The plane crash in Ahmedabad has left the nation in shock. It’s one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history. What began as just another journey ended as a tragedy. How do we make sense of horrifying events like these? Let’s look at this at four levels:

  • Familial
  • Technological
  • National
  • Individual

Familial

For those directly affected, now is not the time for the light of philosophical justification. Now is the time for the warmth of human connection. The Mahabharata shows this: After the death of Abhimanyu, Krishna consoles Arjuna. Arjuna consoles Subhadra. Not by going into obscure references to some unknown and unknowable karma from the past, but by giving a simple pragmatic principle: when bad things happen, the unwise act in ways that make things worse, whereas the wise act in ways that make things better. Let’s not talk about others’ past karma. Let’s focus on our present dharma – to support, to serve, and to simply stand with those who are suffering.

Technological

At the technological level, let’s consider the aviation industry. What we need is accountability – not accusations. A thorough investigation must happen. But before the evidence is in, speculation helps no one. Sometimes the cause is technical. Sometimes it’s human error. Sometimes it’s something we just don’t understand yet. But let’s remember: Human ability is a manifestation of divinity, as the Bhagavad Gita 7.8 mentions. And when that ability is used with responsibility, it can prevent tragedies like this.

National

As a nation, this is the second major shock in recent times, after Pahalgam. India has endured centuries of trauma through religious persecution, mercenary colonization, geographical partition – but it has always found ways to heal, drawing strength from the indestructible spirituality that is its civilizational core. Let us draw on that same resilience today.

Individual

And for us, as individuals – What do we take away from this? These tragedies are brutal reminders that life is fragile. We generally live at one end of two extremes. We live with an unrealistic optimism that pretends death will never come. Such catastrophes can push us to the other extreme of a toxic pessimism that dreads death may come at any moment. But there is a wiser middle path.

Let us remember death – not to fear it, but to value life more deeply.

  • What really matters
  • Who really matters
  • What we are really living for

We may not always have all the answers, but we always have a choice:

  • To be thoughtful
  • To be compassionate
  • To be present

Let this tragedy remind us: We can’t control how long we live, but we can control how we live.