Is Might Right?

Hello readers! I am back with another enlightening verse in Telugu from Sumathi Satakam. These poems or verses of wisdom were written by Baddenna in the 13th century, but the lessons they teach ring true even to this day and age.

బలవంతుడునాకేమని 
పలువురితోనిగ్రహించిపలుకుట మేలా? 
బలవంతమైనసర్పము 
చలిచీమలచేతజిక్కి చావదే సుమతి! 

(Balavantudu naa kemani
paluvuritoo nigrahinchi pulukuta melaa?
balavanthamaina sarpamu
chalicheemala chetha jikki chaavade sumathi !)

The rough translation of this verse says: Can a powerful or strong man behave and speak arrogantly? Is it not true that even the mighty snake can be felled by a swarm of tiny ants?

In this Sumathi Satakam, the poet tries to warn us against arrogance and complacent behaviour just because we are in a position of power. Misuse and abuse of authority is not a wise course of action because it does not take long for the tables to turn. Just remember that a strong snake can be killed by a swarm of insects if it is careless or becomes overbearing.

Now, you might ask me why I brought up this verse about arrogance and abuse of power. For an answer, we all need to have a close look at all the trending and critical events that have taken place in recent years. Be it in politics, media, entertainment, world events, etc., we have seen many examples of abuse of power and its subsequent downfall.

The recent wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the Tariff wars, the news about powerful cliques in Hollywood and the music industry, etc., are all fine examples. In a more recent case from South Korea, we saw some influential media personalities being called out by the public for their mistakes. 

Although, I have to accept that many of these situations do not end with the vanquishing of the abusive bully. In more cases than not, the bully still manages to slither out by using crooked means. But I am still grateful that the victims at least get to voice out their grievances. The vile actions of these bullies are brought to light, and they no longer enjoy the halo of purity and pristine fame. We are getting to see the chinks in their shiny armour, and this takes away the illusion of power.

At this point, I want to caution my readers not to get carried away and blindly believe the popular opinion. We should not let smokescreens camouflage the absolute truth and not let empty rhetoric deviate from the central issue of contention.

Despite all the seemingly sad results, I would like to take strength from this shift in power dynamics. We have a long way to go before we can genuinely defeat bullies, but we can slowly chip away their fortress and expose their ugly faces.