Bhagavadgeeta’ in Dentistry.

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The first case of the first day of the new year turned out to be an irritation. We had just opened the door when this patient arrived. She was suffering from pain and swelling associated with an infected grinder tooth. The infection had spread to other places in the face causing difficulty in swallowing the food. She hadn’t eaten anything since last evening. She walked in with difficulty swaying due to weakness and was about to fall anytime. 

That is nothing to be irritated about. I see that quite often in my profession. 

Her husband said that the trouble started a week back and they had consulted another doctor.  Some medicines had been given and she had consumed all of them. But the condition had only worsened. The doctor had continued treating her, injecting and prescribing other useless stuff which made no difference to the condition whatsoever. That was a bit of irritation but not much. I see that too, many times.

The doctor in question has no knowledge of either dentistry or the medicines that he had been prescribing. And these people had persevered with that doctor in spite of the condition deteriorating day by day and had now ended up in my clinic making me responsible for setting everything right. That was the irritation. I was angry with that doctor who had no business treating the case and this stupid patient for having persevered with him. I had just begun to shout at the patient when I remembered the verse from Bhagavadgeeta which I was trying to memorise. 

“ಅದ್ವೇಷ್ಟಾ ಸರ್ವ ಭೂತಾನಾಮ್ ಮೈತ್ರ ಕರುಣ ಏವ ಚ - ನಿರ್ಮಮೋ ನಿರಹಂಕಾರಃ ಸಮ ದುಃಖ ಸುಖ ಕ್ಷಮೀ - ಸಂತುಷ್ಟಮ್ ಸತತಂ ಯೋಗೀ ಯದಾತ್ಮ ಧೃಡ ನಿಶ್ಚಯ - ಮಯ್ಯಾರ್ಪಿತ ಮನೋರ್ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಯೋ ಭಕ್ತ ಸ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯ”

He, who doesn’t hate anyone, who is friendly and kind to everyone, has no ego or attachments, is equanimous and ready to forgive others, satisfied with himself, firm in his beliefs, does everything as an offering to me - is the one dear to me.  

ಯಸ್ಮಾನ್ನೋದ್ವಿಜತೇ ಲೋಕಾ ಲೋಕಾನ್ನದ್ವಿಜತೇ ಚ ಯಃ, ಹರ್ಷಾಮರ್ಷ ಭಯೋದ್ವೇಗೈರ್ಮುಕ್ತೋ ಯಃ - ಸ ಚ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯ. 

He, who doesn’t harm the world and who is unaffected by the ways of the world, not carried away by excesses of emotions - is the one dear to me. 

I told myself “Raghu, try to put into practice what you are trying to study. Don't be angry with that doctor, have compassion towards the patient who is suffering, Don't get carried away by the ways of the world and consider the treatment as an offering to the almighty”. 

I cooled down, examined the patient calmly, did the best I could and regained my peace !