Practical spiritual insights from deceptions in Ramayana

    Itihasapuranas provide a deep and vast insight into not just the human dimensions of life, but also to subtle, esoteric aspects of our spiritual dimension. While most of the information we can grasp easily is simple and ready for our consumption, there are layers which require interpretation and guidance. Some of them come from piecing them like pieces of a super giant jigsaw puzzle.

    One such concept is the idea of deception. It is a very simple playbook if one were to look at the Mahabharata. We find two types of deceptions – adharmic and dharmic. Examples of adharmic deception will include how Duryodhana poisoned Bhima, tried to kill the Pandavas using the Lakshagraha or switched Shakuni as the dice roller instead of himself. Dharmic deception would include how the Pandavas had to spend the one year of agyatavasa as incognito. The motives and actions would determine the nature of deception.

    Deception would be the idea of painting a falsity as real. It may be usually with others, whereas unknowingly we may be deceiving ourselves. It may be easier to recognize one person deceiving another, but self deception is deep rooted in our ignorance at many levels. Unless there is a deep GunaKarma transformation, even accidental exposure to truth brings no change. As there are many layers to this idea of deception, we will resort to select cases from the Valmiki Ramayana to translate them into lessons for our personal growth and inner re-engineering. A key aspect to understanding Ramayana is, it is not only multi-layered and esoteric, but also hides a lot of allegorical insights. We will look past the literal incident to gather this sapience, as our primary intent is to apply this in our personal lives and profit from this perceptiveness. This is not a mysterious unraveling of the Ramayana, but aligning it to a spiritual dimension, so we can advance one more step in that direction.

Kaikeyi’s betrayal: A spouse is closest one’s self. Despite ranking high on Dasaratha’s fondness, right after Rama, driven by Tamas and selfishness, Kaikeyi sought two self-serving boons.

Practical spiritual insights for us: This is a huge lesson in Tamas. When one is in its grip, which can happen to anyone, the actions are driven by pure selfishness and the idea of self is highly limited to “I”, “Me” and “Myself”. The same was true for Dasaratha as his idea was centered around Rama, HIS son and HIS affections for HIM. This ultimately cost his life. Is it wrong to look for selfish interests, one may ponder?

    This is where Shastras and Upanishads shed their wisdom. The real deception is in our understanding that we are the body, the wealth, the relationships, the status, our dreams, aspirations and/or ideas. What is the wisdom through the eyes of the realized? We are Atman and this nature of the Atman gets deceptively misplaced and misunderstood. The best and simplest words that demystify these false notions is the discussion between Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

न वा अरे पत्युः कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति । न वा अरे जायायै कामाय जाया प्रिया भवति, आत्मनस्तु कामाय जाया प्रिया भवति । na vā are patyuḥ kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati, ātmanastu kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati | na vā are jāyāyai kāmāya jāyā priyā bhavati, ātmanastu kāmāya jāyā priyā bhavati | (Br. Up. 2-4-5)

    It is not for the sake of the husband, my dear, that he is loved, but for one’s own sake that he is loved. It is not for the sake of the wife, my dear, that she is loved, but for one’s own sake that she is loved.

Clear message – Know thy real self.

Asuras hiding in nearby jungles: Asuras like Tataka, Mareecha, Subahu lurking always nearby. The dark forces are always infested by various powerful creatures, ready for a fatal strike. The jungle itself is the deception.

Practical spiritual insights for us: The jungle represents the world of sense and object interactions. These interactions spark the rising of primordial desires which take over the ordinary person by sheer force and numbers. The story of deception runs more along the lines of Ilvala and Vatapi, who were terminated by Agastya Maharishi. As we ingest these objects with reckless abandon, they in turn wreck us from within. For the sages who try to tame the asuras like Vishwamitra, there is a lot of deceptive attack. Bringing Viveka and Vairagya as Rama-Lakshmana is the only way to frontally take down the attack on our senses and the attraction of the sense objects. Just like Tataka kicked up a dust storm after her limbs were chopped, these forces are more powerful than what meets the eye. These temptations are much closer to us, hidden in the jungle of sense objects, waiting to pounce on us, though they are far away from Ravana.

Shurpanaka: Even though a chance encounter, this asuric woman unleashed her evil attack on Sita to trying to eliminate them using Khara-Dhushana and eventually Ravana, only to satisfy her revenge of not getting to enjoy either Rama or Lakshmana.

Practical spiritual insights for us: She represents the activated Tamasic Vasanas. When there was no encounter, there is still the lurking danger, but once activated these tamasic vasanas turn into a very deadly one. The driver is always extreme selfishness that powers extremes of anger, greed, jealousy and delusion. The initial plot is filled with juicy false attractions. If resisted, the fangs come out. These do not die without a trace, as they activate deeper reserves. Every sadaka knows that there is the danger of this lurking residual vasana.

    This tamas doesn’t rest with a defeat. It stirs up powerful Khara and Dhushana. It knows exactly how to animate a reckless mind, intoxicated by sense addiction, as in Ravana. Tamas tries to enjoy the entire Parabrahman for itself, as ahamkari, “I”. It is akin to Ramakrishna’s parable of a salt doll wanting to fathom the ocean to measure its depth. Tamas cannot stand the reflection of Brahman. So it turns to destroy it. Just like the logical Sanatana Dharma reveals the limitations of egotistical people. So they convert it to HINDUPHOBIA or convert themselves to another cult to spew even more bigotry. Shurpanka wanted to destroy what she couldn’t achieve.

 

Mareecha, the deceptive deer: The most classic deception of Mareecha luring Rama away and eventually Lakshmana.

Practical spiritual insights for us: When the Jiva (Sita) gets attached to a false idea in the world, even if is a well established deception, it promotes the desertion of Viveka and Vairagya, to wander aimlessly chasing the phantasm. The defenses of the Jiva (Viveka-Vairagya) get weaker due to the shifting of the weight of the Jiva in favor of the illusory deception. This Kama vasana, want of some sensory object, when misplaced, will always lead the Jiva into misery, sooner or later.

    Interestingly, with Viveka gone, the same sense objects that caused trepidation in the Jiva as samsaric bondage, suddenly starts appealing back. In normal life, we see even sannyasis getting back to grihastha life or ending with huge ashrams for pomp and glory. The call of the sense objects is intense and irresistible to any Jiva without Rama, the Viveka.

    There is an interesting aspect on Mareecha, who never finishes his evolution, unlike Sugriva. The distraction of sense objects for Vishwamitra yagna was merely banished, it came to attack indirectly the defenseless rishis. It tried to evolve under the threat of Rama baana, but a powerful distracted mind, running in ancient channels of vasana redeploys these ancient patterns. Moved by the Jiva’s quest for this sense object, a reluctant Viveka goes chasing a phantom ideal. Before perishing these vasanas merely appeal to the Jiva with illusory distractions to throw it off the track.

Sita trick to send away Lakshmana: There is a tense moment when Sita deliberately sends Lakshmana away with caustic words.

Practical spiritual insights for us: Sita is a divine incarnate moving the story plot for a definite purpose of the destruction of Ravana and his cohorts. But for us, losing Viveka and Vairagya, the Jiva is extremely vulnerable.

    A Jiva that has got distracted with the sense object is destined for this end result. If it happened to a disciplined Jiva, Sita, due to singular object, one can’t shudder enough to think about us, launching in endless quests in the pursuit of sensory objects coupled with very strong emotions, leaving behind strong Vasanas.

Deceptive Sannyasi, Ravana: In the absence of Viveka-Vairagya, the Jiva is very vulnerable to the raw forces of the mind. The Jiva is literally carried away by this unruly mind, that is a strong fortress for the evil, not easy to figure out or uproot.

Practical spiritual insights for us: Exposing ourselves to the raw forces of the senses and sense objects, their expressions are amplified through a mind ravaged by vasanas and kama modifications become very hard to confront. This deception is like the calm before a hurricane that spawns so many twisters. The Jiva with even a singular mental leak towards the externalized world is highly vulnerable, let alone normal people like us, who are voluntarily burying ourselves with so many desires.

    Ravana demonstrated the trickery. Tamas simulates a state that trascends the three gunas, just like ashes simulate ashes covering the hidden dangerous embers of Vasanas. The undefended Jiva cannot discern these two states. Every spiritual sadhaka has to face this conundrum, which is why a Guru is crucial, someone who has already had that experience and kind enough to share it with us, so we can be spared of the danger.

Hanuman meets Rama: Hanuman is determined to know everything about Rama Lakshmana without revealing much. His culture and education shines brightly, but as the case of any Bhakta in front of Bhagawan, there are no secrets.

Practical spiritual insights for us: Just like Hanuman spilled all his secrets in front of Rama, any connection with Brahman is going to straighten us and put us deep rooted in Satya and in the path of Dharma. That is why we study Jnanis and great Bhaktas, who may not even be formally educated in shastras, like Sabhari, but due to this wondrous connection with Parabrahman, their actions are aligned with the Supreme and Dharma of the highest order exudes through every step.

Dead Rama: Ravana uses his trump card, Indrajit, as soon as war erupts. Indrajit uses illusion to pin down Rama Lakshmana using Naaga arrows. It appears as certain death, as there is no human way to unlock this fate. Ravana uses this pause as certain victory. He sends Sita along with Trijata and other rakshasis to witness Rama’s certain death, so she might changer her attitude towards him. A shocked Sita is consoled by Trijata who gives definite logical reasons why Rama Lakshmana are alive. Garuda appears mysteriously to liberate from the naaga bondage.

Practical spiritual insights for us: In a spiritual journey, which is everyone’s life, however adharmic it may be, we all come to this cross road. All our human efforts are exhausted at some point and there seems no hope for the Jiva. Some sanity in the form of having faith in Guru’s words, Shastras console us like Trijata. It is impossible to exist without this consolation as certain destruction and deception exists all around.

    Indrajit was able to pin Rama Lakshmana but cannot defeat them. In the same way our spiritual practices, our own real nature of SatChitAnanada gets shrouded in extreme darkness. It appears we have lost our way and our mission. It appears the dark forces are invincible. Just like Garuda’s sudden appearance revealed a subtle divine connection that exists at all times, we can always count on this unexpected spiritual help as divine forces are constantly looking for deserving (all of us) places to contribute their energy. The only question is, are we ready like Rama Lakshmana to receive this surge? The bondage of Rama Lakshmana was actually weak and impotent in front of their energies, but as Garuda provided the divine boost, so shall we too. The imperishability of Atman and extreme kindness of Paramatman to assist us in every possible way in this upward journey are the real secrets hidden in this episode of deception.

Dead Sita: After many leaders on Ravana’s side perished, Indrajit wanted to buy some time by executing a decoy Sita in front of Hanuman, the lone warrior who could identify her positively, thus completing the psychological assault on Rama Lakshmana. Indrajit’s plan was to complete his spiritual project at Nikumbhila, so he can unleash his invincibility. Vibhishana spills the secret and seeks Lakshmana be sent out immediately to destroy Indrajit.

Practical spiritual insights for us: When we lose sight of the very purpose of our existence, we crumble down and there is no recourse. It happens when we lose our beloved or all our wealth or anything we love intensely. But as we can open our mind to listen to the voice of rationale, like Vibhishana established in Dharma, we realize that all we got caught was an elaborate net of darkness and deception.

    No Jiva can ever run out of the ultimate motive, know its real self, despite losing all its apparent aspirations or possessions. If we flip the script and see Rama as the aspiring Jiva and Sita as the Moksha Devi, the Jiva is befuddled and frustrated as Moksha eludes it completely. There is still lots of Purushartha to be exerted. Remembering that Moksha is of the imperishable state and not that of a temporary aspiration, is the key.

    The adage says the darkest period is just before the dawn is true even in our spiritual journey. Without periodic inputs from Dharma like we see from Trijata, Vibhishana, we cannot cross over this immense forest of darkness filled with deception at every turn. Every Jiva must be sensitive to not only receive, but also apply these subtle inputs. Deceptions in Ramayana are truly a window into the depths of wisdom in it. It has practical applications to every Jiva and nothing is more detrimental than us rejecting the wisdom and thinking it as a fictitious story. Ramayana gives us not just Dharmic insights for every person live, but very powerful subtle awareness to the traps in our spiritual path and how to overcome them.

 

ॐ तत् सत

Dharmasankata

 

    Choices are the central part of desires, that keep us excited and running from one object to the other, without really trying to grasp the why, what and how behind. Naturally, we assume the greater the options in front and coupled with the freedom to choose endlessly, the human mind can get long lasting happiness. But real world experience seems to contradict this notion. It doesn’t take a subtle dharmic mind to realize the truth of Sri Krishna’s wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita (दु:खालयमशाश्वतम् duḥkha-ālayam aśāśvatam BG 8-13) – an abode of miseries and temporary in nature.

    Contrary to the wisdom, the masses are convinced that choices provide freedom and even if the best option, if available as the lone alternative, feels curtailing. What we fail to see with these unlimited options is, there are repercussions, mostly undesirable and certainly unexpected. But on the other end of the spectrum, certain choices turn out to the best option as it resonates perfectly. It may be easier to grasp this concept with an example. A person desiring to consume food may be driven by numerous reasons besides hunger, say social obligations, boredom etc. Naturally there are endless choices of viands to ingest. Some options like drugs, alcohol and tamasic junk food may be more enticing, but they do leave a negative footprint with the subject. On the other hand, some foods align perfectly with the constitution of the individual for the given time and may be the most nourishing.

    The random endless choices we chase after bring many Karmaphala. It is hard to not expect the fruits as these are all driven by Kama. Once we are caught in this cesspool, we keep chasing different objects of desire, imagining the happiness can be endlessly sought from running from object to object. Contrast this mindset with aligning ourselves with DHARMA. On the surface it looks we are limited. There are restrictions and boundaries. Interestingly DHARMA is a spectrum. As one traverses from a lower end to higher end, it may appear the freedom of choices seem to be reducing, but the real FREEDOM comes with our alignment with the highest. On a secular level, it aligns with our duty, that ought to be performed at that moment. Since DHARMA cleaves Kama, it also offers the option not to chase the Karmaphala, thus liberating us from our actions.

DHARMASANKATA (धर्म संकट)- संकट is usually understood as distress, difficulty, pain. But the root word also indicates a contracted, narrow strait, a constricted passage, difficult to navigate. DHARMA has numerous meanings from righteousness to duty, right, morality, law and much more. When we compound these two words in DHARMASANKATA, we realize that there is a difficulty in choosing between two seemingly close yet distinct alternatives. The choice of each one is right, yet leaves an unpalatable aftertaste due to the omission of the other.

Who is affected? The majority of the masses are either ignorant or find it undesirable to observe and uphold Dharma as violating or bending it seems to give quick results of desire, in Kali Yuga. This category will not perceive Dharmasankata as they are willingly bending Dharma already. The ones like Rama, Krishna, Vidura are filled with a superior understanding of Dharma that when they find themselves in such a scenario, they do not struggle to uphold the subtler, superior Dharma.

 

    We are left with a small group of people like many of us, who are upwardly mobile in the Dharma understanding, but lack clarity in the gradation of Dharma. So, how can we get clarity? Only through the time tested way of peeking into Itihasapuranas, studying the numerous case studies and correlating it back with our own situation, we can grasp not only what is a real Dharmasankata and how to resolve it correctly. We will limit to the following examples from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. We will look at the situation, the dilemma/dharmasankata, resolution and its outcome.

Ramayana: Lets look at a few from Ramayana.

Dasaratha sending Rama with Vishwamitra: The overzealous Dasaratha promises to bide by whatever Vishwamitra asks only to be caught in his filial love for Rama.

Dharmasankata: Torn between fatherly love, affection and protect his son vs keeping up his word. The dilemma seems easy for the sanctimonious, but the dilemma is real between fatherly love and role vs sending a child to what one believed as certain death, just to keep up his word.

Resolution: Luckily Vasishta was there to not only inject some sense to Dasaratha but also encourage him that Vishwamitra was there to open the door to great blessings for Rama.

Take away: Listen to the Dharmically more aligned to correct the imbalance. In our case, if we cannot get such a person, we have access to dharma understanding through regular study of the Itihasapuranas.

Dasratha being sought to send Rama to forest: Kaikeyi invokes two past boons and tries to send Rama to the forest for fourteen years.

Dharmasankata: The promise to crown him as his next heir, coupled with his desire to see Rama as the next King vs keeping up one’s words. Two sets of promises, one to his citizens and another to his wife.

Resolution: Kaikeyi takes advantage of the senseless state of Dasratha to inform Rama, who calmly accepts the dilemma as his directive.

Take away: When we are in dilemma, a calmer sensible force or personality may take charge based on a superior understanding of Dharma. All we need to do is submit to it. But in case of Dasaratha, the separation from Rama turned fatal.

Hanuman in Lanka: Overwhelmed with not finding Sita, Hanuman is extremely distressed.

Dharmasankata: Due to extreme depression, Hanuman is able to only think of the negative consequences of every step. He weighs every negative outcome and is caught in a deadly trap to the abyss. Caught in a whirlpool of negative thought, all one sees is the possibility of doom at every step.

Resolution: Hanuman stands on all the Dharma and Jnana he has studied and practiced all this life to instruct himself-Non-depression is root of development. Absence of despondency is the greatest comfort. Self reliance always is indeed the promoter in all matters. (अनिर्वेदः श्रियो मूलम् अनिर्वेदः परम् सुखम् | अनिर्वेदो हि सततम् सर्व अर्थेषु प्रवर्तकः || anirvedah shriyo mulam anirvedah param sukham | anirvedo hi satatam sarva artheshu pravartakah || VR 5-12-10)

Take away: Find reasons to shake over the depression, despondency and negative thinking. Only by our practice and not merely by bookish understanding can we implement this at an hour of distress. The Dharma we have observed will come to our rescue with critical thinking, even when no external help is possible.

Vibhishana leaves Ravana for Rama: After consistently trying to uphold Dharma and seeking to bring Ravana on to the right path, the failed Vibhishana when threatened with his life, seeks refuge at Rama’s feet.

Dharmasankata: Leaving the Dharma of supporting the brother and his clan vs joining the fatal enemy, appears for selfish gain of the throne.

Resolution: Vibhishana’s choice is based on upholding Dharma at all costs. Relationship has no value when life and existence itself is threatened. Besides Vibhishana knew that Rama was a divine personality.

Take away: Submit to Dharma at all costs. When in dilemma Saranagati to Bhagawan opens all doors.

Mahabharata: Now for a few examples from the Mahabharata.

Shantanu – Ganga: Smitten by love, Shantanu agrees never to challenge Ganga’s actions

Dharmasankata: Watching her kill seven of their new born, as soon as they were born and witnessing the horror of the eighth victim vs breaking his word. Saving a life vs word.

Resolution: Shantanu intervened and thus protected Bhishma, who turned out to the greatest acharya outside Krishna and Vyasa.

Take away: When it comes to protecting or saving a life, even himsa is acceptable, let alone breaking up of a promise.

Shantanu – Satyvati: Dasharaja, the fisherman father of Satyavati, overwhelmed Shantanu that only Satyavati’s children must be the heirs to the kingdom and not Devavrata, who was qualified in every way.

Dharmasankata: Choice of Kama centered action by rejecting the qualified son, Bhishma vs the welfare of his kingdom.

Resolution: Just like in Ramayana, Rama resolved the dilemma by going to the forest, Devavrata promised that he will be a life long Brahmachari and see the kingdom to be in a strong position till an heir from Satyavati lineage is established, thus transforming into Bhishma.

Take away: Step up and resolve the Dharmasankata around you, especially if it is centered on you.

Satyavati: Upon the death of her sons, Vichitravirya and Chitrangadha, there was no heir. She tried to get Bhishma married to her widows – Ambika and Ambalika, only to be reminded of his lifelong Brahmacharya. She then turns to her other son, Vyasa and asks his to procreate through Niyoga.

Dharmasankata: Faced with the impossibility to witness the death of an empire vs bending the options.

Resolution: Niyoga through Vyasa was a brilliant tactical move of Satyavati, but the actions of Ambika and Ambalika who were reluctant participants gave rise to disastrous consequences.

Take away: Participate in your actions with clarity. Seek it before embarking, with a clear mission in focus. Even if DharmaSankata is resolved, an half-hearted involvement yields incomplete or contrary results.

Ekalavya’s incident: Ekalavya learnt the secrets of archery without actually getting the permission from Drona, when he was rejected permission at the Ashrama.

Dharmasankata: Drona was caught between offending a disciple par excellence vs his role as a teacher for the princes and also a close advisor of the King.

Resolution: Drona realized that Ekalavya’s loyalty was to the evil king Jarasandha. Not punishing Ekalavya would imply empowering the enemy. So with a lot of tact he got Ekalavya’s thumb as Gurudakshina. This earned Drona lots of ignominy due to the lack of understanding of the masses.

Take away: Do the right thing without any fear of retributions.

Yudhishtra plays dice: Despite Vyasa’s warning of the internecine war and a prolonged 13 years of Pandava suffering, Vidura’s generic warning that the game of dice is not good and his own insights, Yudhishtra is put on the spot to give a response to the messenger, Vidura.

Dharmasankata: Invited for a battle or a game of dice meant as a Kshatriya one has to accept. If he declined, it would also result in war over misunderstanding. Accepting an Adharmic game also meant that consequences will not be ideal. Choice, in this case, was picking one of the two certain paths to destruction.

Resolution: Taking a vow to never speak harshly along with his brothers and a vow to maintain peace with the Kauravas, Yudhishtra sought to do a balance between the two options – a certain war and a possibility of a fair game. Yudhishtra didn’t anticipate the last minute switch of Duryodhana with Shakuni, nor did he realize it was impossible to turn the tide against Shakuni by continuously waging whatever the Kauravas asked for.

Take away: Being the noble Mahatma, Yudhishtra sunk deeper into the trap of Duryodhana with the intention of avoiding the war. Even after 13 years of misery, he was still wanting peace, except for not losing his DHARMA commitment. When facing certain calamity, face with resolve and commitment to uphold DHARMA at all costs.

Yudhishtra tells a lie: Drona goes berserk on day 15 of the war, not even heeding to rishis’ appeal for him killing soldiers by the thousands using Divyastras. To put an end to the carnage, Krishna made Bhima kill an elephant called Aswattama and declare loudly that he had killed Aswattama. Despite being prepared by Krishna, Yudhishtra was asked to respond if it was a man or elephant that died. Yudhishtra’s famous response was - अश्वत्थामा हत: कुञ्जर: - "Aśvatthāmā hattaḥ kuñjaraḥ" implying the elephant, which was deliberately drowned by Krishna’s Panchajanya.

Dharmasankata: The choice was to tell a half truth (which was also spoiled by Krishna’s acumen) to own Guru or let him continue with the carnage.

Resolution: Yudhishtra took the blame and ignominy, but there was no strategem to stop Drona. As a King, Yudhishtra had the first responsibility towards his troops than his own welfare.

Take away: Personal golden standards can be sacrificed for the welfare of many who are dependent. Satya and Dharma are rooted in the well being and prosperity of the many, not mere bookish speaking the truth.

Bhishma, Drona side Duryodhana in war: Despite knowing how evil minded Duryodhana was, Bhishma, Drona fought on his side.

Dharmasankata: Rising up to the side of Dharma or fight to pay off their indebtness was the question faced.

Resolution: Bhishma misinterpreted his promise to see his father in whoever was in the throne as a dictum above upholding Dharma. In the same way Drona thought since Dhritarashtra gave him a job that lifted him from penury, it was his duty to fight for him, even if it was adharmic.

Take away: Always take side with DHARMA, uphold and defend it and die if you must in the process as gaining all the riches through ADHARMA is ephemeral and does permanent damage by leading one through a tamasic path to naraka.

Killing of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Jayadratha, Duryodhana: To the casual reader, read as the sickular yindoo or hinduphobes, it will appear that Krishna tricked all the opponent heroes’ deaths. Is there a deeper layer of real understanding, we are missing with our prejudice?

Dharmasankata: Did the Pandavas along with Krishna conspire in these deaths, just for winning a kingdom?

Resolution: Pandavas focused on the action in the now, based on Krishna’s insights, as he was Dharma personified.

Take away: Dharma may take a long route to fructify the Karmas, but it will certainly deliver. The events of the Sabha Parva had a distant echo in the Mahabharata war. The fruits were sealed along with the adharmic karma of some like Duryodhana, Dushasana and Karna, but extended to Bhishma and Drona for not defending and upholding DHARMA.

Arjuna’s dilemma before the war: The most classic of all known Dharmasankata is Arjuna’s first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita moment. Just like a deer in headlights, he is completely frozen. He is completely confused not just on the direction, but even the basics of DHARMA. Note that this did not afflict the others who fought, except Yudhishtra, after the war.

Dharmasankata: What is the use of killing the Guru and relatives? Will loss be better or victory? Both seem shallow.

Resolution: The resolution was provided by Krishna’s Bhagavad Gita message.

Take away: For all problems faced by humanity, if one were to approach with the solid realization that were are the immortal Atman and not the body, mind, intellect, wealth, relatives, power or any other fantasized perceived reality, even the most crippling dilemmas vaporize. The secret is not in Gita but applying it in one’s life and making Gita shine through our life.

Dharmasankata in our lives:

• Most times, Dharmasankata is very stressful and clouds our decision making ability. What we need to do is hit the ground and thank. We are in a very small minority that can even perceive this. It implies a huge opportunity for growth as we learn which of the options is leading and rooted in superior Dharma.

• The most common scenario in Dharmasankata is one or both the choices being colored by Kama, sometimes guised by our mind as Karma (duty). If we clearly answer this question with honesty, we will usually be left with the path that leads to Dharma.

• In some scenarios, it is definitely a tussle between two flavors of Dharma. In this case understanding what each option entails and which is the superior of the two options clears the path forward.

• The best solution is to constantly seek the wisdom in the form of stories in Itihasapuranas and knowledge in the form of Gita and Upanishads, prepare us ahead of our situation. If we are suddenly confronted, seeking this wisdom through someone can also clarity our solution.

• Listening to another Dharmic person, who is an embodiment of Dharma, can make it easier to follow a suggestion or role model. Since in Kali Yuga, it is hard to find such examples, again turning back to Itihasapuranas as an example is the most prudent path.

• The most difficult example is emulating Hanuman. He was able to dig deeper into himself during dire circumstances. This is extremely rare as only extraordinary exemplar individuals will be able to do introspection to arrive at the right path after going through Dharmasankata.

    The secret to resolving Dharmasankata is an undying resolve to be deeply rooted in Dharma. Understanding Dharma comes by watching an example or by studying shastras. Dharma understanding leads to better following, upholding and protecting Dharma results in threading our path through the narrowest options, but leads to greater and greater freedom and good as the final destination of this path is Moksha.

ॐ तत् सत