Disinterested should develop forgiveness |
with thorough respect ||

In order to give opportunity to any person to correct his past mistakes, a disinterested person should develop the power of forgiveness in himself for his own internal elevation. However, this forgiveness should limit to crimes impacting at individual level only. None can have the authority to forgive anyone for the crimes of national/international level. Even individual level crimes should be tolerated to certain extent only as rightfully demonstrated by Bhagavan Shrikrishna by killing Shishupal after his 100 crimes were completed. At the same time, Shishupal demonstrated that a person with evil tendency does not improve.

When the forgiveness is going to help positively, in such cases there are many examples in saints’ biographies of a complete change/revolution in behavior of people due to forgiveness of saints.

Mage keli nako pahu |
tuj jamaan aamhi aaho |
Means
Do not worry about past mistakes |
We are giving your surety |

Do not look at past mistakes, go ahead on right path as I am giving your surety; these assuring and inspiring words of Tukaram Maharaj are originated through his forgiveness.

Haat have maj najuk sundar |
jui pushpanpari jyanche mardav |
Means
I am in search for soft and beautiful hands |
that are more delicate than a flower of jasmine

But superior to this is,

Haat have maj nitant vatsal |
kshamasheel je kshamehoonahi ||
Means
I am in search for very loving hands
| that are forgiving even more than a forgiveness ||

The emotion or awareness that such loving caring hands are backing me inspires a person to improve his behavior. There are very few Shishupal or Duryodhan in society. Most of the people in society are on the way of internal elevation. They do mistakes but can improve neither through punishment nor through forgiveness alone. However, one can not break the obligation of forgiveness coming from true love/affection.

One lady expired after handing over her son’s responsibility to Gondawalekar Maharaj. Her Son was a vagabond with many bad habits developed as a result of excessive affection of the mother. Son used to attend discourses regularly. One night, Maharaj noted that he was present for the discourse but absent during the Prasad (dinner). Maharaj went off to search him in dark at around 2am late night carrying a lightened torch to search for him. At last, he found him asleep in a shade near one stream along with a lady. Maharaj exclaimed “Arere” (Oh!). He covered that fellow with his kafani (long robe) and slowly moved out from there. Early morning, when the son was awake with a breeze of cool wind, he was surprised to see the robe of Maharaj covering him. That robe was incarnation of true forgiveness.
He bathed in the stream, wore the robe and went to Maharaj. With a humble salutation, he stood there ashamed. Maharaj advised him to visit mountains of Girnar and chant the name of God there for 12 years. He followed it and later also accompanied Maharaj during pilgrimage to Kashi. Later he went to Naimisharanya. Saints’ forgiveness is supported on the foundation of Sadhana making such an internal revolution possible. When a sadhak (devotee) asked Gurudev Ranade to forgive him, Gurudev advised him to perform spiritual practice for additional one hour everyday to compensate for his crime.

Spiritual practice was advised to wash of the crime in this case. Saints rightfully decide when to forgive, to what extent and also what should be the compensatory efforts for the crime depending on the person and circumstances. A sadhak (devotee) leader should practice this forgiveness along with respect not only as a social responsibility but also to develop his own internal strength. Punishment and struggle alone can not help to build any positive work nor internal development of a human being. Whatever qualities are expected from a devotee leader, everyone should be acquainted with them to certain extent to carry forward part of the work as per their capabilities. That is why Samarth did not write a separate book covering teachings for devotee leaders but he included them in Dasbodh itself. Few more qualities are suggested to be developed for everyone and they are included in subsequent samas (chapters). Primarily, such qualities are spiritual practice/meditation and contemplation.

||Shreeram||

To be continued …