Satyam, Sivam, Sundaram Part - II

Continued From The First Part

Beauty is ever new: Kalidasa, the famous poet said - That which is fresh and new every moment is beautiful (ksne ksne navatam upaiti, tadeva rupam ramaniyatayah). A child gets up looking so fresh and beautiful each morning. The morning air is always fresh and rejuvenating.

Each day, the sunrise and sunset are new and beautiful. Nature reveals new aspects each day. It has an inherent ability to rejuvenate itself and is therefore always beautiful. The Ramayana says that when the Lord Rama came to live in Pancavati, each day Nature became more and more beautiful (dina dina prati ati boya suhae). It is indeed the presence of the Lord that gives beauty to all.

There is charm and beauty in a relationship when there is freshness and newness. Otherwise it becomes repetitive, boring and stale. Freshness remains with the discovery of new aspects of a person or relationship and deeper beauty of the mind and soul.

Health is Beauty: Only a healthy person looks beautiful. In spite of the best clothes and make up, we do not look our best, when ill.

Beauty creates love within: Etymologically, "Sundaram" means perceiving or thinking about which our heart melts in love is beauty. Beauty creates love and love creates a beautiful feeling within. A person in love looks beautiful and a beautiful person invokes love. When we love a person, we think everything about him or her is beautiful: Others may wonder, but after all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Beauty invokes love, which in turn makes us happy, soft, gentle, caring, peaceful and pure. A strong man melts within at the sight of his newborn child or even the thought of it. His face softens and his words are tender when he talks of his child.

Beauty prompts movements towards the object of beauty : Since beauty is joy-giving, man is naturally attracted mentally and physically towards that which is beautiful. Even great sages, meditating on the formless Truth, were irresistibly drawn to the beautiful form of Sri Rama as He was passing through the forest. The Gopis followed Krishna where ever He went. Ugliness on the other hand creates disgust and revulsion, and a movement away from that which is ugly.

Outer or physical beauty can be Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic. Sattvic beauty is natural, more lasting, refreshing, elevating, peace-giving and soothing. It can unburden and quieten us, whereas Rajasic or Tamasic beauty is more fleeting, superficial, exhausting, artificial and degrading. It creates craving, passion, agitation, greed and tension and completely enslaves us.

The world gives great importance to outer or physical beauty. The beauty industry with its beauty clinics, beauty parlours, fashion houses, cosmetic industries, health clubs, jewellery shops etc is prospering. Everyone is out to conquer the world through their looks, smart clothes and fast talk. It does have its impact. Many fall in love at first sight and live to regret on second thought.

To be continued

About the author

Swami Tejomayananda

Swami Tejomayananda, the Chairman and spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, is one of the foremost disciples of Swami Chinmayananda. He is an outstanding teacher of Vedanta and an accomplished poet, author, and composer.