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Contentment, a virtue

CHENNAI: Righteous life is built on contentment. Its value is repeatedly stressed while the ills arising from discontentment are highlighted as the cause of misery. It is this valuable and beneficial advice that the Supreme Being offers, when He had incarnated as Vamana, said Vaduvur Sri Veeraraghavachariar in a discourse.

It is customary to bestow gifts to deserving people at the completion of sacrificial rites. At the time of completion of Aswamedha yaga, King Mahabali, grandson of the great Vishnu devotee Prahlada, considered himself extremely fortunate to bestow gifts to the resplendent young lad Vamana, who had arrived at the venue, for this person appeared most deserving to receive the gifts.

The Lord for his part was keen to accomplish the purpose of His visit — to subdue the king's ego and win back the lost ground for the celestials.

When with extreme modesty He wished to be granted a mere three paces of land measured by his small feet, the king persuaded the visitor to ask for more since he was in a position to offer whatever was sought.

There is nothing in the whole universe that can satisfy a man who has not learned to control the mind and the senses. There is no end to one's desires. They grow into unimaginable proportions on being satiated. It is a pity that this truth is not commonly realised.

One who has not learnt to be contented can never be happy, even if he becomes the ruler of all the worlds.

It is this mindset along with enjoyment derived from sense objects that is the root cause of souls being repeatedly cast in the whirlpool of births.

To be able to remain content with what one gets is indeed the most commendable of virtues. This is an attitude of mind that is determined to accept whatever is got and learns to be happy with just that.

Such a person is considered the most fortunate. But this good fortune is lost if he shows discontent, as easily as water puts out fire. Contentment is a sure way to liberation.

The Lord claimed that His happiness lay in obtaining this gift of three paces of land strip from the king. This was what he needed.

Wealth is desirable only to the extent of one's requirement.

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