HELP EVER HURT NEVER

Subhashitham : 023

अनन्त शास्त्रं बहुवेदितव्यं अल्पस्च कालो भहवश्च विग्ना: I

यद्सारभुतं तदुपासितव्यं  हंसो यथा क्षीर मिवाम्बुमिश्रं II

Anantasastram bahu veditavyam, Svalpascha kalo bahavascha vighnah,

Yat sarabhutam tadupasitavyam, Hamso yatha ksheeramivambumisram.

The Sastras are endless; there is much to be known; time is short, obstacles are many; that which is essence should be grasped, just as the swan does in the case of milk mixed with water. "

The swan is often used to symbolise the nature of satvic mind , as we can see from the ensuing sloka:

रागादि दूषिते चित्ते नास्पदी महुसूदन: I

न बध्नाति रतिं हंस: कदाचित  कर्दमांभसि II

Sri Krishna distances himself  from  those whose mind is filled with lust and anger. Just as a swan doesn’t reside in  muddy waterbodies.

In the gita Arjuna asked Krishna : “ dragged on by what does a man commit sin , unwillingly though, constrained as it were by force? ” . The reply is given in BGCH3-Verse 37

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: ||

महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् || 37||

kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ

mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam

BG 3.37: The Supreme Lord said: It is lust alone, which is born of rajo guna , and later transformed into anger. Know this as the sinful, all-devouring enemy here on earth.

Having seen the root cause of the problem, how do we get to the essence of all sastras for a solution?  Two slokas, one by Tulsi das and the other by Vyasa bhagavan  might be of  use.

भक्तिं प्रयच्छ रघुपुङ्गव निर्भरम् मे  I

कामादि दोष रहितं कुरु मानसं च  II   Tulsi Das

“ Please give me the fullness of devotion and empty my mind of evils like Lust and Anger . “

Two statements can summarise all the eighteen Puranas composed by Vyasa.

अष्टादश पुराणेषु व्यासेन वचनद्वयम  I

परोपकारं पुण्यानां पापाय पर पीडनं  II

“Do good to others; avoid doing harm," Help ever, Hurt Never”

Sri Krishnaya thubyam nama: