What are your biggest challenges?

The epic war of Mahabharat was on. Thousands and thousands of warriors were being slain. The war entered its thirteenth day. After getting pierced by the shower of Arjuna’s deadly arrows, Bhishma was on the deathbed of his arrows on the tenth day of the war. The joint “Guru” (teacher), Dronacharya had been made Commander-in-Chief (“Senapati”) of the Kaurava’s army. Unable to defeat Pandavas, Duryodhan was becoming desperate. He scolded Dronacharya, who created a formation called “Chakra Vyuha” on the thirteenth fateful day.

No warrior except for Sri Krishna, Bhishma and Arjuna knew the art of conquering the formation. Krishna had decided not to take up arms, Bhishma had been slain and Arjuna was engaged in another war under a treacherous trick to keep him away from the war.

Abhimanyu, a sixteen-year-old boy, knew the art of entering the formation but didn’t know how to come out of it. He listened to it while he was in his mother’s womb when his father, Arjuna, was telling his wife about it. Foetus Abhimanyu could not hear more as his mother fell asleep.

Abhimanyu entered the formation to fight for his father and obey the order of Yudhisthir, but others could not. The intrepid boy fought gallantly but was trapped by the enemies who were his uncles and elders. Encircling the unarmed and defenceless boy, the seven warriors cowardly killed him ruthlessly. Abhimanyu was killed but left an indelible mark on everyone including those who killed him.

The aim of telling the story is to tell the readers about the challenges. The challenges are inevitable and necessary as they teach lessons and also ways to come out of it. They look daunting and impossible to conquer but it is pleasurable to overcome them and come out victorious. Life is not a bed of roses. It teaches a lot at every step.

Like a student who prepares for an examination and work hard to get good marks, in daily lives too meeting challenges requires hard work, meticulous planning and its seamless implementation. When the work is perfect, result is bound to be positive. Unlike Abhimanyu who was forced into the war unprepared, a prepared warrior succeed in his aim. A preparation in haste and week resolve will not be fruitful until is intervened by some seasoned and experienced person like Sri Krishna.

Hearing about the heartless killing of his son Abhimanyu enraged Arjuna, and he took an oath to kill Jaydrath by the sunset, or else he would immolate himself. Arjun was enraged and offended, besides being in the grief of losing his teenage son. He was not able to make a prudent decision. His agitated mind forced him to take the drastic oath. Lord Krishna came forward to help without telling Arjuna about his plans. Ultimately, Jaydrath the wicked foe, was decapitated by Arjun, completing his resolve.

It shows that careful planning is required with a cool mind, and its execution needs to be in cold blood. It applies to every challenge. The size of a challenge does not matter. The important thing is the way one is tackling the situation. The two incidents of Mahabharat illustrate that immature efforts do not fruit despite best efforts, and at the same time, a matured effort will also be infructuous if executed in haste in an agitated state of mind.

People’s help, empathy or even a slight push do wonders. The person facing a challenge becomes charged with energy and, taking a right stride, crosses a large puddle.

It took several efforts to conquer Mount Everest. The peak and its surroundings are treacherous in its geological formation and uncertain weather conditions, which result in avalanches. Knowing about them was a daunting task. Though it took time, ultimately, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay succeeded in conquering the peak. They studied everything, collected information, made strategic plans, carefully drew subsidiary plans and then started their climb, prepared to face any eventuality. They set a trend, after which many intrepid persons, including Bachendri Pal, succeeded in climbing the peak.

One such illustrious example of accepting the challenge and successfully meeting it is the 359-meter-high steel arch bridge constructed on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The bridge is one of its kind, constructed under the most severe treacherous physical conditions. Standing tall tells the saga of determination and firm resolve to meet the challenge and finish the most difficult task to serve humanity. The difficulties and challenges question human limitations and abilities, and each time, with courage, determination and resolve, humans have shown that the impossible is not impossible. Each time when the grit of human beings was at stake, they showed that with persistent efforts, they could achieve their goal.

The narration would be incomplete without the story of Dashrath Manjhi. Popularly known as “Mountain Man”, the story of poor and uneducated Manjhi is a fit example of human resolve and determination. The poor labourer in Bihar resolved to make a 110-meter-long road by manually cutting a hill merely with a hammer and chisel. Poor and illiterate, Dashrath Manjhi took up the task. He single-handedly cut the mountain and carved out the road. It is quite unthinkable to carve out a road by cutting a hill unaided. The challenges and difficulties he faced can only be imagined; even though he faced the wreath of callous bureaucracy and systemic corruption, these impediments didn’t deter him from completing his task. He succeeded in making the road and set an example. The iron-willed poor man’s solo work is not only commendable but deserves a salute. He gave a road which even governments could not give.

Life is full of challenges. It is not only humans who face it, but it is true for every other organism, too. The difference is that other organisms can’t express it. Challenges, as has been repeatedly said are intrinsic. Its impossible to imagine life without it. Those who make challenges an opportunity, succeed in achieving their goal. The degree of challenge differs. Someone’s challenge may be his lisping, some face challenges of hunger. There are a plethora of them. For some, even the simplest of simple things is a challenge, while for some, the struggle is the only thing. Those who are facing the challenge of getting one square meal a day are struggling harder than those who are getting it easily but are lamenting to face a challenge.

The core is how to deal with a challenge. A moving car or a bicycle faces friction, which helps variously in controlling speed and maintaining their balance. Break application enhances the amount of friction to stop the uncontrolled vehicle. The cited example shows how challenges can become beneficial for an organism. It is for this simple reason that Mother Nature has made challenges an inseparable part of life.

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