The battle of life
There is a beautiful dialogue between Ram and Vibhishan, given in Tulsi Ramayan. At the day of the final and decisive battle between Ram and Ravan, Ravan was mounted on his celestial chariot, captured from Devas and Ram was on foot. Seeing this Vibhishan became impatient. He expressed his concern to Ram and said that it was not a war between equals. Having a chariot with so many celestial powers, said he, Ravan certainly had an edge over Ram. This could be detrimental for Ram. It could even cause Ram’s defeat also. Listening to this, Ram remained calm as ever and answered him saying that the chariot that brings victory is not the one Ravan possesses.
The victorious chariot has valour and fortitude as wheels; its horses are strength, discretion, self restraint, and benevolence. These horses are harnessed with the reins of forgiveness, compassion, and equanimity. Remembrance of god is its wise charioteer. The warrior sitting on such a chariot secures himself with the shield of non attachment (vairagya), fights with the sword of contentment, unwavering intellect, righteous and charitable nature. Restraints or Yama (non harming, truthfulness, non - stealing, moderation of senses and non possessiveness) and observances or Niyam (purity, contentment, self discipline, self study, and surrender to God) are his weapons.
Ram said further that the person, who has such a chariot, sees nobody as his enemy. Just after this discussion, Indra the king of gods sent his miraculous celestial chariot full of the most sophisticated divine weapons along with his charioteer for Ram. As all of us know, eventually Ram conquered Ravan that day.
This is a story from an ancient epic, but its message is beyond time and space. It has great significance in modern times. In every situation of life where we have to choose between the right and the wrong, there is a battle fought between good and evil, represented by Ram and Ravan in Ramayan. For a person who cares about his conscience, life is a constant battle of principles. His conscience fights this battle with the help of above said qualities/chariot. In this world, where everyone is after material possessions, fulfilling their petty ego, one who sticks to his principles and doesn’t abandon his values for material successes, never looses the battle of life. Although, for the time being, he may seem to be unsuccessful in his worldly life, at the end, when the larger picture of life unfolds, it becomes clear that the path he had chosen for his life could never have led him to doom. Whoever sticks to his principles in his life necessarily gets the celestial help. Almighty never abandons his devotees alone in the battle of life.
There are few people in the world, who have attained immense fame and great honour for their sacrifices in the course of protecting their values. But there are a larger number of people whose unsung sacrifice for their principles has brought them purity of soul and peace of mind. Purity of means is given significance equal to the purity of end in the Indian tradition. Where there is no purity of means, the end can not be pure. Any thing that is not pure or Satyam in its nature can not be the cause of the welfare or Shivam of humanity. The boulevard to peace and everlasting happiness necessarily goes through the sanctity of means.