P.Natarajan

Righteousness is an attribute that implies that a person's actions are justified. In fact it  refers that the person is leading a life that pleases God. Puranas delineate dharma in the form of history in simple style. We can find the story of Savitri, from Matsya Purana, who is called the greatest among pativratas and who lived  such a righteous life that made to get back her husband, Satyavan alive from the clutches of Yamadharma.

Savitri followed Yamadharma a long way tirelessly and pleaded, “ O Dharmaraja, you know well that to a married woman her husband is God. He is her dharma, life and  strength.  After all when a person departs it is only dharma which accompanies him in his last journey”. Yamadharma felt happy and proud of her deep understanding of the nuances of dharma and addressed her to ask for a boon, Savitri expressed 'Aputrasya Gatirnasti' - meaning no salvation for those who don’t have sons. She made a request for getting children and Dharmaraja said, “ So, 100 be it”. Savitri praised Yama that he has earned fame as the protector of good and righteous. She prayed, “ O Dharmaraja. you have blessed me with one hundred children. If you want your boon to bear fruit, grant me the life of my husband”. True to his words Yama Dharma released the the life of her husband, Satyavan.

In commemoration to this event, married women (Tamil Brahmin) observe ‘ Karadayan Nonbu’ every year at the time of transition of month Kumbh to Meenam.  It  was performed @ 15.44 hours on 14th of March this year (2013). The pictures below portray the particular ‘Naivedyam Items’ like sweet and salt ‘Adais’. Devi Kamakshi is worshipped at the appropriate time on Nonbu day and the women fast from the morning till the puja gets over. They partake  the sweet and salt adais with soft butter as food on the day of Karadayan Nonbu. They wear the ‘mangalya charadu’ after worshipping Devi Kamakshi.

    Kamakshi Amman
The story of Harischandra is of perennial interest in the context of righteousness. The story will last for as long a time as the value of truth and right conduct lasts. It illumines our life.
With his vow to remain truthful at all times, Harischandra successfully faced the rigorous
challenge posed by Vishwamitra. Though a king he sacrificed everything he had at the altar of truth, including his Kingdom and even his son and his wife. He took so lowly a job as that of the guard at the burning ground; even in the case of his own son he demanded the prescribed fee for cremation, which his wife had no means of paying. On an order from the king, Harischandra was even prepared to behead his own wife. Harischandra's character is indelibly etched in the mind of good thinking people.                               

 It was this story which helped Yudhishtira to get over his adversities. Again, it was this story which showed the path of truth to Gandhiji. This story occurs in the Vedas and also in the Puranas, in poetry and in drama. It took its origin in the Vedas, flowed through the Puranas, ran into cascades of poetry, and has continued to enrich the life of our people.

But today righteous living has taken a back seat. To quote Arthur Schlesinger,Jr., “Righteousness is Easy in Retrospect”. False excuses which can be termed as ‘self-defense lies’ are common when wrongs are committed. Falsehoods are uttered in fear that good opinions in which others hold us would get tarnished.  Negative judgements can end friendship, strain family relationship, diminish prospects for promotion. Others may discover the true nature of even most carefully crafted lies, though we wish to obscure them from view. Dishonesty endangers trust and uttering falsehood compounds the wrongs already committed.

Can you do something wrong and feel right about it ?  It is impossible. A wrong thing is wrong even if everyone is doing it. A right thing is right even if you are the only person doing it.

A man is a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. Righteous thinking becomes necessary for righteous actions. A person’s  character is believed to be the complete sum of all his thoughts. Cherish your vision. Cherish your ideas. Cherish the music that stirs your heart,  the beauty that forms in your mind. Live up to them for a righteous living.  This is a simple formula that wise people advocate. You can not travel within and stand still without.

If there will be beauty in the character, there will be harmony at home.
If there will be harmony at home, there will be order in the Nation.
If there will be order in the Nation, there will be peace in the world.
Please go back to the beginning of the article to notice the headlines
“Righteousness Exalts a Nation” and a person righteously bowing before the National flag with folded hands. It shows symbolically that there is order in the Nation.

Sincerity and honesty are the two words that will lead one on the right path. Be true to the self.

pn