Archive for the ‘Everyday Wisdom’ Category

पिता स्वर्गः पिता धर्मः पिता हि परमम् तपः |
पितरी प्रतिमापन्ने प्रीयन्ते सर्व देवताः ||

Depicting the importance of parents in our life this Sanskrit verse teaches us to respect and treat our parents above everything else. It means that the father is like heaven, he is the ultimate religion and father denotes the ultimate sacrifice and renunciation. If we keep our father happy and satisfied then every god will be happy and satisfied with our deeds and acts.

Today, when we human being are loosing the values, principles and relationship importance, we are forgetting our creator. There is a mention in the Indian ancient scripture that if you have bad impact of Sun, you pray and seek the blessings of your father and you will be alright.

It is advised in Indian culture that every morning, immediately, after waking up, we should touch the feet of our parents and seek their blessings for better day and fulfillment of our wishes and desires. Even today, in many traditional Indian family this practice is followed like a ritual.

So, to be happy and live life with utmost happiness, we must love, respect and offer our duty to our parents.

अहो भरत भावी प्रबल बिलखी कहे मुनिनाथ
लाभ हानि जीवन मरन यश अपयश विधि हाथ

After learning that Ram has been banished to forests for 14 years to fulfill the promise that king Dashrath has given to Bharat’s mother Kakayi. Bharath was in grief and shock.

He went to his guru and the priest of kingdom Vashisth and asked why is this happening? What is the mistake of my innocent brother Ram that he has to be banished to the forest for 14 years?

The Vashistha replied that O Bharat, the fate is supreme. Profit and loss, life and death, fame and defame are governed by the supreme power.

Through this verse the message that there is a supreme power that governs and controls us are clearly depicted. We as a human being are only authorized for our actions. Think about this from the perspective of leaving the outcome to the fate or time immortal and just surrender our duty through the karma which is free from greed or personal self benefits.

This reminds me of my childhood experience when I, after my school time use to help my father for farming. As a child I use to wonder why my father goes the puts the seed in the farm knowing that it may not cultivate and produce the desired outcome in form of rice or wheat. However, every time my father invests money in cultivating and seeding the farm.

Later on, I realized that we are only responsible for actions we can take and we have to leave the rest to the supreme power to decide the fate and allocate the outcome as whatever we deserve.

Apado duragaamee ch saaksharo n ch panditah

Amukhah sphutvaktaa ch yo jaanaati s panditah

अपदो दूरगामी  च साक्षरो न च पंडितः

अमुखः स्फुटवक्ता च यो जानाति स पंडितः

As the footless person cannot think of going very far one who only know the words cannot claim to be the master. One who can speak and communicate the knowledge clearly without hesitation can be called the master.

In our day to day life we know that having the knowledge is not synonymous of having the power to communicate and help other gain through our knowledge. To express our knowledge to others we need to have mastery over our communication skills. We need to use the techniques and art of communication to express our knowledge to others so that other can benefit from it as well.

Abhiwadansheelasya nityam vruddhopasevinah

Chatwari tasya vardhyante aayurvidya yasho balam

अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविनः

चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशो बलम

Person who habitually salutes and provides the services to the elder people. He is blessed with the growth in age, knowledge, fame and strength.

The Indian ancient wisdom as well as family system has always put in center, the service and respectful behavior towards elder people. This verse clearly mentions that one who does service and respect to the elder people; will automatically enjoy the benefit of healthy and long living, knowledge, fame and strength.