Saints and the Unsaintly
The contrasting natures of saints and the unsaintly are described with insight and care. Through this comparison, the value of goodness, humility, and compassion becomes clear.
Bal Kand · Episode 5 / 59
Episode Text
खल अघ अगुन साधु गुन गाहा। उभय अपार उदधि अवगाहा॥ तेहि तें कछु गुन दोष बखाने। संग्रह त्याग न बिनु पहिचाने॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
khala agha aguna sādhu guna gāhā। ubhaya apāra udadhi avagāhā॥ tehi teṃ kachu guna doṣa bakhāne। saṃgraha tyāga na binu pahicāne॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
The faults and sins of the wicked, and the virtues of the saints, are both like fathomless oceans. Therefore only some virtues and faults are spoken of, for without recognition one cannot accept or reject them.
भलेउ पोच सब बिधि उपजाए। गनि गुन दोष बेद बिलगाए॥ कहहिं बेद इतिहास पुराना। बिधि प्रपंचु गुन अवगुन साना॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhaleu poche saba bidhi upajāe। gani guna doṣa beda bilagāe॥ kahahiṃ beda itihāsa purānā। bidhi prapaṃcu guna avaguna sānā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Good and bad alike were created by Brahma, but considering their virtues and faults, the Vedas have distinguished them. The Vedas, Itihasas, and Puranas say that Brahma's creation is mixed with virtues and faults.
दुख सुख पाप पुन्य दिन राती। साधु असाधु सुजाति कुजाती॥ दानव देव ऊँच अरु नीचू। अमिअ सुजीवनु माहुरु मीचू॥ माया ब्रह्म जीव जगदीसा। लच्छि अलच्छि रंक अवनीसा॥ कासी मग सुरसरि क्रमनासा। मरु मारव महिदेव गवासा॥ सरग नरक अनुराग बिरागा। निगमागम गुन दोष बिभागा॥ ३-५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
duḥkha sukha pāpa punya dina rātī। sādhu asādhu sujāti kujātī॥ dānava deva ūṃca aru nīcū। amia sujīvana māhuru mīcū॥ māyā brahma jīva jagadīsā। lacchi alacchi raṅka avanīsā॥ kāsī maga surasari kramanāsā। maru mārava mahideva gavāsā॥ sarga naraka anurāga birāgā। nigamāgama guna doṣa bibhāgā॥ 3-5 ॥
Meaning:
Sorrow and joy, sin and merit, day and night, saint and sinner, noble and low birth, demons and gods, high and low, nectar, wholesome life, poison, death, Maya, Brahma, the जीव and the Lord of the world, Lakshmi and Alakshmi, beggar and king, Kāshī, Magadh, Ganga, Karmanāśā, Maru, Marwar, Mahidev, Gavāsa, heaven and hell, attachment and detachment, and the Vedas and Āgamas’ divisions of virtues and faults—all are part of this creation.
जड़ चेतन गुन दोषमय बिस्व कीन्ह करतार। संत हंस गुन गहहिं पय परिहरि बारि बिकार॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jaḍa cetana guna doṣamaya bisva kīnha karatāra। santa haṃsa guna gahahiṃ paya parihari bāri bikāra॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
The Creator made this world of the inert and conscious, full of virtues and faults; but saintly swans, leaving the water of defects behind, take only the milk of virtues.
अस बिबेक जब देइ बिधाता। तब तजि दोष गुनहिं मनु राता॥ काल सुभाउ करम बरिआईं। भलेउ प्रकृति बस चुकइ भलाईं॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
asa bibeka jaba dei bidhātā। taba taji doṣa gunahiṃ manu rātā॥ kāla subhāu karama bariāīṃ। bhaleu prakṛti basa cukai bhalāīṃ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
When the Creator grants such discernment, the mind, leaving aside faults, becomes attached to virtues. By the force of time, nature, and karma, even good people sometimes, under the sway of maya, slip away from doing what is good.
सो सुधारि हरिजन जिमि लेहीं। दलि दुख दोष बिमल जसु देहीं॥ खलउ करहिं भल पाइ सुसंगू। मिटइ न मलिन सुभाउ अभंगू॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
so sudhāri harijana jimi lehīṃ। dali dukha doṣa bimala jasu dehīṃ॥ khalau karahiṃ bhala pāi susaṃgū। miṭai na malina subhāu abhaṃgū॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Just as the Lord’s devotees correct such faults and, by destroying sorrow and defects, bring forth spotless fame, so even the wicked may sometimes do good when they get noble company; but their evil nature, though never broken, does not disappear.
लखि सुबेष जग बंचक जेऊ। बेष प्रताप पूजिअहिं तेऊ॥ उघरहिं अंत न होइ निबाहू। कालनेमि जिमि रावन राहू॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
lakhi subeṣa jaga baṃcaka jeū। beṣa pratāpa pūjiahiṃ teū॥ ugharahiṃ aṃta na hoi nibāhū। kālane mi jimi rāvana rāhū॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Those who are deceivers, even when wearing a good, saintly appearance, are honored by the world because of the power of their guise; but sooner or later they are exposed, and their deceit does not last to the end, as happened with Kalanemi, Ravana, and Rahu.
किएहुँ कुबेषु साधु सनमानू। जिमि जग जामवंत हनुमानू॥ हानि कुसंग सुसंगति लाहू। लोकहुँ बेद बिदित सब काहू॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kīehūṃ kubeṣu sādhu sanamānū। jimi jaga jāmavaṃta hanumānū॥ hāni kusaṃga susaṃgati lāhū। lokahūṃ beda bidita saba kāhū॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Even if one adopts a bad disguise, a saint still receives honor, as happened in the world with Jambavan and Hanuman. Bad company brings loss, and good company brings gain; this is known in both the world and the Vedas, and everyone knows it.
गगन चढ़इ रज पवन प्रसंगा। कीचहिं मिलइ नीच जल संगा॥ साधु असाधु सदन सुक सारीं। सुमिरहिं राम देहिं गनि गारीं॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
gagana caṛhai raja pavana prasaṃgā। kīcahiṃ milai nīca jala saṃgā॥ sādhu asādhu sadana suka sārīṃ। sumirahiṃ rāma dehiṃ gani gārīṃ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
Dust rises up into the sky in the company of the wind, and the same dust joins the mud in the company of low, downward-flowing water. In the home of the saint, parrots and mynas repeat Rama’s name; in the home of the unsaintly, parrots and mynas count out abuses.
धूम कुसंगति कारिख होई। लिखिअ पुरान मंजु मसि सोई॥ सोइ जल अनल अनिल संघाता। होइ जलद जग जीवन दाता॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhūma kusaṃgati kārikha hoī। likhia purāna maṃju masi soī॥ soi jala anala anila saṃghātā। hoi jalada jaga jīvana dātā॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
Because of bad association, smoke is called soot; the very same smoke, [in good association,] becomes fine ink and is used to write the Puranas, and the same smoke, in association with water, fire, and wind, becomes a cloud and turns into a giver of life for the world.
ग्रह भेषज जल पवन पट पाइ कुजोग सुजोग। होहिं कुबस्तु सुबस्तु जग लखहिं सुलच्छन लोग॥ ७ (क) ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
graha bheṣaja jala pavana paṭa pāi kujoga sujoga। hohiṃ kubastu subastu jaga lakhahiṃ sulacchana loga॥ 7 (a) ॥
Meaning:
Planets, medicines, water, wind, and cloth—these too, according to bad or good association, become bad or good things in the world. Only discerning and thoughtful people are able to understand this.
सम प्रकास तम पाख दुहुँ नाम भेद बिधि कीन्ह। ससि सोषक पोषक समुझि जग जस अपजस दीन्ह॥ ७ (ख) ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sama prakāsa tama pākha duhuṃ nāma bheda bidhi kīnha। sasi soṣaka poṣaka samujhi jaga jasa apajasa dīnha॥ 7 (b) ॥
Meaning:
In the two fortnights of the month, light and darkness are equally present, but the Creator gave them different names (one was called Shukla and the other Krishna). Taking one to be the nourisher of the moon and the other its diminisher, the world bestowed fame on one and infamy on the other.