“Piety and sin, fame and infamy – destiny will properly fulfill. Tulsidas knows that Shri Rama will push away his distresses.” (Dohavali, 146)

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पुन्य पाप जस अजस के भावी भाजन भूरि।
संकट तुलसीदास को राम करहिंगे दूरि ॥

punya pāpa jasa ajasa ke bhāvī bhājana bhūri।
saṃkaṭa tulasīdāsa ko rāma karahiṃge dūri ॥

Too many rules and regulations. Do this. Don’t do that. Wake up early in the morning. Chant a specific mantra. Clean the body internally through this method. Make sure to clean externally, as well.

In the course of a given day there are many decisions to make. Whether to eat this or not. Whether to yell at that aggressor or turn the other cheek. Whether to discipline the children or be lenient. Whether to give in to temptation for certain kinds of prohibited enjoyment or to make sacrifices for a long-term gain.

Goswami Tulsidas explains that the results of good and bad will manifest through time. It is within a person’s destiny to enjoy a certain amount and suffer a certain amount. We find the same concept in Bhagavad-gita, with the comparison to the changing seasons.

मात्रा-स्पर्शास् तु कौन्तेय
शीतोष्ण-सुख-दुःख-दाः
आगमापायिनो ऽनित्यास्
तांस् तितिक्षस्व भारत

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.14)

Within the Vedic tradition, pious activities are known as punya. Activities going the other way are papa. Piety and sin. Good and bad. We don’t have to necessarily think in terms of religion in order to understand the concept.

Punya can be something as basic as obeying the traffic laws while driving. Waiting your turn before proceeding at the intersection. Boarding the aircraft when your number is called. Only carrying the allowed number of baggage.

Papa is doing something the wrong way. Going against the laws of the state. Eating too much. Not falling asleep on time. Indulging when you know better. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. The end-result will manifest at some time. There will be a consequence.

Tulsidas assures himself through the connection to the Supreme Lord. He says that Shri Rama will certainly keep distresses away. This is because of the link in devotion. Everything will end well. There may be times of difficulty in between, but they do not make a negative impact.

For instance, the devotee named Hanuman crossed the ocean to reach Lanka. The very act of having to cross over an ocean was a kind of difficulty. There was obstruction. There was distress in trying to deal with a tough situation.

That very same Hanuman is also known as Sankat Mochan. He removes distresses. He can do this because he is always linked in devotion to Shri Rama. Moreover, others cannot obstruct his path. They may try, but they will never succeed in the long-term.

Punya might lead to fame and papa to infamy, but devotees are concerned only with their devotion. Others may cause difficulty. Others may try to get in the way. They might interfere out of envy, insecurity, or a sense of rivalry.

We should take comfort in knowing that Rama will take care of everything. We cannot control the vast network of action and reaction to a sufficient level. We may try our best to be aligned with punya, but accidentally we sometimes fall into sin. We may not invite infamy, but through external circumstances we get caught in an embarrassing situation.

Punya and papa fall within the three modes of nature, which are always binding. They carry future consequences pertaining to a material body. Devotional service is above the modes of nature. This is why someone can rely on Rama to handle everything, to keep them aligned in the proper way, to secure that blissful and ever-extending life.

In Closing:

The blissful life to secure,
Devotional pose to endure.

Whether on punya landing,
Or sometimes with sin standing.

The material world to sway,
Not permanent effects to stay.

But Sita-Rama always protecting,
Ultimate auspiciousness expecting.

Categories: dohavali 121-160

Tags: dohavali, god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion