INGRAINED NATURE

Man is a combination of three important gunas or qualities that are inborn! They are Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas according to which his conduct and character varies.The first, Satwa makes the person soft, gentle, understanding, noble and righteous! The second makes the person angry, irritable, and violent. The third, Tamas, converts the Individual into an indolent, sluggish,and a thick skinned person. Though these gunas are innate in every person they vary in degrees. According to the increase or domination of these qualities, the individual becomes good, bad or evil! As these gunas are firmly embedded in human nature it is extremely difficult to alter them except through rigorous discipline and training! In spite of all attempts to change, the original color and quality of the person reveals itself in many circumstances! It is practically impossible for man to suppress his ingrained nature!

A sage was seated under the shade of a large tree and absorbed in deep meditation and tapas. Suddenly, to his surprise and shock, he heard a shrill sound that totally disturbed his concentration! A mouse, shuddering with fear came and sat at his feet. The Maharshi slowly opened his eyes and looked at the mouse still trembling with fear. What will be the cause for its fear? Extending his gaze to the threshold of the ashram he saw a cat purring and waiting to gobble the tiny mouse. The sage knew the reason for the state of the mouse! He wanted to save the creatures out of compassion. He took some water from his kamandalu, and sprinkled it on the mouse saying,”Change yourself into a cat” Looking at this transformation the sage was immensely happy. A few days later, a cat came and sat at the same feet where the mouse had settled earlier! The sage found a wild dog at the entrance of his ashram terribly barking and ready to pounce upon the cat. Being kind and compassionate to all beings, he took some water and sprinkling it on the cat said “ Change yourself into dog!” The purring cat was changed into  dog by the mantric power of his incantations!

The Maharshi lost his privacy and meditation once again, for, after a few days the dog came for help and protection! The sage wondered what could frighten the dog so severely as to run for life. Then he saw a fierce tiger waiting at the door for its prey! There was no dearth for mercy in the sage! As he did earlier, he sprinkled water on the dog chanting some mantras and transformed it into a fierce tiger! The pity and wonder was that the tiger too returned to the sage with fright after a few days! This was too much! The Sage was in a dilemma as to what has terrorized the fierce tiger. There was nothing at the entrance of the ashram nor on the outside! The Sage turned and looked up! Then he saw five or six eagles soaring high in the sky! The sage beat his own head and felt sorry for his misplaced compassion. How can the tiger be afraid of the kites if it were born a tiger? It would never run to save itself from the eagles in the sky! By nature it should be a mouse! Though it has taken the new shape of a tiger, Its original nature or quality can never change! As a mouse, it is destined to be afraid of the eagles forever despite all transformations! Realizing his misplaced sympathy, he sprinkled water on the tiger and changed it to its original form, a mouse!

These transformations of the mouse into cat, cat into dog, dog into tiger, and again the tiger into mouse had cost him very heavily! He lost all the power and efficacy of his long accumulated penance! His word and the sprinkling of water on others had lost their force! He had to perform tapas once again to get back those rare powers of cursing and granting boons! A few people do not know what they do and why! In the Ramayana, Anjaneya, in search of Sita, spots  Mandodari and mistakes her for Sita! His joy knew no bounds as that was the mission for which he crossed the sea and came to Lanka. He didn't know how to express his unbounded joy! He lifted his tail and hit the earth out of indescribable happiness! It is the nature of monkeys to express their joy by beating their tails on earth. Anjaneya kissed his tail, jumped a little and danced! Not stopping at that, he went on climbing and getting down the pillar several times! Poet Valmiki describes Anjaneya as “Nava Vyakarana panditha.” and “ Rama pada seva dhurandhara.” Can such a great Vanara go up and down the pillar like an ordinary monkey?

When under the influence of extreme ecstasy Anjaneya exhibited his true nature! Therefore it is Impossible to suppress one’s true nature whoever he is! It is a fact that Ravana was a brahmin. He had pleased Lord Siva by his Sama gana! He had tried to lift and shake Kailash, the abode of the Lord! He had imprisoned all the Navagrahas! He had the boons of invincibility and deathlessness! But what happened at last? His lust and the obsession for other’s wife doomed him to death! That is the original nature of rakshasas! Ravana was out and out a great rakshasa!  Surpanakha too, in essence, a  true rakshasa! The moment she saw Sri Rama in the forest, she fell head over heels in love with him! She had to suffer humiliation for that. The nature of all Rakshasas is to aspire for others’ wives! They have insatiable lust that eventually leads them to death and destruction! At one time or other the true nature of the Individual is exposed consciously or inadvertently!