Corona – the most primitive form of life – a virus has held the most advanced life forms – humans at ransom. Well, what can we do? What can be the endgame?
- Go offensive – get the Bramhastra. Find an antidote. Annihilate the virus. This will take time. Several antidotes and about 70 vaccines are in the pipeline. At least three vaccines are being tested on human beings.
We need another 12-18 months to get our most potent weapon – the Bramhastra (and this is assuming that the virus does not change its form.) - Go defensive – get the Vajra Kavach. Protect from the virus. So, we have ‘Lockdown’. We already have a sequel ‘Lockdown-2’. There might be Lockdown-3, 4 and more
This is not going to be easy. It has economic and social fallouts. At some point, this cure can be worse than the problem. - Go surrender – don’t resist the Naryanastra unleashed by Corona. In due course the herd immunity takes over. We handle this with as little damage as possible.
A recent paper published in Science says that novel Corona virus is difficult to contain. People tend to be asymptomatic – i.e. don’t show any symptoms and yet be infected. These undetected carriers spread – as we have seen in nearly 60 countries. So, in due course of time the novel Corona virus becomes endemic. It joins its family of other viruses that we are living with.
Until, we get our Bramhastra, there is not much choice than to surrender. The Narayanastra loses potency when surrendered1.
In the Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata, Dhrishtadyumna violates protocol to slay Dronacharya, when Dronacharya has laid down arms. Arjuna is enraged. He goes at
Dhrishtadyumna. Krishna and Yudhishtira step in & stop Arjuna Ashwathama, the son of Drona, is furious. He leads the war against Pandavas. He unleashes the Narayanastra. The earth shakes, the sky seems to catch fire. Towering flames flash down. A million arrows whistle down every moment Yudhishtira panics. ‘Run! The war is lost. Go, save your lives. Let me stay to face. This is my penance for killing my Acharya’
So, let routine life take over in a measured manner. Protect the weakest links – the senior citizens.
Make protocols to maintain adequate distance; limit crowding; avoid unbridled binging, mandatory masks, increase work-from-home etc.
Enable work. Let people meet basic requirements. Ironically, limiting ourselves to our need (and not greed), will decelerate our GDP growth. But, this too shall pass. What we learn in the interim might open up to a brighter and better India – on its way to the much deserved place as the leading country, economy, and society on this planet. Light the lamp of hope.
बस अब वक़्त की ही बात ह, इस मर् का हल ढ ढना
आसमा को र्मीन पर लाना, फलक म सराख़ कराना
मश्ककल कछ भी नही – शिद्दत सेकोशिि करग हम
हौसला-ए-चिराग़ रोिन करग हम
Krishna’s voice scales over – ‘Narayanastra grows fierce when resisted. Lay down your weapons. Prostrate yourselves. It will calm down.’ Soldiers prostrate before the apocalypse in the sky. The astra dims itself. But, Bhima is defiant. He rides at the Kaurava army. The astra erupts again. A rain of fire pours down. It slays anyone who stands against Vishnu’s weapon. Yet, Bheema is fighting in his burning chariot. Arjuna comes to rescue and invokes the Varunastra, which can drown Kurukshetra in a flash flood. Alas, it turns to steam.
There is no way out, but one. Krishna and Arjuna leap down run towards Bhima. They plunge through flames and pull Bhima down on the ground. They prostrate. Narayanastra grows mild. The air on Kurukshetra is cool again. Yet, there is fear. No soldier rises. Krishna stands up –
‘…it has passed. You may get up now…’
Kauravas, who were winning till now, seem crestfallen. Duryodhana turns to Aswatthama,
‘Summon it again, Ashwathama. They have no answer to the Narayanastra.’
Aswatthama says, – ‘Krishna knows the answer. Else, they would have been ashes by now.
Unfortunately, the Narayanastra is utilised only once. If I call it again, it will consume not the enemy but us.’