Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-16
The Divine and Demoniacal Natures
17. Self–glorifying and stubborn, drunk with wealth and pride, they offer sacrifices in name only, ostentatiously not conforming to scriptural injunctions. In this way, they put on airs of greatness and become puffed up with pride. Then they remain rigid like a cast-iron pillar or a rock rising up high in the sky, living in comfort and luxury. On the strength of their riches, they look down upon others, as if they are blades of grass (376-380). Moreover, intoxicated with the pride of wealth, they dismiss from their minds all thoughts of what is proper or improper. When such things accumulate and crowd in their minds, how could they be expected to perform sacrifices as prescribed? But one cannot be sure as to what such half-crazy persons will do. Some times in a frenzy of foolishness they are ready to perform a sacrifice sanctimoniously. For this, they do not need a sacrificial pit, nor a pavilion, nor an altar nor the materials necessary for a sacrifice and they are ever opposed to scriptural injunctions. They cannot bear to hear the names of deities and brahmin priests wafted on their ears by a breeze. In such a situation who will care to attend their sacrifice (381-385)? But just as clever persons, stuffing the skin of a dead calf with rice straw and keeping it before the cow, milk it, so they invite people under the pretext of a sacrifice in order to exact presents from them. So they perform sacrifices some times to gain prosperity and desire the ruin of other people. |
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