Biggest gift!
Bhisma said to Maharaj Yudhisthira - A king should imitate the activities of the flower cultivator and not the manufacturer of charcoal. The flower grower waters his plants & trees carefully and takes from them only their fruit & flowers. On the other hand, the maker of charcoal uproots the entire tree and burns it to get what he wants
If a sinless person associates
with those who are sinful, he has to accept a share of their sinful reactions,
just as the water that is associated with wood also becomes evaporated when
there is fire. During the present lifetime, we see that the land holds the
pious & the wicked equally. The Sun warms them both, water cleans them
without distinction & the air blows on them equally. Their destinations are
not the same, however for the righteous go to the heavenly planets, where they
live without invalidity or lamentation, whereas the sinful go to the hellish
planets, which are full of darkness, pain & sorrow
A king should appoint
his brahmana priest even before his coronation. The preservation &
development of a kingdom depends upon its king, but the preservation and growth
of the king himself depend upon his priest. Thus, the brahmana class is
ultimately the support of society. If one who is born in a brahmana family
engages in performing low work, however, discarding his prescribed duties, he
no longer deserves the respect that is offered to a genuine brahmana
Bhisma continued:
Dear Yudhisthira, if the king does nothing more than protect his subjects, he
receives 1/4th the merit they had acquired thro’ Vedic study, giving
charity, worship of the demigods & the performance of sacrifice. On the
other hand, when a king neglects to give his subjects full protection &
thus allows them to suffer because of their sinful acts, he has to accept 1/4th
of their sinful reactions
For example: If a
thief steals the property of a citizen & the king is unable to recover it,
the king receives 1/4th of the sinful reaction for the act of
stealing. On the other hand, if the king gives the value of the stolen property
to the afflicted person, he is absolved from having to suffer the sinful
reaction. If a brahmana becomes a thief due to circumstances of extreme
poverty, the king should arrange for his adequate support, but if the brahmana
continues to steal, even after the arrangement has been made, he should be
banished from the kingdom along with his family
Here Bhisma is
speaking to Yudhisthira about Kshatriya duties. Peace & prosperity of society
depends entirely upon its rulers. When the government is good, then all others
can confidently perform their duties. Here it is mentioned that just as the
welfare of all within the kingdom depends upon the king, so the welfare of the
king himself depends upon his association with qualified brahmanas. It is for
this reason that the highest regard should be given to those who properly guide
others on the path back home back to Godhead
The biggest gift one
can give to others is Krsna consciousness, so that he can go back home back to
Godhead. Liberated from this material quagmire
Thoughts? #gameoflife
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