The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Document on virtuous living

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Thursday, Jan 06, 2005

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Miscellaneous - Religion

Document on virtuous living

CHENNAI, JAN. 6. The basic premise of all scriptures is with regard to the bond between God and man. By their moral guidance and their stated principles of virtue, high literature such as the Ramayana isarticleof faith which point aspirants in the right direction. The events in the Ramayana are true facts and certainly not the result of fertile imagination of any individual. The life of Sri Rama narrated by his sons Luv and Kush, and the epic in 24,000 verses presented by sage Valmiki is an authoritative document on principles of virtuous living.

The how and why of sequence of events can never be explained by human agency and is beyond the comprehension of mortals, said Sri. M.R. Nagasubramaniam in his discourse. All the happenings enunciated merely underscore that divine power is supreme and that human beings can neither alter decisions of God nor transgress them. But the absolute confidence that God will not fail to give us His guidance at appropriate time will enable us to overcome any problem.

Once a non-believer raised a doubt as to whether any sane person could believe that Vibhishana's residence alone remained unaffected when the entire city was in flames. The truth was that God protects the innocent.

Might is never right and the seemingly helpless will not be without protection. Although Ravana had neither seen Anjaneya nor displays of his valour, the moment he heard of the emissary's daring acts in the Ashoka grove, the Lanka ruler deputed 80,000 of his best army personnel, each of them equal to Ravana in military prowess, to face Anjaneya. What made the king to second so many warriors to tackle one person was inexplicable. Expert commentators say that the warriors were destined to die on that day and hence the seemingly sacrificial tour of duty. Furthermore, the wise Anjaneya advised Ravana to return Sita without delay and not to mistake of misinterpreting Rama's kindness for weakness. Reinforcing the desirability of virtuous conduct, Anjaneya was unequivocal in stating that the `fruits of dharma are never enjoyed in conjunction with the fruits of adharma'. Virtue is attended only by its own results, but it does not annul miscarriage of dharma. He further enjoined on him not to tighten the noose placed around his neck by himself, caused by the nefarious deed of coveting another's wife. Ravana, notwithstanding the numerous austerities to his credit brushed aside the salient advice on the adopting the moral high road and perished ultimately.

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