In the midst of the chaos of theatrical viral clips, a serene and potent clip has resonated with an emotional chord amongst millions on the internet. A grand tiger, half-submerged in water, sits silently facing a mural of Lord Shiva. Its still, near meditative posture has evoked reverence and creativity on social media sites everywhere.
Shared initially by the Instagram account ‘catzmemezzz’, the video has already accumulated more than 2.1 million views within five days. While the fact that there is a glass screen suggests the tiger is in a confined environment, that has not taken away from its emotional effect on the audience.
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Social Media Melts at ‘Bhakt’
The tiger’s silence elicited a tidal wave of creative and emotional reactions. One of the users commented, “Kisne mara mere bhai ko (who hurt you, my brother),” reading the tiger’s eyes as extremely sorrowful. Another one said, “Bro praying to save his forest from humans,” alluding to the environmental issues wildlife is facing these days.
Some users provided tongue-in-cheek but poignant interpretations such as, “He’s praying, don’t disturb him.”
“Bhai, usko privacy do, Mahadev se zaruri baat krne aaya hai (Brother, give him some privacy, he’s here to talk about something important with Lord Shiva),” joked someone else.
There were also poetic thoughts. “He woke up dreaming of the forests where he would have roamed free. He woke up and realised it was just a dream and was depressed.
Though the video’s location is unknown, its symbolism: ‘tiger’ is peacefully standing in front of a god symbolizing destruction and rebirth was not lost on viewers. One user captured it best: “No one can hurt him, he just realised his purpose.”
In a noisy internet age, the tiger’s quiet presence in front of Mahadev’s image provided a moment of silence that resonated profoundly throughout the web.
