Doing What’s Right vs Doing What’s Safe – Krishna's Ultimate Teaching
Riya Kumari | May 01, 2025, 00:00 IST
So there I was—lying on my couch, binge-eating Pringles, questioning my life choices (as one does), when I stumbled across the Mahabharata. Casual bedtime reading, you know? And let me tell you—Krishna, our resident divine strategist-slash-therapist-slash-moral GPS, didn’t come to play. The man dropped truth bombs like it was open mic night for existential crises.
Somewhere between the need to please others and the fear of losing what we have, we forget to ask a simple question:
What’s the right thing to do? Not the safe thing. Not the easy thing. The right thing. It’s the question Arjuna asked Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. And it’s the question most of us avoid, quietly, daily, in boardrooms, bedrooms, group chats, and inner monologues. The Mahabharata may be an ancient epic, but Krishna’s response is as relevant now as it was then. And maybe even more so, because our battlefields look different—but the inner conflict is still the same.
1. The Safe Choice Feels Kind. But Often Isn’t
Let’s be honest. Most people don’t lie out of malice. They lie out of fear. They nod along with injustice because it’s easier than being the only one who speaks up. They stay silent because it feels more polite. They stall decisions because hurting no one feels better than standing up for something.
But here’s the catch: when we avoid what’s right to protect someone’s feelings—or our own—we’re not actually being kind. We’re being careful. Krishna didn’t tell Arjuna to be careful. He told him to be clear. And clarity isn’t always comfortable. But it’s always honest.
2. Right Isn't Always Obvious. But It's Always Calling
Arjuna didn’t want to fight. He wanted peace. But Krishna made one thing clear: peace without justice isn’t peace—it’s postponement. Sometimes, “right” is quiet. It won’t shout over your fears or argue with your logic. It just waits. It shows up in your gut. In the pit of your stomach when you ignore it.
In the way your chest tightens when you choose silence over truth. In the relief you feel after finally doing what you knew all along you needed to do. Right is not a rulebook. It’s a compass. And it keeps pointing even when we pretend not to see it.
3. Safe Is About You. Right Is About Everyone
The safest path is always self-centered. Will I lose my image? Will I upset people? Will I be judged, questioned, misunderstood? But the right path? It asks a different kind of question: What happens to others if I stay silent?
What becomes of truth if I don’t defend it? What kind of world am I helping shape if I choose comfort over conscience? Krishna didn’t just speak to Arjuna’s fear. He spoke to his responsibility. And that’s the thing—right isn’t always about being right. It’s about being responsible.
4. Dharma Doesn’t Come With Applause
The world rarely claps for you when you choose the right thing. In fact, it might judge you, call you difficult, ungrateful, rebellious, too intense. But dharma—your sacred responsibility—was never meant to be performance. It was meant to be lived.
And sometimes, that means walking alone. Losing things. Risking misunderstanding. Because the reward for doing the right thing isn’t praise. It’s peace. And peace, the kind that lets you sleep at night and live with yourself in the daylight—that’s worth everything.
5. Krishna Didn’t Say It Would Be Easy. He Said It Would Be Worth It
Krishna’s lesson wasn’t “Fight because you’re brave.” It was, “Fight because it’s time.” Because fear isn’t the signal to retreat—it’s the invitation to rise. And if you wait for a moment when doing the right thing feels totally safe, fully accepted, and perfectly timed… you’ll be waiting your whole life.
At some point, you have to decide: Will I live in alignment with what’s easy, or what’s true? Because they’re rarely the same.
Everyone has a Kurukshetra—a moment where they must choose between their fear and their integrity. When that moment comes, ask yourself—not what’s safe, or likable, or popular. Ask: What will I respect myself for doing ten years from now?
That’s the question Arjuna asked. And that’s the wisdom Krishna gave. Not a command. Not a rule. Just a reminder: Your life is your message. Make it an honest one.
What’s the right thing to do? Not the safe thing. Not the easy thing. The right thing. It’s the question Arjuna asked Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. And it’s the question most of us avoid, quietly, daily, in boardrooms, bedrooms, group chats, and inner monologues. The Mahabharata may be an ancient epic, but Krishna’s response is as relevant now as it was then. And maybe even more so, because our battlefields look different—but the inner conflict is still the same.
1. The Safe Choice Feels Kind. But Often Isn’t
But here’s the catch: when we avoid what’s right to protect someone’s feelings—or our own—we’re not actually being kind. We’re being careful. Krishna didn’t tell Arjuna to be careful. He told him to be clear. And clarity isn’t always comfortable. But it’s always honest.
2. Right Isn't Always Obvious. But It's Always Calling
In the way your chest tightens when you choose silence over truth. In the relief you feel after finally doing what you knew all along you needed to do. Right is not a rulebook. It’s a compass. And it keeps pointing even when we pretend not to see it.
3. Safe Is About You. Right Is About Everyone
What becomes of truth if I don’t defend it? What kind of world am I helping shape if I choose comfort over conscience? Krishna didn’t just speak to Arjuna’s fear. He spoke to his responsibility. And that’s the thing—right isn’t always about being right. It’s about being responsible.
4. Dharma Doesn’t Come With Applause
And sometimes, that means walking alone. Losing things. Risking misunderstanding. Because the reward for doing the right thing isn’t praise. It’s peace. And peace, the kind that lets you sleep at night and live with yourself in the daylight—that’s worth everything.
5. Krishna Didn’t Say It Would Be Easy. He Said It Would Be Worth It
At some point, you have to decide: Will I live in alignment with what’s easy, or what’s true? Because they’re rarely the same.
FINAL THOUGHT:
That’s the question Arjuna asked. And that’s the wisdom Krishna gave. Not a command. Not a rule. Just a reminder: Your life is your message. Make it an honest one.