Be righteous and polite

The Hindu

4 days ago

The world will not accept or recognise unrighteous people. We must earn a good name, even at the cost of our lives. Ravana earned ill will and a bad name even after his death. His wife, Mandodari, cautioned him to give up the thought of Sita, but he turned a deaf ear.
The battlefield between the Kauravas and the Pandavas is called 'Dharma Kshetra' because it transforms the unrighteous into righteous. Even Duryodhana realised at last, but his father, Dhritarashtra, had not, because he had not been to the Dharma Kshetra. People need to be humble and polite. The reason for Yudhishtira's victory was his politeness. Winning in life will be tough if we are not submissive.
Trichy. Sri. Kalyanaraman said in a discourse that, though Arjuna and Krishna had met several times before, Arjuna had not asked for Krishna's counsel before. Only when he was confused on the battlefield did he ask Krishna to tender saner advice. The Gita, though told by the Lord to Arjuna, is still read and followed by people today. Krishna advised Arjuna, 'You would kill only the mortal coils of the enemies but not their souls, which are indestructible.' Krishna also cautioned Arjuna not to grieve in discharging his duties. 'Holding pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, gird yourself up for the battle.' (Sukha Dukhe samey kruthva - Ch 2-Verse 38). Thiruvalluvar says, 'Perseverance leads to prosperity, and effortlessness results in poverty.' - Kural 616 )
A person should try to cling to the feet of God as long as the life air is in him. It is easy to preach but difficult to follow. Lord Krishna advised Arjuna on the duties of a man, citing his own example as Rama. If a person expects anything from others, he loses himself. People are expected to perform their duties, leaving the outcome of their efforts to God.