10 LIFE LESSONS FROM KRISHNA

 Today the world celebrates the epitome of god Shri Krishna's Birthday, The 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Reading the life of Krishna not only uplifts person Spiritually but also help one living life successfully and in a righteous manner. 

Dr. Kalam too was the fond reader of Bhagwat Gita as he explained in his one of the books.
Quoting Dr. Kalam "the knowledge of Bhagawat Gita helped me many times to get clarity of life when I faced anxiety and doubts after my no. of failures". 

We generally before using any new equipment goes through the guide book stating how to use it, in a similar manner the Bhagwat Gita and the lessons of Krishna also are like the guide to living life in the right manner.

There are infinite lessons one can draw from Krishna, but these are my 10 favorite lessons I want to draw from his life:

1.  YOU OWN ACTIONS NOT THE RESULT:   This is the essence of Krishna's Life and Bhagwat Gita.
Human beings have very limited control in their life. What human beings can control is only the actions prescribed to him and hence he/she owns his action only while the results out of the prescribed actions are not in the control of anyone except the Supreme. 
Hence Krishna during his speech in the Battle of Kurukshetra explains Arjun to do what is right actions prescribed to him and don't care about the outcome. Let the Supreme take care of all the outcomes.

Here the punch: When one does the work expecting too much of results, he bound to drag himself/herself only for the final outcome and he/she never enjoys his/her works making person miserable and make him/her the bondage of their own actions. 
Enjoying the process is what Krishna Advices which set you free from bondage.

2. Do your prescribed righteous Actions Irrespective of your ego and other's judgment:

When all the truce failed between Kaurav and Pandava and it is almost sure the war is on the next door. 
Ego is also running high among both parties whether Kaurava or Pandava, that is the time Krishna decided he would go to the court of Dhritarashtra for cementing truce and peace agreement.
He was the supreme he knows everything as the Duryodhan would not settle the issue peacefully and would even out of his ego definitely humiliate him. He knows it perfectly. Even the common man like Yudhisthir and his other relatives knew as he already had humiliated the previous peacekeeper.

Instead of knowing this he would fail and would be humiliated, he takes this action as his duty, he went in his court for agreement and even asked for 5 villages but as he already knew he was humiliated by the ego-driven Yuvraj " Duryodhan". After returning, he explained to Pandava, it was his duty which he did, irrespective of others' judgment or result.

3. Don't Be Arrogant For your Success:  Much relevant for today's generation. I will explain this interesting story from Battlefield which I read a few days back.

As the battle was going on between Arjun and Karna, Both equally epitome military warriors, the arrows were in the exchange between both. But when the arrow of Arjun would hit Chariot of Karna, it displaced by 25-30 feet because of its impact. But when the arrow of Karna hits chariot of Arjun the Chariot displaces 3-5 feet only. Seeing this Krishna applauds every time Karna hits Arjun's Chariot but never he did Apploud Arjun. Arjun aksed O Lord you always applaud him but never my skills although I have more impact than him, Krishna gently replied O Parth, you are displacing the chariot which accompanies 2 normal people ( Karna, Charioteer) while Karna displaces the Chariot consist Hanuman, Krishna, and Sheshnaag. Arjun Understood his arrogancy, even after the war over Krishna ordered Adjust first to vacate the Chariot and later he descended, as soon as he descended the blast happened and chariot converted into rubble. 
Krishna said, Your Chariot would have blasted long ago had I not been with you. 
So, it's not because you Pandava won the war, it's because the Supreme wants the victory to the side of Pandava and had cleared your path always towards success. 
He also even broke the arrogancy and false pride of Indra when he protected all villagers in his adolescence by the help of Gowardhan Mountain lifting it in his little finger only.

So never be arrogant for your skills, success or whatever good you possess.

4. War Should always be the last resort:  When Jarasandh continuously hitting Mathura with his Army to take revenge for the death of his friend Kansa, the no. of soldiers and civilians of Mathura had been losing their lives and the end was nowhere soon seeing Jarasandha strength. That time Krishna proposed and convinced to move his city to Dwarka, a much safer place for his civilian. 
Being a Chakradhari, he could have killed the Jarasandha Army in a split of seconds but he chose to shift his empire to Dwarka to save his citizen's lives. 

The second instance was when Krishna in spite of so much of aggression for war calmed down the Pandava and had done a lot of works to achieve the truce although it was failed. Even he was ready to take mere 5 villages to surpass the war.

Hence, War should always be the last resort, we as a nation have also been following this when even after the 2001 Parliament attack, the truce between India and Pakistan achieved otherwise the two new nuclear countries would have created South Asia turn into the residue.

5. Waging War is necessary sometimes to establish peace in Society:  Now this shouldn't consider as opposite with point 4. 
Instead, it is synchronized with point 4.
Krishna was the man who had done maximum things to achieve peace and to reach an agreement.
He even faced the humiliation in public by Duryodhan in the court of Kaurav's to bring peace.
But, he was also the same man who trained the Pandava to get them prepared for the war much before the war erupted. He was the man who prepared strategies for Pandava's soldiers.
He said Arjun when Arjun wanted to get away from Battlefield without even being into war, as the coming generation would see Arjun as their ideals who had accepted all misdeeds and wrongful things the Kaurava's had done with a King Lady "Panchali". If they couldn't save the dignity of the wife of a king, how the normal ladies of the countries would be feeling safe? 
He told Arjun, If you Would get away from war, this means you are not only justifying those evil persons but also encouraging those evil to do more evil in the society. 
You as a Soldier are bound to save the dignity of your men and women by killing the demons of society.

Hence, a country like India has also been doing preemptive strikes be it in NE or in POK in the terrorist camps, much needed to save the precious lives of our civilians.

6. Women's Safety Should always be the prime concern of Society:  When Panchali was being undressed in front of everyone, nobody present there except Vidur had raised voices.
Krishna waited, but nobody was helping the poor lady, hence he himself saved her dignity and pride.
Krishna even to Arjun in the war said it's you as a King's clan are responsible to save the dignity of women living in your State. 

Hence, the Instruction of the lord is simple, the society must take care of the dignity of their lady.

7. He stands with Dharma Always and every time: No matter who you are, if you stand with Dharma, Krishna Will always be you Sarthi like Arjun.
When Arjun and Duryodhan both at the same time came to Krishna for help, Duryodhan was happy with his Army while Arjun demanded Krishna. Krishna told afterward he being with Pandavas not because they were their Paternal Aunt's Sons but because the Dharma is in their court and hence he stands with them.

Other instance when Krishna reached Hastinapur for the deal, he was approached by Duryodhan initially and he invited lord as a guest in his lavish Bungalow to catch his attention, he was also invited for the Lavish food, but Krishna rejected offer straightway and he reached to Vidur's small house without any invitation and had Saag Roti even being from the clan of King himself because he knows Vidhur was the man who raises his voice always against Duryodhan's misdeeds. So Vidhur stands always with Dharma so as Krishna.

Hence, no matter what, stand with Dharma.

8. Be Practical in life: One of the best lessons for us always dwells on the solution and too with a practical approach. Don't be a "Likeer ka Faqeer". 
The war was on, the Army of Kaurav was indeed stronger have the ratio 11:7 in terms of personnel.
Not only did strength was high but the warriors were extremely battled hardened soldiers like Karna, Duryodhan, Bhismapitama, Kripacharya, Ashwathama, Dronacharya ......
He knows Killing Dronacharya is next to impossible even for Arjun, he with the help of Bhim killed an elephant named Aswathama and claimed Ashwathama being killed. Dronacharya thinking his son Killed became senseless, a solution out of the Box.

He during the mace war between Bhim and Duryodhan, it was sure Duryodhan would get the shield from her mother, he uses emotional intelligence and convinced Duryodhan to not go naked in front of his mother, which ultimately helped Bhim won against him.

He even took out his Sudarshan to kill Bhisma Pitama when Arjun was reluctant to kill his Grand, it ultimately forced Arjun without uttering a word to kill Pitama by Himself.

The life of Krishna is full of practical lessons where he applied knowledge out of the box.

9. Make Friends and Do whatever needed for a true Friend: Shree Krishna has full of camaraderie and team spirit. This lesson is indeed very essential in life.
Krishna have done his education in today's MP city named Ujjain, his beloved friend was Sudama.
Later on, when Krishna became King and his friend Sudama still remain a Poor who couldn't even feed his family. 
But he even in his lavish bungalow would never forget his friend and always keeps his eye on their family. 
When Sudama came to meet Krishna, he met with his friend without any differences, and not only this he even without any demand from his friend constructed a lavish bungalow for Sudama. 
A deep lesson !!

10. Always helps the person in need Who helped you in the past: It was the time when Krishna Uses his Sudharshan Chakra to kill his cousin named Shishupal the friend of Jarasandha. 
The High RPM of Sudharshan over his index finger bleed himself also, seeing this Draupadi torn the small end of her saree and wrapped to stopped bleeding of Krishna. Krishna promises to pay back the debt of her Saree with interest. He did return back his saree at the time when Draupadi was in desperate need of it when she was being molested by corrupt Dushashan.

Its always been a pleasure to Read, Watch, Listen to Krishna's Story, and get lessons from it!!!

Happy KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI !! JAI SHREE KRISHNA !!!