Hindu Article-Glory of the scriptures

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Glory of the scriptures

 

 

CHENNAI NOV.19 . Birth in the world as a human being

has been extolled in the scriptures because among the

innumerable sentient beings only man has the capacity

of discrimination. He can utilise this faculty to

choose the path to liberation from bondage and eschew

whatever is detrimental to the ultimate good. The

bonded soul undergoes repeated births to exhaust the

Karma it acquires. It is possible to earn spiritual

merit only in this world, as according to scriptural

texts like the Puranas one can only expend it in other

worlds like heaven by enjoying its pleasures, after

which another birth will result. It is apparent then

that transmigration must be severed, as even the joys

of heaven are transient and it becomes necessary to

realise that state which is eternally blissful.

 

In his discourse, Sengalipuram Sri B. Kesava Dikshitar

said the epics and the Puranas highlighted the

greatness of spiritual merit. There is an interesting

anecdote about how the celestials approached King

Pareekshit after he had listened to the exposition of

the Bhagavata Purana from Sage Suka with the request

to exchange the merit he had gained from this

spiritual exercise with the nectar they had. The king

declined it with disdain and told them that he would

have gladly endorsed it to them had they just asked

for it. They had instead traded it for nectar, which

he considered inane in comparison to the merit of

listening to the Bhagavata Purana, as it is capable of

liberating one from bondage.

 

Why are the epics and the Puranas given such an

exalted status in the spiritual tradition? It is for

the reason that they expound the teachings of the

Vedas in a simple manner enabling even a layperson to

understand and adopt them in life. Their exposition

has become intrinsic to the religious ethos. The Vedas

are hailed as the breath of the eternal (God) and were

revealed by Him during creation. Vyasa codified their

Mantras into the four Vedas and the Ramayana is

revered as the Veda itself. Valmiki composed the

Ramayana describing the Lord's incarnation in human

form as Rama during His lifetime. The manner in which

the sage composed the epic at the instance of the

celestial sage, Narada, also reveals that it was

divine will that His manifestation should be

immortalised in scriptural form for the benefit of

humanity for generations to come. Otherwise, it would

not be possible for those removed from the time of His

advent to benefit from His incarnations.

 

 

 

 

copy right: the Hindu-daily

 

 

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