It is said “dharma eva hato hanti dharmo rakshati rakshitah.” What this means is that if a person tries to crush dharma, dharma hits back at him. If dharma is protected, then dharma protects the one who protected it. But what is dharma?
Summers are here, and I feel like a little kid going through the epics of Mahabharata, reliving all the lessons learned back then, as if each drop of sweat on my brow carries the wisdom of ancient sages. No matter how many times you go through this epic literature, there’s something new to be discovered every single time.
I was going through the episode of Draupadi being humiliated in the court of Kauravas. After losing his kingdom, all his material possessions, his brothers, even himself, and lastly Draupadi, to gambling, the son of Dharma, Yudhisthira, along with the four Pandava brothers and the elders of the Kuru dynasty, sat in shame with his head down. When Draupadi was being dragged to the court by Dushasana, covered in a single long piece of cloth, she asked the wise men, 'Is it right or fair that a woman, let alone a queen, becomes a slave because her husband staked her in a gambling game?'
Having been dragged to the court, Draupadi rose, offered her respect to the assembly, and requested that they answer her question. The blind king Dhritarashtra remained silent. So, the responsibility to answer fell on the eldest member of the assembly, Bhishma, and Vidura. He stated that two principles were in play: 1) a wife always belongs to her husband, 2) and nothing belongs to a slave. He expressed his inability to decide which of the two principles carried more weight in this circumstance. However, the real issue was not whether a woman belonged to her husband or not; it was whether the assembly found anything wrong with such dishonoring of a woman. While the entire court was silent and hesitant to speak against their king Duryodhana, Vikarna (the younger brother of Duryodhana) rose and spoke up in favor of Draupadi. He was silenced by Karna, stating that he was immature. Having seen enough drama, Duryodhana then asked Dushasana to remove the piece of cloth covering Draupadi. Crying in distress, she held onto her robe desperately. But she was no match for the powerful Dushasana. Finally, she raised her hands to her Lord, Krishna, and begged him to rescue her from the evil Kauravas. By his mystic power, Krishna rescued Draupadi by making her robe endless. Dushasana kept pulling and pulling, but the robe never ended. He got exhausted, but her robe remained inexhaustible. The whole assembly applauded Draupadi’s virtuousness that had attracted such supernatural protection.
The story of how Krishna saved Draupadi's honor by making her robe endless is well-known. Draupadi was a good and charitable empress. Dharma saved her when she prayed to the Lord. This is an illustration of the famous verse 'Dharmo rakshati rakshitaha,' which means dharma protects the one who upholds and protects dharma. Krishna’s supernatural intervention is significant, but it shouldn’t detract from Draupadi’s strength of character. That remarkable strength comes from her spirituality, her pure devotion to Krishna. While Krishna's help was important, we shouldn't forget Draupadi's own strength. Her devotion to Krishna helped her through tough times. But coming back to the question. What is Dharma?
In any gathering or assembly, its respect and credibility are often measured by the caliber of individuals it comprises. What truly makes these individuals great? It is their unwavering commitment to dharma—the righteous path. Dharma, in its essence, is synonymous with truth. But what exactly is truth? Truth is found where there is no deception, where honesty prevails unadulterated. However, in the harsh reality of our world, it often seems that power and dominance reign supreme. The belief that 'might is right' prevails, allowing those with wealth and influence to dictate what is right and wrong. Sadly, when a wealthy or a powerful individual proclaims an unjust act as dharma, society often remains silent, unquestioningly accepting their words without scrutiny.
Thus, the true greatness lies not in the wealth or status, but in the unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power, even when it challenges the status quo. It is in upholding the principles of dharma - the moral, ethical, and cosmic order that governs the universe, regardless of the pressures exerted by the powerful.
What I read this week…
The odds of winning the jackpot are unimaginably low—just one in 292m for Powerball. Yet sales are at a record high…. Read More
I’ve been thinking lately that friendship to me is a term that encompasses everything—the familial, the romantic, the nostalgic. My friendships have helped me understand…. Read More
A gang of young criminals. A more than $30 million ransom. Casinos in disarray. Six days inside the cyberattack that put corporate America on notice….. Read More
The Struggle is when you are surrounded by people and you are all alone. The Struggle has no mercy….. Read More
Humanity's impact on the polar ice sheets is slowing Earth's rotation, posing a challenge for how it matches up with the official timekeeping…. Read More
Top tweets of the week