Is this rational?

The Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy, passed away in an accident only recently. Whatever we may say about life and death, this is no doubt a sad demise and it will be a trying and testing period for his family and those to whom he was dear. But this is not the point of my post.

I was surprised at the news that more than a hundred people had committed suicide or died of shock on hearing the news of his death. While this may not be hundred percent true (the media have a tendency to exaggerate facts), there is no doubt that many people succumb to grief when a person, whom they cherish as their ideal, passes away. This has happened many times in Tamil Nadu, esp. when our former Chief Minister M.G.R. passed away.

It is not only the fact that people simply grieve like this. They also give all kinds of justification for this kind of behaviour. Some of these sound like plausible, indeed, credible explanations for their behaviour. They say that the deceased person has benefited us, and has brought us our present prosperity. To the naive and inane anthropologist, such behaviour might look like a justified reaction.

It appears that such unfounded stupidity was rampant even in our ancient times, and among the best of men. Indeed, before the Mahabharata War begins, Arjuna is afflicted by a similar grief; he says that his elders have showered affection on him in the past, and therefore he cannot bear them being killed. Lord Krishna, in response, expounds the true meaning of Dharma in his Gita.

In the Gita, there are verses that are very relevant to our topic. They are:

श्री भगवानुवाच
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे |
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता:||
(Bhagavat-Gita, Verse 2.11)

Bhagavaan[Lord Krishna] said: While speaking learned words, you are lamenting for what is not worthy of lamentation. Those who are wise lament neither for the lives that have gone[the dead] nor for the lives that have not gone[the living]. (Verse 2.11, Srimad Bhagavat-Gita)

Clearly, our scriptures are lost to our present world. We are willing to do all kinds of things in the name of our scriptures except following them in letter and spirit. People may not agree with what I say; however, they cannot deny the fact that such grieving is of no use to anyone, either for the living or for the dead.

People may ask: When someone dear to you dies, will you not grieve like this? I may not be able to say "No". But whether I say "Yes" or "No", that is not going to change the truth.

So much for my opinion on the recent event. I hope atleast one person understands what I say.