Do ends justify means?

Do ends justify means ? This was the topic of the speech that I gave as part of the Bangalore Gavalier's Championship, that was held in October of this year. I did not win anything, but I think I am quite proud of the speech that I gave , this being my first ever speech in front of so many people! :)  

Hindi has never been my strong point, especially the KAs and the KIs. And to add to it, for the life of me I couldn't recollect the answer to a certain question. It was so tempting to just take a quick peek into my neighbour’s notebook and get through the ordeal. I am sure this is a situation many of us have been in. Isn’t that right?

So, do ends justify means? Is it ok to cheat in order to be victorious? How about breaking rules or working around rules in order to win a game? Well, I am sure that all of you will agree that the answer to these questions is a big NO. But life often teaches us that this is not always as straightforward as it seems.

So, let me take you through some thought provoking instances where it’s often difficult to decide on what after all is morally right. Let me start with the Epic Mahabharata which is full of instances where rules were broken and then the act was justified.

It was the 14th day of a long and terrible battle. Just the day before, the Pandavas had lost their brave, young prince Abhimanyu. He was lured into the chakravyuha and trapped inside it by Jayadratha. And then, he was slain by the Kaurava army, using deceit and treachery and breaking every rule that a kshatriya must follow.

In a fit of rage and despair, Arjuna took upon himself a terrible vow -to kill King Jayadratha before the sun set the next day. He also vowed that if he couldn’t accomplish this task, then he would walk into a blazing fire and take his own life.

Now the Kauravas ensured that Jayadratha was kept well hidden in the battle field. When Jayaratha was no where to be found, Krishna, Arjuna’s charioteer and closest friend came up with a magnificent plan. He would cover the sun for a few moments with his Sudarshan chakra, tricking the Kauravas into believing that the sun had set and hopefully Jayadratha would show himself.

And then, just as planned, Jaydratha showed himself, Arjuna raised his bow, drew an arrow and let go – severing Jayadratha’s head.

So, Arjuna fulfilled his vow and eventually, the Pandavas won the war. Just as the Kauravas the
Pandavas used every trick in the book during the war. Yes, the Kauravas were the bad lot, but, does that justify what the Pandavas did? Was such a victory morally right?

We can find many other such instances in our history books. During World War II, the Allies fully justified the killing of thousands of German civilians, for knowing that it would break the morale og the German army. Just as Germans justified the killing of thousands of Jews. And then later, the Unites States of America justified the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And what was their justification? That, this would bring a quick end to the bloody battle. More lives would be saved that way, so they believed.

Why just mythology and history, I am sure each of us can look into our own lives and find many such day to day dilemmas. Like the quick glance into the neighbour’s answer sheet; telling yourself that you surely know the answer and a quick confirmation will do no harm. Or, you have got full marks in your Maths paper. The teacher hasn’t realized that though you have answered all questions right, you have forgotten to attempt one. Its ok, you tell yourself, if you had attempted it, you would have gotten it right as well. I am sure many of us have done some of these at some point - right?! Well, if you deny it, then, like Mark Twain said, your clear conscience could be a sign of bad memory!

But seriously, how does one look at success that is not achieved through honest means? I for one do believe that more often than not, the end does NOT justify the means. Not at all ! How you get to the end matters more than the end itself. I believe long lasting success can only be achieved when both the means and the end are noble. I am not sure I would feel great about those full marks in Maths, knowing that I was not honest with my teacher. I think the prick of the conscience is a difficult thing to ignore and it can take away all the joy and happiness from an achievement.

Finally, philosophical questions like these are something that each of us should answer for ourselves. And the guiding force here should be our moral values, our sense of right and wrong and the need to have a clear conscience.