Chennai: Ever wondered why a cow along with her calf is brought into a newly built house for Grahapravesam? This is done in good faith, though many don’t know that this symbol of prosperity called cow, in commercial context spurs rural economy, while spiritually it symbolises Kamadhenu. But when a conman, under the guise of religious priest, offers remedies for all ills, indulges in mumbo-jumbo, performs some tricks and says “give your jewels” or “sacrifice this,” then this is where one should be able to draw the Lakshman rekha.
“There is no religious sanction for such kind of things. One should be able to discern a genuine person from a trickster. A person whose intent is unadulterated would suggest visits to temples or offering Annadhanam to the deserving. One should learn to be bold and resist the tricks of godmen,” says A. M. Ramakrishnan, trustee, Sri Kamakoti Peetam Chennapuri Baktha Jana Samajam. Awareness and education, he says would alone save such gullible people.
Though “feed the cows, feed the crows and indulge in annadhanam” have been the cardinal tenets of Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma, it is often the greed for money and quick fix solutions sought by people that make the godmen capitalise on the gullible, often putting the faith in bad light.
“People have lost patience. They want easy money and hence tend to fall prey to false promises. This also shows that they lack faith on God and also on themselves. Appeasing the planets when the horoscope of the individual indicates travails is common as per astrology but nowhere it is said appease conmen,” says V. Subramanian, secretary, Janakalyan, Chennai, a socio-religious organisation involved in uplifting the people.
Tirumular, Tamil Saivaite saint-writer and one among the 63 Nayanars who authored the Tirumandiram, had advocated offering leaf to god as this will please Him. He also says we should offer grass to cows and feed the animals and birds. And in the not so distant past, the patriotic monk Swamy Vivekananda who raised his voice against superstition or anything that makes one weak, had this to say: “superstition is our great enemy, but bigotry is worse.”
