Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sookti – April 5, 2020 – Mysore
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
Vidyā mitraṃ pravāsēṣu, bhāryā mitraṃ gŗhēṣu ca
vyādhitasya ouṣadham mitraṃ, dharmō mitraṃ mŗtasya ca ǁ
Knowledge is the true friend that comes to the aid when travelling anywhere in the world. Within the home, the wife who lovingly takes care is the best friend. Medicine, which helps restore health, is the true friend of the diseased. Righteous, meritorious deeds performed are the only friends that accompany upon death, for, they enable the person to travel to heaven.
The Sanskrit word ‘mitra’ has two meanings- Sun-god and friend. Mēdyati iti mitrah- for showering his benevolent grace upon all living entities, Sun-god is their friend (mitra). A person who has feelings of friendliness towards us is a friend.
‘Vidya’ means knowledge. It is the ability to discern right from wrong. It is knowledge that bestows the person with the ability to know good from bad. At crucial times, such knowledge becomes a true friend who comes to our aid. It comes to maximum use when we travel to foreign unfamiliar lands. We are totally lost as their customs, behaviour and habits are strikingly different from ours. To add to our problems, we cannot communicate with them due to our inability to understand their language. At this critical juncture, our knowledge becomes our friend who stands by us and guides us! Our knowledge helps us find methods to tide over the problem. It is knowledge that ensures we are honoured by the society and by learned people.
On the home front, the wife is a good friend who helps in all domestic matters. In ensuring that the children are properly educated, in ensuring that the children are disciplined and raised properly, the wife remains a true friend and plays a crucial role. When any guests arrive at the doorstep, she lovingly welcomes them, honours them, provides them with the right hospitality thereby ensuring that his respect is maintained in the society. Without revealing her family secrets and problems to others, she only makes known to others the good qualities of others in the home. In this way, she acts like a perfect friend.
When any illness attacks the body, we must seek medical guidance and take medicines as prescribed. Like a true friend, the medicine taken by us works for our benefit. It drives away the disease and protects our body. Just as a true friend can, at times give harsh advice seeking our wellbeing, at times the medicine can be bitter too! But, even the bitter medicine is for our benefit alone! Therefore, for a sick man, medicine is one’s true friend.
Abidance to dharmic and meritorious deeds- this is strikingly different from the other three points covered above. The above three points come to aid only as long as we are alive. However, performance of meritorious deeds and completion of righteous duties- they come to our aid even after our death. Every material object that we have acquired has to be left behind here upon death. Only the results of the good and bad deeds done on earth can accompany us upon death. Our good deeds on earth ensure that we reach higher planes. They ensure that we get a better birth in future. As such, abidance to dharmic rules continues to remain a friend even after death!