These quotes are all from Star Plus Mahabharat series. I've followed many versions of Mahabharata, and really loved this progressive interpretation with high quality production values and dialogue. Would recommend you all to watch it. It is available on hotstar in multiple languages. Mahabharata is a very complex web of characters open to diverse interpretations. Krishna's perspective and insights interweaved in this version really stand out. I've collected them here as I feel they contain valuable life lessons.
1) When desires shatter, knowledge is born: Desires make most people run around akin to the mirages of an oasis that make animals chase them. Their desires never truly perish. However, in the very womb of these desires, lies the light of knowledge. When desires go unfulfilled and shatter, rays of knowledge enter the human heart in that precise moment. This knowledge teaches about the meaning of life, the duties of a human being, and the deeds which can make you rise and shine like a lotus from filth.
Reference - Season 1 Episode 1:- On Satyavati's desire - Full dialogue below:
// Desires, hopes, expectations, ambitions - these are the driving forces of human society. Are they not? If someone asks you about who you are, what would your answer be? Meditate about it.
You will discover that your desires are what ultimately define your life. The success on achieving something, and the failure on not achieving something - these define you. Most people lead a life marked by the lethal desire to achieve many things but their desires never truly perish (or end). Desires make them run around akin to the mirages of an oasis that make animals chase them. However, in the very womb of these desires, lies the light of knowledge. How?
When desires go unfulfilled and shatter, rays of knowledge enter the human heart in that precise moment.
No. This is not a tale of the battle of desires. It's not a tale of any horrific battle born out of ambitions. This tale is about the knowledge which arises from the womb of desires. I, Vasudev Krishna, invite all of you to make this journey which will teach you the meaning of life. It will teach you the duties of a human being. It will teach you the deeds to rise and shine like a lotus from filth. The name of this journey is Mahabharat. //
2) How can parents help their children: Happiness and security are attained by human karma, and cannot be planned by parents for their children. Enhance your children's character instead of worrying about their future. Ideals and learning develop one's character. Instil good values and lessons - this is what creates their karma ultimately.
Reference - Season 1, Episode 2:- On Satyavati's concern to secure her children's future - Full dialogue below:
// To try and fill the lives of their children with happiness - this is the foremost duty of all parents. The ones you bring into this world - their acts would earn you an identity in this world - what else could be more valuable than planning for their future? But, aren't happiness and security - attained by human karma?
The good or bad values instilled by the parents, the adequate and inadequate lessons taught by them - are these not the basic value of all the karma? Ideals and learning develop one's character. This means, the way the parents develop their child's character is what determines the child's future. Yet, most parents, in the process of securing their children's future, forget to enhance their character. Thus, the parents who worry about the future of their children - their children never benefit from anything. But the parents who aren't worried about their future, but are more concerned about developing their character - the whole world praises such children. You should think about it. //
3) Life doesn't go as per plan: One incident, one challenge, one impediment, one distress cannot become the epicentre of life. Future doesn't go as per our plans. A person climbing a mountain can never change the mountain, but can adapt to the mountain. At every step, new obstacles are to be met with, old plans need to be changed, decisions on next moves are to be taken. Instead of trying to change life, adapting yourself to changing situations is the only path to success and happiness.
Reference - Season 1, Episode 4:- On Amba's marriage plans being disrupted - Full dialogue below:
// Sometimes, an incident disrupts all the plans of a human being, and that person considers the distress to be the epicentre of hir life. But is the future determined on the basis of the plans of human beings?
No. Just as the first person to climb atop a tall mountain would have made plans when at the foot of the mountain.. But, do these plans actually get hir to the peak? No. In reality, as the person climbs up the mountain, they come across new obstacles, impediments and difficulties. At every step, the person decides what is to be done next. The person needs to change plans at every step of the way. A previous plan might just make the person fall down a chasm. The person is never able to change the mountain according to will. The person can only adapt to the mountain.
Is this not the case with life as well? When a person considers one challenge, one impediment as the epicentre of one's life and puts an end to everything else in the course of life, then that person can never succeed in life, and neither can that person achieve happiness and peace. In other words, instead of trying to change life, adapting yourself to changing situations is the only path to success and happiness. Think about it. //
4) Living in the present: Life lies neither in the future nor in the past. Life is the present moment. Living in the present moment is the true essence of living. We can neither foresee the future nor shape it - All we can do is embrace the future with patience and courage, and welcome it with open arms.
Reference - Season 1, Episode 6:- On Amba's desire to seek revenge - Full dialogue below:
// The other name of future is struggle. If today's desire of the heart goes unfulfilled, then the heart plans for the future. It keeps imagining the fulfilment of the desire in the future. But life... Life lies neither in the future nor in the past. Life is the present moment. In other words, living in the present moment is the true essence of living. But despite knowing this, we are unable to understand this truth. We are absorbed in pondering about the past or we keep planning for the future. And life... Life just goes by.
If we accept the cardinal rule that we can neither foresee the future nor shape it - All we can do is embrace the future with patience and courage, and if we welcome it with open arms, won't each moment in life be filled with 'life'? Think about it. //
5) Preconceived notions, biases and hate we pass to our children: The wishes, hopes and ambitions of ancestors, and also their anger, enmity and revenge - become the legacy of future generations. Parents try their best to give their children all the happiness of the world, but end up giving them their own agony as wealth. They give them the light of love as well as the darkness of hate. Did we not impart to our children the preconceived notions of good and bad, or pass on hate? These notions lead to the conflict between people, societies and nations, and give rise to murder, death, and bloodshed. Wherever darkness resides, the result is only fear.
Reference - Season 1, Episode 7:- On Panchala king celebrating birth of Shikandini to destroy Bhishma - Full dialogue below:
// The wishes, hopes and ambitions of ancestors, and also their anger, enmity and revenge - become the legacy of future generations. Parents try their best to give their children all the happiness of the world, but end up giving them their own agony as wealth. They intend to give them love, but end up filling them with hate. Think about it.
What have you taught your children till date? You must have given them love, knowledge and wealth. But did you not fill their hearts with hate as well? Did you not impart to them the preconceived notions of good and bad? Does the conflict of one man with another, that of one society with another, and that of one nation with another, not get decided by these preconceived notions? Do murder, death and bloodshed not arise from these preconceived notions?
In other words, parents give their children life as well as death. They give them the light of love as well as the darkness of hate. Darkness may reside in the mind or in the heart or in reality, but the result of it is only fear. Only.. fear. //
Related posts:
1. Krishna's lessons from season 2 - link
