Garuda, Bamboo and Rahul Dravid

"Uchaishravas" is a celestial horse said to have been a by-product of the churning of the milky ocean. Devas and Asuras in their quest for generating Amrutha, the life-giving nectar, churned the milky ocean and this process gave birth to many precious things. Uchaishravas was one of them.  Of course, there was also Halaahala, the most toxic poison ever produced in a manufacturing activity, which was probably very similar to the worst type of industrial waste produced today. Lord Shiva acted as the most capable pollution controller.  In order to avoid any protests at the pollution control site, he drank the poison himself and none could complain about it. Uchaishravas is believed to be an all-white horse that can fly and some versions mention that it is seven-headed as well. As soon as Uchaishravas appeared in the churning factory, Indra, head of the Devas side moved it to his heavenly stables. Flying horses have caught the imagination of humans for a long long time.  We can see a similar reference in Greek Mythology as well.  Pegasus is believed to be a horse with wings and could fly at great speed.

One fine evening, Uchaishravas was peacefully grazing on the shores of the mighty ocean. Kadru and Vinuta, the two daughters of Daksha Prajapati and wives of Kashyapa Prajapati had gone for an evening walk on the beach.  They saw this horse from a distance and got into an argument.  Kadru said that the horse was white no doubt, but its tail was black. Vinuta did not agree and insisted that the horse was all-white and there was no question of any black mark anywhere on its body.  They tried to go near the horse for a detailed first hand inspection.  But the horse flew away as they neared it.  Thus the physical inspection could not be completed and no clear inference could be drawn. They agreed for another inspection on the next day, but had a wager.  The one who lost the bet would be a slave of the winner for life.  The master could, however, release the slave by accepting a costly gift, a gift that is mutually agreed upon.  No attorney was involved in drafting the agreement, but it was as good an enforceable contract as any ever made.  Since slavery was not yet banned in those times, it could not be held void. On reaching home, Kadru told her sons, the Serpents, about her wager.  The sons knew that the horse was all-white, but did not want their mother to be a slave to their step-mother.  They decided upon fudging on the evidence, one of the earliest instances in which evidence was tampered with. When the sisters went for the inspection on the next day, all the black serpents hugged the tail of the horse to make it look black. Kadru somehow managed to avoid a close inspection and Vinuta was wrongly sentenced to life long slavery.

Vinuta cursed her fate and lived the life of a slave.  Being a slave to her own sister and a co-wife was unbearable.  She went to her husband and requested for a way out. Taking pity on her condition, Kashyapa Prajapati granted her a boon.  As a result of the boon, she laid three eggs.  Anything was possible as a result of the boon, as it was a very powerful one. She took good care of the eggs for a long time, but they never hatched. Unable to wait any longer, she forcefully broke the first egg.  A very strong lightening came out of the egg and that was it.  She cursed her fate again and continued to take care of the other two eggs. After another long interval, she again lost patience and broke the second egg too.  A handsome boy came out of the egg, but his body was not fully formed.  His lower limbs had not yet taken shape.  He advised his mother to be patient and wait for the last egg to hatch on its own.  He assured that the younger brother will certainly deliver her from slavery, but she had to be infinitely patient.  He went away and became the charioteer of the Sun god. His name is "Aruna" and the colourful light that arrives everyday just before sunrise is therefore called "Arunodaya", meaning "heralding a new day.

Vinuta resumed her indefinite wait patiently for another long interval of time.  One day, the third egg hatched suddenly and a strong bird emerged from it. Known as Garuda, this son of Vinutha fought with the Devas, brought nectar from heaven as desired by Kadru and got his mother freed from her slavery. Indra ensured that Kadru and her sons never tasted the nectar. But as the conditions for release were satisfied, Vinuta was free and Kadru had no other remedy except to curse her own fate and let the matter rest there.  Garuda became a permanent enemy of the Nagas (serpants).  The product of the third egg and Vinuta's eternal wait became Vishnu's chariot and remains a sacred symbol for the Vaishnavites. The egg took a long time to hatch, but the growth was fantastic, giving birth to the mighty Garuda.  Garuda is not only worshipped in India, but is also a national symbol for Indonesia.

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Bamboo is from the "Grass family" and represents a similar specie of plant life as Garuda is among the birds. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world.  The Chinese variety is especially well known for this. Anji area of China is known as the "Town of Bamboos".  If this bamboo seed is planted, watered and nurtured for an entire year, nothing sprouts.  Wait for another year, nothing comes out.  Not until five years.  Then suddenly a tiny shoot springs.  Over the next six weeks, it can grow up to a height of 90 feet!  The growth is as high as 4 feet in 24 hours.  Why is it so? Plants usually grow both above the soil upwards as well as downwards within the soil.  But bamboo takes five years to grow its roots and prepares for the rapid growth above the ground thereafter.  It is common to say that bamboo grows 90 feet in six weeks, but the truth is it actually takes five years and six weeks to grow 90 feet.   

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Indian cricket team is now touring England. Sad memories of the last tour are haunting all those concerned with the present visit. There need not be any fear of a repeat performance.  This team may do much better.  It can do even worse also. Those in authority at cricket administration have requested Rahul Dravid to mentor the team during this present tour.  The conditions in England are noticeably different from those obtaining in other parts of the world. The conditions are conducive to swing and seam bowling.  Success in batting there often depends on standing rooted to the crease for hours with patience and diligence. There are a few like Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Vivian Richards who could attack from the first ball.  But they were honorable exceptions.  Staying on the pitch during the initial difficult phase of an innings is the key to success.  This should be preceded by hours of practice at the nets.  Strength is to be accumulated before hatching like Garuda and roots are to be grown like bamboo to capitalize later on when the bowlers tire.  Rahul Dravid showed this patience quite often and unmindful of what others said about him.  It is indeed a testimony for his patience at the crease that he is now remembered for the mentoring role for the present team.  When asked to talk to youngsters, Rahul is often said to speak to them about the bamboo and its growth. Naturally. 

When advising his bowlers while preparing for a test match, Australian Captain Steve Waugh is reported to have said, "Try to take Dravid's wicket in the first fifteen minutes.  If you can't, then only try to take the remaining wickets".   Steve Waugh most likely did not know about Garuda.  He probably did not think of Bamboo and the secret of its growth.  But he knew Rahul Dravid quite well. He can never forget Dravid's 616 ball vigil for 305 runs in Adelaide Oval in 2003.  It is no surprise that he asked Rahul Dravid to write the foreword to his own autobiography.