Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-3
Karmayoga
13. The virtuous who eat the remains of sacrifice are freed from all sins. But the wicked who cook for their own sake verily eat sin. He added: Folks, you should spend your riches in performing your prescribed duties without a selfish motive. You should worship the sacred fire, your teacher and elders and serve the Brahmins and perform the shraddha rites (116-120). After performing the prescribed sacrifices and offering oblations into the fire, you should enjoy at home whatever remains thereafter with your family. This act of enjoyment itself will destroy all your sins, even as a person taking a sip of nectar is cured of serious maladies, so whoever eats the remains of sacrifice becomes free from sins. Just as one devoted to truth is not affected by the slightest delusion, so whoever eats the leavings of sacrifice is not affected by blemishes. Therefore, a person should earn riches lawfully, utilise them in performing his duty and then enjoy in contentment whatever is left (121-125), O Partha he should not act otherwise. Lord Krishna told this ancient tale to Arjuna and said: those who identify the Self with the body and regard the sense-objects as the objects of enjoyment, do not know that there is something beyond it. They do not know that their riches are the means of sacrifice and use it for their comfort out of egoism and delusion. They get savory dishes prepared according to their tastes, and when they eat them, these sinners eat sin only. They should regard all their wealth as the means of sacrifice and offer it to the primal Lord by way of sacrifice in the form of duty (126-130). Instead of doing this, the ignorant people get cooked a variety of dishes for their own enjoyment. That food which should be utilised for sacrifice in order to propitiate the gods is not an ordinary thing. You should not regard it as ordinary food, but of the very nature of Brahman, because that food sustains the life of all creatures. |
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