Katho:panishad - III

[Guest guest]

Continuing with our summary of the wisdom of the katho:panishad as

shared with us by HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy.

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Jai Sri:manna:ra:yan

Je:yar Thiruvadigale: Sharanam.

 

Priya Bhakthas,

 

My humble and respectful Pranamams. Jai Sri:manna:ra:yana.

 

Desires cloud our real knowledge. In other words, desire to enjoy apart

from Lord Sri:manna:ra:yana is the origin of sin.

In this mail, H.H. wonderfully gives an account of the dangers involved

and the resulting consequences of working with

fruitive mentality.

 

Vajasravas : A great donor

 

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In the last mail we discussed the wonderful qualities of Nachiketha, a

wise and grasping son of Vajasravas.

 

Here is a description of Vajasravas, his father.

 

" Ushanhavai Va:jasravasah

 

Sarva Veda sandadau

 

Thasya Nachiketha: Na:ma puthra a:sa "

 

Vajasravas was widely known for his charity work. He was especially

very expert in distributing food as charity in the

society.

 

Though he was such an extraordinary donor, he harboured a desire to

become more famous and recognized than what

he is now. In other words, behind his charitable disposition, lying

hidden was this intense longing to become more and

more famous and reputed in the society.

 

" Sarvasva Dakshina:kam "

 

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Vajasravas being taken over by the desire to increase his fame, started

observing " Sarvasva Dakshina:kam " sacrifice.

The rule of the sacrifice is, one who observes it should donate all that

one can call his own. His wealth, land, money,

clothes, food, assets...etc.

 

The bahaviour of children seeks the lowest behaviour of elders. They

keenly observe what elders do and repeat the

same. Nachiketha, being very much interested in Vedic activities,

started carefully observing his father's programme at

home.

 

" Pe:tho:daka:h, Jagdha Thruna:h

 

Dughdha Doha:h Nirindriya:h "

 

This Shloka describes the kind of cows being distributed as part of the

sacrifice. They had drunk all the water they

could, they had grazed all the grass they could, they had given all the

milk they could and they were impotent, sterile. In

other words, they were simply awaiting death, incapable of doing any

work.

 

Can one give such things as charity? When one is keen in enjoying the

results of the sacrifice, one should be very careful

in the proper performance of the sacrifice. Otherwise, as the

consequence of such improper charity work, one's soul will

have to undergo severe hellish punishments.

 

Vajasravas, apparently should be knowing this, but his desire covered

his knowledge, he couldn't sense that he was

accumulating great sin in the name of charity. All that he wanted was

fame, not the welfare of people to whom he was

distributing the cows.

 

Nachikethas precisely caught this defect in the sacrifice and wanted to

help his father in this regard.

 

What did he do? We shall see in the next mail.

 

Kindly forgive adiye:n's ignorance,

 

Jai Srimannarayana,

 

Adiye:n.

 

REVIEW QUESTIONS

 

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1. How does Lord regard the charity given by Vajasravas? Will it please

Lord? Discuss Lord's opinions on such charity

programmes in general. (Clue: B.G. 16.17, 17.20-22 etc.)

 

2. Should charity always be based on physical needs? Carefully

nurturing the plant of bhakthi in each other's hearts by

providing " bha:gavatha: association " is not charity? Think.

 

3. Vajsravas performed " Sarvasva Dakshina:kam " in ----------- (Clue:

B.G. 17.21 & 22)

 

(i) Sattvaguna (ii) Rajo:guna (iii) Tamo:guna (iv) ii and iii (v)

can't tell