Nirmal Merchant

I had almost made Leonardo Da Vinci my role model. Someone whom I could look upto and pursue close observation of his life so that I could bring into my life atleast some of the wisdom and genious that he possesses. However, before I could take a nose dive into Da Vinci, I was cautioned of the consequences. The fact remained that most of Leonardo's works remain as WIPs.. in other words incomplete. I came up with a quick explanation.. Leo didn't desire to seek anyone's approval. If he no longer felt like completing a piece.. he abandoned it. May be he liked variety and pursuing something for a long time was not in his nature.. But that still does not explain it. If there is anything that a genious wants is to see the perfection in his creation. How did Leo remain motivated in taking up one work after the other, how did he experience the sense of achievement... I have seen many a non-approval seeking types rush into tears when they witness the completion of their works.. "Its my baby!" is the feeling that they have and that is a wonderful feeling. Did Leonardo not desire it?

The question haunted me awake or asleep.. I went through Leo's works once again. Why did he leave it half way? I rephrased my question.. Assuming that Leonardo like most genious' did pursue the sense of achievement, what is it that he achieved that no longer required the completion of the piece of art. And then it struck me.. Of course.. its the same Archemedes' Eureka!! feeling that made him run naked in the streets of Athens. Its the discovery of the principle behind it. I looked at Leo's works once again through this new point of view. Lets assume that these were not meant to be works of art but were prototypes or laboratory apparatus... Would it be important to bother about the state of the apparatus once the goal has been achieved?? I think not.. Leo discovered one principle after the other.. in art, in physiology, in anatomy and more.. He was experiencing being hit by multiple bolts of enlightenment and to witness the web that connected them all.. Its Eureka! Eureka! and more Eureka! And to think of his laboratory apparatus being such beautiful pieces of art (someone has said looking at Leo's painting that if God was an artist this how he would have drawn)..

That brings us to the next question.. Why did Leo feel sad on his death bed that he was leaving so much work unfinished? It wasn't because he didn't finish his works but because he was unable to hand the torch to the next bearer.. I am sure you would agree that it was indeed a major step backwards for mankind that Leo was unable to pass on his knowledge in totality for other to pursue discovering more principles like he did..

With that lesson in mind, I embark on this journey and would consider myself lucky if I were to discover even one of the elementary principles like Leo did.. I would consider myself lucky.