Company of the pious is
beneficial
What purpose do the scriptural injunctions
serve if we are drowned in the ocean of misery, in spite of taking
all steps to follow them strictly? Many people seek to know the
answer to this question. They feel that it is unnecessary for them
to go through the rigours of religious discipline if they always
face unhappiness and sorrow. One thing should be clearly understood
that there should be no intermingling .of the acts that they had
committed earlier and the modes of devotion that they presently
adopt.
The exercises they conduct like meditation,
worship and charity, will certainly fetch them the benefits, whether
they desire them or not. They will obtain wealth and occupy
covetable positions and during such times, they should serve God and
humanity, instead of turning arrogant, forgetting the old days But
whoever they may be, the consequences of past mistakes, committed
intentionally or without knowledge, will certainly visit them. They
have to bear the grief with fortitude, reposing confidence in the
Almighty and continuing their pious deeds without let-up.
The results of past sins cannot be offset by
the good that accrues from the present. Submission to the Divine is
a propitiatory factor which is bound to mitigate the suffering. But
a most fruitful step they can adopt is to mingle only with the
virtuous and ever be in the midst of saintly souls who will lead
them in the direction of God's abode. They should also honour Vedic
scholars. Like the one who has eaten beyond his requirement will
suffer from indigestion, and has to bear the stomach ache, what
flows out of having done prohibited acts should necessarily be
personally experienced.
In his Mahabharatam discourse, Sri N. Babu
Dikshitar referred to the tendency among those who go through
vicissitudes to presume that they have been singled out to face
problems and think that others are happy and prosperous. They may
curse God and ask why they should obey the Divine rules. Having
reached a stage when they could not further bear the agony of life
in the forest, the Pandavas were disheartened. To boost their
morale, a sage narrated the story of emperor Nala, who unlike the
five brothers who had the privilege to be in their midst, of sages,
and enjoy certain comforts was all alone and was reduced to the
position of a cook by quirk of fate. Dharma protected him and he
emerged victorous from several ordeals. In his life, he observed the
code of good conduct. Even while gambling he never adopted deceitful
means.
July 22, 1986
Spiritual gains will be lasting
In every man's life, a particular event is
being reckoned as the "most auspicious". A wealthy man cannot forget
the day when he came to possess money and a scholar the occasion
when he gained distinction. But in spiritual life, there are certain
outstanding happenings which fetch him joy. The sacred texts mention
about the significance of taking bath in the various rivers which
are considered holy. Such dips are even "commands" relating to
religious duties. Among these rivers, the Ganga is considered to be
the most sacred. Having a bath in the river in Varanasi and
worshipping Lord Vishwanatha are described as extremely important.
In days of yore, those who were not able to fulfil this obligation
believed it to be a privilege even to worship those who had
performed this task. Such was the sanctity attached to this
tradition. But this custom is now waning and people think that a
visit to foreign countries is holier than adhering to such
practices. Traditions ought not to be disrespected. To say the
least, disrespect to our ancient wisdom is nothing but a sacrilege.
Sri Bharathi Thirtha Swami of Sringeri in a
lecture said, the second obiter dictum in the scriptures, to be
taken as "extremely propitious" is to study the Mahabharatam,
atleast once in one's life time. Other scriptural texts are also
equally precious. In this Epic, all guidelines are laid down to
enable a man to get rid of his sins and to lead a life
righteousness. He can avoid pitfalls and receive Divine guidance.
The Yaksha episode, Dhowmya's advice, Vidhura Neethi and Bhishma's
statements, not to mention Bhagavad Gita, contained in it, are all
valuable lessons for man to secure moral power. The third suggestion
is intended for all, the rich and the have- nots, that the former
should be liberal and give charity to genuine causes and the latter
should help such people in the discharge of their duties and also
themselves follow the scriptural injunctions. Failure to do the same
is wrong and the concerned ought to be thrown into the sea with
millstones round their necks, as Vidhura has said. People should
perform, religious rites and observe austerities, divert their
senses towards worship, praise, and offer service to God. Material
pleasures will get no return when life ends whereas spiritual gains
will fetch prosperity, peace and other rewards in man's
rebirth.
December 11,
1986
Work
is worship
The motto "Work is worship" is the very basis
of Hinduism. Whatever may be the sphere of activity of a person, he
is expected to discharge his obligations to the best of his ability,
honestly, diligently and as dedication to the Almighty Every act
should be govern ad by absolute rectitude A person should feel that
the work he undertakes has been entrusted to him by God and that the
latter, seated in his heart, is closely watching his attitude,
whether he is corruptor attempts to cheat others. If this righteous
conduct is integrated with his day-to-day activities, there will be
no disharmony in his life Such a deep and total involvement in his
work, backed by righteousness, is termed Dharma Adoption of this
code by everyone, in each daed, will remove selfishness and pave the
way w a pure and well-balanced existence
The Mahabharatam
illustrates this through the story of an ascetic who did penance for
several years, unconcerned about the happenings around him. The
result was that birds began to build their nests on the matted locks
of hair on his head. The sage turned proud of his meditation and
felt that he alone had conducted such severe austerities and there
was none to equal his achievements.
One of the birds told him that his
"achievement" was nothing when compared to a person living in a
particular village Though he considered it beneath his dignity to
verify this, yet curiosity made him leave the forest and go to the
hamlet. The man mentioned by the bird was none hut an ordinary
grocer who on seeing the ascetic enquired how he was able to leave
the woods The sage was shocked at his power of pre-emption and asked
him how he came to know about his antecedents, more so when he was
in a remote corner inside a dense forest, far away from civilisation
"What steps did you take to achieve the ability" he
asked.
The trader lifted the balance with which he
weighed the goods he sold to the public and said -"This is my God
from whom I have derived the power". He said he never used false
weights, never cheated anyone, was absolutely honest in his dealings
and treated all the customers alike. "My anxiety is to be fair to
everyone and rely on God for the profit, He gives, with which I am
contended, I know no Mantra." "Swadharma" implies carrying out one's
duties as offering and service to God. In the Gita, the Lord has
declared. "Whatever you do, dedicate the same to me", Sri Vishwesha
Thirtha pointed out in a discourse.
October 17, 1987
Gratitude and attitude to
wrong
Divine Law is supreme and
Justice administered by God is unquestionable. Punishment is bound
to be given to the guilty and no one can escape its clutches,
however eminent the culprit in his personal life, may be. Remaining
oblivious to a crime perpetrated in one's very presence is also a
crime and those who do so will have to undergo the sentence. Even in
olden days, some people used to be on the side of those who had
enormous powers, maintaining silence even when moral Law was
violated. Expediency made them connive at such improper acts. Some
took shelter under the very same Divine Law but giving their own
interpretation.
In the Mahabaratham, even
the stalwart and astute Bhishma who advised the blind king
Dhritarashtra, took the strange stance that he should be grateful to
those who provided him food. He was a mute spectator of the heinous
act of the wicked group led by Duryodhana in trying to strip a
chaste woman in public. He should have stopped this immoral deed but
Perhaps he did not want to be branded as an ingrate. No doubt
gratitude should be displayed but not when such ignoble deeds were
carried out. Such men deserved punishment and God made them suffer.
The Pandavas adhered to the Divine Law and received God's guidance
and were victorious.
In a discourse, Sri S. Jayarama Sarma referred
to the question posed by some whether Lord Krishna was justified in
ordering Arjuna to kill others and whether this was not unbecoming
of the Almighty. God can never commit wrong, Did not Arjuna indulge
in killing sprees on earlier occasions? He suddenly decided'to stop
fighting when the Kurukshetra war was to commence. This time he was
grieved at facing his own relatives. Attachment made him resist and
it was then that Lord Krishna delivered the message making him
realise that he was duty-bound to take part in the battle as a
Kshatriya and that his action should not be result- oriented when
God will take care of the rest. There should be no room for
emotional upheavals. God's advice (the Song- Celestial) had its
impact and Arjuna and his brothers emerged triumphant.
January 22, 1990
Bold
adviser to erring emperor
There may be a few persons
who can fearlessly tender advice to erring individuals and those
holding power but are prone to misuse their positions. By virtue of
their own impeccable character, these few have the right but
invariably may remain unconcerned about atrocities being committed
by some. Though such upright men may point out the facts boldly,
fewer will be the number who will listen to their suggestions and
follow them. But sincere as they are, these men of virtue, unmindful
of consequences will not fail to sound the note of caution, whether
it is welcomed or disliked.
In the Mahabharatham,
Vidhura, who is portrayed as the symbol of righteousness, has
expounded the code of conduct, to the blind king Dhritarashtra whose
mind was immersed in confusion, unable to distinguish between the
good and the evil. Attachment made him indirectly support the evil
designs of his sons. Vidhura did not hesitate to tell him, at every
opportune moment, that he should give back the territory to his
brother's sons, the Pandavas.
Sri Vishwapriya Thirtha
Swami in his discourse referred to Vidhura's wise counsel to shed
jealousy. There may be nothing wrong in displaying a competitive
spirit and start emulating the example of a boy who stands first in
the class but there should be no malice towards him or at those who
are prosperous, well-placed or wealthy. It will be scorched- earth
policy to bring down intelligent people to a lower level. The
emphasis should be to make those in the lower rungs to rise to
higher levels.
We may turn envious at those who conduct
worship of God with sincerity and feel inwardly sorry that we are
not able to display such devotion Patience, humility and forgiveness
should also be assiduously cultivated as they are noble traits What
should be considered outstanding in a man is that in spite of his
possessing enormous physical strength to meet any challenge, his
capacity to excuse even the spineless men who not aware of their
limitations dare attack Nothing can be a failure when a person puts
his sincere efforts to complete a task and also seek Divine guidance
The gift of God will always be available to those who display their
anxiety to achieve success in their endeavour Vidhura explained the
necessity for a man to curb his desires and develop detachment and
cited the early days of Drona who lived on grains which had fallen
on the field after a harvest.
February 26, 1990
