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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Characteristics of a wise man

 

CHENNAI, FEB. 28. A person to whom the gods ordain defeat will

have his vision blurred and his senses blunted as well as taken

away from him and this step will then make him do ignoble deeds.

When his intellect thus fails, his destruction is sure. To the

virtuous, gods will grant the ability to use their power of

thinking and decide properly. One's desires will meet with

success in proportion to the respect one pays to the Law of

Morality. The chief characteristics of a man, who is considered

wise, are that he will always aspire for nobler ideals in life.

His assets will be forbearance, hard work and steadiness while

his acts will be rooted in virtue. Neither anger, nor joy, nor

pride, nor false modesty, nor vanity will distract him from his

purpose. He will not hesitate to seek counsel from the learned as

many times as necessary. He will neither get puffed up by praise

nor hate criticism. He will obey the commands of the elders. On

the other hand, ``fools'' are those for whom scripture is a

closed book. He will indulge in vicious practices. He will

display his envy at other's prosperity and will dislike those who

love him.

 

A dissertation on the enviable qualities of a virtuous person and

the wicked designs of a man with warped outlook, the duties of a

ruler, the assets of a sensible adviser and a host of morals

applicable to everyone and during all times are presented in the

``Vidhura Neethi'' in the Mahabharata. The blind king, who

supported his wicked son, who refused to abide by justice,

experienced restlessness. To have some peace of mind he sought

the advice of his minister, Vidhura, who symbolised honesty. His

elaborate advice which is stuffed with morals is held equal to

the Bhagavad Gita. How one should behave, lead a life of nobility

and uphold the ``Law of Dharma'' under all circumstances are

explained therein, said Sri K. P. Arivanandam in his lecture. The

essence of his treatise is ``Poison kills only the man who

consumes it. So too is a weapon. But wicked counsel will destroy

an entire country. Hence, the highest good in life is

Righteousness.'' The other salient features of this ``sermon''

are: supreme peace, contentment and happiness are got by

forgiveness, knowledge and benevolence. Three ``terrible and

unpardonable crimes'' are theft of another's property, outraging

the modesty of other women and breach of trust. The three

gateways to hell are passion, anger and lust. A man who wishes to

become great should avoid sleep without limit, drowsiness,

unjustified fear, anger, indolence and procrastination. One's

body is a chariot, the soul within, the driver and the senses,

the steeds. Drawn by well-trained horses, the wise will go

through life's journey peacefully.

 

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