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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Man must reach goal by peaceful means

 

CHENNAI, MARCH 14. One of the amazing (if not ridiculous) aspects

of some people's conduct is to cite excerpts from sacred works

whenever it suits them to justify their claim over disputed

property, though throughout their lives they would have been

resorting to unscrupulous methods to bully others, their sole

intention being to acquire wealth or position by crooked steps

and to destroy those who act as stumbling blocks in their way.

Like devil quoting scriptures, these wicked and intolerant

persons will lay their hands on a few statements, torn out of

context, from books on moral instructions and ``advise'' their

opponents not to insist on getting even their legitimate share.

 

When two rival groups are thus engaged in solving a delicate

issue, the weaker one will surely adopt all tactics to gain

control over the situation. The stronger side, particularly when

its members are pious and gentle, will always be eager to arrive

at an amicable settlement. In religious as well as political

history, one will have noticed how stalwarts who had power and

wisdom and nations which had the capacity to crush the enemies,

trying their utmost to avert war as they result in catastrophe

and loss of lives. Their only anxiety is to achieve their goal

through peaceful means. However, this generous gesture from such

formidable men has always been mistaken as a sign of weakness.

 

The Mahabharata brings out the behaviour of good and evil people

and on return from their exile Pandavas extended their hand of

friendship seeking from their cousins the share of kingdom due to

them. The blind emperor started tendering them ``advice'', that

they could go back to the forest, how life in the kingdom would

be problematic, that the scriptures did not encourage ``begging''

and they could lead a life of austerity in the woods.

 

In his lecture, Sri K. P. Arivanandam said the Pandavas knew the

cunning intentions of the emperor and that his son, the de facto

ruler would not agree to peace parleys and that any suggestion to

sit around the table to discuss would only be derided. The

Pandavas were sure of their physical strength but more than that,

they totally depended on Krishna, God-incarnate, as their mentor.

Krishna agreed to go on a peace mission to impress on the

opponents the consequences of a battle. Apart from removing

certain ``impediments'' in case of strife, Krishna was keen that

posterity should not blame or criticise them that there had been

no efforts to settle the issue through negotiations. Krishna went

as an envoy but was always called a ``cowboy'' by Duryodana and

he was destroyed. Anyone who shows disrespect to God is sure to

perish.

 

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