THE WORST ENEMY
-7. A Valuable Advice

“…What you did today is one among them – diverting your attention elsewhere to get rid of your anger.  You can also ask your musicians to play some light music to suppress your anger, Mahirat.  Also, you can think in these terms that your parents are showering so much love and affection on you. In return, if they are asking you to curb your anger, can’t you grant them this wish?  Don’t you owe them even this much for all that they have done for you?  Such thoughts would make your resolution stronger to keep your anger at bay which is nothing but a welcome sign.  Also, you can invoke the person whom you consider to be very calm and composed at the time when you get angry.  For instance, like I told you, I bring the smiling face of Lord Rama to my mind when I get angry.  Even this move may come handy in restraining your anger. A smiling face is always an effective tool to keep away anger.  Do not entertain negative feelings regarding anyone.  Never hate but always love everyone.  Mahirat, remember that all these methods can be effective only if you have the determination and the will to destroy your anger.  Unless you do not have these qualities in you, nothing is possible in life.  That’s all I have to say.  I hope that these tips will help you in keeping your commitment to your parents.”  “Certainly, O Sage!  I will keep in mind all that you have said and put them into practice.”  spoke the Prince with reliance. All three of them thanked the sage for his valuable piece of advice and then took his leave.  On the way back to the palace, Mahirat thanked his parents for giving him an opportunity to meet Sage Aditi.  He was immensely inspired by his talks and now felt confident that he will be able to win over his anger. One day, the King placed the affairs of the kingdom under the jurisdiction of Mahirat and went out with the Queen for some work.  After a tiring day’s work, Mahirat retired to his chambers and lay on the bed.  As he was resting, he heard someone calling out to him softly, “Sire!”  It was his guard and he appeared frightened for he knew that the Prince did not like to be disturbed while he was resting.  Mahirat was, no doubt, incensed at the guard but he did not show it on his face. “What is it?” the Prince asked calmly. “I am sorry, sire!  I would have never called out to you had you been asleep.  But since you were awake I felt that I must inform you about a person named Kartik who is eagerly awaiting to seek an audience with you. He had been on a trip to Vaikunthnagar where he visited the famous Mahavishnu temple.  He has brought a prasad for you from there which he wants to give it to you personally.” “Alright!  Tell him to wait in the visitor’s room.  I will be there in a few moments.”  The Prince told the guard. The guard bowed low before him and left the chambers.  Mahirat did not want to meet Kartik till he suppressed the anger he had in his mind for being disturbed while he was resting.  He remembered Sage Aditi telling him to not have any negative feelings about anyone.  He entertained such thoughts like, “Why should I get angry at the guard?  He was, after all, only doing his duty.  Also, even though Kartik had come to meet him at a rather inappropriate time he had come for a noble cause and, therefore, deserved to be welcomed with open arms.  Besides, isn’t it the duty of a ruler to attend to his subjects at any time of the day?”  Thoughts like these gave him solace and melted away his anger.  He refreshed himself and then went to meet Kartik. After both of them had greeted each other and were comfortably seated, Kartik began, “I bring this prasad for you and your family from Vaikuntnagar.  When I was taking this prasad, I felt as if the Lord was telling me to share a portion of this with others in my kingdom for it would lead to their prosperity and well-being.  O Prince, if you and your parents take this holy offering you are bound to prosper and so will our kingdom for you are it’s rulers.  Therefore, please accept this prasad and eat it alongwith your parents.  I had gone to see the King but I was told that both he and the Queen were not around.”  Mahirat was moved to hear these words of Kartik. He embraced Kartik warmly and said, “Thank you, Kartik!  I will certainly share your prasad with my parents once they return.  Thank you once again for thinking in these terms.” The Prince gracefully accepted the prasad and then Kartik took his leave.  After his parents returned, Mahirat told them about Kartik’s visit and shared the prasad equally with them.  “I am glad that I managed to suppress my anger that evening.  Had I not done that and misbehaved with Kartik, it would have been in very poor taste for he had come with such a noble thought in mind.” King Sulochana smiled at him, “It’s great to see the commendable change you are undergoing, my child.  May God give you the strength and perseverance to enable you keep your anger at bay.” ************************************************************************ Sage Suryananda who was narrating this story concluded, “Note that even before he learnt to win over his anger, Prince Mahirat was a noble person at heart.  Or else he would have never felt like telling his mother that he was going to the Kallari forest for hunting.  He would not have been moved by his father’s conversation with him who did not want his son to go that forest alone for hunting.  However, Mahirat’s problem lay in the fact that he always allowed his anger and arrogance to get the better of him.  Anger kills our sense of reasoning and makes us behave like animals.  It compels us to perform such acts which we may have to later repent throughout our lives.  Therefore, let us take a leaf from the manner in which Sage Aditi and Prince Mahirat learned to control their anger and destroy this evil quality in us before it destroys us.”