Empowerment!

 

After talking to Saunaka, Yudhisthira approached sage Dhaumya & said: Being neither able to support Brāhmanās nor abandon them, I’ve become exceedingly unhappy. Pls give me some instruction that’ll enable me to understand what I should do. Dhaumya reflected for a while in a meditative mood & said: O King! In the beginning of creation all living entities became afflicted with hunger

 

Savitā, the sun-God, took compassion upon the suffering living beings & began to evaporate water with his powerful rays & with the help of moon clouds were created. Rainfall came as a consequence & land began to produce plants for food. From this we can understand that solar energy is the inherent ingredient for all kinds of eatables that sustains our lives. I suggest that you worship Suryā with a vow of great austerity, said Dhaumya

 

Sage taught Yudhisthira a prayer composed by Lord Brahmā, containing 108 names of Sun-god & assured him: If you recite this prayer with devotion, all your desires will be fulfilled. Thereafter Yudhisthira began worshipping Sun, urged by his desire to support Brāhmanās. He subsisted only on air & practiced breathing exercises of Pranāyāma, standing in Gangā water reciting prayers with intense concentration

 

The Sun-god Vivasvān became very pleased & appeared before Yudhisthira to give him a celestial copper vessel. He said: I’ll supply you all the food you’ll require for the next 12 years. As long as Draupadi has this pot, the amount of food that she cooks in it will expand to become inexhaustible. Only when she will eat, will the food that she has prepared be finished. Don’t give way to grief, for after completing your period of exile, you’ll once again rule your kingdom. Sun-god then vanished from site

 

Yudhisthira came out of water & was astonished for some time. He then went to sage Dhaumya feeling profound sense of gratitude & touched his feet. He then embraced his brothers with great pleasure

 

Yudhisthira took Draupadi into the kitchen & they cooked in the copper pot whatever little food was in their stock. Miraculously when the cooking was finished, the food began to increase unlimitedly enabling Yudhisthira to feed all the Brāhmanās. After they ate to their full satisfaction, Yudhisthira then fed his brothers. Then he ate & at last Draupadi had her meal. As soon as Draupadi got up to wash he hands & mouth, the rest of the food vanished just as the sun-god had indicated

 

In this way King Yudhisthira was able to maintain the brāhmanās to his heart’s content & gave up all apprehension about the thought of allowing them to accompany him. Sage Dhaumya performed sacrifices to enhance Pāndavās welfare. Finally they left the banks of Gangā & set out for Kāmyaka forest

 

When the intent is to serve, we get empowered by the divine to do the extraordinary. When we try to do some service & face some obstacles, we may think at the start that we are not empowered to go the last mile & make difference in other’s lives. The presence of obstacles demoralizes us. But we need to understand that our unshakeable resolve to keep fighting even in the presence of most stubborn hurdle, is what brings empowerment

 

To persevere to the fullest extent of our skills & strength is what brings the divine intervention miraculously. There are ample examples to support this

Do we feel empowered or discouraged in a higher cause? 

Thoughts? #gameoflife