Good infrastructure is the basic necessity for any developing state. India also in its effort to progress is doing its best in this aspect. Indian roads and highways are seeing a change that is unparalleled in history.
Realizing the crumbling state of the Roads in the national Capital due to increase in automobiles, the people up there put their heads together and came up with a plan for world class DMRC project. That is Delhi Metro Rail. It was hailed as the boon for the Delhi citizens who were suffering from the bane of traffic. Thanks to the Commonwealth games, Delhi got a few flyovers, underpasses, Foot over bridges (FOB) and several extensions to the already existing Metro system. Though the people involved in CWG are facing flak, but Delhi came out shining like a well developed and well-kept city.
This situation was rightly predicted by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – the Founder of ISKCON in the 1970s itself. In the purport to a Verse from Srimad Bhagavatam, he mentions, “In contemporary civilization we see that there are many automobiles manufactured to carry us swiftly from one place to another, but at the same time we have created other problems. We have to construct so many roads, and yet these roads are insufficient to cope with automobile congestion and traffic jams. There are also the problems of air pollution and fuel shortage.” [Purport SB 4.29.33]
All in all, we see that all the contemporary problems are solved in these ways. This is simply an attempt to transfer the burden from one place to another. The solution that we manufacture to counteract or minimize the distressing situation do not actually put an end to our pains. We simply place the burden from head to shoulder. The same thing is said in Srimad Bhagavatam:
yatha hi purusho bharam
sirasa gurum udvahan
tam skandhena sa adhatte
tatha sarvah pratikriyah
[SB 4.29.33]
A man may carry a burden on his head, and when he feels it to be too heavy, he sometimes gives relief to his head by putting the burden on his shoulder. In this way he tries to relieve himself of the burden. However, whatever process he devises to counteract the burden does nothing more than put the same burden from one place to another.
We are trying to be happy and planning in so many ways to counteract material misery. This is called the struggle for existence. We can actually see in our daily lives how we are forced to make plans to drive away miserable conditions. To get rid of one miserable condition, we have to put ourselves in another kind of miserable condition. Actually that is not a valid counteracting process but a snare of the illusory energy. In summer time, to counteract heat, we may switch on the Air Conditioner, but then to maintain the standard of Life and pay the bills for A.C. again we have to go out and sweat it out to earn good amount of money. One Struggle replaced by another.
So what is the solution? Krishna in Bhagavad Gita suggests that the living entity is experiencing this misery due to his misidentification with the body and under illusion he thinks of oneself as the doer. “…ahankara vimudhatma, kartaham iti manyate…” So real solution is to realize our real identity and develop Krishna Consciousness. Actually the material condition cannot be improved. The process of improvement means accepting another miserable condition. However, if we endeavor to improve our Krishna consciousness, the distresses of material life will disappear without extraneous endeavor. Krishna therefore promises, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaya praanshyati: “O son of Kunti?, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.” (Bg. 9.31)
One who takes to the path of devotional service will never be vanquished, despite all miseries of the body and mind and despite all misery brought about by other living entities and providence, miseries which are beyond our control.
The only real way we can minimize our problems is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and give ourselves up to His protection. The Lord, being all-powerful, can make arrangements to mitigate our painful life in material existence. So transfer your burden to Krishna. This is called Surrender. That’s what Krishna also says in Bhagavad Gita 18.66:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear…