Fatal Attraction !
Wisdom of India from Greece ( A story adapted from Greek writer Home’s famous book ‘The Odyssey’)
A Great War hero – Ulysses was returning home after the Trojan war to his homeland – the island of Ithaca. He was very spiritual and heeds advice from a goddess called Circe. He needed to pass through the island of Sirens . It was a very unique island. There were extremely good singers with attractive voices. It was so attractive that it used to entice sailors to land in the islands. But alas! The island shore had sharp rocks which would break the ships and kill the sailors. This is exactly what the singers want too.
When Ulysses had to pass this island, Goddess Circe warned him about the singers of Siren’s. . In absolute humility he asked her the way out.
She asked him to use wax to seal the ears of sailors; She said, “If you want to hear the dangerous and sweet songs of Sirens and yet not get ensnared by them, you should ordain the sailors to tie you tight on the mast. When you plead to release you while Passing the island, Tell your sailors to only tighten your ropes further.”
Ulysses totally heeded her advice. When they approached Sirens ,he did exactly what Goddess Circe had told him to.
As they were passing Siren’s none of the sailors heard the attractive song. All they saw was the trap of the evil.But ulysses heard the songs and lost his mind to the song. He started begging the sailors to release him. He wanted the ship to land at Sirens. But the Sailors only did as they were instructed by him earlier. All his entreaties fell into the ‘deaf ears’.. They safely sailed past Sirens. Ulysses was grateful to Circe once he came back to his senses.
Let us all also heed to advice of the wise (Guru and Shastras) and protect ourselves from the fatal attraction of the world by either keeping a safe distance from its pulls (sealing the ears with wax) or by ensuring that we don’t give in to the pull of the world even when in it with a mind tied to the divine name (being tied to the mast even when the song was audible) .
