TRUE ASCETISM

TRUE ASCETISM

Some Brahmin boys thought that eating the remnants of the sacrifice leads one to great merit.

These boys left behind their Father, Mother, brothers, sisters and their gurus and came to the forest thinking that eating the remnants of sacrifice leads to great merit.

They were highly knowledgeable about the scriptures and they sincerely believed these words.

The chief of the celestials Lord Indra took pity on them of little understanding came to them in the form of a golden bird and addressed them saying, ‘those men who eat the remnants of the sacrifices are highly meritorious. They attain to the highest end being devoted to virtue’.

The boys, we will henceforth call them brahmacharins then thought ‘this bird is applauding those who eat the remnants of a sacrifice. Surely we eat our food that is the remnant of a sacrifice everyday. Therefore this bird is applauding us’.

To them the Indra in the form of the golden bird said, ‘I do not applaud you. You people are wicked and do not know the true meaning of eating the remnant of sacrifices’.

To him the brahmacharins asked ‘how do you say that we are not taking the remnants of the sacrifices. Everyday we perform sacrifices and take our food that is the remnant of the sacrifices. How do you say that we are wicked? Tell us sir, for we are open to know our short comings.

To them the Indra said,’ the domestic mode or the Grihastha mode of life is superior to every other mode. Because, this mode of life sustains the other three modes, that of Brahmacharya, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa.

The Grihastha mode is called the field of success.

The duties like the worship of the Gods’, the study of the Vedas and the gratification of the Pitris and also the services rendered to the guru are said to be the austere penances.

A person by performing these penances attains to the highest end. Asceticism is to obtained by leading the life of the Grihastha.

They that eat the remnants of feasts after duly serving their kinsmen, guests, Rishis attain to the highest ends. They are called the eater of the remnants of the sacrifices.

These men attain to the heaven and live for a long time in the region of the Gods ruled by Indra.

Hearing these words the brahmacharins then went to live with their parents and took wives to help them in the Grihastha mode of life got good children.

They also served the Gods, Rishis, Pitris and the guests and attained to the highest ends in life.