The Hindu : Worship of idols helps quell anger

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Worship of idols helps quell anger

CHENNAI DEC. 16 . On almost all occasions, scriptures administer us a stern warning to guard ourselves against dangerous foes like passion, anger, avarice, hatred and ego, lurking within us. Of them frequent and inexplicable bursts of anger are the worst and scriptures instantly advise us to keep them under control, a task, which is almost impossible. But efforts can help us to tame them and a person who has achieved this can be identified by his composure and equipoise. God will never occupy the hearts of those who harbour this evil.

How anger exerts its influence and how people's attitude will be, are described in a verse. Like a man who smears his chest with sandal paste can get it removed by dabbing it with a wet towel, a sane person's ire will vanish within a few minutes. The second type of person who loses his temper can be compared to one who uses betel leaves getting rid of the stain in two or three days by a mouth wash and gargling. His anger will subside after some time. In the next category is one who will continue to smoulder within and takes some time to calm down and he is likened to one who gets his or her fingers decorated with herbal paste (mehendi). Like the colour fading away gradually, he will be in his usual self over a period. Another instance of a person requiring great efforts to quell anger and keep his heart cleansed, is like the act of retrieving a brass vessel lying at the bottom of a well for a long time and removing the clay deposit and making it look like a new one with a tinker's help. In the last group are sinners who are incorrigible and will get into meaningless rage and will continue to show it forever.

One of the methods to curb anger is to worship the idols in temples. Every one of them will look like answering the pleas of devotees. The worshipper will derive mental peace and solace and his anger, if any, will subside. Hinduism has given the option to a devotee to choose any form of God and adore Him. The eyes of one of the idols of Lord Narasimha, keeping the demon on His lap, seems to show pity that He had to punish him. The effulgence of these idols is bound to bring about a change in one who simmers with wrath. God is ever merciful and will reveal Himself to those whose mind is freed of all evil forces, explained Sri V. Srivatsankachariar, describing the beauty of Varadaraja of Kanchi, portrayed by Vedanta Desika, in a poem of 50 verses on the Lord.

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