Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 103

 

103) OṀ DĀKṢHIṆYA BHŪMYAINAMAH:

                 OṀ (AUM) -DAAK-ṢHI-ṆYA- BHOO- MYAI- NA-- MA- HA

 

 

       (Dākṣhiṇ.yam: means-Politeness, kindness, honesty, talent)

 

 

 

 

 

Even though there are many meanings to 'dākṣhiṇyam' in Sanskrit, when we say someone has ḋaya and dākṣhiṇyam; we are referring to that person's kindness, honesty, politeness, and the willigness to take take-care of other's needs. Our land is the birth place of many great people with these noble qualities and they have used them for the welfare of others and humanity without selfish motives. Those who are familiar with the stories in Mahābhārata, the famous Kāśi king 'Śibi' come to our mind. He has cut his own flesh from his thigh and offered it to a hawk, in order to protect a pigeon as a pray to the hawk. His sacrifice and dākṣhiṇyam he has shown towards a bird lived eternally in our history.

 

In today's world where everyone thinks of themselves and their families with an attitude that 'what do I get from it, if I help you? or 'what is in it for me if I do something for you?'-we still have few people with dākshiṇyam, who help others without expecting anything back from them, in return. This is not because of the doctrines command them to do, but, with compassion towards humanity, without any strings attached for their help. This is our Sanātana- dharma and it used to be our way of life in our Bharata Varsha and Bharata Khanḍa for thousands of years, up until recently. If you look at our ancient history, we see many Hindus with ḋaya and dākṣhiṇyam irrespective of their varṇam, socioeconomic status or their vṛṫṫi (occupation). We used to see all these sāttvic qualities in almost each and every one of them and we wonder what happened to those qualities in our people now?

 

The difference in showing dākṣhiṇyam towards fellow human beings is entirely based on selfish motives in other religions. The teachings of Christianity are to show love and compassion and convert people with other faiths into Christianity to attain heavenly rewards. So their missionaries target poor people in other countries and show compassion, love toward them with materials, money, food, shelters, medicines and proselytize them into Christianity. The missionaries show that dākṣhiṇyam toward non-Christians is, in the name of religion only!

 

Our land shows kindness, politeness and helping nature as a way of living and is called 'Dākṣhiṇya Bhūmi'.