A Quiet Understanding of Power

How have your political views changed over time?

Dhritarashtra said:
O Sanjaya, after assembling on the sacred field of Kurukshetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being eager for battle?”
— Bhagavad Gita 1.1

The world of politics feels much like the battlefield of Kurukshetra crowded with ambition, loyalty divided, and truth often buried beneath strategy. Over time, my view of politics has grown quieter, not louder. The noise of speeches, promises, and public outrage no longer surprises me. Across nations, the same patterns repeat themselves. Corruption wears different faces. Scandals rise and disappear. Leaders speak of service, yet frequently place their families, allies, and survival first.
Public office, meant to be a responsibility, becomes a privilege. Politicians fight among themselves using race, identity, and petty accusations, creating divisions that weaken the people they claim to protect. While ordinary citizens struggle with daily life, those in power travel in private jets funded by taxpayers’ money. The distance between ruler and citizen grows wider, not smaller.
With time, I stopped expecting moral clarity from political systems. Different flags, different languages—the same human weaknesses. Power attracts ambition, and ambition often forgets humility. This realization did not make me bitter; it made me observant. Like Arjuna on the battlefield, I began to see clearly rather than react blindly.

There are countries admired for discipline and order, such as Singapore or Switzerland not because they are saintly, but because systems there are stronger than individuals. Rules are clearer, consequences firmer, and abuse of power less tolerated. Even so, no nation is free from self-interest.

What changed most was not my opinion of politics, but the direction of my attention. Instead of searching for integrity in institutions, I began cultivating it within myself. When the outer world is unstable, the inner world becomes the place of responsibility. Ethics, restraint, clarity, and self-awareness matter more than political theatre.

I no longer wait for leaders to unite people. Unity begins quietly—in how one thinks, chooses, and lives. Power may rule nations, but discipline and awareness rule the self. In a world where authority often forgets its purpose, inner sovereignty feels like the only lasting freedom.

“Abandon all varieties of duty and simply surrender unto Me.
I shall free you from all sin. Do not fear.”
— Bhagavad Gita 18.66