The Best Moments Of My Life: OS
(Pandav & Draupadi OS for mother's day)
As the Pandavs and Drauapdi approached the foothills of the Himalayas, they realized it'd been more than a month since they had left Hastinapur. After having spent majority of their lives together, this was their final journey with each other. They had made a few stops here and there, but in their minds they were determined to trek the arduous uphill journey without losing heart or inner strength. They barely ate, slept or even talked to each other. At this stage of their lives, they communicated through silence; spoken words were a vestige of the past. All six of them spent their time praying, meditating or reminiscing the events of their lives.
One day, as they rested in the shade of a tree, Nakul finally broke the silence. "Jyeshth, now that we've embarked on this final journey of our lives, I know we all have several memories from this life. Not all pleasant but I'm sure there are enough memories we wouldn't mind living through again. For each of us, what were the best moments of our lives? Even though, we were mostly together and practically know everything about each other, but I'm sure there is one special moment that each of us still cherishes."
Yudhishtra smiled at his curious young brother. Since childhood, Nakul had always been the inquisitive one- always looking for answers. While the others sought gurus, ascetics, sacred texts and elders, Nakul looked up to his brothers for answers. "Nakul, that's a wonderful idea. We humans have a tendency to recall painful memories, drown ourselves with sorrow and guilt, think about our sins but often forget those special moments that gave us utmost joy."
"Jyeshth, you're so right. I'm not sure if we'll all be together in heaven, but if we can relive that memorable moment, heaven would literally be heaven." Bheem chuckled and stared at the sky. "Nakul, why don't you start first?" Bheem patted his younger brother's shoulder with affection.
Lost in his thoughts and with a glint in his eyes, Nakul smiled, "it was during our agyatvaas. That moment, when King Virat made me in charge of the stables. I'd never been happier in my life. I'd spent all my life in vanity, trying to be the handsome Nakul but being someone else, neither as handsome nor as vain gave me a lot of pleasure. Even during the horrendous eighteen-day war, my memories as Damagranthi carried me through my toughest days on the front. Isn't it strange, I lived my best moments not being Nakul but someone else?"
"That's what Madhav always said," Arjun replied in a soft voice, "it's that sense of me that creates all the sorrows in life. Agyatvas was a great lesson for all of us." He fell silent as he recalled all the memories from their tough exile and agytavas period. With Madhav gone, he had lost interest in life. He couldn't wait to become one with his God once again. Arjun sensed five pairs of eyes on him. They were aware of his despondent state but were eager to hear his story.
With a faint smile on his face, he met their gaze, "That moment has to be my first meeting with Madhav. How can I ever forget that day at the swaymvar, when Madhav glanced and smiled at me, nudging me to take part in the bowstring test set by Kind Drupad? At that moment, I knew Krishna was there to guide me, which he did all my life, through every trial and setback of my life. I know I was there for a marriage, but it was Madhav that I prostrated to in my heart. At that moment, I knew I'd be blessed if I could spend my life in his service."
Draupadi smiled at him. She was not offended by Arjun's comment. Govind's love was all encompassing with no boundaries whatsoever. She had felt the same way after her first meeting with Govind. Arjun and Draupadi exchanged silent glances, like they had all throughout their married lives. He knew she understood him just as well as Madhav did and there was no need for him to give any clarifications to her.
Yudhistra touched Arjun's shoulder, "You're right Parth. No one can replace Krishna in our lives. Indeed he touched every moment of our lives but there was one special moment, I can never forget. That's when he visited us at the Kamyaka forest, right after our exile period started. I was full of guilt and remorse, unable to meet anyone in the eye. I felt like the scum of the earth, unworthy of being a human and unworthy of being your brother and Panchali's husband. Krishna didn't say much. He was more worried about Panchali but he gave me one glance as he walked towards her. I still have a hard time describing it." Yudhistra paused, shutting his eyes as painful old memories once again flooded his mind. He composed himself, opened his eyes and smiled, "Krishna had forgiven me. I knew he was upset but his eyes were full of compassion and love for me. That's when I realized what a great man he was. I learnt that love and compassion are the cornerstones of this life. He'd forgiven me and since that moment, I've learnt to forgive everyone and anyone"even my enemies."
The six of them said a silent prayer to Krishna; their hearts filled with boundless love and reverence for their favorite Yadav prince.
"Ghatodkach!" Bheem's eyes beamed with pride, "I can't forget that moment when my son met us at the foothills of Badrinath. He taught me the importance of selfless service. Never once did he ask anything from his elusive father, never asked for any kingdom, never complained but whenever I needed him, he never failed me. It's that memory of him carrying us on the mountain that's etched in my mind forever. I'd give up everything to relive those moments again."
A tearful Draupadi recalled the affections of Bheem's oldest son. Bheem seldom hid his feelings, but she always knew Bheem had a very soft corner for his oldest son and because he didn't want to hurt their other children, he'd never verbalized his feelings openly.
"Sahdev? What about you bhrata?" Bheem had a tearful smile on his face, "You've always chosen to remain silent but today, we want you to say something."
Lowering his eyes, a pensive Sahdev muttered, "The day I killed Shakuni mama. All of you've spoken about the joyful moments of your life. Killing someone shouldn't give anyone so much pleasure but for me it's the most memorable moment. I hold him responsible for all the carnage. If it were not for him, Aryavat wouldn't have been consumed by the wildfire of adharm. I'm willing to undergo any punishment for killing him but wouldn't trade that moment with anything else in my life."
Yudhistra placed his palm on Sahdev's head, "Bless you Sahdev. You're the true karmayogi in our family. Despite knowing the future, never once did you shy away from your responsibilities. You never let your emotions get the better of you. Mankind is blessed that a great man like you lived amongst them." Even though Sahdev had never revealed the future to his family, Yudhsitra was always aware of his brother's unique gift of foresight and seeing the future.
"Panchali, how about you?" Yudhistra turned his gaze to their lovely wife of many decades. Draupadi seldom hid her feelings; like Bheem she was one of the most expressive persons in their family. She'd had her shares of joys and sorrows, perhaps more than any of them but had managed to survive unscathed and as strong as ever. She was more resilient and emotionally stronger than any of her husbands.
"Arya," she had a faint smile on her lips. "I've endured and seen more than most women have experienced in a lifetime. I've no complaints as life has given me more than I ever asked for. Life has taught me some sweet and some harsh lessons but I wouldn't trade them for anything more or less. Of course, like any mother, I can never forget the day each of my children was born. For any woman, giving birth to a life is the most gratifying experience in life. I thank God for giving me that opportunity. The pleasure I felt when I held my children, when I saw them grow up in front of my eyes, when they first called me maata or when they were old enough to walk into the battlefield is unparalleled in the universe. How can I forget that day when they gave up their lives for dharm? That day I thought I was the unluckiest person in the world; I cried and wallowed with grief. Govind always said that everything happens for a reason. If that were true, then why did I lose all my sons? No mother can survive the pain of losing her children. Why me? That's when life taught me the most beautiful lesson. I'll never forget that moment when I walked into a roomful of grieving mothers. I was mortified to see how many women had lost all their families. It was no fault of theirs; they didn't deserve such mass scale bereavement. I sat down and embraced each of those women. An incessant trail of tears rolled down my eyes. I cried for their sons, cried for their loss, cried in their anguish. I felt every emotion those women went through and comforted them like I was their mother. Never before had my heart felt so much compassion and empathy for another person. By sharing their grief, it was an inexplicable sense of painful bliss I felt. Just mourning for my sons was my selfishness but mourning with others and for others gave me more peace than the deaths of the Kauravs. That day I understood my purpose in life, understood what Govind meant by real dharm, understood why my sons needed to sacrifice their lives and why I had no right to ask any more questions from God. I realized a mother gives birth but also nurtures, empathizes and comforts all her children. It's when I lost my own children, that I really became a mother in the truest sense."
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