The relation between worldly and spiritual karmas has also to
be examined. We plough the field deep and make it fit for the
seeds to grow. We select good seeds and sow them in the furrows.
We foster the saplings with care. We remove the weeds that hamper
and harm them. We water the plants when they need. We protect the
crop by the erection of fences. We keep vigilant watch and save
the plants from pests. Take it that each of these crucial steps
are carried out by us diligently and without delay, as and when
required. But, how can we be certain, inspite of all these, that
the fruit of our labours will reach our homes and can be stored by
us for our use? The irrigation canal might go dry any day. The sky
might pour down too much rain or withhold it altogether. Pests
might prove too powerful to be eliminated; they might destroy the
crop just when harvest is in sight. But, man should not, even when
such disaster faces him, collapse, as if he has lost everything.
If one does not get rain in time for his crop, he can venture
to fly into the clouds and scatter chemicals in order to induce
showers, by artificial means. But, what guarantee is there that
the rain thus produced will fall on one's own land? Artificial
means cannot affect the mood of gods. They help or hinder
according to their will. When all paths are closed and when, at
last, one decides to pray to God for rain; how is the prayer to be
framed, in what form should it be uttered, these problems confront
one. The disaster is evident; the only refuge is prayer - "O God!
The growing crop in my field is fast drying up on account of
unbearable thirst for rain. The canal has not even a drop of water
to slake the thirst of men and cattle. Therefore, have pity on us.
Give us rain, in plenty, soon".
Meanwhile, another problem has risen, let us say. One's
neighbour has arranged for the celebration of some festival and
since rain will ruin the festival he has planned, and cause great
inconvenience to the participants, he prays equally fervently "O
God, keep off the rains until this celebration is over".
Both these applicants are intense devotees of God, the one who
clamours for rain and the one who opposes the rain. What is God to
do, under these conditions? Whose prayer is He to fulfil? Of
course, answering prayers saturated with sincerity is the
characteristic of the Divine; when the prayers of devotees clash,
how is He to shape His Grace? God is free, His will is Law. But,
He is bound in some sense by His own Love and Compassion.
The monarch of a realm cannot satisfy the desire of every one
of his subjects; he cannot claim the power of fulfilling all their
needs. Why? He is unable to fulfil for himself all that he
desires. If he attempts to satisfy every wish that arises in him,
the subjects are certain to rise up against him and pull him down
from the seat of power. There is that danger always dangling over
him. Because, however mighty the monarch, he has to obey certain
rules and honour some limitations laid down to ensure a just rule.
These might have been laid down by the very monarch; but, once
promulgated, he too is bound by them and had to honour them. If he
casts them aside or transcends them or oversteps them, chaos will
be the consequence. For, the subjects too will exercise their
freedom to cast them aside or override them. "As the King, so the
Subjects". "Yatha raja, thatha praja".
The person who is the author of the law must himself obey the
law. He cannot stay away. The monarch must always hold as his
ideal the welfare and happiness of his subjects. Their welfare and
happiness are essential for his own welfare and happiness. They
are so closely inter-related.
To satisfy the proper and praise-worthy desires of his subjects
is the inescapable duty of the monarch. It is for this reason that
the monarch, in order to carry out his duties effectively and
smoothly, has assigned the task to many subordinate authorities,
instead of himself attending to all matters concerning the kingdom
and the subjects.
The rulers of worldly states have perforce to lay down hard and
fast limitations and conditions, disciplines and duties in order
to ensure welfare, prosperity and progress. Imagine then how many
more such have to be imposed by the Lord who holds Himself
responsible for the entire Cosmos! For the smooth and safe working
of the various facets of Nature, He has to prescribe flawless
rules. Just contemplate how numerous and universal they have to
be! These affect every activity and inactivity in nature. Each
unit must have (and has) its own peculiar restrictions and
regulations. It is more or less, itself, within the larger
frame-work. It has a separate Head with limbs of government,
co-ordinating duties and responsibilities and co-operating with
others.
The prayers of the afflicted for timely help or useful guidance
are attended to by the appropriate units only. Therefore, if
through ignorance or want of care, the pleading is addressed to
the wrong Head, what can he do? He can only cast it aside,
remarking that it does not concern Him since it has been wrongly
addressed to Him. So, prayers for specific benefits and bounties
have to be directed to the departments with which they are
related. The divinity concerned with rain is Varuna. So, prayers
for rain or about rain have to be direct to Him, for, He alone is
authorised to deal with such. Similarly, Surya is the Head of
Health and Splendour. Ganapathi is the Head of the department that
deals with prevention of difficulties that hamper good works.
Bhudevi is the goddess in charge of vegetation. Cultivated crops
and medicinal plants are fostered by Chandra. Thus, each group of
Divine manifestations and expressions has a lesser divine
authority empowered to supervise and manage it. They are referred
to as Deities. There are Deities supervising, guarding and guiding
each one of the senses of man.
It may be asked, "God is One. Why then can He not listen to and
fulfil our prayers Himself?" This question is based on mistake; it
is a sign of weakened faith. Of course, there is only one God.
But, in the governance of the Cosmos, there must needs be
different fields of activity to rule and regulate. These have
subordinate deities. If you write a letter to me and address it to
another, it will reach only the addressee! It cannot be
presented before the person whom you desire to approach. So
too, you have to address the Deity in charge, concerned with the
fulfilment or denial of the desire you have entertained. Then,
that Deity would interest himself in your problem and initiate
whatever steps he can to solve it.
It is essential to inquire into the credentials one has before
one formulates the prayer. That inquiry will reveal whether one's
thoughts and resolutions, hopes and desires arise from firm Faith
or not. How to test and discover the truth? People take a piece of
gold and draw with it a line on a slice of stone; then they
examine that streak and assess the quality. The test which will
reveal the quality of your Faith is whether you are practising
sincerely the injunctions laid down by God. Your beliefs and
actions must be expressions of Faith. They must have holiness as
their core. They must be so full of Love and Compassion that they
attract on you the Grace of God.
Activity emanating from such sacred belief and faith is the
goal of the Karma segment of Vedic scriptures. It is the tap-root
of human progress; it is the very breath of happy human existence;
it is the food that can alone allay the hunger of man; it is the
life-sustaining water that can cure his thirst. Activity or Karma
is as essentially bound with man as his need to discover and
realise his own Reality. Therefore the first and continuing duty
of man is to engage himself in activities that are taught in the
Vedas, or approved therein.
Three types of activity reach God and earn His Grace.
- Activity not prompted by personal desire,
- Activity emanating from unselfish Love and
- Prayer arising from pure hearts.
These are the items to which the Lord pays heed; they reach God
direct. The rest are the concern of deities who preside over their
disposal. Therefore, prayers have to be unselfish, saturated with
Love, and free from the taint of "attachment to the gift that the
prayer would bring."
The word Sastra that is frequently used to indicate scriptures
means "that which commands, orders, directs with authority".
"Before eating food, cook it well; before sowing seeds, prepare
the soil through ploughing" - the Sastras need not contain such
orders. Who commands and where is that command laid down that the
new-born calf shall seek food at the udder of the mother cow where
it is already stored to appease its hunger pangs? Birth takes
place along with sustenance for the being born.
As a matter of fact, the sustenance is ready first and the
birth of the individual to be sustained takes place later. The
individual's food and standard of living are dependent on the
merit or demerit accumulated in previous lives while struggling
for these two. He uses his intelligence to overcome the obstacles
and cultivate the skills needed to succeed in this struggle. But,
the really valuable guidelines for human progress are beyond the
understanding of man and even the capacities of his intelligence.
Nevertheless, the characteristics of his conduct and behaviour,
his attitudes and aptitudes are delineated in the Vedas, and
demarcated in the Sastras. Activity is as essential on Vedic and
Sastric lines as they are for humans in the worldly level. The
learned should realise that activities recommended in the
scriptures promote the best interests of man here and lead to
peace and harmony in the hereafter.
In the art of beneficial activity, the goal of 'Service to
mankind' occupies the foremost place. Of course, the individual
pursuing the goal is also a beneficiary, since he is part of the
living community which he serves. He is the co-share in the
magnificent adventure. Knowing this and being aware of this truth
when engaged in the service are themselves the highest urges for
service.
Today, we hear everywhere slogans like, "Manava Seva is Madhava
Seva", "Loka Seva is Lokesa Seva", "Jana Seva is Janardhana Seva",
"Jiva Seva is Deva Seva" - each one highlighting the idea that the
service rendered to man is worship offered to God. This idea is
very true, and very valid. But, the method of service is not being
well thought out by many. The call for service to mankind is heard
and welcomed; but, how and where that service is to be practised
is not reasoned out and decided. Each one follows his own
inclination and impulse. The most powerful impulse is self-
aggrandizement, which is camouflaged as service. In the name of
'service', neither worldly prosperity nor spiritual advance is
furthered. More destruction than construction is achieved. Helping
one, co-operating with another, sympathising with others when they
suffer defeat, disease or distress - all these must cater, not
merely for the individual, but also for the harmony and happiness
of the world.
The organisation of the urge to serve and the directions into
which these were channelled had prevailed since ages as laid down
by the sages who were the forefathers. The forefathers believed
that the very observance of Dharma (Righteousness and Justice) by
the individual contributed to the welfare of the world and could
be evaluated as 'service'. The broad circular heavy footprint of
the elephant can include and even obliterate the footprints of
many an animal. So too, the imprint of Dharma includes service to
society and to mankind. This was the faith of the Sages.
High ideals are inspired by Dharma. The forefathers imbibed
them along with the breast milk of their mothers. Therefore, their
practice of Dharma was pure, praiseworthy and productive of the
highest good. It was believed in those ancient days that the
festive feeding of the hungry, provision of houses for those
without shelter, the construction of temples, the digging of tanks
and wells, were all conducive to the happiness of man. Good men
who propagated such ideals were discovered and gathered, fostered
and fended; entire villages were ear-marked for them and
cultivable land allotted for their upkeep. The cool comforting
moonlight of the fame of these leaders and guides has lasted even
unto this day, providing unshakable examples of love, compassion
and wisdom in the service of humanity.