Page 10 - SeniorsToday October
P. 10
Cover Story - Alaimentary
A Requiem for Ratan,
a Threnody for Tata
With his late dog, Tito.
Photograph: @ratantata on Instagram
If the animals could speak like they did in Jataka Tales, probably one of them would
have written this eulogy, rather than me, writes Nagesh Alai
Navaratri is a celebration of gaiety, The culminating 10th day, which is
piety and victory in the worship of celebrated as Dussehra, is when Durga
Bhagavati. Devi is worshipped as slayed the demon Mahishasura at the
Saraswati, Mahalakshmi, Durga and Lalita end of a long-drawn-out battle. Dussehra
Tripurasundari on all days, while being is actually a colloquial corruption of the
worshipped in her different manifest forms Sanskrit word Dasha Hara, which means
on each of these nine days. Briefly, based on defeat or removal of ten negative traits
a limited culling from the expansive Hindu – ahankara (ego), amanavta (cruelty),
scriptures, these forms are – Shailaputri, anyaaya (injustice), kama vasana (lust),
Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, krodh (anger), lobha (greed), mada (pride),
Kooshmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, matsarya (jealousy), moha (attachment)
Kaalaratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. and swartha (selfishness). Hence, Dasha
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