Lockdown 1.0 – done. We entered with a lot of caution and anxiety.
Lockdown 2.0 – we somehow got used to it but a little jaded
Lockdown 3.0 – It escalated emotions. A lot are feeling like getting stuck in a Chakravyuha. Feeling of not knowing when it will end and how to get out of it.
Woah! Some unprecedented times.
But talking about Chakravyuha, that Mahabharata episode was aired yesterday. I ensured I didn’t miss this one. Felt so sad for Abhimanyu – a young fearless warrior who entered the Chakravyuha knowing fully well he doesn’t know the way out but hoping he would get help …. All of us know his story. It gives me goosebumps.
But have you ever thought of a resemblance it has with our day to day lives?
We will often come across people like Abhimanyu who will lead the charge with whatever information they have, without worrying about the consequences, knowing it is the right thing to do, knowing it has to be done by someone irrespective of whether they will get support or not. They will often be short-lived – either in their professional set-up or life.
They possess a confidence that they have the backing of the people who will stand by them like Abhimanyu had the support of the mighty Pandavas but unfortunately, sometimes the scenarios are so difficult that even the mighty, the powerful of their supporters don’t jump in to support them. But that doesn’t stop them or make them give up.
He had the choice to make like all of us have in our everyday lives. Credibility at stake. Not knowing who all is gunning for him. Not knowing how long he will have to fight. He had the choice to compromise or fight with confidence with whatever little knowledge he had. We will come across situations like this when we will not know the entire thing but we will have to make a choice nevertheless.
Imagine a Chakravyuha in your day to day life. It has many sources and causes – your competition, it could be office politics, your detractors, and sometimes your mind. Some interesting life lessons that I learnt from Abhimanyu’s Chakravyuha episode and am sure would make you introspect are:
Having clarity of purpose – knowing why we are doing what we are doing
Being Fearless – deciding to do it despite knowing the consequence
Not ashamed to fail – knowing there is nothing wrong in failing for the right reasons
Doing what is right over what is convenient – a tough choice but something which we have to decide on an everyday basis. Tough choice, easy life. Easy choice, tough life.
Not giving up – having a good fight no matter the outcome.
Battling Perceptions – some might view you as stupid or an idiot to have entered the battle without complete knowledge; while some might view you as a fighter who entered the battle despite half knowledge. The choice is yours.
Abhimanyu is often quoted as an example for his partial knowledge. I would rather remember him for what he did despite half knowledge.
There will be Chakravyuha every now and then, if you look around. You will have to be Abhimanyu to fight it out knowing you might not win it but knowing it has to be done.
