One should analyse the effect of increase of salaries and wages. At present, for example one may be drawing a salary of INR 500,000 per annum. He may be due for an increment and the salary may increase to INR 600,000. The manager may feel happy by the rise, but at the same time, he may not realise that with an increase in salary, there has also been an increase in the price of commodities. Actually, he would have to spend the extra income on price rise without any real benefit. When the salary happens to be INR 500,000, he may have to pay INR 20,000 towards house rent. If the salary rises to INR 600,000, the house rent would also have been enhanced.
What man needs is balance. Man may feel proud of his knowledge, but only when it is used properly does one get the balance. It should be borne in mind that balance (in this context stability and level-headedness) is attained only by a dynamic blend of ‘knowledge’ and ‘skill’. It means that an individual achieves balance only when he learns to transform the knowledge into skill. It will degrade to ostentation if he ‘kills’ the knowledge (putting the knowledge to self-centred or undesirable uses) instead of ‘skilling’ it. Today, one pays more attention to knowledge than balance. However, life is based more on balance. Even business is based on balance. There should be a balance between workers, market, transport, production, raw materials, electric power, water, and other aspects. If attention is paid to this aspect of balance, then the business can be successful.
Not only in business, but also in routine life, balance is imperative. Man encounters a lot of trials and tribulations and amidst all of them he must maintain balance. If man grieves at one time and glees at another, the balance can be said to be missing. If one faces sorrow, one has to bravely accept it surmising that there is some good in it. If there is a mound of earth somewhere, there is bound to be a pit somewhere else. When one digs a well, the earth excavated thus results in a mound. The person digging the pit looks down, whereas the person creating the mound looks up. The mound has to be climbed up, while the pit has to be climbed down. The soil in the mound is the same as the soil in the pit. If the mud in the mound is put back in the pit, there is balance, i.e. no mound – no pit. Similarly, if wealth is being amassed by a person, it means that he has depleted the same for another i.e. somebody else must have been deprived of wealth to the same extent. To bring about the balance, wealthy people, of their own volition, must utilise their wealth for the welfare of the deprived sections of the society.
One should not act impulsively the moment a thought occurs. One should enquire whether the thought and action comply with Dharma. Again, one should examine whether the fulfilment of a desire (whatever it may be) matches one’s own status in terms of its material and social implications. If there is a good balance, then the desire can be fulfilled. Here is an example. A person may be a manager in a factory, but his family at home may be monetarily disadvantaged. However, if he thinks of marrying the owner’s daughter, he better consider the matter in the light of the guidelines of Artha Shastra. He should scrutinise thus: “What is my status and what is her position? Is there a match? Is it balanced? If not, will the relation carry on and be successful in the long run?” If at all he feels that there is no proper match, Dharma Shastra opines that he should no longer entertain the notion of the matrimonial relation with that person, else it would lead to his own downfall and have a direct repercussion on his professional life as well. As such, one ought to evaluate each desire in terms of Dharma and Artha, lest people would spoil their future. Thus, in every aspect of daily life, including petty matters, Dharma Shastra, Artha Shastra and Kama Shastra provide guidance.
In the day-to-day aspects of life, it is very essential to find out balance. There has to be a dynamic balance between profit and loss in the various sectors and segments of business. If one business generates too much profit, it could imply that it has caused some dent on some other business. Today, such undesirable tendencies are getting undue boost as a result of which truth and other desirable traits and values may fail to attract the desired consideration.
Suprabhatam actually refers to the awakening of positive qualities and goodness in oneself. In the morning during Brahma Muhurta time (4 am – 6 am), positive vibrations emerge. These have to be kindled. Those who feel too lethargic to get up at that time ought to be construed as (Baba uses the word ‘Dunnapota’) the progeny of buffaloes! In Brahma Muhurta, one ought to engage oneself in those occupations/activities that foster the awakening of Divinity in oneself. If one gets up on one’s own with positive feelings, the heart gets sanctified. Instead, if the person gets up compellingly owing to external factors, the life during the rest of the day is likely to be messed up. In a similar way, today at home, if children get up and see their parents quarrelling, then the children begin the day fighting with each other. Parents therefore are expected to act as role-models, for the simple reason that children follow whatever their parents do, good or bad.
Even in the story of Mahabharata, when Subhadra (Krishna’s sister and Arjuna’s wife) was pregnant, Arjuna was engaged in a chat with her casually talking about the Padma Vyuha (an ancient Indian battle strategy; combat formation of infantry in the shape of a lotus). During the course of the chat, Subhadra fell asleep and when Arjuna (being unaware of the fact she was asleep) went on talking about the Padma Vyuha, the infant inside her womb was said to have followed the whole narration with rapt attention. At that exact moment, Krishna arrived on the scene and said, “Oh Arjuna! Whom do you suppose you are talking to? My sister is asleep but the infant inside her womb is following your talk. As such do not talk about war strategies now and agitate the unborn child.” By that time, Arjuna had completed narrating only half of the strategy detailing the method of entry into the Padma Vyuha. Hence, in later years during the Kurukshetra battle, Abhimanyu was only able to enter the Padma Vyuha, but failed to exit, as he did not have the knowledge of the exit strategy. Therefore, even the child in the womb could listen to whatever was told.
Similarly, the heart is listening to everything one says, which is known as the Atmic listener. It is therefore said, ‘Yad Bhaavam Tad Bhavati’ (as one thinks, so one becomes). With whatever feelings one gets up in the morning, the life during that day would unfold such experiences. The Chinese also use a similar expression, “As thinketh a person, so one becomes”. Even agnostics concur with this idea. So, if one gets up with good feelings, one’s whole day will be fine. If not, one would probably face disagreeable experiences during the day. So, as soon as one gets up, one has to awaken the conscience, so that it can be merged with consciousness. So, the youth of today must have sound ‘work-ethics’, adherence to discipline, and must discharge their duties properly.
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| Abhimanyu fighting in the Mahabharata war |
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