Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam. Dharma sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge........

I grew up listening to the verses “Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam.
Dharma sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge...” these lines from Bhagvath Gita.. that loosely translate as
“For the up-liftment of the good and virtuous,
For the destruction of evil,
For the re-establishment of the natural law,
I will come, in every age”.....

I have heard stories about these lines being said by Krishna to Arjuna on the day of the glorified Mahabharath war... I don’t know if there was a Krishna, if there was a war... but these lines stuck to me....their power inspires me....

Over the years, as I explore life, work, passion and myself deeper I figured this is more like something I need to say to myself.... every single day... a tryst with my destiny.... a promise to rise up again and again...

If we stop to look around us, there sure is a war happening around us- not as glorified as the one at Kurukshethra...... there is no Black or White..all shades of grey.....there is no one Lord Krishna driving our chariots...but there is a war.... there is no one blowing the conch to mark end of a day...but there is a war... there is no one good or bad... no huge armies... but there is war....

and there is a killing- a massive killing of spirits, of hopes and aspirations....

Massive displacements all over the country-rural....urban.....anywhere! You either belong to the massive fancy corporate orgy, and dance and sing to their fancy aspirations or you aren’t allowed to exist...
If you live in a slum, there is a good chance you have a right to your home for as long your city corporation doesn’t see your slum as a good site for a public park or a flyover...
If you live with oil or minerals under your feet, sure the fortune will bring you doom—you just have to move out to where you are asked to move out and rebuild your life all over again...
If you want to do agriculture, you either gamble the right way looking at futures markets and subsidies( just so that, half your produce gets eaten by rodents in storage houses or for you to carry your produce to Delhi because this year your crop is “not in vogue”...)

You either belong to the glorified shining India or get hidden and invisible in the shadow of the shining India....

Working everyday with the shadowed, forgotten part of my country- walking through their lives... smiling through their joys and weeping through their struggles makes it obnoxious for me to come back to my own life, its comforts and luxuries—it makes the war clearer and louder in my head...

The war between the ones who speak today and the ones who want to speak, between the ones who are seen and the ones who want to be seen... between visibility and invisibility..between living whilst you are alive and dying whilst you are still alive.... between existence and non-existence... between voice and voiceless...power and powerless....

... to myself... who would never know where I figure in this war.....black, white, grey, visible, invisible.... I really don’t know... this war always fills me with more questions than answers.. more failures than success..more darkness than light....

At every sunrise..when the pain of yesterday’s inadequacy weighs me down, I only tell myself... that I need the strength to rise again and again...again and again... everyday... till I am alive and allowed to live... till I have a voice and am allowed one.....

and do what I think is my bit for what I see as my Dharma... my calling... I know I can’t wait for any Krishna.. to rise...(If he has to, he should have risen by now!)
..and I know... it is in me..I know, it is in a LOT of us... to resurrect... to rise again and again.. for what we see as Dharma... for what is right for that man, that woman and the child who has never known what it means to have 3 meals, a home and a right to a life.....


Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam.
Dharma sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge........

26 comments:

Silent Sensations said...
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Silent Sensations said...

I agree Kutti. I think there is a Krishna and an Arjuna in every one of us. The two always seem to be in conflict with each other. I am proud of you that you choose to associate with the Krishna in you. Indeed, pick up that chakra and charge! The world is waiting for you, Nisha!

Bacterium said...

inspired

Bacterium said...
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Unknown said...

To learn more about this bhagvat gita, I go to Swadhyay. Pujya Didiji has taught me so much about the bhagvat gita and how to add it to your day to day life. Param Pujya Dadaji is the one who made Swadhyay. Not only this one, but another line that inspires me is sarvasya chaham hrudi sannivishto. This line says that god is always within me, and will always fight with me.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

why karna should fail when he was good for every one? he did not do anything wrong, he was always true

Unknown said...

this shows the final moments of karna.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K9UgFkelyA

for a person who want to be good to all everyone left him alone in field? hmmm???? what concept is this?

രായിച്ചന്‍ said...

Do you know who has given fire to the. Karnas body it's none other than the Lord him self
Krishna only cryed two times in his life
One is when he fired the body of karna
And next is when he saw sudhama after long time

For the sake of his word and friendship karna forgot the dharma
Those who is forgetting dhrma
Whoever he might be the Lord will arise one day and punish him
Jai vasudev krishn
Jai mahadev

Unknown said...

I do not know why I read this blog or whatever you call it...i do not have any intellectual points to answer the questions you face in your writing..I too face similar if not the same questions...and I know intellectual people(based on how people in 2014 define it) will ever be able to answer your questions..I just wanted to say..that I understand your predicament..being in the corporate (so called) life still unable to understand stuff..glad i found someone who thinks similar to what i do..:)

phd thesis and article writing said...

There is meaning for everything in mahabharatha ! Karna was a good man and for friendship he was ready to do anything and he donated for everyone who came to him seeking help,hence he earned lot of punniya and beacuse of that his life could not be taken !! only after krishna takes all the punniya of his dharma, karnas life will go !

Unknown said...

the real words..!

Suvitha said...

That explains real life situation and how to come out of sorrow. A good explanation. Thanks !!!!

UT said...

Nice explanation. I was looking for one like this as was taught by my Swamiji a few years ago

Unity Park Residents' Association said...

I am of the opinion that Krishna conviently forgotten to take an avthar in Kali yuga ( as promissed in the sloka " parithranaya...)or else the situation should not have been as at present. Where is Dharma now
a days.

Or has he slightly altered the concept of single avatar into a mass one, as at present we see lot of godmen and godwomen claiming they are the incarination of god.


Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

karna did not say anything or could stop dushyasana and duryodhana when they were trying to molest draupadi. don't u think that it is sin? In our day to say life also the're lot many duryodhanas. we keep mum then it is also sin.
why karna kept mum when abhimanyu was killed allegedly. what karna did when duryodhana tried to kill all pandavas in lakshagruha. he supported duryodhana in his sinful activities.

Raghavendran said...

He was against dharma and just to prove his talent.
Rather than supporting dharma.

Venkat said...

Karna was not a good person, he accumulated all those good deeds to kill arjuna, but since Krishna was on good sides he did save panda as. Problem with us is we never tried to understand our epics other than questioning.

Unknown said...

I need only the meaning

Unknown said...

If he was a good friend, he would guide Duryodhana to be with Dharma. Rather he supported him to prove his loyalty.
What do you think Lord Krishna would have done if he was in place of Karna?

Unknown said...

If he was a good friend, he would guide Duryodhana to be with Dharma. Rather he supported him to prove his loyalty.
What do you think Lord Krishna would have done if he was in place of Karna?

Unknown said...

That is your question. To get the answer you have to raise yourself spiritually. The sattvik energy needs to be rejuvenated to get answers to these questions. I have the answer but I don't think I should be doing your work on spirituality.

Thecuriousonlooker said...
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Arun said...

Written beautifully. Nisha ji 🙏🌹

Unknown said...

Mr Unknown, there is difference situations between Dharma and Gratitude. For Example,when Yudistra seek Bheeshmar on bed of arrows, Draupadi questioned Bheesmar if he really qualified to preach Dharma bcoz Bheeshmar Himself kept quiet during Draupadi cloths stripping moments...Bheeshmar answered,that time He was unable to do anything bcoz his blood and body made full of Gauravas salt and food. Since now He is bleeding and last moment, He is fully eligible to preach Vishnu Sahasranamam. Same goes to Karna. Karma was trapped between Friendship,Gratitude and Dharma. It was vy difficult situation so cannot easily put blame on Karna.