show off and survive

निर्विषेणाऽपि सर्पेण कर्तव्या महती फणा।
विषमप्यस्तु माऽप्यस्तु घटाटोपो भयङ्करः॥
चाणक्यनीत्यां
nirviṣeṇā'pi sarpeṇa kartavyā mahatī phaṇā|
viṣamapyastu mā'pyastu ghaṭāṭopo bhayaṅkaraḥ||
cāṇakyanītyāṁ

"Even if a serpent is not having venom  it should never fail to hold high  its hood and make a frightening appearance.. 

Such show of strength, although a make believe,  and making  a lot of noise can instill fear in the minds of the adversary  and  more often than not save you.."

The master statesman Chanakya  is just pointing out his fingers at  a stark reality of life.. 
People go by appearances.. 
When we see a snake we are stuck by fear at once ..

 However if the snake is very meek and simply keeps quiet, we would start  throwing stones at it, even if it is poisonous.

 But if only it raises its hood and makes hissing noises, we  normally tend to  bolt, and no one is  likely to be either brave or foolhardy  to stay near the  hissing snake and verify  whether it carries venom in is fangs ..


And this is just the way many people survive..

 It is not the inherent worth of a person that matters.. Usually we get away with show offs..


Tinsel world survives on make-ups..
 Politicians thrive on the gift of the gab.. 
And we survive in social media posts  proving to the hilt Chanakya's above dictum in words and spirit..

Strife has become second nature to all

अत्तुं वाञ्छति शांभवो गणपतेराखुम् क्षुदार्तो फणी
तम् च क्रौञ्चरिपोः शिखी गिरिसुतासिंहोऽपि नागाऽशनं।
इत्थं यत्र परिग्रहस्य घटना शंभोरपि स्यत्गृहे
तत्रान्यत्र कथं न भाविजगतो यस्मात्स्वरूपं हि तत्॥१८०॥
विष्णुशर्मणः पञ्चतन्त्रात्
attuṁ vāñchati śāṁbhavo gaṇapaterākhum kṣudārto phaṇī
tam ca krauñcaripoḥ śikhī girisutāsiṁho'pi nāgā'śanaṁ|
itthaṁ yatra parigrahasya ghaṭanā śaṁbhorapi syatgṛhe
tatrānyatra kathaṁ na bhāvijagato yasmātsvarūpaṁ hi tat||180||
viṣṇuśarmaṇaḥ pañcatantrāt

The situation of cold war as perceived in the house of Lord Shiva is described vividly in the Panchatantram of Visnusharma.

The snake tied around the neck of Lord Shiva is very hungry and it is eyeing for the rat the mount of Shivas first son Ganapati for a quick breakfast.  
The snake is under strong reckoning  for the planned dinner of the Peacock which is the chariot of Shivas second son Subramania.  

The lion  available in the abode of Shiva as the  mount of the First Lady Devi Gauri has already reserved in mind the flesh of the peacock for its supper.  

Thus even in the first family of the world there is supreme strife among the servants and this has inevitably led to friction among the masters.  

So what else can we expect in the ordinary households of the earth which are all designed and managed keeping the Kailash as the role model.

When each member of the household employ staff or vehicles which are not compatible to the taste of others it is absolute bedlam in a joint family.  

Usually the cold war never manifests openly but it is only a truce on the surface.  

The snake of Shiva, the rat of Ganesh the peacock of Kumarji and Maataajis lion all survive only because the masters do not want to come out openly an hit out at one another. 


The funny situation is  painfully manifest in all its vividness  in all the walks of life.  

Take the case of secretaries of various executives in a big corporation or a Government office.  
Or take the  case of the followers of political parties who join in opportunistic alliance to share power.
Strife has become second nature to all.

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