The true meaning of penance

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FROM THE HINDU

The true meaning of penance

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 15. While God has endowed human beings with some astonishing

and enviable faculties, it is a

matter of regret that many lead an aimless and a purposeless life. On the

other hand, each one among them should

be motivated by a desire to serve, to remain humble, take steps to reach the

goal and then look back about the

contribution he or she has made. What are man's duties to be carried out

should be clear so that he can rest in

peace that he has not wasted this precious life - a rare gift of God. The

answer is contained in the Mahabharatam

in an advice tendered to the Pandavas by a sage.

 

A man has to work hard and earn by himself and not be a parasite on others,

eating the food thrown by them.

Whenever and wherever possible, he should share his meals with others. Never

should he enjoy the God-given

comforts and his food, all alone. He should be charitable in his disposition

and help others by giving them what he

can and thereby remove his poverty. If a person sticks to these acts, his

stay in life can be considered worthy,

answered Sage Markandeya.

 

``What is real penance'' was the next doubt raised by Yudhishtira. Neither

turning an ascetic and living in seclusion,

nor the observance of silence, nor starving, nor other external features can

be termed as penance in its true sense.

The most important constituent is purity of mind. A person is a zealous

observer of penance when his thoughts and

words are absolutely free from jealousy and malice. His intentions should be

genuine. He should always speak

truth and should show compassion to all.

 

Charity given by men of impure thoughts, by a teacher who fails to transmit

knowledge to his disciple, by a

drunkard and by a characterless ascetic should be abhorred. The next

question was about the nature of the best

ruler, for which Markandeya narrated a story. Amplifying this in his

lecture, Sri K. P. Arivanandam said four kings

were about to take off in a chariot when Sage Narada wanted to join them.

The vehicle could take only four and

hence one has to go. The first to be sent out was one who was philanthropic

but who always boasted about his

generosity. The second gave away his horses used to drive his chariot to

some needy but later regretted having

parted with them. The third evaded giving a gift which was with him by

uttering a lie that he had earmarked it for

someone else. The fourth was concerned only about the publicity and fame he

will get by his charity. One who has

saved the life of a dove chased by a bird by slicing off flesh from his body

and offering it to the latter in lieu of the

former, stands as the exemplar of mercy and charity.

 

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