Saturday, September 16, 2017
Sri Dasbodh (2.1) मूर्ख लक्षणे
Sri Dasbodh (2.1) मूर्ख लक्षणे (Hallmarks of the Foolish)
There was never a dearth of fools in this world. In fact the society has always acknowledged their existence. Although it is difficult to define the word as such, foolishness can always be deduced from the behaviour of the person under scrutiny. Great thinkers, philosophers and literary men have described their characteristics at length. In fact, the one who does not take opportunity of his own uplift, in spite of its availability may be considered a fool.
Indeed, pursuing Paramartha or understanding one’s own true self is the prime aim of life and human body alone is the most important tool to achieve it. Ignorance and worldly matters are exact opposites to the above two. In fact, study of Sri Dasbodh helps dispel ignorance or Ajnyana. Therefore Sri Samartha demonstrates characteristics of Ajnyana from this discourse onward. He describes behaviour of the foolish, nature of perverted knowledge, pleasure oriented traits (Rajo-Guna), devilish traits (Tamo-Guna) and the wordy wise (Padhata-Moorkha) at length.
Worldly people regard the body as themselves. That body sense is difficult to abandon; it requires practice of righteous behaviour and detachment to get rid of that notion.
Therefore Sri Samartha lays solid foundation for practicing Paramartha by narrating hallmarks of exact knowledge, benign traits (Satya-gunna) and the detached ones.
Now, about the Fools ! !
According to Sri Samartha, a foolish person is one that regards this mundane world as true, being ignorant of his true pristine self. Moreover, being extremely selfish he considers entire world is created for his sake alone. He sees nothing beyond himself and his. He thinks his body to be himself and so he is always greedy for bodily pleasures. Being extremely passionate he is full of envy and malice; moreover, he is not ashamed of himself or people at large while enjoying sensual pleasures unrestrained. He earns lot of wealth unrighteously and pursues despicable activities very naturally. He fails to revere parents, the preceptor, God and Godly. He forgets even the Lord and if ever he happens to remember, he just abuses Him for whatever shortcomings occur in worldly pursuits. Such a fool having fickle mind never treats kith and kin affectionately. He fritters away precious time lazily and is always worried and nervous. Finally, the fool described by Sri Samartha is extremely selfish, passionate, perverted, sensual, lazy and possessing despicable traits.
Now, while beginning this chapter Sri Samartha venerates Sri Gajanan, Sri Sharada and Sri Sadguru.
1. I make obeisance unto Sri Gajanan possessing three eyes, a single tooth (tusk) and very form of Omkar with a prayer that He casts His benevolent looks unto me.
2. I venerate very mother of Vedas and daughter of Brahmadev, Sri Sharada, with a prayer to compassionately remain in my inner conscience as inspirational force.
3. Then I make obeisance unto lotus feet of Sri Sadguru, very form of the Self, with a prayer that while remembering my master Prabhu Sri Ramchandra I would be able to narrate characteristics of fools and make those abandon altogether.
There are two forms of fools in this world ; one category consists of fools while another are ‘wordy fools’ (पढत-मूर्ख)! Hallmarks of both are interesting. Let the audience listen reverentially and ponder over those.
The one neglecting his own parents and close relatives indulges in sensual relationships and infatuated with other women in addition to his wife should be considered a fool. Moreover, the one parading his greatness in the presence of greater individuals, the one trying to dominate others without possessing requisite credentials, the one extolling his own greatness and in spite of his poor state keeps boasting of ancestors is indeed a fool !
The one laughing all the time for no reason whatever, does not heed proper advice from others, behaves errands with many people ; the one making friends with strangers while discarding well acquainted persons and keeps speaking ill of others all the time. In addition, the one who is so mannerless as to sleep with out-stretched arms and legs amidst others seated awake or over eats in other’s household must be reckoned as foolishness embodied !
Besides, the one narrating his own honour or insult publicly and indulging in vices such as theft, blasphemy, adultery, gambling, backbiting etc is a fool.
The lazy, shy and timid, passionate fool abandons entire efforts under the notion that someone else will help him. He boasts of his knowledge at home but non-pluses outside, being appalled ! He tries to teach those that are reluctant to listen anyway. Moreover, he develops proximity with great people but is tired of listening to their wise counsel. He parades his wisdom in front of elders and implicates noble persons into litigations. He suddenly abandons entire norms while indulging in sensuality and behaves erratically. Such a one must be considered a fool. He does not accept medicines nor follows regimen while sick and does not accept whatever destiny offers unto him. He travels abroad without proper preparations, makes friends with aliens and even jumps in flooded waters. He repeatedly visits a place without reason where he is honoured, but fails to maintain that honour. He is unable to respect and uphold genuine matters. If ever his servant happens to get richer, the fool is prepared to serve him. His temperament is fickle all the time. He punishes even if not guilty and without getting the root cause. He is too miser even for small expenditures; does not heed elders and God either. He is loquacious (वाचाळ) even while frail and weak and uses vulgar words everywhere. He is outrageous at family members but meek and submissive outside; such an ignorant and mad person is a fool indeed.
He prefers company of the lowly, indulges in adultery with another’s wife and keeps munching while walking. He does not oblige anybody but retaliates obligation from others with dis-service. He acts little but speaks a lot. He is short-tempered, lazy, glutton (खादाड), misbehaved, cunning and lacking in courage. He evinces pride in spite of not possessing anything such as learning, wealth, riches, gallantry, power and honour. He is arrogant, insincere, fraudulent , immoral, perverted and shameless; he sleeps overmuch. He doesn’t bother about his clothing and misbehaves in public. He does not care about his body and remains ugly and shabby.
In short, he is not aware of the dictum –‘one reaps whatever one sows’ !
He betrays God, Guru, Mother, Father, Brahmins and Master; he is happy in other’s grief while sad over another’s joy; keeps brooding over lost articles; doesn’t show respect while talking with others ; furnishes evidence unasked and accepts despicable things. He talks irrelevant, trudges forlorn and wrong routes and collects men for mean activities. He does not maintain his own decorum and indulges in buffoonery (थट्टामस्करी) all the time. He is irritated if someone laughs at him and quarrels vehemently. He takes impossible bets, keeps blabbering without reason but is mute when it is necessary to speak !
He occupies high position without requisite credentials and depends totally upon kith and kin; divulges entire secrets to thieves, demands whatever he sees and hurts himself in fit of anger. Such a one should be considered foolish.
He mixes with mean people, debates with them and retaliates answers with queries. He is jealous of great people; he is greedy to acquire something that is impossible to get and indulges in theft in his own house.
He fritters away time without achieving anything worthwhile in life. He abuses God for whatever travails faced in life; divulges discrepancies of friends in society and does not forgive trivial errors. He keeps rebuking the person for small errors instead. He is not trustworthy, indeed a treacherous one. He is not welcome in meetings or Assemblies and loses faith from minds of great persons.
He earns wealth through corrupt practices and does not follow righteous path, natural justice and morality.
Such are characteristics of foolish people. These are narrated in detail in order to avoid all those scrupulously . In fact, there are many more hallmarks of fools; all of them are worth abandoning alone. The audience may please pardon me for this audacity. One should accept only good qualities, which will be chronicled in the following chapters.
“Hari Om Tat Sat”
There was never a dearth of fools in this world. In fact the society has always acknowledged their existence. Although it is difficult to define the word as such, foolishness can always be deduced from the behaviour of the person under scrutiny. Great thinkers, philosophers and literary men have described their characteristics at length. In fact, the one who does not take opportunity of his own uplift, in spite of its availability may be considered a fool.
Indeed, pursuing Paramartha or understanding one’s own true self is the prime aim of life and human body alone is the most important tool to achieve it. Ignorance and worldly matters are exact opposites to the above two. In fact, study of Sri Dasbodh helps dispel ignorance or Ajnyana. Therefore Sri Samartha demonstrates characteristics of Ajnyana from this discourse onward. He describes behaviour of the foolish, nature of perverted knowledge, pleasure oriented traits (Rajo-Guna), devilish traits (Tamo-Guna) and the wordy wise (Padhata-Moorkha) at length.
Worldly people regard the body as themselves. That body sense is difficult to abandon; it requires practice of righteous behaviour and detachment to get rid of that notion.
Therefore Sri Samartha lays solid foundation for practicing Paramartha by narrating hallmarks of exact knowledge, benign traits (Satya-gunna) and the detached ones.
Now, about the Fools ! !
According to Sri Samartha, a foolish person is one that regards this mundane world as true, being ignorant of his true pristine self. Moreover, being extremely selfish he considers entire world is created for his sake alone. He sees nothing beyond himself and his. He thinks his body to be himself and so he is always greedy for bodily pleasures. Being extremely passionate he is full of envy and malice; moreover, he is not ashamed of himself or people at large while enjoying sensual pleasures unrestrained. He earns lot of wealth unrighteously and pursues despicable activities very naturally. He fails to revere parents, the preceptor, God and Godly. He forgets even the Lord and if ever he happens to remember, he just abuses Him for whatever shortcomings occur in worldly pursuits. Such a fool having fickle mind never treats kith and kin affectionately. He fritters away precious time lazily and is always worried and nervous. Finally, the fool described by Sri Samartha is extremely selfish, passionate, perverted, sensual, lazy and possessing despicable traits.
Now, while beginning this chapter Sri Samartha venerates Sri Gajanan, Sri Sharada and Sri Sadguru.
1. I make obeisance unto Sri Gajanan possessing three eyes, a single tooth (tusk) and very form of Omkar with a prayer that He casts His benevolent looks unto me.
2. I venerate very mother of Vedas and daughter of Brahmadev, Sri Sharada, with a prayer to compassionately remain in my inner conscience as inspirational force.
3. Then I make obeisance unto lotus feet of Sri Sadguru, very form of the Self, with a prayer that while remembering my master Prabhu Sri Ramchandra I would be able to narrate characteristics of fools and make those abandon altogether.
There are two forms of fools in this world ; one category consists of fools while another are ‘wordy fools’ (पढत-मूर्ख)! Hallmarks of both are interesting. Let the audience listen reverentially and ponder over those.
The one neglecting his own parents and close relatives indulges in sensual relationships and infatuated with other women in addition to his wife should be considered a fool. Moreover, the one parading his greatness in the presence of greater individuals, the one trying to dominate others without possessing requisite credentials, the one extolling his own greatness and in spite of his poor state keeps boasting of ancestors is indeed a fool !
The one laughing all the time for no reason whatever, does not heed proper advice from others, behaves errands with many people ; the one making friends with strangers while discarding well acquainted persons and keeps speaking ill of others all the time. In addition, the one who is so mannerless as to sleep with out-stretched arms and legs amidst others seated awake or over eats in other’s household must be reckoned as foolishness embodied !
Besides, the one narrating his own honour or insult publicly and indulging in vices such as theft, blasphemy, adultery, gambling, backbiting etc is a fool.
The lazy, shy and timid, passionate fool abandons entire efforts under the notion that someone else will help him. He boasts of his knowledge at home but non-pluses outside, being appalled ! He tries to teach those that are reluctant to listen anyway. Moreover, he develops proximity with great people but is tired of listening to their wise counsel. He parades his wisdom in front of elders and implicates noble persons into litigations. He suddenly abandons entire norms while indulging in sensuality and behaves erratically. Such a one must be considered a fool. He does not accept medicines nor follows regimen while sick and does not accept whatever destiny offers unto him. He travels abroad without proper preparations, makes friends with aliens and even jumps in flooded waters. He repeatedly visits a place without reason where he is honoured, but fails to maintain that honour. He is unable to respect and uphold genuine matters. If ever his servant happens to get richer, the fool is prepared to serve him. His temperament is fickle all the time. He punishes even if not guilty and without getting the root cause. He is too miser even for small expenditures; does not heed elders and God either. He is loquacious (वाचाळ) even while frail and weak and uses vulgar words everywhere. He is outrageous at family members but meek and submissive outside; such an ignorant and mad person is a fool indeed.
He prefers company of the lowly, indulges in adultery with another’s wife and keeps munching while walking. He does not oblige anybody but retaliates obligation from others with dis-service. He acts little but speaks a lot. He is short-tempered, lazy, glutton (खादाड), misbehaved, cunning and lacking in courage. He evinces pride in spite of not possessing anything such as learning, wealth, riches, gallantry, power and honour. He is arrogant, insincere, fraudulent , immoral, perverted and shameless; he sleeps overmuch. He doesn’t bother about his clothing and misbehaves in public. He does not care about his body and remains ugly and shabby.
In short, he is not aware of the dictum –‘one reaps whatever one sows’ !
He betrays God, Guru, Mother, Father, Brahmins and Master; he is happy in other’s grief while sad over another’s joy; keeps brooding over lost articles; doesn’t show respect while talking with others ; furnishes evidence unasked and accepts despicable things. He talks irrelevant, trudges forlorn and wrong routes and collects men for mean activities. He does not maintain his own decorum and indulges in buffoonery (थट्टामस्करी) all the time. He is irritated if someone laughs at him and quarrels vehemently. He takes impossible bets, keeps blabbering without reason but is mute when it is necessary to speak !
He occupies high position without requisite credentials and depends totally upon kith and kin; divulges entire secrets to thieves, demands whatever he sees and hurts himself in fit of anger. Such a one should be considered foolish.
He mixes with mean people, debates with them and retaliates answers with queries. He is jealous of great people; he is greedy to acquire something that is impossible to get and indulges in theft in his own house.
He fritters away time without achieving anything worthwhile in life. He abuses God for whatever travails faced in life; divulges discrepancies of friends in society and does not forgive trivial errors. He keeps rebuking the person for small errors instead. He is not trustworthy, indeed a treacherous one. He is not welcome in meetings or Assemblies and loses faith from minds of great persons.
He earns wealth through corrupt practices and does not follow righteous path, natural justice and morality.
Such are characteristics of foolish people. These are narrated in detail in order to avoid all those scrupulously . In fact, there are many more hallmarks of fools; all of them are worth abandoning alone. The audience may please pardon me for this audacity. One should accept only good qualities, which will be chronicled in the following chapters.
“Hari Om Tat Sat”
