pitr paksha started today

[Ravi Mayavaram]

On Tue, 4 Sep 2001 00:00:19 -0400, Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM>
wrote:
>
>It is interesting that according to the digvijayas Shankaracharya even
>though he was a sannyasi and thus beyond karma, returned to perform his
>mothers shraddha despite the censure of the Brahmans of Kaladi.
>

Moral of this incident (IMO) is the importance of keeping one's word. Since
shankara promised  (before he took sannyAsa) to his mother that he will do
her cremation, he was bound by his word.  It could not be cast away, like
rest of the things.

Aside:

When we give a word to  someone we are obligated to do it. The consequence
of not keeping the word, may be more than just one's conscience being
haunted*. Especially in the case of devata-s, the deity will ensure that
even after few births that promise made is fufilled. That is to say, that
keeping one's word cuts across the line of death.

Ruminating on this fact, makes me think one should be very careful in what
one says. The best side of that is, if one habitually speaks only truth,
then as patanjali says - satyapratishhThaayaam kriyaaphalaashrayatvam.


Ravi

* Well, personal experience :-((