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June 12 - June 21, 2022
Every act of love is selfish.
The bloodiest wars were when both sides thought they were the righteous ones. He had to create a war where individual definitions of dharma clashed in self-righteous rage and destroyed each other.
How it hurt when her daughter said things she thought she had hidden from the world,
“A good politician knows when to act noble and when to be ruthless. Politics is the art of using others to achieve your goals.”
‘Indians sit and argue without end but do nothing, not even when their daughters are raped. Weaklings!’ thought Shakuni in disgust.
Shakuni almost threw the dice he held to the floor in frustration and anger. In his homeland, no rapist would have got away by agreeing to marry the girl he had violated. The men here would not fight even when their wives were disrobed in public or their daughters raped. Such shameless behaviour by spineless men! How was he to fulfill the oath he had taken to destroy India if her men refused to fight, even for honour? His hopes rose when Suyodhana said he would consider the marriage only if his daughter agreed.
When they brought Lakshamana into the Sabha, her face was covered with a veil, as if she was the one at fault and had to be hidden from the world.
“Nephew, to such people, a wife’s honour can be pawned but a cow’s life cannot be compromised. The easiest way to conquer Bharatavarsha is to march a few cows before the invading army.”
“You Yadava should be the last person to preach dharma. I know what your dharma is and I know what you mean by adharma. If you are an avatar of Vishnu as you claim, then it is you who dwells in my heart and I follow my heart. That is my dharma. Krishna, when have you ever been fair to anyone? Were you fair to Jarasandha, to Sisupala, to Hiranyadhanus, to the thousands who died in Khandivaprastha? Were you fair to Ekalavya?”
What had he to fear when he had men like Karna and Aswathama beside him? Why claim to be a God and then commit unspeakable acts? It was better to be just a man and die for one’s beliefs and convictions with the head held high.
“Dhaumya, Brahminism is not a caste but a way of thinking. I had become one of the living dead, caught in meaningless rituals and superstitious beliefs. But I now know the Parabrahmam; I am twice born – a real dwija.”
“I always considered you my Lakshmi, massaging her Lord’s feet. But I should have seen you as my Shakti, my Parvati, my equal half, just as Shakti is to Lord Ardhanareeswara.”
“The entire universe is an illusion – maya. Life is just a dream.” “The pain of life is real, the joy of living is real, and the myriad emotions that make life worth living are all real.”
“Brother, the wise do not grieve for the dead, nor love the living. The soul is immortal and pervades the entire universe. He who thinks that his soul is killed when his body is slain, is ignorant. The soul has no birth or death; it is unborn, unchangeable and eternal. Only the body perishes. Just as we throw away old or soiled clothes, the soul discards the body.” “Say that to a mother who has lost her child. Try telling that to one who has lost her beloved. What you say is merely an intellectual exercise, Krishna. It does not solve anything but acts as an excuse for violence.”
“When a man gives up desire, he is freed from craving enjoyment. He has no affection or pride and thus attains peace of mind. He maintains equanimity in both pleasure and pain. That is the way of the yogi.” “Krishna, you are giving an impossible prescription for an imaginary illness. It is natural for the mind to be restless, to seek, to strive, to achieve what it can.” “A yogi knows this and anchors his mind on me. He learns to look at a Brahmin, a Chandala, a cow or a dog in the same way. A yogi is indifferent to the results of his actions. He performs nishkama karma.”
“I do not understand, Krishna. A man does wrong karma and is then born as a beast, say a buffalo, but can we find anything more serene and detached than a water buffalo? It is indifferent to rain, sunshine, dirty water or dry grass. It is the picture of total contentment. Except for physical pain or pleasure, it does not worry about the results of its actions. Does that make the buffalo the supreme yogi? If it does, it should achieve moksha and not be reborn.” Balarama waited to see what his divine brother would say. “You are arguing for the sake of argument,”
“Brother, I do my karma without attachment, free from its results. The destruction of evil is my duty. I do not relish violence, but I do what is necessary.” “A convenient argument, Krishna, and a recipe for a heartless world. It is a mantra for a conscienceless society.”
“Brother, by desiring an object, attachment is born. From attachment, wrath is born. From wrath comes want of discrimination. From want of discrimination arises ruination of intelligence. From loss of intelligence springs loss of understanding, and then man is ruined.” “Krishna, from desire, life is born. From attachment, love. From passion, beauty. From compassion, humanity. Desire is the very foundation of nature.”
Jagat satyam, Brahma mithya.”
Even women, Vaishyas and Shudras can attain moksha if they worship me.
Near the banks of the Yamuna, they encountered a group led by Carvaka. The atheist Guru laughed when he saw Balarama. “Where are you going to, Sir?” he asked, gazing at Balarama’s entourage. “In search of God, Carvaka. Perhaps I have found him in you? And where may you be going?” the saint asked the atheist. “I am searching for Man, Balarama. I think I have found him in you.” The atheist and the saint laughed aloud. The crowd around them joined in the laughter without comprehending a word either had spoken. “That is a dangerous thing to do, Carvaka, searching for Man in a holy crowd could get
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Balarama put his arms round the shoulders of his daughter and niece. “Carvaka, I have no great philosophy to offer except that of love. I know no mantras except that of peace. I am not an avatar, but an old man in a dhoti; an insignificant man in a land of dazzling Gods. But I will not give up. I will return in every age to walk with my children. I do not seek moksha from that. I have only one simple wish – to return to my country whenever she needs me.”
“People who have no intention of following the rules are the first to agree to them,” Suyodhana retorted disdainfully.
No ambition was purely selfless or selfish, acknowledging it honestly to oneself made life much simpler.
I find that instead of striving to become a stitaprajna, it is easier to cry when I feel sad, to laugh when I feel happy, to shout when I am angry and to embrace when I feel love. I find it far more exhilarating to be part of the wheel, even a tiny dot on it, but always in motion. In my deluded mind, I feel it would be dull being part of the axle. It is more wonderful to keep moving with the wheel than be still with the axle.”
‘Tears are cheap once deceit has done its work,’
“Blessed you are, Karna, by the Gods and by the love of the people. Remain so forever – unflinching in adversity, selfless in giving and brave hearted in battle.” “You did not bless me with victory, Pitamaha.” “No victory will be greater than yours, my son. Your name will be remembered till the sun burns in the sky.”
