Food For Thought

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Shielding Patterns & Shifting Desires :- P.Natarajan

(Source:- Jagat Guru Kanchi Kamakoti Sri. Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Sankarachartya Swamigal 's Arulvakku as appeared in Tamil in the Tamil Weekly Magazine 'KALKI' dated 04 August 2013 - English Translation of the same with some changes)

There is a tendency that we like more one part of our physical body than the other. A phenomenon of this kind leads to shield the parts of the body, not necessarily the same part every time. The desire to protect which part of the body keep changing. It is also true thatt we care more for the body than for any external item.

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When we draw a personal reference as ‘I’, it invariably relates to the physical body. Exception may be a ‘yogi’, who may not think so.  As we say for example Ram is short or Hari is tall or Prabhu is fat or Harini is fair, do we not inadvertently refer to the physical body of the respective individuals ?

If your dear friend happens to trample your feet accidentally, don’t you get angry over him. It is natural because we love our body than the friend. The love for the friend vanishes at that critical juncture.


The basic instinct is governed by the libido which spins the desires in the mind giving raise to physical pleasures in the parts of the body.

The ways people take care of the body , though may vary, are unique. They use sandal, neem, glycerin or like soaps to bathe. They wear beautifully tailored suits and present attractive look in public. Womenfolk  wear diamond ring, decorate the neck with a sparkling necklace, look gorgeous in an embroidered sari and go round with a shine in their face in parties or get-together functions. Thus attention paid for physical appearance is predominant.


Let us now consider the other aspects in relation to the body. In case, a finger gets injured badly, and the following medical  examination finds adverse effect that the injury to the finger may affect
the entire hand, the person immediately agrees for the amputation of the portion that is damaged. The same finger that we decorated  with diamond ring, etc all these times is not now liked and we show more love and shift our attention towards the hand in order to save it.

Similarly, if sugar levels are high in the bloodstream, and in the event of some injury causing gangrene formation in the leg, the doctor advises amputation of leg in order to save the life of the patient. The patient wants to live and hence urges the doctor to save his life. He has no liking for his leg anymore as compared to his life. When a  heart patient is prescribed with a stringent diet schedule he gives up his love for his stomach and avoid eating fatty substances. The changed behavior depicts clearly that he loves the heart more than his stomach.


The illustration above amply describes that we shift our love from one part of the body to the other and shield them in the manner so desired. The reader, when he reads the opening line and para 1, may quite likely nod his head with a pleasing smile..


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