SIX BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

 

SIX BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

‘Six Blind Men and the Elephant’ is an ancient fable attributed to the religious literature of the Hindus.   It has been translated into  many world languages and by many poets. Each translation is literally faithful to the Hindu text though it has used different  diction and different metre.

The central idea of the poem is that it is erratic to observe anything partially.  The part does not tell the whole. Moreover, each part has its own limited reality. 

In a broader sense, absolute reality is outside the reach of anybody. Reality is multi-dimensional and one man’s idea of reality is varied from that of another.  The Jains call it Anekantava, signifying that reality is complex. Hence, no single statement about it can be perfectly true.

The concept of non-absolutism about reality  is important to learn by all those  leaders of society who indulge in discussions.  

Metaphorically speaking each one of us , in some way or the other, is intellectually blind.

  The full text of the poem which follows ends with the following stanza:

 And so, these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right

And all were in the wrong!

 

‘Indostan’ is a different version of Hindustan, meaning India.

The English translation of the fable given below  is  by the American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887).

 

                        The Blind Men and the Elephant

 

It was six men of Indostan

To leaning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind.

 

The First approached  the Elephant

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

At once began to bawl:

‘God bless me ! ---- but the Elephant

Is very like a wall.’

 

The Second, feeling of the tusk,

Cried: ‘Ho! ----what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me ‘tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear !’

 

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus, boldly up and spake :

‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘the Elephant

Is very like a snake !’

 

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

‘What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain, ‘ quoth he;

‘Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!’

 

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear

Said, ‘Even the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

‘This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan !’

 

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope,

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope,

‘I see,’ quoth he, ‘the Elephant

Is very like a rope !’

 

And so, these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right

And all were in the wrong !

                                                            **********

23 May 2022                                                                               G.R.Kanwal