#sakhi

Krishna and Balaram and Their dear Friends

Kṛṣṇa and Draupadī Discuss Karma

One of my favourite interpolations from modern tellings of the Mahābhārata is a conversation between Draupadī and Kṛṣṇa that occurs after Draupadī's sexual assault and attempted disrobing by the Kauravas.

Clutching his feet, Draupadī sobs: "Govind, why? Why did this happen to me? What sins did I commit? I am reaping the fruit of which actions of mine?”

Picking her up and caressing her hair, Arya tells her: "What happened was neither because of your ‘bad’ karma, nor did you reap the fruit of your past actions. It was the Kauravas who reaped the fruit of their past actions by engaging in such a grave misdeed. Sakhī, this is the meaning of karma."

"But I am the one experiencing agony, Govind."

"Then relinquish it, Sakhī. Although what happened was not the result of your 'bad' karma, the way you transform following these events will be your karma."

This is such a beautiful and profound exchange which offers rich nuances to the teaching of karma. Oftentimes, when events we perceive as terrible happen to us, we create a story of unworthiness around them; we wonder if we are being punished, if the root cause is our evilness, if God or the universe are rejecting or dooming us. A question that rests on these lines that is often asked would be the common: “why do bad things happen to good people”. A first layer to this, in my view, is a deconstruction of 'bad' and 'good' as solid concepts. The second layer is the understanding that any event 'just' happens aleatorily, rises and falls, and karma is not a simplistic cause-effect reaction.

Karma encapsulates, in my understanding, the ingrained patterns held within us through which we act, react, and process the world around us and the events that occur in our lives. There is freedom from karma in finding new ways of reacting, engaging, processing.

Finally, a significant teaching encased in this interpolation is that the way someone treats us, ultimately, is a reflection of their karma (ingrained patterns), and not a reflection of our ingrained patterns. We cannot control another's patterns, but we can aim to understand and rewire ours accordingly.

coffee for you

(i am sorry for the spam)

yayyyy coffee yummy yummy🤤💞

कान्हा बैरन हुयी बांसुरी

हो कान्हा हाये तेरे अधर क्यों लगी

अंग से लगे तो बोल सुना गए

भाये ना मोह लगे कान्हा

दिन तो कटा, सांझ कटे, कैसे कटे रतियाँ

Kanha... bairan hui baansuri

Ho Kanha... tere adhar kyun lagi

Ang se lage to bol suna gaye

Bhaaye na moh lage Kanha

Din to kataa, saanjh kate

Kaise kate ratiyaan

She forgets the societal norms, forgets the world and dances for her Krishna

@bishh-kanya​​​ @kaurava-apologist​​​ @iams99 @mooonboy​​​ @swayamev​​​ @ramayantika​​​ @lazydreamer19 @ karma-track11 @waywardmorgan​​​ @voidsteffy​​​  @subway-ka-thela​​  @chaanv​ @shyamsakhii @euph0synee

🥹❤️