Mercy

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

He said: My Lord! Have mercy on me and on my brother; bring us into Thy mercy, Thou the Most Merciful of all who show mercy.

Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, and that Allah is Clement, Merciful, (ye had been undone).

Degrees of rank from Him, and forgiveness and mercy. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

"'Yudhishthira said, "Who else save thee, O grinder of foes, not excepting the thunder-wielding Purandara himself, could have withstood the brahmastras hurled by Drona and Karna! It was through thy grace that the Samsaptakas were vanquished! It was through thy grace that Partha had never to turn back from even the fiercest of encounters! Similarly, it was through thy grace, O mighty-armed one, that I myself, with my posterity, have, by accomplishing diverse acts one after another, obtained the auspicious end of prowess and energy! At Upaplavya, the great rishi Krishna-Dvaipayana told me that thither is Krishna where righteousness is, and thither is victory where Krishna is!"'

“‘“‘Rudra said, “Be inclined to grace. O lord of the universe, cherish not the wrath for the destruction of creatures. No more let creatures, immobile and mobile, be destroyed. Through thy grace, O illustrious one, let the threefold universe, viz., the Future, the Past, and the Present exist. Thou, O Lord, hadst blazed up with wrath. From that wrath of thine, a substance like fire sprang into existence. That fire is even now blasting rocks and trees and rivers, and all kinds of herbs and grass. Indeed, that fire is exterminating the immobile and the mobile universe. The mobile and the immobile universe is being reduced to ashes. Be inclined to grace, O illustrious one! Do not give way to wrath. Even this is the boon I solicit. All created things, O divine Being, belonging to thee, are being destroyed. Therefore, let thy wrath be appeased. Let it be annihilated in thy own self. Cast thy eye on thy creatures, inspired with the desire of doing them good. Do that by which creatures endued with life may not cease to be. Let not these creatures, with their productive powers weakened be exterminated. O Creator of the worlds, thou hast appointed me their Protector, O Lord of the universe, let not the mobile and the immobile universe to be destroyed. Thou art inclined to grace, and it is for this that I say these words unto thee.”’

Through persistent hopefulness and firm resolution and the grace of the great god, the fruits of one's acts are obtained without delay. Behold, the combination of circumstances and the resolution of those kinsmen. While they were crying with agonised hearts, their tears were wiped and dried up. Behold, how within only a short time, through their steadiness of resolution, they obtained the grace of Sankara, and their afflictions dispelled, they were made happy. Indeed, through Sankara's grace, O chief of the Bharatas, those sorrowing kinsmen were filled with amazement and delight at the restoration of their child to life. Then, O king, casting off that grief of which their child had been the cause, those Brahmanas, filled with delight, quickly went back to their town taking the restored child with them. Behaviour like this has been laid down for all the four orders. By frequently listening to this auspicious story fraught with virtue, profit, and salvation, a man obtains happiness both here and hereafter."'"

For Chryses sought with costly gifts to gain His captive daughter from the victor’s chain. Suppliant the venerable father stands; Apollo’s awful ensigns grace his hands: By these he begs; and lowly bending down, Extends the sceptre and the laurel crown. He sued to all, but chief implored for grace The brother-kings, of Atreus’ royal race[46]

He said, nor answer’d Priam’s warlike son; When Helen thus with lowly grace begun:

“Have mercy on me, O my son! revere The words of age; attend a parent’s prayer! If ever thee in these fond arms I press’d, Or still’d thy infant clamours at this breast; Ah do not thus our helpless years forego, But, by our walls secured, repel the foe. Against his rage if singly thou proceed, Should’st thou, (but Heaven avert it!) should’st thou bleed, Nor must thy corse lie honour’d on the bier, Nor spouse, nor mother, grace thee with a tear! Far from our pious rites those dear remains Must feast the vultures on the naked plains.”

As thus the monarch wept and wailed, And maddening grief his heart assailed, The sun had sought his resting-place, And night was closing round apace. But yet the moon-crowned night could bring No comfort to the wretched king. As still he mourned with burning sighs And fixed his gaze upon the skies: "O Night whom starry fires adorn, I long not for the coming morn. Be kind and show some mercy: see, My suppliant hands are raised to thee. Nay, rather fly with swifter pace; No longer would I see the face Of Queen Kaikeyi, cruel, dread, Who brings this woe upon mine head." Again with suppliant hands he tried To move the queen, and wept and sighed: "To me, unhappy me, inclined To good, sweet dame, thou shouldst be kind; Whose life is well-nigh fled, who cling To thee for succour, me thy king. This, only this, is all my claim: Have mercy, O my lovely dame. None else have I to take my part, Have mercy: thou art good at heart. Hear, lady of the soft black eye, And win a name that ne'er shall die: Let Rama rule this glorious land, The gift of thine imperial hand. O lady of the dainty waist, With eyes and lips of beauty graced, Please Rama, me, each saintly priest, Bharat, and all from chief to least." She heard his wild and mournful cry, She saw the tears his speech that broke, Saw her good husband's reddened eye, But, cruel still, no word she spoke. His eyes upon her face he bent, And sought for mercy, but in vain: She claimed his darling's banishment, He swooned upon the ground again.

Then to the full assembly bowed The monarch, and addressed the crowd With gracious speech, in accents loud As heavenly drum or thunder-cloud:

By Bharadvaja thus addressed, Rama whose kind and tender breast All living things would bless and save, In gracious words his answer gave:

b That auspicious form of thine, O Rudra, Auspicious and ever healing, Auspicious and healing (form of) Rudra, With that show mercy on us for life. c This prayer we offer up to the impetuous Rudra, With plaited hair, destroyer of men, That health be for our bipeds and quadrupeds, And that all in this village be prosperous [1] and free from ill. d Be merciful to us, O Rudra, and give us delight; With honour let us worship thee, destroyer of men; The health and wealth which father Manu won by sacrifice, May we attain that, O Rudra, under thy leadership. e Neither our great, nor our small, Our waxing or what has waxed, Do thou slay, nor father nor mother; Injure not, O Rudra, our dear bodies [2]. f Harm us not in our children, our descendants, our life; Harm us not in our cattle, in our horses; Smite not in anger our heroes, O Rudra; With oblations lot us serve thee with honour. g From afar to thee, slayer of cows, and slayer of men, Destroyer of heroes, be goodwill for us; Guard us and accord us aid And grant us protection in abundance. h Praise [3] the famous youth, mounted on the chariot seat, Dread and destructive like a fierce wild beast; Being praised, O Rudra, be merciful to the singer; Let thy missiles smite down another than us. i May the missile of Rudra spare us, May the wrath of the brilliant evil worker (pass over us); Unstring for the generous donors (thy) strong (bows); O bounteous one, be merciful to our children and descendants. k O most bounteous, most auspicious, Be auspicious and favourably inclined to us; Placing down thy weapon on the highest tree, Clad in thy skin, come, And approach us bearing the spear [4]. 1 O blood-red scatterer, Homage to thee, O adorable one; May thy thousand missiles Smite down another than us. m A thousandfold in thousands Are the missiles in thine arms; O adorable one, do thou turn away The points of those which thou dost rule.

1 (May) the upright of the quarters, the bounteous region of the plants, And Savitr with the year of the days (aid us); The Revat Saman, and the Atichandas metre; Without a foe, be kindly to us. m O thou of the three-and-thirtyfold Stoma, lady of the world, Breathed on by Vivasvant, do thou be gracious to us [4]; Rich in ghee, O Savitr, through thy overlordship, Be the bounteous region rich in milk, for us. The firm among the quarters, lady of Visnu, the mild, Ruling over this strength, the desirable, Brhaspati, Matariçvan, Vayu, The winds blowing together be gracious to us. o Prop of the sky, supporter of the earth, Ruling this world, lady of Visnu, All-extending, seeking food, with prosperity, May Aditi be auspicious to us in her life. p Vaiçvanara to our help. q Present in the sky. r Us to-day Anumati. s O Anumati, thou. t With what to us radiant shall he be? u Who to-day yoketh?

2 Auspicious Friends to us be Bhaga, Sathsa, auspicious be Purandhi aid all Riches; 3 Kind unto us he Maker and Sustainer, and the far−reaching Pair with God−like natures. 4 Favour us Agni with his face of splendour, and Varuva and Mitra and the Asvins. 5 Early invoked, may Heaven and Earth be friendly, and Air's mid−region good for us to look on. 6 Be the God Indra with the Vasus friendly, and, with Adityas, Varuna who blesseth. 7 Blest unto us be Soma, and devotions, blest be the Sacrifice, the Stones for pressing. 8 May the far−seeing Sun rise up to bless us: be the four Quarters of the sky auspicious. 9 May Adid through holy works be gracioas, and may the Maruts, loud in song, be friendly. 10 Prosper us Savitar, the God who rescues, and let the radiant Mornings be propitious. 11 May all the fellowship of Gods befriend us, Sarasvati, with Holy Thoughts, be gracious. 12 May the great Lords of Truth protect and aid us: blest to us be our horses and our cattle. 13 May Aja−Ekapad, the God, be gracious, gracious the Dragon of the Deep, and Ocean. 14 So may the Rudras, Vasus, and Adityas accept the new hymn which we now are making. 15 They who of Holy Gods are very holy, Immortal, knowing Law, whom man must worship,−

2 All that is bare he covers o'er, all that is sick he medicines; 3 Thou, Soma, givest wide defence against the hate of alien men, 4 Thou by thine insight and thy skill, Impetuous One, from heaven and earth 5 When to their task they come with zeal, may they obtain the Giver's grace, 6 So may he find what erst was lost, so may be speed the pious man, 7 Gracious, displaying tender love, unconquered, gentle in thy thoughts, 8 O Soma, terrify us not; strike us not with alarm, O King: 9 When in my dwelling−place I see the wicked enemies of Gods,

2 Foremost be he who brings thee food, O Mitra, who strives to keep thy sacred Law, Aditya. 3 joying in sacred food and free from sickness, with knees bent lowly on the earth's broad surface, 4 Auspicious and adorable, this Mitra was born with fair dominion, King, Disposer. 5 The great Aditya, to be served with wor. ship, who stirreth men, is gracious to the singer. 6 The gainful grace of Mitra,. God, supporter of the race of man, 7 Mitra whose glory spreads afar, he who in might surpasses heaven, 8 All the Five Races have repaired to Mitra, ever strong to aid, 9 Mitra to Gods, to living men, to him who strews the holy grass,

Arjuna. Now would I hear, O gracious Kesava![FN#26] Of Life which seems, and Soul beyond, which sees, And what it is we know-or think to know.

Sanjaya. Hearing mighty Keshav's word, Tremblingly that helmed Lord Clasped his lifted palms, and--praying Grace of Krishna--stood there, saying, With bowed brow and accents broken, These words, timorously spoken:

Be merciful, and show The visage that I know; Let me regard Thee, as of yore, arrayed With disc and forehead-gem, With mace and anadem, Thou that sustainest all things! Undismayed

Tao has of all things the most honoured place. No treasures give good men so rich a grace; Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.

O Pushan! O Sun, sole traveller of the heavens, controller of all, son of Prajapati, withdraw Thy rays and gather up Thy burning effulgence. Now through Thy Grace I behold Thy blessed and glorious form. The Purusha (Effulgent Being) who dwells within Thee, I am He.

Thy spirit, O lord of cattle, is within the waters, to strengthen thee the heavenly waters flow. 25. The dolphins, great serpents (boas), purîkayas (water-animals), sea-monsters, fishes, ragasas at which thou shootest-there exists for thee, O Bhava, no distance, and no barrier. At a glance thou lookest around the entire earth; from the eastern thou slayest in the northern ocean. 26. Do not, O Rudra, contaminate us with fever, or with poison, or with heavenly fire: cause this lightning to descend elsewhere than upon us! 27. Bhava rules the sky, Bhava rules the earth; Bhava has filled the broad: atmosphere. Reverence be to him in whatever direction from here (he abides)! 28. O king Bhava, be merciful to thy worshipper, for thou art the lord of living beasts! He who believes the gods exist, to his quadruped and biped be merciful! 29. Slay neither our great nor our small; neither those of us that are riding, nor those that shall ride; neither our father, nor our mother. Cause no injury, O Rudra, to our own persons! 30. To Rudra's howling dogs, who swallow their food without blessing, who have wide jaws, I have made this obeisance. 31. Reverence, O god, be to thy shouting hosts, reverence to thy long-haired, reverence to thy reverenced, reverence to thy devouring hosts! May well-being and security be to us!

Upon whom the seers of yore, that created the beings, brought forth with their songs the cows, they the seven active (priests), by means of the satra-offerings, the sacrifices, and (their) creative fervour (tapas);-- 40. May this earth point out to us the wealth that we-crave; may Bhaga (fortune) add his help, may Indra come here as (our) champion! 41. The earth upon whom the noisy mortals sing and dance, upon whom they fight, upon whom resounds the roaring drum, shall drive forth our enemies, shall make us free from rivals! 42. To the earth upon whom are food, and rice and barley, upon whom live these five races of men, to the earth, the wife of Parganya, that is fattened by rain, be reverence! 43. The earth upon whose ground the citadels constructed by the gods unfold themselves, every region of her that is the womb of all, Pragâpati shall make pleasant for us! 44. The earth that holds treasures manifold in secret places, wealth, jewels, and gold shall she give to me; she that bestows wealth liberally, the kindly goddess, wealth shall she bestow upon 45. The earth that holds people of manifold varied speech, of different customs, according to their habitations, as a reliable milch-cow that does not kick, shall she milk for me a thousand streams of wealth! 46. The serpent, the scorpion with thirsty fangs, that hibernating torpidly lies upon thee; the worm, and whatever living thing, O earth, moves in the rainy season, shall, when it creeps, not creep upon us: with what is auspicious (on thee) be gracious to us! 47. Thy many paths upon which people go, thy tracks for chariots and wagons to advance, upon which both good and evil men proceed, this road, free from enemies, and free from thieves, may we gain: with what is auspicious (on thee) be gracious to us! 48. The earth holds the fool and holds the wise, endures that good and bad dwell (upon her); she keeps company with the boar, gives herself up to the wild hog. 49.

“Stranger,” said he, “how suddenly you have changed from what you were a moment or two ago. You are dressed differently and your colour is not the same. Are you some one or other of the gods that live in heaven? If so, be propitious to me till I can make you due sacrifice and offerings of wrought gold. Have mercy upon me.”

“Hear me, O King, whoever you may be, and save me from the anger of the sea-god Neptune, for I approach you prayerfully. Any one who has lost his way has at all times a claim even upon the gods, wherefore in my distress I draw near to your stream, and cling to the knees of your riverhood. Have mercy upon me, O king, for I declare myself your suppliant.”

“Sir, and all of you, farewell. Make your drink-offerings and send me on my way rejoicing, for you have fulfilled my heart’s desire by giving me an escort, and making me presents, which heaven grant that I may turn to good account; may I find my admirable wife living in peace among friends,109 and may you whom I leave behind me give satisfaction to your wives and children;110 may heaven vouchsafe you every good grace, and may no evil thing come among your people.”