YAKSHA PRASHNAM

CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH ENEMY IS INVINCIBLE? 

ANGER IS THE ENEMY WHICH IS INVINCIBLE. 

(Invincible means unconquerable. We can conquer the enemy when we know where he is and how he comes into us. We are not angry all the time. The unpleasant surroundings and unpleasant emotion inside us manifests itself as anger. Lord says in Gita (2nd chapter, sloka 63) that when our desires are obstructed, we get into anger. A country which is vigilant all the time escapes from the attack of enemies. Similarly if we are vigilant (with awareness) all the time of what comes into us and what goes out of us, we are in control of situation. Lord says in the third chapter of Gita that desire and anger are eternal enemies to man. These enemies reside in our senses, mind and intellect. It is like thieves who stay at our own home and keep stealing things. These enemies steal our peace of mind, our happiness, our intelligence and the very valuable human birth itself. One who is focused towards the inner divinity is the most powerful. This powerful weapon alone destroys these eternal and internal enemies – lust and anger.

Suppression is not an answer. The more we suppress, it bounces back to us with greater force. By controlling the sense organs by mind, mind by the buddhi (discrimination) and buddhi controlled by the knowledge, one can conquer the enemy. Lot of times we don’t even realize the anger is our enemy. We justify our actions. This is one of the reasons why this is unconquerable).


WHAT DISEASE IS INCURABLE? COVETOUSNESS IS AN INCURABLE DISEASE.

(Covetousness is an incurable disease because it is the disease of wants. ‘More and more’ is the symptom of the disease. Name or fame or riches or food or clothes or any material in the world, the person who has this disease is not satisfied. The lust and wrath are its companions which destroy the righteousness in the person’s heart. The more we try to satisfy the desire; it is like pouring ghee to the fire. It burns with more intensity.

Covetousness leads to death of a man even whilst living. The person is always in fear. Like Cancer, it spreads in no time. The one, who has surrendered to the Lord, is saved from this disease. Otherwise, swayed by pride, men walk in the path of worldly enjoyments, in unrighteous path. They are always followed by their senses. Pulled by the senses, they repeatedly fall into difficulties, pains which are nothing but hell).

WHICH MAN IS CONSIDERED HONEST? HE WHO DESIRES GOOD OF ALL CREATURES IS HONEST.WHICH MAN IS DISHONEST? ONE WHO IS NOT MERCIFUL IS DISHONEST.

(We have seen ‘what is mercy’ in the last part. Mercy is wishing happiness for all. Here Yudishtira says that the person who has mercy only can perform actions of truth. He can be honest in his work and intentions.

One who is selfish can never be honest. A selfish man always expects some benefit out of every action. If there is nothing beneficial to him, then he doesn’t take up any action even good actions. One who has no love for the fellow beings and creatures is considered as ‘not merciful’ and hence his acts are dishonest. He is biased in his attitude.

An honest man is one who has no desires for himself. An honest man is truthful to himself. We say ‘be honest in your relationships’ which means think of good of all around you. If love is the base of our actions, then one’s action becomes the action of divinity, an honest act.

In the book ‘don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff’, the author writes that we can offer a beautiful smile and a genuine hello’ to the people we meet in the lift or in the roads. We can say thank you’ to the taxi drivers, to the person who showers their love in some form or the other. Let us be the first person to give love. We can’t do great things on this earth. But we can do small things with great love. Where there is love, there is honesty.

The following are the words given to Yudishtira by Bhishma Pitamaha.

The forms that Truth assumes are impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty, endurance, goodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, compassion, and abstention from injury. These, O great monarch, are the thirteen forms of Truth. Truth is immutable, eternal, and unchangeable. It may be acquired through practices which do not militate against any of the other virtues. It may also be acquired through Yoga. When desire and aversion, as also lust and wrath, are destroyed, that attribute in consequence of which one is able to look upon one’s own self and one’s foe, upon one’s good and one’s evil, with an unchanging eye, is called impartiality/act of honesty.

Self control consists in never wishing for another man’s possessions, in gravity and patience and capacity to allay the fears of others in respect of one’s own self, and immunity from disease. It may be acquired through knowledge. Devotion to the practice of liberality and the observance of all duties are regarded by the wise as constituting goodwill. One comes to acquire universal goodwill by constant devotion to Truth.

That virtue in consequence of which one does good, with watchfulness and care, to all creatures is called goodness. It has no particular shape and consists in the divestment of all selfish attachments. That virtue owing to which one remains unchanged in happiness and misery is called fortitude. That wise man who desires his own good always practices this virtue. One should always practice forgiveness and devotedness to truth. That man of wisdom who succeeds in casting off joy and fear and wrath, succeeds in acquiring fortitude. Abstention from injury as regards all creatures in thought, word and deed, kindness and gift, are the eternal duties of those who are good.

I remember Bharathiar’s poetry

“pagaivanukkarulvaai nannenje pagaivanukarulvaai;

thinna varum puli thannaium anbodu sindai-l poatriduvaai

annai parasakthi avvuru vaayinal avalai kumbiduvaai!

Pugai naduvinil thee irupadai bhoomil kandome

Pagai naduvinil anburuvaana nam paraman vaazhgindraan

Nan nenje! Pagaivanukarulvaai!”

He says: “Praise even the tiger which comes to eat you because Goddess Parasakthi is of that nature. So see her in that tiger and bow down; amidst of smoke there is fire. Similarly amidst of all enemies there is spark of Lord; let the heart melt even for an enemy”. This is honest thinking. This thought is merciful.

SUMMARY:

By saying anger as unconquerable and covetousness as incurable, Yudishtira insists that we need a powerful weapon/ medicine to overcome them. Knowledge alone can destroy anger and covetousness. Knowledge alone can bring honesty in our thought and actions.

Anger is an expression of our ego. If things are gross, it can be easily conquered. Being subtle, the knowledge is the only weapon which destroys the expressions of ego and ego itself.

The body becomes weak and incapacitated in advanced age, but the hankering for things and self-esteem continue to flourish. ‘Me and mine’ continue to dominate so long as the body lives. The complete surrender to the Lord is the only way. Implicit obedience to the Guru is the sure means to happiness.

The devotion will keep us in the path of truth and love everyone around us without any expectation. Love and humility are the natural offsprings of devotion.