Page 1 - tapova prasad sept-2024

Maturity and

Forgiveness

SWAMINI VIMALANANDA

Long-term Impact of Actions

Parikshit was a very mature
and fit student for the great
spiritual knowledge that Sukhadevji
bestowed on him. A point to
illustrate his maturity: When he
returned to his kingdom after
putting a dead snake around Rishi
Shamika’s neck, he regretted his
action. He did not find excuses for
his act on the grounds of being tired,
disappointed, hungry, and thirsty. Even before he heard of the
curse of the Rishi’s son, Shringi, he felt that his act deserved the
result of the total loss of his wealth, kingdom, pleasures, and
prowess. He felt that it had brought shame to his family lineage
and was unpardonable.

On hearing the curse, he did not go to the Rishi saying, “To err
is human, to forgive divine,” or, “You are the ocean of compassion,
and it befits you to forgive,” or, “If you cannot revoke the curse, at
least make it less.” As a king, he accepted the far-reaching impact
of his actions and took full responsibility for them. He saw the
blessing behind the curse and at the same time accepted the
wrongness of the act. Such an attitude is indeed rare.

Do we really know the total impact of our actions? Can we
judge the result that we deserve? When I throw a stone in a still

Article written by Swaminiji for a souvenir in June 1994.

Tapovan Prasad 45 September 2024