Monday Motivation | Are You Taking All The Credit For Your Success?

Inspired by an event from the Mahabharata — Are you taking all the credit for your success

In the fierce battle of Mahabharata, Arjuna and Karna were pitted against each other and it was a clash of titans. A flurry of arrows were being exchanged, and even the God’s were witnessing this epic battle between the two warriors.

When Arjuna would shoot his arrows, Karna’s chariot would go by 25–30 feet.

When Karna shot the arrows, Arjuna’s chariot would also shake and go by 3–4 feet.

More than anyone else, Krishna would applaud Karna every time his arrow would hit Arjuna’s chariot. But not once did he applaud Arjuna’s skills.

At the end of the day, Arjuna asked Krishna “O Lord, I have shot so many arrows, at Karna’s chariot, it was being displaced like a feather in the wind, but not once did you appreciate me. Rather, you would appreciate Karna’s skill despite his arrows just displacing my chariot a little.”

Krishna smiled and replied, “ Arjuna, remember, your chariot is protected by Hanuman on your flag at the top, You have me as your charioteer in the front and you have Sheshnaag at its wheels, yet the whole chariot would still sway and get displaced whenever the valiant Karna hit us with his arrows. But, Karna’s chariot is not protected by any such force. He is on his own, yet he fights valiantly.

When the battle ended, Krishna said “Arjuna! Take your Gandiva and Tooneera and get down the chariot. Then I will get down.”

Accordingly Arjuna got down the chariot. Krishna kept the reigns on the chariot and got down. Lord Hanuman along with his band of demons, had flown away from the top of the chariot. Immediately, that chariot was reduced to ashes. Arjuna was astonished.

He asked in a state of frustration “Krishna! What is this! Why my chariot is burnt? Kindly tell me”

He said “Arjuna! You have so far been thinking that you won the battle out of your own prowess, vigour and valour. It is not correct. Your chariot had already been burnt away with the power of all Astra’s and Shastras launched by Karna. As I am driving your chariot and Lord Hanuman was viewing the battle from the top of the chariot, your chariot is intact. Otherwise, it would have been burnt away long back.”

In life, we often have the arrogance to say that we have achieved great heights. Our success is not just our efforts but a culmination of efforts of so many people who love us and care for us — parents, family members, teachers, Gurus, Mentors, friends etc. Had this support system not been there, we would have been in a very different trajectory. Thus experiencing gratitude positively impacts both our mental/emotional state and our ability to achieve the life you want.