BEATITUDE OF AN ATTITUDE FOR GRATITUDE !

The topic of this write-up in addition to being a "rhymers" delight - is a humble attempt by me to highlight the imperative of inculcating a positive attitude for gratitude as an integral part of our worldly existence.

Raison d'être

Looking for inspiration to our ancient scriptures and the parables/stories emanating from them, I wish to narrate a story (https://www.malaysiahanuman.com/2017/03/why-did-hanuman-protect-arjunas-chariot.html) that revolves around three major protagonists -

• Anjani Putra - Lord Hanuman
• Devki Nandan - Shree Krishna
• Kunti Putra - Gandiv Dhari Arjun

We know that Lord Hanuman was present and protected Arjuna’s chariot in the war of Mahabharata. But very few know the story behind why did this happen.

I shall abridge the story so as to not lose out on the essentials and yet bring to fore the important lessons which I wish to connect with my story title - BEATITUDE OF AN ATTITUDE FOR GRATITUDE!

The Parable

Arjuna was once on a pilgrimage, touring the land with many saints. After covering various shrines, they reached Rameswaram, South India.?

During the age of Ramayana, Lord Rama had established a Sivalinga there, seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva before commencing his journey to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita. With the help of the army of monkeys and bears, they constructed a bridge of stones and trees across the vast ocean.

Arjuna looked amazed at the remains of the bridge that had survived. He wondered, "Why did a great archer like Rama have to rely on creatures like monkeys and bears to build a bridge? Why couldn't he have instead bridged the distance with arrows?" None of the pilgrims had an answer.

Then, a small monkey who had been following the company for quite some distance laughed out and replied to his question. "A bridge of arrows?! O prince, are you aware of the might of the monkeys of old? Stalwarts like Sugreeva, Nala, Neela, Angada and Hanuman adorned their ranks. No bridge of arrows could have withstood their weight. Why, no bridge of arrows could even withstand my weight, puny as I am!"

Arjuna was quick to take up what he perceived as an implied challenge. "Let us have a wager. I shall lay down a bridge of arrows. I am willing to burn myself if it fails to bear your weight." The monkey agreed. Arjuna, taking the aid of his famed quiver of inexhaustible arrows, laid down a bridge across the ocean. The monkey jumped onto it and no sooner had he walked ten paces than the bridge collapsed.

Arjuna helped the monkey out of the water and asked for another attempt. The monkey agreed. Arjuna constructed another bridge, this time laying his arrows closer to each other, and asked the monkey to try again. The monkey set out on the bridge in the direction of the island of Lanka yet again but the bridge collapsed.

Arjuna was ashamed of himself. Not wasting any more time, he prepared a pyre and was about to step into it and give up his life, in accordance with the terms of the wager when a youth held him back and stopped him. "What were you about to do, o mighty prince?” asked the boy, surprised. "I was given a challenge and I failed. I do not wish to continue with this life now that I have faced such great shame", replied Arjuna.

The boy was aghast. "But was there an adjudicator? Who was there to see if the challenger was playing fair? A contest without a judge is meaningless. Pray construct another bridge and this time, I shall be the judge." Neither Arjuna nor the monkey could refute the boy's argument and so they got ready for a third round. Infused with some confidence, Arjuna built the third bridge, using every bit of his ingenuity.

"There! Try crossing it now", he said to the monkey. The monkey happily obliged. He walked on, but the bridge was still solid. "He must have locked the arrows together better this time", thought the monkey to himself. He began to jump on the bridge but it did not collapse. It stayed strong. The monkey was surprised. "Let me take on the form I took while leaping across the ocean", he thought and He was large as a mountain now.

Arjuna was awestruck when he saw that his challenger was none other than the great Hanuman himself. He bowed his head in reverence, realizing that sooner or later his bridge would succumb to the strength of the great monkey. His foolishness in assuming that a bridge of arrows would bear warriors like Hanuman became quite apparent to him. He was humbled.

However, the bridge did not collapse. Not even under the weight of the now gigantic Hanuman. Arjuna was nonplussed. He could not comprehend what was happening. There seemed to be no logical explanation as to why the bridge hadn't broken yet. Apparently, Hanuman couldn't fathom things either. He began jumping on the bridge but it still wouldn't yield. All the while the boy was smiling. In a moment of enlightenment, it struck both participants of the contest that their adjudicator was no ordinary boy.

Arjuna and Hanuman fell at his feet and then Vishnu was standing before them. "I am Rama, and I am Krishna. I protected your bridge from collapsing, Arjuna. May this be a lesson in humility for you. Vanity and pride undo the best of men. Dear Hanuman, you should have known better than to humiliate Arjuna thus. He is a fine warrior, one of the best of his times. How could you drive him into giving up his life?"

Arjuna and Hanuman sought the Lord's forgiveness and He blessed them. "As an act of remorse, I shall stabilize and protect your chariot in the great battle that is imminent.", said Hanuman. "So be it. You shall be present on the banner of Arjuna's chariot when he rides out to do battle in the great war of his age that is to come.

The Mahabharat Connect

Later, when the war of Kurukshetra commenced, Lord Hanuman perched on the flag of the chariot of Arjuna and stayed till the end of the war.

On the last day of the Kurukshetra war, Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to step out of the chariot first. After Arjuna stepped out, Lord Krishna thanked Hanuman for being there till the end. Lord Hanuman bowed and left the chariot. As soon as Hanuman left, the chariot caught fire. Arjuna was amazed to see this. Then Lord Krishna explained to Arjuna that the chariot would have been burnt long ago had Lord Hanuman not been protecting it against the celestial weapons.

Inference

This brings me to the end of my recollection of the mythological anecdote. Referring back to both the parables elaborated above, it is clearly seen that Arjuna would never have survived either of these anecdotes, had there not been active intervention from Vishnu and Hanuman - both manifestations of the supernatural and ethereal beings. They did not seek any glory for doing what was the right thing - at that point in time,

To me the essence of the aforementioned suggests that as per the requirement of the moment - we must?empower ourselves / our families / our children to step up to the plate and be counted. On the other hand if we are at the receiving end of the magnanimity of any known / unknown / recognised / unrecognised benefactors we should not hesitate in expressing our gratitude to them - repeatedly if required.

If we look around I am sure we will recognise not one or two, but multiple such people who just do their jobs and fulfill their purpose - without seeking any glory for themselves. There are many?"unsung Vishnu / Krishna"?too in our live. They could be in the form of our Spouses, Parents, Children, Friends, Neighbours, Acquaintances, Soulmates .......let us?remember them and be grateful to all of them.

Cultivating Gratitude

Now I come back to a few issues for which I do not have any answers but I wish to leave them as?FOOD FOR THOUGHT?and what could be referred to as a WAY AHEAD for all of us. How can we build our gratitude muscle—and become more appreciative?

Here are some simple strategies:

• Begin and end with intention.?Start each day by thinking about all you appreciate and expect from the day, and as you turn out the lights at the end of each day also consider all you’re grateful for.
• Give continuous attention. Throughout each day, find small things about which you can be thankful. Perhaps the line at the coffee place was shorter this morning or your coworker made you smile. Avoid taking things for granted. Make everything count and bring conscious attention to elements which make you glad.
• Be expansive. Ensure you’re focusing on being grateful not just for things, but for people and conditions. Perhaps you particularly appreciate the headphones which help make your workout more fun, but also pay attention to the person at the club who made you feel welcome or the fact that you have the capability to walk, lift or stretch.
• Write it down.?Field research has proven that when you write down elements you’re grateful for, that simple act can foster happiness and wellbeing. This is probably true because it causes you to pause, focus, reflect and reinforce your positive experiences.
• Express yourself.?Gratitude is both an individual and a team sport. When you share what you’re grateful for in a team environment, it holds even more power. Thank a coworker during a team meeting or provide positive feedback to a colleague during a project session. When gratitude is expressed and shared, it helps both you and the group.

Gratitude is good, and it has plenty of positive effects. It may also be what can help get us through the last miles of the pandemic marathon. Staying present, being attentive to others and appreciating all we have—just as we wait for all we want—can help us get to the finish line.

I close with this quote -

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”

– Henri Frederic Amiel