Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak
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CHAPTER II
THE DESIRE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ACTION
(KARMA-JIJNASA) The Sastras have recommended the qualities of forgiveness, peace and kindness 'consistently with Harmlessness, but how will it be possible to practise peace on all occasions? Prahlada in the Mahabharata first points out to his grandson Bali, that people will not stop at openly running away with even the wife and children of an always peaceful man and he advises Bali as follows :- na sreyah satatam tejo na nityam sreyasi ksama I tasman nityam ksama tata panditair apavadita II i. e. " Forgiveness in all cases or warlikeness in all cases ia not the proper thing. Therefore, 0, my son ! the wise have mentioned exceptions to the law of forgiveness"[1]. Prahlada has then described some of the occasions which would be proper occasions for forgiveness, but Prahlada does not explain the principle by which these occasions are to be recognised ; and if some one takes advantage of the prescribed exceptions, without knowing the occasions when they apply, he will be guilty of misbehaviour ; therefore, it is extremely important to understand the principle by which these occasions are to be recognised. There is another law which has become wholly authori- tative and acceptable to everybody in the world, whether old or young, and male or female, in all countries, and among all religions, and that is the law of Truth. Who can sufficiently praise the worth of Truth ? ' Rtam' and ' satyam- ' came into existence before the world. The Vedas extol the worth of Truth by saying that it is satya which controls the firmament, the earth, the air and the other primordial elements. See the incantations : " rtam ca satyam cabhiddhat tapaso 'dhyajayata " [2] i. e. " Law (rtam) and Truth (satyam) have been brought into existence after tho performance of effulgent penance ", and " satyenottabhita bhumih." [3] i.e." the Earth has become dignified on account of Truth ". The root meaning of the word ' satya ' is ' which exists, ' that is, ' which never ceases to exist, ' or ' which is not touched by the past, present or the future ' ; and therefore, the value of salya has been properly described by saying : " there is no religion like Truth, Truth is Parabrahma ". The statement : " nasti satyat paro dharmah " [4] i. e. " there is no religion higher than Truth ", is found in many places in the Mahabharata. which also says :- asvamedha-sahasram ca satyam ca tulaya dhrtam I asvamedha-sahasrad dhi satyam eva -visisyate II i. e. " when the respective merits of a thousand asvamedha yajnas and of Truth were weighed in the scale, it was found that Truth weighed more "[5]. This refers to the ordinary rule of Truth.
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