“O You of great intellect, not even the demigods can fathom the level of Your intelligence. Due to bereavement Your wisdom is currently in a dormant state, and I am here to rouse it.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 66.19)

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बुद्धिश्च ते महाप्राज्ञ देवैरपि दुरन्वया
शोकेनाभिप्रसुप्तं ते ज्ञानं सम्बोधयाम्यहम्

buddhiśca te mahāprājña devairapi duranvayā
śokenābhiprasuptaṃ te jñānaṃ sambodhayāmyaham

“Whether good or bad, we live in a time where people tend to question things, and in particular any longstanding tradition. For instance, the school system. Is it really the best idea to have children stuck in a room for eight hours a day, when they would be much happier roaming free and discovering on their own? Should both parents be at the office, with no one managing the house? What about all of these injections given to children at a young age? Are they better off without them? Are people healthier eating different kinds of food? Have we been eating wrong, as a society, this entire time?

“Religion is ripe for the picking, if you ask me. That is because so many of the rituals, practices, recommendations, procedures, atonements, and what have you are rooted in tradition. People tend to not question tradition. They follow along because that is how people have always done things. Why would they want to be different? Why try something new when there is an existing track record to compare against?

“Well, one aspect of the tradition in the Vedas is to avoid lamentation. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada even says that lamentation is one of the indications of a lower standard of living. Namely, the shudra class is known to easily lament. The shudras are the lowest of the four orders, or varnas, for the proper functioning of society. The priority is based on advancement of consciousness, in what is considered most important for the duration of the human existence.

“You find similar recommendations outside of religious circles, as well. For instance, a leader warns against perpetually feeling like a victim. Whether others are putting you down, discriminating against you, oppressing you, or are just using harsh words, what is crying about it going to do? If you sink into the victim mentality, you essentially let the aggressors win. Even if you have sufficient justification for airing your grievances, it is better to make advancement your priority. In other words, focus on the positive. Don’t keep crying over stuff.

“Well, someone today might argue that people are not crying enough. What is wrong if I lament the loss of a loved one? If I am scared of a newly introduced virus, shouldn’t I be applauded for my consideration? I am thinking about danger, after all. What do you expect us to be, robots? We have emotion for a reason. Why should we artificially suppress that emotion? Do you see what I am saying?”

We could say that this is one of the premises for the famous conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Bhagavad-gita begins with lamentation. The sadness, fear, and uncertainty are so extreme for Arjuna that the bow slips out of his hand. It is an inopportune moment, considering the task at hand. Arjuna is expected to lead a military unit, to take down aggressors who had stolen property and squatted on it for far too long. Those wrongdoers even tried to eliminate any opposition. There is no risk of disagreement if you kill innocent people. There is no risk of a verdict going against you if the plaintiffs never make it to the courtroom.

श्री भगवानुवाच
अशोच्यनन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ
prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.11)

If we were depending on someone to complete an important task, would we like it if they were overcome by emotion? If they couldn’t do their job because they were too sad over a recent loss, heartache, or negative outcome, would we understand? Would we appreciate their succumbing to grief? Would we praise them for being sensitive?

Of course, a kind human being understands what others go through. We wish others well, but work still has to carry on. After all, there are people still living. There are people going through the life experience. The sun still shines. The sun witnesses everything good and bad. The earth still provides for the continuation of life. It might grumble every now and then, quaking at the burden of consequences accumulated by a sinful population. But the earth is steady. If fixtures of nature carry forward, then why shouldn’t the same be expected of leaders?

या चेयं जगतां माता देवी लोकनमस्कृता
अस्याश्च चलनं भूमेर्दृश्यते सत्यसंश्रव

yā ceyaṃ jagatāṃ mātā devī lokanamaskṛtā
asyāśca calanaṃ bhūmerdṛśyate satyasaṃśrava

“O Lord of Koshala, even the Earth, who is the mother of the world and respected by everyone, suffers distress in the form of earthquakes.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 66.10)

Arjuna is not a bad person for giving way to grief. He is not weak for thinking about the death toll that will surely manifest due to hostilities. Sure, Krishna mildly chastises Arjuna, for showing signs of anarya, which is the lack of culture. Krishna expects better of Arjuna. Still, Arjuna has Krishna for support. Arjuna eventually stands up and carries forward with his occupational duties.

The Supreme Lord as Shri Rama laments after His beloved wife goes missing in the Dandaka forest. In that case, rather than drop His weapons, Rama is prepared to destroy the entire world. This is the retaliation for allowing someone as blameless as Sita to be harmed. Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana is kind enough to step into the unnatural role of guide. Lakshmana reminds Rama that the instruction being provided has Rama as the source. Lakshmana remembered everything he was taught and is now returning the favor.

In Closing:

Lamenting in different ways,
Too scared or arrows to spray.

Arjuna overcome by grief,
Rama sad beyond belief.

But permanently sidelined not the best,
Sobriety in considering the rest.

How life to continue forward moving,
The wise against lamentation choosing.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, lakshmana, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana