This discourse tells you about- 1. Why the divine dog Sarama cursed Janamejaya. 2. Why dogs are not allowed during puja.

Are dogs worshiped?

Yes. In Nepal, dogs are worshiped during Kukur Tihar festival to please Lord Yama.

We saw that there is a dog in Swargaloka. She is a Sarama also called Devashunee, the divine dog. By citing her story we tried to dispel the wrong thought that some people have about dogs that they are impure animals. If there can be a dog in Swarga in the very presence of Devas, then how can they be impure. We also saw divinities such as Bhairava, Dattatreya who are always seen with dogs. So here in Mahabharata, Sarama’s son Sarmeya visits the yaga vedi of Janamejaya. There he is beaten black and blue by the ....

We saw that there is a dog in Swargaloka.
She is a Sarama also called Devashunee, the divine dog.

By citing her story we tried to dispel the wrong thought that some people have about dogs that they are impure animals.

If there can be a dog in Swarga in the very presence of Devas, then how can they be impure.

We also saw divinities such as Bhairava, Dattatreya who are always seen with dogs.

So here in Mahabharata, Sarama’s son Sarmeya visits the yaga vedi of Janamejaya.

There he is beaten black and blue by the brothers of Janamejaya.

He cries in pain and goes back to his mother.
Sarama asked him what happened.

He said: Janamejaya's brothers beat me up.

Then you must have definitely done some mischief there.

No, I didn't do anything.
I didn’t lick the offerings, I didn’t even look towards them.

Sarama in anger went to the yaga vedi.

Why did you beat up my son?
He did nothing wrong.
Why did you assault him?

They didn’t respond to her.
She got more upset and cursed them.

Something totally unexpected, that you would not imagine, some danger will befall upon you soon.

Janamejaya became very upset and worried.

Here are some things that we should understand.

Mahabharata is all about dharma.

Mahabharata has to tell us what is right and what is wrong.
Give us clarity about what is right and wrong.

Sage Vyasa is conveying to us that beating up the dog was wrong.

Sarama also did not jump into anything.
First, she said, you would have done something wrong, otherwise, why would they beat you up.

They are kings, they are protectors, of everything and everyone,
They will not punish anyone just like that.

Then only after Sarameya told her she went to the yaga vedi.

She also questioned them.
Did they have anything to say?

Sarameya may be lying.
Sarameya may not have realized that something that he did there, he should not have done.

Only after all these, when they did not respond, they did not have an answer to give, she cursed.

See the restraint.
She knows she is powerful.
She can curse and it will work.
But she didn’t do it in a rage.

She didn’t do it as soon as she saw her son crying.
She restrained her motherly affection till she found out the truth behind the incident.

The internal power, internal strength come out of this restraint, when you control the natural tendency of the mind to jump to conclusions, act in haste, react in haste.

Spiritually powerful people, this is what they do.
They don’t react emotionally.
They too have emotions.

But they don’t allow emotions to make decisions.
They use viveka to make decisions.

Now coming back to the dog’s presence in the yaga vedi.

From this incident, it is obvious that Janamejaya's brothers or even Janamejaya did not have any reason to beat up Sarameya.

Otherwise, they would have told Sarama.

Look, don’t you know that as per dharma shastra dogs are not allowed where worship is taking place.
You people are impure.

Sarama would not have had any option but to go back.

It didn’t happen that way.

So, here Mahabharata is dispelling a wrong notion about dogs.

Dharma is not just about big things.
Dharma is about every aspect of your life.
How you respond to every single small situation in your life.

A normal book will not even mention this incident.
It is so irrelevant.

A spiritual book or scripture should be talking about the Jeevatma-Paramatma connection or the macrocosm-microcosm connection.

Why should it start off with the story of a dog getting beaten up?

And mind you, this is the very first shloka of Mahabharata.

After the prologue and content sections, when the real Mahabharata begins, this is the very first incident narrated, the very first shloka.

Do you see it?

Sage Vyasa is telling us that for someone in pursuit of dharma, every single reaction matters.

Nothing in life can be casual.
Nothing happening in your life can be irrelevant.

Every single small incident in your life is an opportunity to exercise viveka.

Viveka means thinking about what is right and what is wrong.

When you do this, there are two benefits; you become purer and purer, and also your intellect becomes sharper and sharper.

You start seeing what others are not seeing.
And this is spiritual growth.

So don’t be under the impression that hyperventilation is the only way to grow spiritually.
Do that.
No problem.

But ultimately you have to work on your mind, your own mind is your biggest enemy in spiritual progress.

And the same mind you can convert into your best friend also.

Now, don’t allow dogs in a place where puja is happening.
Our pujas invariably have offerings, eatable offerings.
They are not just prayers.

Those who have dogs must be knowing this.

Their eating habits are quite different from other animals.

They would eat almost anything, anything edible.

Not like cows.
Cows eat only vegetation.

Not like lions.
Lions won't eat grass.

Dogs are not like that.
God has made them like this.
Not their fault.
Not their choice.

And dogs are animals who have access everywhere in the household.
Not like cows or other domesticated animals.
Cows have their own place, they remain there.
They don’t go into the house as and when they want.

Dogs have something about their hunger also.

They can eat a small quantity also and they can eat a lot also.
It will be satisfied with both.

Every time it sees food, its mouth will start watering.

The dog doesn’t know whether it is cooked for God or not.

The moment it sees something eatable, its mouth will start watering, it will develop a desire to have that.

And you know very well, anything prepared for God, it has to be offered to God first.

You can't even taste it and see whether it tastes good or not, then it becomes ucchishta, and you can't offer ucchishta to god.
This is clear in the shastra.

When you allow a dog into a place where puja is happening, you are keeping delicious food in front of the poor thing and preventing it from having it.

This is himsa.

Showing something and then restraining it from having it.
This is himsa.
And our dharma does not support himsa.

You show it to the cow, the cow will not feel like having it.
But a dog is not like that.
You may say my dog is trained, it will eat only if I say- take.

But what is going on in the mind of the dog you are not seeing.
You are putting the dog under stress.
This is himsa.
This our dharma doesn’t support.

You do it, as a human being you do it because restraining your desires, controlling your urges spiritually will help you grow spiritually.
You do it.

But the poor dog does not have any such spiritual pursuit.
Let him live his life his way, the way God has designed it.

Your normal eating time, lunch, dinner, you share with your dog, no problem, if that’s the way you like it.

But do not bring in a dog when a puja is going on because you will not get the benefit of the puja and also you will incur the sin of doing himsa to a helpless animal.

Do you see the clarity that Mahabharata gives, about dharma?

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Mahabharatam

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