6. “Very good ‘time pass’”
Timepass: noun, INDIAN
“the action or fact of passing the time, typically in an aimless or unproductive way”
Anyone not familiar with the peculiarities of what has been termed Indian English can find the an overview here.
A phrase that is unique to English has spoken in the subcontinent is “timepass”.
Some consider ‘timepass’ an equivalent to the North American “Chillin’” as in “I’m just chillin’” which in Indian English would be “I’m just doing timepass”. For those in the UK, an equivalent term maybe ‘killing time’.
In Craig Jeffrey’s article Timepass: Youth, Class and The Politics of Waiting in India commenting on Chris Fuller’s Timepass and Boredom in Modern India, the term is explored in greater depth:
The word generally carries the connotation that the activity, even if harmless, is neither serious nor productive, because it is merely intended to kill time and ward off potential boredom, so that, for instance, ‘timepass’ films or TV programmes are just silly or mindless entertainment. ‘Timepass’ enjoyment at a religious festival, however, may be seen as deplorable. Sometimes, too, the word ambiguously connotes immorality, as it does when Mumbai students distinguish ‘timepass’ male-female relationships, which are short-term and intended for sexual gratification, from platonic ‘bhai-behen [brother-sister]’ relationships or ‘true-love’ ones that imply long-term commitment.
Amartya Sen’s ‘The Argumentative Indian’ references numerous examples of classical art, literature, music and high culture that have originated and evolved in the subcontinent.
Ancient texts on polity, military tactics and philosophy such as Vishugupta’s Arthashastra date back to the 3rd century BCE, more recent religions like the 15th century Sikhism with geographical roots in the agrarian Punjab, in India’s north have accorded their scripture(the Guru Granth Sahib) and the singing of the hymns contained in it, the divine status of Guru (literally, the dispeller of darkness).
Indian musicians treat their instruments (melodic and rhythmic) reverentially assigning them a divine status, a phenomena evident even amongst popular and secular folk musicians across the subcontinent, who typically bow before taking stage and accord a respect to their instruments that is perhaps uniquely Indian.
Yet despite all of this, it is far too commonplace to hear Indians, of all classes, use the term ‘timepass’ in reference to activities such as, reading literature, practising a musical instrument or working on sports drills.
The common theme appears to be, any activity not directly associated with studying for an exam (if in education) or working (for an employer or running one’s own business) is simply ‘timepass’ or at best, ‘a very good timepass’.
Philistinism is an attitude towards material world which carries an indifference to cultural and aesthetic values, undervaluing or deprecating art and beauty, intellectually and spiritually.
In ancient India, the arts were a means to uplift people towards ‘Brahman’, a state of mind ‘Brahman’ (not to be confused with the ‘Brahmin’ caste, but rather the goal of realisation: ‘Parbrahman’ or ultimate reality).
The traditional Indian worldview speaks of the three gunas: tamas, rajas and sattva. Much like the Peter Principle that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to “a level of respective incompetence”, so this view held that those with excessive tamas-guna remain in a state of inertia, afraid of letting go, those disposed to rajas-guna carry on in a state of denial and rebellion, overtly focused on ridiculing anyone challenging their worldview. Only those of sattva-guna were regarded to have developed the openness to step outside their comfort zone, to grow, mature and transform.
Today it is common to find references to the three gunas in yoga journals, pop-Hinduism and amongst neo-Sanatanists where one is likely to find references to sattva-guna espousing the supposed benefits, spiritual and otherwise, of following a vegetarian diet, abstinence from sex and other such things and much less about the state of mind and the role of the arts, culture and literature in helping to elevate it, but than again, all of this is just ‘very good timepass’.