CAUTIOUS ABOUT LAZINESS

Meaning: The Rigved 5/44/14 says that those who are alert and always cautious about laziness and lethargy acquire knowledge and wisdom. They get peace. They are known as great men.

Message: The fundamental axiom of Swami Vivekananda is "Utttishtha ta, jagrita prapya barannobodhata" which menas "arise, awoke and do not stop till you achieve your objective". There is a religious song "Uth jag musafir bhor bhai, jo jaagat hai so paavat hai". The suggestion here is that if you will arise and awake, then only you will achieve something, otherwise this human life will go waste. First arise then awake, this seems to be a wrong order. Man first wakes up, then gets up from the bed. But are we really awake? Our eyes a re still closed with laziness, lethargy, ignorance and tamogun. Then how can we say that we are awake? The ever awake is only GOD. We should remain always awake like shall never surrender to laziness in fulfilling our duties. With the attitude of 'kaal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab' (i.e. wha t you want to do tomorrow, do it today and what you want to do today, do it right now), we shall be always dedicated to our work, be industrious and shall not be lethargic. By constantly practicing in this manner we shall go on succeeding in imbibing God's virtues within us.

This world is for wakeful people. They are capable of shaking off laziness and obtain true knowledge by diligence. Knowledge and science create many things for people, and wise men achieve happiness, credit and prosperity. Lazy people run after comforts. They wish and desire, but achieve nothing. they are in the dark slumber of tamogun and cannot get the nectar of 'saatvikta' (simplicity, morality, goodness, enthusiasm, piety, compassion etc.) No enemy is as fatal and as near as laziness. Permanent progress is not possible unlies the person casts away laziness and lethargy and adopts the virtue of industriousness. To obtain the grace of G od, we should offer at His feet our efforts, courage, patience, intelligence, energy and valor. God helps only those people, who personally make efforts. The Vedas also support this truth with the axiom, "Na rutay shrantasya sakhyaya devaha".

The situation has extremely deteriorated today. Small children and students spend their time in useless activities, read with interest obscene and meaningless literature and spoil their thinking. Not only that, the disease of shirking work and laziness is also spreading very badly among doctors, teachers, traders, farmers, workers, and executives.

The main task of the Brahmans is to drive away the demon of laziness from the society.