Samskara by UR Ananthamurthy - Essay Example

The agrahara of Samskara is located in a small hamlet known as Durvasapura (Ananthamurthy 24). Brahminhood requires the fulfillment of rules, and following of traditions, which are thousands of years old (Ananthamurthy 23). Members of brahminhood fear that if they do not obey these rules and follow their tradition, then wrath is likely to fall upon them. They thus feel safe and secure when they abide by these rules. Agrahara and Durvasapura are famous, in the surrounding area because of Naranappa and Praneschacharya, including other Brahmins who live there.

Praneshacharya went and studied, in Kashi (Benaras) and returned with the title “Crest-Jewel of Vedic Learning “(Murthy 56). This made him be crowned as the guru of all Brahmins, not only of Durvasapura, but of those living, in the neighboring villages. He is one of those Brahmins, who totally adhere to the societal rules and traditions. For example, he totally believes in the saying of Bhagavadgita, “Do what is to be done with the thought of fruit” (Murthy 64). . According to Brahmin’s tradition, every household was expected to plant flowers, which are meant for the altar, at their backyards.

However, Naranappa chose to go against this tradition and planted night-queen plant, in his front garden. The plant’s intense smelling flowers were primarily meant to decorate Chandri’s hair, which coiled like a thick black cobra, on her back, unlike withered altar flower, which were solely meant to decorate Brahmin’s women hair, which hangs at their backs like a rat’s tail (Miller 189). The smell of night-queen’s flowers irritates the Brahmins of the agrahara. Naranappa also defies Brahmin’s traditions when he, together with his Muslim friends, catches a sacred fish from the temple tank, which they cook and eat.

This sacrilegious act angered many Brahmins who, for a long time, believed that this fish should not even be touched, and whoever do so will vomit blood and eventually die (Ananthamurthy 47). Naranappa also corrupted the minds of the agrahara youths. He influenced one young agrahara’s man to join an army, where they beef eating was a must. Additionally, he made another young man abandon his wife and home, and follow a travelling group of actors and singers (Ananthamurthy 47). Most Brahmins believed that Naranappa’s main motive was to conduct and influence activities, which are aimed at destroying brahminhood of the agrahara.

He only becomes sorrowful when there are no more things to destroy, with the exception of brahminism of Praneshacharya (Miller 190). The Brahmins of Durvasapura become sick and afraid of Naranappa and his sacrilegious acts. They constantly begged their guru,