“ ‘आसान’ रास्ता हमेशा ‘सही’ नहीं होता …”

Swami ji said…

” The epic – ‘Mahabharat’ imparts many a great lesson to those who ‘study’ it. One such crucial lesson can be learnt from an interaction between Lord Krishna, Arjun and Duryodhan.”

” It is said that Shri Krishna – seeking to be impartial – had promised both sides assistance in the war. He had thus offered his large ‘Narayani Sena’ (army) to one side, and , his presence and support as a ‘saarthi’ and advisor to the other side.”

” When the time to choose between the two presented itself, Arjun, who was given the right to choose first, unblinkingly, chose Shri Krishna’s presence by his side, instead of the large army. It is believed that Duryodhan, who was delighted at the prospect of getting the support of thousands of soldiers, went away very pleased with the way events had turned out for him.”

” While many today would tell us that the mistake made by Duryodhan in choosing the ‘sena’ and not Lord Krishna possibly cost him the war, let us stop for a moment and reflect on the nature of choices that are made by us today ! The choice that Duryodhan made that day is a choice made by many of us, today , repeatedly and knowingly. If we put ourselves in Duryodhan’s shoes – we can clearly see what he saw – a seemingly unbeatable army on one side and a wisdom – preaching ‘man’ on the other side. He was certain that he had made the right choice by choosing the strong army, as according to him a massive army alone could make him victorious in the battle. Having Lord Krishna’s wisdom, guidance and blessings on his side meant nothing to him ; all that mattered to him was the size of the army ; as he felt that his enemy would find it difficult to fight a larger army. Unfortunately for him, his decision proved to be wrong.”

” We too often make such choices in life. We simply take the ‘easier’ path. We do not pause to think whether the ‘difficult’ path might actually be the right path; the path that could lead us to our destination. We do not stop to listen to our ‘heart’ to see whether our moral compass also points in that very direction that our logic tells us to move towards. In such cases, the right path is often the difficult, challenging path.”

” While it is easy to say that God is on our side, it is difficult to implement that belief and faith in our actions. A clerk who does not take bribes, but, diligently works every day, appears to be a fool when compared to his greedy counterparts, who need to get their palms greased even before pushing a file.Yet, why does he continue to work in an honest manner ? Would his family not be better off if he too turned corrupt and took money offered to him as a bribe ? What then does his honesty, his faith that God will support him – bring him? Why does he make life ‘difficult’ for himself by following his ‘dharma’? It is because, like Arjun, he knows, that victory will be his in the end. No matter what hardships and challenges his chosen ‘path’ bring him – it will make sure he reaches his ‘destination’.”

” In the material world, it is difficult to discern the ‘intangible’. We see people around us taking shortcuts, making deals, being ‘smart’. We see numerous choices being made, similar to the one that Duryodhan would have made. Yet, we rarely see anyone with the belief and spirituality of Arjun. Rarely do we come across those who remain steadfast to their principles. It is upon us, the spiritual seeker, to not straightaway opt for the easy path. Sometimes the path is clear , sometimes not so much. Every twist , every turn can challenge our sense of direction. But it is the choice that we make when we reach the fork in the path that define who we are !The path to God…the path to Krishna, will be winding and long – and the destination too might not be in sight ; however, our faith in God, in our principles, must act as our guiding light and keep pushing us forward – towards Him. Only then will we emerge victorious from the struggle of life.”