Wealth

Yudishthira was very sad after he won the Great War, because he had killed all his kinsmen.

He was lamenting and telling his brothers that the Kingly duty of ruling the subjects doesn’t appeal him. He will go to the forests and spend his days as a recluse on penance to extirpate his sins.

To him Arjuna said, ‘Brother, if you had wanted to do penance you need not have started the war. We could have all lived in the forests and wiled our time away and let our enemies to enjoy our entire Kingdom.

After winning this war with a superhuman effort now you are lamenting like this.

You say what are the use of the Kingdom and the riches of the Kingship since you have lost all your kinsmen in the war.

For a person of this nature what is the use of Kingdom and all the riches who will be satisfied to be a mendicant?

The Vedas declare that the riches obtained from one’s enemy after winning a war belongs to the winner.

If you go to the woods and practice penance abdicating your Kingly duties then dishonest men will rob the innocent civilians and cause chaos in the society. That sin will pollute you.

Many people including royal Nahusha when afflicted with poverty have done many wicked acts and repented for it later in their life. King Nahusha lamented about the state of poverty that he was in.

The recluses make no provision for the future. However the Kings duties are to make provision for the future as the religion of royalty depends on the wealth.

When one man robs another man he robs him of his religion also because deprived of his wealth he will not be in a position to follow virtue and will sink down.

Do not applaud the state of poverty as it breeds sinfulness. There is no difference between a fallen man and a poor man because; because of his poverty he falls again and again. It will be difficult to lift him up.

Wealth gives us opportunity to practice virtue and religion and also obtains heaven for ourselves in the Earth.

A man of little intelligence who loses his wealth is said to live a wretched existence.

He that has wealth has got friends, relatives and he is regarded as the true man in this world.

A poor man though he is virtuous is not respected in the society.

Wealth begets wealth. A wealthy man entering in any enterprise meets with success whereas a poor man doesn’t meet with success.

Religious acts, pleasure, joy, courage, learning and dignity etc. all spring from wealth.

A man who does not have wealth doesn’t have this world or the next.

A person who is lean in his wealth is indeed a lean person and not the one who is lean in his physique.

Therefore you also adore wealth and practice all the religious acts ruling your Kingdom.

To this the Rishi Devasthana would add the following words:

‘Four modes of life viz. Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa are ordained one after the other. You pass on these stages one after the other.

Even the Rishis are ever engaged in action represented by their performing sacrifices.

Some say that he who does not seek wealth is superior. I would say that they would be incurring more sin if they follow this precept because to live in this world one needs wealth.

Beware of this. He who gives away wealth to undeserving person acquires the sin of killing a child in the womb.

The God created men and also He created the wealth. He kept the wealth in the custody of the man ordaining him to utilize the same for sacrifices.

Even the Lord of the Gods’ Indra had obtained to his position by making many sacrifices.

To him the Bhima would add these words:

The learned of the scriptures that all that we see is the food for the strong. This world of mobile and immobile is the object of enjoyment of the strong man. The wise men say that those who obstruct the way of the King should be slain by the King and the King doesn’t incur sin by taking this route to success.

Therefore you have only followed the duty of the King and no blame attaches you. The life of the recluse is only for the one who is not able to support anybody in life.

A person’s success in this world depends on his own exertion. If you believe in this then take up the Kingship and rule the world because he that is withdrawn from action never attains to success. Therefore everyone who wishes success should strive to his best.

You have vanquished all your enemies and acquired this vast land. Rule this land be a just King.

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. 

Chastisement

It is said that the King have the right to wield the rod of chastisement. Only the King can wield this rod and nobody else. If other than King some body uses it then he is said to incur sin.

But this Danda or the rod of chastisement should be used as a last resort.

This rod of chastisement should be used against one’s enemies as well as one’s subjects.

When used against one’s enemies it should be used as a last resort, when all other three courses (Sama, Dhana, and Bhedha. Sama stands for peaceful way, Dhana stands for gift, Bhedha stands for creating rift) of action has been tried and of no avail.

 When used to rule his Kingdom it should be used keep the subjects to do their duty.

Kings rod of chastisement is invisible but the subjects know well that the King is capable of inflicting him punishments.

The rod of chastisement is awake when all other is asleep.

The rod of chastisements takes many forms.  For some mere censure is enough. For some it takes the shape of deprivation of food. In the case of some other it takes the shape of deprivation of wealth by means of fine and restrictions.

Where there is no other course then the rod is wielded in the form of physical suffering.

There are some sinful people who could only be kept under check by the application of rod of chastisement.

Because of the rod of chastisement all the four order of life is regulated and the society runs smoothly.

If the rod of chastisement is not wielded then the idea of ownership of property and family will not be there. Then nobody will marry.

The women marry because of the censure of the world and also because they need protection throughout their life.

Even for the camels and oxen to draw the carriages some amount of chastisement is required.

The Gods’ who wield the rod of chastisement like the Vishnu, Shiva, and Skanda are adored. Whereas, the Gods’ like Brahma, Pushan and Dhatri are not worshipped because they do not wield the rod of chastisement.

Everyone in the world is made to follow his duties because of chastisement. If no chastisement prevailed then unruly elements would overtake the world and harass the good and soft minded people.

There are two higher things in this world. They are abstention from injuring others and injury caused while striving for righteous motives.

Of these two the injury caused while one is engaged in striving for the righteous motives is superior because there is no act that is wholly meritorious and wholly wicked. All the actions are the mixture of these two.

One finds his foe taking up a weapon and advancing against him with the intention of killing him. In this case it is not a sin to kill the advancing foe. The one who provokes the other person to take up to arms to kill him is the cause for the killing. Therefore no sin is attached with the slayer of the foes, in self defense.

Chastisement is one more powerful limb of a kingdom. Without chastisement or punishment the people will lose respect for the general law and order.

Without the fear of punishment the people will stray from the good behavior and there won't be any sense of belonging or property.

Nobody will be able to protect his wife and children and his properties. Without the punishment there will be no prosperity. Punishment is the duty of the kings.

The punishment was sent down by the God to help the kings rule their kingdom with dharma.

The story of a dog turned sarabha

The story of a dog turned into sarabha

Once there lived in a forest a Rishi in an Ashram.

The forest was abounding in all kinds of wild animals like deer, buffalo, leopard, tiger, lion etc.

All these animals came to the hermitage of the saint and bowed before him out of respect, sought his blessings and went their way.

In fact all the animals behaved like a slave to the Rishi.

There lived a dog in the vicinity of the Ashram. He always lived nearby to the Rishi eating fruits, nuts etc.

The dog had become very docile.

Once as he was wandering near the hermitage it saw a leopard coming towards it with fierce eyes, eager to kill it to satisfy his hunger.

The dog immediately sensed the danger to its life and limb and ran fast towards the Rishi and begged to save him from the leopard.

The Rishi seeing the plight of the dog immediately changed it into a leopard.

The born leopard upon seeing the dog turned leopard, wishing not to harm a member of its own kind went its way.

Now the dog was eating all kinds of flesh and it was coming out of the influence of the former eating habits.

Then one day a tiger saw the dog turned leopard and came to hunt it.

The dog turned leopard went running in panic to the Rishi. The Rishi saw the plight of the dog turned into leopard and immediately changed it into a tiger.

The real tiger as soon as it saw the dog turn into tiger, left as it did not want to harm one of its own kind.

Now the dog turned tiger was living happily, killing all the animals in the forest.

Because of this no animal now came to the hermitage.

Once an elephant came to attack the tiger and this dog turned tiger became alarmed of it and went to the Rishi to once again free it from the fear towards the elephant.

Instantly the Rishi turned it into an elephant. Seeing another elephant the real elephant now went away as it did not want to do any harm to one of its own kind.

One day Lion came there and this elephant which got afraid of the Lion went to the Rishi to urged him to grant him the boon to be freed from the fear of Lion.

Instantly the Rishi turned it into a Lion. Seeing this the real Lion went away not wanting to harm one of its own kind.

Now its arrogance knew no bounds. It was killing all the other animals wantonly, spreading fear all across the forest as it now became the true king of the forest.

Hearing the atrocities of this a Saraba which kills the Lion came to the hermitage to punish the dog turned Lion.

As soon as it saw the Saraba the dog turned Lion went to the Rishi and asked him to save his life.

The Rishi now changed it into a  Saraba. Seeing this dog turned Saraba the real Saraba went away not wanting to hurt one of its own kind.

Now the dog turned Saraba thought 'this Rishi turned me from a dog to a leopard, to tiger, to an elephant to Lion and to a Saraba. He can also change me to a dog if he lives. Why not kill him before that'.

As soon as these kind of thoughts passed its mind the Rishi was able to read its mind and instantly changed it into the dog.

He said to the dog, ' I made you from dog into a leopard to a tiger to an elephant to a lion and then a saraba. Now you are plotting to kill me. I have done no harm to you. But you are planning to harm me. Hence you once again become a dog'.

The Rishi also drove the dog out of his hermitage.

The human beings are also like this. Many a times they forget what they had received from a person and after advancing in life plot to overthrow those who had aided in their progress.

A king that is guided from this story of dog turned into leopard, tiger, elephant, lion and into a saraba should appoint person who are good for that post. Putting an inferior person in an exalted position will cause that person to lose his senses and make him plot for the downfall of the king.

HOW SHOULD A MAN BEHAVE WHEN INSULTED IN AN ASSEMBLY BY WICKED PEOPLE

How should a man behave when insulted in an assembly by wicked people

If a person is insulted by another in an assembly for no fault of his but remains calm transfers his demerits to the insulting. The demerits of his is transferred to the insulting and the merits of the person who is insulting is transferred to the insulted.

One who talks good of a person when he is near and talks disparagingly of him when he is far behind his back loses all his merits.

That man who always talks ill of others should be avoided like any wild animal like a wolf, elephant in rage or a fierce dog.

When the person seeks to counter the wicked words of such people, those wise near him should counsel him saying that the 'exchange of words between a good and a wicked person is never desirable. Let the tirade go. Don't counter him as far as possible. That man who remains calm when reproached by such a wicked wretch of a person never suffers any pain caused due to speech'.

Lessons from trees and the creepers

LESSONS FROM TREES AND CREEPERS

Once the ocean which is the refuge of all the rivers asked them. 

'You mighty rivers. How is it that you bring to my realm the trees which are huge and weighing in tonnes but you do not bring to me any small plant like grass or creepers'.

To the ocean replied the Ganges, 'The trees stand in our banks in haughty temperament. They do not yield to us, very arrogant. It is for this reason that they have to stand against our current. Our current washes them away.

But the grass and the creepers act differently. They bend towards our mighty current and so they are not affected because of us'.

Likewise a king should act bending before mighty foes, saving his life and after the threat has passed away grow and thrive.

Lazy Camel

LAZY CAMEL

Long time back there lived a camel. It had knowledge of all its preexistence. It sat on meditation on Lord Brahma.

Lord Brahma was immensely satisfied with the Tapas of the camel and came down to reward the camel with his boons.

The camel sought the boon of having long neck at will, so long that it could even extend it to hundreds of miles.

Having obtained this wish the camel became idle. All it had to do was to reach out the food anywhere with its long neck.

One day he spied some food in a cave and as usual it wished to grow its neck to reach the food. The food was inside a cave and at a far off place.

As he was about to shorten and take back its neck it saw a terrible wind blowing with a heavy downpour of rain.

The camel thought that it would take out the neck from the cave after the cessation of the wind.

By this time a jackal and its wife entered the cave to escape the fury of the winds and the rains.

Being hungry it saw the extended head of the camel and started biting it.

This caused terrible pain to the camel and it started to shorten its neck. 

But the jackal stuck on to the neck of the camel along with its life partner and ate the camel away.

Camel paid for being lazy with its own dear life.

A king should not be idle. He should be very intelligent.

It is said that acts achieved through the intelligence are superior to the acts achieved through the might of the arms.

The acts achieved through the might of the arms are superior to acts achieved through the aid of the feet.

By avoiding laziness and by taking the aid of the intelligence a king should win this world.