Evolution of Love 2

THE BHISHMA WAY OR THE JATAYU WAY

No two people react to the same situation in a similar way. Here are examples of two legendary personalities who were faced with a very similar situation, but their responses were diagonally apart.
One has been elevated, but the other only recognised.
It's between *Bhishma & Jatayu.*
Both of them were confronted with character defining assault on womanhood.
One chose to die protecting the victim while the other chose to be a mute spectator of the crime.

*1) POWERFUL OR POWERLESS*
Bhishma was a powerful & capable warrior, & if he wanted, he could have stopped the disrobing of Draupadi, the Queen.
But he chose to be a silent witness of this act;
Whereas, Jatayu was old & invalid & knew that in all probability, Ravana would kill him. Still, he chose to try his best to protect Sita, the Queen.
Bhishma was powerful yet acted powerless, where Jatayu was powerless yet acted powerful.
*"Real power is not about physical strength but about the deep desire to help."*

*2) ALIVE OR DEAD*
Bhishma lived on but died every day to his conscience;
Whereas Jatayu died once but lived eternally true to his conscience.
*"Our only constant companion is our conscience. We better be true to it."*

*3) FAME OR INFAMY*
Bhishma's name & fame went down in history because of this one act of not stopping the disrobing of Draupadi.
But Jatayu's name & fame went high in history because of his act of trying to save Sita.
*"Many of us are going to be mere names in history, sooner or later. Will we be equated with the bad or the good is our choice."*

*4) CULTURE OR VULTURE*
Bhishma was supposed to be a highly cultured human but acted highly insensitively & stooped low in values like a vulture.
Whereas, Jatayu was supposed to be a lowly uncultured vulture but acted highly sensitively & soared the skies in values like an evolved human.
*"One doesn't become a human by being born as a human. He only becomes a human by being human."*

*5) SPOKEN OR UNSPOKEN WORDS*
Draupadi begged & pleaded protection from Bhishma because she knew if someone could protect her, it was only him, but still Bhishma didn't protect her.
Whereas Sita didn't even ask Jatayu for protection, she just wanted him to inform Rama about her kidnapping by Ravana because she knew Jatayu was not powerful, but still Jatayu tried to protect Sita.
*"The language of the heart is more powerful than the language of words."*

*6) CLARITY OR CONFUSION*
Bhishma was so confused regarding his royal duty that he forgot that he had a higher duty, a moral duty;
Whereas, Jatayu was so clear about his moral duty that no other duty was a consideration for him.
*"When caught up in dilemmas, best is to follow the higher principles, to follow our heart because it always knows the truth."*

*7) GOOD OR BAD EXAMPLE*

Bhishma set a very bad precedent for generations to come;
Whereas, Jatayu set the most ideal precedent for generations to come.
*"If we can't be a great example, at least let us not be a bad one."*

*8) RELATIVE OR STRANGER*
Another interesting point is that Bhishma was an elderly relative of Draupadi but acted as a total stranger in this episode;
Whereas Jatayu was not at all related to Sita, he was a stranger but acted more than a dearest relative.
*"True relationships are based on heart connections, not just bodily connections."*

*9) THE SAINTLY OR THE WICKED*

Both Bhishma & Jatayu had a few moments to decide what to do.
Life sometimes puts in situations where in a few moments we need to take crucial decisions.
What we decide very much depends on the kind of inner integrity we have cultivated by the association we keep.
Bhishma's intelligence was clouded, & it failed the test of life because he associated with the wicked minded, selfish Kauravas;
Whereas, Jatayu's intelligence was crystal clear, & it passed the test of life because he associated with the saintly, selfless Lakshman & the All-pure Lord Rama.
*"After all, who we are solely depends on whom we associate with."*

*10) EMBRACE OR NEGLECT*

The Supreme Lord, as Sri Krishna, was not at all happy with this attitude of Bhishma so much so that when He came as a peace messenger to Hastinapur, He didn't even bother to look at Bhishma.
Whereas, The Supreme Lord Ramachandra was so happy with the attitude of Jatayu that he embraced him & personally did his final rites, an honour that even Dasharath, His father didn't receive.

*"The scriptures explain that the ultimate test of any activity is if the Supreme Lord is pleased with us."*
It is very clear, Bhishma displeased God; whereas Jatayu pleased Him.
This recount is not meant to criticize Bhishma, he is undoubtedly a great personality, but we do vehemently criticize his inaction.

*Moral:*
*When we see some injustice or some problem, we have only two options Either we close your eyes to it or do something about it, follow "the Bhishma way" or "the Jatayu" way."*
*Whichever way we choose, remember there will also be a result, "the Bhishma result" or "the Jatayu result."*

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Prompt: "Fine Mess"
Oliver Hardy often said to Stan Laurel in several Laurel and Hardy films, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into." What is your definition of a fine mess and what kind of images does the word mess bring into your mind?

The above examples point to a fact that when we need to act and don't act, a fine mess is created. When we act and yet fail, we are self aware of our effort and a satisfaction of our effort comes in mind. So word mess comes when we don't act even though we are perfectly capable to do the same. Thanks