|| Shri Hari ||

Duties in a Household Life

 continued

Question -  How are we indebted to creatures (Bhootarna) and how to rid ourselves of this debt ?  

Answer -  All creatures such as cows-buffaloes,  sheep-goats, camels-horses etc.,  nourish and sustain our life.  Trees, plants and creepers provide us fruits, flowers,  leaves and wood etc.,  So we are indebted to them.  We are free from this debt by feeding animals and birds and by providing water to them and by manuring and watering trees and creepers etc.   

Question -  How are we indebted to human beings and how to rid ourselves of this debt ?   

Answer -  We don’t sustain our life without the help of other human beings.  We walk along the paths (roads) made by others.  We use the water of the wells constructed by others.    We make use of the trees planted by others and we eat the food produced by others.  Therefore,  we can rid ourselves of this debt by providing wells, water-huts, trees,  roads, hospices and food.  

A householder has to pay all these five kinds of debts.  He who totally surrenders himself to God,  does not remain indebted to manes and gods etc.,  he rids himself of all debts.  

Question -  Should a couple who have no children, adopt a kith or kin or an orphan boy or girl ?  

Answer -  In the world of today,  it is advisable for a couple not to adopt any children.  The reason is that when even one’s own son does not serve and obey his parents, how will the adopted son serve and obey them ?   Though there is an ordinance of the scriptures for a couple to adopt a child so that he may offer water and oblation to them;  yet what is the use of adopting when he will not offer water and oblation to the manes ?  If we needed a son,  God would give us one.  We need no son, so God has not given us one.  Why should we get into trouble by adopting a child ?   Generally it is noticed that adopted sons trouble parents and don’t serve them.  Therefore,  such couples should educate and serve orphan boys and should make arrangement for their maintenance.   

  

(to be continued....... ) 

 ‒From the book ‘Jeevan ka Kartavya' by Swami Ramsukhdasji