Eclipse of reason

Today’s celestial spectacle, the solar eclipse, once again threw up the battle between rationality and superstition. In India, this clash between the believers and non-believers has been part of every eclipse (solar and lunar): whether it is the question of eating during the eclipse or the necessity of a “purifying” bath after one.
The battleground is also my mind. But here, it is not the question of: “to believe or not to believe”. Because my answer clearly is “no” to such beliefs. Nevertheless, the dilemma.
Appa (my father) was partial to superstitious beliefs, and followed with conviction all that was associated with this purely scientific phenomenon. So it was no food, a bath before and after the eclipse, and “likhita japa” (repeatedly writing Om Sri Sai Ram during the eclipse). He would also insist on leaving strands of “darbai” (the ultimate Brahminical sacred grass) in cooked/stored food and water. Absolutely no questions were asked.……till I stirred my reasoning that was lying dormant amid the muscle-power of patriarchy.
As a kid, he would tell me that eclipse occurred because a snake was devouring the Sun! I would be quite flummoxed. How could a snake go so far and eat up the Sun! But he was so convincing that I would just accept it. I believed this explanation till I learnt about solar and lunar eclipses in Class V. All hell broke loose. Hey, was appa just making up something? When I asked him for clarification, he drew the sun, moon and earth and gave me a scientific explanation. But he also added that according to Hindu mythology, every time rahu as a snake (or was it his malefic mate, the ketu?) eats up the Sun or moon (as the case may be), eclipses occur. I then realised he was trying to simplify nature’s marvel when I was a kid. But what about the irrationality associated with that?
As I grew older, I was convinced that I would not follow this superstitious drivel. The rebel in me would play hide-and-seek with appa. Why, because I did not want his sugar and blood pressure play truant. So I would secretly pop in munchies during eclipse, to prove a point to myself. But I could not escape from the purifying bath because what might have followed would have made Kurukshetra look like a street fight. But if the eclipse happened during my working hours, I would merrily eat, in fact more than I normally would and feel elated about breaking convention. I still stand by what I did. I would, if given a chance, never follow these beliefs.
But when I was pregnant, there was a lunar eclipse. And, I was told to stay indoors. I came home from work early, and stayed indoors then. But it was not out of compulsion. There was no one to monitor me then. I was alone. But I was not ready to take a chance. Now, is that a rationalist’s thought?
I guess I was not willing to expose my unborn baby to any possible peril. Probably, I felt I had no right to rebel on behalf of my baby. How could I take any chance with a foetus, which depended on me for its survival? But does that mean, I am selective about my beliefs. Not really. But I don’t think as a mother, I was willing to take any risk. Risk? But is there a risk? Perhaps. Perhaps not. A clear rational explanation relating to pregnancy and eclipse might have just helped. But only just, I guess. I still would have stayed indoors. That was when the mother in me eclipsed the rationalist in me!