Vidura Neethi - 4

By Chitra Devraj

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A FOOL? (Shlokas 14-20)1. A fool is one who thinks that he knows everything, without reading scriptures under proper guidance. Scriptures are closed book as far as he is concerned. (Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the scripture is the measuring scale for one’s thoughts and actions. It teaches us what we should do and what we should not do. There are many stories in the epics about great people who thought that they knew everything but fell prey to situations. What to talk about a person who has not read the scriptures at all! Surrender is next to impossible for such people. Whatever they do is always right as far they are concerned. Being highly egoistic they cannot accept anything which proves them wrong. They think the body as real and do not believe in God as also the scriptures which talks about God. In Tamil there is a proverb which says that whatever we know is only a drop in the ocean. It is foolish to think that we know everything. Submissiveness comes to us when we read the stories of the Lord and great saints around us).

2. A foolish man dreams to achieve bigger things without the basic necessities for the work. He has a knack of desiring what he has no right to desire. (Bhagavad Gita says that one should understand the scriptural injunctions and then set to work. The basic necessity for any work is the knowledge of the work and the guidance of a wise person. A foolish person who does not know what is right ends up in doing works only to satisfy his senses. His works are unbeneficial and harmful which leads to the destruction in the world).

3. A foolish man earns money in an adharmic way. When he desires to have something he will never hesitate to employ unfair means. (We have seen in bus stops and railway stations, even near signals, the mother using a child as tool to earn money by begging. How many Harshad Mehtas are there around in this world wanting to become rich overnight, at any cost! Like our Duryodhana who attempted many times to kill his own brothers for the want of kingdom, for them the end justifies the means).

4. A foolish man is one who is interested in para-dharma without doing his swadharma. (Every person has got his unique quality which determines his Dharma or duty (Swadharma) in this body. A house holder on any day cannot take the role of a Sanyasi (Paradharma) ignoring the prime duties of looking after the family, parents. Lord Krishna explains in Karma Yoga that one’s own duty, even though not glamorous is better than the duty alien to one’s growth, however well performed. When we start copying actions which are not meant for us, there is always a fear of downfall. Once there was an interview published in a Tamil Weekly about the temple road side Sanyasis. When they were asked why they became Sanyasis their replies were identical. They had chosen to be Sanyasis not as a renunciate as prescribed in the scripture but for want of food, shelter and money. A housewife, who feels that the career woman is better off, tries to emulate her and gets in to trouble. The real service starts at home with an attitude of no expectations. By ignoring our duty which is given to us by the Lord and trying to help others or not doing anything to the dependents is foolish. When we go out of our way of our nature we become fools).

5. Those that are powerful make a foolish man envious. (Whoever is envious of another’s wealth, beauty, might, high lineage, happiness, good fortune, honours suffers from incurable disease. The Lord says in Gita that the negative qualities like lust and anger are man’s eternal enemies. A person who is envious is always unhappy. He is unable to identify himself with other person’s happiness as he would with his own kith and kin. We have seen in Devi Mahatmyam and in other epics that the Asuras are always foolish to fight with the all-powerful Lord. Envy begets war, be it the war for a piece of land or the war within oneself. Lord Krishna says beautifully that who ever wins the lust, greed and anger in this very body, becomes a happy man).

6. A foolish man is proud and has a bulged ego. (Lord’s way of destruction is only by blowing the ego of a person. We can blow a balloon only to some extent. Further we try to blow, it bursts. The thought that ‘he knows everything’ is a sign of the bulged ego. In the 8th chapter of Gita, Lord explains the life time of Brahma to make us understand that our life time is nothing when compared to the life time of Brahma. When Indra was overcome with pride, Krishna, to save the devotees, lifted the Govardhana Hill with his little finger. Wherever there is pride and Ahamkara, the lord shows somebody who is better than that person. The ego has never won a war. A fool without knowing the truth, gives his mind, senses, intellect as the seat to the thief called Ego. And finally it loots his life itself. Slokas 7 to 20 of 16th chapter of Gita deals in great detail about the arrogance of such a man).

7. One man commits sin and several others reap the fruit of action resulting from his sin. But sin attaches only to the man who has committed the act. Other people escape. (There was a thief called Ratnakara who lived in the forest with his family. He used to attack people who cross that forest and loot the people’s valuables. One day Sage Narada came by that way. Ratnakara went to Naradaji and threatened him to give his valuables. Naradaji asked him why he is stealing money. Ratnakara told the sage that his family is living with this income only. Naradaji asked Ratnakara to go and ask his family members whether any body will take a little part of his sin and he promised the thief that he will stay there till he comes. Ratnakara went and asked his mother, his wife, brothers, children to take a little part of his sin. Everybody refused to take. Ratnakara was feeling sad and came back to the sage. Naradaji told him this is the truth of life. You are thinking that you are working for the family. But they enjoy only the fruit of your work but not the action. He initiated Ratnakara to Rama japa and the poor thief did not know how to utter Rama nama but went on saying Mara Mara. That thief is none other than our great Sage Valmiki who got realised because of Naradaji. We too follow adharmic ways to fulfil our desires born of attachment. If we keep this truth in mind, we can avoid foolish actions and become wise.)

8. The foolish man likes one who dislikes him and hates one who likes him. (A foolish person never uses his buddhi to discriminate between good and bad. Who ever leads him to his good, becomes his enemy and whoever supports him in his actions becomes his friend. There is total confusion in his life. He always chooses the path of Preyas, the life of momentary happiness to the path of shreyas, the life which leads him to his highest good).

9. A foolish man fights against one who has more strength. (Wherever we come across the word fool’ the first thought comes to our mind are the asuras. The asuras as we have seen in the stories are all the time challenging the Lord Almighty. The best strategy to win a fight is to know our strength and also the strength of the enemies. If we know the enemies are powerful than us better not to confront. Foolish people fight with ones who have more strength because they are in delusion and hence prompted by their ego to fight. Saddam Hussein fought with US despite knowing he cannot win)

10. A foolish man has no importance of time. (A foolish man is in the clutch of Tamas (negligence, delusion and ignorance). He wants to do everything without moving an inch from his place. He will think to do today’s work tomorrow and tomorrow’s work the day after. Ultimately nothing will be done. He is in the thought that the whole time is for him and he doesn’t look into the emergency of the work. All works are same for him. His waking up, sleeping times are totally undisciplined. Any work given to him is most of the times incomplete and if complete, not the best of work).

11. A foolish man always moves with others with a doubting mind. He is not truthful even to a friend. (Doubts arise in our mind when we lack faith. Being selfish in attitude, he always moves with the sense of insecurity).

12. He does not worship Devas or Pitrus. (A foolish man has no faith in scriptures, God or anything prescribed as good. Basically he is a Naastika (disbeliever in God). Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that the fool who lives a life prompted by his desires attains neither spiritual perfection nor worldly happiness nor liberation. A foolish man thinks he is the centre of world and never gives any value to morality)

13. A foolish man visit houses uninvited. (He is indifferent to others convenience. He puts the host in a delicate position. This is because he feels he is always invited and important. Moreover he visits for his own selfish interest).

14. A foolish man starts talking without even asking for it. (A wise man wants to speak because he has something to say; a foolish man wants to speak because he wants to say something. When the fear of defeat came to the mind of Duryodhana, he talked disrespectfully to the guru and the elders in the battle field. Actually there was no need to speak and more so when there are elders around him. A foolish man neglects the surrounding and makes himself a laughing stock all the time).

15. A foolish man always points out mistake on others, keeping the same mistake within himself. (Pointing mistake on others is a highly egoistic action. In Guruji’s workshop we were asked to comment on three mathematical sums that were written on the board, for example, 2 x 3 = 6, 2 + 3 =5 and 6 – 3 = 2. If we were to comment on the wrong sum rather than the two right ones, we fall in to this category of those who look at mistakes in life. Before we point out others’ mistakes we need to see with a big lens what is inside us. The index finger is always an index for our attitude and should always be pointed inwards).

CONCLUSION:

As explained in these slokas, it is very clear that on any day, under any circumstances we cannot encourage our ego based emotions like anger, pride, and greed. If we have that even for a moment, we are considered foolish and we pave way for our own destruction. The lust, greed and anger are three gates to hell. One who wins these three is wise and ever happy man on this earth and he becomes everlasting.

Dhrithrashtra wanted to know about the ‘everlasting’ thing Vidura was talking about. Next week we will see in detail what is everlasting in this life.

HARI OM!