Miscellaneous - Religion   

Vagaries of life

CHENNAI : It is difficult to get a unanimous estimation of the suffering a person faces in life as it is to a certain extent subjective and so every individual has misgivings. While some accept it with fortitude and equanimity that it is the result of one's Karma acquired in previous births, some are too quick to react to such situations and seek retribution. How people react to difficulties differently can be seen from the manner the Pandavas behaved during the setbacks they faced in their lives.

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri B.Damodara Dikshitar said though the brothers were united under the guidance of Yudhishthira, who was the very epitome of Dharma, each Pandava had a different temperament and hence difference of opinion surfaced now and then. Yudhishthira rarely bemoaned his lot and accepted the setbacks calmly though he could not bear to see his brothers and especially Draupadi suffer the hardships of forest life. But Bhima and Draupadi were quick to express their minds and sought to avenge for the injustice meted to them by Duryodana before the end of their exile.

It was during one such argument they had that Sage Brihadaswar visited them in the forest and Yudhishthira after the customary welcome lamented how they had been reduced to such penury because of him. The sage consoled him saying that he should take heart that he at least had his family with him. Then he narrated the life of Nala to cheer them up because it is human nature to wallow in self-pity while suffering. Only when he learns about the afflictions others have suffered will such a person understand that human life is a mixture of joy and sorrow, and that no one is exempt from experiencing the working of the Karma that brought about this birth. Nala's life also shows that there is no individual who is without blemish for he had a weakness for playing dice and lost everything due to this.

Even the Lord, who can accomplish whatever He wants, had some misgivings during His incarnations. Rama felt He had not compensated Jatayu enough for its service and Krishna regretted that He had not graced Draupadi in person when she surrendered to Him in distress.

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