Passage 5

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

The government too must strive with determination to set this situation right. We must not give bribes, nor take them. With your own strength and ability you must achieve your task. Love those who are a little lower than you.

You were born to uphold the glory of the motherland

Today, whatever temple you go to, the priest there puts a plate before the devotees. The devotees drop some dakṣiṇā into it and take the prasādam. We do not want this dakṣiṇā; we do not want alms. If anyone begs for alms in this way, you who are educated, go up to them: ‘Dear one! You are a son of Mother Bharata. For you, her son, to beg for alms like this is not right,’ teach them so. Again, some people come out with a few coins in their pockets, meaning to give them to beggars. This is not a good thing. ‘Well, they have begged, after all,’ and so to give a few small coins to the one who asked and feel pleased about it: that is no greatness. That beggar took a few coins from you as alms, but how much of the mother's glory he is destroying! So you must protect the mother's honour. You have come to uphold the glory of your motherland. One who cannot uphold his mother's name: what use is it that he was born? So we must strive to uphold the mother's name. Our children now and then sing the story of the Rāmāyaṇa. In it Lava and Kuśa, seeing their mother Sītā sunk in grief: ‘Mother! Why are you shedding streams of tears? Do you think that we are merely dependent on others? No, no. We are ones who surpass even Rāma. If you shed streams of tears, the very fortune of the country will perish. You must not shed tears. We are here. Staking even our lives, we will protect you. So do not shed streams of tears,’ they said. Sons like these have become very few today. Wherever you look, weakness! Weakness!