In this world everything
is bound to change, be it happiness or sorrow; peace or restlessness.
Man is unable to understand his true nature. He identifies himself with
the body which is transient. He is not merely a Vyashti Jeevi (individual),
he is a Samashti Jeevi (cosmic being). He does not want to lead a lonely
life. The Purusha Sukta declares: Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha
Sahasra Pad (God has a thousand heads, eyes and feet). Man is unable to
realise that he is Samashti Swarupa (Cosmic Form). He is under the delusion
that he is a Vyashti Swarupa and thereby subjects himself to suffering.
The main principle of the culture of Bharat is to understand and experience
unity in diversity. But, man today visualises diversity in unity. He has
forgotten the principle of equality and, consequently, becomes restless.
Unity in diversity is the fundamental truth that one has to recognise.
Since time immemorial, the Bharatiyas have been making concerted efforts
to understand this truth and experience it.
Nobody has been able to understand the inner meaning of the Vedic teachings.
However, a little knowledge can be gained by going through the sacred
texts and listening to the teachings of scholars. In ancient times, even
the demons used to study the Vedas. However, they could not comprehend
the truth contained in the Vedas and hence led a life of untruth. Demons
like Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu were highly learned and well-versed
in various disciplines of knowledge. They could reach up to the moon,
the sun and even the stars and could understand their functioning. But
they could not comprehend the latent positive principle in their own self,
as their mind was filled with negative thoughts. The demon Narakasura
also belonged to the same category. He was one of mighty power and knowledge.
But they proved futile because of his negative qualities. One may be highly
devoted one may have mastered the Vedas, but, all these will be of little
consequence if one does not give up negative qualities.
Saint Thyagaraja was an ardent devotee of the Lord. In one of his compositions,
he extolled the Lord thus: "Oh Krishna! You are beyond all description
and human comprehension. Is it possible to estimate Your glory and splendour?
I have been waiting for Your grace. Oh Lord! Listen to my prayer and redeem
me. You are the one who brought back to life the dead son of Your Guru,
Sandeepani. You are the one who humbled the serpent Kaliya, freed Vasudeva
and Devaki and saved Droupadi from humiliation. You fulfilled Kuchela's
desires; You made ugly-looking Kubja beautiful. You protected the Pandavas
and saved the 16,000 Gopikas. You are beyond all description and human
comprehension. Krishna, it is not possible for even Brahma to describe
Your glory. I have been praying for Your grace." (Telugu Song)
Once Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sought his mother's permission to go and pursue
his studies. Then his mother said, "My dear one, there are various
types of education in this world, but they are meant only for a living
and not for life. Only the Adhyatmika Vidya (spiritual education) is true
education. It is immortal and has no limitations. It is changeless in
all the three periods of time. Make efforts to acquire such education."
From that day onwards, Chaitanya went about propagating the efficacy of
chanting the divine name in each street and in every village. He chanted
the name of Lord Krishna at all times and under all circumstances. His
message to mankind was simple, yet profound.
There
is no charity greater than feeding the hungry,
There are no greater gods than parents,
There is no greater Japa (chanting) or Thapa (penance) than adherence
to truth,
There is no greater Dharma than compassion,
There is no greater gain than the company of the good,
There is no enemy greater than anger,
There is no disease like being a debtor,
There is no wealth greater than good reputation,
Bad reputation is death itself,
There is no ornament better than the chanting of God's Name.
|
(Telugu
Poem) |
Man should give
up enmity and develop amiable relation with his fellow beings. This is
the most essential education that he has to acquire. It is a sign of delusion
and a demonic trait to develop hatred towards others and lead a life of
selfishness. Why does Purusha Suktam declare Sahasra Seersha Purusha
?
It means that God is not a separate entity. He is Samashti Swarupa (the
Cosmic Form). He is present in all beings. When God is so close to him,
why does man suffer from delusion and face hardships in life? God is permanently
installed on the altar of human heart. He is all-pervasive. Man can certainly
see Him, touch Him and also speak to Him. But, he lacks such determination
and yearning for God. Hence, he suffers.
Chaitanya prayed to Lord Narayana thus: "Oh Lord, You are all-pervasive.
You are the master of all beings. You control the entire universe. You
are the very life principle. I do not aspire to attain Vaikunta or Kailasa,
or Swarga (heaven) nor do I crave for liberation. Bless me with love so
that I can love You." When Chaitanya prayed in this manner, an ethereal
voice said, "Tathastu" (so shall it be). The worldly education
one may be well-versed in and the immense power one may be endowed with,
are bound to disappear with the passage of time. Love alone is immortal.
Hence, one should consider love as one's very life. Chaitanya prayed to
Krishna to bless him with such eternal love. Kailasa, Vaikunta and Swarga
are like branch offices of God. Chaitanya was not interested in attaining
them. He recognised that Hridaya (heart) is the correct address of God.
He prayed, "Oh Lord, I know that You are installed on the altar of
my heart. Kindly, bless me with such experience."
Lord Krishna, accompanied
by Sathyabhama, went to wage a battle with the demon Narakasura. A fierce
battle ensued and the demon died at the hands of Sathyabhama. Being the
all-powerful one, Krishna could have killed Narakasura without Sathyabhama's
help. Then why did He take her help? Narakasura, being a wicked demon,
did not deserve to even die at the hands of Krishna. As he had subjected
thousands of women to untold suffering, Krishna decided that he should
be killed by a woman. Narakasura had imprisoned thousands of princesses
who were great devotees of the Lord. They were the very embodiments of
love and contemplated on Him incessantly. After slaying Narakasura, Krishna
granted them freedom. It is in this context that Saint Thyagaraja extolled
the Lord saying, "You have protected the sixteen thousand Gopikas."
It is always dangerous to be in the company of the wicked. Hence, it is
said,
Tyaja Durjana Samsargam; Bhaja Sadhu Samagamam; Kuru Punyam Ahorathram
(give up bad company; join the company of the noble and perform meritorious
deeds day and night).
One should resolve to follow such sacred path and propagate the principle
of love to one and all.
What is the inner significance
of the slaying of Narakasura? 'Narah' means the immortal Atmic principle.
When the qualities of an Asura (demon) enter Nara (man), he becomes Narakasura.
In such a person, you find only bad qualities and evil feelings. He does
not join the company of the noble. He does not make efforts to reach God.
He makes friendship with only wicked people. Such a mentality is the consequence
of evil deeds over a number of births. Today man is under the delusion
that he is highly educated. In fact, it is not Vidya (education), but
only Avidya (ignorance) that he has acquired. How can one be called educated
if one does not have a good conduct and does not join good company? Ravana
had acquired all types of knowledge as Rama. But unlike Rama, he joined
bad company, entertained bad thoughts and indulged in wicked deeds. Hence,
people revere Rama and censure Ravana. One is revered or ridiculed on
the basis of one's conduct. One should not lead a self-centred life. Wherever
a good activity is taking place, wherever a prayer meeting is held, take
part in them. But there are some people who participate in Bhajans and
do not join good company. What is the use of such a life? In this context,
Sage Purandaradasa said, "In spite of having eyes, people have become
blind as they are not interested in seeing your auspicious form. In spite
of having ears, people have become deaf as they are not interested in
listening to Your nectareous words. Though they are in the company of
God, they aspire to lead a worldly life." (Telugu Poem)
Man should understand the truth that God is present in all beings and
conduct himself accordingly. That is his primary duty. He should not only
contemplate on divinity but also sing His glory. There was a grand celebration
in the kingdom of Narakasura when he was slain. So long as he was alive,
the hearts of people were engulfed in darkness. When he was ultimately
killed, there was joyous celebration all around. With his death, the darkness
of ignorance and hatred was dispelled. People symbolically celebrated
the occasion by lighting lamps. Just as bats find their way into a house
engulfed in darkness, likewise, wicked qualities enter the heart filled
with darkness of ignorance. Only bats like to live in darkness, not human
beings. You should not live like bats, in darkness of ignorance.
Some people appear to be of Sathwic (pious) nature externally, but they
are full of wicked qualities. You should beware of them.
SathsangatweNissangatwam,
Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam,
Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,
Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti
|
(Good company leads
to detachment, detachment makes one free from delusion, freedom from delusion
leads to steadiness of mind and steadiness of mind confers liberation.)
(Sanskrit Sloka)
You should not be in bad company even for a moment. In olden days, people
distanced themselves from demons and demonic behaviour. Hiranyakasipu
tried his best to stop his son Prahlada from chanting the divine name
of Lord Narayana. But Prahlada was always immersed in the contemplation
of the Lord. Prahlada was dear to Lord Narayana, whereas his father Hiranyakasipu
was dear to demons. He was an emperor. What sort of an emperor was he?
He was an emperor of wicked qualities and evil deeds. Follow the ideal
set by Prahlada and sanctify your time in the contemplation of the Lord.
In the present day world, demonic activities are on the rise. One cannot
stand such sights, nor can one bear to hear about them. Why should you
give scope to such ghastly events? Install God in your heart. It is said,
Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the Indweller of all beings). Develop
such firm faith. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think so you become).
Dear Students!
Today is the day on which Naraka, the demon was killed. What does this
event signify? It signifies killing the demon in man. 'Nara' means man
and 'Asura' means demon. This demon is present in every human being. It
is not necessary to acquire great Astras and Sastras (weapons) to kill
this demon. Man is called 'Nara' because there is Atma in him. That Atma
is the embodiment of love. It is possible to kill the demons only through
love. Therefore, realise the Atma Tathwa and develop love. This is true
Bhakti (devotion).
Embodiments of Divine Atma!
We are celebrating such a sacred event of killing the demon Narakasura
as a festival by preparing so many delicious dishes and feasting on them.
But, we are not making any effort to understand the inner meaning of this
sacred event. In order to understand the sanctity of this great event,
we must join Satsanga (good company). You should not lead a life of selfishness.
That is the life of a Vyashti (individual). That is a wasteful life. It
is only in Samashti (community) life, can you realise divinity. You must
lead a happy life by identifying yourself with Samashti (society). In
fact, Samashti is the embodiment of divinity. The Vedas have also advocated
this community life by proclaiming "Sahasra Seersha Purusha
".
What is the purpose of human life? To eat, drink and roam about? No. No.
The birds, beasts and animals also do that. That is not what is expected
of a human being. The human values inherent in us must be given expression
to. They have to be propagated. They must become part and parcel of our
daily life and reflect in our behaviour. If they are merely propagated
without being reflected in our behaviour, it becomes a futile exercise.
Therefore, we must realise the inner meaning of the various festivals
and act accordingly.
The human birth is most sacred. It is said, "Janthunam Narajanma
Durlabham (out of all the living beings, the human birth is the rarest).
The word 'Manava' (human being) also means one who is sacred. Why are
we resorting to debasing such a sacred human being? Man today advocates
several good and sacred things, but, when it comes to practice, he backs
out. That is the result of his past sins. When a conflict arises between
precept and practice, man should stand up to the situation with courage
and make an effort to tread the sacred path. You will, in your day-to-day
life, encounter several people with bad qualities and bad behaviour. Do
not join their company. Offer them a Namaskar (salutation) and move away.
Even Saint Thyagaraja prayed, "Oh Rama! For those who have faith
in you, I offer my salutations." He offered salutations to both the
good and evil people. A question may arise here, as to why we should offer
our salutations to the evil people. We salute the good people, not to
lose their company. We also salute the evil people with a request that
they move away from us. We must join the company of good people, cultivate
good qualities and lead a good life, thus sanctifying our life.
History is replete with the stories of several demons with evil qualities.
Kamsa was one such demon, who was a contemporary of Lord Krishna. He was
forewarned by an ethereal voice that the child born to his sister would
kill him. Thereupon, he grew angry and pulled his sister Devaki out of
the chariot and tried to kill her, then and there. But, her husband, Vasudeva
prevented the situation by assuring Kamsa that he would see that no harm
is done to him. He also reasoned with Kamsa, "How could you believe
the words that the eighth offspring of Devaki would kill you? Even if
you believe those words, it is not time yet. Please wait till the eighth
child is born to Devaki. Why do you attempt to kill the just married Devaki
now itself? Please do not commit such a sin." On hearing Vasudeva's
advice, wisdom dawned on Kamsa to a certain extent. He waited till the
eighth child was born to his sister, Devaki, somehow. But, he was not
having peace of mind during that period. Meanwhile, he killed several
newborn babies both of Devaki as well as others in his kingdom. He did
not believe the divine voice that he had danger to his life only from
the eighth child to be born to Devaki. That was the degree of his faith
in divinity! His was a 'demonic faith'. It is not correct to develop faith
in one aspect of God and lose in another. Your faith must always be steady
and total in all respects. A small example.
Some ten years ago, a gentleman came here and proclaimed that Sri Sathya
Sai Baba was God. Not only that, he also proclaimed and propagated that
not only Sri Sathya Sai Baba, but every living being was permeated by
divinity. After sometime, when some of his desires could not be fulfilled,
he propagated that Baba was not God. The same individual proclaimed at
one time that Baba was God and at another time that He was not God. How
should we believe such a person with a double tongue? This type of double-speaking
is a demonic quality.
For
those who say 'yes', I say 'yes'. For those who say 'no', I say 'no'.
'Yes' and 'no' are related to you, but for Sai, everything is 'yes',
'yes', 'yes'. |
(Telugu
Poem) |
For Me, all are
good. There are no bad people. Those who develop negative feelings without
enquiring into the good and bad of things in this objective world, will
only spoil their own life. So far as I am concerned, I love everybody.
All are equally dear to Me. Some people may have some doubts. But, they
must be made to see reason with a proper explanation and counselling.
As far as possible, you should not give room for doubts, for so long as
the doubts persist, you will not have peace of mind. Cultivate love. When
your heart is filled with love, everything is love only. There will be
no scope for hatred at all. Where there is no hatred, there will be no
anger. When there is no anger, there will be no scope for violence. Hence,
"Where
there is faith, there will be truth;
Where there is truth, there will be peace;
Where there is peace, there will be bliss;
Where there is bliss, there will be God."
|
First and foremost,
cultivate faith. Further, there should be harmony between your thoughts,
words and deeds. Where there is no harmony between these three, your behaviour
would be demonic. A true Vyakti (individual) is one who is pure in thought,
word and deed and who had maintained perfect harmony between these three.
Who is a Vyakti? One who has manifested his latent Sakti (power) in all
aspects. You must develop such a Sakti. You speak of developing energy,
but you are becoming allergic to noble thoughts. What happiness do you
derive out of such behaviour? All your Sankalpas (resolutions) are becoming
a futile exercise.
Dear Students!
First and foremost, develop love. This is easier to cultivate than all
other qualities. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prayed Lord Krishna, "I do
not want Vaikuntha or Kailasa. I want only your Prema. Please give me
a small place in your Prema Samrajya (Kingdom of Love). I will be satisfied
with that." There is nothing in this world which cannot be achieved
with Love. What is Narakasura Vadha? It is destroying evil qualities and
demonic nature in man with the weapon of Love.
You must develop good thoughts, good feelings and good behaviour. It is
only for this purpose the human birth is given. Man is born not for eating
and roaming about. Even the birds, beasts and animals do the same. Human
birth is noble, sacred and sanctified. Therefore, every human being must
make an effort to free himself from the demonic qualities. Only then human
beings will become the embodiments of Divinity. Divinity expresses itself
through such human beings. You should never give scope for any demonic
deeds. Always cultivate good feelings, good thoughts and good behaviour.
Do not be carried away by others' opinions - either good or bad. Develop
your own line of thinking, based on your conscience. Develop self-confidence.
"Where there is self-confidence, there will be self-satisfaction.
Where there is self-satisfaction, there will be self-sacrifice. And ,
through self-sacrifice comes self-realisation." Self-confidence
is the foundation for the building which remains below the surface of
the earth. Self-satisfaction represents the walls; self-sacrifice, the
roof and self-realisation, the life. Without the foundation of self-confidence,
self-realisation cannot be achieved. Therefore, build up your self-confidence
slowly. In this process, "Start early, drive slowly and reach
your goal of self-realisation safely."
Today, several people wish "Good morning, good night", etc.,
when they come across somebody. This is not our culture. This is an alien
culture. Instead, if you say 'Namaskar', how happy you as well as the
other person will feel? Today, even to say 'Namaskar' has become burdensome
for people who consider themselves modern. What is this 'Good morning'
and 'Good evening'? Even a rustic person is able to say 'Namaskar'. If
you delve into the scientific truth, there is nothing like morning and
evening or sunrise and sunset. All these changes are happening due to
the earth rotating around itself. At least from today, children! respect
your parents. Love your parents. Enjoy the love of your parents. It is
only those who experience the love of their parents will have a bright
future. Those who make their mothers feel sad, will lead a life of difficulties
and suffering. Therefore, never cause any pain to your parents under any
circumstances. Make them happy. Only then you will feel happy and, in
turn, your children will make you happy. Give happiness and take happiness.
Happiness is not a one-way traffic, it is a two-way process of give and
take. Speak good words. Develop Samyak Drishti (sacred vision). Lead a
life of purity. Make your life sanctified.
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Hari Bhajan
Bina Sukha Santhi Nahi
"
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