Saturday, October 09, 2010

glorious deeds

दरिद्राय  कृतं दानं शून्यलिङ्गस्य पूजनम्।
अनाथप्रेतसंस्कारः अश्वमेधसमं विदुः।
सुभाषितशतकत्रयं
daridrāya  kṛtaṁ dānaṁ śūnyaliṅgasya pūjanam|
anāthapretasaṁskāraḥ asvamedhasamaṁ viduḥ|
subhāṣitaśatakatrayaṁ
ദരിദ്രായ കൃതം ദാനം ശൂന്യലിംഗസ്യ പൂജനം
അനാഥപ്രേതസംസ്കാരം അശ്വമേധസമം വിദു:
In our religion and culture, performance of the Aswamedha sacrifice is considered to be the most pious and glorious action in a successful mans life. Such performance is supposed go bestow one with all prosperity and suzeranity over people.  Some of the philanthropic act are equated to this great sacrifice in this sloka.  To lend a helping hand to the suffering fellow human being comes first.  Sometimes the idols of some temples (here idol of Lord Siva is cited) are left uncared due to change in the circumstance of the inhabitants of the terrain.  If one takes it upon himslelf the renovation of the fallen temple and arranging for proprer worship of the God in the shape of idol, the same benefits as that would enure on performance of aswamtha yagna.  A human being, however poor and helpless he is deserves a diginified burial or cremation of his mortal remains. If a person voluntarily undertakes to perform the final rites for the dead person, he is equal in status to one who has performed aswamedha.

True, aswamedha is a meaningless rite today. But we should see its importance as seen by our forefathers of four or five millenia ago.
Helping the poor, taking initiative in the renovation of a place of worship and most important helping in giving a diginified burial to an unclaimed human corpse are really glorious acts even today.    (I have seen many pamphlet  calling for help for temple renovation...This is an appropriate sloka which can form caption to such appeals)


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