Desires are the starting point of evolution. Desire- the six letter word was the ignition key that spurred the growth of human intellect.
But, is this desire a natural process that manifests on its own? Well, the answer to this is quite tricky. Most of the times, it all begins with a flicker of temptation. That little spark of temptation within the mind is enough to set ablaze a giant ball of fire. That fire is the desire.
Fire, desire, temptation, spark. You may be wondering where this is going. Let me just give a background.
January 19th of 2021 is a day that most of us would never forget. An Indian team with a majority of rookies had managed to beat Australia in their own den and won the series. There was euphoria all over, it was akin to winning the world cup!
A nation with countless gods and heroes had found few more in a fortnight where the quality of sport witnessed was of the very highest standards. People went ballistic on Rishabh Pant, Shubhman Gill, Mohammad Siraj and the likes. These young lads had shown the kind of character and spunk that was unusual for their age and experience.
After all this outburst of joy, when a wee bit of normalcy returned, and as I rewinded to the special moments of the series, one character gripped me for the next few hours.
He was already a forgotten contributor to the victory. While some ridiculed his approach and how he 'wasted' too many deliveries, a few did talk of how he took blows, how he defended, and made it easier for the others. Yet, there was something deeper that was intriguing, as well as fascinating to my mind.
Cricket lovers and enthusiasts give India's batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara various monikers like "Wall 2.0" and "Rock". But these are too simple to describe him. It is important to look beyond just a wall or a rock, dissect, get into the depths and unravel the bonds that form this rock!
While the batsmen at the other end were making merry hitting boundaries at will and showing a lot of flair and flamboyance, at the other end, you had Pujara content with a blockathon. This was not a one off scenario, this was pretty much his story right through the series and even in the past.
In each of those marathon innings, the bowlers had a very slight chance to dismiss him only on their most unplayable deliveries. It stands testimony to Pujara's focus and concentration for long periods of time, but what astounds me is his ability to remain absolutely unruffled by all the temptations and desires.
Ball on a good length outside off: Leave.
Ball on a good length hitting middle: Block.
Bouncer: Duck
Hall volley: Block
Yorker: Block
It's almost like a pattern where he functions like a robot that has been programmed to handle every case the same way. A machine obeys every command that is programmed. But, a human sticking to the same process, ball after ball, session after session? Hang on.
Our spiritual texts talk of curbing desires, controlling the mind and avoiding temptations. But is that so easy? Even the great warrior Arjuna had to be tutored on the battlefield about the mind and duty. But, in the modern age with all the distractions and so many choices, how is that even possible?
While we think of those ideals as a hypothetical state that can only be aimed at and not achieved, when we just analyse Pujara's game, we tend to look in disbelief at how he can do it so effortlessly day in and day out. What is the limit to his unending reservoirs of patience?
A batsman's natural instinct is always to push the ball in the gaps towards the boundary. When a batsman defends, it is almost always a curbing of that instinct. That instinct keeps awakening on seeing a loose delivery. That is when the temptation to hit towards the gap and run arises in the mind. That temptation kicks in the process of sending a call to your mental and physical faculties to do the rest.
What happens in Pujara's case? If he is intent on blocking every ball, every time, does it mean that he does not get tempted to score? Where is the desire then if there is no temptation?
How does one reach that state of mind? In today's world, wherever you see, you can drift along that way since there is so much to distract, to kindle desires, to provoke.
You see your friend flaunting the latest smartphone, the first thought that comes to your mind is the temptation to replace yours as well. You see see your neighbour getting a brand new car, you wonder why you have not yet bought a better one. You see an acquaintance posting those lovely selfies in a trip, you feel tempted to wind up whatever you are doing and go on a trip.
This modern world is built on desires, on constant comparisons and always ensuring that you stay one step ahead of others. As it is said, it is a rat race in the world outside. Everyone is running in a mad rush, jostling for space and dashing others. Nobody knows exactly what they are running for, where they are running or why they are running, but run, we must! How else do we participate in the rat race?
Be that as it may, this rat race is also the reason that we evolve. To survive in this race, one must be running and updating constantly to improve. This race is the catalyst for our progress in society, work and personal life as well. You see a latest bike, you get tempted to own it. That temptation slowly turns to desire. That desire propels you to work harder and make more money. You get more money, and you buy the bike. So that one temptation started a chain reaction where you ultimately improved yourself, worked harder, got a hike or a promotion, or saved more and you got a reward in the form of the new vehicle.
No temptation -> No reward. As simple as that!
How does this principle not work in Pujara's case?
The batsmen at the opposite end would be making merry, but no, this guy does not think about it. He operates in a parallel universe where nothing shakes him, nothing is in his sight apart from the ball. How does he resist the temptation?
Does he ever not compare himself with the more swashbuckling stroke makers? Does nothing snap inside when he hears the roar of the spectators on boundaries being hit at the other end? Does he ever not get carried away? Does it not bother him to trudge along in every innings? Does the grind of every innings not affect him? When other team mates get to a century in 150 balls, did he not pit himself against the others and ask why he takes 250-300 balls? At one point in the Brisbane test, Gill hit a six and took a double on the next ball. 8 runs from 2 deliveries, while at the same time Pujara had 8 from around 96 balls!
In the normal world, if we had been in Pujara's shoes in our lives, we would have felt so terrible and worthless. The society too would have labelled us as useless!
A matter of prestige and a badge of honour in today's era is an IPL contract where even those who can swing a bat and hit an occasional six get paid in crores. Pujara was unsold at his base price of 50 Lakh in 2020 which goes to show the interest of people in his game. But he has remained steadfast in his path, and has conquered the IPL temptation as well. This, at a time, when international cricketers are retiring early to have an extended IPL career and make more money! So, money is also not a criteria for him? Oh, come on. This must be some cock and bull story then!
Money, fame, name, glory, appreciation, stardom, nothing seems to matter to his man. The only thing that matters is the ball darting towards him and his standard response for every ball. Pujara is a rarity in today's generation where everyone prefers instant formats and results. It would not be wrong to say he is an oddity in an era where flashiness and pomp rule more than textbook perfection. This is an age where they say time is money, but here is a man who has negated time and for whom time stands still as long as he is in the crease.
Sports is an arena where one always wants to draw parallels with the world outside and with life in general. We have seen how cricketers like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag, Ganguly, Kohli have reached an exalted status, written about in superlatives where each one stood for, and embodied a character that people loved to emulate.
What is it for Pujara then? Well, this guy has 6000 plus runs in tests with 18 centuries, well on the road to being an all time great of India, and yet might end up as an unsung hero in this fast paced, social media generation. But does he care though?
The more you try to analyse his methods and his chosen path, the more you open up a pandora's box. But his legendary prowess to put a full stop on the word 'temptation' and how he does it is likely to stay a question mark.
What would happen if one applies Pujara's methods in life? It worked so brilliantly for him. Will it work at a personal level for an individual in today's era? The answers to that would spawn more questions! It is a paradox - The Pujara paradox - methods that bring success to him in his field would make one labelled a laggard in another.
Nothing sums it all up better than this verse from the Bhagavad Gita:
(Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is a yogi and is happy in this world.)
In essence, whatever the world might say or think, the Pujara level of self confidence and belief in the methods can come only when one is happy. As per the verse, the path to happiness is explained. Is there still a paradox?
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