The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : A mother's grief

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Thursday, Jun 09, 2005

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

A mother's grief

CHENNAI: Grief is a powerful emotion that arises when one loses someone or something one loves. Apart from making one's life miserable, the pain, hurt and anger thus caused can be overwhelming, to the point of affecting one's judgment. It can leave a person shattered and utterly helpless. The extent to which sorrow can affect human nature is nowhere so well illustrated as in the episode of Rama's exile in the Ramayana, said Sengalipuram Sri B. Damodara Dikshitar in his discourse.

In Kausalya's sorrow is reflected the pitiable plight of a mother who finds it unbearable having to bid farewell to her beloved son Rama. He who was to be crowned in regal splendour is to be sent to the forest in hermit's garb. She wails about the hardships her son and daughter-in-law along with Lakshmana will have to face in the forest. Her affectionate heart is torn to pieces at the very thought of the Spartan life that was in store for them, who had been used to the best of princely comforts since their birth.

Cursing her plight that had distanced her from her son, she harangues against Dasaratha, blaming him as the cause of all this. Though by nature very kind and good hearted, she is driven by sorrow to use invectives against her husband. A gentle reminder from her husband who is also equally grieved, makes her realise the loss of balance and judgment that had made her inveigh in this manner.

It is then that she acknowledges that grief is an "enemy" that not only robs one of patience and the faculty to see reason, but also blinds one to values. Ironically Kausalya is again overtaken by a surge of grief and taunts Bharata with unkind words. It is only after Bharata's strong oaths to establish his innocence that Kausalya's heart softens once again.

Difficult though it might sound, it is necessary to control one's grief. Later Rama himself expounds to Bharata the ephemeral nature of life. He points out that the fluctuating turns of fortune in an individual's life are the result of one's Karma, and stresses the importance of seeking the path of liberation. In fact in His incarnation as Rama, the Lord subjects himself to untold suffering and misery to exemplify to the world the need to accept grief and joy with equanimity.

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