PANKAJ

If "If it is meant to be, it will come to you no matter what" vs "If you want it, go get it!" We are often confronted by these two mutually exclusive thought patterns. So who wins in this classic tug of war between efforts & destiny? Welcome to yet another blog in curious case series Often I have found myself and numerous others going through this perpetual debate of efforts vs destiny when it comes to fulfilment of desires and wishes. Often, we have mixed experiences. Certain things which are meant to occur happen no matter what often without the individual putting any conscious efforts. Where in certain things for which, even if one move mountains, they simply don't move! So what's the verdict? What's the bigger truth - efforts or destiny? Can efforts outperform destiny and the existing system as it works - just like Sage Vishwamitra once tried to create a parallel universe? Barring such exceptional cases, I would like to sum up my thoughts ...

   Judgement is absence of empathy   In the last two blogs, we discussed in detail about things which took centre-stage in Bhishma's life. Coming to conclusion, Bhishma's life was a roller coaster ride and like a painful oxymoron of being the most powerful yet being the most hapless one . He took commands from masters he may not have liked and executed things which he personally might never agree to. He unwillingly fought from Kaurava's side in the Mahabharata battle and even in the battle, he could not do complete justice neither with the warrior inside him nor for the side he fought for. He fought only to prevent Kaurava's defeat and never to kill Pandavas and win the war for Kauravas. Another pity for a warrior of his stature. At this point his condition looks seriously pitiable...nowhere to go! He endured and endured before getting killed by his own great grandson Arjuna and died a death which also had an element of ploy in it. Bhishma's lif...

  Judgement is absence of empathy   Welcome to part II of this curious case series on Bhishma We discussed in the previous blog that oath which Bhishma took does not look the real problem. After all, let's not forget that the war happened between the great grandchildren of Bhisma i.e 3 generations later => his oath did serve the purpose for the timeline which he might have anticipated while taking the oath!   Thinking about the real problem, the answer according to me is the "time" it took Hastinapur to get the just and stable rule Bhishma wanted and the fact that Bhishma was no ordinary mortal. Rather, arguably the most powerful warriors of his times, one who withstood even Lord Parshurama in one-on-one battle! No surprises that Hastinapur was safe from invasions during his time. Pandu was short-lived, Dhritrashtra was blind, Drona joined Hastinapur later, Pandavas/Kauravas grew up as warriors much later. For a significant period of time, the security of the kingdom...

Judgement is absence of empathy   Bhishma, arguably has been the most discussed character from the mega epic Mahabharata. More often than not, he had been under scanner and been criticised left, right and centre for his debated inability to stop Draupadi's disrobing among other things and the eventual happening of war. Criticism of Bhishma has gone to the point that it has become like a trend among all newbies who explore the text that "read the text and blame Bhishma"! But was Bhishma as simple the character as it seems and was his decision making as easy as it sounds to enthusiasts like us? Can someone with divine origins and one who stood undefeated against Parshurama in battle, be such a simply silly person? Let’s try to explore in yet another curious case. All the criticism which Bhishma faces, roots of it mostly go to his oath of never marrying and serving loyally to the seated king of Hastinapur while never be...