PHRASES IN THE GITA - 37

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PHRASES IN THE GITA - 37

यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म ...  (अध्याय ४ - श्लोक २३)
யக்ஞாயாசரதஹ  கர்ம  ...  (அத்யாயம் 4 - ஶ்லோகம் 23)
Yagyaayaacharatah Karma ...  (Chapter 4 - Shlokam 23)

Meaning :  The one who carries on actions with Yagya intent..

Man, by nature is a consumer.  He takes.  He uses.  Excess of this nature is greed. A greed - struck wants more and more.  His wants are insatiable.  "You all have taken.  And I've not got";  "Where did you get this from?  I never got this";  "One for me please";  "Why should I not take ?" etc. are bases for many of the quarrels and legal suits.  This nature is more explicit when things are available for free, when things are being distributed free.  "You've got and I've not." is normal attitude.  "I should get it first and then, you may take." is a bad attitude.  "I should get and you should not." is worse.  "You should not get, even if I lose and don't get." is worst.  What others get bothers more than what I get.

• I ran a trust during Tsunami relief and wanted to distribute notebooks, textbooks, school bags and other related things among the Tsunami affected fishermen community.  I collected information on number of students class-wise, purchased in requisite quantities and went for distribution.  A chaotic, war-like situation developed.  Everyone wanted. "Arre !  You are not a student, are you ?"  "No.  I am a student".  There were shouts and counter-shouts.  Some students from nearby SC area also came and were driven out by the locals.  "You did not get Tsunami.  You live on safe heights and now you come to take. Get away."
• In hotels and other public occasions, most among us have a habit of looking at others' plates.
• In buffet-type dining, 'Oh! Ice cream!  I didn't eat.  Where is Ice-cream stall?' is an oft-heard word.
• The state Government of Tamil Nadu distributed free Television sets.  There used to be acrimonious scenes in villages when Government vehicles arrived with TV sets.
• Most in the crowd at departmental stores come for 'Free' announcements.  The attachment announcing 'Free' or discounts carries more number of pages than the main Newspaper.
• During National level meetings of Sangh, 'patriotic and more disciplined' organization, organizations working in various fields distribute pamphlets and booklets, almost all of those in Hindi.  Most of the delegates from Tamil Nadu can't read a word of Hindi and can not decipher anything beyond colourful photos.  Yet, would take those.

This attitude to 'take' extends beyond lines of caste, economic and educational status.

Attitude to 'give' is also in Nature.  Every type of Life in creation 'Gives' naturally.  The Sun 'Gives', gives Light and Heat.  The Sun is instrumental in giving of Food and Oxygen by plants.  Plants 'Give', give Oxygen, food, fruits, flowers, shade, shelter, etc.  Plants give even after death,  give wood for fire.  Animals 'Give', give food for other lives, manure for revitalizing earth.. Clouds give water.  Earth gives nourishment and sustains lives.  For all these lives, giving is by nature.  These have no choice and are created to Give.  Humans..??  The potential to Give is maximum in humans.  But, this attitude may not be by nature and may have to be cultivated through Samskar.  (A few have it in their genes and that is explained as continuation of Karma of previous births... These few are admired and adored by human society as 'Great'.)

A Guru and his Shishya stood at the doorsteps of a house and shouted, "Bhavatee Bhikshaam Dehee"..  (Mother, Please give food.)  A child, five years old, playing in the front yard said, "Go away..  There is none at home."  "Why ?  You are there !"  The child looked at his tiny hands and wondered and said, "Me ?  What can I give ?  Please go away .."  "You can give handful of soil from the garden".  The child put a handful of soil in plates of the Guru and Shishya.  The shishya was puzzled.  "Guru !  Are we going to be denied food today ?  What'll we eat ?  Are we to eat soil ?  Why did you take this ?"  "No.  I didn't take, but I gave."  The shishya was puzzled still.  "You gave ?  But you took this soil .."  "I took this for sure .  But, I gave the child the habit of Giving.  The hands that gave soil today will give more precious things tomorrow", the Guru said.

Yes.  The habit of Giving has to be cultivated.  The attitude to give has to be evolved.  All our rituals evolve around giving ... temple renovation, Sandhya Vandanam, birth of a child, marriage, ceremonies after death..  etc. are all rituals of Giving.. Give a drop of water to the Sun..  Give a drop of Ghee to the Fire.  Give a drop of milk to Vigraha, the stone form of God.  Give to the birds, give to the Cow and animals around, give to the life forms in water, give to humans..  Eating food is regarded as Homa or sacrifice of food in Vaishvaanara, the abdominal fire.  Cremation of the dead body too is Homa of the body in Fire.

Yagya is sacrifice.  Yagya is Giving.  Yagya-maya Karma is performing actions with a sacrificial attitude.  Give, Give, Idam na Mama, Idam na Mama, this is not mine, take this.  This is not mine, take this... Give physically, give materially, give emotionally...  Give time, give energy, give wisdom or enlightenment, give wealth, give give, give...

The first sentence of Ishavasya Upanishad says... Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam..  Tena tyaktena Bhunjeetaa ....All this is His.  He is the owner.  Take you must for your own sustenance..  Take with an attitude of sacrifice..  Take the bare minimum essential for your survival..  Give Give..That is the message of the Veda..