Page 118 | Home | Index | Previous | Next |
Young men have to spring into the sphere of action and strive to the best of their ability for the building up of a resurgent India, and a happy peaceful world. They must shed the desire for power. The desire to uproot corruption and immorality, and the urge to work hard should firmly be implanted in the heart of every student. Mother India's future depends on them and she is waiting for them. Even as it is the duty of children to serve and please their mother, it is the bounden duty of every child of Mother India to make her happy. To serve the Motherland selflessly should be the sacred ideal of one's life. Thus, it is the duty of all Indians to engage themselves in the dedicated service of Mother India. Such an obligation on our part may even be described as forming part of 'Desa niti' (nobility of character of the individual vis-à-vis his motherland). Therefore, every student must inculcate in him a wider perspective of national unity and integrity. A person without character can neither uplift himself nor be of any use to the country. Sacrifice too is an aspect of character. It is one of the qualities which young men should imbibe. It is often thought that charitable and philanthropic acts make for sacrifice. But there is a vast difference between charity and sacrifice. Charitable people give only a fraction of their bounty to others. Gifts of land, distribution of food, contribution of physical labour and spreading of education and knowledge belong to this category. Through acts of charity no man ever gives up all that he has. One is not cursed to be born penurious if one does not perform acts of charity. Going a step higher some retain for themselves what is just and essential and give away the rest to society. Such people win the highest acclaim in the world. Our sacred texts prescribed that a portion of one's possessions must be offered to the poor and helpless. Neglecting this injunction, one should not accumulate lakhs of rupees in a selfish, callous, unfair and unjust manner like an avaricious curmudgeon. Such a miser will become a victim of disaster and degradation, sooner or later. It is inevitable. Wealth piled up through unfair means is the result of exploitation of the blood of the poor. Young men ought not to become slaves of such unfair existence and adopt exploitation as a means to living. Even God will not forgive such selfish exploitative lives. He who piles up wealth without enjoying or giving to others will be damned after death; the progeny of such people too will be damned. |