""Neerkumizhi Saakshi (the water bubble is the witness)

“Neerkumizhi Saakshi (The water bubble is the witness)”


My paternal grandmother never attended any school. She was an illiterate in the real sense of the term. But she had hard common sense and a natural flair for story telling. As the youngest of five children, I had the maximum advantage
of this. She would pour out many many stories, some from the puraanas and some from the village history. Many others were woven beautifully by her fertile imagination. All her stories were suitable to my age at the particular time. It was her intention that I should absorb them fully as practically all of them contained a moral or a lesson for the future practical life. The one which I am narrating now, was told when I was about 10 years of age i.e. more than 60 years ago.
Two vedic scholars from a village near my place had been invited to participate in a religious function at a far off place. They were able to travel part of the distance by bullock carts, but the rest had to be covered on foot. A good part was through uninhabited or sparsely populated areas and jungles. They reached their venue safely and participated very successfully in the function. Their knowledge was very much appreciated and they were richly rewarded with materials, gold and cash.
On their way back, they were caught in heavy downpour with loud claps of thunder, in mid-jungle. So they took shelter in an old dilapidated structure, which was unoccupied. Day turned into dusk and soon it was night. It was very dark and gloomy and rain was not abating. Their gay conversation of the morning soon faded into total silence and a pall of gloom descended on them. Suddenly one of them got up and told the other. “Look, after this trip, I do not want to venture out of our village. We have earned enough during this trip.” The other one simply laughed and said. “You may be satisfied, but I am not. In fact, I could do with a lot more wealth and I am prepared to venture out.” Soon an argument ensued and the first one accused the second one of greed while the latter stung the other with the remark that he was a lazy coward. A quarrel broke out and the one who showed greed said “all right. Since you say that I am greedy, I intend to take your share also. I am going to kill you. No one comes this way. The wild animals and carrion crows will eat away your body. I shall tell the people in the village that you went out alone and probably lost your way. No one will hear even if you shout. There is no witness to the murder nor will there be anyone to find out about it in future.” The other one pleaded for mercy and seeing that the first one was bent upon carrying out his threat, he said “look, there are ripples in the rain water. You may think that they are inanimate and have a very short life as they burst in minutes. But I call upon them to be witness of this horrible act of yours and to expose you.”” He said in Tamil “Neerkumizhi Saakshi” when the other one strangled him to death.
The other one went back to his village. He made a big scene as though he had lost a close relative and told the people that his companion, such a nice person, went out alone and was killed by robbers. Over a period of time, the incident was forgotten. After a few years, the person went again on a long trip for a similar function. This time also, he was accompanied by someone. While returning, they were caught up in rain again and had to take shelter in a similar shack. Both of them had similar qualities and both were bantering and bragging about their exploits. The rain water was rushing in a swirl and ripples were caused. Unwittingly, the murderer let out a peal of laughter and said “the fool who accompanied me earlier, appealed to the water bubble to be witness of my act when I finished him off. Can a bubble last for more than a minute?” But unfortunately for him, a representative of the magistrate who had also gone out on an errand, was taking shelter in another corner of the shack. He was not noticed by the two as it was quite dark and the rain and thunder and their own voices were drowning outside noises. Immediately, he was pounced upon by the law officer, who bound him hand and foot and produced him before the magistrate. A search of his house revealed the articles robbed from the deceased person. Trial was much quicker and decisive in those days and release on technical grounds or hair-splitting of law and language was not permitted. The offender was beheaded quickly.
Concluding her narrative my grandmother said “ No one should think that he is unseen, that his acts and omissions will go unnoticed and therefore he can indulge in unethical or criminal acts. Even the elements will get the power to notice and reveal the correct state of affairs at the appropriate time. If one escapes for some time, it is only to get a more stringent punishment. If the human agencies fail in this, then nature will take over and inflict a more agonizing punishment.”
I used to wonder at this statement. But later I came across a Sanskrit verse which runs as under:
“Aadithyachandraavanilonalascha dyowrbhoomiraapo hridayam yamascha
ahascha raathrischa ubhe cha sandhye Dharmascha jaanaathi narasya vrittham”
“the sun, moon, Vaayu (air) agni (fire) the sky, earth, water, ones own mind, Yama the God of death, the day, the night , the two Sandhyas i.e. dawn and dusk as well as the Lord Dharma (righteousness) know the actions and omissions of all.”
These are always watching us. While fourteen of these are external, the mind, being internal, knows not only what we do or do not do, but also what We THINK.
That makes one point clear. In any criminal case, the prosecution has to prove not only that a criminal act has been committed, but that there was MENS REA that is criminal intention. Very often this aspect is not proved because motive is not established.
Thus many a criminal escapes punishment even if other aspects are proved. But our ancient wisdom puts one word of caution to the criminal who feels elated when he is exonerated for want of clinching evidence. “Remember, your mind is not only the unseen witness to your actions, but it is in complete knowledge of your thought process, your intentions, the factors which led you to behave in a particular fashion, the loss, physical injury and mental agony you have inflicted upon others, the undue advantage you have derived for yourself or for others. You can escape the external arms of the Law but that mind is always there till you die to punish you at the appropriate time.” Rarely though, it goes one step further and even after death, the body is ill treated by people who have been wronged.
One need not go far to realize the truth of these statements. I recollect several instances of persons who perpetrated frauds and escaped the clutches of law and legitimate punishment. But their end was miserable. In some cases, the divine retribution came much sooner and caused immense suffering to them. Take the classic example of Harshad Mehta who caused loss of crores of rupees to many. He escaped immediate punishment while innocent persons suffered agony during the investigation and lost jobs or had to be in black list for years.
Mehta was hailed as an expert in stocks and securities manipulation and he even addressed some gatherings. But ultimately, at the age of 49, he died while in prison. Some time back, there was a news item that one of his flats which was sealed by the legal authorities for several years, was leaking and emitting strong stench and the people of the neighbouring flats had applied for opening of the flat. The same comments apply to people who torment others in various ways which do not come under the legal definition of crime. Even they cannot escape divine retribution.
The irony is that very often, the culprits cry out when they receive punishment at the hands of Fate “Oh God, do I deserve this? Have pity on me”. Some try to compensate for their wrongful actions by liberal charity. How this will act as an atonement for their misdeeds, is a moot question.
No doubt, clever lawyers, manipulators and manouverers can get reprieve to the criminals for some time. But then, Fate never leaves them.
Before concluding I think we should say a word about the abettors and passive onlookers who could and should have done something to prevent a misdeed. The Indian penal code makes it clear that abettors are to be punished. The others too cannot be let off easily. Mahabharatha says that for the sin of uttering a falsehood which was sought to be made true by manipulation, Yudhishtira had to witness suffering of sinners in Hell. He uttered “Aswatthhama hathah kunjarah” which helped to disarm Dronacharya and to kill him. Even talking ill of great people and indulging in mud-slinging or maligning other peoples’ character is bad. Kaalidaasa goes one step further. He says in his Kumaara sambhavam “Na kevalam yo mahathopabhaashathe srinothi thasmaadapi yah sa paapabhaak (not only the one who abuses great persons, but even the one who listens to it is a sinner).
It is not as though people are not aware of this. They are very much aware. But what happens is that they look at the ultimate downfall of an unscrupulous person or criminal, not as an instance of Divine Retribution, but as a lack of cleverness on his part. They say “the fool should have anticipated the pitfalls and risk element in his ventures and devised ways to get over them.” It never occurs to them that they have to succumb to the Will of the Almighty sooner or later. All the stories in our puraanas indicate how, evil-minded people, demons and asuras, performed austere penance to propitiate Gods and got boons whereby they thought they had hedged themselves against defeat by other forces. The story of Hiranyakasipu, Raavana, Bhasmaasura and so on and so forth go to prove that however much they try to protect themselves from the hands of God, ultimately, the Divine Will finds a loophole in their boons and destroys them en bloc. .
Raja Bharthrihari says “Vyaghreeva Thishtthathi Jara Paritharjjayanthee, Rogaascha Sathrava Iva Praharanthi Deham, Aayuh Parisravathi Bhinnaghataadivaambhoh, Lokasthatthhaapyahithamaacharatheethi Chithram”.
(Old age stands threatening us like a tigress; Diseases torture us like enemies; Life flows out like water from a cracked pot; It is a wonder that still people continue to engage themselves in misdeeds and unethical practices.) Curiously enough, very often, the people who do these are themselves adepts at quoting Bhagavath Geetha and Dharmasaasthram, Hithopadesam etc when it applies to other people – clear examples of Devil quoting the Scriptures.
“”Sathyameva jayathe”” is ok. But the question is, “”when does it really emerge victorious””? Until that time comes, evil forces hold sway over good ones. That is where we are led to believe in the theory of past karmas. One who comes into this earth with a load of past sins has to suffer till they are washed off, even though he may be a virtuous person in this birth. In the same manner, one who has accumulated punyam or the benefit of good deeds in the past, will continue to enjoy fruits of his past good deeds till they are exhausted even though he indulges in bad deeds.
Again we are led to Bharthrihari’s words “””Bheemam vanam bhavathi thasya puram pradhaanam/ Sarvo janah sujanathaam upayaathi thasya// Krithsna cha bhoorbhavathi sannidhirathnapoorna/ Yasyaassthi poorvasukritham vipulam narasya// ( To that person who has vast poosravapunyam,even the dense forest becomes (as comfortable as) his capital city, all people will be good to him, the entire earth will be full of gems and gold)””
What Bharthrihari has not mentioned in this sloka is the fact that very often such persons become arrogant over a period of time and indulge in bad deeds. But he makes up for it in the sloka quoted earlier. The evils of excessive prosperity are more dangerous than those of poverty. One should be very fortunate to be level-headed and good even in times of prosperity.
My prayer in this birth has always been that, come what may, I should not develop unhealthy and socially unacceptable temptations and desires which have a tendency to snow-ball, nor should I be associated with people who have these. Probably some of these can be fulfilled only through unethical means. Even if I live and die in penury and misery, let me not swerve from the path of virtue traversed by noble souls. Let me firmly hold on to the advice “”Sprihaneeyagunairmahaathmabhischarithe Varthmani yacchhathaam Manah/ Vidhihethurahethuraagasaam vinipaathoapi samah samunnatheh”” (May the mind be bestowed on the virtuous path traversed by great persons. Even failure which is attributable to Fate (circumstances beyond one’s control) and not to mistakes on ones part are to be considered as equal to success.””

I do realize that I have touched upon two distinct aspects in the write up viz. i) that all our actions, utterances and even thought processes are under constant surveillance by certain forces and none can escape reward or retribution as the case may be, which Fate meets out to each person based on the surveillance; and,
ii) the results of our past karmas follow us in the present birth; hence it is unwise to be excessively elated at our successes and “”lose our heads”” and it is unnecessary to become too much depressed and “”lose our hearts”” if things do not work out in our favour.
May be, I should have put them in two issues. But I am not enunciating any new concept. I have only tried to re-state what is known to most people, but which people tend to forget often. So long as readers find the matter useful, I shall be satisfied.
P.G.KRISHNAMOORTHY
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