EVERYONE GROWS

The beauty of dharma is that it is progressive and not stagnant.
Death may seem to be the end of everything for those who are ill informed about the wheel of life. Death is a small journey in the big picture of the life cycle.
What about hell? Hell is surely scary but it is not an eternal damnation.
Hell is a place of reformation. It's not a destination but a diversion for some time so that the living being can come back to the main avenue of life and live a life of dharma.
Therefore when we read the Mahabharata and other such dharmik literatures we observe that even the so called asuras, demons and rakshashas had the facility to undo their sins if not in their current life then in their next life unlike in the abhrhamic culture where the sinful are eternally damned to hell. In the vedic tradition the evil after being eliminated by the power of lord Narayana progress towards a better facility to take tangible action towards perfection. 
The infamous Dhrithrasthra who was highly attached to position, infatuated in his relationship with his children and always playing the victim to gain sympathy was a sure candidate for a hellish destination.
It was Vidura who inspired  Dhritrashtra through a strong dose of verbal medicine and pushed him to take the decision of active detachment so that he could grow in life.
The consistent efforts of Vidura to change the king were eventually successful in inspiring Dhrithrasthra to take the decision of peacefully walking out of the palace as he genuinely developed detachment towards everything around him. He became sober at the time death. 
Everything has to move in the direction of the destination .The rest is nothing but a complex journey which is painful and sometimes pleasurable but the destination is where we want to reach.

MY FREEDOM KILLS YOU

The fresh incident of a young man jamming his car over three people and taking two of their life is a typical action of attitude rather than an accident. When seen from the Mahabharata perspective the haughty, Duryodhana had inculcated the arrogance of " who cares, I am a son from the royal family." He did not hesitate to wage a war and be responsible for the death of millions of people, plus all of his brothers. The cause for this was not the war but limitless arrogance and ego.
Similarly the Delhi incident is not accident but an attitude which is becoming the culture of many of our youth today. It kills, it makes one desensitised and we citizen question only the laws of governance but not the laws of the value system within our family. No systems, no governance neither legalities can alone bring efficiency of actions in all spheres of life. It is values and character alone which our surroundings gives will benefit us in doing things rightly and of course the right things.
Wealth and influence has the power to bring us down or take us up. The young man rather than taking the responsibility for the crime and doing something tangible by being a sensitive human being and doing welfare work for the under privilege, will spend his father's money to free himself from the legal problem (most probably hire a very efficient lawyer) and hope to drive back on the streets of Delhi to celebrate his legal victory. (we hope he is not so insensitive).
Where does the crime begin to happen, in action or in attitude? The Dharmik scriptures answer, it begins in the attitude of I don't care for the world but I care for my carnal pleasure at the cost of other people's life.
Hence accident is detail which will keep happening , but a sensitive human being stands up, learns his lessons and reverses his life cycle by being responsible and changing his course of action. We certainly pray for the departed but raise an alarm against all those who wish to continue with the attitude of "who cares." These accidents will continue to happen if we do not change our attitude.

SUPERFICIAL OR SUBSTANTIAL

Dhruva is a short name but it has a long history and an impact of  eternity behind it. Dhruva was slandered by his step mother and neglected by his father simply for trying to fulfil a common childhood need--to sit on the lap of his father along with his step brother.
When Dhruva expressed his desire to sit on his father 's lap his step mother  "Suruchi" meaning one who is after tasteful things, told Dhruva harshly to take birth in his next life if he desired to sit on her husband's lap.

Basically she told Dhruva to die.  Dhruva mortified, pained and breathing heavily approached his mother. Suniti meaning one with auspicious morality or ethics seeing Dhruva's predicament and her own helpless condition of not being able to fulfil her sons wish asked  Dhruva to not be angry with those who caused him pain for they would face their consequences. She did not force Dhruva to be loyal to her husband and his father who was neglectful.
As a son he had full freedom to choose his path.
She empowered him, even though she was bound by her own cultural loyalty of wife hood. Dhruva took the words of his mother seriously. He travelled to distant lands and worshiped Vishnu to get something which was priceless and valuable and beyond the reach of most extraordinary men.
He got what he wanted by the grace of Narayana,the great Narada, and his own mother who was representing substance; Suniti.

Suruchi represents superficiality of a human being and Suniti represents substance of a human being.  Suruchi's disturb, destabilise and destroy inner satisfaction.
They represent small mindedness, sensuality and happiness which is derived by causing pain to others.
But Suniti directs Dhruva to see happiness in seeking divinity and fighting the odds but not with the intention of destroying the opponent but by growing beyond the opponent  intellectually spiritually and as a byproduct growing materially too.

Superficiality has caused and is still causing pain to Dhruvas of the modern world and unfortunately rather than getting Suniti to guide them they find more Suruchi's who are asking the Dhruvas to compete, destroy and destabilise.
They die but never give up their small world of sensuality. But if someone gets Suniti then their direction of life changes and they grow beyond sensuality.

What are we looking substance or superficiality?

VOW NOT BROKEN

The reasons for Sri Krishna rushing to attack Bhisma were that with his fierce warfare  he was causing havoc in the Pandav army and more importantly Arjuna's repeated reluctancy to strike his grand father.  Sri krishna's decision to attack Bhisma and to kill him brings us to the debate about his promise.

Many question the reason as to why would krishna break his promise which he made before the battle about not raising weapons and not actively fighting?
It's a relevant question and needs to be answered by remembering Sri Krshna's original promise in fact his eternal promise and his eternal occupation.   
All the devatas along with mother Bhumi approached Brahma about the troubles caused by the demons disguised as rulers, Brahma in turn approached Sri Krishna who promised to appear in this world to set things right.  Krishna appeared and started to establish dharma, by eliminating the demons or eliminating their rebellion.

Bhisma was not a demon in fact he was one of the most ardent devotee of Sri Krishna but Bhishma had chosen to fight on behalf of the Kaurvas, who were the last remaining burdens on earth.
Sri Krishna had a choice to break his eternal wow or his temporary vow. 

Which vow would we ask Him to follow the real or the apparent? 

The superficial people challenge him for breaking the apparent but the substantial people eulogise him for keeping his eternal promise.

What are we looking for the substance or the shadow?
What kind of questions are we raising the integral ones or the isolated ones? Therefore the very Bhisma seeing Sri Krishna strike at him dropped every thing, all his weapons and requested Sri Krishna to release him from his superficial commitment and allow him to follow the real commitment of being an instrument in the hands of God rather than in the hands of Duryodhana.
Therefore Bhishma who was eventually struck by Arjuna kept on remembering Sri Krishna rushing at him during the battle at the time of death and he wanted this event to stay forever in his very existence. 
Why so?
Because Bhisma knew Sri Krishna's eternal vow of liberating the bound and liberating the affected and tormented.
For this Sri Krishna the lord of all life chose to protect his original vow and not his temperory vow.

CLASH OF CIVILIZATION

The Ramayana shows us an artificial Lanka, a natural Kishkinda and a cultural Ayodhya and many other civilizations in between.

Lanka was very organized with man made systems and resources stolen from everywhere.
Within Lanka was the dictatorial Ravana. He while breaking all the laws himself expected complete subordination from his subjects.
This subordination was driven by fear and laws were imposed by brutal force. Hence there was an unnatural orderliness.

In Kishkindha Vali was powerful but not as brutal as Ravana. The vanaras  had the same habit as their king Vali. The subjects of kishkindha were  powerful and sensual but not brutal . Of course with the exception of Hanumana and Jambhavanta. They were untouched by such culture.

Ayodhya was a land of culture, the citizens and the royalty were responsible for each other.
Rules here were followed by inspiration not by imposition.
The legal system was in existence but it was more of a moral system which was self inspired. 
None of the people wanted Sri Rama to go to the forest, but he chose to go respecting his father's promise to Kaikeyi.
Sri Rama did not want Sita to go the forest, but she insisted on going with him. Laxmana was not even asked to go to the forest and he  had no moral or legal obligation to go to the forest.. On the contrary Laxmana convinced Sri Rama by quoting  what Sri Rama  had said at the time of his own coronation that Laxmana would enjoy the prosperity with Sri Rama and now Laxmana chose the path  to go along with Sri Ram as Sri Rama's grace. 

Bharata was legally the future king, but he tried his best to bring back Sri Rama and when he failed he chose to install the wooden shoes of Sri Rama on the throne and performed similar austerities as Sri Rama was performing in the forest.
He chose this out of his own free will.

We can settle wherever we want to.
In the legal system of Lanka, the Vanara system of Kishkindha with a free life and legal binding and  less moral binding or we can chose to live in Ayodhya with self inspired rules. What  do we want?

FORGOTTEN HEROINE-----URMILA

In modern times the human mind tries to uncover what the authors of an epic may have over looked. Urmila is one of the unsung heroines of the Ramayana. She has been completely overlooked by Valmiki and many have accused the writer of doing injustice to Urmila and other ladies.

It is important to understand the foundational principle from the characters of Ramayana and the compiler himself rather than trying to be sympathetic to some one and spoil the taste of Ramayana.
For eg:- whilst cooking all the hard labor of the farmer who grows the different ingredients used in making the delicacy is not seen .Most of the times the host is glorified  rather than the cook so what to speak of the harvester, the farmer.
The farmer remains unnoticed all his life producing what he is meant to produce.The theme of the Ramayana is  that some characters are noticed and others remain unnoticed but both perform unlimited sacrifice.
This is the core theme of the Ramayana, Urmila remains unnoticed but never makes an issue.
Why? Because she is happy serving, being in service is her pleasure and recognition is immaterial .

Valmiki muni is a sensitive author and entertwines different characters according to the mood and plot of the story.
The underlying principle of the Ramayana is that sacrifice is sacrifice it is made with or without  recognition.
Like the farmer is not even remembered while enjoying the high quality food.
Do we ever think of them while eating?
Do we ever glorify them for producing good quality?
Seldom, is it not?
But without them food is not there.

Life moves on with so many sacrifices which are completely unnoticed but the sacrifice is sacrifice. A person with substance does not sacrifice with the intentions of being recognized. If he is glorified he feels dirty. For them sacrifice is a great privilege, and recognition is nothing but a by product.

Let us not tamper with the sensitive Valmiki and silent Urmila who did everything to make their sacrifice since time and immemorial.
A perspective other than this one is not the substance of Ramayana. It is a hollow and shallow imagination of the selfish and small mindedness of non-Ramayana. 

COMPASSION AND QUALIFICATION

Do we need to be compassionate only if we have resources?  The Ramayana sometimes may indicate this to us.
Sugriva was extremely hesitant in accepting Vibhishana as their ally, fearing that he might harm Sri Rama and Laxmana. Sugriva  was arguing and warning Sri Rama of the dangerous consequences.
Sri Rama was unmoved and made it clear to every one saying " I can trample the entire world what to speak of Vibhishana, with one of my little finger."
No one could dare abuse Sri Rama's kind heartedness, if they tried then he was competent enough.
Sri Rama had the ability, courage and unlimited power to take the risk of being compassionate to Vibhshana without fearing about the consequences.
Sri Rama had practicality in his compassion. Similarly Sri Krishna had compassion in his practicality too.
When Sri Krishna came as peace maker and the attempt failed the fate was sealed and war broke out.
Sri Krishna advised Karna to join the  Pandavas till Bhisma was living.  Since Bhisma and Karna had decided not to fight simultaneously till one of them was alive .
Sri Krishna was hoping to use Karna for breaking the confidence of the Kuravas, and at the same giving an opportunity to Karna to render some tangible service to dharma.
Karna declined the golden opportunity.
Whether one is qualified like Sri Rama to be compassionate to Vibhishana or Sri Krishna being practical towards Karna the foundational principle is the same.
It is an integral part of life rather than conflicting. Ordinarily our compassion is abused and attacked and our practicality lacks the  trace of humanness.
But the great Sri Rama and Sri Krishna  teach us eternal life lessons .
Are we learning?