March 30, 2011
In honor of India's cricket victory over Pakistan on March 30 at the World Cup semi-finals in Chandigarh, I thought I would use songs from the hit movie Lagaan, to illustrate a couple of points about dhṛti which carries flavors of the values of fortitude, tenacity, persistence and courage. What a great movie by Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker.
The first is simply a quote from the Mitva, Sun Mitva song:
Har sant kahe, saadhu kahe
Sach aur saahas hai jiske mann mein
Ant mein jeet usiki rahe
"Every holy man says,
The one who displays truth and courage
is the only one deserving of victory" (Free translation by me)
The other one of course, is the Chale Chalo song. For Hindi lyrics click here and here for transliterated English with meaning (hat tip to the folks who contributed these lyrics - great Yagña spirit).
If you're still reading this post after that great song, two comments.
Geeta chapter 18, deals with this subject of dhṛti in shloka's 33-35. Reading the Geeta, it is easy to misunderstand that Śhrī Kṛṣṇa is always pointing the way to the satvic or noble and the highest values. My own understanding based on the excellent book Victorious Youth by Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji, is that we must link it to where we are in our own journey.
If we're predominantly tamasic (indolent, lazy, etc) we need to step up to become rajasic (ambitious, driven to action). The movie Lagaan and the song Chale Chalo demonstrates this drive to get fired up by a goal and persist in it until victory is ours. In the field of sport that is a perfectly acceptable approach to motivate and drive players and teams. Shloka 34, specifically states:
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन |
प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी ||१८-३४||
yayaa tu dharmakaamaarthaandhR^ityaa dhaarayate.arjuna .
prasaN^gena phalaakaaN^kShii dhR^itiH saa paartha raajasii .. 18-34..
But the fortitude, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth, with attachment and craving for the fruits-of-actions, that fortitude, O Partha, is RAJASIC (passionate).
The Indian displayed this aplenty at yesterday's game. Thank God, they didn't go satvic on us!
Makes sense? Do leave a comment and share your thoughts.
For other Geeta in Bollywood entries, click here and here. Click here for the Hollywood post.
Hari Om and Namaskaar till the next time.
In honor of India's cricket victory over Pakistan on March 30 at the World Cup semi-finals in Chandigarh, I thought I would use songs from the hit movie Lagaan, to illustrate a couple of points about dhṛti which carries flavors of the values of fortitude, tenacity, persistence and courage. What a great movie by Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker.
The first is simply a quote from the Mitva, Sun Mitva song:
Har sant kahe, saadhu kahe
Sach aur saahas hai jiske mann mein
Ant mein jeet usiki rahe
"Every holy man says,
The one who displays truth and courage
is the only one deserving of victory" (Free translation by me)
The other one of course, is the Chale Chalo song. For Hindi lyrics click here and here for transliterated English with meaning (hat tip to the folks who contributed these lyrics - great Yagña spirit).
If you're still reading this post after that great song, two comments.
Geeta chapter 18, deals with this subject of dhṛti in shloka's 33-35. Reading the Geeta, it is easy to misunderstand that Śhrī Kṛṣṇa is always pointing the way to the satvic or noble and the highest values. My own understanding based on the excellent book Victorious Youth by Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji, is that we must link it to where we are in our own journey.
If we're predominantly tamasic (indolent, lazy, etc) we need to step up to become rajasic (ambitious, driven to action). The movie Lagaan and the song Chale Chalo demonstrates this drive to get fired up by a goal and persist in it until victory is ours. In the field of sport that is a perfectly acceptable approach to motivate and drive players and teams. Shloka 34, specifically states:
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन |
प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी ||१८-३४||
yayaa tu dharmakaamaarthaandhR^ityaa dhaarayate.arjuna .
prasaN^gena phalaakaaN^kShii dhR^itiH saa paartha raajasii .. 18-34..
But the fortitude, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth, with attachment and craving for the fruits-of-actions, that fortitude, O Partha, is RAJASIC (passionate).
The Indian displayed this aplenty at yesterday's game. Thank God, they didn't go satvic on us!
Makes sense? Do leave a comment and share your thoughts.
For other Geeta in Bollywood entries, click here and here. Click here for the Hollywood post.
Hari Om and Namaskaar till the next time.
Great blog, love it. Linked it at my facebook site.
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