Hindu Article-Anger, man's sworn enemy

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Anger, man's sworn enemy

 

 

CHENNAI, MARCH 17. The blessed are those who keep anger under check.

Fortunate, indeed, are those whose intelligence keeps their ire under

control verily like a raging fire put out by water. Man's deadly and

sworn enemy is anger. The havoc that may be caused when a person is

seized with it is tremendous and in such a state he may indulge in

any type of heinous crime. Burn anger before it burns you is the

warning given to entire mankind. It is but human nature to lose

control, some may feel. Granted that anger cannot be suppressed, but

it can be sublimated, said Sri M.R. Nagasubramaniam in his discourse.

Episodes in our sacred classics refer to the damage caused by anger.

A prime example can be found in Aranya Kanda in the Ramayana, where

Sita's sudden outburst against Lakshmana whose sane advise she

spurned resulted in her abduction by Ravana. In her distress at

mistaking the pitiful cry of distress as emanating from Rama she lost

all sense of proportion when Lakshmana stood firm in guarding her as

ordained by Rama. Angered by the stance taken by him, with fear

clouding her judgment she accused him of coveting her himself. The

hapless guardian exerted himself in trying to assuage her unwarranted

fears stating that she need not labour under fear of harm to Rama

since none can best Him. However her anger flared further like a

flame kindled with ghee. Faced with such wrath Lakshmana had no

choice but to comply with her wishes, paving the way for Ravana to

carry out his nefarious deed.

 

Anjaneya's ire is yet another example of giving way to momentary

wrath without any thought to consequences. Surveying the ruins of the

fabulous city of Lanka, suddenly he was seized with a fear that the

raging flames might have affected Sita also who was being held at the

Ashoka grove. ``Enveloped in flames, her mighty warriors slain and

her army on the run, Lanka subdued by the angry monkey seemed to be

curse-stricken,'' states Valmiki in Sundara Kanda. However,

Anjaneya's ire ebbed and was replaced with feelings of disgust at the

outrageous and thoughtless deed in reducing Lanka to ashes. Anjaneya,

further, reflected on yielding to the monstrous feelings of anger

without due diligence to Sita's safety, and feared he had jeopardised

the entire purpose of the search mission because of thoughtless

action. Fortunately, for him there appeared many good omens

portending that all would be well. For her part, Sita remained

unaffected, as her fidelity was of such a high order that it rendered

her immune to flames.

 

 

 

 

 

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