by people who were married in caste difference. They were called a Suta. So he is Suta Putra. Peoplewill never respect those kind of people who didn't respect their caste. IfDraupadi had married Karna, then they would also called a Suta, their childwill be Suta Putra. Higher caste people will never allow lower caste people tofollow their way. So shecalled Karna a Suta Putra and didn't allow him to contest. Remember what happened to Sita in Ramayana and whywas she asked to leave the Ayodhya kingdom despite being a Queen? If a Kshatriya caste woman had morethan three husbands, she will be called a Whore. These kindsof rules, traditional norms were followed by people in ancient times. When Yudhisthira lost all his kingdom and everything including hisbrothers, Draupadi and himself, he was asked to be a slave to Duryodhana and Hastinapur. A Slavecannot wear clothes like how kings and prince used to wear. Even though theywear clothes but they cannot in front of Kings. Remember Sathyavati, who was fisherman's daughterwas from low caste. As per paintings from Raja Ravi varma, we can see thatthose low caste people won’t wear clothes in front of Kings. This was just toshow their respects to them. Duryodhan ordered Dushashan to bringDraupadi into sabha and let her know that she would be slave and will joinother people who are working as maid. But someserials, novels had shown like Duryodhan asked Draupadi to sit on his lap andeverything. Draupadiprotested that how Yudhistira could gamble her when he lost himself first?. If Draupadi was right in heropinion, everyone would have supported her and even Pandavas would not allowDraupadi to face such situation. But the truth is Yudhistira also lost Draupadi. Pandavas never came to supportDraupadi. People like Vidhura, Bhishma asked Duryodhana on why he isdoing such to draupadi as she is common wife of all pandavas and she was also a queen in Panchalaas well as Indraprastha. However, they didn't argue or supportDraupadi's concern. Because, In ancient times none would hear woman's words. There was more of a male chauvinism. They knew thatDraupadi was also lost. OnlyVikarna supported her. When Karna was already in anger with Draupadi, he stood against Vikarna, saidthat when every elders were supporting Duryodhan, how can you raise againstthem. He askedPandavas and Draupadi to remove their clothes by themselves in front of theKing. Karna also said to Draupadi, that her husbands are notworth to save her from critical situation and better to search for someone else.Karna told this words so that the Pandavas who were doing nothing, can do something to save themselves or Draupadi,because they will never follow orders from a Suta Putra. But Pandavas followed Karna's orders. Draupadi didn'tfollow as she was still questioning elders that whether she was wonrighteously. Here, Draupadi's concern was not for removingher clothes, but to claim her authenticity. If she was righteously wonaccording to herself, then she would have did it by herself. On this situation,Dushasan went to disrobe Draupadi and so and so happened. In the finalphase of Kurukshetra war during Karna's moment of death, Krishna reminded Karna ofhis actions on what he did to Pandavas in front of Arjuna, just to provokeArjuna who was reluctant to shoot an unarmed warrior. But some serials showedlike, Krishna paused the world activities and spoke to karna about his actsthat he followed from Duryodhana. Even after Karna's chariot was down to ground, Still Karna fought fromthe ground. He attacked Arjuna fiercely and Arjuna was down. At thistime Karna kept his bow in chariot and went to lift his chariot up. HoweverArjuna gained conscious and killed Karna when Karna was arm less. There is nothing happened like Karnaregretting how it was portrayed in movies, serials and novels. Thosewere some regulations that people used to follow in ancient times. Even it wasfollowed till 19th century, but only later it was changed. My note- I have selected this QA forrules and regulations at Dwaparayuga. My base for selection of this QA is Bhishma’s words- if Karnawas made the commander he will not fight in the war. Regarding droupathi incident – Lord Krishna waswaiting at the door of palace. She remembered and called Krishna whiledisrobing incident started. The entire incidents would have beendifferent if Droupathi called Krishna while the sabha began Q3 What isthe history behind Nair surnames like Menon, Pillai, Kaimal, Kartha, Unnithan,and Nambiar? Are they regional or do they indicate rank within the Nair caste? A3 JosephTaylor, Studied at Sunshine Worldwide School Mar 4 The Nair community is a prominent Hindu caste in thesouthern Indian state of Kerala. Nair surnames like Menon, Pillai, Kaimal, Kartha, Unnithan, and Nambiarhave historical significance and often indicate various factors such asregional origin, ancestral occupation, or family lineage rather than rankwithin the Nair caste itself. 1. Menon: Menonis a common Nair surname, and historically, Menons were associated with administrativeroles in the traditional feudal setup of Kerala. They were often landowners, revenue collectors, andadministrators in the royal courts. 2. Pillai: Pillaiis another prevalent Nair surname. Originally, Pillais were associated with thewarrior class andwere involved in military and administrative roles under the local rulers ofKerala. Over time, the term Pillai became a title of respect and was adopted byvarious communities in the region. My note- Now alsoone can see during marriage betrothel, they wear turbans , perhaps of old military heritage. 3. Kaimal: Kaimalis a surname commonly associated with certain lineages or families that held positions of authority,especially in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. Kaimals wereoften involved in templeadministration and were considered as intermediaries between the peopleand the ruling authorities. 4. Kartha: Karthais a surname that signifies a person's role as the head or manager of a particular family or property.It is not specific to the Nair community alone but is prevalent among variousHindu communities in Kerala. 5. Unnithan: Unnithanis a Nair surname that suggests a family's connection to a particular village or region. It mayalso indicate the ancestral profession or occupation of the family. My note- In central Kerala they had the parentage of royal familymale and Nair lady. 6. Nambiar:Nambiar is a Nair subcaste and surname that is associated with specific regions ofKerala, particularly in the northern parts of the state. Nambiar familiestraditionally held positions in the feudal setup, including administrative andmilitary roles. My note- Theywere/ are mostly associated with temple functions. These surnamesmay reflect the historical roles and occupations of Nair families within the social andadministrative structure of Kerala. However, it is important to note that thesignificance of these surnames has evolved over time, and in contemporary society,individuals may identify with these surnames for reasons beyond their historical origins, suchas family tradition or cultural affiliation. My note- Kurup,Pisharadi, Pothuval, Marar etc sub communites of Nair are not included in thisanswer. Q4 What aresome amazing facts about snakes? A4 KevinMitnick, MSc in Computer Science & Information Technology, University ofCalifornia, Berkeley (Graduated 2003)Feb 11 Snakes neverstop growing. Snakes SmellWith Their Tongues, Snakes use their tongues to sense chemicals in the air, and thentransport them to the organ to smell them. Snakes do not have external ears but they still haveinternal ear bones. A snake skeleton has 600-1800 bones, depending on thespecies. Snakes havesmooth dry skin that is covered in scales. These scales are made of Keratin. That’s the samesubstance that is in human hair and nails. They do not blink and they sleep with eyes open. Snakes can eat things 75-100% bigger than their ownsize. There are 3,789snake species, making them the second largest group of reptiles after lizards. Only around 600 snakes species are venomous and, far fewer can hurt humans. Australia ishome to 20 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world. A few raresnakes are born with two heads. King cobras are considered the smartest snake in theworld. Brazil is thecountry with the largest number of species of snakes in the world. Q5 Are ThakursMythili Brahmins? A5 The term"Thakur" historically referred to a feudal or landowning class incertain parts of India, including the Mithila region. Over time, as societyevolved, various communities adopted surnames for identification and socialclassification. Among MaithilBrahmins, the usage of "Thakur" as a surname might have evolved from several possiblescenarios: 1. Landownershipand feudal associations: In the past,some Brahmin families in the Mithila region might have held significant land orpositions of authority, leading them to adopt "Thakur" as a surnameto signify their status or association with landowning classes. 2. Honorificusage: "Thakur" is also an honorific title used to address individuals with respect in manyparts of India. Brahmin families might have adopted it as a surname to denotereverence or high social standing within their community. 3. Culturalassimilation: Over time, as communities interacted and intermarried, there could have beencultural assimilation and adoption of surnames from other social groups.Brahmin families might have incorporated "Thakur" into their surnamesthrough such interactions. 4. Regionalinfluences: The Mithila region has a diverse cultural and historical background, withinfluences from various ruling dynasties and social structures. It's possiblethat the usage of "Thakur" as a surname among Maithil Brahmins hasroots in these regional influences. Overall, the usage of "Thakur" as a surnameamong Maithil Brahmins likely has complex historical, social, and culturalreasons, reflecting the intricate dynamics of caste, identity, and regionalheritage in the Mithila region of Bihar, India. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1658357214.2449623.1710339773150%40mail.yahoo.com.
