Patrata

//Insights of the seeker (author)//

At a very young age, I came across a perspective which I think is relevant to share here at this point of time for a better understanding of the subject and also for many other aspects of life.

In our tender years of primary education, we were taught that the rays of the sun travel in straight lines—we all even drew sunrays like straight lines. In higher standards we were taught that the sun rays are not straight lines but waves—the rays travel in the form of waves—also, in more higher education, we were even told that the energy from the sun comes to us as packets of energy. Now for the same sun rays, we see here three different theories. This explains a lot about how we perceive/interpret the truth, depending on our own level of understanding. While none of the theories about the sun rays is wrong, at the same time it tells us that as we go deeper into the subject the theory can very well contradict itself and may even confuse if one doesn’t have the aptitude (patrata) to absorb it.

And for a subject like Geeta, my understanding tells me that rather than absorbing it from the intellect, the subject requires a seeker to have certain eligibility/aptitude (patrata) to absorb the energy and knowledge it offers. and how do we find such an aptitude? By humbling ourselves and surrendering our limited grey matter to the universe and asking for patrata.

My words may sound funny to many intellectuals but humbling down and the gesture of 'asking' does give a sense of nothingness and this nothingness is what literally means to become a 'patr' - the one who is eligible to receive and contain the divine knowledge.

*patr- (literal meaning)- a vessel which can contain.

patrata- the ability to contain.