“The Value of Pain and Suffering”

"No Pain No Gain” appears to be a contradictory statement.

But it is very true. The stories of rags to riches of many renowned millionaires are replete with instances of hardship suffered by them from their childhood till their youth.


 Abraham Lincoln who performed an incredible transition from a ‘log cabin to the White House’ used to study in street lights when he was a child.

Akbar the great undergoes incessant suffering of wage continual warfare to retrieve and build up his kingdom.

Talking about our times, the great business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Textiles industries began his career as peddler of goods.

Literature and history of all countries are replete with stories of young men and women who underwent untold suffering for the sake of personal love, love of one’s country or love of God. “The course of true lover did run smooth” say Rosalind in “As you like it”; the celebrated comedy of Shakespeare. Similarly, Romeo and Juliet had to undergo greater suffering as they were harnesses, tortured and compelled to put an end their lives. But they ennobled not only their lives but also put an end to ancestral enmity between their families.

The most shining example of suffering in love followed by blissful union is that narrated by Sanskrit poet Kalidas in his inimitable love drama “Abhigram Shakuntalam”. Shankuntala, who was united to King Dushyant according to Gandharva Marriage system was abjused by Dushyant as the latter had forgotten his marriage with Shakuntala under the influence of a curse. For years together, Shakuntala , who  was queen by right had to live in jungle unaided by husband or father and had to being up her son Bharat in great hardships. When the influence of the curse of Durvasa waned, Dushyant recognized his wife and his son to his palace where they lived happily ever-after.

In our country, revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Ras Bihari Bose and Chandra Shekhar Azad waged an armed struggle against the British, suffered hardships and ultimately death at the hands of British. They give up their lives so that we may live in freedom.

India has an unbroken religious tradition of penance. Hindu mythology abounds in the stories  of penance by devotees to propitiate Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva. The story of Bhakta Prahlad who stood on one leg for months and years to please Lord Vishnu. Ultimately, Lord Vishnu appeared as Narshimha Avtar  and killed Rakshas Hrinayan Kashyup who had repeatedly tied to put Prahlad to death.

Pain is invariably involved in creation. No women can deliver a child without experiencing pain. Similarly, if we want to achieve our goal in life we may have to face problems pain. Some poets have likened the origin of their poems to the birth of a child. They also experience pain of existence or of unrequited love and bring forth exquisite poems which delight the readers. Shelley has aptly described in his famous words:

“Our sweetest songs are those
That tells of saddest thought”.