God Promise

There were more God fearing people in olden days than those that we find in this modern era. In olden days, there were a few courts, police, and educated people and people were more superstitious also. So to arrive at a truth, to deliver a judgment etc people were making use of “God Promise” in olden days. "God promise " was serving numerous purposes in those days. Many dealings were taking place only on "God promise" too. Under what circumstances one was making use of” God promise”we cannot even imagine now. It was a tool or modus during those days. There were a few occasions when it was not used. It was making its presence almost every sphere. Whether it was during quarrels, anger, sorrow, self defence , or revenge . It was a way of life. It was indispesable. It was faith or belief that was forcing one follow this path of accepting or vouching a God promise to find solution to their vexed problem or disputes. “God promise “was very much in vogue in those days. Day by day the belief in the concept “God promise” is waning. God promise is not a promise by Him. It is a vouching by an individual. It is a swearing by an individual and bringing God in between. It is still in vogue. It is not God’s promise. It is a psychological weapon too. It affects some people psychologically. It is God promise in English, Kasam in Hindi, Allah ki Kasam in Urdu, Devarane in Kannada. Some bring in between father, mother, child and themselves too while vouching or swearing. It is a practice.

Some say “God promise”in a lighter vein or jocularly and some say “God promise seriously. Some say “God promise” after every word they utter to make us believe what they say is only truth. In fact, such people say nothing but truth. In fact, “God promise” should guarantee or ensure us performance, truth etc as promised. A “God promise” depends more upon an individual. “God promise” is obtained even now-a-days in courts of law, so as to make us tell only truth and nothing but truth. Petitioners as well as defendants vouch there. Why witnesses on either side vouch too. Unfortunately, only a few tell a truth there.

A very popular folk song in my place of domicile tells us how a cow kept up its promise. The story of cow is as follows:-

There was a cow called Punyakothi in the livestock of a farmer called Kalinga. It once went to nearby forest for grazing along with other cows. A tiger by name Arbutha lived in that forest. It was very hungry. It was eagerly waiting for a prey. The tiger suddenly attacked the cows. All the cows except Punyakothi escaped from the jaws of death. Punyakothi was the sole prey to the tiger .When the tiger was about to eat Punyakothi, Punyakothi begged the tiger to let it go home for one last time because it had promised its young one to breast feed. Punyakothi promised to the tiger to come back after fulfilling that task unfailingly. The tiger relied on its promise and let it go. Punyakothi after feeding its young one comes back to the tiger to keep up its promise .It offers itself as a prey to tiger. The tiger was amazed with sincerity of Punyakothi. Instead of jumping on Punyakothi, it feels disgusted and commits suicide. It is a very beautiful and emotional story.

The story conveys us how animals are better than human beings at times. Even Shakespeare in his play “Hamlet” says "A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears: --why she, even she-- O, God! A beast, that wants discourse of reason.Would have mourned longer " Here he feels that human beings are in some respect worse than animals.

We worship God. We hold God in high esteem. God never threatens anybody. His is only an awe inspiring personally. It is by bringing in His name in between through “God promise” one threatens another normally. Recently, we had been to an astrologer. He is a famous astrologer of our time. He is a busy man. One has to take an appointment and go to him. He is an aged and moneyed man too. He is very simple and honest man. He devotes his entire time and energy in trying to solve problems of people who approach him. After listening to our woes patiently, after referring to various books and calculations, he observed that a “God promise” is pending fulfillment in our family. The “God promise” pertained to the period of my grand father. It is more than hundred years old. This fact made me realize people have been relying on “God promise” in our country from time immemorial. Our astrologer advised all of us to visit Dharmasthala along with oldest male and female members of our family and seek guidance from temple authorities. As such, we visited Dharmasthala. Thousands of people from nook and corner of the country visit Dharmasthala every day. It is a pilgrim center. Hundreds of people among those people come there to get relief from “God promise” which either they vouched or their ancestors vouched. Managing trustee of temple at Dharmasthala is called “Heggade”. He listens to everybody patiently and advises everybody suitably as how to come out of their woes. In fact one is fined for not keeping up one’s “God promise” here. Similarly people visit Tirupathi to get relief from “God promise.” The contributions of offenders of “God promise” to corpuses of temples are quite substantial in India. What havoc “God promise” plays! To know this one has to visit important shrines like Dharmasthala.

Anything which is imbibed in a human being takes time to leave them. That remains a part and parcel of a human being. That does not leave one easily. Even though, we are in 21 st century, we have not completely abandoned this old practice of obtaining a “God promise”. It is definitely more powerful than an ordinary promise even to-day. A child does not stop crying with a promise it wants a “God promise ” only. We cannot imagine even how many secrets might have gone under the carpet because of “God promise”. Even now a drunkard’s wife or mother or a gambler’s wife or mother insists on a “God promise” from their husband or son as the case is. Sometimes only, it clicks. Generally, it is a futile exercise. The addiction and company makes the drunkard or gambler to forget their “God promise”. A dying person to die peacefully insists on a “God promise” from close relatives regarding one or another important matter concerning welfare of their family. If we visit a shopping center how many God promises we come across? Many shopkeepers sell their products with one or another “God promise”. Some vouch that they have given us at cost price. Some vouch that there is no deception either in weights or measure. Unfortunately, majority of those shopkeepers bluff only. Similarly there are a good number of people who make use of “God promise” abundantly during their conversations to assert themselves. That is how we come across “God promise” I speak the truth. “God promise “you are really beautiful etc while in conversation with such people. A liar generally makes hundreds of God promise a day. We cannot believe anyone of his or her “God promises”. This tool they use to fool other people to borrow money etc. Similarly we cannot trust God promise given by enemy, thief, dacoit, etc. If an honest man gives “a God promise” and is unable to keep it up. His conscious pricks him. He feels guilty but that is not the case with rogues. Wherever dishonesty exceeds honesty “God promise” does not carry any weight at all.

I remember to have come across a number of “God promises” during school days. After doing wrongs some used to defend themselves with a “God promise”. Such instances comprised of especially he or she stealing a pen, or lying or backstabbing, or carrying a tale from one to another. They never used to accept their fault. Why in our life we come across such people who never accept their fault at all.

Some have the habit of making numerous “God promise” to get their job done. Once they get the job accomplished, majority of such people forget not only “God promises” but also they do not remain grateful even. Similarly in love, lovers make numerous “God promise” between them. Question is how many among those promises one would keep up. One seldom thinks before making a promise whether it could be kept up or not. At that time one would have nothing in their mind other than getting their objective fulfilled. Majority of them do not abide by what they promise. As a result, we are in a dilemma whether to believe God or promise or not to believe both God and promise. One who is slowest in making a promise is most faithful in its performance. Further one that promises most will perform least. A promise depends more on an individual than on God. There are individuals in this world who are prepared to die even just to keep up what they have promised.