Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-7): Mend it... EARLY.

Hi,

Offering unconditional love is the best the parents could do to their children. But does that mean they turn a blind eye to anything and everything they do? Should they ignore when they go off the track, especially during their formative years of infancy and adolescence? Let us look at the Mahabharata and take a message from it.

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Mend it... EARLY.

Pandavas and Kauravas were cousins, but always competed with each other. While they were children, Kauravas- the 100 sons of Dhritarashtra – indulged in several attempts of killing and troubling the 5 Pandavas. When Vidura brought it to the notice of Dhritarashtra, he paid no attention to it and preferred to ignore it out of his love for his children.

Later as they grew up and continued their misdeeds, he would excuse himself saying, “What can I do now? I cannot control my sons. They are too big now to listen to me.” He didn’t even try to stop them when they dragged Draupadi to his court and attempted to disrobe her. This led to the series of events that culminated in the great battle of Kurukshetra in which all of his sons got killed. Though he wept over their death and repented his earlier choices of inaction as a parent, it was too late.

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Parents have a role and responsibility in grooming their children, especially when it comes to teaching them the ethics and moral values early in their life. It is important to correct them and help them nip the issues in the bud. The challenge however is to be able to draw a line and differentiate pampering from the unconditional love while parenting.

With love and regards,

Siva

value4value@gmail.com

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-6): Your FAITH is Paramount

Hi,

It has been said, “Faith moves mountains.” But most people still lack faith in others as well as themselves in getting what they want to get. Let us recollect a story from the Mahabharata so as to reinforce our understanding of the need for having FAITH in order to take big risks and go for what we want.

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Your FAITH is Paramount

Once King Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Panadavas was performing a ‘Rajasuya Yagya’ that would install him as the supreme emperor of the region. But the biggest obstacle for that Yagya was the king Jarasandha ruling the kingdom of Magadha at that time who was very powerful and almost invincible with the boons he received from Lord Shiva.  When Lord Krishna advised Yudhishtira to send his younger brothers Bhima and Arjuna to fight with Jarasandha, he became worried about the safety of his brothers and hesitant to send them to the fight.

However, when Krishna told him of the powers of his brothers and gave him confidence that they were capable of destroying Jarasandha, he developed FAITH in Krishna’s words and accepted to send them with him. In a hard-fought duel with Jarasandha, Bhima killed him and paved the way for the success of the yagya.

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Lack of faith in oneself and others causes a lot of stress – a feeling of emotion that you do not have what it takes to get what you want to get.  While gaining FAITH in ourselves and others is the first step to remove the stress, it is also equally important for us to help others, be it our co-workers or family members, develop that faith in us through our words and deeds that are in unison.

With love and regards,

Siva

Value4value@gmail.com

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-5): Focused Mind is Key to SUCCESS

Hi,

The mind is the most powerful weapon for achieving your goals, however high they might be. We have a tendency to get attracted to everything, and in the process lose sight of what we truly want. The story from 'Mahabharata' is a reminder for all of us in today’s life.

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Focused Mind is Key to SUCCESS

Once while practicing archery lessons from their Guru Dronacharya, the hundred Kaurava brothers and the five Pandava brothers were told to shoot the eye of a toy bird kept on a tree. While aiming, when asked by the Guru, what they could see in front of them, all the brothers except Arjun said, they saw the tree, the branches, the leaves, bird and so on. However when Arjun was asked, he replied that he could see ONLY the eye of the bird, which he had to shoot. Arjun went on to become the greatest archer ever.

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Thus is the power of the focused mind, which can only see its goal to achieve it. People proved it time and again that once they chose a goal and worked on it with single-minded focus, they achieved it, irrespective of their age and stage in life. Though the earlier the better it is, it is never too late. With so many distractions all around nowadays, it is a bit of challenge to stay focused. But FOCUS is the key to success.

With love and regards,

Siva

value4value@gmail.com

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-4): Emotional derailment is destructive

Hi,

We experience and express many different kinds of emotions - anger, anguish, empathy, joy, love, hatred, fear, disgust, happiness, etc. What happens when one has no control on emotions and falls prey for them? Is it possible to experience the joy of emotions but still be able to possess control over them? The story of sage Durvasa and his encounter with the king Ambareesha reveals it.

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Emotional derailment is destructive

Ambareesha was a great Indian king who ruled with Ayodhya as his capital. He was also a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. He treated his service to people as his worship to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was so pleased with his devotion and righteousness that he blessed him with the powerful Sudarshana Chakra.

Once, Ambareesha performed the Dvadasi Vratam, which required that the king to perform various rituals of devotion for an year ending with a fast on the day of Ekadasi in Kartika masam (incidentally today the 03 Nov 14 happens to be the same auspicious day of kartika ekadasi) and break it at the start of Dvadasi and feed all the people. As the moment of breaking the fast was drawing near, the great sage Durvasa came to the court of king Ambareesha, who promptly received him with all the honors and requested to be his guest. The saint agreed, but asked the king to wait until he finished his bath in the river and returned. As the auspicious moment approached when the king had to break his fast to fulfill the vow of the vratam, the sage Durvasa did not yet return. When he was in a dilemma whether to wait for the sage or break the fast, sage Vasishta advised him to break his fast by taking a tulasi leaf with water so as not to miss the auspicious moment. He ate the tulasi leaf, and waited for the arrival of sage Durvasa to offer him food.

On his return, Durvasa, who was known for his ego and short temper, came to know about it and felt that the king had insulted him by eating without waiting for him. Though the king very humbly asked for forgiveness, Durvasa could not control his anger as his emotions of insult overtook him. Using his great powers, he created a demon and ordered him to kill the king.  The king Ambareesha, without feeling perturbed, prayed to Lord Vishnu. Soon the Sudarshana chakra intervened, destroyed first the demon, and then started chasing the sage, who went running to all the worlds to save himself, but the chakra chased him wherever he went. Finally, he went to Lord Vishnu, who advised that the only way to escape from the chakra was to go back to the king and seek his pardon. The sage, realizing his blunder, rushed to the king and fell at his feet. Ambareesha was so kind and humble that he received and treated the sage with utmost respect, love, and care without any feelings of revenge.

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Look at Durvasa! He was a Brahmarshi, a great sage who acquired enormous powers with several years of prayers and strict penance, but lost them in a split second as he did not have control on his emotions – his anger, his feelings of insult. His powers were destroyed for a lost cause as he could not forgive. Look at Ambareesha! He was beautiful as he  was serene, calm, composed, forgiving, and respectful with no feelings of revenge or hatred against Durvasa. Emotions are a natural part of human system. But the point is whether we are in the grip of our emotions or we have mastered our moods and gained control over our emotions.  Emotional intelligence is a skill that can be acquired, through conscious efforts for peace, success, and happiness – at home and office.

With love and regards,

Siva

value4value@gmail.com