it is from bhajan sung by anup jalota - "Saryu Tat Par" - On banks of Sarayu
when sri ram is by sarayu trying to cross, he meets the ferryman and says that he has nothing to offer as payment. sita offers her ring. ferryman replies that "Nai (barber) does not take from another barber, nor does dhobi (washerman) take from another dhobi, then how can i take from you since are of same profession" Sri Rama is astonished, how can I be of same profession as this ferryman, he asks ferryman to explain. ferryman replies that you help devotees cross from one bank to the other and i do the same for travelers, therefore we are kinsmen, i will cross you this time, but you will help me cross as well (Attain Moksha) when i come to your riverbank. it is one of the most beautiful lines sung and it illustrates strategy of interaction between ancient indians. on the tape the audience explodes in 'rapture' (that is the only way to describe it).
Now as soon as we analyze through western/prophetic/rationalist lens, this instance becomes an episode of unequivocal moral degeneracy, bribery, blackmail, and so on. now no one is saying that all ancient indians were friends among themselves, there were dark interactions as well, as well as indifferent interactions, and so on. but the richness of the interaction cannot be captured in terms of the western/prophetic/rationalist lens - which tends to <i>stereotype </i>actions according some or another <i>principle</i>. same analysis we can apply to when shankaracharya meets the chandala link link2 with translation
when sri ram is by sarayu trying to cross, he meets the ferryman and says that he has nothing to offer as payment. sita offers her ring. ferryman replies that "Nai (barber) does not take from another barber, nor does dhobi (washerman) take from another dhobi, then how can i take from you since are of same profession" Sri Rama is astonished, how can I be of same profession as this ferryman, he asks ferryman to explain. ferryman replies that you help devotees cross from one bank to the other and i do the same for travelers, therefore we are kinsmen, i will cross you this time, but you will help me cross as well (Attain Moksha) when i come to your riverbank. it is one of the most beautiful lines sung and it illustrates strategy of interaction between ancient indians. on the tape the audience explodes in 'rapture' (that is the only way to describe it).
Now as soon as we analyze through western/prophetic/rationalist lens, this instance becomes an episode of unequivocal moral degeneracy, bribery, blackmail, and so on. now no one is saying that all ancient indians were friends among themselves, there were dark interactions as well, as well as indifferent interactions, and so on. but the richness of the interaction cannot be captured in terms of the western/prophetic/rationalist lens - which tends to <i>stereotype </i>actions according some or another <i>principle</i>. same analysis we can apply to when shankaracharya meets the chandala link link2 with translation