Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

Noida, India                 
 
What Needs Doing                  

 

One journalist, G.S. Tripathi writes, "The second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is a primary source of eternal knowledge. Bewildered by the challenges before him,  Arjuna seeks Krishna’s intervention in removing his ignorance and leading him on the path of righteousness.  In response, Krishna talks about the immortality of the soul, knowledge of eternity and the transient, supremacy of action bereft of desire for it fruits and the necessity of being equipoised under the spell of the duality's of life." 

 

While so many reverential and celebratory activities are going on with the opening of a new temple, and this eventful day of saint/avatar Nityananda, our drama troupe is focused for our evening performance of  "Gita:  Concise".  I had the privilege to partake in the ancient abhishek rights for installing murtis (beautiful images of Krishna).  The balance of the time, however, was with the guys in our troupe who committed to the full eighteen chapters presented in a nut shell. 

 

While introducing the drama to a crowd of hundreds, I confessed to giving not much time to the puja, or the rituals. My puja has been to the members of the troupe, who are my deities, in a sense. 

Mukunda, who is a new fellow for me to work with and who plays the role of Arjuna, told me between practices, "I'm really getting absorbed in the part and trying to comprehend my characters dilemma".  Maha Mantra, who has got the dance steps down in the production, is like the pillar of knowledge of props and costumes and just how to "rhythm it”  on the stage.  Fil had manifested as the details person.  Goura is the dependable person Krishna, and Kish is my co-voiceover person.  Manoj is perfectly cast a Ganesh.  We have all become inter dependent in the endeavor, learning from Krishna's message that a warrior-type focus is necessary in the discharge of duty. 

While our Aussie sound man, Damodara Pundit, Kish and I are on the side-lines to do our job. Our stage boys wowed the crowd when finally our turn came for a marvelous cultural show. 

Pulling a production together in India at an outdoor pandal (marquee) program isn't often an easy task.  Only if you “focus focus focus " are you likely to succeed at anything.  Still, the Gita teaches, "Do not be attached to the fruit of the work, but to paying attention to the execution of what needs doing."
 
May the Source be with you!
 
3 KM