Capturing God

My 9 year old nephew Sai and my 5 year old daughter Lakshmi were in an interesting conversation  which I overheard. He was saying his evening prayers in the living room. Lakshmi said " Sai, please go to the Pooja room. That is where God is. Why are you saying prayer here?" For which he said God was everywhere and he can say the prayers in the living room too. But Lakshmi did not agree. Then I had to intervene and said " Chinnu, (to Lakshmi with love), God is everywhere. He is not limited to the Pooja room" Lakshmi said " May be. But he is not seen. He is seen only in the pooja room as he is captured in those pictures and the idols. That's why we need to say the prayers in the pooja room" I could not say anything - just remembered those rituals where gods are invited (Aavaahayaami) into the Kalasha, betel leaves and nuts during big poojas and yagnas at home with a small smile.

Journey of Life

  "I think this car in front of us is also going to Majestic" said my 9 year old son Vishnu looking at the car ahead and the google navigator. "How do you say that?" I quipped. "Because it is taking the same route as we see in the map". The car in front too religiously followed the same route turning left and right as depicted in the map till finally when the car took a right turn instead of left. Suddenly Vishnu realized that we are not going to the same destination any more. I tried to educate him with some philosophy. Similar to what you have seen now - we are together in the journey of our life as long as our paths coincide. We may have different destinations but our paths sometimes meet and we travel together. Then he said to my surprise - Dad, many people might be coming to Majestic from different parts of the city. We will meet them only at the Majestic. Yes that is also true. My son put my thought process in a different perspective.Person starting from Marathalli will not come across the person starting from Banashankari during their journey - they have a chance to meet only at the destination.

       We may have entirely different paths which may not even crisscross even though our destinations are the same. Overtaking somebody on the pathway to reach earlier seemed meaningless as the destination may be entirely different. And there may be unknown travelers to the same destination whom we just cant overtake as they are not in our path. So why RACE? Be calm and enjoy your own journey.

Bhagavad Gita - 1 Points to Ponder

1.     The conversation of Bhagavad Gita happens at two locations -

                          a.     Between indecisive Arjuna and certain Krishna and

                          b.     Between Sanjaya with divine vision and blind Dhritaraashtra.
Preaching Arjuna was fruitful as he had honest queries and he unflinchingly submitted to Lord Krishna to show him the pathway. Even though Dhritaraashtra heard the running commentary of the entire conversation between Krishna and Arjuna he persisted with his blind love for his son and the dominion. Even Lord could not change the thought process of the blind Dhritaraashtra. The author probably wants to convey that Bhagavad Gita is for the believers. If one is a non-believer and looks at it with skepticism one may not be benefitted.

2.     There is an underlying anxiety running around. Author starts with the anxiety of Dhritaraashtra, continues with that of Duryodhana, Drona, Bhishma and finally Arjuna. We can see that Dhritaraashtra, Duryodhana and Arjuna - all are interested in the end result of the war though in different sense.

3.     Diplomacy is to say what you have to say without really saying it. Diplomacy finds its place in human life because we resist hearing things that are not dear to our ears.

4.     Arjuna was very capable warrior who had won many battles and had killed many before. Now the guilt that he has to kill his own for his selfish motives has started in him. He is unable to overcome and is overwhelmed by it. But he is not completely convinced about his decision not to be a part of the war. So he tries to find many reasons why he should not be a part of the war though he believes that the war is inevitable and he would not be able to prevent it.

5.     Capability and performance are two entirely different entities. Arjuna was an excellent warrior with immense strength. But when he himself is not convinced what he is about to do is right he loses his strength so much so that he is even unable to stand. Capacity along with undeterred conviction results in performance. When one is not convinced about the very purpose of one's own decision, one cannot expect undeterred conviction and thus performance. One has to be clear in one's mind why he/she is doing what he/she is doing. Lack of clarity leads to confusion, indecisiveness and inability to perform.

6.     Let us assume momentarily that Bhagavad Gita is just a mythological literature and does not have any historical value. What would be the value of Bhagavad Gita if all these ethical questions were raised by anyone other than Arjuna? If it were to be a simple soldier he would have been probably just sent home or imprisoned. If it was Nakula or Sahadeva it would not have a similar impact. If it was Karna, Drona or Bhishma an entirely different meaning would have been attached to their ethical questions. If it were either Bheema or Yudhishtira the conversation would not have been so intimate. Arjuna and Krishna were of same age and had extreme intimacy to share their inner feelings. No two people in entire Mahabharata share such an intimacy to have no barriers and keep their minds open to each other. As it was an honest discussion between two people the author was right in choosing Krishna and Arjuna because of their intimacy to unfold Bhagavad Gita.

7.     Moreover one has to be in that position of strength and influence to raise ethical questions. If an ordinary soldier had raised similar questions he would have been either termed a coward or a traitor. The person who is raising these questions is as important as Krishna, the preacher, to have an impact on the reader. It had to be none other than Arjuna.

Bhagavad Gita 1-46

sanjaya Uvaacha:

EvamuktvaarjunaHa sankhyE rathOpastha upaavishat

visRujya sashraM chaapaM shOkasaMvignamaanasaHa || 46 ||

Sanjaya said:

Having said thus, Arjuna overwhelmed by sorrow and grief set aside his bow and arrow and sat in his chariot in the middle of the battlefield.

Sanjaya was narrating this entire episode to Dhritaraashtra. He said that Arjuna was overwhelmed by sorrow, grief and guilt of possible destruction an entire family. He would not stand any more. He has said what he had to say. He has decided not to be a part of the war even if it means his own death. But he was unwilling to be responsible for the grave consequences of the war. He knew that if this war was fought whether he was party to it or not the consequences would be dire as he argued. Even though it was not in his scope to prevent this war he did not want to be a part of such a war with dreaded consequences. Thus he resigned, dropped down his weapons and sat in his chariot in the midst of the battle field.

Bhagavad Gita 1-45

yadi maamaprateekaaramshastram shastrapaaNayaHa

dhaartaraaShTraa raNE hanyustanME kSHEmataraM bhavEt || 45 ||

It is safe for me to be unarmed and unwilling to wage war, even if I would be killed by the sons of Dhritaraashtra armed with various weapons.

Arjuna says that it is safe for him to be unarmed. He is unwilling to wage such a war which would bring calamity. He does not want to be the factors in precipitating such a situation. He would rather prefer to get killed by the sons of Dhritaraashtra than to kill them. By doing so he would not be blamed for the precarious situation that would prevail after the war. He does not want himself to be responsible for all the consequences of the war he described in the previous verses. Dying would be a safer and better option.

Bhagavad Gita 1-44

ahO bat mahat paapaM kartuM vyavasitaa vayaM

yad raajyasukhalObhEna hantuM swajanamudyataaHa || 44 ||

Alas! What an irony that we have decided to commit such grave sins such as killing our own kinsmen just for the pleasures and greed of the kingdom.

Arjuna is taken aback by his own decision to fight the war when he envisions the consequences of the war. He thinks that for the sake of his own greed to win the pleasures of the kingdom he had decided to kill his own relatives and friends in this war. By doing so he thinks he would also be responsible for destruction of the families, society and the civilization. Nothing would be greater sin then pushing a civilization into chaos and anarchy.

Bhagavad Gita 1-43

UtsannakuladharmANaaM manuShyaaNaaM janardana

narakE niyataM vaasO bhavateetyanushushruma || 43 ||

Oh Janaradana, We have heard from wise gurus that people belonging to such destructed and spoilt families will dwell in the hell forever.

 

Arjuna calls Krishna as Janardana - which means the one who protects the people probably to remind him that he being the protector should ensure that his people should not suffer. War brings chaos and adharma prevails. Family and social values will be destroyed. People belonging to such families and civilizations have no option but to dwell in hell forever. Every day (nityam) will be a hell for them. Future looks very grim with collapsed system and society. Is it not the responsibility of Janardana to protect the future of the people?  Arjuna in a way is reminding Lord Krishna himself his duties as Janardana. By saying we have heard Arjuna indicates that he does not have first hand information of such societies. It means to say that he has not witnessed such a society because dharma is still prevailing. The future will be such that the civilization will be pushed to a situation which no one has witnessed before.

Bhagavad Gita 1-42

dOShairEtaiHi kulaCGnaanaaM varNasaMkarakaarakaiHi

utsAdyaMtE jaati dharmaaHa kuladharmaascha SaaSvataaHa || 42 ||

Because of the misdeeds of these destructors of the families and Varnas, family values and social values will be destroyed forever.

Once the varna system and the families are destroyed there will be no more family values in the society. Rebuilding these values again will be an impossible task and these values are at the risk of being lost forever. The destructors of the families and the system will predominate and prevail and there will be chaos forever. There is an irony when the author indicates through Arjuna to Krishna that the eternal dharma will be lost forever!

Bhagavad Gita 1-41

saMkarO narakaayaiva kulaGnaanaaM kulasyacha

pataMti pitarO hyEShaaM luptapiMDOdakakriyaaHa || 41 ||

Destruction of Varnas will lead towards hell. Destructors of the families will also demolish their ancestors by not performing the customs of Pindodaka.

Destruction of the Varna system will make life hell. Extinction of clans and dynasties leads to a chaotic situation where families are destroyed. This destruction of family means there are no more family values in the society. When there are no family values the generations to come will not remember their ancestors. They will not perform the valuable customs like offering rice-balls and water to their ancestors. This leads to the downfall of the ancestors too.

The author describes the chaotic situation in the aftermath of the war of such enormity. Majority of the men will be dead or wounded. Choosing able partners from one's own clan or dynasty would be a challenging task. Few elders survive who could guide and enforce or ensure the younger generations follow the family values. Morality, values, righteousness find it difficult to survive in those desperate and chaotic environment. Once family is destroyed the entire civilization is destroyed. Customs and traditions followed by the ancestors will be forgotten and so the history. Any civilization that forgets its own history is dead. Then there is neither future nor value for the past.

Bhagavad Gita 1-40

adharmaaBibavAt kRushNa praduShyaMti kulastriyaHa

streeShu duShTaasu vaarShNEya jaayate varNasaMkaraHa || 40 ||

Oh Krishna, when Adharma prevails women in the family are corrupted. Once women are corrupted there will be destruction of Varna system.

Arjuna further says that if Adharma becomes a prominent feature then there will be no place for values in the society. It will be chaos everywhere with nobody to guide or follow dharma. This will not leave the women unaffected. They will be corrupted. Once they are corrupted there will be no value for the varna system and there will be relationships between varna resulting in the destruction of varna system. When there is no system then the future generations to come will be without any values. Dharma will be destroyed forever and only adharma will prevail. Hence Arjuna sees no point in the war.

One more interesting thing here is the Arjuna calls Krishna as Varshneya. This means the one who belongs to Vrushni dynasty. By doing so the author wants Arjuna to further enhance the effect of destruction of dynasties, clans and families to impress up on Krishna.