Jagadguru Speaks: Nurture Virtuous Qualities

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
Nowadays, some people harbour a misconception. For 
instance, when asked to perform good deeds, they simply 
put off the request saying: "This is the Kali Yuga. What good 
can we do?" 
 
At a time when assistance should be offered to a person in 
need, they offer excuses like: "That is his fate. This is Kali 
Yuga" and without an iota of compassion (daya) or empathy, 
they refrain from offering help. 
 
In a similar manner, when a certain situation demands a 
truthful statement, they utter falsehood and totally ruin 
the task. 
 
Such people are only deceiving themselves under the 
pretext of ‘Kali Yuga.’ This attitude is not right. 
 
Qualities like speaking the truth, compassion and offering 
help to another without any expectation are considered 'sat 
gunas' (virtuous qualities) at all times. Righteous and 
unrighteous people exist in all Yugas. Therefore, one must 
not utter untruth, be devoid of compassion or refrain from 
helping others, citing Kali Yuga as a reason.
 
सदयं हृदयं यस्य भाषितं सत्यभूषितम्‌ ।
कायः परहिते यस्य कलिस्तस्य करोति किम्‌ |
 
It means: What can Kali Yuga do to that person whose 
heart is filled with compassion, speech is ever truthful and 
body is ever engaged in the service of others? 
 
When a person's speech, mind and body are well aligned, 
no harm will befall him, he will beget only good. Our 
Blessings to all to understand and practise this in their 
lives.