Parahitam : The welfare of others.

Kunda Miss, My Veda Guru is always engaged in parahitam, ie the welfare of others. She accepts as her students tiny, mischievous children, misbehaved disruptive children,children who cannot read, children who cannot sit still, children and grown ups who cannot speak sanskrit clearly, as well as the extremely well behaved and intelligent students. All into the same class. Old an young alike.

One day I asked her about some of the naughty children in Bhagavad Gita and Spoken Sanskrit class. One child was too small to read, but he learns the Bhagavad Gita by playing in the same hall where the older children are learning. This is called s’ravaNa samskAra, where a person just becomes better by hearing good things. Another child is very naughty but she told me that he has such insurmountable problems at home, that this is the only place where he can learn good things and good culture. Another little girl was sitting doing nothing and she later told me that she was an underprivileged child with no education, and just by hanging around her class, she would be spiritually benefitted as well learn the bhagavad gita by hearing as the little boy was learning.

Whenever she has to decide on something she just thinks for a second about what will benefit the other person and never about what is convenient for herself., whether it is a class timing or accepting a student. Thus she has accepted my aged mother as her yoga student.

I asked her how she can continuously think about the welfare of others, make excuses for their behaviour and not think about herself. She says I am young now and maturity will come with age.

Jai Kunda Miss!

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