Repose faith in God in times of distress

CHENNAI, SEPT. 27. Worldly life is a mixed blessing as human beings enjoy pleasures and also undergo suffering. This is due to the working of Karma which is responsible for birth. As the present birth is the result of Karma which has started giving result it is not humanly possible to interrupt its unfoldment. But this should not make one fatalistic by attributing all sorrows and failures to one's destiny; rather one has a lot to learn and thereby evolve spiritually through these experiences. It is important to repose faith in God during periods of trial to maintain a balanced perspective in life.

The life of the Pandavas is a pointer to this decree. The privations they suffered right from childhood till the end of their lives perhaps do not have a parallel. Though they were heirs to the kingdom of the Kurus, the early death of their father had irrevocably made their fortunes depend on the whims and fancies of Dhritarashtra who was just a puppet in the hands of his son Duryodana. He hated his cousins and the seeds of jealousy were sown in his heart right from childhood because elders like Bheeshma doted on the fatherless children. As Duryodana grew up it became an obsession with him to deny even the basics of a decent life to the Pandavas and finally with the help of his scheming uncle Sakuni banished them to the forest by making Yudishtra lose in the game of dice.

In his discourse, Sri N.Vaidyanatha Dikshitar said that during the last year of their exile, when the Pandavas were living incognito according to the conditions of the wager, Duryodana grew restless as he wanted to bring them to the open before the period ended so that they could be banished again for 13 more years. So he despatched spies in all directions to find their whereabouts but in vain. He concluded that they were living in Virata's kingdom under assumed identities from the hints given by Bheeshma who had declared, ``Where Yudishtra lives, the place will be fruitful. The rains will be regular there. The land will have an excellent harvest and there will be a festive air where he dwells.''

He wanted to expose them somehow and he conferred with his friends who advised him to attack that kingdom from two sides so that the Pandavas would take up arms when Virata was fighting in one front. Susarma, the king of Trigartas, who had a grievance against Virata pitched in to help. But the Pandavas foiled Duryodana's evil designs by their valour and adherence to righteousness.

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