The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Repentance strengthens mind

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Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Repentance strengthens mind

CHENNAI, DEC. 22. In order to experience the everlasting bliss of the Almighty, it is essential that the aspirant has the physical stamina and the mental fortitude to free himself of suffering and sorrow. Due to pursuit of sensory pleasures, the vitality of the body degenerates into a state of senility, and man's birth which is so very rare is wasted leaving unexplored all avenues for spiritual advancement. Is there a way for a seeker to extricate himself out of this self-laid trap that fetters one to repeated births?

The fifteenth century Tamil saint-reformer Arunagirinadhar shows the way to devotees through his classical composition in Tamil, `Thirupugazh' (Praise of God), said Sri C.V. Sadanandan. The 16,000-verse lays emphasis on devotion and repentance as a means of attaining one's goal. Repentance strengthens a person's mind.It avoids the pitfall of recurrent evil thoughts and deeds. Sincere devotion and meditation, shorn of all external pomp will lead one to focus on higher aspects of life, putting a person within reach of his supreme goal of salvation. Scholars state that the poet's magnum opus took shape after he experienced Lord Subrahmanya. The loftiness of thought, the spiritual content, the musical cadences and the haunting quality which impacts positively on those who recite the verses are some of the reasons for the enduring popularity of the composition. So expansive was his devotion that the saint took upon himself the lapses, failures and sins of others and prayed to God for deliverance from evil thoughts and deeds and the mental vision to regard all women as representation of the divine mother. Human endeavour to overcome sensual impulses which are impediments to spiritual progress will not always be successful or easy. The only resort left for man is to surrender completely to God in order to win His grace, singing His praise and living in the company of righteous people. One may say that a lot of emphasis is laid on love in art, literature and other such media, and combine with a person's instinctive attraction to cravings of the flesh, it is not easy to overcome sensory urges. When a person learns to treat such attractions which are common to all creatures as a tool for creation and sustenance of species and turns to literature which elevates the mind and focuses on matters spiritual, the full impact of true love will be experienced by a devotee. Love, when divinised is capable of yielding great enjoyment and bliss than love debased by sheer bestiality.

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