The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Desires cannot be satiated

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Wednesday, Jul 14, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Desires cannot be satiated

CHENNAI, JULY 14 . It is natural for human beings to be engrossed in sensory pursuits as the human faculties are outward bound. But, a spiritual aspirant must consciously guard against this inborn tendency because it is not possible to satiate desires and the craving for more and more of sense pleasures will ultimately be counter-productive to spiritual growth. The mind, which is engrossed in the quest for worldly joys will be restless and will not have mental concentration necessary for engaging in spiritual practices. It is for this reason that control of the senses and the mind is emphasised as one of the prerequisites of spiritual life.

In his discourse, Sri B. Sundar Kumar said the life of King Yayati described in the Bhagavata Purana highlighted how desires could lead a person astray from the goal of human life — liberation from rebirths. Sukracharya cursed Yayati, one of the emperors of the lunar dynasty, for transgressing a promise he had made to the former when marrying his daughter Devayani. The king lost his youth and became disfigured by old age. When he pleaded with him the sage mitigated the curse saying that he could regain his youth if anyone was willing to exchange his old age with him. Yayati immediately approached his sons Yadu, Druhya, Turvasu and Anu, all of whom refused. Finally his son Puru, though the youngest of all of them, accepted his proposition gladly.

Yayati regained his youth and delighted in the pursuit of the senses but within the sanction of the scriptures, as he was a good king. The Bhagavata says that though he enjoyed the pleasures of the senses for a thousand years as befitting an emperor Yayati was not satisfied.

He woke up at last to his spiritual decrepitude and told his wife, "The craving for sense gratification never ceases with the enjoyment of sense objects. On the other hand it grows stronger and stronger like fire fed by ghee. One desirous of happiness should speedily get rid of the thirst for pleasure, which is productive of sorrow, nay, which cannot be easily given up and which does not get worn out even though one's body grows old. Full one thousand years have slipped by while I have been busy repeatedly enjoying the pleasure of the senses. And yet, each time I enjoy them my thirst for them is renewed." Yayati returned Puru's youth to him and installed him as the emperor as recompense for his detachment and righteousness, and retired to the forest.

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