STRESS

PUNISHMENT
AND

PRAYASHCHITTA

DR.
SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR
STRESS is normal. But its mismanagement is abnormal.

Sometimes we hear in TV programs that STRESS is not

normal. Then they advocate increase in inner strength
(assuming the cancerous growth in external pressure to
be normal)! They talk about; the ratio (External
pressure/resilience; or inner strength); to be the most
important thing!

Even as it appears heroic and attractive to say what

irrespective of the extent of stress we should conquer it
by our inner strength; it is a middle class; subjective,
superficial, shallow and hence erroneous comprehension
of STRESS; leading obviously to grossly inadequate and
piecemeal and ineffective solution of; “so called increase
in inner strength”.

The inner strength is given so much importance that

there is total neglect of the stress produced right from
conception to death and at conscious, subconscious and
unconscious levels; both inside and outside!

The inner strength is important but not for continuing to

face or escape from the same cancerous stress as today,
but for changing the inner and outer environment so as
to blossom and individual and the universe; with holistic
solutions as discussed in my books and articles on Total
Stress Management.

One of the important concepts to be changed is that of

laws pertaining to PUNISHMENT, with deeper insight
into the concept of PRAYASHCHITTA.

CRIMES

Crimes are judged by the laws of rulers. Hence they are

not necessarily immoral or against the individual and
global blossoming. Thus freedom fighters are judged as
criminals by the rulers but NOT by the posterity.

Often; the criminals escape the police action and

punishment.

PUNISHMENT

Punishment, deterrent or formative; is judgmental and

has element of contempt. All punishments are not
necessarily legal (because of possible human error and
circumstantial peculiarities) and not necessarily moral or
conducive to individual and global blossoming; because
of defective legal provisions.
SINS

Sins are due to incorrect perception, affect and conation;

and can be in the form of errors, mistakes, blunders,
misdeeds and crimes; being destructive to self or others
and make you increasingly unconscious i.e. oblivious of
Truth.

All sins are not necessarily illegal, because there may be

many sins not yet considered and made suitable
provisions of punishments by the laws.

PRAYASHCHITTA

PRAYASHCHITTA is any action that wakes you up to

the realization of Truth.

The PRAYASHCHITTA is a studied provision so as to

enforce an action on the guilty to rise; above his/her
deficiencies, defects or perversions and achieve
individual and blossoming.

TRUTH
ABSOLUTE TRUTH is beyond words, but is the bright,
buoyant and blissful state of universal connectivity and
unity that inspires and motivates us; to develop holistic
perspective, policies, and programs of universal
benevolence; and implement them.

TRUTH may be termed as experience, which is

attainable through a variety of activities termed
SADHANA and CONDUCT described in DHARMA
SHASTRA.

In view of these observations; punishments need to be

evolved.

The experts in the field of laws, justice, administration,

crime psychology and jails (in consultation with leaders
in different fields); can evolve the finer details of NEW
punishments with deeper and comparative study of
various punishments and PRAYASHCHITTAs; and
their impact in personal and social life.

Some simple suggestions to initiate the process of such

development here are few preliminary suggestions.

1) Persons throwing litter in public place should be made

to clean it for a specific period of time.

2) People cutting trees; should be enforced to plant ten

times the number; he/she felled or alternatively; serve in
nurseries or farms by watering the plants or doing other
jobs.

3) Those who break the traffic rule; should be made to do

manual labor; such as construction work, sweeping,
painting, carrying goods; and so on; in traffic control
departments, such as.

4) Those involved in wastage of water, electricity, food

etc. should be made to starve; for certain period.

5) A doctor found guilty of negligence should be made to

treat hundred times the number of cases of negligence;
free of cost.

6) A clerk found guilty of irresponsibility, absenteeism,

irregularity, indiscipline, insubordination etc. should be
made to work ten times more; without any additional
allowances.

7) Students found copying should be made to participate

in adult literacy programs.

8) The people involved in adulteration of food or drugs;

should be made to work as sweepers and scavengers in
hospitals and dispensaries.
9) People making false or deceptive advertisements
making tall and false claims; should be enforced to
publicly confess, apologize broadcast the truth ten times
more frequently.

10) People found in corruption should be made to clean

the public latrines and gutters.

11) People spoiling the walls in city or town; or

displaying placards, banners, hoardings should be made
to wash linen and clothes in hospitals; apart from
sweeping the roads.

12) We can appreciate that these punishments have the

element of being deterrent as well as formative. They are
free of prejudice and vendetta. They serve to blossom the
individual and the society.

13) The organizations not providing facility for the

crèche and/or breast feeding in working place, should be
made to serve in clean toilets in the orphanages.

14) The teachers found defaulters in their duty; should

be made to clean the toilets in the schools.

15) In general all the punishments should be coupled

with practice of NAMASMARAN and PRANAYAM.