V for Virtues

 

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.       

Read U for Upliftment here.           

Translation

In this verse, Shri Krishna describes twenty-six virtues that befit a saintly person – fearlessness (abhayam), purity of mind (sattva), steadfastness in spiritual knowledge (jnana yoga), charity (dana), control of the senses (damah), sacrifice (yajna), study of the sacred books (svadhyaya) , austerity (tapah) , and straightforwardness (arjavam); non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satyam), absence of anger (akrodah), renunciation (tyagah), peacefulness (shantih), restraint from fault-finding (apaishunam), compassion toward all living beings (daya), absence of covetousness (aloloptvam), gentleness (mardavam), modesty (hrih), and lack of fickleness (achapalam); vigour (tejah), forgiveness (kshama), fortitude (dhritih), cleanliness (shaucham), bearing enmity toward none (adroham), and absence of vanity (atimanita).

Story of Daksh Prajapati, Sati and Lord Shiva

Once upon a time, all the prajapatis or leaders performed a great sacrifice. It was well attended by all the great sages, philosophers, demigods and fire-gods and their followers.

Dakṣha was the leader of the Prajapatis. When he entered that assembly, all the fire-gods and other participants in that great assembly, with the exception of Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, stood up in respect for Dakṣha. Since Lord Brahma was his father, Daksha offered respects to him and sat down. Daksha was quite offended to see Lord Shiva sitting and not showing him any respect.

Daksha’s virtues get overshadowed.

Daksha felt insulted. His pride told him that he was leader of all leaders, the son of Lord Brahma, and deserved to be respected. His ego told him that since Lord Shiva was married to his daughter Sati, he was expected to bow to Daksha, since the father-in-law is equal to a guru.

But he had forgotten that despite being his son-in-law, Lord Shiva was much higher in position. Full of ego and pride, Daksha insulted Lord Shiva, using vile words. He forbade Shiva from receiving any share in the oblations of sacrifice.

Lord Shiva, embodying the Gita’s teaching of absence of anger (akrodha) and inner calm (shanti), did not react. He simply withdrew.

 Sati faces humiliation.

Sometime later, Sati came to know of a ‘vajapeya yagna’ being held at her father’s house. Not knowing about her husband’s insult by her father, she insisted on going though they had not been invited. When Shiva did not accompany her, she marched off alone.

Once at her father’s palace, she not only felt unwelcome by him but also realised that he had not kept a share of the oblations of sacrifice for her husband. This insult was too much for her to bear. She was too embarrassed to go back to her husband, and after cursing her father, jumped into the sacrificial fire giving up her life.

While the divine virtues lead to harmony, forsaking them lead to chaos. Pride led to humiliation, which in turn led to suffering and lastly to destruction.

Lord Shiva unleashes Veerabhadra.

Lord Shiva did not mind his own humiliation, but when he came to know that his dear wife, Sati had also not been spared, he could bear it no more. He unleashed his own fearful form – Veerabhadra, on Daksha. Daksha finally paid for his mistake, when Veerabhadra severed off his head and threw it into the sacrificial fire. Later, all the gods prayed to Lord Shiva, and showing forgiveness (kshama) and compassion (daya), Lord Shiva gave Dakska the head of a goat.

Finding balance.

Daksha failed to show many of the virtues - purity of mind, control of his senses, absence of anger, vanity, restraint in finding fault, and bearing hostility towards Lord Shiva, the one who should have been worshipped. Lord Shiva on the other hand, did not get angry when humiliated, stayed calm and also forgave Daksha out of compassion.

 

Virtues bring about inner discipline.

This verse serves as a measure of our own spiritual growth. It is not easy to be perfect from the first moment itself, but with conscious practice and making Krishna our guide, it is not impossible either. These are the virtues that help us achieve inner peace and harmony. Turning away from them can bring conflict and discord.

 

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