Meaningless Question and Answer

This evening (December 16, 2010), during a live musical concert by the Malladi brothers on Jaya TV, a young girl asked, “What is the meaning of ‘Tatvamasi’?” One of the brothers, adhering to the usual Advaitic perspective, provided an answer. My concern isn’t whether the answer was correct, but rather the appropriateness of the question in the context of a musical concert.

In such settings, where the artists are skilled in music, questions related to their field would be more relevant and likely to elicit meaningful responses. Questions like “What is ‘Tatvamasi’?” have been extensively explored by philosophers from ancient times (such as Sri Adi Sankara and Sri Ramanuja) to modern thinkers (like Dr. Radhakrishnan). A brief answer in such a context cannot do justice to the depth of the question or the answer.

I’m not blaming the young girl who asked the question or the Malladi brother who answered, but rather the event coordinator. If I understand correctly, the types of questions to be asked were likely planned before the program began. The coordinator or MC could have better managed the questions to ensure they were more relevant to the music concert. Although the evening’s theme was ‘The Tattvas of the Saints who Composed the Songs,’ the question about Upanishadic Mahavakyas was more theological than pertinent to the musicians and their kirtanas.

As it is said, “What should not be asked” (Tarumi to Siva), and the response is, “A meaningless question and the answer given to it.”

Dayanand Bharati 

Gurukulam, December 16, 2010 

6:40 PM

Meaningless question and answer.

This evening (December 16, 2010) in Jaya T.V., while Malladi brothers were giving a live musical  concert in Chennai, in the question answer session, one young girl asked the question, ‘what is the meaning of “Tatvammasi”’.  And, one of the brothers, as usual in expected advaitic line gave the answer.  Here my point is not whether the answer they gave is correct or not.  But in a musical concert, if the audience ask some questions relevant to music, in which the artist are well trained,  they could give more meaningful and appropriate answer in which they are more talented.

To questions like what “Tatvammasi is” even great philosophers from ancient time like (Sri Adi Sankara, Sri Ramanuja and other acharyas) to the modern day philosophers (like Dr. Radhakrishnan) had to write so many pages of materials, a simple answer in one minute to such deep question will not do any justice either to the question or the answer.

But I am neither blaming the one (young modern girl) who asked the question nor the Maladi brother who gave the answer but the one who coordinated the program. Because, if my understanding is correct, it was decided even before the program gets started, about who will ask what kind of question?  Then the coordinator or MC could have better organized the question to make the music concert more lively and relevant to that event.  Of course the theme of the evening concert was ‘Tatvas of the Saints who wrote the songs’.  But the question asked was about Upanishadic Maha vakyas related more to theology than to the musicians who wrote kirtanas.

It is well asked: ‘What should not be asked’ (Tarumi to Siva) and the answer given was, ‘meaningless question and the answer given to such question’.

Dayanand Bharati.  Gurukulam, December 16, 2010.

6.40 pm.