Neethisaaram - Part 1

I happened to come across a little book titled "Neethisaaram". A collection of old world wisdom, code of conduct. Many passages appeared to be very much in tune with our times, too, considering that this was written ages back. I'd like to discuss some interesting tidbits from this book here.

1. Think before you act

Ok, so this is a simplified translation. The text actually says that:

One should study every situation properly before acting. Else one may have to regret it later like the brahmini who killed the mongoose.

The story is interesting.

There was a Brahmin family - a husband, wife and a little baby. One day, the brahmin saved a mongoose and brought him home as a pet. The wife was angry that the husband brought home a wild animal. However, the mongoose stayed put at their house and used to play often with the little boy.

One day, the wife had gone to fill water pots and when she returned, she found the mongoose all excited with blood on this mouth. She heard her baby crying and ran inside to find blood on the baby too. By then the mongoose had also come in and was chattering around her. In her anger, she threw the pot at the mongoose screaming curses at it for harming her little one. The pot was thrown rather heavily and the mongoose was instantly killed.

The flustered mother ran to her baby and picked it up only to find that the baby was perfectly fine. However, just beside the baby was a large snake lying dead, bitten to death by the very mongoose she had just killed.

Seeing that the brave mongoose had fought and overcome the snake to save her baby, she was filled with remorse for her actions.

So let's think, shall we? And look, shall we, before we leap?

2. As you sow, so shall you reap

The text says:

Whatever deeds one has performed, good or bad, one shall certainly reap its results. Even if a hundred thousand aeons shall pass, the deed-results shall not go un-experienced. 

Indeed, the idea that you shall one day be repaid in kind, is what maintains the integrity of humankind. Age-old wisdom, repeated in different forms for centuries before and surely will be reproduced for many centuries to come. It keeps the moral fiber of the society intact.

And many a time, it turns out to be true. In the Phantom comic books, there is an old phantom-saying, "He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword". We see the proof all around us; goons and goondas regularly meet their grotesque ends at the hands of their enemies or sometimes, their own trusted friends.

We also see real-life examples where a person does a kindly deed out of compassion and one day, that action is returned manifold. Consider the true story of Dr. Howard Kelly. As a young boy from a poor family, he was hungry and asked for a glass of water from a nearby house. The lady, however, seeing that he was hungry, brought him one glass of milk. Years later, the little boy grew up to become a famous physician and the same woman who gave him the glass of milk, was seriously ill. Dr. Howard Kelly gave himself to her care and when she recovered, the bill was presented to her. Written across the bill were the words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk". A true story that tells us that life always comes full circle.

Rejoice!!! Beware!!! ...deed-results shall not go un-experienced...

You can find a copy of Neethisaaram here at http://en.sreyas.in/malayalam-spiritual-ebooks-download. Be warned, the text is in Malayalam though.
There are many versions of the mongoose tale. You can find one at http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/panchatantra-tales/mongoose-brahmins-wife.html
The Dr. Howard Kelly story is here at http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/o/oneglassofmilk.htm.

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Varsha