A person is said to be confused if he cannot make decisions properly. An error in memory affects decision-making. If his thinking capacity is impaired, he cannot judge and forecast the outcome of his activities. Making wrong decisions out of bewilderment may land a person in deep peril.
Thanneerpalli Sri Krishnan Swamy said in a discourse that joy and sorrow do not arise from material things but from a person’s mental disposition. An alcoholic feels pleasure by drinking, whereas a teetotaller does not prefer the beverage.
Will people ever prefer to undergo suffering rather than enjoy comforts and pleasures? Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that people should try to hold pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike so that they do not incur any sin (Sukha Dukhe — CH-2-Verse 38).
Joy and sorrow are temporary only. People should neither be too ecstatic for happiness nor sombre for unhappiness. Surrendering to God’s feet will help a person treat both alike. Hanuman asked Sita whether she could undergo such severe pangs at Ashokavanam. But Sita replied that sins would not be extinguished without experiencing them.
Thiruvalluvar says a person who does not long for joy will never be upset by the pain of sorrow (Inbathul Inbham — kural-629). Men should try to understand that happiness and grief occur as if they are out of karma. Though God is, above all, omniscient, the Supreme Being, whose actions are unquestionable, will not grant bliss or affliction according to his own will but only based on karma.
Confused in the battle, Arjuna pleaded to Lord Krishna, ”With my heart stricken by the fault of weak compassion, with my mind perplexed, I request you to say what is good for me.“
When we are at a loss, we should seek the advice of learned, great Acharyas and pious people to help and guide us.
Published - February 07, 2025 05:15 am IST
