Hindu Article - Merit of serving parents

[Guest guest]

friends,

 

Merit of serving parents

 

 

CHENNAI SEPT.12 . Among the scriptural guidelines on advocating

Dharma in daily life, the most important is the expression of love

and duty towards one's parents. A person owes his very existence to

his parents and hence it is impossible to compensate for the love and

care they lavish on their offspring. This is the reason that the

culture of Sanatana Dharma accords so much importance to the

obligation of taking care of parents in their old age.

 

At the societal level man's discharge of his obligatory duties is a

superior kind of social security net as it encompasses not only

economic considerations but also emotional wellbeing. There is an oft-

quoted Vedic dictum, which behoves one to revere the mother and

father like one would worship God. And, between the parents, the

mother occupies the paramount place. The epics and the Puranas

highlight this primary duty of man through examples. This topic is

addressed in one of the answers given by Yudhishthira dealt with in

the Yaksha Prasna section of the Mahabharata. To the question "What

is heavier than the Earth itself?" posed by the Yaksha, who was the

lord of Dharma in disguise to test the Pandava elder's fidelity to

truth, Yudhishthira replied, "The mother is weightier than the

Earth." He did not just mouth it for he had utmost concern for his

mother Kunti who had brought up the Pandavas single-handedly after

the death of his father Pandu.

 

When Lord Krishna went as their envoy to avert a war between the

cousins, Yudhishthira sent his respects to Kunti who was living in

Vidura's care during their exile. He told Him with gratitude that it

was the merit of Kunti's devotion and penance that had protected the

brothers from harm during all the setbacks and threats to their

lives, said Sri B.Sundar Kumar in his discourse.

 

Krishna after killing Kamsa and releasing His parents Devaki and

Vasudeva from prison had declared, "Even through a life of hundred

years a man is unable to get square with his parents by whom he is

brought into being and nourished this body in which all the four

objects of human pursuit can be realised." Lord Rama confessed to

Lakshmana in the solitude of the forest that in spite of being the

eldest son He had only brought immense grief to His mother Kausalya.

The commentary on the incident of Bharata's lament after hearing

about Rama's exile notes that service to one's mother is a sure

antidote for even the worst sins committed by a person.

 

Copy Right: The Hindu- daily

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "cdr b vaidyanathan"

<vaidyanathiyer> wrote:

> friends,

>

> There are many stories skillfully woven by Vedavyasa into the

> Mahabharata. After reading the article in Hindu, I looked into the

> Rajajis book and found this story which too says that we should

not

> neglect our parents who were responsible for our human birth,

which

> is rare and which will enable us to realize the self.

>

--------------------------------

Namaste.

Thanks a lot to cdr b vaidyanathanji for bringing this matter. It is

of great interest to modern youngsters who grow up in a non-Indian

surrounding. During one of my lectures I was asked by one of them

the following question:

Why does Hinduism extol the action of Rama in implicitly obeying

his father and step-mother to go to the forest? How do we tell this

to modern children who are not able to appreciate the logic behind

this?

 

The answer that I gave and that is now published in my

book 'Hinduism for the next Generation' is also reproduced in the

following webpage. It may be of interest to readers.

 

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/smrtipage3.html

 

praNAms to all advaitins.

profvk