The Pursuit

There have been several instances in life where we have not been able to deduce in which aspect of our conduct we were going wrong. Also, many a times, we felt unsatisfied regarding the choices we made and the company we chose. At that grim point in life, we tend to get baffled and fall into a spiral of confusion. We sometimes lose mental stability while racking our brain for answers without realizing that they lie in front of us!! It is just that we have never turned our heads to look at it.

Once the truth dawns upon us, we embark on a journey to seek explanations with a hope that ultimately we would know the reason for our caprices.

How will this 'personal quest for clarification of our queries' become successful? How can we kick-start this journey to the 'road of remedies'? It is very simple. Have an idol or an inspiration whom you emulate and follow his/her footprints. This part is very important because you must choose your role model based on your interests and not by succumbing to people's opinion. The person whom you prefer as a catalyst must be entirely of your own discretion because the more you connect with the person's interests, the better head-start you get on the path of progress. You can associate with their experiences and can relate to things happening with you. This will be a great advantage.

One more thing to remember at this juncture. Every unpleasant situation we encounter always delivers some or the other life lesson to us. This may seem shocking, but even the small naughty things that we commit, too, teaches us something!!

Since different people will look up to different persons, I take a common example with whom everyone can correlate with; the Supreme Godhead, the First Teacher- Lord Krishna.

Yes, you heard me right. The Paramount is an exemplar of good virtues. One can learn many things from him. If we implement them in our life then we will make great strides.

In every stage of His life, He has taught us something. He was mischievous when he was a kid- stealing butter, breaking pots- and had lots of fun too- dancing with gopis, playing games with friends, herding the cows with his pals and playing the flute very beautifully that mesmerized everybody and enchanted the gopikas who danced with him humming the symphonious tune. Even though he was naughty, he never disrespected his parents. He loved them so much that he couldn't see them in pain. He was always ready to do anything for their sake. What we must learn from him is that having fun in childhood is not a bad deed as long as you know your limits. When there is team spirit and oneness among friends, we can achieve anything. By lifting the Govardhan mountain, he proved that one must be ready at the time of a catastrophe and must put one's best foot forward in helping everyone.

By killing the evil tyrannical king Kansa, he fulfilled his promise that he gave in the sloka:

Paritranaya Sadhunam, Vinashaya cha Dushkrutam

Dharma Sansthapanarthaya, Sambhavami Yuge Yuge!!

He said that he will always come to the rescue of the pious and benign people and will annihilate the evil thus rescuing Dharma. He will help Dharma triumph over Adharma and will always descend whenever there is imbalance and chaos in the world. He has taught us the significance of a promise and made us understand the value of a vow and how by breaking it, we would breach people's trust.

He redefined friendship. His camaraderie with Arjun is one of the finest examples of a true friend. He showed to the world that a sincere companion is the one who is present in both your highs and lows. He is the one who points out your flaws and helps you recognize them. In this era of competitiveness, where there are more flatterers than bosom friends, we must take cues from them to differentiate between fake and faithful friends.

Your status in the society is not by your birth, but by your actions. But, unfortunately, many people have forgotten this and are discriminating between the economic statures, which have alienated those who are disfavored. This was prevalent even during the ancient times, but Keshav put a full-stop to all this by washing the feet of his poor Brahmin friend Sudama- who had walked a long distance without food and had just brought a small bundle of rice with him to repay the food he had eaten years ago when they were studying in the Sandipani ashram. Sudama neither spoke about the difficulties he endured nor about the extreme poverty he was living in, but Madhusudan knew everything about his friend's pitiable state. So without his friend asking, he made him rich by transforming his dilapidated hut into an ostentatious palace and gave him good clothes and jewellery.

From this we can learn two things. One is that, never think making friends with an impecunious person will lower your worth in the society. Remember, poorest of people have the richest of hearts because they have faced all kinds of circumstances. Second, a true friend will always know the deepest of desires in your heart and without you asking will fulfill your wish.

He was an affectionate and protective brother of Draupadi and saved her from the humiliation by Dushasan. He safeguarded her honor and stood as a barrier between her and all the evils. He was always there and helped her in all her difficulties. He wiped her tears and was her biggest well-wisher. The people of today must learn the true meaning of a big brother. In this age, where women are ill-treated and body-shamed, this is a fitting example of how a sibling relationship should be.

And finally, the first motivational speaker, Lord Krishna has given us a huge treasure which is proving to be useful in the current scenario- the Bhagavad Gita. Who better than the Omnipotent Being- the one who is above Maya or illusion and narrow walls of ethnicity- can explain to us the laws of living a successful life in the world?

Whenever we are in deep sorrow or are not able to take accurate decisions, following the discourses of the Gita will bring miraculous changes. The Gita gives us the push to rise from the shell of self-pity and makes us self-confident. This is one method to awaken our inner conscience and we can realize the power of the divine. We can arouse our souls from the deep slumber and can become soul-conscious, thus erasing the frenzy of materialism. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to be a 'Sthitapragnya', meaning the one who has renounced from worldly pleasures, has no ahankara within him and has a balanced demeanor in all kinds of circumstances.

The person who has achieved this highest level of knowledge will finish his journey to seek solutions and will rise above the rest. The person who is well-versed in the Gita and applies the teachings in real life also will achieve supreme bliss and will have no need to wander for answers, because, he himself will become a storehouse of wisdom.

So, let us all follow the path prescribed by the All Knowing God and imbibe the values that he established in the society. Let us not deviate from our way and work to carry forward our priceless heritage to the future generations and make them aware about the great legacies of the Lord. Let us strive to be a protective brother, a loving friend and a concerned person like the Supreme Deity. Let us go the extra mile to find out our faults and work towards being a better person.

                                               - Anusha Sridhar