We’re amidst an important discussion wherein Sage Jada-Bharata is emphasizing on a very contemporary point that it becomes dangerous if we shower excessive love and affection towards someone or somebody. If we do so, it becomes possessiveness and this possessiveness transforms into hatred and fights. This is where all problems come and in the present day, we’re witnessing many unfortunate incidents wherein families are getting split. Joint families are breaking off into nuclear families and even within a nuclear family, there is so much intolerance and ego between just the husband and the wife. All this is because, over a period of time, we’ve failed to adjust with another person who comes into our life, and we’re failing to give up certain small things for the welfare and peace of the family. Of course, as i had mentioned in the previous episode, I’m not saying here that we should be refraining from showering love and affection towards our family and children. We should definitely do it, but with a limit. When we say “limit”, it is a very thin line of difference between doing our duty towards our family and getting possessive. It is thus up to our individual self and capability to draw that thin line effectively in such a way that we neither compromise with our family duties, nor with our spiritual progress.
To substantiate this point further, we’ve witnessed during our Ramayana project as to how King Dasharata wasn’t able to bear the separation from his dear son, Bhagawan Rama. Even when Rama was a child and when Sage Vishwamitra had asked for both Rama and Lakshmana to fight the Raakshasas, King Dasharata wasn’t ready to send the children with him. We’ve witnessed how King Dasharata had come up with a lengthy “theory and philosophy” for not sending the children with Sage Vishwamitra. However, when the sage got up and walked out in extreme anger, King Dasharata had to relent, with the intervention of Sage Vasishtacharya. This shows how excessive affection and possessiveness towards his son affected King Dasharata. The same thing happened when Kaikeyi proposed her boons to send Bhagawan Rama on exile to the forest. At this time, unable to bear the separation from his dear son, King Dasharata collapsed to death!
Similarly in Mahabharata too, King Dhirdiraashtra got into the same situation. With blind love and affection towards his son Duryodhana, King Dhirdiriaashtra went to any extent to support all his evil activities, which ultimately led to the total destruction of the entire “Kaurava” clan. In spite of many people including Vidura, Sanjaya and Bhagawan Krishna Himself advising King Dhirdiraashtra to change his course and attitude, he failed to do so because of his excessive affection and possessiveness towards Duryodhana. Even when Draupati was insulted amidst the entire public courtroom by Duryodhana, King Dhirdiraashtra failed to speak even a word against his son for his gross misdeed towards another person’s wife. All these led to the downfall of an entire clan, isn’t it? In fact, the entire Mahabharata story revolves around the selfishness of this one man called King Dhirdiraashtra and how did this selfishness lead to a step-by-step destruction of his entire clan.
Thus we can clearly see here that all these incidents that our Ramayana and Mahabharata texts highlight are great examples of how excessive attachment and possessiveness towards our children can bring about a great downfall to us in many ways, including spiritual progress. This is exactly what Sage Jada-Bharata is emphasizing to King Rahuguna, and for today, let us once again ponder over this important point and understand this “thin line of difference” that Sage Bharata is stressing upon. We shall wait till the next episode to continue with the next point that Sage Bharata is going to talk about! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 