Sacrifice of Self-Interest for the Protection of Dharma: An Altruistic Model of Conflict Resolution, with Examples from Vedic Texts

Abstract

Conflicts are universal and an innate attribute of our existence. They come in different forms and intensities. Individuals resort to various methods to deal with their inner struggles. Some of them are healthy, while other methods may be harmful to individuals, their families, communities, or nations. One noble and laudable method of conflict resolution is placing the other individual’s interests at the forefront and sacrificing one’s self-interest. While in contemporary society, this approach has become increasingly rare; the Hindu scriptures have many examples of such sacrifice.

Vedic and Purāṇic texts from India provide insights pertaining to different walks of life, including dealing with conflicts. To understand this further, the authors reviewed the two Itihāsa-s, namely the Rāmāyaṇa and the Ādi Parva of the Mahābhārata. There were numerous examples in the reviewed texts where individuals resolved their conflicts by choosing self-sacrifices, including sacrifices of happiness, power, and position, and even offering their bodies or body parts in the pursuit of Dharma.

This paper provides three noteworthy examples of such sacrifices in the context of upholding one’s duty toward a parent, a teacher, and a husband:

– In the Rāmāyaṇa, Lord Śrī Rāma, to fulfill his stepmother Kaikeyī’s wishes, accepted exile to the forest, foregoing the kingdom, material possessions, and palatial living.
– In the Mahābhārata, Ekalavya, a Niṣāda prince and archer par excellence, sacrificed his thumb at the behest of Droṇācārya, the preceptor of war skills, to the Pāṇḍava and Kaurava princes.
– Also, in the Mahābhārata, Gāndhārī, wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the blind Kaurava king, in sympathy with her husband’s blindness, renounced her own vision by wearing a blindfold throughout her life. 

While decisions like the above appear extreme, challenging, and incapable for ordinary individuals, the cited examples are consistent with the highest principles of Sanātana Dharma. Such exemplary behaviors are worthy of attention in today’s
materialistic society.

For mental health professionals, wisdom from the Vedas, Purāṇas, Itihāsa-s, and Śāstra-s has much to offer in their professional work. Enabling their clients to focus on dhārmic principles may help alleviate the client’s internal struggles by helping them to look beyond their self-interest.