G

Jul 5

There is an idiom in Hindi,
'नेकी कर दरिया में डाल'
(Be discreet with your kindness)

It simply means, 'Don't brag about charity.' The charity that one hand gives, the other hand should not even know about it.

But nowadays people click pictures of such occasions and send them to newspapers and post them on various social media to get publicity. And ironically, the world rewards and recognises those who shout from the rooftops about their charity and kindness.

In this connection, I share an anecdote about Abdul Rahim. Rahim, also known as Khan-i-Khanan was one of the nine important ministers (also known as Navaratnas) in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Rahim was very famous in Hindi literature and had also written many books. He was a Krishna devotee and wrote about Lord Krishna.

Rahim was also known for his charity. No one could match him in giving charity. No one used to leave empty handed from his place, but his way of giving alms to the poor was unique. While giving alms, he never looked at the person, but kept his gaze down in all humility.

When one of his contemporary poets
saw Rahim's unique behaviour while giving alms, he promptly wrote a couplet and sent it to Rahim:

ऐसी देनी देन जु, कित सीखे हो सेन।
ज्यों ज्यों कर ऊंचो करो, त्यों त्यों निचे नैन।।

(हे रहीम, तुम ऐसा दान देना कहाँ से सीखे हो? जैसे जैसे तुम्हारे हाथ ऊपर उठते हैं, वैसे वैसे तुम्हारी नज़रें नीचे क्यूँ झुक जाती हैं?)
(Hey Rahim, where did you learn to give alms like this? Why do your eyes look down as your hands go up?)

Realising that the learned poet friend was well aware of the reasons behind his actions, and was giving him only an opportunity to say a few lines in reply, he replied:-

"देनहार कोई और है, भेजत जो दिन रैन।
लोग भरम हम पर करे, तासो निचे नैन"।।

(देने वाला तो कोई और है, जो दिन रात वस्तुएं भेज रहा है, परन्तु लोग यह समझते हैं कि मैं दे रहा हूँ। यह सोच कर मुझे शर्म आ जाती है और मेरी आँखे नीचे झुक जाती हैं।)
(The Giver is someone else, who gives day and night, but the world thinks I'm the giver. So I lower my eyes in embarrassment.)

While donating or helping someone, we should not have arrogance but a sense of humility. This should be the spirit of charity, because God is the giver of all.

Rahim, therefore, believed that:

'रहिमन' गली है सांकरी, दूजो नहिं ठहराहिं।
आपु अहै, तो हरि नहीं, हरि, तो आपुन नाहिं॥

(भक्ति की गली बहुत संकरी है, दो का एक साथ चलना असंभव है। यदि कोई चाहे कि अभिमान और भगवान दोनों सड़क पर एक साथ चलें, तो यह संभव नहीं है।)
(The lane of devotion is very narrow, it is impossible for two to walk together. If someone wants that both his pride and God should walk together in the street, it is not possible.)

Although publicity may be a genuine way to gain visibility and credibility in the public eye, prompting more people to come forward to donate and support a cause, one can easily spot egotistical or self-obsessed behavior.

Humble people do things of kindness without expecting anything in return, even gratitude. After all, actions speak louder than words.