The Unique Human Trait: Expecting Reciprocity from Our Offspring
Why do humans expect their children to repay them. Let's explore this unique trait!
ऋषिरुवाच
ज्ञानमस्ति ........... तुलय्मन्यत्तथोभयोः
Every living being has knowledge—sensory knowledge, knowledge received through the senses. The kind of knowledge that is useful to them. They have been bestowed with faculties that are useful to them.
Some can see during the day but not at night, like crows.
Some can see during the night but not during the day, like owls.
Some can see both during the day and night, like cats.
Do not think that only man has knowledge. Birds and animals also have knowledge.
Man’s knowledge is similar to that of birds and animals.
ज्ञानेपि सति… pashyasi
See the birds. Even when they are hungry, once they find something to eat, first they will ensure that the baby birds in the nest are fed. They do this—first, they feed the baby birds, and then only do they eat themselves.
Aren’t they intelligent? Are they in any way inferior to men in terms of intelligence?
But man has expectations. He always wants something in return. If you are raising children, you want them to take care of you when you are old.
Birds do not have such expectations.
Only man has. For some, the very purpose of having progeny is that there should be someone to take care of them when they are old and weak.
Isn’t this absolutely selfish?
Doesn’t man know that children are not meant to do pratyupakara for him? Is that the purpose for which children are born? Vamsha vriddhi is natural—it just keeps happening. It is a natural process.
It is absolutely natural—common to birds and animals.
Young ones are born, they grow up, and again, they give birth to young ones themselves. This is a natural process.
Man is the only one who thinks, ‘I am feeding my children when they are young. It is a favor I am doing. They have to return this favor. When I am old, they should also feed me.’
Is this intelligence or ignorance?
Doesn’t man realize that he is not doing anything more than what any bird or animal does?
Tathaapi….
Man, whom you presume to be very knowledgeable, very intelligent, still expects a return for what he has done for his children. Because he has fallen into the deep pit of ignorance due to mamata—the thought that ‘These are mine, they belong to me.’
महामाया.... kaarinaa
This is the influence of Mahamaya, who makes this samsara function and run. This is how she runs the world—making use of this power of Maya.
तन्नात्र.... जगत
This world is under the grip of Mahamaya, who causes even Jagatpati Shri Hari to slip into Yoganidra.
Shri Hari is Jagatpati, Lord of the fourteen worlds. Still, he himself comes under the influence of this Mahamaya.
As Yoganidra, she takes over his body and makes him go into a slumber.
Then what to say of ordinary mortal human beings?
There is no surprise here.
English
Devi Mahatmyam
Click on any topic to open
7
30
Astrology
Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavatam
Bharat Matha
Devi
Devi Mahatmyam
Ganapathy
Garuda Puranam
Glory of Venkatesha
Hanuman
Kathopanishad
Mahabharatam
Mantra Shastra
Mystique
Practical Wisdom
Purana Stories
Radhe Radhe
Ramayana
Rare Topics
Rigveda Explained
Rituals
Sages and Saints
Shiva
Spiritual books
Sri Suktam
Story of Sri Yantra
Temples
Vedas
Vishnu Sahasranama
Yoga Vasishta
26
17
10
0
