National Integration Through Thirukkural And Sanskrit
Covid Warriors
The world is in the grip of a global pandemic, Corona / Covid-19.
India is responding to the above pandemic in a systematic manner. Given the nature of the pandemic, country’s geographical spread, demographic profile, political and socio-economic factors, the challenges are even stiffer in India, than in other Countries.
Three professions are in the fore-front of the fight against the Pandemic.
- Doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals
- Policemen performing round the clock patrolling duties
- Sanitation Workers involved in cleaning of streets and collection of garbage
These Warriors have been doing an excellent and an unenviable job in the fight against the Pandemic. These warriors even stay away from their families including their new-born, to ensure that, they are available round-the-clock to provide medical service. The government is providing the required support services to safeguard them from being transmitted with infection due to their proximity to the patients. There have been logistical challenges in the supply of equipment and provision of testing facilities. The Government is continually working on a war-footing to address these shortcomings.
Unfortunately, given their proximity to the sources of infection, instances of the above three categories of Warriors being infected by the Virus, is now being reported.
There have been instances of people, subjecting these warriors to harassment, without understanding their anxieties and difficulties involved in their fight of the pandemic.
Covid Warriors have been
- shunned by neighbourhood for fear of being infected
- discriminated by the landlords and evicted from their place of residence
- subject to general ostracism
- subject to physical violence
A doctor who died, after getting infected with Virus in the course of treatment of patients was refused cremation by the local residents fearing risk of transmission of infection.
The above instances demonstrate that, some people do not think rationally and are extremely self-centered.
In spite of the above instances, which can have a demoralizing effect on one’s mental resolve, these warriors have not shied away from the fight. They say that they do not consider this a work, but an opportunity to help fellow human-beings and see it a service to God.
Thiruvalluvar in his couplet 244 says that “Nothing threatens the life of a person who cultivates the attitude of gracious sympathy to preserve and protect all living beings”
மன்னுயிர் ஓம்பி அருளாள்வார்க்கு இல்லென்ப
தன்னுயிர் அஞ்சும் வினை
Mann-uyir Ombi Arul-aalvaarkku Ill-enba
Thann-uyir Anjum Vinai
உலகில் உள்ள உயிர்களிடம் அன்பு கொண்டு அவற்றைப் பேணி வளர்ப்பவருக்குத் தன் உயிர் பற்றி அஞ்சும் நிலை ஏற்படாது
பரிமேலழகர் உரை:
மன்உயிர் ஓம்பி அருள் ஆள்வாற்கு – நிலைபேறுடைய உயிர்களைப் பேணி அவற்றின்கண் அருளுடையன் ஆவானுக்கு, தன் உயிர் அஞ்சும் வினை இல் என்ப – தன் உயிர் அஞ்சுதற்கு ஏதுவாகிய தீவினைகள் உளவாகா என்று சொல்லுவர் அறிந்தோர். (உயிர்கள் எல்லாம் நித்தம் ஆகலின், ‘மன் உயிர்’ என்றார். அஞ்சுதல்- துன்பம் நோக்கி அஞ்சுதல். அன்ன அறத்தினோன் கொலை முதலிய பாவங்கள் செய்யான் எனவே மறுமைக்கண் நரகம் புகாமைக்கு ஏது கூறியவாறாயிற்று.)
Sanskrit Translation by Shri S.N.Srirama Desikan
ரக்ஷணாத் ஸர்வஜந்தூனாம் த³யாயாஶ்ச ப்ரத³ர்ஶனாத்
நரோ ந லபதே நூனம் து³ஷ்கர்ம நரகப்ரத³ம்
sanskritroots.com 