The Cost Of Success

“Bhagavan, who is a treasure of happiness and the home of mercy, can only be won over by ecstatic, meaningful devotion. Giving up attachment, arrogance, and pride, one should always be devoted to the husband of Sita.” (Dohavali, 135)

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भाव बस्य भगवान सुख निधान करुना भवन।
तजि ममता मद मान भजिअ सदा सीता रवन ॥

bhāva basya bhagavāna sukha nidhāna karunā bhavana।
taji mamatā mada māna bhajia sadā sītā ravana ॥

“I have studied the lives of the successful. Not to so much at an in-depth level. It is not like I would claim to be an expert on the subject, but I have read and heard enough to notice discernable patterns. I did not limit my analysis to a specific area of interest, either.

“There appears to be a huge price to pay for success. As an example, take professional wrestlers. It seems like every other day one of them is passing away. They were a huge star twenty or thirty years ago. They left the world too soon. People cannot understand why, as the physical appearance conveys strength and vitality.

“The reason is the many sacrifices that had to be made along the way. Travelling from one venue to another, three hundred days in a year. Managing your own travel arrangements. Taking a beating inside of the ring. Facing the pressure to fall asleep on time. Trying to eat in a healthy way, when convenience is a luxury.

“This leads people to question the whole setup. Why chase fame and fortune when you won’t be alive to enjoy it? Why try to please a paying audience when your family at home is neglected? How can anyone be proud of their accomplishments? Do you know what I mean?

“What is the solution? Should people not work hard? Should they not seek excellence? Should they just give up, remain mediocre, and wait for death to approach”

As with every shortcoming we come across, we can make a comparison to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Goswami Tulsidas says that Bhagavan is a treasure of happiness, sukha. He is the very home of mercy, karuna. At the same time, we know that God is the most accomplished. He is responsible for the material world, which involves work at the highest scale imaginable.

न च मां तानि कर्माणि
निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय
उदासीन-वद् आसीनम्
असक्तं तेषु कर्मसु

na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi
nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam
asaktaṁ teṣu karmasu

“O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached, seated as though neutral.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.9)

Despite the assumed difficulty, the work does not bind Him. Bhagavan is not tired. He is not worn out. He is not sacrificing anything in the process. He maintains a neutral posture. He is not involved in the outcomes, whether up or down, high or low, ahead or behind.

In the face of such a comparison, what sane person would hold onto their pride? What is there to be arrogant over? Even if I have done so much, there are so many sacrifices I have had to make. We can call these tradeoffs. At the very least, I suffer fatigue. I have likely damaged my body in so many ways, taking shortcuts to stay ahead.

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोध: पारुष्यमेव च ।
अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम् ॥ ४ ॥

dambho darpo ’bhimānaś ca
krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca
ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya
pārtha sampadam āsurīm

“Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance—these qualities belong to those of demonic nature, O son of Pritha.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.4)

Rather, we should abandon pride, arrogance, haughtiness, and strong attachments. This should be done in favor of worship of the husband of Sita. There is nothing lost in the process. He is most merciful. He will not hold our longstanding arrogance against us.

If we were foolish enough to think that there is no central controller to the universe. If we mistakenly trusted our own ability to be exercised to the level equaling infallibility. If we presumed to remain in the top position forever, not falling down due to the influence of time.

Whatever mistakes we made can be left behind. The attachment should be towards Bhagavan. It should be towards the one who is known as Rama. The attachment should be to serving His lotus feet. That service is the source of all happiness, like opening a treasure that never runs out.

In Closing:

Of happiness beyond measure,
Like finding a treasure.

Which never empty to be,
Since source of everything is He.

Giving up arrogance and pride,
At His lotus feet reside.

Following devotion’s way,
With Sita-Rama to stay.