Not just pastime, it's knowledge!

Every living day is a new learning experience. Thanks to Hollywood and the various sci-fi movies they produced, Joe Public is cognisant of time travel, the concept of time, and the expansionary nature of the Universe. Still, we have a long way to go to be well-versed in these areas.

It is mind-boggling how some ancient Indian scriptures, which some quickly label as unbelievable mythological tales, carry some of the most fantastic astronomical knowledge with them. Forget about their authenticity; the wisdom embedded in them warrants a second look. Perhaps these tall tales are mere side dishes to the main course that they serve. Let us not be swayed by unbelievable events that defy logic. Let us have the know-how to differentiate the trees from the forest.

Two recent concepts that piqued my interest come from two stories mentioned in the Mahabharata, Srimad Bhagavatam and Vishnu Purana. They discuss time dilation and the cyclical nature of time.

Legend had it that King Kakudmi had a multi-talented daughter named Revathi. She was a prodigy and excelled in many areas, and the father thought no one was quite appropriate to marry her. Kakudmi made an interstellar trip to Sathyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe. After waiting for a musical performance to be over, he was given an audience.

Upon hearing Kakudmi's predicament, the Lord burst into laughter. Aeons had passed during Kakudmi's absence from Earth. His grandsons had died, and all of Revathy's suitors had passed on. By the time they returned to Earth, it would be another yuga* (epoch). Brahma had an idea coincidentally. Vishnu was performing one of his avatars as Krishna's brother, Balarama. She could marry him.

The story introduces the concept the movie Interstellar tries to convey. The youthful protagonist trapped in another realm can only see his loved one grow old and wither away.

I remember this from Einstein's theory of relativity; essentially, the faster you move, the slower time seems to go for you relative to someone at rest.

The next concept that turned my head was the story of Hanuman retrieving Lord Rama's ring in the netherworld.

It was time for Lord Rama to leave his mortal body. Unfortunately, as Hanuman was forever beside him, guarding him, Lord Yama could not take his life. Understanding this, Rama sent Hanuman on a mission. He dropped his ring into the crack of Earth and summoned Hanuman to look for it. Using his special powers, Hanuman made a dash for it only to meet the Serpent Queen, Vasuki, and a mountain of similar rings that Rama had dropped.

Vasuki explained the cyclical nature of time when life is lived repeatedly. The mountain of rings denotes the number of times Rama had thrown his ring for Haniman to retrieve. Perhaps, like the film ‘Sliding Doors', our lives follow different trajectories but ultimately lead to the same end. Unlike Western philosophers' understanding of time, from creation to the end of entropy, Hindu thinkers posit that everything repeats itself cyclically. Various yugas portray different human behaviours that ultimately lead to their self-destruction just to jump-start all over again.

All these so-called ‘myths’ need to be re-examined. They are not mere mumbo jumbos. There is much knowledge to scoop, told in poems and tall stories spiced up with the Gods' extracurricular activities to spur the interests of their listeners.

*Time is divided into four unequal parts (yuga) in multiples of 432,000 years. After a complete cycle, time repeats itself. 

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The Monsterverse that lurks beneath us

Monarch Legend of Monsters (2023)
Miniseries S1, E1-10.

There was a time in our childhood when gigantic creatures roamed the streets of Tokyo, and superheroes like Ultraman and Golda manifested to save the day. The storyline was predictable. A benign creature, having been exposed to the effects of the A-bombs, undergoes mutation but stays underground. A freak event would bring it to the surface. The beast then would go on a rampage. Just when there is no hope, the Japanese superhero appears to save the day. Yay!

Looks like much has changed since I last viewed them.

Godzilla and contemporaries, MUTOs, massive unidentified terrestrial organisms from Japan, have gone mainstream. A narrative has been created to link many seismic events worldwide over the years to these monsters' activities. It is called the Monsterverse. For example, the H-bomb detonation at Bikini Atoll was not a military exercise. It was meant to neutralise one of these monsters, but it had got away.

The story timeline flip-flops from 1952 through 1982 to 2015. A little background knowledge about King Kong, his encounter with Godzilla in 2014, and Skull Island would help. Otherwise, the film would be a confusing mishmash of incoherent storytelling.

The miniseries tells about Monarch, a secret global organisation that supposedly tries to track MUTOs, predict their appearance and prevent human casualties. Many endeavours thus far over the years have proved futile. These creatures go underground through unique portals beneath the Earth's surface. There is an alternate living space beneath Earth where time moves slowly. One month spent there could be equivalent to 50 years on Earth! It creates a lot of confusion when one of the characters falls into a portal but returns later.

Snake Plissken

The miniseries tells the story of a pair of half-siblings who discover each other when they receive news that their father is dead. They discover that their father led a double life with two families and a secret expedition with international ramifications. The saga spans three generations and is a whirlpool of twists and adventures.

The exciting idea employed in the miniseries is using a father-son combination to tell a character's story at different times. Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell act out this role.

Interestingly, Malaysians were first exposed to Kurt Russell in the Western TV series Quest (1976). Here, Russell, kidnapped by Cheyenne, met his long-lost brother to team up to track down their sister. Later, he was famous as the eye patch-donning tough guy Snake Plissken in Escape from New York (1981). 

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Who / What is God?

Kadavul Irukindran

from the movie 'Ananthi Jothi' (1963)


It seems that poet Kannadasan started off as an atheist. With time, through his voracious readings and research for his songs, he claimed to be an avid practitioner of Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Duty) or Hinduism in his later years. Many of his later compositions brilliantly express the entity we assume to be God - the Force that puts order to things around us, the seen and the invisible, the heard and the silent, the felt and the void.

Here, Mahakavi Kannadasan, in a 1963 composition, tries to explore the meaning of God, which carries different visions to different people, from an external force that oversees every move to an internal mechanism so intricate that it does its own checks and balances.

You say He is not there because you cannot see Him. When you float but cannot see the air, you are hovering upon. When you close all your senses to the external stimuli, is the something you feel is God?

In the crypts of darkness of the night, you awaken. It is pitch dark, but you can make a composite picture of the person before you. There is something beyond what you see.

The melodious sound of music transcends the listeners to an elevated level. The right pluck excites the right heartstrings of life. You dictate the musical notes, but can you see the shape of the music that raises you?

Nobody knows what the other person's heart feels. We cannot read the writings in one's heart, but our gut gives a feeling about it.

Buddha may have deceased, but his guidance remains. The knowledge, the path to life, is that divine? Has truth and charity become unfashionable? After reading about how karma hits back and history repeats, should we be stressing ourselves but let nature take its course?

At a time when justice seems unattainable,  and public display of resentment seems futile, when justice is unamenable to the law and whip, let the long arm of Time shall take charge. Time would not hesitate to save the day, slowly but surely! Hence, Time must be God. Is this rhetoric to pacify a crying baby, or is it the secret of life?

This song appears in the MGR-starred 1963 movie 'Anantha Jothi' (Glorious Light) when MGR, a schoolmaster, is running from the law after being falsely accused of murder. Just as he is about to give up hope on proving his innocence, his inner consciousness reassures him there is God. His idea of God gives him the confidence to stand steadfast and persevere to clear his name and marry his beau at the end of the day. 

The nuances of the lyrics will surely carry a veiled reference to specific people close to Kanadasan, as narrated by late musician MSV. Many of his messages are cryptic. Just like the song in Paava Mannippu (1961), where a Hindu child adopted by a Muslim family and grows up as a Muslim belts out a devotional song during Prophet Mohammad's birthday. The exciting feature of the song, which was revealed much later after his death, is that every verse of the song ended with words that rhymed with the suffix 'Om'. Kannadasan was quoted to have said that one cannot take the Hinduness out of anyone born a Hindu. Subconsciously, he still thinks as a Hindu. 

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Nothing really matters!

Old (2021)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan

This may not be the best of his movies to watch. After The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000), his films have been unremarkable. The dialogue is much to be desired, and the plot may have a few holes here and there. Nevertheless, it stays true to most of Shyamalan's movies that explore the paranormal. It even makes one think. In this offering, one is made aware of the dangers of freebies, the subversive nature of Big Pharma and the triviality of our holding of ill feelings and grudges. 

The main protagonists, Guy and Prisca Cappa, are going through a separation. To break the news to their two preteen children, they thought the family could have one final memorable outing together. Prisca is delighted to have found a fantastic bargain for a beach vacation online. Interestingly, as the movie involves Time and ageing, the couple has contrasting occupations - Prisca is a curator in a museum (purveyor of ancient relics), and Guy is an actuary (predictor of future events). 

Surprise, surprise. The whole beach resort is a front for Big Pharma to identify clients with specific medical conditions and put them up for human experimentation with new medications, without their consent, of course. That particular resort had access to a secluded beach with its unique rock formation markedly accelerated the ageing process. Thirty minutes of the passage of Time is equivalent to a year of ageing. Hence, Big Pharma could determine the efficacy and dangers of newfound drugs in record times. 

With or without the drugs experimented on them, the cruel effect shows their sad transformation from their springy gung-ho self, brimming with confidence, to one where minor skirmishes and shortcomings do not matter anymore. Somehow, all the minor dissatisfactions and disappointments in life do not matter. The brutal assault of Time on our ego is blatant. We reverse roles. From an all-knowing adult who juggles wearing multiple hats, our senses fail us miserably. We are clueless about what Time has in store for us - a tumour, mental disorder, debilitating illness or whatever.

In our desperate search for the elixir of youth and immortality, we have sold our souls to Big Pharma. In return for their uninhibited access to our medical information and other unspecified data, we have become sitting ducks to their snake oil and mumbo jumbos.

P.S. The idea that rock formations profoundly affect Man's growth reminds me of the concept behind constructing a Hindu temple. It could be built as and where lands are available. It had to be aligned to the magnetic pole of the Earth. The erection of the main structure is specific and involves the usage of various metals. The conditions needed to be followed for its intended use. A temple was meant to act as a cradle for charging the 'human battery'. People were expected to drop in to 'charge' themselves to meet their daily challenges. Over Time, as monotheistic religions became vogue, to stay relevant, their functions changed. They had to steer their believers away from Ahura Mazda and the desert gods. In essence, rocks, with their mineral contents, affect humans.

8 mysterious ancient temples which lie more or less on the exact geographic longitude of 79° E 41'54" and these famous temples are Kedarnath Temple (Uttarakhand), Kaleshwara Mukteeshwara Swamy Temple (Telangana), Srikalahasti Temple (Andhra Pradesh), Ekambareswarar Temple, Jambukeswara Temple, Annamalaiyar Temple, Nataraja Temple and finally Ramanathaswamy Temple (Tamil Nadu).

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They think they have everything under control!

Kala Bhairava

The slayer of Time with a dog as his
companion. Hence, dogs are given
due reverence.

Maybe the nihilistic part of me cannot stomach all these. My athymic insides cannot stomach the idea that someone can be so cocksure about everything. I have come to understand that Time and Tide wait for no man and that Time is the greatest killer of Man. Time flies; Man's hopes go! No Man has yet to win over Time; Shiva, a wandering seeker, is the exception and was conferred the title 'Kala Bhairava' - the conquerer of Time. 

I just cannot fathom how a group of people are forever pleased with themselves, knowing very well that they have covered all the potential glitches in life. They act as if they have in their possession a crystal ball through which they have a clear view of what lies in front of them in life's journey of uncertainty.

They have the acquaintance of an experienced seer. Using ancient astrological knowledge, he can precisely point out times they must be careful. He carefully calculates pockets when the planetary positions are not in their favour. Bad events, he asserts, can be averted through rituals that can appease negative energies. 

If that is not enough, they want to know their karmic baggage from their previous births that could potentially derail their blissful time on Earth. Fear not! There is indeed a specially pre-ordained palm leaf in a specific village for every living soul on Earth. It is a genealogical account complete with past karmic brownies and demerit points. Again corrective rituals can be instituted here to keep maladies at bay. 

Maybe one can take a walk in the lonely pathways of holy towns in India. Chances are that he can have a chance encounter with someone who is his long-lost soul from a previous life with a score to settle. A little exchange of wealth in current life should suffice.

Being born in the Hindu diaspora is viewed as a boon as they have avenues for release from the unrelenting life cycle in their armamentarium. In their own way, they feel that they are indeed Universe's chosen ones. Is it not funny that everyone carries the aura of grandiosity and as being the point of reference? Even in their previous lives, they thought they were someone of importance who had changed the world. Statistical odds suggest a nobody, a peasant with a short meaningless life or even a dead neonate!

Come what may, there is nothing lots of money cannot reverse. With a bottomless pit of moolah at one's disposal, unexpected medical emergencies or misadventures are just a medical bill away. There is nothing preventive medicine cannot preclude.

While I tread life with caution, keeping abreast and taking notes of the varying stimuli fed to me, they walk with their noses high like breathing on imported air. The fidgety me took guarded little steps like a prancing jaguar, knowing very well that the lost prey would mean staying hungry and possibly disappearing into oblivion.

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It's a hard life...

Oslo, August 31st (Norwegian; 2001)
Directed by Joachim Trier

Day to day living is complicated enough as we straddle through it aimlessly, wondering, "What is my mission ?". A certain semblance of certainty is pushed on upon us when we are told to follow the dotted lines left by those who traversed the road before us. There is a particular time to do this and that. Do what is expected of you at a specific time but do not jump the gun, they say.

Like a fleet of migrating birds, the current of the path is paved by the synchronicity of the flutter of the leader of the flock. Get into the stream and go with the flow. A recalcitrant starling who misses the spring schedule cannot possibly dream of finding greener pastures all by himself.

This must surely be a cruel way of Nature to punish those not in line. One small falter, and the individual gets decimated. There must surely be an alternative for outliers on either extreme of the Gaussian curve. But, Nature has been known to be extremely cruel. It does not give a damn.

Growing up into adulthood and fitting into adult roles are incredibly enduring endeavours. Everyone is assessed with a single yardstick and fitted into pre-designed cages. Latecomers will soon realise that they had missed the bus. If missing the bus was not bad enough, they were left with no transportation. Sometimes the latecomers feel so helpless that they wish that they would rather be under the bus. Life seems so hopeless.

This critically acclaimed movie is loosely based on a 1931 French novel by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, 'Will O' the Wisp'. It tells the tale of a recently institutionalised 

drug addict, Anders, trying to fit back into society. After losing five years of his formative years in rehab, he sees that the world has passed him by. His friends have found their footing in life. His former girlfriends have no time for him. His guy friends are talking about family life and children. Nevertheless, they do not seem too happy about it either. Even when Anders tries to get a job, his drug-filled past haunts him.

Anders tries very hard to fit in and start it all over again, but it is just so tricky. He yearns to end it all or maybe spiral back into the rabbit hole of cocaine ... It is tough.

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The illusion of being in-charge!

Vinodhaya Sitham (Strange Decision, Tamil; 2021)
Director, Screenplay: Samuthirakani

They say Time heals skirmishers, and loggerheads get forgotten over time. At the same time, they condemn Time as a cruel curse. Time dries, shrivels, slows, ages and eventually kills for the next generation to take charge.

We like to think that we are all indispensable. We assume our dependents are waiting for us to care for them. We feel that we are far from completing our pre-set ambitions. We are convinced the world, like a grandfather's clock, will stop short never to work again the moment we drop dead.

There is news for us. Nope, the Universe does not revolve around us. We are a mere speckle of a minuscule of stardust in the grander scheme of things. We do not matter. Things just go on beyond, despite our absence or presence. It is what it is. Que sera sera, what will be will be. We are just passing through. The rest will live, with or without us. 

It is only our ego that feeds us this sense of grandiosity. The filial piety that is expected of us and is given to us that sensation of pomposity, that we are essential to do what is needed. Without it, we think everything would come tumbling down like a domino. Wrong again. We sadly think we are in control. In reality, nothing is within our control.

This 2021 light comedy brings forth something quite profound to general viewing. Parasuraman, a soon-to-be general manager, is a man on the go. A 50 something diligent worker who had dedicated most of his adult life to his company. His 25 years of marriage has produced three lovely children. Thanks to his control and advice, he (thinks he has) managed to pave a bright future for his kids and company all these years. He got no time for the little men and their ambitionless life path. For Parasuraman, it is just work, ambition, family and progress.

All that came to an abrupt end when he was involved in a fatal accident. Devasted, he managed to cut a deal with Time to complete his work on Earth. Time gave Parasuraman 90 days for that. Reality hits him. All the things he thought he was in control of were actually happening above him. Many things were going on behind his back, and their outcomes were not what he intended to be.

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He who controls timeline, controls the Universe.

 Loki (Season1, E1-E6; 2021)
Marvel Cinematic Universe

When Loki was apprehended and transported after Avengers: Endgame, in the confusion of Hulk creating a tantrum for needing to use the stairs and Iron Man faking a heart attack, Loki escapes captivity through a Tesseract and enter a different realm. He lands in the headquarters of Time Variance Authority (TVA). 

Here, the narcissistic Norse God of Mischief Loki learns of variants of himself floating in the multiple timelines creating havoc. The Time-Keepers had set a Scared Timeline for events to happen, but somehow variants have made branches from the main timeline. The TVA's job is to ensure that the correct path of the Sacred Timeline is followed. Some of the variants are evil alter-egos and are hellbent on creating chaos. As he is charged against the 'Sacred Timeline', Loki's plea bargain is to hunt down another Loki variant who had killed TVA officers and stolen the time resetting devices.

Time, as we perceive, is a one-way single linear motion. In reality, it is a composite of multiple minor diversions which, from someone from a different dimension, sees it as one, much like we see a slithering snake past us by part by part in a twisting motion but on a straight path, with the present, past and future.

Since a Sacred Timeline is being followed, does it not mean that the characters in the timeline have no free will but have their path determined? No amount of willpower can change anything if everything is predetermined. If the variants have a free hand in doing things, then the whole balance would collapse. 

That brings us to the philosophical dilemma about battles and battleships in the context of free will and determinism. Who decides whether the war starts tomorrow? If it is predetermined that there is a battle tomorrow, what is the commander's decision-making role? If he chose not to go to war, is it his decision, or can we say that not having a battle was predetermined?

Loki and alter ego

Loki soon discovers a few disturbing revelations. The Time Keepers are mere androids but are controlled by someone else.

The rogue variant of himself that Loki was hunting for turned out to be a female, Sylvie. This must be a comforting story plot for those who look at gender as something quite fluid, yoyoing from one end to another and changing with time. The thing that takes the cake is that Loki, the narcissist, is so in love that he develops feelings for Sylvie! What do you call that? Love thyself?

TVA itself, the Lokis realised, is made up of variants. It turned out that it is not an authority to kerb variants after all. The need to find the real person who controls TVA becomes a necessity. This leads them to a new villain comparable to Thanos, 'He who remains' who is created in the mould of Kang the Conqueror.

The tenet of the storyline, which we will learn, is that branches from the Timeline would create variants. Some of them are evil and may overpower another variant on another timeline and exert their authority on the turn of subsequent events. It gets more complicated than in the final finale. A decision has to be made at the Citadel at the End of Time - whether 'He who remains' is the good variant trying to bring stability to the timeline or not. 

A wrong move... and a segue to the next season and the opening of a bag of worms where the evil 'He-who-remains' takes control of TVA, as Loki soon discovers...

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