Episode # 1284 – “Sanyaasam” cannot be for everyone – A discussion!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed a very important and an interesting accord on what is “Sanyaasam”. Now, this accord comes not from Arjuna, but from a Sage by name Sage Devasthaanam. After Arjuna finishes his accord, Yudishtra doesn’t seem to get convinced even a bit. Now, it is time for other key sages, Bhishmachaarya, Sage Vyaasa and Bhagawan Krishna to take over the proceedings to convince Yudishtra. As part of this broad arrangement, it is now time for Sage Devasthaanam to commence the proceedings, wherein he highlights who are the ones eligible for taking up “Sanyaasam” from regular “Grihastha” life. A person who does not have any followers, nor any kind of position or power with him / her is the one who is eligible to take “Sanyaasam”. Sage Devasthaanam highlights and justifies his point by saying that, if a powerful person in the society (like a minister or a king) takes up “Sanyaasam” and goes away to the forest by shunning all his duties, this would set a very bad and a dangerous example to the followers in lower hierarchies and echelons of the society and the administration. Upon seeing the leader going on “Sanyaasam”, the followers also might get that motivation to shun all their responsibility and go along with the leader to the forest! 

If that is the case, then who will execute the duties of the administration? If everybody starts going this way by shunning family life and duties associated with it, how will the world population grow? How will the next generation of people come into this world? Won’t the human existence itself be threatened if everybody starts going towards the forest? Thus, “Sanyaasam” is not for everyone. It is only for a very few people in this world who have successfully controlled their mind, sans desires and wants. It is only for a very few people in this world who are not into worldly life or in any big responsibilities in any kind of administration. It has become a fashion and a trend in the current day that several “Mutts” and spiritual organizations across the world are “encouraging” many people to take up “Sanyaasam”. This is a wrong practice. “Sanyaasam” is not that easy that anybody and everybody can adopt. It requires a lot of focus and the “Vairagya” of not getting carried away by the world’s illusion. Many people who take up “Sanyaasam” as part of several “Ashrams” are not able to sustain this for a longer time because of this. At times, they get carried away into worldly desires with the opposite gender, or in the form of money, material, property, etc. A person undertaking “Sanyaasam” should be completely cut-off and devoid of all these things, isn’t it? This is virtually impossible for most of us, given our life situations. Of course, there’s nothing to blame here, as all of us are normal human beings. We are bound by our life situations, backgrounds, upbringing, culture, surroundings, compulsions at work and in the personal space, etc. Thus, we’ve to realize these and work in a way that we’re performing our duties, at the same time, being detached from the results of our actions. 

In fact, Bhagawan Krishna Himself exactly tells this as part of the “Karma Yoga” discussion with Arjuna. When Arjuna asks a similar question to Bhagawan Krishna that why should be fight the war and instead why can’t he renounce everything and go to the forest and do penance, Bhagawan Krishna explains that “Sanyaasam” is not Arjuna’s cup of tea. Bhagawan clearly explains that one can be like a “Sanyaasin” even while being in the “Grihastha” life – By continuing to perform our duties correctly and sincerely as per the “Dharma”, but being completely detached from the result that arise out of the actions. If we’re getting more attached towards the result, the actions that we do become very selfish in nature. It becomes as if we’re doing something only for the sake of emerging victorious and attaining personal name and fame out of it. Whereas, if we are performing the duty for the welfare of the world, without getting attached to the result arising out of it, the story is entirely different. We are still performing our duty, but we are completely detached – Just like how a “Sanyaasin” is! 

Hence, if we’ve to derive sense of what Sage Devasthaanam is saying here, the point is very simple – Yudishtra should continue to administer the Hastinpaura kingdom, not for his personal or materialistic gain – The agenda should be towards the welfare of the people of Hastinapura and to protect their interests. Just because Yudishtra is feeling guilty for killing so many people in the war, it doesn’t mean that he would run away from the kingdom by shunning all his responsibility. This is a very bad practice, and if he does so, many other people who see Yudishtra as a role model, will also start doing the same. If every king starts feeling guilty of fighting a war and protecting the country, then how will the people be protected? If there is a war, obviously there will be loss of lives. This is part and parcel of a king’s daily practices. This cannot be seen as a guilt. Moreover, if several other kings / ministers start replicating the “Yudishtra Model” of going on “Sanyaasam”, who will administer the kingdoms and who will work for the people’s welfare? 

So for today, let us understand up to this point and we shall continue this discussion into the next episode as well! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1283 – “‘Sanyaasam’ is not for those holding key power / positions in society!” – Sage Devasthanam advises Yudishtra!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of an interesting conversation between Arjuna and Yudishtra over what is the real meaning of “Praayaschittham” for a “Kshatrya”. While Yudishtra still believes that “Praayaschittham” for all the sins that he has performed (by killing several thousands  of people during the Kurukshetra battle), will be to go to the forest and perform penance, Arjuna negates it with a strong defensive argument. While Yudishtra invokes the example of King Janaka, Arjuna counters it by saying that Yudishtra is only looking at one side of the story and not the other. After all the back and forth arguments, Yudishtra is still not convinced with Arjuna’s advice, as he discards it softly by saying that Arjuna is too young to understand “high-level” Shaastras and their in-depth meanings. As Yudishtra tries so, Arjuna loses his patience to argue with his brother any further, and now puts the ball on to Bhagawan Krishna’s and Sage Vyaasa’s court for the discussion to continue further. 

As all this is happening, Sage Devasthaanam gets up and talks. This Sage’s name itself is “Devasthaanam”. He is now going to give a beautiful meaning to what is “Sanyaasam” and who are the ones eligible for it. The Sage says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! Every “Varnaashramam” has its own “Dharma” assigned to it. As you are part of the “Kshatrya” clan, your “Dharma” is to be in the kingdom, perform “Dhaanam”, “Yagnyam”, administer the kingdom properly by protecting the people, etc. “Sanyaasam” is not your “Dharma” at any cost. That is meant for some other people. Oh Yudishtra! You should not mix two “Varnaashrama Dharmas” together and follow as per your convenience. If you’re really searching for a “Praayaschittham”, you should be in your country, perform hundreds of “Raaja-Sooya Yaagams”, tens of “Ashwameda Yaagams”, etc. You should ensure that your people are duly taken care of at all times. Through this, you can perform your “Praayaschittham” of killing thousands of people on the battlefield. Instead, you are trying to do something else. Those Brahmana Rishis who falter with the Vedas and Upanishads in several ways, can search for “Praayaschittham” by performing “Tapas”, chanting the “Gayatri Mantra” a thousand times, etc. to come out of their mistakes. This route is not applicable for you. Rather, being in the kingdom and performing “Yagnyams” are not the ways to correct a Brahmana Rishi’s mistake as well. Hence, this is a separate track and that is separate. You cannot mix both together or interchange both!” 

Saying thus, Sage Devasthaanam continues further – “Oh Yudishtra! Do you know who is eligible to take up “Sanyaasam”? A person who doesn’t have any followers in his life, is the right person for it!” Here, Sage Devasthaanam is narrating a beautiful meaning to the word “Sanyaasam”. Sage Devasthaanam continues thus, “Oh Yudishtra! A person taking up “Sanyaasam” should not even have a single person following him / her. A person taking up “Sanyaasam” should not be holding any kind of position or power in his / her life. Do you know why? It is because, if such a person says that he / she is going away to the forest by renouncing everything, this will set a very bad example for the others to follow. Upon seeing this person abandoning the responsibility and running away in the middle, ten others will start doing the same – They will also say that just like how my leader abandoned everything and went to the forest, we will also do the same! If everybody starts doing this, who will then discharge the duties that are to be performed? For instance, if a king goes this way by abandoning the responsibility to rule the kingdom, what if the king’s successors (Sons) also start doing the same? Who will rule the kingdom then? Hence, “Sanyaasam” is not for those people who are in several levels of power or positions in the society! Oh Yudishtra! You are also one such person who holds the highest level of responsibility of being an able administrator. You should rather rule the kingdom ably and efficiently as per the norms of “Dharma”, instead of thinking of undertaking “Sanyaasam”. This is not meant for you. If you start doing it, this would serve as a very bad example for several others who ardently follow you and who are dependent on you! Moreover, think for a moment – If everyone starts saying that we are undertaking “Sanyaasam”, how will the world function? There should be a balance between “Sanyaasa-Ashramam” and “Grihasta-Ashramam”. Only if there are “Grihasthas”, food can be served for the “Sanyaasins”. Hence, there is no point in taking up “Sanyaasam” if you have duties to fulfill. Your duty should come first!” 

Saying thus, Sage Devasthaanam gives a beautiful meaning to the concept of “Sanyaasam”, and for today, let us understand up to this point. We shall wait till the next episode to continue this interesting and important discussion forward! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1282 – “Performing penance in a forest is not a characteristic of a ruler” Arjuna asserts!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed an important accord wherein Arjuna is concluding to Yudishtra that King Janaka continued ruling Mithilapuri after his wife’s advice. Yudishtra was partially right when he said that King Janaka was a “Raja-Rishi” and he was an epitome of detachment. However, what he did not talk about is that, when King Janaka was about to renounce his kingdom and go to the forest, his wife stopped him and rendered an important piece of advice. She was steadfast in her husband executing his duties towards the kingdom at all times, and to keep up with the oath that he has taken as a king in front of all his people. For a “Kshatrya”, going on “Sanyaasam” is not an option at all. “Sanyaasam” is for “Brahmana Rishis” and not for the others. Saying thus, King Janaka’s wife successfully dissuaded King Janaka from taking up “Sanyaasam” and made him continue ruling the Mithilapuri kingdom. Narrating this incident, Arjuna explains that just like how King Janaka paid heed to his wife’s words and returned back to the kingdom, Yudishtra should also do the same and come back to Hastinapura without any further delay. 

Listening to all this, it is now time for Yudishtra to give his response. Yudishtra says thus, “Oh Arjuna! I understand all whatever you’re saying. “Thyaagam” is important, but it should be done by discharging the duties. But when we look at the shlokas from the Bhagawad Gita, it talks so high of “Dhyaanam”, “Yagnyam”, “Rahasyam”, etc., and for all these to be done, I’ve to go to the forest only, isn’t it? How can it be possible that I sit at Hastinapura and do all this?” By saying thus, it once again proves that Yudishtra is still not ready to come back. He is still in the “Vaanaprastha-Ashramam” mode. He doesn’t want to give up his stance any time soon! As Yudishtra says thus, Arjuna immediately has a reply. He says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! You are correct! The Bhagawad Gita says all this. Bhagawan Krishna is right in front of us. We may clarify directly with Him. However, let me tell you my understanding first, because I was the one who listened to the entire 700 shlokas first-hand! So, when you’ve to perform the “Yagyam”, for whom are you performing it? Is it for yourself, or for your kingdom? If it is for your kingdom, you’ve to perform it by being a king at Hastinapura, right? How can you go to a forest and perform a “Yagnyam” for the benefit of your people? Similarly, if you’ve to perform “Dhyaanam”, of course, you need peace of mind, etc. and for that, you may argue that the forest is the correct place for it. You may still go to the forest for performing the “Dhyaanam”, but your duty doesn’t end there. Is it enough if you alone do it? You’ve to propagate the significance of whom you are meditating upon, right? For that, you should be in the kingdom only. Hence, like this, whatever you’re talking about from the Bhagawad Gita has duality attached – Some has to be done from the forest, whereas some has to be performed while being a king in your kingdom. Oh Yudishtra! You cannot escape from your duties, just because you do not like doing them. As an able administrator, you should discharge your duties and protect the interests of your people!” 

As Arjuna says thus, Yudishtra is still not able to digest it. He replies back thus, “Oh Arjuna! You are talking about too many things, which you might not be able to understand in-depth! Hence, it is better that you refrain from talking about those! Oh Arjuna! All that you know is to fight with Karna and Duryodhana, which you’ve successfully accomplished. But there are deeper things in life, which are far more important than just killing people in a battle. I’m trying to focus on those deeper aspects of life, which will help me to perform the “Praayaschittham” for whatever sins we’ve done during this war!” 

As Yudishtra says thus, Arjuna becomes slightly angry now. He has had enough. The moment Arjuna corners Yudishtra with a few “fact-checks”, Yudishtra doesn’t have an answer to counter Arjuna beyond an extent, and instead, resorting to political tactics to silence him. Even we do this sometimes in our regular conversations with people – If someone tells us something and if we do not have an answer for their tough questions, we would immediately say thus, “Oh! What do you know about this? You shouldn’t be talking this way! There are deeper things involved, which you won’t understand!” These kinds of talks are often referred to as “fillers”. We tend to use these fillers because we ourselves do not have definite answers to counter the opposition’s claims. This is exactly what Yudishtra is doing here. The moment Arjuna countered Yudistra with King Janaka’s remaining half story, and some other important points, Yudishtra’s views are clearly challenged here! He’s unable to give a proper answer to Arjuna, and hence, he resorts to somehow silence Arjuna in some way or the other! 

However, Arjuna is not going to keep quiet here. He immediately says, “Oh Yudishtra! I might be younger to you, but I too understand many things just like how you do! Whatever you’re trying to communicate is absurd. You are searching for “Praayaschittam” by going to the forest and perform penance, aren’t you? Please understand that performing penance in a forest is not the correct “Praayaschittham” for a Kshatrya king. It might be right for a Brahmana Rishi, but definitely not for you! Oh Yudishtra! If I’m wrong, Bhagawan Krishna is standing right beside us, listening to all our conversations. You might clarify with Him. Sage Vyaasa is also amongst us. Why don’t you ask him for an answer? Bhishmachaarya is also amidst us. Why don’t you seek clarification from these great stalwarts?” 

Saying thus, Arjuna throws the ball on Bhagawan Krishna’s Bhishmachaarya’s and Sage Vyaasa’s courts. So for today, let us understand up to this point, and we shall wait for the next episode to find out what happened next! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1281 – “The real meaning of ‘Thyaagam’ is not renouncing!” – Arjuna explains!!! 

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Yudishtra continuing to defend his stance of not wanting to rule Hastinapura, even while Arjuna is trying his best to counter him. As Yudishtra is now invoking King Janaka as an example for his decision, Arjuna replies to Yudishtra that this same King Janaka was stopped by his wife, when he wanted to go for “Sanyaasam” by renouncing the kingdom. Moreover, Arjuna reminds Yudishtra about the oath that he had taken while being coronated as the king. Yudishtra had indeed taken the pledge that he would serve the Hastinapura kingdom at all times till his last breath. Now this same Yudishtra is contemplating upon leaving the kingdom. Hence, isn’t it a controversial decision that Yudishtra is making here? Is Yudishtra going against his own oath that he has administered in front of his people? Arjuna reminds him of all these, to make him understand that running away from the kingdom is not a solution for anything, and that he should continue ruling the kingdom as before. 

Narrating this anecdote from King Janaka’s wife, Arjuna continues further thus, “Oh Yudishtra! King Janaka’s wife also describes to him thus – “Oh King Janaka! Do you really understand what your duty is? Renouncing your kingdom and going away to the forest is not your duty! Rather, working hard for your people’s welfare is your real duty! There are so many people like Brahmana Rishis, Veda Virpannas, Carpenters, Farmers, Builders, Masons, etc. who are living in the Mithila Kingdom. You are the savior for all of them. Your work should ensure that all of them are well fed and are happy and satisfied. Instead of doing this, if you go away to the forest, who will feed all of them?” As she says thus, King Janaka replies to her – “Oh! In that case, what is “Thyaagam” (Sacrifice) in this context? As a “Raaja-Rishi”, isn’t “Thyaagam” an important parameter to be followed? Isn’t it “Dharma”? By sacrificing myself for the kingdom, I’m only doing good to my people, isn’t it?” For this, King Janaka’s wife replies thus, “Oh King Janaka! I’m sorry, but you are wrongly understanding the meaning of “Thyaagam” here. So what is “Thyaagam”? “Thyaagam” refers to the situation wherein a person earns sufficiently and donates his earnings for the welfare of others, without keeping anything for his personal benefit and luxury. As a king, you have to earn wealth, but these earnings should be directed to your people’s welfare. This is the real meaning of “Thyaagam” or “Sacrifice”. Nowhere in the “Shaastras” is it mentioned that “Thyaagam” means sacrificing one’s work completely and sitting freely without doing anything!” Quoting this from King Janaka’s wife’s accord, Arjuna reminds Yudishtra that he should look at the other side of King Janaka’s story and not just that part wherein he wanted to go for “Sanyaasam”. 

This is yet another important point for all of us to ponder. Many of us, just like King Janaka, mistake the meaning of the word “Thyaagam”. It doesn’t mean that we should leave all our work and just sit simply at home. The real meaning of “Thyaagam” is that, we should work, earn money and other forms of wealth as much as possible, but that should be of good for others, and not for us. In other words, the action should be performed by us (Our duty), but the result of our action should be of benefit for others and not for us. 

Moving on further, as King Janaka’s wife says thus, he has not other option, but to change his stance. King Janaka replies to his wife that she is perfectly correct with what she has mentioned, and with this, he takes back his decision of going to the forest. King Janaka continued to rule Mithilapuri kingdom till his last days. Narrating this incident thus, Arjuna explains that just like how King Janaka changed his stance, Yudishtra too should do so and return back to the kingdom to avoid any kind of chaos or confusion. So for today, let us understand up to this point, and in the next episode, we are going to witness Yudishtra’s reply to Arjuna on this. So what is Yudishtra going to decide now? Is he going to change his mind after Arjuna’s accord? Stay tuned to find out! 🙂 

Episode # 1280 – “You are going against your promise made to your people!” – Arjuna slams Yudishtra!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Yudishtra concluding his accord on King Janaka, and how he was a “Raja-Rishi”. Yudishtra wanted to emulate the King Janaka Model of taking up “Sanyaasam” and abandon everything. Just like how King Janaka was unmoved when the entire Mithila Desha was on fire (An illusion created by Sage Yajnavalkya), Yudishtra also wants to be completely detached from the Hastinapura kingdom. However, as Yudishtra says thus, Arjuna is readily waiting to counter him with some “fact checks”. Arjuna immediately quips that Yudishtra is only looking at one half of the story, and is conveniently leaving out the other half. This same King Janaka, when he wanted to completely renounce the kingdom and go to the forest for performing penance, was stopped by his wife and was made to change his mind to continue as the king of Mithilapuri. Arjuna asks Yudishtra as to why he is ignoring this part of King Janaka’s story, wherein the same King Janaka whom Yudishtra is referring to, was a great king and discharged all his duties as per the norms of “Dharma”. 

Moving on further, Arjuna explains what King Janaka’s wife explained to King Janaka when he wanted to go for “Sanyaasam”. King Janaka’s wife says thus, “Oh King Janaka! You had taken a prestigious oath while assuming responsibility as a king, didn’t you? How did you take the oath? You said that till the end of your life, you will be in service to your people and to your country at all times. This is a pledge that you have given to your people at that time when you became the king. Now, after giving this pledge and promise to your people, you are doing something different. How unfair this will be on the people who entrusted you with this responsibility? Hence, you’ve to live up to your pledge and should not go haywire with such hasty decisions!” 

Arjuna quotes this accord of King Janaka’s wife and replies to Yudishtra thus, “Oh Yudishtra! In similar lines, you’ve also taken an oath / pledge while assuming responsibility as a king, didn’t you? What did you take oath as? You’ve taken an oath to be a righteous king, discharging all your duties as per “Dharma” towards your people, till the end of your life, haven’t you? Now, you are contradicting your own statements and promises that you’ve made to your people. By making such quick and hasty decisions, you are undermining the hopes and aspirations of your Hastinapura subjects, which is a huge “Paapa Karma” that you will accumulate for the rest of your life! Hence, Oh Yudishtra! If not for anybody of us, atleast for the sake of the country and our people, please reconsider your decision!” 

This is quite a valid statement made by Arjuna here. Even in today’s practice, when the Prime Minister of our country, Chief Minister of our state, etc. assume responsibility, we have this oath-taking ceremony at the forefront, don’t we? This is not only the practice in India, but also worldwide. During the oath-taking ceremony, what do the leaders pledge? They pledge in front of the President of India / Governor of the State by saying that they will constantly be in service to the people of the country / state at all times during their tenure at office. However, very few of them live up to the oath that they are taking – Atleast in the Indian context today, and this is a separate debate which we can keep discussing on and on! But the broader point here is that, if the leader is not living up to the oath that he / she is taking during this oath-taking ceremony, it is a huge “Paapa Karma” that they are accumulating. More than the “Paapa” and “Punya” part, the point here is that, as a leader who has assumed responsibility of an office, he / she should discharge the duties associated with it, without any blemish and as per the rules and regulations of “Dharma”. There should be no backing out from it at any point in time. Just because something bad has happened, it doesn’t mean that the leader will quit the position and run away! There will of course be a lot of challenges that might come the leader’s way. A true leader is a person who overcomes all these challenges and continues to discharge his / her duties towards the country / state. 

So for today, let us understand Arjuna’s point of view and in the next episode we shall witness whether Yudishtra was convinced with this or not. Stay tuned for an important and an interesting discussion ahead! 🙂 

Episode # 1279 – “Do you know the other side of King Janaka’s story?” – Arjuna asks Yudishtra!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Yudishtra invoking the greatness of King Janaka to highlight the point that a king can always be detached like how King Janaka was. We’ve seen Yudishtra narrating a beautiful incident from King Janaka’s life, to highlight how he was extremely detached from everything, yet a great administrator. When Sage Yajnavalkya showed the entire Mithilapuri to be on fire through his “Yoga-Balam”, King Janaka was unmoved! He later responded to Sage Yajnavalkya that it doesn’t matter to him whether the kingdom is up in flames or not. King Janaka clearly understands that even if his body goes up in flames tomorrow, there is nothing to lose or gain. We’ve not brought in anything to this world while taking birth, and hence, there’s nothing that we’re going to take away with us when we’re dying. So, building the “Tapo-Balam” is very important, and even if the kingdom goes up on fire, King Janaka says that he could contain it with the help of the power of his penance. So, Yudishtra explains this incident and highlights that he too wants to build up his “Tapo-Balam” by performing penance in the forest, and thereby protecting the kingdom with a completely detached mindset. 

Explaining thus, Yudishtra justifies his decision to Arjuna. By looking at this entire answer from Yudishtra, we might think, “Oh! King Janaka was a completely detached person and even if his kingdom went up in flames, it did not affect him. Hence, tomorrow onwards, we can also leave all our duties and need not bother about them at all!” This is a wrong thought process, and nowhere in this world have Maharishis said such a thing. If we read such shlokas, all of a sudden we would start having thoughts that we should also leave all responsibilities behind and should take “Sanyaasam” from tomorrow onwards. This is not what “Maharishis” want us to do, and this is where many of us go wrong in many things. We would read something incomplete and come up with such narratives which are extremely misleading. This is why we should always have the practice of reading the subject in-depth before commenting on it. Only then we would be able to really grasp what is being said. This is not just true in this context, but for all subjects across all domains. By reading just the headlines of the story, many of us come up with our own narratives, even from a daily newspaper. This is a wrong practice. Before we conclude what exactly has happened, we should try and read the entire news article, understand what the author is trying to say and then infer our analysis from there. This is how our reading should be and this is exactly where Yudishtra also has gone wrong! 

Now, moving forward thus, as Yudishtra tries to justify his stance using King Janaka’s anecdote, Arjuna is quick to stop him and revert back! Arjuna says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! It seems that you’ve only read half of what King Janaka actually did. I shall tell you the remaining half of the story. Do you want to listen to me?” As Arjuna says thus, Yudishtra gives a confused look. He thinks thus, “Oh wow! Now what is Arjuna going to say? Does he have a counter for this also?” Arjuna continues thus, “Oh Yudishtra! This same King Janaka, about whom you’re talking about, has another side of his story. He once declared to the world just like how you are doing right now, that he wants to renounce the kingdom and become a “Sanyasin”. He also wanted to go away to the forest and perform penance like “Maharishis” and thereby attain “Moksha”. However, his wife stopped him. His wife (Mother Sita’s mother) is giving a very important accord to King Janaka, with which he changed his mindset and continued ruling Mithilapuri. Oh Yudishtra! You are conveniently taking only what is favourable for your decision and stance, and leaving the rest. This is unfair. Now let me tell you what King Janaka’s wife told him when he made a similar decision!” 

Saying thus, Arjuna is going to give a brief accord on this. For today, let us understand up to this point and we shall continue this interesting accord in the next episode as well! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1278 – “Why can’t I replicate King Janaka’s success?” – Yudishtra asks Arjuna!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Yudishtra’s response to Arjuna’s accord over the debate on Yudishtra’s stance on entering the “Vaanaprastha-Ashramam”. Even as Arjuna, Nakula and Draupati try to convince Yudishtra not to take that route, Yudishtra is seemingly not convinced. During the previous episode, we started witnessing Yudishtra’s response, wherein we were hopeful that Yudishtra would change his mind. However, with the response that Yudishtra is giving, it only seems that he’s trying to justify his stance more and more. We’ve seen Yudishtra talking about King Janaka, who was a Raja-Rishi himself, being extremely successful in his pursuit towards “Tapas”. Being an ardent disciple of Sage Yajnavalkya, King Janaka was one exceptional king who was extremely detached towards his kingdom, but still was an exceptional leader. Yudishtra narrates one anecdote from King Janaka’s life to highlight why he wants to go down the same path as his. Yudishtra explains how King Janaka was unmoved from his seat when Sage Yajnavalkya created an illusion of the entire Mithila Desha being on fire, while all the other disciples started running here and there, panicked by it! 

Yudishtra continues further with this important accord of King Janaka thus, “Once everybody understood that it was not a real fire, but a mere illusion, all the disciples came back to their seats and sat down. As everybody assembled back, Sage Yajnavalkya spoke thus, “Oh disciples! All of you ran amok when you witnessed fire! But here is King Janaka who did not even move from his seat! All of you are sages without any possessions at a personal level. Given this fact, if there was a fire at Mithilapuri, why did all of you panic? What was the need to jump up and run like how you did? Even if the fire would have been real, what would you have lost at the maximum? Your minimal pairs of clothes, and a very few possessions like this, which you use every day for your routine activities, isn’t it? However, an entire kingdom was on fire (Illusion), and here is the ruler of that kingdom sitting without moving an inch! With this, the dedication that you have towards the lessons and the same of King Janaka could never be matched! Even though King Janaka’s entire city went up in flames, he never chose to move. This shows his immense devotion to learning!” As Sage Yajnavalkya explains thus, King Janaka intervenes and says thus, “Oh great Sage! Let me tell you why I did not get up. The moment all of us saw Mithila Desha going up in flames, I quickly understood that it was not real. I immediately understood that this fire was a mere illusion. Hence, I chose not to move from my place! Moreover, this entire kingdom is not me! Even if my body would have gone up in flames, I would not have moved from my seat, as I’m not my body! I’m the “Atman”. With all the lessons that you’ve taught me till today, this is what I’ve understood!” 

Highlighting this incident from King Janaka’s life, Yudishtra continues to say thus, “Oh Arjuna! Look at how King Janaka was extremely detached! Even though he was a great king, he did not care even an inch if the whole kingdom went up on fire! Such is the dedication that we’re seeing in King Janaka. Oh Arjuna! Why can’t I replicate what King Janaka has done? One can be a king, but in a highly detached state!” 

By looking at Yudishtra’s narrative here, we might be convinced that he has not changed his stance as yet. He still wants to go to the forest and assume the “Vaanaprastha-Ashramam”, by leaving everything and everybody behind. He wants to become a “Raaja-Rishi” like how King Janaka was. By looking at how Yudishtra is drawing parallels with King Janaka, this is the immediate inference that we can make. Yudishtra hasn’t changed his stance as yet. From this accord, we will also be thinking thus – We can also shun our duties no matter what happens around us! Is this what Yudishtra is trying to propagate? Let us have an interesting debate on this point in the upcoming episode! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1277 – Yudishtra cites King Janaka to justify his stance!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of Arjuna’s important accord on why Yudishtra should not enter into the “Vaanaprastha-Ashramam” by renouncing his kingdom and descending into the forest. Arjuna cautions Yudishtra that walking this spiritual path of performing intense “Tapas” is virtually impossible for a “Kshatrya” warrior. While this path is extremely difficult even for trained Brahmana Rishis, it is beyond question for the others. Arjuna cites Sage Vishwamitra and several other important sages who walked this pursuit, but ended up getting trapped into worldly desires to lead a family life even in the forest. Arjuna explains how Indra purposefully sends his “Apsaras” women from the Indra Lokha exclusively for this purpose, so as to thwart anybody going beyond a point in obtaining success through “Tapas”. Only those very few people who can escape this with their extreme “Vairagya” can be successful in this pursuit. 

Moving on further, Arjuna continues with his next point. He says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! So far, you’ve been fighting an external battle, wherein you’ve successfully navigated treacherous enemies. However, there is another battle which is going on, and that is an internal battle – The battle between you and your mind. This is a tougher battle to win, as compared to the one that we fought at Kurukshetra. Of course, Bhishmachaarya and Guru Dhronachaarya were tough enemies to compete with. But if you compare that with the war that you are fighting with your mind, the latter is tougher than the former. Your mind is trying to pull you down everytime by making you think in a confused manner. Your mind is not able to differentiate between what is “Dharma” and what is “Adharma”. You are forced to think that “Dharma” is “Adharma” and vice-versa. Your mind is the biggest stumbling block here, not letting you have clarity on your “Dharma”. Oh Yudishtra! You’ve to think in a rational manner here – Duryodhana and Co. were walking the path of “Adharma” and have been rightfully shown their places. Hence, you should change your stance now and give the much needed clarity to your mind. You’ve to understand that fighting desires (“Kaamam”) and anger (“Krodham”) that arise from within your mind is tougher to overcome, as compared to external enemies.”

In fact, Bhagawan Krishna also highlights this point several times in the Bhagawad Gita. We’ve seen this earlier during that discussion wherein Bhagawan says that “Kaamam” and “Krodham” are man’s biggest enemies in life. “Kaamam” over unwanted items in this world will lead us to further and further desires. Attainment of one desire will lead us to the next one. There is no end to this. Similarly, non-attainment of our desire will lead us to anger and frustration. This is how life goes on in this world. So, after Arjuna explains all these points to Yudishtra, the question here is whether Yudishtra is getting convinced or not. Now it is time for Yudishtra to reply to whatever Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva and Draupati have spoken. So from Yudishtra’s answer, we shall be able to find out whether he is convinced to go back to Hastinapura or not. 

Yudishtra says thus, “Oh Arjuna! Whatever you’re saying is right! But think in this way – There was a famous king by name Janaka. King Janaka was a great “Raaja-Rishi”. He strived enormously to go to the forest and perform penance even as a king. Although being a great king of the Mithila Desha, King Janaka was extremely into spiritual pursuit and he was extremely successful in it. I shall narrate an anecdote from King Janaka’s life to highlight how it is still possible for a king to walk the spiritual path. King Janaka was one of the greatest disciples of Sage Yajnavalkya. Every day as the lessons began, Sage Yajnavalkya used to wait for King Janaka to take his seat. Only after King Janaka arrives, the lessons would begin. Upon seeing this, the other disciples of Sage Yajnavalkya were getting jealous. They were doubting whether both Sage Yajnavalkya and King Janaka had any “secretive deals” with each other. This noise was getting louder by the day, and Sage Yajnavalkya wanted to put an end to this speculation. One fine day as everybody had assembled for the lessons to begin, it suddenly appeared as if the entire place was on fire! This was an illusion which Sage Yajnavalkya created with the help of his extreme “Tapo Balam”. Not only the surrounding place – The entire Mithila kingdom seemed to be as if in fire! This sends shockwaves amidst the entire gathering. Every disciple of Sage Yajnavalkya started running here and there, scouting for shelter! However, King Janaka did not move an inch from his position. He sat there still, as if nothing was going on around! After a whole hour of panic running here and there, all the disciples understood that it was a mere illusion and nothing had really happened! All of them took their seats again in front of Sage Yagnavalkya, as nobody understood what actually happened!” 

So for today, let us understand this anecdote that Yudishtra is narrating, up to this point. We shall continue this in the next episode to witness what happened next and subsequently what Yudishtra is trying to convey through this anecdote. Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1276 – “Only those with extreme ‘Vairagya’ can succeed in performing ‘Tapas’!” – Arjuna tells Yudishtra!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed a very important accord from Arjuna, highlighting the importance of “punishments” as a Kshatrya ruler. Only if there are strict punishments and codes of law, “Dharma” will sustain. By saying so, Arjuna emphasizes that Yudishtra had done the right thing by punishing all the wrongdoers of the Hastinapura kingdom, and there’s nothing for him to regret or brood over it. War at Kurukshetra was inevitable and it had to be fought. Now, there is no point in regretting, and by fighting the war, Yudishtra has indeed established “Dharma” in the kingdom. It is a good thing that has happened. Arjuna’s point throws light on the current scenario as well – We’re witnessing today as to how punishments and strict moral and ethical codes of conduct are being enforced in several countries and organizations, as a result of which, they are thriving well. Whereas, on the other side, countries where law enforcement is poor, are facing huge stumbling blocks for growth and development. It is not just that – Even basic safety of people in such poor law enforcing countries is under question. 

Saying thus, Arjuna is highlighting how fear is important for people to walk the path of “Dharma”. He emphasizes the point of fear in such a way that it should be there to bring people to the right track, but not to be used as a weapon to threaten anybody beyond that. Moving forward thus, Arjuna gives the next pointer to Yudishtra for thinking. He says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! You’re saying that you’re renouncing everything and go to the forest to perform penance. However, haven’t you seen in your lifetime that several people in the past who had gone to the forest, were entangled and embroiled with some desires there also and losing focus? For instance, Sage Vishwamitra had the same problem. He went to the forest to perform penance, by renouncing his kingdom and everything. But do you think he was successful straightaway? He had to meet a woman in the forest and his desires towards her completely changed his life. He had to bear a family and through that, his focus was lost! This, he could have done very well by being in his kingdom, isn’t it? Similarly, there are several examples like this, wherein even people with high “Vairagya” (Will power) are being pushed down because of such inducements of desires. Hence, walking the path of “Tapas” is not as easy as you think. You’re saying that the forest is beautiful with lush green trees, fruits, flowers, water, etc. Here itself, it shows that you’ve already been carried away! Indra plays this role beautifully here – If one is getting engrossed into the “Tapas”, his primary job is to send an “Apsaras” woman (Celestial woman) from his Indra-Lokha to disturb that person’s penance by inducing desire towards her. This woman will also wantedly roam around the person who is doing “Tapas” and would disturb him. Falling for this woman, the person will indulge in unwanted activities and with this, all his “Tapo-Balam” is gone for a toss! Hence, Oh Yudishtra! If you’ve to walk this path, it is extremely hard and not as easy as you think it is. You’ve to have extremely high “Vairagya” not to fall into any such traps. Moreover, in the forest, as it is very lonely and nobody is around to see, your desires will start peaking when something like this happens. You will not be able to control yourself. Hence, it is better not to walk that dangerous path and get into a family life again. Rather, it is better to be in the kingdom itself, perform your duties as per the “Kshatrya Dharma” and lead a life dedicated to the people of our kingdom!” 

This is yet another important point being stressed upon by Arjuna, which is relevant in today’s scenario as well. Many of us might start off with our spiritual pursuits very nicely on Day One, but as subsequent days progress, we will slowly deviate from it and get trapped into several worldly affairs! It is not easy to sustain a highly spiritual journey, devoid of any desires or anger. This is why, even Bhagawan Krishna emphasizes more on the “Karma Yoga” rather than the “Gnyaana Yoga”. Arjuna too had the same quest during the start of the war. We’ve seen how Arjuna saw an opportunity everytime to run away from the battlefield and go to the forest to perform penance. It was Bhagawan Krishna who pulled him back with a great effort! Here, in the Bhagawad Gita, Bhagawan Krishna Himself explains how “Karma Yoga” is the best way to attain “Moksha”, rather than the “Gnyaana Yoga”, which indicates the practice of going to the forest and performing penance. Only a very few people in this world (maybe a handful) have been successful in such a pursuit (“Gnyaana Yoga”). A vast majority of normal people find success only through the “Karma Yoga”. It is difficult to have such a high “Vairaagya” (Will power) to persist through “Tapas” and hence, Arjuna warns Yudishtra against taking that treacherous path.

So for today, let us understand up to this point, and in the next episode, we shall continue this discussion further! Stay tuned! 🙂 

Episode # 1275 – “The world cannot be in order if there are no punishments for wrongdoings!” – Arjuna tells Yudishtra!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed a very important accord from Arjuna to Yudishtra, emphasizing the fact that a leader’s success is a direct measure of how ably and swiftly he / she can punish offenders. In this context, Arjuna explains to Yudishtra that a king’s first and foremost duty is to punish those who walk the path of “Adharma”, and that is exactly what Yudishtra himself has done through the war at Kurukshetra. Hence, there is nothing to feel sorry about here. Duryodhana and Co. had walked the path of “Adharma” for many years now, and it was high time that Yudishtra punished all of them for their misdeeds. Hence, Arjuna explains that Yudishtra has to continue performing his duty in this way, so that “Dharma” will rule the kingdom. This is a very important point even for today’s context. We can see that those countries wherein the law implementation is very strict, crime rate will be very less. However, in countries like India wherein judiciary is a mere joke, with an obsolete law having enormous loopholes, crime rates are extremely high! Thus, the bigger question is asked towards the leader of the country for all the mess that is happening. If the judicial system is so rotten, with even simple cases lasting for more than ten years, pending investigation and verdict, how can we expect “Dharma-Paripaalanam” in such places? This is for the present administration to seriously have a re-think. 

Saying thus, Arjuna continues further to emphasize this point even deeper. He says thus, “Oh Yudishtra! You are thinking that giving punishments to people is equivalent to hurting someone. It’s actually wrong! The world cannot function if there are no punishments for wrongdoings. For instance, if a king announces that from tomorrow onwards, all punishments in the kingdom are repealed and not applicable, what will happen to the people? There will be utter anarchy and chaos everywhere! People will start doing anything and everything to get whatever they desire. There will be nobody to question wrong and sinful acts! This can never be the case anywhere in the world! As per the “Kshatrya Dharma”, it is the duty of the king to give punishments to those who are performing sinful acts. Brahmana Rishis are not eligible for providing punishments! It is only the “Kshatryas” who are given the mettle in the hand to give punishments to wrongdoers!” 

We might wonder through this accord of Arjuna as to why only Kshatryas are entitled to give punishments. This might sound a bit controversial here, but there is a deeper meaning to this. For instance, if a Brahmana Rishi is running a “Veda-Paatashaala” and a lot of disciples are learning the Vedas – For instance, if some of the students are not reciting the Vedas as per the rules and regulations, the Guru will not punish the disciples. Rather, the Guru will go to the king and report that these disciples are not learning the Vedas properly. Accordingly, the king is the one who calls for an enquiry and gives justice and punishment. This system was there in practice during earlier times, and the purpose behind it is that there will be a “fear factor” in all the disciples to learn the Vedas correctly and propagate them to the world. As a “Kshatrya”, correct propagation of the Vedas in the kingdom is his duty and the king has to ensure that it happens seamlessly. If someone is going against it, a king is liable to give punishments. Secondly, this practice establishes the fact that whatever happens in the “Gurukula”, the king is directly monitoring the progress. This will ensure accountability for both the Guru (to teach properly) and for the disciples (to learn properly). This is exactly what Arjuna says here. When he mentions that nothing in this world can be proper without a strict code of punishments, he explains that people should have that psychological “fear factor” at the back of their minds while performing their duties. 

For instance, even in corporate organizations today, we have a “Performance appraisal system”, which fixes accountability for employee’s’ performance at the job. Employees are constantly monitored by the organization’s top management and the low performers are identified, provided training & development facilities. Even after that, if the performance doesn’t improve, the low performers are thrown out of the organization, aren’t they? Similarly, if there are some ethical wrongdoings, there are definitive “moral & ethical codes of conduct” in every organization, which governs decision-making. There will be dedicated committees to investigate such ethical and moral issues and to recommend necessary action. Thus, the overall point here is that, only where there are strict “codes of conduct”, will there be “Dharma” getting established! So for today, let us understand up to this point, and we shall continue with this discussion further in the next episode as well! Stay tuned! 🙂