ATONEMENT

(Sri Swami Ramarajyam) 

Indian history bears witness to the fact that the wrongdoer himself would go to the king and want him to punish him. This may look strange and unbelievable, but an incident testifying to this fact took place long ago in the age of Mahabharata. 

There lived two brothers named Shankh and Likhit. Both of them owned orchards on the bank of the river Bahuda. One day Likhit went to the orchard of his elder brother in his absence, plucked some fruits there and ate them. In the meantime Shankh reached there. Likhit told him that he had plucked some fruits from his orchard. 

Shankh said, “You ate the fruits without my permission. This is theft. Now go to the king and request him to punish you.” 

Likhit went to the king, told him what had happened and prayed him to punish him for his offence. The king said, “I forgive you. Now you can go.” 

But Likhit kept standing there and said, “I have committed a crime and want to atone for it. Please punish me for that.” 

The king, then, got both of his hands chopped off. 

Likhit went to his brother. He looked at Likhit affectionately and said, “Now you should go to the bank of the river Bahuda and pray to God to keep you away from wrongdoings.” 

Likhit sat down on the bank of the river. To pray to God, he began to fold his hands out of force of habit, but lo, hands he had none. His eyes were filled with tears. As soon as he closed his tearful eyes, his beautiful hands reappeared. 

At that time Shankh came there. He embraced Likhit and said, “Dear brother, now you are a flawless man. You have atoned for your mistake by undergoing the punishment. I could have forgiven you, but then, you might not have realised that a mistake was a mistake, irrespective of the degree of its magnitude. The mistake committed by you was insignificant, as there is no difference between your and my properties; nevertheless it is wrong to take anything without the permission of its owner. One must realise one’s mistake and atone for it without the slightest hesitation.” 

Dear children, you must pray to God, “Kindly bless me so that I would never make a mistake. If ever I do so, make me realise my mistake and punish me. That will be my atonement.” 

Atonement relieves you of your burden of the commission of mistakes and God continues to love you, as He loved you before. 

DO YOUR DUTY WELL

Everyone has got some duty to do. Obey your parents. Your loving mother feeds you and makes you comfortable in every way. Love her. Respect her. Do willingly whatever she says, and please her. Obey your father also. Respect your noble father. He earns money for you. Father and mother take care of you. They are visible gods for you.

—Swami Sivananda 

 

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