Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!

Tough time doesn’t trouble a person when it is tough but, it troubles a person when the world knows that time of a person is tough. 

Everyone will take advantage of that person’s helplessness, so much that a person may be forced to leave this world but,The one who knows how to come out of this situation is the greatest.

 When Shri Krishna went with the message of peace to Duryodhan and said that “if you don’t want to give half the kingdom then it’s ok but, give only five villages, I will accept it on behalf of Pandavas, they will happily live their life with it.”

Duryodhan said filled with ego “No! I won’t give even an inch of the land to them,they all will have to pass their life by serving me.”

 He was well aware of the hard time of pandavas because, even if pandavas wanted to fight, they didn’t have an army or any base through they could even think of fighting.

Agyatvas (The Exile)

In Mahabharata there is incident of Pandava’s  agyatvas (exile).

The meaning of ‘Agyatvas’ is- “Staying in an unknown place without coming to anyone’s cognizance.”

All Pandavas and Draupadi have decided what work they will be doing in exile because, if they have decided to be like a royal family then they will be recognised and again they have to be in the forest for twelve more years.

They hid their weapons inside a terrible forest and placed dead bodies and bones of animals on them, so that no one could come there due to fear.

when the time of agyatvas came, Dharmaraj Yudhishthira reached Virat’s court and said- “Hey Rajan! My name is ‘Kank’. I am an expert in gambling. I have come to you with the desire to serve you.”

Virat said – “Kunk! You look like a good man to me; I am glad to have you. So, you stay here with us.”

Gambling …! the game in which Dharamraj lost everything. By becoming Kank, he started teaching the same game to King Virat.

After that, the rest of the Pandavas reached the court of King Virat and said – “O Rajadhiraj! We were all servants of King Yudhishthira earlier. After the exile of the Pandavas, we have appeared in your court to serve you.”

On being asked about the introduction by King Virat, Bheemsen came first with a ladle in his hand and said – “Maharaj! May you be well. My name is Vallabh.  I know the work of cooking very well. I was the cook of Maharaja Yudhishthir.”

Bheem, for whom the best cooks used to serve food day and night, disguised himself as Vallabh and became the cook himself.

Sahdev said – “Maharaj! My name is Arishtnemi. I am expert in identifying the breeds of cows and calves and I used to take care of Maharaja Yudhishthira’s cow shed.”

Nakul said – “O king!  My name is Granthik. I am an expert in horsemanship. My job at King Yudhishthira’s place was to take care of his horse stable.”

Nakula and Sahdev started taking care of the animals like cows, horses and elephants.

……and that archer. The most attractive young man of that era, the mighty warrior. He was the most favourite disciple of Guru Drona. That Arjuna was the symbol of man. Arjuna, the hero of heroes. Became a castaret (impotent).

In that era, the one who defined the man, leaving his manhood, applying blush on cheek, applying kajal in the eyes, became an impotent ‘Brihannala’.

After Mesmerizing by the glimpse of Brihannala’s dance-music performance, Maharaja Virat appointed him for the dance-music lessons of his daughter Uttara.

Here Draupadi went to King Virat’s wife, Sudeshna and said – “Queen! My name is Sairandhri. Earlier I used to work as a maidservant of Dharmaraj Yudhishthira’s queen Draupadi, but due to her going into exile, I have become free from work. Now I have come to you with the desire to serve you.”

Queen Draupadi, who used to live surrounded by maids, herself became a maid ‘Sairandhri’.

Maharaj Virat kept all of them in his service.

All Pandavas and Draupadi start working at King Virat’s palace.

 There was a time when they had no dearth of servants, whatever they wanted, all they had to do was just an order and the desired thing appeared in front of them.

and now…?  they had to do worse work than even their servants do. They had to work like a labourer has to do.

Yudhishthira continued to bear the insult of King Virat. Arjuna, the symbol of virility, kept behaving like an impotent. Nakul and Sahdev kept looking after the animals. Bhim kept cooking the dishes in the kitchen and Draupadi served the queen like a servant.

When a calamity befell on the family of Pandavas, Dharmaraj became Kank to save his family. The symbol of virility became a eunuch. A great warrior became a simple cook. A queen becomes a servant. 

It was an unknown place for the Pandavas. That period of exile was for the culmination of their dedication towards their family. if one member of that family would not act accordingly, their twelve more years would have gone in the wind.

Yudhishthir had no personal interest behind the form in which he remained, the humiliation he endured, and the difficult times he went through. That period of ignorance was the period of adapting according to the circumstances in view of the circumstances.

They are hiding their identity which we will take many births to make.

 When the time and circumstances will be in their favour they will again emerge from ashes. and again, they will become one of the greatest families who can definitely defeat any enemy who tries to divide them.

Don’t know how many great unsung warriors are seen living unrecognized on this earth even today.

 Someone is unnecessarily being abused while working because he has to pay his child’s college fees,

While someone is seen selling goods door to door to collect money for his daughter’s marriage, 

someone is pulling a hand cart to feed his pregnant wife and aged parents.

Innumerable such men are fighting for the existence of their family leaving their happiness and sorrow every day with constant struggle.

Wrinkles lying on the face of an elderly person is not just a proof of his age, but it is an account of the ups and downs of his whole life and his scarification for his family.

It is very easy to buy someone, but it is very difficult when we prepare ourselves to sell.

If you encounter a struggling person in everyday life, respect him.

The employee who comes before the boss and goes home after him… 

Guard standing outside the factory…… 

Waiter serving food in the restaurant…. 

The driver who takes care of your car….

A teacher who teaches life lessons to your child rather than his ….

 A servant who serves his life for yourself….

They all are Actually Kank, Vallabh, Arishtnemi, Granthik, Sairandhri and Brihannala.

Because no one chooses struggle or pain on his own will. Many fathers are working double or triple shifts not for themselves but just to get his son’s favourite brand’s shoes, to send him on a school trip, to buy his son a new iPhone or a MacBook.

They all are living in exile……!

He is not a part of humiliation. He deserves respect. He deserves praise. It is their courage, their strength, and their dedication that they stand firm even in adverse circumstances.

He is not weak……his condition is weak…. his time is weak.

Remember…….

After the exile, when Brihannala came again in the form of Arjuna, he destroyed the Kauravas. Once again, he spread his fame all over the world. Time does not require time to change, so do not ridicule and disrespect the one whose time is not good.

Respect him, support him.

Because one day, the undefined time of struggling and hardworking will definitely end.

The cycle of time will turn, and the archer Arjun will become immortal in history by leaving the disguise of Brihannala. He will get so much fame that children will be named after him for generations. History will forget Brihannala. History will remember Arjuna.

Don’t see Brihannala in every struggling, hard working person. Don’t look at the kank. Don’t look at Vallabh. See the archer Arjuna in every struggling man. Look at Dharmaraj Yudhisthir and Mahabali Bheem.

Support him fully and appreciate his honest efforts! Because remember, one day, the exile of every struggling person will end.

The Lesson:

In difficult times, cowards will find excuses, while the brave will find a way out of it. those who fight for life despite knowing their consequences.

their greatness is like all Pandavas …!!

Change with time or learn to change your time, don’t curse the compulsions, learn to walk in any situation.

This is the only way to pass your difficult time, keep doing the work that has come in your destiny with ethics and have faith in your own hands.

This is destiny.

This is the cycle of time.

This is the lesson of Mahabharat!

Jai Shree Swaminarayan