Children Should be spiritually Strong

Meaning: According to the line of Yajurved 33/77 – for the benefit and welfare of the children their parents should make them spiritually strong by giving spiritual and other excellent education.

Message: When man gives birth to children, then naturally it is his responsibility to look after them, to educate them, to have them religiously initiated, to get them married and to help them to earn their livelihood. It is proper for a man to arrange for the nourishment, clothing, and education and look after their health during the childhood and teenage of his children and help them to stand on their feet so that they can be physically and mentally independent in future. It is the duty of the elders and parents to provide nutritious diet, proper education, simply healthy entertainment and proper friends to the children. Such media and atmosphere should be provided to them for improving their qualities, deeds and nature, that they get the direction for becoming cultured gentlemen. An elder who does not carry out this duty should be considered a criminal for neglecting his duty. If because of their indulgence, the children become lazy, given to luxurious habits, fond of only tasty food, arrogant, rude and wicked, then they have done injustice to their children by such ruinous indulgence.

After the birth of a child, the entire condition of the house should be such that there should be no possibility of dirtiness, malice, impudence and immorality. Everyone must carefully keep this in mind. Like a very skilful and sensitive spy, the child goes on constantly observing our conduct and dealings and learns many things. His nature will be formed only on the basis of whatever is taught to him during this period, and on his growing up, his future will be shaped accordingly. For those understanding this fact, it becomes an unavoidable duty to control their wicked tendencies, create gentle conditions of goodwill and good behavior and willingly give up whatever is necessary to be rejected. Parents should not quarrel and have maximum restraint ON SEX SO THAT THEY DO NOT FIND THEIR CHILDREN GETTING SPOILT.

The education of the children is not dependent on lectures and advice, but on imitation. Their tender mind is incapable of understanding long sermons of advice, but their heart is completely capable of understanding and accepting whatever is happening. Therefore, whatever has to be taught to them must be actually demonstrated to them. Now the ancient ‘gurukul system’ does not exist. (In the gurukul system, the child used to live with the teacher in his hermitage in the jungles up to the time of his youth and learn from him). Today there is no atmosphere of good character and culture in the school, colleges and the streets. The children are bombarded with only bad thinking and bad culture from all sides. Therefore it becomes necessary in such a situation that the atmosphere in the home must be extremely clean, peaceful, and full of gentle and moral conduct, so that the children get inspiration for adopting good qualities.