Stumbled upon a conversation between Telugu movie director Trivikram Srinivas, a TV anchor and an actor. I felt it was a very deep and a insightful observation on how the conflict (the cause of the war, the place of the war) is getting closer to you as time passes.
I don't take mythologies on their face value. I believe they are exaggerated versions of history, attributing supernatural capabilities to humans in the story. But, I think these observations hold relevance.
During Satya Yuga (2.2 million years ago), dayatas named Madhu and Kaithaba stole the Vedas (a large body of religious texts) and deposited them deep inside the waters of the primeval ocean. Lord Vishnu then took the Hayagriva form to recover them by killing them after a fight.
- The cause of the war was knowledge.
- The place of the war was deep down under the sea.
During Treta Yuga (1.6 million years ago), Ravana abducts Sita and hides her in Lanka. Lord Rama waged a war on Ravana, killing him and saved Sita.
- The cause of the war was a woman.
- The place of the war was a neighboring island.
During Kali Yuga in the Kukshetra War (5000 years ago), Pandavas and Kauravas fought over a Kingdom Hastinapura.
- The cause of the war was a kingdom.
- The place of the war was just a nearby city.
As time passes, the cause of the war is more trivial (from knowledge, to flesh, to a piece of land). And the place of the war is more convenient (from deep down under the sea, to a neighboring island, to a neighboring city).
Today, cause of the way is colored paper (money). Place of the war is within yourself (internal conflict).