This, too, shall pass! / एतदपि गमिष्यति |

A dear friend lost her mother a few days ago and was wondering how her children would cope with the loss of a beloved grandparent. Another called in to say that her son decided to take a gap year as he did not score up to his expectations in a competitive exam. Her son was finding it hard to digest as he had topped his school in the pre-college exam just a couple of years ago!

Struggle is a part of life, and we all take it in our stride. But there are some times when we feel utterly helpless, extremely angry or dejected, totally shocked or any such extreme emotions. We don’t know how to go on… How can one cope in such situations?

In the Bhagwadgeeta (भगवद्गीता), when Arjun is despondent facing with the prospect of killing his own loved ones, Bhagwan Krishna tells Arjuna,

मात्रास्पर्शास्तुकौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु:खदा: | आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्वभारत || Bhagvadgeeta, 2.14||

O Son of Kunti, the sensory perceptions of happiness and sorrow are fleeting. They are not permanent. They come and go like the summer and winter seasons.

Hence, O Descendant of Bharat, learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

This shloka from the Bhagvadgeeta explains beautifully that the only thing permanent in life is change. So, whether you are experiencing good times or bad (analogy of the summer and winter seasons) know that this is going to change.

Don’t get too complacent or proud in your successful stints and don’t get too depressed or feel hopeless during failures. Accept the situation (good or bad) open-heartedly and keep working towards your goals as usual.

This reminds me of a story that I had heard in my childhood. Once a kingdom was experiencing an unusually long summer. There was a huge loss of crops, animals and even people were dying. The King did not know what to do. At that time, a Sadhu (wise man) happened to visit the Kingdom. The King paid his respects and asked him for a solution. The Sadhu just said - “एतदपि गमिष्यति । This, too, shall pass!” and went away.

The King took solace in these words and opened his coffers to help his subjects with food and medicines. Once fed and having regained their energy, he encouraged the farmers to start tilling the land and taking care of the livestock. Soon, the season changed and there was a good rainfall. The land yielded a bumper harvest, the king’s treasury was soon refilled much more than earlier and there was happiness all around!

Some sentries on the outskirts of the Kingdom happened to spot the Sadhu passing by and took him to meet the King with great fanfare. The King welcomed the Sadhu as a great Saviour, honoured him with gifts and riches and asked him for advice. The Sadhu just said - “ एतदपि गमिष्यति । ” and went away!

This, too, shall pass!

… is exactly what the shloka conveys when it compares the sorrows and joys we feel to the seasons that come and go.

The Bhagvadgeeta is not as much a religious scripture as it is a compendium of lessons on how to lead a good, happy life. It has many such gems and I will introduce you to some more as we go along.

This shloka from the Dwitiya Adhyay द्वितीय अध्याय / Second Chapter is one worth committing to memory and internalizing its meaning. It will help you cope with vagaries of life better – be equanimous, neither let successes make you arrogant and nor let failures make you despondent.

So, till we meet again next week - एतदपिगमिष्यति ।