Fake Vanity

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> TIRUPATI, MARCH 17 (TIRUPATITIMES.COM)

>

> The 36th Pontiff of Sringeri Dakshimanya Sarada Peetham, Sri Bharathi

> Theertha Swamy has made an offering of a diamond studded arm cover

worth about Rs.2 crore to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here today.

>

Have you heard the story in mahabarat, where the pandav hold a big

yagya, and boast how much they are giving to poor. Then a mongoose

comes in and starts rubbing his skin on the floor. The people are

surpised, more so at the fact that the mongoose is half gold.

 

The brahmin asks the mongoose what he is doing. It tells it tale. Once

there was a famine, and a poor brahmin family only had one meal left.

Then they got a guest, who was also starving to death. The family

gladly offered their food to the poor guy, and died themselves. Their

body turned to ash, and the mongoose touched the ash, and became half

gold! The mongoose then said " since then I have been looking for a

similar sacrifice, but only found frauds like you, who give a portion

of their wealth, and boast loudly about it!" The Pandavs were ashamed,

and learnt their lesson.

 

So what is the big deal if some rich, fat Swami gave 2 crore of the

money he didnt earn, merely took from his chelas, to a temple? Did it

help people come close to God? Will it help the starving millions in

that state? If he had given that money to a hospital, or some charity,

it would have been at least used properly. What use is a "diamond

studded arm cover " to anybody, except the ego of those giving, and

then boasting about it in newspapers? Does the murti care about

compressed coal(which is what diamonds are) on its arm?

 

I remember a punjabi saying:

 

"Santan noo ki swadan naal,

samet malai aan do"

 

[ What do saints care about tasty food? So bring my milk with cream on

top! ]