Why is Krishna, the all attractive, depicted as black, dark or blue? Why would a tradition that sees beauty in the divine choose a colour associated with darkness? The clue lies in his very name. Krishna in Sanskrit can mean black, dark or dark blue. He is also called Shyama and Neel Megh Shyam, dark as a rain laden monsoon cloud. However, this description may point to something deeper than physical appearance. The ancient Indian imagination often used darkness to suggest what lies beyond ordinary perception. The Rig Veda, in its famous hymn of creation, speaks of a time when “darkness was hidden in darkness”. Before the familiar forms of creation appeared, there was neither the world we see nor the distinctions by which we understand it. Look at the night sky. To our eyes, the universe appears black, punctuated by points of light. Yet that darkness is not empty. It contains stars, galaxies and vast regions beyond direct observation. The ocean offers another evocative image. From a...
A noticeable shift in values is taking place around us. Generation Z is questioning many assumptions that earlier generations accepted as established traditions and conventions. Ideas about work, success, authority, relationships, identity and social responsibility are being viewed differently now. Generation Alpha is emerging into an even more digitally connected world, shaped by technologies and experiences that previous generations could scarcely have imagined. Every generation inherits a worldview from those before it, but also reshapes it in response to the world it inhabits. Some beliefs lose their relevance, some are reinterpreted and new ones emerge. This does not necessarily signify moral decline. It may simply be part of how human societies evolve. But this raises a fundamental question: who decides what is right? More than a century ago, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche confronted this question through his provocative declaration, “God is dead.” He was not asserting th...