On the auspicious occasion of Ganga Dusshara falling on 20th June this year, am planning a series of blogs explaining the meaning of the word “Dusshara”
GANGA DUSSHARA means the one who takes away our 10 sins (Duss + Hara) from our lives.
These 10 sins are ‘Kaayik’, ‘Vachik’ and ‘Mansik’ (physical, speech (thoughts) and pshycological).
We begin with the first of three physical sins today. But first what are they? A shlok describes them as thus:
अदत्तानामुपादानं हिंसा चैवाविधानतः।
परदारोपसेवा च कायिकं त्रिविधं स्मृतम्।।
ADATTANAMUPADANAM – To take away even if not offered ie to steal
I think it is the biggest problem we all are facing today, STEALING. Steal things, Steal the process, steal the thought to Steal someone’s peace. The question which comes to my mind is that how can one think of getting something which is not theirs. Isn’t it uncivilized?
Let us also understand that there is nothing wrong in copying someone’s method or process or experiment, but calling it, one’s own is stealing. We see many such people who behave in this manner. Also calling someone’s idea or thought one’s own is also stealing.
Again accumulating thoughts or amassing wealth and also not sharing with anyone is stealing. So in itself the word stealing has a huge or a very broad meaning which we all need to think about.
Maa Ganga takes away this sin from our lives. When we see Her flow and hear Her soft and tinkling sound, the thought to steal just goes away. Rather looking at Her flow, just removes the thought of belongingness towards things, processess and thoughts. The soft sound of the flow instills harmony in our thoughts and strikes a balance of “Aparigraha“.
What does Maa Ganga take from us? Nothing. Rather She gives us everything from life, water and alluvial soil which in turn helps us grow crops for our food. Learning from Her, we too can remove the vice of stealing from our life. We can live our life like Her sharing our most prized possessions with others.
Today when we take our first dip in Maa Ganga let us all pledge to give up this sin of Adattanamupadanam (stealing).
We continue our journey along the banks of Maa Ganga tommorrow…
Indian first 