Reading Notes: Ganesha Goes to Lunch Part A

• The image of ash-smeared sadhus riding motorcycles is kind of funny to me. I like it. I bet you when Shiva is not meditating or doing rituals these days, he is out riding a motorcycle.
• I can just imagine a scenario where Narada and Vishnu argue with each other like "I love you more" and "No, I love you more" just back and forth for longer than they should.
• Would it not be interesting if there was a scenario where Narada had a lot of trouble coming up with a new song for Vishnu? He lost his muse and has a bit of an existential crisis. Later, he may regain it after some exchange with Vishnu.
• Is the section about Vishnu set in the modern day?
• Did Radha originally become upset at Krishna after seeing him also dancing with the other gopikas at the same time? It is understandable that she did.
• With how much Narada claims to love and worship Vishnu, he certainly does not seem to understand Vishnu very well. Like in the case of Narada talking about celibacy, Narada has an attitude that love, especially between a man and a woman, is only sexual (at least, that is what it seems to me), but from what I have learned from Vishnu's form as Krishna, love does not have to be sexual. In understand, however, that the author is writing Narada in such a way for the sake of storytelling and explanation of concepts.
• The quickly flashing through the different stages and events of a person's life is an interesting idea, especially in starting out so joyous and then ending in despair. That can be adapted into any kind of story.
• Vishnu, as a boar, saves the Earth from disappearing into the ocean depths. Though he only saved her for the sake of the Vedas and such, he falls in love with her when he looks upon her. That can be adapted with any old hero/heroine and damsel/dandy in distress.
• What would happen if a God like Vishnu had a heart attack? If different parts of his body represent different aspects and objects of life, what would the heart be? Life itself? Love? Whatever it is would lead to a slow death to everything else. Would he be able to come back to life after something like that?
• Indra is an ever changing god? Is the name "Indra" more like a mantle that gets passed on to each successor? Each on is Indra but also not Indra?

Vishnu in his boar incarnation saving the Earth

Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography. Ganesha Goes to Lunch by Kamla K. Kapur, link to reading guide.