The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Embrace dharma

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 31, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Embrace dharma

CHENNAI, MAY 31. Regardless of the rights or wrongs of a given situation, a person in this world is pulled in different directions, largely due to the demands of his emotional attachments. Like the two kittens, which failed to realise that half a share is better than none, members of a family are drawn on either sides of a rigid line resulting in broken ties. We also come across people, despite possessing admirable qualities, getting nowhere in life materially. Then the question arises, why is there so much disparity in this world?

In his discourse, Sri. M.R. Nagasubramaniam said that our sacred literature clearly indicate that man's actions are predetermined. As such he will behave only in destined ways, according to past karma. Since there is no escaping such a phenomenon, there is no use in anyone trying to resist the influence of this powerful force and adopt any other course. One may then wonder if there is any use in the worship of God, if events chalked out cannot be changed?

Men of wisdom emphasise that on the contrary worship becomes very essential in shaping our future destiny. A devotional way of life in one's current birth is the spiritual wealth one accrues for benefiting in future life times.

Bharatha did not want to be part of his mother's calumny; with a weighted mind he approached Rama and emotionally beseeched Him to put an end to the artificially created sibling rivalry by crowning himself rightfully. Deeply aware of Bharata's sentiments warring between his mother whom he had loved until her cruel scheming, Rama advised Bharata that just as logs of wood come together in the high seas by chance, and having been together for a while, drift away, never to meet again, so too members of a family come together only for the brief time of this life span. Death is inevitable for the born, while rebirth is certain for the dead. What is required, therefore, to escape this cycle is to adhere to dharmaand get relieved of birth and death and reach the Lord once and for all.

The exiled prince discoursed at length on virtuous conduct and stated that the correct course of action for him was to uphold the command of his father since that alone was righteousness. Brushing aside the younger brother's arguments, Rama declared that the moon may lose its lustre, there may be hardly a handful of snow in the Himalayas, the oceans may submerge all the lands any time, but he would not budge an inch from his vow of embracing the dharmic way of life.

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