Spiritual Lessons from Indian Epics That Help in Decision-Making

Indian epics are a wellspring of moral guidance and inspiration, holding timeless relevance for people across all ages. In an age when most people struggle to remain focussed and calm under unpredictable circumstances, or find difficulty in making pragmatic, wise decisions for their future and in the process, waste their lives away in frustration, depression and inaction, the relevance of epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata becomes palpable. 

The following blog illustrates how our Indian epics foster decision-making skills among people that are significant for navigating through different challenges in life. 

Prioritising dharma over emotions: 

• In the Mahabharata, just before the war, Shri Krishna delivers the sermon of the Gita that underlines the importance of doing one’s dharma or duty with complete detachment. This is the only way to attain spiritual wisdom and liberation, allowing us to stay committed to our goals and helping us perform tasks with full devotion and dedication, without any consideration for the success or failure of the actions

• In the Ramayana, Lord Rama chooses duty over emotional attachments and willingly embraces an ascetic in the forest. He prioritises moral obligation over concern for familial relations, underscoring the value of selfless duty over actions governed by emotions.  

• In our daily lives as well, our decisions must be guided by reason, prudence and moral conscience and not by emotions because the latter only yields short-term results while the former produces long-term, beneficial results. 

Knowledge of the law of Karma: 

• The law of Karma is a pivotal philosophical concept espoused by our epics. This law holds the view that we reap the consequences of every action we perform in this life. This knowledge enables us to make wise, prudent and pragmatic decisions for our future

• Just as Duryodhana, by virtue of his evil actions, meets a tragic and deplorable end, similarly, whatever decisions and actions we take in real life must be consistent with their possible future implications. 

• The awareness about karma prevents us from taking any hasty, rash and imprudent decisions, enabling greater accountability and responsibility for the choices and decisions we make in life. 

Importance of moral and ethical guidance: 

• We often face situations in life where we struggle to make the right choices and take appropriate decisions. During these times, seeking guidance and help from people experienced in age is not only wise but also prudent. 

• Wise counsel from people will not only help us in developing clarity of thought but also in exercising our moral conscience while taking decisions that will have larger future implications for us.

• Be it Arjuna seeking help from Krishna in resolving his ethical dilemmas during the war or Rama taking help from Sugriv during his search for Sita, the epics remind us that seeking wise counsel from mentors, experienced people or elders always guides us through the moral and ethical problems in life and shows us the way forward 

Prioritising humility over personal good: 

• The epics teach us to remain humble and down-to-earth in life. Humility allows for openness to divergent views and opinions and guides ethical decision-making.

• Characters like Duryodhana and Ravana invited self-destruction through exercising unrestrained powers for personal gains. They impart the moral that unchecked ego, power-lust and arrogance can cloud one’s moral conscience and facilitate a person’s eventual downfall. 

• On the other hand, characters like Yudhisthira and Rama exemplify prudence and pragmatism that shape their ethical decision-making skills. Values of humility and selflessness drive their action and help them make viable, morally feasible decisions. 

Patience and Perseverance: 

• Two of the major values that the epics encourage us to nurture are patience and perseverance. These values are crucial in shaping ethical decision-making abilities in life. 

• Yudhisthira and Lord Rama exemplify these virtues. They teach us the lesson that in difficult times, it is always sensible to possess patience and perseverance, which enable us to weather the impact of the difficult phases in life, and help us make pragmatic and wise decisions. 

• While Yudhisthira chooses to bide their time well and wage a war against the Kauravas after gathering allies and knowledge about warfare during the Pandavas’ exile, Lord Rama spent fourteen years in exile before being rightfully crowned the king of Ayodhya on his return. These acts exemplify that patience and perseverance yield fruitful and favourable outcomes in the end

• The young generation, who easily form impulsive decisions based on the current circumstances, often end up in abject disappointment when the outcomes don’t go according to their expectations. The examples of Lord Rama and Yudhisthira teach us that one must cultivate a broad-minded approach while making decisions that will have consequences for the future. Factoring in all the aspects and then making pragmatic and judicious decisions ensures favourable outcomes in future 

  Conclusion: 

 Our scriptures are packed with worldly and practical wisdom that provides meaningful and relevant guidance in decision-making, which is the single most important life management skill that helps us make ethical, reasoned and prudent choices and decisions for a spiritually fulfilling and enriching life. 

For deeper insights into the moral lessons drawn from our spiritual books, buy your combo pack of the wisdom series comprising Ramayana for young minds, Mahabharata for young Minds, Vedas and Upanishads and Bhaagvad Gita by Avinash Agarwal today itself.