Mahabharata Musings - Part 2

So, couple of weeks ago, my 11 year old got an invite to a Birthday Party. For the uninitiated - Kids Birthday party invites are usually Whatsapp Groups created for the event. Invitees RSVP on the poll button in the group for the host to get a count. 

So, it was a usual weekday morning when the first chance I get to check my phone is when we get into the elevator to drop the kid to the pick up spot. I opened this group and saw couple of messages from mothers I don't know. One such mother had replied - "Dron will be coming late to the party". I re read the message and asked my kid - "Is there a kid called "Dron" in the society?" He replied that he is Birthday Boy's friend but not from the society. I thought for a moment about the choice of the name "Dron". I decided to share my predicament with my all time best friend for such conversations - My son! 

I : "Babu, if given a choice, would you name a kid 'Dron'?

Him : Thought for a moment and replied with a nod - "Yes".

I : "But babu, how?"

Him : "He is the Greatest Teacher, Guru of Pandavas, and specifically Arjuna".

I : "But, what about the way he killed young Abhimanyu?"

Him : Looked up at me - "Amma, do you even know what he was going through at that time? Do you know how Duryodhana was harassing him? He kept provoking him saying you are always on the side of the Pandavas and you are partial"!

He explained this to me very innocently in Tulu (our mother tongue), and I was dumbstruck!

He went on to add - "Before killing Abhimanyu, Dronacharya admitted that Abhimanyu is the best warrior he has ever seen, and he is very proud of the skills of his favourite student's son".

He told "It is ok Amma. We don't know what Dronacharya went through at that time. He is a mortal."

This 11 year old has the wisdom that I totally lack!

That entire day I spent thinking about the conversation. 

Sometimes we judge people who support someone who everyone knows is wrong. We have no idea about their journey. We don't know the obligations under which they are doing it wilfully or duty bound.

We tend to ignore their strengths, their good gestures, and their maturity solely based on who they side with at that particular instant.

So what do we do, when we feel something is not right and we need to alert people?

I feel we should still listen to the inner voice and raise the red flag. Because ultimately Lord Krishna trusts our intentions more than our actions.

But, what if the red flag is ignored? - Then, back off and respect the other person's journey without any judgement.

What if raising the red flag poses danger to you? - Always trust that Krishna is watching over you. When the intent is correct, warning signal of danger will surely reach you. Honour the signal with gratitude and back off. 

It is true that we should stand up for what we feel is incorrect. It takes courage to ride against the storm and we should not seek validation for our actions.

But, on that day, what I learnt was - Everyone has their own journey to make, and each one has their own reasons. We may know some and we may be unaware of many. Let us not frame our opinions about someone based on who they hang out with / who they support / who they are close to. 

Because, we have no idea what they are going through.