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3.
There is a beautiful story in the Upanishads which is
relevant here. Once the devas (bright gods), the danavas
(dark gods) and the men, all went to Prajapati (the Creator) for
advice, Prajapati gave all three of them the same word of advice,
the one syllable "da". The bright gods said,
"We devas are self-indulgent; the taste for sensual
pleasures has taken hold for us.
So Brahma, by the sound
'da' has told us to acquire 'damana'
(self-control)." The dark gods said, "We danavas
are now very prone to anger, and hard-hearted; the Creator has
advised us, by the sound 'da', to cultivate 'daya'
(compassion)." The men said, "We men are given to greed,
and have become mad after piling up wealth; by saying 'da'
Prajapati has advised us to practice 'dana' (giving of
gifts).
" The Creator
approved of all their interpretations, because they had arrived at
their meaning in terms of the Gita. We should bear in mind this
story from the Upanishads.
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