United We Stand – In Gita Verse 1.15 Lord Kṛṣṇa blew His conch shell, called Pāñcajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhīma, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conch shell, called Pauṇḍra.
Pandava gave their approval and showed their readiness by blowing their conch shells one after the other according to hierarchy and in response to Bhishma. Krishna and Arjuna by blowing their conch shells delivered the message of transcendental, inner strength and stability. One by one everyone started blowing their conch shells. Bhima conveyed his physical strength by blowing his. There was rhythm in their response to Bhishma. They were ready but not excited. There was unity in their team. Unity has different kinds of strength. They act from trust on each other. They count on each other’s strength. They don’t look for mistakes in each other but stand with each other.
When our focus is on the mistake it is a clear indication that we are stuck in the objective world. But when our focus is on strength it shows that you are respectful towards other people and the universe for its imperfection. As the other person is imperfect, so are we and each one can become the strength of the other.
One of the best examples of the strength of unity is the Indian struggle for freedom. The British were mighty powerful. They controlled and tortured Indians for years. However, even the powerful British officials had to give up when Indians came out together and stood united against them. Many patriotic leaders emerged during those times. Each had his own ideologies and tried to fight the British accordingly. These leaders inspired a vast number of Indians who came out in large numbers to fight against the tyranny of the British.
Several protests and processions were carried out during that period. The British government was shaken by these events. People realised the importance of standing together and soon their efforts paid off. The British had to leave the country owing to the mass involvement of Indians in the freedom struggle. Had only a few people come forward to fight, the British would have easily silenced them and continued their rule.
Staying United: A Part of Indian Culture
Ours is a country with rich tradition and culture. Staying together and helping each other is a part of our culture. Our joint family system is one of the biggest examples of the importance we give to staying united. The joint family system had prevailed in our country for centuries. Unlike the modern times, in the past the families did not only live together but also bonded well. People sat together, chit chatted and had their meals in each other’s company. Staying united helped them in many ways.
People in our country did not only live united with their immediate family members but also bonded well with their neighbours and extended family. People stood by each other and acted as a great support system for one another.
In India one of the reasons why the percentage of depression and psychological problems is lesser than in other parts of the world is because their emotional health is taken care of by friends and family members. Also when you live together you become an observer. Also learn how we can become each other’s strength. When you learn all this from your childhood it becomes your nature.
“United we stand, divided we fall” means that it is wise to stick together and work in collaboration with others instead of working against each other. Working as a team is a sure shot way to success.
Look at Pandava with limited resources, limited amount of finance – as they had just come out from exile, because of their unity they won the war. Kaurava with all the resources, power and finance lost the war because they were divided. Duryodhan was always surprised that; why all the brothers of Pandava, with different thinking, could stay united. While his brothers were not united. The basic difference was Yudhishthir always listened to them very calmly and gave them freedom to express and act. Freedom of expression and action made them responsible to stay united. While Duryodhana never gave any freedom to his brothers, that’s why they were divided.
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