ऊर्ध्वबाहुर विरौम्य एष न च कश चिच छृणॊति मे
धर्माद अर्थश च कामश च स किमर्थं न सेव्यते
न जातु कामान न भयान न लॊभाद; धर्मं तयजेज जीवितस्यापि हेतॊः
नित्यॊ धर्मः सुखदुःखे तव अनित्ये; जीवॊ नित्यॊ हेतुर अस्य तव अनित्यः
These are the verses from original text of Mahabharata from the chapter 18. These are verses 49-50. In these verses Ved Vyasa, who is deemed as the author of the epic and possibly the great grandfather of the entire event, cries out loud throwing his arms up in the sky. He says - "With uplifted arms I am crying aloud but nobody hears me. From Righteousness is Wealth as also Pleasure. Why should not Righteousness, therefore, be courted? For the sake neither of pleasure, nor of fear, nor of cupidity should any one cast off Righteousness. Indeed, for the sake of even life one should not cast off Righteousness. Righteousness is eternal. Pleasure and Pain are not eternal. Jiva is eternal. The cause, however, of Jiva’s being invested with a body is not so." - transliteration taken from http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m18/m18005.htm.
Mahabharata is a text that has shaped the Indian philosophy and understanding for a very long time. The great epic moves from one story to the other exemplifying the role of various emotions and one's actions. It moves around the characters as they engulf themselves in the internal battle of duty, righteousness, pleasure and result of the actions they perform. It is well known to many characters in the epic as to they suffer for their own deeds and their actions do have reactions. Yet, no one tries to do what is right? The problem is "right" from which perspective? Mahabharata as an epic, opens a plethora of perspectives for us to look at its own characters.
The characters in the epic probably did not understood their own future. They did not even understood the full picture. But we as readers do. When Vyasa composed the epic, he named it "Jaya" meaning victory. He purposefully omitted the question "over whom?". The epic hints at one's victory over themselves. Only when we can learn from the lives of the characters in the epic and imbibe the true meaning, shall we be able to achieve "Jaya". But, who has the patience?
Mahabharata is not kept in many households. It is prohibited from bringing into homes and even reading from start to finish. People believe it may cause disagreements and quarrels in the household. Little do they realize that the book is full of learning for a household. Every character in the book is displayed to led a family life and participate in the procreation of the nature.
When Vyas completes his great epic, he wonders in dismay as to when shall people listen to him? He has been telling everyone to be righteous, be compassionate towards others. This is the only way that shall help everyone survive. Yet no one listens! Better still, no one listens even now......
Vyasa in his attempt to throw his hands in the air and trying to tell the path to everyone is portraying an image of a teacher or a preacher who has a message from the God himself. Ain't that a messenger? Ain't that is what followed in many other religions across the world? The issue in this approach is that of a compliance. When a preacher or messenger tells you a way, the followers must adhere to the path , else they shall digress. The hindu philosophy, however, takes a different approach of an ocean. The ocean is full of knowledge and riches. It is unto the seekers to find what they want in the ocean, using whatever way they want. Probably because compliance is hard to follow!
Sri Krishna told Arjuna the lessons of Gita and explained to him the path to lead a life. Even then we find it hard to live by the lessons from Gita. Compliance is definitely hard, even when the path is shown by God himself.
धर्माद अर्थश च कामश च स किमर्थं न सेव्यते
न जातु कामान न भयान न लॊभाद; धर्मं तयजेज जीवितस्यापि हेतॊः
नित्यॊ धर्मः सुखदुःखे तव अनित्ये; जीवॊ नित्यॊ हेतुर अस्य तव अनित्यः
These are the verses from original text of Mahabharata from the chapter 18. These are verses 49-50. In these verses Ved Vyasa, who is deemed as the author of the epic and possibly the great grandfather of the entire event, cries out loud throwing his arms up in the sky. He says - "With uplifted arms I am crying aloud but nobody hears me. From Righteousness is Wealth as also Pleasure. Why should not Righteousness, therefore, be courted? For the sake neither of pleasure, nor of fear, nor of cupidity should any one cast off Righteousness. Indeed, for the sake of even life one should not cast off Righteousness. Righteousness is eternal. Pleasure and Pain are not eternal. Jiva is eternal. The cause, however, of Jiva’s being invested with a body is not so." - transliteration taken from http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m18/m18005.htm.
Mahabharata is a text that has shaped the Indian philosophy and understanding for a very long time. The great epic moves from one story to the other exemplifying the role of various emotions and one's actions. It moves around the characters as they engulf themselves in the internal battle of duty, righteousness, pleasure and result of the actions they perform. It is well known to many characters in the epic as to they suffer for their own deeds and their actions do have reactions. Yet, no one tries to do what is right? The problem is "right" from which perspective? Mahabharata as an epic, opens a plethora of perspectives for us to look at its own characters.
The characters in the epic probably did not understood their own future. They did not even understood the full picture. But we as readers do. When Vyasa composed the epic, he named it "Jaya" meaning victory. He purposefully omitted the question "over whom?". The epic hints at one's victory over themselves. Only when we can learn from the lives of the characters in the epic and imbibe the true meaning, shall we be able to achieve "Jaya". But, who has the patience?
Mahabharata is not kept in many households. It is prohibited from bringing into homes and even reading from start to finish. People believe it may cause disagreements and quarrels in the household. Little do they realize that the book is full of learning for a household. Every character in the book is displayed to led a family life and participate in the procreation of the nature.
When Vyas completes his great epic, he wonders in dismay as to when shall people listen to him? He has been telling everyone to be righteous, be compassionate towards others. This is the only way that shall help everyone survive. Yet no one listens! Better still, no one listens even now......
Vyasa in his attempt to throw his hands in the air and trying to tell the path to everyone is portraying an image of a teacher or a preacher who has a message from the God himself. Ain't that a messenger? Ain't that is what followed in many other religions across the world? The issue in this approach is that of a compliance. When a preacher or messenger tells you a way, the followers must adhere to the path , else they shall digress. The hindu philosophy, however, takes a different approach of an ocean. The ocean is full of knowledge and riches. It is unto the seekers to find what they want in the ocean, using whatever way they want. Probably because compliance is hard to follow!
Sri Krishna told Arjuna the lessons of Gita and explained to him the path to lead a life. Even then we find it hard to live by the lessons from Gita. Compliance is definitely hard, even when the path is shown by God himself.
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