Liking one’s work or others, according to some thinkers, is no big deal if love pervades the relationship. Understanding the phenomenon of love properly (wisely) is not everybody’s cup of tea. The abode of God and precincts of spirituality are accepted as not only places flowing with unbiased love and consequent tranquil ambience, but a belief that doesn’t differentiate one religion from the other. If this belief is also an experience of those who enter the portals of the abode of Gods or Ashrams across the country it can be soothing to one’s mind. The land’s epics are replete with episodes featuring both divinity and mortals as well as animals showering love on one another with highly rewarding outcomes. The love displayed by speechless species among themselves and for their care-givers cannot be described in words. The case of inter-gender relationships driven by love has been bestowed its due by poets, story-writers, movie-makers and also writers including journalists. If the players are in the class of youth, the society is known to take note and savour the related reports in the media.

Many poets and writers of prose who lived in the land several centuries ago are credited with highly refined quality literature in various languages, particularly Sanskrit, among who Kalidasa has earned rich accolades from scholars and critics alike. The unmistakable feature of their writings is the fusion of love and spirituality. The current scenario of Ashrams, figuring in media reports, with those in charge yielding to carnal desires in the garb of monks and pontiffs has apparently smeared love in black.

Persons in high posts, in the vast range of academics to heads of States, seem to be keeping august company of heads of spiritual institutions and priesthood in deviating from the norms of morality in sex-related matters, going by reports in dailies sourced to many countries in both hemispheres, those in India with dubious distinction of substantial share in such scandalous reports. Suspicion of immorality in virtually all reported cases, popularly described as affairs is common knowledge. Banning the entry of women within an age group from the sanctum sanctorum of a place of worship in one of the States which figured in the news columns of dailies not too long ago is also triggered by suspicion, apart from other considerations.

In a sweeping order, the Supreme Court has launched a massive audit of all religious places to unearth facts relating to various complaints about the goings on. People await with unbounded eagerness the outcome of bringing the Godmen of all hues under the government’s lens. There are bound to be bad apples as everywhere.