NOT TO GIVE WAY TO ANGER.

NOT TO GIVE WAY TO ANGER.

Krodha means anger. It would include hatred, disgust, and kindred feelings. In the usual sense, anger is that which tends to vent one's full force against the adverse creature or person. Therefore, it is extremely unusual. All the same it is a necessity. Creatures are together in this world, and there is the struggle for the survival of the fittest, and creatures have to obtain objects coveted for by more than one end, therefore, the obtaining of an object requires the venting of one's full force against adversaries or adverse forces. Hence, anger is sometimes treated as a virtue, and, in any case, a necessity of situation in the world as it goes (especially in war). Therefore, for a virtuous person like Rama, the epithet applied is `Jitakrodhah', Anger-controller; that is, not that he had no anger, but that he had conquered it.


For Shirdi Rama (that is Sri Sai Baba) also, we can use the same epithet, namely, `Jitakrodhah'. `When the anger was on, Rama is described by Valmiki as `Kalagni Sadruscah Krodhe'. That is, `When in anger, he (Rama) resembled the terrific fire that devours the world at its end'. Rama put on this anger for purposes of battle when he went to meet Ravana. He checked it when he found that Ravana had been beaten to the ground. He told him then, `You had better go home. Come tomorrow again for battle' showing that Rama was a Jitakrodha, that is, he could rouse anger up at one time and stop it at the proper time and place.


Baba also had need for anger, a physico-psychical need that could be understood only by persons who thoroughly studied Baba's physico-psychical organism. Anyhow, it has been noticed that Baba himself was in towering rage at times, and this appeared to be an ungovernable rage to people. They would regard Baba at those times as mad with rage. G. G. Narke once saw Baba in such a condition, and thought for the moment that Baba was a mad man. Mahlsapathy also had similar impressions. Baba corrected G. G. Narke when he came to bow to him, and said, `Narke, I am not a madman', knowing his momentary thought. That is, even he was in a towering rage, he could read Narke's mind. Now reading another's mind is the result of the clairvoyant power which require a considerable degree of placidity, satva guna, clear buddhi, and santi. So, Baba had all these even when he was in a towering rage. Similarly on several occasions, of which examples are given. Baba, when apparently under a wave of anger, was really placid enough to note with calmness who had come, what for, and how they required to be accommodated immediately e.g., Uddhavesa Bua, Police Sub-Inspector Samant, and Pleader Joshi of Thane each separately; and each on a separate occasion noted that Baba suddenly stopped his rage, carried out their wishes, gave them calm and cool replies and udhi.


This is `Jitakrodhah'. Rouse up your anger, use it for a time, and when you do not want it, put it back into its scabbard. This is the proper use of anger. But people do not always understand it, and may plead Baba's anger as an excuse for their own. If they really wish to have anger like Baba, they must be able to shut it up at will; but that ability they have not . Baba however put down anger as the staunch enemy of all equanimity so absolutely essential for one's upward march in realising the final state of life called santi (Om santih, santih, santih). So he told a Ramadasi, who was overpowered by anger when he learnt that his Vishnu Sahasranama had been taken away without his permission or knowledge and given away to Shama. When Jog got angry with Baba who asked him for dakshina, Baba told him not to give way to anger.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji