Linggo, Nobyembre 13, 2011

Hundred Questions


Hundred Questions
Rasipuram Krishnaswani Ayyar Narayanswami
(R.K. Narayan)

Overview:

“Hundred Questions comes from the book 2 of the “Mahabharata” near the end of the Pandava brother’s twelve year exile in the forest. This episode seems a far cry from sacred matters. Yet the “Mahabharata” is an important text of the Hindu religion.
In this episode, the eldest Pandava brother, must respond to a series of questions that test his character and challenge him to fulfill his dharma and save his brothers from permanent deaths.
Two of the question that Yudhistira must answer in this episode are “Who is really happy?” and “What is the greatest wonder of the world?”. We may agree or disagree in his answers.

Significant Human Experience 
Hundred Questions

“The true test of character is not how much we know to do,
But how we act when we don’t know what to do”-anonymous

There is no perfect life in this world, all people encounter problems that tests a persons’ character to be stronger and better person than he/she is. However, there is another way that somehow made our life quiet perfect, it’s preserving to oneself the dignity and values that all people must possess.
“Hundred Questions” is an ideal story that surely answers all your curiosity in life and opens your eyes and thoughts towards an abundant feeling of contentment. Honestly, this fulfills the emptiness within me.
Lots of instances in my life that I’ve meet challenges. Oftentimes I have told myself to quit, but still I pursue resolving it.  It’s amazing to know that in every challenge that we partake, though we struggle, but in the end we learn. It also tests our character to handle some unexpected situations properly. In Yudhistira’s challenge where he should answer hundred questions to save his brothers is an enormous dare to handle. Sounds impossible in everybody’s ears, but in Yudhistira’s character, all things are possible.
“Who is really happy?” a simple question but it truly has a deep meaning. Each of us has our own definition of real happiness. I cannot say that I’m one of those who are really happy, because in my case, there are still bunches of things to be fixed and great lessons to be learned. My eldest brother is out of nowhere right now, my love one is in a bus and plane distance far from me, and I’m still in my journey to achieve my dreams. However in Yudhistira’ side, he said, “One who has scanty means but is free from debt; he is truly a happy man.” Absolutely right, how happy a person is, if we don’t hide anything and we’re free from everybody’s eyes and liabilities. Now let me ask you, are you one of those who are really happy?
Here is another one, “What is the greatest wonder?” a casual question if it was asked by a kid, but if we will try to think of it, we’re still curious right? Yudhistira said, “Day after day and hour after hour, people die and corpses are carried along, yet the onlookers never realize that they are able to die one day. But think they will live forever. This is the greatest wonder of the world.” Time is precious, and yes, it is the greatest wonder that God had given to us, we should use it the way it should be. There are several times in my life that I’ve wasted my time for nonsense things and have been so dependent before. I have wished to turn back the time that I could say the words “sorry” and “I love you” and do important things to those persons whom I really loved much. I have regretted and blamed myself but it’s too late. Time is truly like a river, we cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never passed again. Let us always cherish the moment that we’re still able to hug and say sweet nothings to our dearest love ones.
Those are just two of the hundred questions that Yudhistira answered with all sincerity. Despite of the sudden challenge he encountered, he manages to be in his own self and showed his humility in answering the quest.
Inspired, blissful, and complete, I am now encouraged to face the trials that comes, to always live with love and hopefully develop my character with the influence of this literary work.
Lastly, I want to share a sensible portion of words which Yudhistira had answered to another series of questions on renunciation, “ Pride if renounced, makes one agreeable; anger, if renounced, brings no regret; desire if renounced, will make one rich; avarice if renounced, brings one happiness. True tranquility is of the heart..Mercy may be defined as wishing happiness to all creature..Ignorance is not knowing one’s duties..Wickedness consists in speaking ill of others. “ I will never forget these words, it is worthy to ponder in one’s own heart. 

7 komento:

  1. When I read the piece I was also wondering if what answer should I reply if somebody will ask me this series of weird questions, indeed the statements are simple but I can say it is very difficult to cite an answer since the questions are very broad and general, just try to think what words will come out in your mouth when you heard the questions: "Who is really happy?" I don't even know what's the answer since we do have this INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, everybody has its own problem, way of thinking, weigh things to make decisions and lastly to evaluate himself if he/she is happy and satisfied.

    “Day after day and hour after hour, people die and corpses are carried along, yet the onlookers never realize that they are able to die one day. But think they will live forever. This is the greatest wonder of the world.” one quote that really catch my attention, it is a reminder but it is delivered in a humorous way that some individuals tend to forget that they will also die someday.

    The literary piece is one of the best article I read since the idea and the perception of the writer is unique and interesting. THUMBS UP!

    TumugonBurahin
  2. This literary piece is a good and realistic one. It reflects with the reality of life that most of us had encountered.
    There are questions in our minds that is hard to answer for not all questions have their answers. We might become crazy looking to those answers just to satisfy ourselves but we need to accept the fact that not all questions need some answers but we must learn how to accept all those things.
    We must not let ourselves busy trying to figure out those answers but we must put in our hearts and minds that God has His own ways in which we cannot understand but I'm sure that ways are the best for us..

    TumugonBurahin
  3. Indeed. There are things that makes us happy, even how big or small that thing is, we think it as an agent or factor that hails us in the realm of happiness. Happiness is never achieved with great things you acquire, even millionaires have their own fill of cup, yet they are never contented, the simple and plain man has his own cup to fill yet unhappy because he yields some more fill to full his cup. It is still the same with how a person finds happiness, you search for it and it all comes naturally. WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OR MEANS OF HAPPINESS that only US could define and use.

    This piece is a guiding path of becoming a natural person. This taught us that we are human beings, we should love and forgive to those who had wronged us. This taught us that we are living simply because we have our mission to fulfill, it is to serve others. To be with others. So, the least thing we could do right now is to imagine how would we live our life without them and the biggest thing we could do is to start telling them how much we love them and we care for them. Surely, happiness will flow in.

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece of life. I am grateful Regine that you have come to realize many things with just an excerpt from the longest poetry in the world. Keep the spirit within!

    TumugonBurahin
  4. Hundred Questions simply amazed and inspired me because it tackles the true existence of how pure we are in the good qualities we have. Like with Yudhistira who was asked to answers the questions such as “ Who is really happy?” and “What is the greatest wonder of the world?’’ wherein I came to realize that we must share the happiness we have to the persons and not to produce negative vibrations and attract negative things which will bounce back to us. We must also cherish every single moment of life.
    We must know how to be “being with” to any person by simply listening to him or to her and most important is all about the power of affirmation, we must appreciate every person who may come into our lives in the way of hugging them and saying “I love you’’, for every person is a beautiful creation of God and this person is a blessing.
    I appreciate the output of Regine for she became honest by sharing her current challenges in life and I admire her willingness to be more inspiring, happy and complete for she applies what she had learned from this literary piece. Thanks for sharing this inspiring literary piece Regine!:)

    TumugonBurahin
  5. We are really sometimes blinded by the questions in life because we chose to neglect it and also we are afraid to know those painful answers. Yudhistira is brave and clever enough to answer those, but as for me with the question Who is really happy , I honestly do not know what to answer for as we all know a smile can never be the basis of real happiness, sometimes it’s our way of hiding our fears and weakness just to show others we’re OK.
    We can really never tell who is really happy because even the richest person in the world is not satisfied with whatever he had. Yes, we have different definition of happiness in our own experiences, now I could say that happiness comes from a kind heart and a contented soul.
    In our day to day living we are facing many questions and we are answering it through our actions these are things that made us survived this world.

    TumugonBurahin
  6. Hi.You have chosen a wonderful literary piece. Those questions are very subjective and nobody can really tell who's who and which is which. Is this a book or a film or both? I haven't read or watched it yet. It would be a great pleasure to have a copy of it.

    TumugonBurahin
  7. Hi ma'am.. I don't know if there is a film for Mahabharata, because I just got it from the book,and this is just one of the episode in the said literature.
    Actually I also appreciate this literary work so much for giving me realizations in life and it is one of the most ideal literary work that everyone must read.This builds everyone's character to be more productive not only intellectually, but also in all the aspects of life.

    TumugonBurahin