charity should come from heart

charity should come from heart

Charity should emanate from the bottom of the heart.. empathy for fellow human beings should be rooted very deep in our psyche. 

Posts in Facebook or even token contributions and activities with a lot of fanfare may not be proper substitutes. 

The mongoose episode at the end of Rajasooya Yajna of Yudistira as described in Mahabharatham should be an eyeopener. 

A poor family consisting of a father, mother, son and daughter in law were living in a household.

 It was a famine and cereals were is short supplly.

 After long days of wanderings the son of the family got a full measure of cereals and the family was about to divide  it into four and partake in it. 

Suddenly an old brahmin visited the household as a guest. 
He was hunger personified. 

The family had nothing more to offer to the guest than the four shared portions of the cereal. 

The daughter in law, being the youngest of the lot offered her share to the guest first, and after eating it the guest was not satisfied.

 The son, eager to do the athithi dharma and also to  preserve the life of the parents, offered his morsel then to the hungry guest. 
The guest's intestinal activities flared up with hunger and he asked for more. 
The mother gave her part and their last hope that the old father of the family would be spared. 
But this was not to be so. 
To satisfy the hunger of the brahmin, the old man's share aslo went down his gullet. 
The guest was satisfied and was about to leave. 

Simultaneously the four hosts were also leaving for the next world being denied of food for days and days together.

 They fell down dead one by one. 

But then something wonderful happened.

The guest was none other than dharma devata who had visited the family to test their willingness to give.

 He praised them and took them in a golden chariot for eternal sojourn in heaven. 

A stray mongoose who had been watching all these was so overwhelmed by the sight of such great sacrifice and in honour of the great souls he just tried to roll over then area of the house where a little of the cereal flour was lying scattered,

 He could cover only half his body by rolling 
and lo! that side became golden. 

This half golden mongoose visited the Rajasooya premises of Dharmaputra and was rolling all over the place including the huge kitchens where thousands of brahmanas and others were fed. 

But howsoever earnestly the mongoose would try he could not get the other part of the body turned into gold.. 

The mongoose was raising the query whether the Rajasooyam of Dharmaputra was indeed a great action in comparison to the sacrifice of that old brahmin family.. 

The story gives a lot of food for thought.

worst sins

worst sins
अकार्यकार्यवकीर्णो स्तेनो भ्रूणहा गुरुतल्पगः।
वरुणोऽपामघमर्षणस्तस्मात् पापात् प्रमुच्यते॥
akāryakāryavakīrṇo steno bhrūṇaha gurutalpagaḥ|
varuṇo'pāmaghamraṣaṇastasmāt pāpāt prmucyate||

महानारायणोपनिषत्  १-----६८
mahānārāyaṇopaniṣat  1-----68
 
the Lord of Waters and the destroyer of Sins Varuna, will expiate one who worships the gods of water, of even the five mahaapatakas or most heinous sins , 
(1) working contrary to the dictates of the scriptures, 
(2)  being disloyal to one's own promises out of cowardice 
(3) causing destruction to the human foetus in the womb 
(4) indulging in robbery or coveting the wealth of others and 
(5) causing disrespect to the preceptor by entering his bed .

This mantra has twin  purpose. First, to extol the greatness of  water... it is said to  release one from the panchamahapaatakas themeselves.  

However,  it should not be taken as  a licence  to commit sins.  One should not think that he can gleefully commit all the sins and wash off his hands. 

 Secondly the moral standards of our ancestors were of the highest order. 
One can feel here the absolute faithfulness to the Vedas. 

 Our ancestors strongly believed that if solemn promises made by the constituents of the society are not kept it would lead to imbalance even in the working of natural forces.  
When Yudistira lied even once partially, it is said that his chariot which always moved floating about one foot above the ground suddenly dropped down to the earth with a thud.  

At present  our society is very permissive about termination of pregnancies but our ancestors could not condone it. 
They believed more in continence. 
In fact sexual copulation was ordained to be limited only for the furtherance of the race. 
The fate of Aswathaama who  directed the Brahmasiraastram and Apandavaastram  on the womb of Uttara to annihilate the foetus of Abhimanyu's son growing there is well known.   The foetus was protected by the Lord and Ashwathama was cursed suffer eternal pain,
And unfaithfulness to Guru.. is never to be tolerated..
--

how to determine the right law

९ युधिष्टिर
      प्रत्यक्षं लोकतः सिद्धम् लोकाश्चागम पूर्वकाः
      शिष्टाचारो बहुविधो ब्रूहि तन् मे पितामह
  १० भीष्म
     धर्मस्य ह्रियमाणस्य बलवद्भिर् दुरात्मभिः
     संस्थायत्नैर् अपि कृता कालेन परिभिद्यते
 ११ अधर्मा धर्मरूपेण तेणैः कूपा इवावृताः
     ततस्तैर् भिद्यते वृत्तम् शृणु चैव युधिष्ठिर
 १२ अवृत्त्या ये च भिन्दन्ति श्रुतत्यागपरायणाः
     धर्मविद्वेषिणो मन्दा इत्युक्तास्ते न सम्शयाः
 १३ अतृप्यन्तस्तु साधूनाम् य एवागम बुद्धयः
     परमित्येव संतुष्टास्तान् उपासस्व च पृच्छ च
 १४ कामार्थौ पृष्ठताः कृत्वा लोभमोहानुसारिणौ
     धर्म इत्येव सम्बुद्धातान् उपासस्व च पृच्छ च
 १५ न तेषाम् भिद्यते वृत्तम् यज्ञस्वाध्यायकर्मभिः
     आचाराः कारणम् चैव धर्मश्चैवत्रयम् पुनः
9 yudhiṣṭira
      pratyakṣaṁ lokataḥ siddham lokāścāgama pūrvakāaḥ
      śiṣṭācāro bahuvidho brūhi tan me pitāmaha
  10 bhīṣma
     dharmasya hriyamāṇasya balavadbhir durātmabhiaḥ
     saṁsthāyatnair api kṛtā kālena paribhidyate
 11 adharmā dharmarūpeṇa teṇaiaḥ kūpā ivāvṛtāaḥ
     tatastair bhidyate vṛttam śṛṇu caiva yudhiṣṭhira
 12 avṛttyā ye ca bhindanti śrutatyāgaparāyaṇāaḥ
     dharmavidveṣiṇo mandā ityuktāste na samśayāḥ
 13 atṛpyantastu sādhūnām ya evāgama buddhayaḥ
     paramityeva saṁtuṣṭāstān upāsasva ca pṛccha ca
 14 kāmārthau pṛṣṭhatāḥ kṛtvā lobhamohānusāriṇau
     dharma ityeva sambuddhātān upāsasva ca pṛccha ca
 15 na teṣām bhidyate vṛttam yajñasvādhyāyakarmabhiaḥ
     ācārāḥ kāraṇam caiva dharmaścaivatrayam punaḥ


MahabharathamYudhistira asks Bheeshma 
'Tell me, O grandsire, which among these (four) is most authoritative, viz., direct perception, inference from observation, the science of Agama or scriptures, and diverse kinds of practices that distinguish the good.'

"Bhishma said, 'While Righteousness is sought to be destroyed by wicked persons possessed of great might, it is capable of being protected for the time being by those that are good exerting themselves to the best of their capabilities  with care and earnestness.

 Such protection, however, may not hold fast  in the long run, for destruction does overtake Righteousness at the end. 

Then, again, Righteousness often proves a mask for covering Unrighteousness, like grass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from the view.

 Hear, again, O Yudhisthira! In consequence of this, the practices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the wicked. 

Those persons who are of evil conduct, who discard the Srutis--indeed, those wicked wights who are haters of Righteousness,--destroy that good course of conduct (which could otherwise be set up as a standard). Hence, doubts attach to direct perception, inference, and good conduct.  

Those, therefore, among the good that are possessed of understanding born of (or cleansed by) the scriptures and that are ever contented, are to be regarded as the foremost. Let those that are anxious and deprived of tranquility of soul, approach these.

 Indeed, O Yudhishthira., do thou pay court to them and seek of them the solutions of thy doubt! 

Disregarding both pleasure and wealth which always follow cupidity and awakened into the belief that only Righteousness should be sought, do thou, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons (for enlightening thyself). 

The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with destruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites

. Indeed, these three, viz., conduct as consisting of overt acts, behaviour in respect of (mental) purity, and the Vedas together constitute Righteousness.'

In the anusaasika parva  these questions are raised by yudhistira to bheeshma,  under the advise of Lord Krishna himself.  The enforcers of law have a tendency to hold on to citations favourable to them and their interests and by passage of time the original fundamental principles get obliterated.  In such situations reference to the original texts and taking the advise of the impartial judges alone is the right way.  Sticking to redundant precedents will often given benefit only to vested interest.  This is relevant as an argument even in a modern court of law.

tips for a contented life

१  युधिष्टिरः

       किं कर्तव्यं मनुष्येण लोकयात्रा हितार्थिना

      कथं वै लोकयात्रां तु किम् शीलश् च समाचरेत्

  २  भीष्म

      कायेन त्रिविधं कर्म वाचा चापि चतुर्विधं

      मनसा त्रिविधं चैव दश कर्म पथाम्स्त्यजेत्

  ३ प्राणातिपातं स्तैन्यं च परदानं अथापि च

      त्रीणि पापानि कायेन सर्वतः परिवर्जयेत्

  ४ असत् प्रलापं पारुष्यं पैशुन्यं अनृतं तथा

      चत्वारि वाचा राजेन्द्र न जल्पेन् नानुचिन्तयेत्

  ५ अनभिध्या परस्वेषु सर्वसत्त्वेषु सौहृदं

      कर्मणां फलं अस्तीति त्रिविधं मनसा चरेत्

  ६ तस्माद् वाक्कायमनसा नाचरेद् अशुभं। नराः

      शुभाशुभान्याचरन् हि तस्य तस्याश्नुते फलम्

महाभारते आनुशासिकपर्वणि  १३

1  yudhiṣṭiraḥ

      kiṁ kartavyaṁ manuṣyeṇa lokayātrā hitārthinā

      kathaṁ vai lokayātrāṁ tu kim śīlaś ca samācaret

  2  bhīīṣma

      kāyena trividhaṁ karma vācā cāpi caturvidhaṁ

      manasā trividhaṁ caiva daśa karma pathāmstyajet

  3 prāṇātipātaṁ stainyaṁ ca paradānaṁ athāpi ca

      trīṇi pāpāni kāyena sarvataḥ parivarjayet

  4 asat pralāpaṁ pāruṣyaṁ paiśunyaṁ anṛtaṁ tathā

      catvāri vācā rājendra na jalpen nānucintayet

  5 anabhidhyā parasveṣu sarvasattveṣu sauhṛdaṁ

      karmaṇāṁ phalaṁ astīti trividhaṁ manasā caret

  6 tasmād vākkāyamanasā nācared aśubhaṁ| narāḥ

      śubhāśubhānyācaran hi tasya tasyāśnute phalam

mahābhārate ānuśāsikaparvaṇi  13

"Yudhishthira said, 'What should a man do in order to pass pleasantly through this and the other world?
 How, indeed, should one conduct oneself? 

What practices should one adopt with this end in view?'

"Bhishma replied ,

 'One should avoid the three acts that are done with the body, the four that are done with speech, the three that are done with the mind.. 

The three acts that are done with the body and should be wholly avoided are the destruction of the lives of other creatures, theft or appropriation of what belongs to other persons, and the enjoyment of other people's wives.

 The four acts that are done with speech, O king, and that should never be indulged in or even thought of, are evil conversation, harsh words, publishing other people's faults, and falsehood.

 Coveting the possessions of others, doing injury to others, and lack of faith and lack  obedience to the instructions contained in  the Vedas, are the three acts done with the mind which should always be avoided.  Hence, one should never do any evil act in word, body, or mind. By doing good and evil acts, one is sure to enjoy or endure the just consequences thereof. Nothing can be more certain than this.'"

Anusaasika parvam is where bheeshmapitamaha is lying in a bed of arrows waiting for relinquishing his  vital energy with the advent of uttarayana.  The noble yudishtira along with the blessed Krishna and others are in converstion with him about the  laws of life.  The entire conversation attains added  sacredness on account of the divine presence of Krishna and the laws laid down by bheeshma have influenced all later lawmakers and scholars including chanakya to the modern authors of the Constitution.

Please watch what bheeshma prescribes about the four evil deeds to be avoided in speech.   Evil conversation or gossip, intemperate words, giving publicity to others' faults and telling lies.   Other qualities espoused by bheeshma  like nonviolence, undue desire for others wealth  debauchery.  Bheeshma is categoric in stating that  if bad deeds are perpetuated in this world the doer will definitely  pay the price for it.

women as described in anusasika parva of Mahabharatham in the words of Bheeshmapitamaha

SECTION XXXVIII

(mahabharatham anusasika parvam [13th parva] translation by kisar mohan ganguly)

"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear thee discourse on the disposition of women. W omen are said to be the root of all evil. They are all regarded as exceedingly frail.'

"Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited the old history of the discourse between the celestial Rishi Narada and the (celestial) courtezan Panchachuda. Once in ancient times, the celestial Rishi Narada, having roamed over all the world, met the Apsara Panchachuda of faultless beauty, having her abode in the region of Brahman. Beholding the Apsara every limb of whose body was endued with great beauty, the ascetic addressed her, saying, 'O thou of slender waist, I have a doubt in my mind. Do thou explain it.'

"Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed by the Rishi, the Apsara said unto him, 'If the subject is one which is known to me and if thou thinkest me competent to speak on it, I shall certainly say what is in my mind.'

"Narada said, 'O amiable one, I shall not certainly appoint thee to any task that is beyond thy competence. O thou of beautiful face, I wish to hear from thee of the disposition of women.'

"Bhishma continued, 'Hearing these words of the celestial Rishi, that foremost of Apsaras replied unto him, saying, 'I am unable, being myself a woman, to speak ill of women. Thou knowest what women are and with what nature they are endued. It behoveth thee not, O celestial Rishi, to set me to such a task.' Unto her the celestial Rishi said, 'It is very true, O thou of slender waist! One incurs fault by speaking what is untrue. In saying, however, what is true, there can be no fault.' Thus addressed by

him, the Apsara Panchachuda of sweet smiles consented to answer Narada's question. She then addressed herself to mention what the true and eternal faults of women are!'

"Panchachuda said, 'Even if high-born and endued with beauty and possessed of protectors, women wish to transgress the restraints assigned to them. This fault truly stains them, O Narada! There is nothing else that is more sinful than women. Verily, women, are the root of all faults. That is, certainly known to thee, O Narada! Women, even when possessed of husbands having fame and wealth, of handsome features and completely obedient to them, are prepared to disregard them if they get the opportunity. This, O puissant one, is a sinful disposition with us women that, casting off modesty, we cultivate the companionship of men of sinful habits and intentions. Women betray a liking for those men who court them, who approach their presence, and who respectfully serve them to even a slight extent. Through want of solicitation by persons of the other sex, or fear of relatives, women, who are naturally impatient of all restraints, do not transgress those that have been ordained for them, and remain by the side of their husbands. There is none whom they are incapable of admitting to their favours. They never take into consideration the age of the person they are prepared to favour. Ugly or handsome, if only the person happens to belong to the opposite sex, women are ready to enjoy his companionship. That women remain faithful to their lords is due not to their fear of sin, nor to compassion, nor to wealth, nor to the affection that springs up in their hearts for kinsmen and children. Women living in the bosom of respectable families envy the condition of those members of their sex that are young and well-adorned with jewels and gems and that lead a free life. Even those women that are loved by their husbands and treated with great respect, are seen to bestow their favours upon men that are hump-backed, that are blind, that are idiots, or that are dwarfs. Women may be seen to like the companionship of even those men that are destitute of the power of locomotion or those men that are endued with great ugliness of features. O great Rishi, there is no man in this world whom women may regard as unfit for companionship. Through inability to obtain persons of the opposite sex, or fear of relatives, or fear of death and imprisonment, women remain, of themselves, within the restraints prescribed for them. They are exceedingly restless, for they always hanker after new companions. In consequence of their nature being unintelligible, they are incapable of being kept in obedience by affectionate treatment. Their disposition is such that they are incapable of being restrained when bent upon transgression. Verily, women are like the words uttered by the wise. 1 Fire is never satiated with fuel. Ocean can never be filled with the waters that rivers bring unto him. The Destroyer is never satiated with slaying even all living creatures. Similarly, women are never

satiated with men. This, O celestial Rishi. is another mystery connected with women. As soon as they see a man of handsome and charming features, unfailing signs of desire appear on their persons. They never show sufficient regard for even such husbands as accomplish all their wishes, as always do what is agreeable to them and as protect them from want and danger. Women never regard so highly even articles of enjoyment in abundance or ornaments or other possessions of an agreeable kind as they do the companionship of persons of the opposite sex. The destroyer, the deity of wind, death, the nether legions, the equine mouth that roves through the ocean, vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of the razor, virulent poison, the snake, and Fire--all these exist in a state of union in women. That eternal Brahman whence the five great elements have sprung into existence, whence the Creator Brahma hath ordained the universe, and whence, indeed, men have sprung, verily from the same eternal source have women sprung into existence. At that time, again, O Narada, when women were created, these faults that I have enumerated were planted in them!'"

---

Footnotes

5:1 Such words are unseizable and unintelligible for their depth of meaning. Women are equally unseizable and unintelligible.