Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-16): Who is Your Jambavan?

Hi,

Do we really only use 10% of our brains? Is it true that the average person rarely achieves but a small portion of his or her potential? If yes, why is it so? Are we in the first place aware that we possess a lot more potential that we can tap for our own success? Perhaps not! Let us look at this incident from the Ramayana to learn how such potential can be recognised and realised.

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Who is Your Jambavan?

When the vanaras faced the challenge of selecting the warrior who could cross the sea, enter Lanka, see Sita Devi, and return; they were overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. No one including Angada, Gaja, Gavaaksha seemed to have that capability. Then, the oldest of the vanaras – Jambavan looked at Hanuman and said, “I feel that Hanuman has the skill and strength to do it.” But Hanuman appeared to be neither knowing it nor confident about it. 

Jambavan knew that Hanuman was the mightiest and the most intelligent of all the vanaras. He walked up to Hanuman and helped him remember his own greatness by saying, “O Hanuman, when you were a child you imagined the rising sun to be a fruit and flew very high towards the sun effortlessly. Remember Brahma, Indra, Varuna, Vayu, Agni, Yama, and others blessed you with several boons. No weapon can kill you. You can fly faster than the wind. You are the equal of Garuda.  Realise your true strength and spring forward. You can cross the sea with a single step. You alone can help us fulfil Rama’s purpose.” 

Jambavan thus praised Hanuman and reminded him of his strength and roused his dormant courage. At once, Hanuman grew in stature, size, and form. From then on, Hanuman became the hero of the Ramayana.

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Who is your Jambavan? Do you have a mentor who is inspiring you to realise your hidden talents and latent potential? At the same time, can you also become a Jambavan for those you deal with at home and office? 

 

With love and regards,

Siva

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-15): Enthusiasm is Key to Success

Hi

People are most productive when they are cheerful and least when depressed. Failure leads to depression. But that depression will only lead to further failure. Is it possible to remain enthusiastic at such times so that we could recover faster and stay on the road to success? Let us look at this incident from Sundarakanda of The Ramayana.

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Enthusiasm is Key to Success

Hanuman went to Lanka to locate Sita Devi. He searched every place without leaving even an inch of Lanka unsearched. But he failed to locate Sita Devi. He felt very depressed. He thought for a moment and imagined how serious the consequences would be if he returned home without the news of Sita Devi, “The vanaras will die of heartbreak. Rama will not be alive. Lakshmana won’t be either.” He felt so depressed that he even thought it would be better for him to die than to return without the news of Sita Devi. 

But, he was very wise. He quickly overcame his depression as he said to himself, “Enthusiasm is the root of all welfare. It is the ultimate joy. It is enthu of a man that drives him forward in all of his endeavors. Enthu is what makes all acts of man successful. I will now discard all the depression from my mind and start searching for Sita Devi with enthu.” With such thoughts, he came out of his depression.

There lied the Ashoka Vanam right in front of him. Though he searched earlier the whole of Lanka, it was not to be seen. Now that his mind was filled with enthu, it became visible and he could locate Sita Devi in it and complete his mission to Lanka successfully.

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That’s what happens. When mind is depressed, opportunities become invisible; people become weaker, feel helpless, and get frustrated. On the other hand, with enthu people become positive, optimistic, and energetic. Suddenly, the obstacles start appearing as opportunities. Enthu transforms ‘impossible’ to I’m possible. 

With love and regards,

Siva

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-14): Unselfishness is more gainful – How?

Hi

It is a matter of choices everywhere. It is normal to go for the one that gives the highest benefit to the self. But the challenge arises when it is beneficial to the self but not fair to do so. How did Yudhishthira respond when tested with such a situation? Let us look at this incident from the Mahabharata

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Unselfishness is more gainful – How?

One day, during the period of aranyavasa, Yudhishthira sent his brother Nakula to fetch water from a nearby pond. When Nakula was about to take water from the pond, he heard a voice, “The pool belongs to me. Answer my questions before drinking water from it.” Nakula did not care to respond, drank water from it, and immediately died. Then Sahadeva, Arjuna, and Bhima went one after the other, did not care to respect the words of the voice (yaksha), drank water, and dropped to the ground.

Finally, Yudhishthira went there and the same voice warned him. But, he promptly answered all the questions to which the Yaksha felt happy and told him, “I am impressed with your answers. I will revive 1 out your 4 dead brothers. Whom do you want? He shall come back to life.” Yudhishthira thought for a moment and asked for Nakula to be brought alive. The Yaksha was further pleased at this and asked Yudhishthira, “Why did you choose Nakula instead of Bhima and Arjuna who are more powerful?” Yudhishthira replied, “Kunti and Madri were two wives of my father. As I am son of Kunti, she is not completely bereaved. In order that the scale of justice may be even, I ask that Madri’s son Nakula may revive.”

The Yaksha was so pleased with Yudhishthira’s impartiality that he brought all the 4 brothers back to life.

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Yudhishthira followed dharma and remained fair when tested. It may be tempting to go for undue gains and unfair means of wealth. But in the long run, it is the unselfish fairness that fetches the best and the most. 

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With love and regards,

Siva

Monday Motivation From Scriptures (MMFS-13): What Belongs to You, Will Come to You

Hi,

Is it right to crave to obtain things through unfair means? Would it be possible to not to fall prey to the lure of things that rightfully don’t belong to? Let us take a look at what Bharata did when he encountered such a situation..

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What Belongs to You, Will Come to You

After Rama and Lakshmana left for the forest, their father King Dasaratha became grief-stricken and eventually died. The high priests and ministers of the kingdom told Bharata, “The king has gone to the world above. Rama and Lakshmana are in the forest. The land is now without a king. It is right that you should become the new king. This is your kingdom lawfully descended to you from your ancestors. Please accept our request.”

But, the noble Bharata replied to them, “How can you ask me to usurp what belongs to another far nobler and more worthy than I? The kingdom belongs to my elder brother, Rama. He is the rightful king. I will go to the forest and bring him back.”

Bharata went to the forest, met Rama, and pleaded him to return. But Rama convinced him otherwise. Bharata thus became the king and ruled the kingdom for several years with dharma.

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Being righteous, Bharata did not want to take undue advantage of his brother’s absence. He did not succumb to the pressures of others to gain the power. It required tremendous amount of courage, integrity, and an attitude of unselfishness to do so. What belongs to us comes to us sooner or later in some form or the other. And, what doesn’t rightfully belong to us is bound to go. 

With love and regards,

Siva