Use criticism for growth

A healthy attitude towards criticism and honest self- criticism can help a person to identify the strengths and weaknesses work on them to can gain mastery over the situation and themselves. This will help them to attract the best gifts that life can offer them.

The character of Shiva is exemplary in this regard. Shiva married Sati the daughter of the powerful Daksha Prajapathi. The wrathful father in law subjected him to some of the most acerbic observations with reference to his looks, social and economic standing and attitude towards life. The senior treated his son in law like a Pariah. Sati could not take the criticism. She jumped into the sacrificial fire and immolated herself. Shiva was aghast. He vented his fierce anger in a demoniac dance holding the burning body of Dakshayani and retired into the life of a recluse.

Much later, Dakshayini was reborn as Parvathi. She identified her love for Shiva all over again. Since Shiva had taken up Sanyasa, she took up a severe penance to appease him. Shiva could see for himself that Parvathi was genuinely in her pursuit to woo him. All the same he wanted to confirm her feelings for him. Therefore, Shiva appeared in the form of a Brahmachari in front of the princess and got into a conversation with her. Soon, he discovered that Uma was aiming at achieving Shiva as her husband. He immediately launched into a list of drawbacks of the unconventional hermit.

Interestingly, his observations were very much on the lines of Daksha. Initially Parvathi tried to correct the young man’s opinion of Shiva. Then she circumvented the conversation in vain. When her strategy did not work in her favour, she started walking away in a huff. It was at that point of time, Shiva revealed himself to her and as all of us know all is well that ends well.

When we examine the two different episodes of intense analysis of Shiva’s personal traits it highlights his consistency. It also throws light on the fact that perceptions vary. As Martin Luther King Jr once said, “It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of high maturity, to rise to the level of self-criticism.” All individuals who subject themselves to these tests with an open mind will definitely stand to gain not only for themselves but also for the society at large.