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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Guidelines for giving charity

 

CHENNAI, SEPT. 5. Among the guidelines contained in the

statements of the Vedas, one lays extraordinary emphasis on how a

human being should consider himself extremely lucky in having

been provided with an opportunity to extend help to the society

and how charity yields bliss here and in the other world and how

it purifies hearts. The main advice tendered in this connection

is that charity begins at home and no one is asked to give if he

is not in a position to do so. Certain instructions are given

about philanthropy. While donations can be given, it is necessary

to see whether the recipient deserves it and whether it reaches

him. It should be extended without a stint, with cheer, willingly

and quickly without hesitation and spontaneously. The benefit

should go to proper persons. Another feature of charity is to

give it silently and without manifesting pride about his

benevolence and without self-glorification.

 

The Mahabharatam mentions how even the symbol of righteousness,

Yudhishtira, who, after the successful completion of the

Aswamedha Yaga, harboured a little amount of pride that none

could have donated to the visitors as liberally as he had done.

At that juncture, a mongoose, with its body full of gold spots,

arrived there, rolled itself on the floor and in the end, showed

its disappointment. Asked to explain, it recalled an incident

when a very poor man who himself was starving, gave away the

whole lot of food he had obtained to another needy person and God

took him to heaven. The mongoose then rolled itself on the ground

when a few particles of strewn grains stuck to its body which

turned golden. But the tail remained in its original form and it

now arrived at the site of Yudhistira's Yaga, having heard about

his benevolence and hoping that its tail would become golden but

this did not happen. Yudhishtira shed his ego.

 

Narrating how Sage Dadichi, readily sacrificed his life enabling

his vertebra to be made into an unbreakable bow, to be used by

celestials to defeat demons, Sri Sakatapuram Sankaracharya, also

cited the example of King Sibi who, to save a dove from being

devoured by an eagle (the former, God of Fire and the latter,

Chief of the Celestials, both having come to test his liberal

nature), sliced flesh from his body equivalent to the weight of

the dove. Human beings will perish but the imprints they leave by

virtue of their hospitality will remain forever. Charity is a

noble gesture and the recipient's happiness cannot be easily

described.

 

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