A mother values her child more than her own self. She will go to any length to see to it that her kid gets the best deal. But in the bargain she forgets to take care of herself. She feeds her child first and keeps herself hungry if there is no food. In the same way she can sell of her jewelry or mortgage her house to bail out her child. So she puts her life on line every time her child needs her.
I am reminded of a story of a mother and child monkey. There were floods like the Uttarkhand and the flood waters were rising. The child clings tightly to her mother when they both take shelter atop the temple spire. Finally the water rises upto the neck and the mother monkey holds the child on top of her head. The water keeps on rising. Finally to save herself, the mother puts the child down, climbs on top of the child’s body and saves herself.
Now another one!
Gandhari’s tears haven’t stopped flowing. She curses Krsna for the Kurukshetra war, saying that the way her 100 sons had died by His treachery, Krsna will have to face the same music. Krsna will see His children and relatives die in front of His own eyes. Her prophecy and curse is later fulfilled at Prabhasa. But let’s cut to our story.
She is distraught and walks into the battlefield crying her heart out. Krsna let’s her go alone and doesn’t allow the Pandavas to follow and console her. Arjuna feels very upset at Krsna’s behavior and asks Him why He is so hard hearted? Krsna tells Arjuna not to bother and just wait and watch. He tells Arjuna that Self Preservation is greater than any other kind of love! Arjuna is indignant and not convinced with Krsna’s reasoning. He tells Krsna that mothers love is far greater than anything at all. Even love for ones own self.
Krsna tells him to wait and watch. Gandhari, meanwhile has sat in front of her children’s bodies all day long crying miserably. At noon when the sun was high, she gets very hungry. The hunger pangs grow terribly. She looks around the corpses of her children and sighs. Krsna and the Pandavas have hidden themselves so she cannot see them. She finds a tree laden with fruits but she cannot reach it. After some time, finding no one around her she drags the corpses of her dead children and starts piling them up to reach the fruit. She succeeds to get one and eats it satisfying her hunger.
This story was told to me when I was a child but it took me many years to believe in the moral of the story.
I realized in my quest for spiritual that there is only One in our universe and that’s the Self. There is no mother, father, siblings, relatives, friends, spouses, children or any other person to look up to. Everyone is with their own self. So why do you expect anyone besides your own self to help you? You help your own self. Be your own Master of your own destiny. Fend for yourself. The greatest gift you can give yourself would be Self respect and dignity. You have leaned on this world enough so now start being your own good self. It’s easy to blame others for your failures but know it fully well that its your own karma and there is no one who can take credit for it.
There is no mother or father to look up to. Only God is your own and no one else. So give that God within you the credit, empowerment and respect He deserves. Stop acting helpless. Help yourself. Be good to yourself. Get empowered.
Photo Credit: Indian Holiday
The intimate bonding that happens between the mother and child is when she holds her…
