Understanding Desires

Saint Thyagaraja pleads, ‘O Rama, grant me your vision on the basis of the fruits of the penance I have accumulated all through my previous births’.

Arunagirinathar sings, ‘O compassionate boatman (‘Narkarisai Odakkara’)! Please rescue me on the basis of the poojas I have done in my earlier births’.

Each person has a track record over several previous births. Whatever he has accumulated decides the course of his journey in the succeeding births.

The only negative side we know of Arunagirinatha is that he was a libertine. His wife was the only person who might have been affected. There is no record of his forcing his carnal desires on any woman. Probably, Arunagirinatha had a pending vasana (desire to be fulfilled) of lust.

At the destined time, the consequence of his earlier births would have transformed him into a saint. So, what may strike you as ‘lack of values’ in Arunagirinatha is in one facet: lust. May be this vasana was pending for him!

Each one to one’s own experience. Persons undergo experiences that have been kept pending across several births. Their acts may not be up to your yardsticks, but as long as those actions do not harm others, there is nothing wrong with them.

Like the cine song that goes, ‘Even if there be a flaw in gold, is it not gold, anyway?’ (‘Thangathile oru kurai irundhaalum tharathinil kuraivathundo’). We are gold ornaments relished by God. This is the truth. God wants to bedeck Himself with us.

You count the blessings of life, only when you are thrust deep into problems. Till you encounter sorrow, you never understand the joys that God has blessed you with.