In the Mahabharata, the root cause of sorrow experienced by many is that there is no due respect for one another and the tendency to cause shame and dishonour is dominant, said Swami Paramasukhananda in a lecture. When beings tend to humiliate each other, they fail to see the divine presence in every being. When one is hurt or humiliated by the words and deeds of another, it takes root in the affected person who nurtures ill will against the other person and waits for a chance to retaliate. Or at times he creates a situation when he can give back what he has received.
When Drona, a Brahmin, and Drupada, a Kshatriya, happen to learn in the same Gurukula, they become thick friends and vow to remain so all their life. Childhood friendship leads to such promises that are generally forgotten when each one is led to tread different paths, vocations and callings. Drona becomes a teacher and Drupada a ruler in due course. When a life of poverty becomes Drona’s lot, he thinks of his friend Drupada, and hopes he would assist him and so seeks him in his palace. But Drupada humiliates Drona in his court and this makes Drona vow to have revenge on him. Drona trains his disciples with the aim of overthrowing Drupada. He succeeds. But now Drupada vows to have revenge and performs a yagna to beget a son who will kill Drona. So the vicious cycle continues.
In the palace in Indraprastha, fashioned by the divine architect Mayan, there is a place where the floor looks like water. During Duryodhana’s visit to the palace, he slips and falls while walking through this stretch. Draupadi laughs at the incident and even comments: ‘It is no wonder that a blind man’s son can’t see properly.’ Bheema too laughs. Duryodhana is already seething with jealousy against the prosperity of the Pandavas. Such reactions that seem small and insignificant are enough to spark a fire of unimaginable magnitude. The tendency to humiliate people is the bane of human nature and leads to untold sorrow.
