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SWAMI HARSHANANDA

WAMI VrVEKANANDA DECLARED THAT J from transmigration). Poverty is considered renunciation and service are the an enemy of the purusharthas. By leading a national ideals of India. It is here that man person astray from the path of , it has boldly experimented to see with how can prove to be a positive evil, both at the little he can manage to live and not with individual and at the social level. That is how much. No wonder then, that the vari­ why it has rightly been condemned by all ous systems of Indian philosophy have noble people, including the rishis of yore. taught that poverty which is another Though , through the name for austerity is one of the important purushartha scheme, posits moksa or spiri­ means of achieving spiritual wealth. tual freedom as the final goal of life, life But self-imposed poverty as a spiritual here and now has never been despised discipline and poverty caused by one's own or relegated to the background. The Isha infirmities or by extraneous factors beyond Upanishad (1 and 2) advocates that a per­ one's control, are poles apart. The latter son should desire to live one hundred has always been looked upon as a curse, to be years the full span of life enjoying the despised and disposed of. According to the good things of life in the world as the grace (5.55), such poverty starts of God. The sage of the Taittiriya Upanisad a vicious circle, thereby sustaining itself. Pov­ (1.4) offers oblations into the Vedic fire erty forces a person to commit heinous with a prayer for wealth so that it could be sins. Sins cast him into hell. After suffering used for educating more and more Vedic there, he is reborn in poverty. And, due to students. Kalidasa in his well-known work, the acquired , the cycle repeats itself1 Raghuvamsha (1.7) declared that the kings Sudraka (3-4 century AD), a well­ of the race of Raghu accumulated wealth known poet, in his magnum opus, with a view to gifting it to the needy. the Mricchakatika, poignantly describes While a poor man is exhorted to work the myriad miseries wrought by poverty. No hard to attain wealth (vide one believes a poor man. Whatever strength 1.349), the social responsibility of or self-confidence he has abandons him. So the well-to-do towards the poor is also also do his relatives and friends! Unable to greatly stressed. The Hitopadesha of Nara­ bear the derision and insults of others he yana (12 century AD), quoting probably becomes a total wreck. from the , says: '0 Yudhis­ The Hindu scriptures keep before all thira! Support the poor (by giving gifts to human beings, the four purusharthas or them). Do not give monetary help to the goals to be striven for in life: dharma (righ­ rich. Medicine and diet are needed by the teousness), (wealth and goods), sick. What use is medicine for one who is (desires of the flesh) and moksa (liberation healthy?'

Swami Harshananda IS the head of the , Bangalore He has a number of books In English, Sanskrit and Kannada to hiS credit He IS prepanng an Encyclopaedia of HindUism 0

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This brings us to the concept of dana The affluent sections of society have or giving gifts, a fundamental concept that been urged to accumulate or has contributed greatly to social well-being. religious merit by performing the ishta- Though our 'common-sense' advises us to I purta-karmas; i.e. Vedic sacrifices and acts give gifts to others after making ourselves of public charity, like digging wells and comfortable, the Bhagavata (7.14.8) startles tanks, or building free food-distribution us by a statement that is supposed to apply centres. to all of us! The sage N arada, while describ­ As already pointed out, the concern ing the duties of a householder, exhorts for the poor takes us to the topic of allevia­ thus: 'An embodied being is entitled to tion of their poverty through dana or giving possess what is required as food to fill his gifts. However, gifts should be made not stomach. One who claims more than that, merely with a philanthropic attitude but is a thief and deserves punishment!' as a religious duty. Such an attitude helps It is interesting to note that the the giver to become spiritually elevated urges us to produce even as the receiver is materially benefi­ food in large quantities, not to find fault ted. with it and to give it to deserving persons, Gifts can be of various types: food, along with lodging facilities if they ask for clothing, shelter, money, household articles, it (3.7-10). land and so on. It is thus seen that concern for the Giving gifts, now elevated to the level poor and the needy has been an article of I of a religious act, has to be done with proper faith in Hinduism. This concern has fructi­ reverence. It should be given unobtrus­ fied in the principle of dana or giving the ively, in all humility, to the right person at right type of gifts to needy persons at the the right time. ' right time and place. There has been an unfortunate as­ Giving gifts to the poor is an ancient pect of poverty in the Hindu society. A large institution in Hinduism. The Rlgueda number of people had been relegated to the (10.117.6) castigates a person who con­ lowest strata, being branded as asprishyas sumes food without sharing it with other or untouchables. They had to suffer not only hungry people. The Gita (3.13) corroborates I the privations of material poverty but it. The (2.23.1) con­ also the social stigma of untouchability. siders dana as an integral part of dharma Fortunately for them, various saints of the or righteousness. The dharmasastras or Movement like (A D religious law-books declare that dana 1017-1137), Sri Caitanya (A D is one of the ten samanya or 1485-1533) and a host of others took up primary duties of every householder, irre­ I their cause and brought about a social spective of his caste (vide YaJnavalkya revolution, thereby bringing relief to them Smrtl 1.122). from time to time. Every householder especially an In conclusion, it may be stated that able-bodied earning member of the society concern for the poor, and attempts at -is expected to perform five sacrifices alleviating their miseries have everyday (known as panchayajnas) out of always been a part and parcel which nri- or feeding the poor is an of the Hindu psyche over the important item. centuries ...... ·...... n " ...... """,,.. ". . •.• m...... t .. un,," ~ ... " ...... , ...... , ""'" •• , ... "...... A" un.' , , ...... n.... ' .. '.n ... " .. D1 Bod can manifest '}Umselt through an image. then why not through man also? m •• m'" ...... '" ...... sri Ramakrishna ... m .. m......