Immortal Of Meluha

[Jens Loco]

PriscillaArumugam by email:

Vanakam,

I am glad to notice that I share your sentiments exactly. I was introduced to these books by my daughter who found them to be contradictory to what I have taught them and believe.My suggestion to u is to do an analysis of the books and submitt your detailed research to the company as well as the author itself after aquiring much support or various view points from other readers.

You should also attempt to writing a novel for i have been reading all your desitations or recordings of your personal opinion on various issues. they make good reading.

Regards,

Priscilla Arumugam

Kavitha, While agreeing with you wholly on the concept called Shiva, the one and only super intelligent being in the entire universe,believed to be unborn and unending, the Hindu belief also conveys the concept of 'mithya Jagat', ie, illusory world, or physical forms as a result of illusion created through the weakness of the apparent physical senses in the animal world having at its head humans as the most evolved one as Shiva's models that reflect the variety apparent in the eve changing 'Nature'... That's why the elevated souls only could reach the Absolute Truth and say, "Shivoham"! the Creator Himself!...

Even from different apparent practices related to worship of GOD in 'Insia' every soul can realise how any and every form is used to reach SHIVA only, the Formless Supreme being who alone matters!!!

Kavitha ji,

I have been reading your blog for last many years but it is the first time I am commenting.

Yes, you rightly put it, this book is utter crap and written specifically to hurt Hindus.

Arjunī through email:

Hello Kavitha,

The Blogger comment form is not working for me, but I wanted to respond to your (perceptive) post about this (awful!) book. I apologise in advance that this will be a bit long! I too disliked this book, and have a bit to say about it.

I have read that the author was an atheist, but became a Shiva devotee as he developed and researched the ideas of his story. Also, a friend wanted very much that I should read this book - so, with these good thoughts in my mind, I read The Immortals of Meluha all the way to the end.

I think that the basic thought of writing an action-adventure fiction novel about a Deva is not innately disrespectful. And of course it is possible to write just a simple story which only touches on some very advanced ideas. But this book was so frustrating! It was oddly childish, slowly-paced and even boring in places, and not innocent or endearing in the way a children's story might be. I could see what the author was trying to do, but never quite got there.

The dance, for example - it seemed that he was trying to depict the magic and power of dance, and show the dancer invoking the Divine in the beginning. That's a great idea! but as you pointed out, why not use the actual salutation to the Earth that dancers perform, instead of inventing the Nataraja step as both warm-up (ouch!) and opening posture? The idea of "Veda as ancient science" has been introduced in other books, but never quite so poorly developed and described as it is here; it's dull, like listening to a dry physics lecture. Really, every page was like listening to someone playing the piano and hitting wrong chords over and over, so that your nerves are constantly on edge waiting for the next mistake.

A new devotee's fledgling effort is not something that should be published right away. This book would have greatly benefited from two things. First, the author should have been patient and spent a few years as a devotee, learning the truths of Shiva in dedicated sadhana, and then revisited his book, cleaning up the elementary mistakes (some of which you pointed out in your post). And the editor should have been very strict, having the courage to dissect the book and clean up the poor writing, misspellings, odd grammar, and amateur errors (like characters SCREAMING IN CAPSLOCK), as well as the jumpy pacing and stilted dialogue, which made the book so hard to read.

--and where is Indra?

Not to worry - the same publisher is releasing a book called Thundergod soon, in which I understand that Indra and the other Vedic gods will be fictionalized (and doubtless ruined) similarly.

The Immortals of Meluha didn't touch upon the greatness of Shiva; rather, the book attempted to bring Shiva down to the earthly plane, and failed. I don't think that the author's intention was bad, but good intentions are not enough to write a work of literary merit.

Thanks for writing about this book.

--Arjunī

When one observes at the mundane level, an infant at the time of birth is just a 'clean slate'. However, with time, at some stage a normal one becomes mature, physically. and also to a certain extent mentally also when one develops capacity to analyse facts observed by one till that time... And thus at any given point in time each individual can be considered analogous to a book or a library of books (as 'experts' in one subject or like 'siddhas' the all rounders)...

However, the question is whether man has some particular purpose in life??? Or, is it just to make money and become famous in the eyes of other underdeveloped persons???

Umashankar Ghantayat:

Dear Kavitha,

For a long time I have been receiving you posts on account of being listed in your blog. I am an indphile and have immense pride in my roots as I slowly realise what it is ( and it is a tip in the ocean). More than that I revel in my heritage and history especially when I compare these with sa Greece or Rome or Egypt.

I have read Meluha and as much of an regimented person that I am, I do not find anything denigrating the image of Shiva and it is a peice of fiction. Of course it might influence the image of Shiva in the minds of modern readers, but the other side it would also generate an enthusiasm about our heritage.

So in some sense it is OK. I also wrote back to say that I am filled with admiration at the way you are discovering and your depth in India and Hinduism. You must think of book that links and narrates teh relevance of our rich heritage to modern times.

Warm Regards

Indira Devi through email:

I fully agree with you., These are local preserved stories., Do not get hurt by these stories., The Big Giant Elephant, walks in the streets, with majesty, there are some barking dogs., Nothing happens to the elephant and its followers., Truth will prevail at the end., shivoham shivoham sivoham., Malli.

With all due respect Maaam,

His work was only fiction; not the best I agree, but captivating and intriguing in its own right.

It is upto the reader to use his discretion to distinguish between fact and fiction made to look like facts.

Just as a thousand readers picked up his book to read about Lord Shiva a thousand others would have finished it and moved on to other books in search of the truth about him, because of IoM.

You (i mean the author or anyone really)cannot hope to educate the general population about everything.

So though i definitely understand the offense you took, and see where it is coming from (and how valid it is) I also think we as readers can be broad-minded enough to see the book in its context, and remember that it is just fiction.

Hinduism is way bigger (and stronger) than all this. Its not going anywhere.

Agree!! this book is pure nonsense. It is not even a ok work of fiction even if considered minus the use of God's names. the whole story is so filmy and lacking depth.

This guy is not even a good fiction writer, forget to expect some research and depth and respect to what names is he writing about!

Hi Lola,

I agree with you to a certain extent that this book is not end all... but, the topic needs to be given its justice. The faith needs to be given its justice... and btw, how broad minded does broad minded get?

IF the author wrote a blog, I would say nothing, its his private space. This is public domain, where we run responsibilities, and surely the author has not been serious about it or himself.

I believe he is a recent follower of Shiva, its good, but he needs to live and feel the faith a bit before he goes about writing about it.

Just to let you know i can write what i want on my blog, but i run the responsibility of not hurting the sentiments of my readers and hence there are a few strong opinions of mine that never make it here. This guy is going about publishing a book.

I hope you understand my point. My worry is that impressionable younger minds will take this as bible when this is actually filth. His book was ok, why bring Lord Shiva into it? That made all the difference.

Regards

Kavitha

Oh one more thing Lola, I remember long back, I wrote about a few facts on death, and I was immediately questioned by the readers on this blog as to where I got it from.

I had to substantiate it with evidence from the Garuda Purana. There after I have always quoted the scriptures so that my readers dont feel that I am fooling around - why? It matters to them that if I take up a serious topic I better be sure about what I publish.

We have to be sensitive towards the reader's feelings. Thats the responsibility i am looking for in the author and sadly... he just didnt make it.

I tried to read it too, but lost interest.I found it uninteresting, though some others in the family (who are also ardent Shiva Devotees) enjoyed it . No, I was not "outraged" or "offended" . Its just another storybook .

Shiva is an ancient banyan tree , which will not lose a leaf of its timeless glory just because some passing crow pecks at its roots. HE couldn't care less how he's depicted, and neither should we.

The Carvaka Schools, misinterpretations of the Western minds,maligning by other faiths, the blistering speeches of Ee.Ve.Ra, nothing has dimmed Shiva's brilliance and He certainly does not need our "protection" or "defense".....as for the fear that youngsters may take this meluha popcorn as Vedic Truth, please, lets credit them with a smidgen of intelligence. The Preface of the book makes it clear that it is a work of fiction. Just like The Davinci Code.

...if we can smile at the idol of Ganesa playing cricket or texting on I-Phone, I'm sure we can also shrug off Meluha as so much harmless fancy or inconsequential junk.

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