Sacrifice

Education today is beset with problems of caste, creed, region, religion and language. Students finally end up with only textual knowledge. People are studying for the sake of money and not for developing virtue. Education or wealth as such are not bad. Just as pure water in a red bottle looks red and in a blue bottle looks blue, these two in a good person will lead to welfare of all and in a bad person lead to detriment of all. Thus it is the Guna (i.e. Sathwic, Rajasic or Thamasic) of the person which determines the use of wealth and education. Bharath is the land where great leaders were respected because of their moral courage and their names shall always be remembered.

"What great happiness did Dhritharashtra have with hundred sons and what great misery did Sage Suka have with no progeny?" When Draupadi was humiliated in the royal court, not one among the wise men could answer her question whether she was lost according to Dharma, and whether Dharmaraja lost himself first or lost her first. After the painful episode, Vidura left Hastinapur.

Some of the greatest names in the history of Bharath are those of people who left everything for the sake of God. They say mother, father and Guru are God himself. But when they stand between God and devotee, people have renounced even them. Bharatha became the King of Ayodhya since Kaikeyi asked Rama to be banished to forests for fourteen years. But Bharatha left even his mother in his love for Rama. After praying to Rama unsuccessfully (to return to Ayodhya) he renounced the kingdom and ruled the land in the name of Rama. Prahlada defied even his father in his love for God. The wicked Hiranyakasipu tortured Prahlada and tried to kill him. Never once did Prahlada stop uttering the name of Hari. King Bali was told by Shukracharya that the person asking three cubits of land from him is none other than Lord Narayana Himself, who came in the form of Vamana and that Bali is sure to be crushed by the Lord. Yet, Bali defied his Guru and offered the three paces of land as asked by Vamana. He felt that the Lord of three worlds, whose hand is always giving away, has come to ask him and that his hand will be in the giver's position while that of the Lord will be in the position of a seeker. When Vamana grew up and covered the earth with one foot and the sky and heavens with the other foot, Bali offered his head as the place for keeping the third foot and could earn the grace of God. All the three offered their total selves to God. All wanted only God. Bharath had many such devotees. That is the reason why Avatars have repeatedly taken birth in this sacred land.

It is very easy to give away things in charity. But to offer one's own life is some thing totally different. There is a lot of difference between charity and sacrifice. There is an element of selfishness in charity. You keep whatever you want and give away whatever is convenient. Sacrifice, on the other hand implies giving away what you love most. It is this sacrifice which makes a person immortal. This land of Bharath produced many such people who did not mind sacrificing their own lives for the sake of truth and justice. Emperor Shibi was one such person. Indra once wanted to test the character of Emperor Shibi and enacted a drama. He became a bird and was chased by an eagle . The bird landed in the lap of Shibi and prayed for protection. Shibi accepted to protect it. Soon the eagle came and addressing Shibi asked for the bird to be released since the bird was the eagle's natural prey and was chased by him. Shibi refused to let go of the bird and instead offered flesh equivalent to the weight of the bird from his own body. As he went on cutting the flesh from various parts of his body, the bird went on weighing more and more. Finally, when Shibi was about to cut his head off, Indra appeared and stopped him and said that all this drama was enacted by him to test the resolve of Shibi in sticking to his word. Such sacrificial nature led them to immortality.

If one has to get rid of the pain of appendicitis one has to bear the pain given by the operating surgeon. God is totally selfless. He does not even know that there is something called selfishness. Right from ancient times virtue has been considered more important than erudition.

Ravana who studied sixty four Shastras was more learned than Rama who learnt only thirty two Shastras. But Ravana's knowledge was put to selfish use and led to the destruction of his clan and his own self whereas Rama's knowledge was put to use of all and led to welfare of all. Ramayana has become an immortal epic due to the nobility of the characters involved in it.

What is Seva? Is it to sweep the roads? No. To do one's duty well with all conscience is real seva. A doctor or a nurse cannot come for Aarathi, when the patient is suffering. God won't appreciate this. Doing his/her duty well, is an offering to God. Every one should do his or her duty. They should not worry about others doing their duty properly, but should worry about their own work. Finally this country would have progressed much faster if everyone did their duty according to salaries they take. One should look into one's own conscience to see how much work they are doing and if it is commensurate with the salary they get. Our leaders need not have to go with begging bowls to all countries for paying the salaries of all if only everyone works according to the salary they take.

One should know the meaning of what they are chanting. A lot of people chant Vedam without knowing the meaning of it. Sahanavavathu... means let all of us share everything equally. There used to be a singer called Gana Kokila in Madras. She was proficient in Carnatic music and used to sing Tyagaraja Kirthanas. Her raga and taala, laya and shruthi were perfect but since she was a Tamilian and Tyagaraja kruthis were in Telugu, funny situations used to arise. Once she was singing one of the Kruthis where in Tyagaraja questions Rama "Ne Pogadakunte Neekemi Rama?" meaning what harm is there to your glory if I do not praise you. Now in Tamil "ga" is same as "ka". Hence she sang "Ne pakoda thinte Neekemi Rama?" meaning what harm is there if I eat Pakoda. See how the meaning has changed. One should thus understand what he is speaking .