| The Hollywood movie, 'Avatar' has become the | | | | highest mountain range into the clouds, very much |
| ultimate blockbuster. Seen by millions round the world | | | | like this movie. Ancient Hindu sages meditated under |
| to collect over 2.5 billion dollars at the box office, | | | | trees shown as Mt. Veritas or the Mountain of Truth |
| beating all past records, collecting three Oscars, it is | | | | in 'Avatar'. |
| totally alien, fantastic, plausible and yet possible. So | | | | But there is much more than the title of this film that |
| film buffs see it more than once to be awed at its | | | | is rooted in Hinduism. James Cameron, the film's |
| special effects and try to understand its hidden | | | | director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and inventor, |
| messages. Thus, it is perhaps pertinent to examine | | | | says he based the idea and title of ‘Avatar' from |
| some of its underlying themes. | | | | Hinduism. |
| 'Avatar' connects at many different levels, appeals to | | | | The people of Pandora, the Na'vi (Navi means new in |
| different age groups and cultures, and sends strong | | | | Hindi) people have a cyan blue coloured skin. it points |
| messages on a number of major problems like | | | | to Lord Krishna, the ultimate avatar in Hinduism. |
| penetrating and colonising new lands in the past; and | | | | Among the thousands of names of Krishna, a popular |
| saving the environment today that confront man on | | | | one is 'Shyam' or the blue skinned one. Blue is the |
| this planet. The colonial theme can be applied to the | | | | colour of the sky, the infinite. All Hindu gods are an |
| early Americans against the Red Indians, the | | | | attempt by the human mind to give form to the |
| Europeans against the South American Indians, or the | | | | formless Brahman (God). The colour blue symbolises |
| Europeans against the Africans, Asians or Aborigines. | | | | immeasurable and all pervading reality - formless |
| The environment theme is also very powerful to | | | | Brahman. And Krishna is known for playing his flute |
| save the natural resources from rapacious mining and | | | | and Na'vi is called the Clan of Blue Flute. A female in |
| destruction of living beings. A core concept of | | | | this movie is called Neytri, which means 'one with |
| Hinduism is that all animate and inanimate come from | | | | beautiful eyes' in Sanskrit. |
| a single energy source, which is Brahman or God. All | | | | A concept found in the Hindu scripture, The Puranas, |
| the plants, animals, human beings live and die in this | | | | is 'Parakaya Pravesham' - leaving one's body |
| single energy source. This formless and indefinable | | | | temporarily and entering the body of another person. |
| energy is given form by living beings (both human | | | | Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have done this to |
| and others) and worshipped as God - an important | | | | enter a king's body so that he can learn about |
| theme of 'Avatar'. This Hindu belief is in its scriptures | | | | material world. Something quite similar happens in the |
| thousands of years ago. In the movie, the Na'vis can | | | | movies as humans are able to temporarily enter the |
| physically connect to each other, animals, plants and | | | | body of a Na'vi. It also hints at a form of |
| the co-system as they believe that they are just a | | | | reincarnation. Na'vi devotion shown by their singing |
| part of the whole which includes all animate and | | | | together is like 'mantra' chanting. Na'vi bond to a flying |
| inanimate beings on their planet, Pandora. This | | | | 'banshee' with a dangerous and a required rite of |
| concept is shown beautifully as their hair braid or long | | | | growing up through a neutral interface. Then they |
| plaits with which they connect with animals for | | | | ride and fly with it to move and also to fight. This is |
| protection and transport. Similarly, a mystical | | | | more like Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda. Warriors in |
| 'Hometree' is the centre of the energy network | | | | Avatar riding on a banshee defeat the colonisers |
| flowing through all living things. This tree is connected | | | | equipped with powerful ultra modern fighting |
| to the human body and this body is connected to all | | | | machines, weapons and airborne vehicles. In the |
| the Na'vis through holding their hands with each other | | | | fierce fight, the Na'vi use a mantra can as a weapon, |
| to symbolically show the connection between souls. | | | | very much like in the great Kurukshetra War in the |
| The Na'vi spiritual and physical home is the Tree of | | | | Mahabharata. |
| Wisdom; other trees are the Tree of Souls and the | | | | The special effect technology invented by Cameron |
| Tree of Voices – very much like the Bodhi Tree | | | | for 'Avatar' is so realistic that more such blockbusters |
| of enlightenment. | | | | movies will be made for international audiences. So it |
| Pandora's topography of floating mountains, stone | | | | is time to plan seriously for bringing the great Hindu |
| arches in the sky and lush forests are found in | | | | epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata with this |
| ancient Hindu epics such a Mahabharata. The great | | | | technology on the screen in their full glory. It is high |
| Hindu epic Mahabharata ends when the Pandavas | | | | time the original, the ultimate and the real avatar, the |
| embark upon a treacherous passage in world's | | | | Supreme Lord Krishna, was presented in this manner. |