DIVINE DISCOURSE VOLUME 3 1963

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 1. Climb the right tree
I KNOW that your hunger has not been fully appeased, even after listening to two excellent
discourses, radiating Aanandha (bliss), given by these Pandiths (scholars). Both of them said that
they had no claims to scholarship and that all that they were able to see and speak about was due
to My Grace. Well, that is but a way they have cultivated, to curb conceit. Hanumaan was not
aware of his vast strength; he had cultivated that much of self-effacement. Some one had to
remind him of his skill and prowess and then, Hanumaan would rise to the occasion, with his
powers fully awake.
It was also pleaded on your behalf that I should speak to you today, for it is a long time since I
spoke to you at this place. I feel I must satisfy, that desire of yours. You eau yourselves bhakthas
(devotees); so, I shall talk to you about the dharma of persons who seek to acquire bhakthi. No
one can become a bhaktha by naming himself so, nor, by others calling him so.
Bhakthi involves dedication, with nothing held back; not even a wisp of ego should remain. His
command alone counts; His Will prevails. Like a drunkard, the bhaktha has no sense of honour
or decency, pride or conceit. He is a mattha, an unmattha (a mad person), unconcerned with all
that is unrelated to his ideal. He is deaf to the call of hunger and thirst; he misses steps in logic
and he calculates wrongly while dealing in the market place. Naaradha says that those full of the
liquor of ignorance stumble after the shadows of the world, while those drunk with nectar of
wisdom never move away from the Highest, which they have discovered as themselves.
Bhakthi must soften the mind
You saw this in the case of this Shaasthry a few days ago when he came and sat in this Hall for
the first time, after 30 years of intense study of the Srimath Bhaagavatha. He felt that he had won
the fruit of years of study and worshipful exposition. He lost all awareness and some of you
thought he had an attack of epilepsy or something akin to it. I knew that he was in the realm of
Aanandha. That is why I did not encourage you to take him to the hospital. Even today, you
noticed how when he started to describe the depth of Divine Grace he was overcome with joy.
The Lord broke His own plighted word in order to give the Bhaktha the credit for making Him
do so, Bheeshma had said that he would force Krishna to wield a weapon on the battlefield,
contrary to His declared intention. Bheeshma would accept defeat only from the Lord! And, so
Krishna strode towards Bheeshma, brandishing the Chakra (discus) in order to win. The
Shaasthry was describing this, when he broke down. Bhakthi must soften the mind and keep it
receptive to the higher emotions, the purifying impulses.
Every being is a pilgrim to reach God
Bheeshma was a bhaktha and by winning the Lord's grace, he was clothed with more majesty
and splendour than any earthly emperor. What majesty have these petty sceptre-holders? They
cannot claim to have inner peace, inner joy; they know not the joy of sharing love with all.
Bheeshma surrendered to the Lord, when He challenged him with the Su-dharshana; that is to
say, when He offers Su (good) dharshana (vision), one must be wise enough to surrender, give
up all; that is what Bheeshma did.
Like the kitten calling the mother to where it sits, by mere mewing, the bhaktha has only to
yearn, to mew with the pain of separation. The growing crop in the fields thirsts for rain; it sees
the heavy rain-clouds sail across the sky; it cannot rise up to that altitude and drink the life-
giving rain; nor can it bring the clouds down to the ground. Humanity too sizzles in the hot Sun,
the unbearable heat of ego and greed. It needs the rain of Grace; it knows it can flourish only
then in peace and joy.
As the clouds form droplets and fall upon the fields which they choose to foster, the Formless
Absolute individualises Itself, assumes Form and comes down in the midst of humanity to save
and sustain, That is the secret of God Maadhava coming down as maanava (man), the cloud
taking pity on the crop, parching in the Sun. Once the rains come, the Sun has its uses! So too,
when the grace of the Lord is gained, then ego and greed can be put to profit by being made to
flow; into useful channels.
In past ages, Avathaars (divine incarnations) rid the world of evil, by destroying the few fanatics
and ogres who wrought it. But, now fanaticism and felony reign in every heart. The number of
asuras (evil men) is legion; no one is free from that taint; all are wicked to some extent or other.
Therefore, every one needs correction; every one has to be educated and guided into the right
path. Every being is a pilgrim destined to reach Maadhava and merge in Him; but most people
have forgotten the road; they wander like lost children, wasting precious time in by-paths.
You can win Lord's Grace only by dharma
Maanava (man) has to become Maadhava (God); that is his destiny, the plan and purpose of his
being armed, as no other animal is, with the sword of viveka (discrimination) and the shield of
vairaagya (renunciation). Man is the only animal that can picture a previous existence and
existences in a series, with impressions accumulating from one to the other. What you see and
feel in a dream has some basis on what you have seen and felt in the waking state; so too, what
you see and feel in the present life has, as its basis, what you have seen and felt in other lives,
previous lives.
You can win the Grace of the Lord only by dharma. Dharma induces the spirit of self-surrender
and develops it. Without the training that the practice of dharma gives to your senses, your
feelings and emotions, you cannot have steady faith and steady detachment. The Lord is Dharma
conceived as a personality. Raama is known as Vigrahavaan Dharmah (Righteousness
personified). If you step across the bounds of Dharma and play foul, you cannot win the game of
life.
Pursue your task with one-pointed effort
When Hanumaan was speeding along the sky like an arrow from Raama's bow, many
temptations attempted to halt him. He did not delay or turn back. He sped on, intent only on the
task his Lord has set for him. When the Mynaaka mountain rose up to offer him a little rest, he
trampled it down into the depths of the sea. The mountain rose again and pleaded for the chance
of serving him for a while. It had decked itself with green orchards and fragrant flower gardens
for his recreation and recoupment, for when Indhra slashed off the wings of all the mountains in
past ages, Mynaaka had fled with the help of Vaayu, the father of Hanumaan, and he wanted to
express his gratitude by granting hospitality to the son; but, Hanumaan pleaded that his master's
task brooked no delay. A few moments later, Hanumaan was confronted by a terrible monstress,
Surasa by name. Hanumaan overcame her by skilful tactics and avoided further delay. You
should pursue your path to liberation with one-pointed effort.
The Shaasthry said that the Lord wishes that His bhaktha should shine over non-believers; that
he should be happier, more contented, more courageous than the rest: Bhakthi ought to make a
man so, But the bhaktha does not cultivate these traits deep enough. He lets the chance go to
waste. If Shaasthry gives his sons a hundred acres each, one son may tend it well and reap golden
harvests from it: another may allow it to lie fallow and himself sink into misery. The equipment
each has brought from previous lives may be different: you cannot blame thee father for this state
of affairs. Even the blood of one son may be fatal when transfused into another son. Spiritual
strength will be less in one, more in another, in proportion to the efforts of each, now and in the
past.
Let the light within shine
The pity is that man is not eating the most relishing, the most nourishing fruit, from this Garden
of Nature. He is climbing the wrong tree and seeking to pluck the wrong fruits: so, his appetite is
ruined, his taste is vulgarised, his health is destroyed. Only the Glory of the Lord can satisfy the
hunger of man, for he is part of that Glory.
Only experience can reveal the sweetness, the sublimity, the purpose of that Glory.
Parashuraama came across Raama and challenged him when he was returning to Ayodhya after
his marriage. He had won Seetha by bending and breaking the bow of Shiva: and thereby
humbled the pride of all the crowned heads that had come seeking Seetha's hand. But,
Parashuraama was intoxicated with his own achievement, in defeating the Kshathriya rulers in
twenty-one campaigns. That pride lowered the Divine status of Parashuraama and so, he could be
felled in a moment by Raama who was to all appearance just a stripling!
The Lord, it was said, punishes some and favours others. Let Me tell you- the Lord does neither.
He is like the current in this electric wire. It rotates the fan and makes one's life cooled; it
operates the electric chair and makes one's life shorter. It has no wish to allay the warmth of the
atmosphere; it has no eagerness to kill. The Lord's Grace is like the wind that blows. Roll up
your sails and the boat lies limp and lame; unfurl them, it moves faster and faster. It is like light;
one person does good using the illumination; another executes an evil plan, with its help. Have
an "inner day," though an "outer night." Let the light within, shine. When you are unaware of the
world, though in it, heedless of its call for participation, you are having an outer night and an
inner day. The Vedhas teach you this Truth and impart the discipline needed to attain this
fortune.
The Lord is the Father of all in the world
The Shaasthry spoke of the value of the Vedhic discipline. The Vedhas declare that if a karma
(act) is done in a definite way, a definite result will accrue. They give you a pen filled with ink,
they teach you how to write and what to write. They are so kind. Vedhamaatha is so full of
maternal love (vaathsalya as they call it). She repeats an injunction, over and over again, just as I
go on reminding you of the disciplinary rules of the Nilayam, on every possible occasion. So, do
not set aside the commands of the Vedhas: they are the authentic Voice of the Lord Himself as
heard and recorded by purified intellects.
A father gives his wealth to the son, who respects his wishes and obeys his orders, not to the
rebel son who flouts him. The Lord is Loka-pitha (the Father of All). If you are an Aasthika (a
person who accepts that there is God and shapes his life accordingly), then you will get the
Aasthi (wealth or property), if a person is an idiot, ignorant of his true interests, unaware of his
own downfall, then he is not entrusted with his own Aasthi, a guardian has to take care of his
affairs until he proves himself able to manage it with care.
Dwell always on the Glory of God
It may take many lives for a man to prove that he knows what is best for him, that he is able to
chalk out his own future without harming himself or others, that he is aware of the pitfalls on the
way. So, it is best to trust to the experience of sages, who were filled with compassion and who
were moved by that compassion to illumine the path of liberation. This experience is enshrined
in the Vedhas. Faith in the Vedhas irrigates the heart and makes it yield the harvest of Universal
Love.
The Shaasthras warn you of false steps; they console you in times of stress; they strengthen you
in distress; they give correct interpretations of moral dilemmas. They prescribe the dress, the
food, the manner of speech, the methods of social conduct, the mode of mutual behaviour, the
lines of onward march. They are the conscience of society.
In this Prashaanthi Nilayam, too, there are certain limits laid down, certain modes of spending
time usefully, recommended by Me. All who come here, whether longtime residents or new
arrivals, have to observe them. You have seen Me, and stayed here, and heard these discourses.
Let Me ask what is the gain? Are you going back, unchanged, unaffected? Dogs do not chew
sugar cane; they seek a bone, instead, m-fated mortals recoil, when the talk is about God,
goodness, saadhana (spiritual effort) and Saakshaathkaara (vision of the divine) But, you must
pull yourselves up into the purer air of aadhyaathmik (spiritual) life, draw yourselves away from
slums and bylanes and travel on the highway to God. Dwell always on the glory of God; then,
you will shine in that glory. Adhere to Truth, that is the surest means of removing fear from your
heart. Prema can grow only in the heart watered by Truth.
What is Bhakthi and who are Bhakthas?
Naagayya, even while he plays the role of Thyaagayya, is always conscious that he is Naagayya.
"Thyaagayya is the role I am playing," he would say. Now, go one step further. When asked who
you are, say that you are Naaraayana-swaruupa, playing the role of Pullayya or Thimmayya or
Mallayya, or whatever your name is. So too, every other person is a role played by Naaraayana.
Naaraayana washed clothes as the dhobi, shapes wood as the carpenter, forges iron as the
blacksmith, prepares pots at the wheel as a potter. He is all this---and more. His glory is
inexhaustible. The Avathaar (divine incarnate) is another role He takes up for another purpose.
The Lord comes as Avathaar when He is anxiously awaited by saints and sages. Saadhus (the
pious) prayed---and I have come. My tasks are three, or rather two, since Dharmarakshana
(protection of virtue) and Vedharakshana (protection of vedhic culture) are both practically the
same. The two are, therefore: Vedharakshana and Bhaktharakshana---fostering of the Vedhas
and fostering of Bhakthas (devotees). Now, what is Bhakthi (devotion)? Who are Bhakthas? It is
faith, steadiness, virtue, fearlessness, surrender, absence of egoism. Puuja done however
elaborately and pompously, is sheer waste of time and energy. Why pluck flowers and hasten
their death? Some of you go round this Nilayam and satisfy yourselves that you have done so
many pradakshinas (circum-ambulations), but, they can be called so, only when your mind
circles this place along with your feet.
Talk less, talk low if you must
I notice that while your feet are taking you round by force of habit, your tongues blabber about
the faults of others, or the price of vegetables, or the dishes you propose to cook for lunch.
Before you start on your rounds, which you call pra-dakshina, give your mind as dakshina
(thanksgiving offering) to the Resident of the temple, the Lord. That is the first thing to do, and
perhaps, the only thing to do. Pradakshina is not to be taken as prescribed, for loosening the
limbs or giving them some exercise.
This Nilayam should not be treated with scant reverence. Make the best use of your stay here. Do
not treat this chance lightly. You come spending much money, and put yourselves to much
trouble to reach here; but, you do not bloom as fragrant offerings at the Lord's feet by learning
the saadhana path. The senses have to be curbed into obedient servants of the spirit, For
example, I insist on silence. Talk less, talk low when you must talk.
Do not thrust your sorrows, your needs, your problems into the ears of those who have come
here with their own bundle of such things. They are not interested in adding to their troubles. I
am here to listen to you, to console you. Do not by loudness of voice disturb those who are
meditating or reading or writing the name of God.
All ills are traceable to faulty living
Meditate if possible, yourselves, alone; read spiritual books if you can; write the name of the
Lord in the quiet of your corner; if you cannot do these, at least do not disturb others who are
doing these. Encourage one another to march along the path to God.
Become entitled to the honoured title of Bhaktha. My glory is spread daily through those who
call themselves My bhakthas. Your virtue, your self-control, your detachment, your faith, your
steadfastness---these are the signs by which people read of My glory. Not that I want any such
prop.
But, it just happens so, in this world, where men estimate others indirectly, rather than directly.
Let Me tell you, such bhakthas are very rare. That is the reason why I do not address your
gathering as, "Bhakthulaaral" You can lay claim to that name only when you have placed
yourself in My hands, fully, completely, with no trace of ego kept back to cater to your vanity.
All ills are traceable to faulty living. And what is that traceable to? To ignorance of one's real
Nature, ignorance so deeprooted that it affects thoughts, words and deeds. The drug that can cure
it is patented under different names: jnaana, karma, upaasana (contemplation), bhakthi. They are
all the same in potency, and curative power. The difference lies only in the method of
administration either as mixture or as tablet or injection.
Be confident that you will be liberated; Know that you are saved. Go and tell all that you had
gone to Puttaparthi and that you got there the secret of liberation.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 25-1-1963
The mind must become the servant of the intellect, not the slave of
the senses. It must discriminate and detach itself from the body.
Like the ripe tamarind fruit, which becomes loose inside the shell,
it must be unattached to this shell, this casement called body.
Strike a green tamarind fruit with a stone and you cause harm to
the pulp inside; but, strike the ripe fruit and see what happens. It is
the dry rind that falls off; nothing affects the pulp or the seed.
The ripe aspirant does not feel the blows of fate or fortune, it is the
unripe man who is wounded by every blow.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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2. Revealing you to yourself
DEEKSHITH just said that this is a sacred day, not only for the 35 boys who were initiated into
Brahmacharya (religious studentship) but for Sanaathana Dharma (universal religion) itself,
since the Upanayanams (investiture ceremony of sacred thread) here are an important step in the
restoration of Varnashraama dharma (code of conduct prescribed for the four social groups of
Hindu Society) itself. The study of the Vedhas is the highest type of learning, since it leads to the
conquest of Death. All other studies deal with the means of living or the surroundings within
which you have to live; they deal with earning and spending, deriving a little pleasure by this
trick, escaping a little grief by that other trick. The Vedhas show the path to the Realm of Eternal
Bliss, where there is no birth or death.
People learn details about China, Russia and America; they know about the volcanoes of the
Pacific or the islands of the Arctic regions, but, they do not know an iota about the features of
their own inner realms.
Jnaana must grow from within
There are five such Realms in them; but, they are aware only of the outermost realm, the
Annamaya kosha (the material casement), in which they are housed; even this is just an
awareness, not full knowledge. There are deeper layers of which they are ignorant---the
Praanamaya (sheath of vital energy), the Manomaya (mental sheath), the Vijnaanamaya (sheath
of intelligence) and the Aanandhamaya (sheath of Divine Bliss). Those who are conscious only
of the Annamaya kosha, can claim to be only just Kaarnaswaruupa, not Raamaswaruupa
(embodiment of desire but not of Raama). That is to say, they will be swayed by every gust of
kaama (desire); they will scarce be able to control desire and rise to the demands made on nobler
virtues by the Divinity latent in them. They will get proper inspiration and instruction to explore
and exploit the inner realms only from the Vedhas, and the Shaasthras that expound the Vedhic
truths.
The Karma Kaanda is the biggest part of the Vedhas, because Karma (sanctified activity) is the
means by which the tree blossoms and the fruit matures and grows; the Upaasana Kaanda (the
contemplative portion) deals with the Upaasana---method by which the fruit ripens; the Jnaana
Kaanda describes jnaana (spiritual knowledge), the process by which the fruit fills itself with
sweetness. The first stage takes the longest time; so, it comprises the largest portion; the second
and the third are quicker by comparison. So, they are shorter.
The third stage can be accomplished even apart from the tree by keeping the fruit in a warm
place amidst straw or in a hot room. Man can acquire the sweetness of jnaana by keeping himself
in sathsang (holy company) or even by remaining in a solitary place, all by himself in dhyaana
(meditation), for example. But by whatever means, the sweetness (the jnaana) cannot be injected
from outside; it must grow from within. It is a transformation of the inner nature, won by a
struggle with inner foes.
Get rid of grief in this life itself
Just think of this for a while. You are in this body, in this receptacle, in order to realise the God
you really are. This body is the cocoon you have spun round yourselves, by means of your
impulses and desires. Use it while it lasts, to grow wings so that you can escape from it! You
came into this world crying, announcing your grief at being thrust into it, grief for having lost
hold on God. Having come with grief, decide not to go with it, from here. Get rid of it in this life
itself.
You were told now that the Raamaayana was welling with shoka rasa; the main mood of that
epic was, it was said, agony, Well, the first step to prayer is a touch of agony. Agony is more
potent than awe, in leading you Godwards. Grieve for lost chances, lost time; move on,
everyday, forward to the Goal. Amidst all these absurd loves and hates, the meaningless game of
having and hoarding, losing and lamenting, building and demolishing castles in the air, you have
no moment of real calm.
Everything in the Universe is Divine
Peace of mind will not descend on you because your room is air-conditioned or your sofa, soft-
cushioned. It does not depend on your bank-balance; or on the diplomas you have collected. It
can come only when, you deny the dhaanava (demon) in you all chances of moving you, when
you encourage the Divine in you to manifest Himself. The dhaanava is the prompter of the
Asuric traits mentioned in the Geetha. Everything in the universe is Divine; it is; it shines; it is
lovable. It is asthi, bhaathi and priya; it is Sath, Chith and Aanandha. For, it is the same as the
Universal, Eternal, Absolute, which is also Sath-Chith-Aanandha (Being, awareness, bliss).
This is the Upadhesha (spiritual instruction) that these boys got today through the manthra that
was taught them. Upanayana means, "near-leading," leading near, leading the boy to the teacher,
taking him to the teacher, the Gum, for this Upadhesha, this initiation. The Guru who can give
this Upadhesha must himself have transcended name and form, the relative regions of worldly
ambitions and achievements; he must have experienced the Oneness of all this variety. Such men
do not put up boards to announce their greatness or compete with others for status or reward.
These boys are specially lucky: good fortune, of which even they are not aware, has brought
them here for this ceremony, which will transform them. They have done consciously, in
previous births, meritorious deeds, the fruits of which they are now tasting, unawares. The Guru
does not teach anything new; he reveals you to yourself. He trains you to cleanse the mirror of
your heart, so that you may be reflected in it, without warp or twist. The brahmachaari (celibate
or spiritual disciple) must obey the commands of the Guru, without flinching and to the full.
Use your fullest powers to grasp the truth
While Aanjaneya was bringing the Sanjeevini Mountain, he had to take a course that made the
citizens of Nandhigraama see him in the sky; Bharatha, who saw the strange sight of a monkey
carrying a hill, brought him down with an arrow and when he learnt that the hill had the drug
which could cure Lakshmana who was stricken in battle, Bharatha offered to send the hill
quicker to where Raama was, by shooting an arrow which could lift it and carry it fast. But,
Anjaneya said, he could fly quicker than any arrow from the bow of the fastest marksman! Use
your fullest powers to grasp the truth. Rely on your own skills, your own force; then, they too
will develop to the utmost demand you make of them. That will give you the greatest joy.
Many of these boys are today joining the Vedhashaasthra Paatashaala (School of Vedhic
Studies) here or have already joined it. They will be enthused by each other in their study and
saadhana. When ten friends gather around you and shout, "Come, come, we shall go," you feel
like joining them and you gladly go on the adventure. Teachers at the paatashaala, who are
experienced men, will foster virtues and encourage at every step. I am planting the sapling in
your heart; they will water it and manure it. I shall also water the sapling, off and on, especially,
when they are not with you. In order that the lotus may not go dry, the lake has to be full of
water. Prema is the water that must fill the heart: hatred will make it a parched waste. Have faith
in your own Aathma (true Self or Being); that is the medicine. Act always in the spirit of service
and kinship with all; that is the regimen.
Surrender must be complete without reservations
To all of you I say, "Let mountains fall; let the sea overwhelm the land; but, do not give up your
saadhana. And, remember, saadhana is a waste, unless you grow at the. same time in virtue and
uprightness." If you give up all and surrender to the Lord, He will guard you and guide you.
When you complain, "Oh! He has not guarded me," I reply, "You have not surrendered." The
Lord has come just for this very task. He is declaring that He will do so, that is the very task that
has brought Him!
Of course, you only talk of Sharanam (surrender), of placing all at the Feet; but you withhold a
great deal. Your minds are wayward like monkeys that skip and jump from bough to branch.
Give them to Me; I can make them steady and harmless. When I say, sit, they will sit; when I
say, stand, they Stand. That is what Shankaraacharya offered to do, he told Shiva that he will
hand over the monkey that was his mind to Him so that it might be tamed and used for His
delight. But, it must be a complete handing over; no reservations.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, Upanayanam Day, 3-2-1963

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3. Ask for Me
TODAY, you had the nectar of Raamaayana from these two Pandiths. They spoke with genuine
joy when they dilated on the incidents of the Raamaayana. One of them selected today the
hospitality shown to Bharatha and his retinue by the sage Bharadhwaaja and how Bharatha
reacted to it. The other Shaasthry who generally talks on other topics, was persuaded this
evening to select Naaradha's description of the qualities of Raama to Vaalmeeki as the theme of
his talk. Raamanaama is so sweet that I could see all of you relishing these talks. If a man talks
about Raama, without himself being inspired by the glory of the Lord it sounds hollow; it is of
no benefit; it is like the image of a table heavy with edible dishes seen inside a mirror; the dishes
in the mirror will fill no hungry stomach. No language can picture the actual bliss that the Name
can confer; words can at best delineate only an atom of that joy.
Man comes into the world burdened with maaya and its instrument, the mind. The mind
expresses itself through attraction and repulsion, raaga and dhwesha (affection and hatred),
towards the external world. Raaga is raajasik (passionate) in its effect; it can be used for one's
uplift, as Naaradha used it to fix attention on the Lord. Dhwesha is Thaamasik (negativistic), as
Dhurvaasa expressed it in his dealings with Ambareesha and others. Without Raaga and
Dhwesha, the mind cannot function at all. If these two are removed, there can be no mind and no
maaya, and you get fixed in jnaana. Let raaga and dhwesha go and let Raama enter; then there
will be no manas or maayaa (mind or illusion).
Have aversion towards evil, pride and egoism
The Thaitthireeya Upanishath analyses the mind and its behaviour very well. It gives directions
to merge the mind in God; the weapons with which you can foil the tactics of raaga and
dhwesha. Use them for positive purposes, as Naaradha and Dhurvaasa did. Have attachment to
the Lord and aversion towards evil, pride, egoism. Water and fire are incompatible; fire is put out
by water. But, by means of fire, you can convert water into steam and use it to haul long lines of
heavy wagons.
How to overcome raaga and dhwesha? By discrimination, by inquiry, by reasoning. Arrive at
the truth by this means. Dhuryodhana, though he stuck to falsehood, greed and envy had,
according to the Mahaabhaaratha, a swell time, flags flying,
festoons swinging, banquets everyday; but, Yudhishthira, tile eldest of the Paandavas, had, as
reward for his high morality, exile, poverty and privation. This does not mean that Vyaasa who
wrote all this is a cheat or a fool.
Dharma (righteousness) stood firm in spite of hardships; shraddha (faith)was steadied and
strengthened. In the case of Dhuryodhana, prosperity did not induce caution, humility or
discrimination. So you revere Yudhishthira and execrate Dhuryodhana today, centuries after they
died. Vaalmeeki also pictured Raama as wandering forlorn in the forests; but, He never for a
moment wavered in the path of Dharma. So, He is revered even today as the embodiment of
Dharma.
Ask to be examined and your progress recorded
The Guru-sishya (teacher-disciple) relationship which has been established between these boys
and those who initiated them into the Gaayathri has also a special. Dharma (spiritual quality}
which directs the sishya to learn with gratitude and the Guru to teach with love. There are cases
when the sishya was made to forget all that he had learnt when the Guru was displeased with his
behaviour.
India has been Yogabhuumi, Thyaagabhuumi, Vedhabhuumi---the land of Divine Communion of
renunciation, of spiritual intuition. It spoke of Samaa-dhee, the wisdom that sees all as equal
repositories of Divinity. Samathwa is just a matter of origin and essence; water in lakes, pits,
wells and rivers is rain water, though the taste, colour, name and form are different, based on
where the rain has fallen and how pure is the container. Divine grace is like rain, pure, pellucid,
falling on all. How it is received and used depends on the heart of man.
The Lord does not test a man just for fun; He does not pile calamity on calamity because He
enjoys it. Examinations are held, to measure achievement and award marks and honours. You
must ask to be examined, so that your progress may be recorded.
Dheekshith spoke of Bharadhwaaja setting up a Dhurbaar (regal audience) Hall, with a
bejewelled throne and all other paraphernalia, for the reception of Bharatha. Bharatha mentally
installed Raama therein and stood behind, framing his brother. Bharatha was applauded for this
act of genuine detachment by the sage. He was glad the citizens came to know the real nature of
Bharatha by this means.
The Avathaar has no blemish, no trace of Guna
Bharatha did not partake of the rich banquet that the sage had prepared; he was too grieved over
the turn of events to think of food, drink and sleep. He did not even take a drop of water, before
he could speak to Raama. The thought of Raama was so intense in him that people saw Raama in
the form of Bharatha. Ceaseless contemplation had made him an exact replica. That is the depth
of the bhakthi which is fruitful. But, you praise Me when all goes well and you call Me stony-
hearted when grief assails you. Grief or joy, whatever the Lord hands out, you must welcome
with equal calmness.
It was declared that Raama was born of the paayasam which was brought by the deity from out
of the sacrificial fire. No Avathaar is born flesh and blood, including this Avathaar. The body of
the Avathaar is chith (awarenessful) substance; it is not jada (inert)like other materials. The
embryo of ordinary mortals is jalodhakashaayi (enveloped in watery stuff ; the embryo of the
Avathaar is encased in Ksheerodakashaayi (the pure white milk of holiness). That is why in the
make-up of the Avathaar, there is no blemish, there is no trace of Guna.
Raama's insistence on His vow of hermit-hood
Dhasharatha wept, for he had no sons to offer ritual food when he moves out into the next world.
When all are of the form of God and of the substance of God, who is son and who is father, who
is to offer food to whom, when that high stage of wisdom is reached? Kshamaa (fortitude) is the
father, Shaantham (peace) is the mother, Vairaagya (renunciation) is the wife, and the Lord is
the son, the centre of affection. Dhasharatha desired the lower type of son, the male issue, to save
him from perdition. This desire brought his 'spirit' again before Raama, when Seetha was about
to enter the fire in Lanka.
Raavana was killed and Raama asked Sugreeva and Lakshmana to crown Vibheeshana as
Emperor of Lanka; he pleaded that Raama Himself should bless him on that auspicious occasion,
but Raama insisted that His vow of hermit-hood prevented Him from entering an inhabited city.
Then, Raama sent Hanumaan to Seetha and requested him to bring Seetha to the camp in a
palanquin. Vibheeshana had not thought of that; he was too immersed in other affairs Hanumaan
bowed before Seetha and got a vision of Lakshmi rising out of the waves of the ocean of milk.
He felt that, that Vision was enough compensation for all the births he had to undergo. While the
palanquin neared the camp, there spread everywhere a sublime splendour from it, which
astonished the vaanara (sub-human or monkey) hordes. Raama sent word that Seetha may alight
and walk the remaining distance, so that they may fill their eyes with her glory. This is not
mentioned in the books.
Two purposes of Seetha's fire ordeal
When Seetha was about ten yards away, Raama, who is butter when He melts and steel when He
hardens, said, "Stop, I can accept you only after you pass through Fire." Lakshmana swooned at
this thunderbolt; the monkeys who had to bring the fuel for the Fire bent under the weight of
even twigs. The Fire Ordeal served two purposes- to scorch the slanderous tongues, which haunt
the tracks of Avathaars (Divine Incarnations) at an times; and, to retrieve from the Fire the real
Seetha who had entered into it, prior to abduction by Raavana.
Dhasharatha also came there, to assure Raama that Seetha was Purity itself; and also, to satisfy
his parental craving to see his son. He appreciated the steadfastness of Raama in the respect he
had for his father's wish; he also saw the vaanaras rise again from the battlefield and gather
around Raama. The Raakshasas (demonic persons) had already attained liberation for they had
the vision of God when they drew their last breaths. "The vaanaras came down to be My
instruments and so they have no death, neither are they born, except at My Command," said
Raama.
Man too must become His instrument in order to escape death and birth. He has come,
imprisoned in the ego, and he has to liberate himself. This can be done only by making him
aware of the Universal (Aadhaara) basis, lake a man sunk in poverty, dwelling in a hut that is
raised over a vast underground treasure, man is suffering, with a spring of joy inside him, of
which he is unaware. I have come to give you the key of that treasure, to tell you how to tap that
spring, for you have forgotten tile way to blessedness. If you waste this chance of saving
yourselves, it is just your fate.
Do not hunger for comfort or riches
You have come, most of you, to get from Me tinsel and trash, petty little cures and promotions,
joys and comforts; very few of you desire to get from Me the thing I have come to give, viz.,
Liberation itself; and even among these few, those who stick to the path of saadhana and
succeed are a handful.
Many are drawn away by the outer signs of sainthood, the long gown, the beard, the rosaries, the
matted hair; they keep track of many such who move about in this land and follow them into the
wilderness. It is very difficult to demarcate clearly the manifestation of the Lord and so, I am
announcing Myself and Myself describing My mission, the task, the characteristics, the qualities
which mark out the avathaar from the rest. Do not hunger for comfort or riches; hunger for
Aanandha.
If you have faith and if you keep the name of Raama as constant companion, you are in
Vaikuntha or Kailaash or heaven, all the time. These are not distant regions that have to be
reached by tortuous travel; they are springs of tranquillity that are in your own heart. You cannot
have this chance of the nearness of the greatest of all sources of joy in any other place. Here it is
so near, so easy to attain, so full of grace. If you fall back, you will seldom get the chance again.
Ask and get what will save you, not what will bind you.
You ask from Me a thousand things of the world, but rarely do you ask for "Me" That is why I
seldom address you as bhakthas (devotees); I usually address you as Divyaathma swaruupulaara
(embodiments of the Divine), for that is your real swaruupa, this Divyathwam (Divinity).
Though you do not know it, it is a fact. Therefore, I Call address you so with confidence. I can
even call you Divya-divya swaruupulaara, but, as for bhakthi, since it is a quality that will make
you desire the Lord and nothing else. I find you cannot lay claim to it.
Methods to curb Raavana tendency
Some of you claim to be Sat bhakthas or Raama bhakthas or Krishna bhakthas. No, unless you
are perfect instruments in His hand, you do not deserve that name. For example, Bharatha can
call himself a Raama bhaktha. He lived with Raama naama in every breath; he was with Raama
in the forest and on the battlefield; he suffered as much as Raama; he was as much an anchorite
as his brother; so, he too became Shyaama (dark skinned)like Raama.
Shravan, manan, and nidhidhyasan (listening, Contemplating on what has been listened to and
practising what is dictated by the mind so transfused), these are the methods by which
Raavanathwa (the Raavana tendency) has to be curbed. What is that tendency? It is kaama---lust,
greed, inordinate desire for things of the sensory world, egoism, and the rest of the fatal brood.
When the pot of milk on the hearth boils over, you pour cold water on it and it settles down in
the vessel itself, is it not? Dhurvaasa is the example of the pot boiling over; and Naaradha, of the
pot of milk that does not. Naaradha had the name of the Lord always on his tongue and so, the
senses did not establish mastery. If you too keep your senses and your wishes in check, you will
gain by listening to these talks and by this visit; and, I will be happy that you have taken to the
path that will give you real strength and joy.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 4-2-1963
No one can liberate you, for no one has bound you. You hold on to
the nettie of worldly pleasure and you weep for pain.
The kite is pursued by crows so long as it carries the fish in its
beak; it twists and turns in the sky trying to dodge the crows who
seek to snatch the fish; tired at last, it drops the fish. That moment
it is free.
So give up the attachment to the senses, then grief and worry can
harass you no more. The kite sits on a tree, preening its wings,
enjoying its happiness.
You too can be so happy, provided you drop the fish you have in
your beak.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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4. The search for Seetha
SINCE three days, the Pandiths who spoke here have been discoursing on the Raamaayana. This
is understandable in the case of a specialist like Dheekshith but even the other vidhwaan has
turned away from his usual topics; he too spoke on the Raamaayana. Of course, the Raamaayana
is a limitless ocean, from which any number of canals can be dug and water drawn. I was
wondering whether at least today some one will refer to Krishna thathwam! Not that one gets
tired of Raama thathwam. The Thathwam (Reality) of the Lord is ever fresh.
Every life is a new chance, a fresh opportunity for realising the Truth. Yesterday is gone; today
is the fresh chance, the new opportunity is now; tomorrow, you cannot be sure of Every minute
is to be welcomed as unique and as valuable, precious, in fact. Do not pine over the chunks of
time you have wasted; seize the moment that has come within your grasp.
Search for the Lord as Hanumaan searched for Seetha. He had not seen her; he had only heard
her being described. He could also judge what she should be like, if Raama could aspire for her
so deep. It was like the attachment of Purusha for Prakrithi, no less. Like Hanumaan, man too
should seek the incomprehensible. Aadhishakthi (Primal Energy), among the multifarious
counter-attractions and distractions of Lanka.
Through dharma and karma man can attain salvation
Since the entity is not known, one has to discover it by means of the characteristics it is supposed
to have. The experience of sages is the only guide, the only map, or chart. That chart is supplied
by the Bhaagavatha, the Raamaayana, the Puraanas. Have the Lokamaatha (Universal Mother),
the Thripura-sundhari, in your heart, Her lineaments clear and pure; then proceed bravely into
the land of raakshasas; and you will succeed. Saturate yourself in the search; establish yourself
in the faith; then, you can fill yourself with the Bliss.
Who can describe the signs of the Seetha you seek to find? Only Raama can, for He is the
master. Take Him as the truest guide. The Vedhas are like that. Lakshmana. Sugreeva and the
rest are as the Shaasthras, arguing by deduction, not from actual mastery. They did not describe
Seetha; they could not, for they had not seen.
When Raama went to the hermitages at Chitrakoota, the sages, saints and Vedhic scholars, all
gathered round Him and their gratitude at getting His dharshan was as a garland of flowers on
His breast, flowers of many hues but, all strung on a strand of deep devotion. They knew that
Raama was both the Seen and the Unseen; that He had come to establish dharma and karma, for
through dharma, and karma done along the lines of dharma, man is certain to attain peace and
salvation. The avathaaras insist on dharma it is declared that the purpose of the avathaara is
Dharma sthaapana (establishment of virtue); but, what is dharma for, if not for liberation from
the bondage of ignorance?
Every step of the Avathaara is pre-determined
The aeroplane has to land at certain places in order to take in those who have won the right to
fly, by the tickets they have purchased. So too, the Lord has to come down so that those who
have won the right to be liberated may be saved incidently, others too will know of the Lord, of
His grace and ways of winning it, of the joy of liberation. There are some who deny even today
the possibility of air travel; they curse the contrivance; they cavil at it. Similarly, there are many
who cavil at the Avathaara that has come to save.
Dheekshith spoke of Kabandha who swore at Raama and wanted to eat Him up alive; but, Raama
liberated him from his curse and restored him to previous glory. If you condemn the Brahmin
and the Vedhas then, you drift afar from Me, if you desist then, you are drawn near
Parashuraama, the inveterate foe of the Kshathriyas appeared before Raama, when He was
returning to Ayodhya, after the marriage. He was blazing like fire, terrible to behold, for he had
heard the twang of the bow of Shiva, when Raama broke it in twain. He challenged him to draw
the bow of his father and to meet him in single combat. But, Raama said, "You are worthy of
respect; you are a Brahmin and you are related to Vishwaamithra."
Every step in the career of the avathaara is pre-determined. Raama knew that the coming of
Suurpanakha was the prelude to the coming of Raavana; He had asked Seetha to enter the fire
and remain in it as just as an outer manifestation. Even before the human manifestation, the Lord
had decided that the Shakthi (Energy) must also accompany Him, because Raavana's thapas
(penance) was so strong that only some major sin could make the blessings he had won from the
gods null and void. The ordeal of fire through which Seetha was asked to prove herself was not
an ordeal at all; it was got up only to recover Seetha from the fire in which she had taken shelter,
in preparation for the Lanka episode. That is the way of the avathaara; it will not go about
announcing its nature; it will announce itself by deeds.
Do you yearn for the Lord's mercy and grace?
Jataayu recognised the divinity of Raama; he said, "Raama! I am content; this body has realised
the acme of joy; I have seen you, have been touched by you; I have spoken to you and imbibed
your voice." Only Raama knows the significance of each step of His and the character of the next
step; He carves His own career.
You were told that Raama showed man how to bear suffering while Krishna taught him how to
overcome it. No, Raama was all Aanandha inside, though he was lamenting outwardly for
Seetha. Raama thathwa (Divine Reality) is known only to Raama. What can the rest know?. At
best, they can have but a glimpse of Raama's grace. And, even that only if they are immersed in
intense inner prayer for God. Think of Him, call out for Him; He melts. Whatever form He may
be shining in, that intensity will make you recognise Him. He may be a cowherd boy, standing
under a tree, with a flute at his lips. You will see him and adore Him and place Him in your
heart. You extol the Lord as Love, Mercy, Grace; but do you yearn to earn them? Do you believe
you can win them? Do you strive to treasure them?
Have an idea of the place of your last journey
Take the example of Suurpanakha, the sister of Raavana. She was mutilated by Lakshmana, she
was rejected by Raama, she was ridiculed by Seetha, humiliated beyond cure. She fled in terror
to her brother and, what did she ask him to do? She described the heavenly charm, the Divine
grace of Raama and advised him to fill his heart with the sweetness that Raama exhaled all
around Him! Raama came to feed the roots of Sathya and Dharma and so, Seetha joined Him
through correct orthodox rites. There was no Seetha-apaharanam (abduction of Seetha).
In the Krishna avathaara, the task was to foster Shaanthi and Prema Now, all four are in danger
of being dried up. The dharma that has fled to the forests has to be led back into the villages and
towns. The adharma that has ruined the villages and towns has to be driven to the jungle. You
will have no rest until this is done. For it is your problem, the problem in which each of you is
vitally involved.
Now you are unaware of the problem, the problem of Liberation. There was a courtier once with
a king; he was so idle and ease-loving that whenever the king ordered him to see someone, he
raised flimsy objections like, "Perhaps, he is away," "If he does not greet me, what shall I do?"
"What if he gets wild?" "I may not be able to return in time", etc., etc. SO, the king got the word,
"Fool" embroidered on a broad tape and commanded him to wear it on his brow so that all may
learn a lesson. The courtier became the laughing stock of the palace. Within a few months, the
king was on his death-bed and the courtiers vied with one another in weeping over him.
When the fool came near he told him with tears in his eyes, "I am leaving on my last journey,
dear Fool." The fool said, "Wait, I shall bring the royal elephant;" but, the king shook his head
and said, "Elephants will not take me there." The Fool pleaded that the king might use the
chariot, but, when told that chariots too would be of no avail, he suggested the royal steed as the
alternative. Even that was of no help, he was told. Then, the Fool innocently asked the king.
"What is this strange place to which you are journeying?." The king replied. "I do not know." At
this, the Fool untied the tape from his brow, and tied it on the brow of the dying king. "You
deserve this more; you know you are going, but, you do not know whither! You know that
elephants, horses, and chariots do not proceed there; but, you do not know where it is or how it
looks!" he said. But, you can have some idea of that place if you evaluate your deeds and
thoughts now in this life.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 5-2-1963

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5. Sweeten and lighten life
PERHAPS, this Raamanaama Feast is cloying to some tastes; but, it is something that is ever
fresh, that gives undying sweetness to the heart that is filled with the love of God. One single
Name will yield fresh sweetness, fresh joy, every time it is rolled on the tongue. I have to tell you
the things I have told you often before; for, until digestion is well established, medicine has to be
taken. The face has to be washed day after day. One meal is not the end of the story; you have to
eat, again and again.
To get angry is but the effort of a moment but, to get peace, to become unaffected by the ups and
downs of life, is the result of years of training in Vedhaantha. It can be well established only on
the basis of the belief that all material things which fall
within the range of sensuous experience are fundamentally non-existent. They are maaya,
products of illusion, of the tendency to see many where only One exists. You see corpses
proceeding one after the other to the graveyard; but you move about unconcerned. You feel you
are eternal.
In fact, you are. That is the real you, I mean. Just as the water you drink is eliminated as
perspiration, the karma that you accumulate is eliminated through karma, gladly borne. So, bear
both 'mirth and moan' with equal calm. Like the aakaasha (space) in the pot merging with the
aakaasha outside the pot, silently, fully, with no trace of separation or distinctness, merge with
the Universal. That is real sharanaagathi (surrender, salvation, liberation).
Today is the fastest friend, hold fast to it
Raama is extolled as the ideal son, who acted according to his father's wish, regardless of his
own happiness. But, Bheeshma is a better example in this respect. He acceded to a whim Of his
father and in so doing made even a greater sacrifice than Raama. Dhasaratha made Raama an
exile in the forest for fourteen years to satisfy the claims of Truth while Shanthanu made his son
give up the throne as: well as a wedded life to satisfy a sensual desire of his senile body. As a
matter of fact, it is not the obedience to the father's whim ;that is important; it is the adherence to
sathya and dharma, which is Raama's forte.
Dheekshith said that kings, because they have to compromise with justice and truth sometime or
other, usually go to the nether regions. His kingdom is, really speaking, his body. He must evince
as much interest in the proper upkeep of the most distant part of his kingdom, as he does in the
upkeep of his toe or scalp. Pain anywhere must be felt and remedied as quickly as pain in any
part of his body. Such a king never goes to the nether regions. He is indeed thrice blessed.
Janaka, for example, felt that all was His, not his. Though he had a body and all the
commitments of kingship, he felt as if he was an A-shareeri (without a body) and A-samsaari
(without a family).
It requires all the strength one can collect to carry a load up-hill. The gear, the accelerator, have
both to operate to haul a car up a steep. The Guru who taught you cannot do anything to haul it;
he can only guide. The control of the senses, changing the mode of life, the habits of thought,
have to be done by you. The senses say, "Why struggle? Eat, drink and be merry, while you can,"
but, the Guru says, "Death lands on you without notice; overcome its fear now, before he calls."
"Now is the true friend; yesterday has deceived you and gone; tomorrow is a doubtful visitor.
Today is the fastest friend; hold fast to it."
Be tranquil amidst the storms
Once when his eldest brother, Dharmaraaja, promised to a mendicant yogi some help for a yajna
(ritual sacrifice) and asked him to call the next day, Bheema ordered all drums to beat and all
flags to fly, for, "My brother is certain to live until tomorrow! At least, that is what he believes
will happen."
Death stalks your footsteps like a tiger in the bush. So without further waste of time, endeavour
to give up sloth and anger; be tranquil amidst the storms; mix in tranquil company. Let the
flagrant smoke of divine thoughts, full of love to all, rise around you; why try to scatter fragrance
from scent-sticks available in the market? The flame of jnaana (experiential knowledge of
Supreme Reality) can reduce to cinders the impulses inherited through many births and many
experiences. In the heat of that crucible, dross is burnt and precious metal is isolated.
The Lord is sweet in every one of His actions
Saadhana (spiritual effort) requires regular habits and moderation in food, sleep, and exercise.
Fasting weakens the intellect and reduces the strength of discrimination. The body, the mind and
the spirit, all three must be equally looked after. Unless you have "muscles of iron and nerves of
steel," you cannot contain in your head the tremendously transforming idea of Adhwaitha, of
your being the Universal itself, the Eternal Reality itself! Lesser strength can only think in terms
of servitude or subsidiary roles. To see the Truth as Truth, and the untruth as untruth, clarity of
vision and courage of vision are both needed.
The seven-walled fort---mamaakaara (feeling of mind and one's own) and the six evil
tendencies, kaama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (infatuation), madha (arrogance)
and maathsarya (jealousy)---has a garden in the centre and a lake, where the hamsa (divine bird)
plays. It is the image of your own true self; become aware of it and you are saved. You have
come into this lokha (world) to enter the presence of the Lokesha (Lord of the world). So do not
tarry in wayside inns, mistaking them to be the goal. The Lord too will be longing for the arrival
of the lost. He is like a cow yearning for its calf.
Once Krishna was in a fix; it was the birthday of Rukmini and it was also the anniversary of his
marriage with Sathyabhama! Both queens were awaiting His arrival in their palaces, but,
Krishna, to the great mortification of the proud Sathyabhaamaa, went to Rukmini and after
sharing the feast with her, entered the palace of Sathyabhaama. She was in an inconsolable mood
of resentment, but, though she did not offer anything to Krishna out of pique, Krishna Himself
picked up a few jambu fruits from the garden and ate them, appreciating all the while the care
with which the queen was looking after the garden and the extraordinarily fine taste of every fruit
that grew in it! Sathyabhaama was thus encouraged to forget the sense of injury. The Lord is
sweet in every one of His actions, movements, words, gestures. He is sweetness itself.
This life is a dream you have taken to be true
Take the instance of Raama. Bairaagi Shaasthry recited a poem about the lotus feet of Raama,
treading the stony, thorny jungle regions. But Kaikeyi had not realised this, when she asked that
Raama should go into exile. She learnt about it and was horrified at what she had done only
when she saw Raama, Seetha and Lakshmana in the hermitage as she watched her son plead with
Raama to return to His throne. Raama never felt the thorn or the stone for He had devised the
jungle Himself, in order to infuse faith in the sages and nip their fears. .
As a matter of fact; what other functions have those feet than warding off the hurdles on the path
of bhakthas? The bearer alone knows the Weight of the load on his shoulder. The tiniest
suffering in you causes the same suffering here also. There is an old woman from Salem here,
since a week; her son, a young man of twenty-five years, is insane and cannot attend to his
needs. She does not know how much I was affected, but, I was inquiring, "Did he take his
morning coffee?" And telling her, "Carry food to him and feed him, he is hungry." Her anxiety
was just one-sixtyfourth of Mine! You think that I pay attention only to those who sit in front,
but, I see all and I am with all, wherever they may be. Only those who have been blessed will
know, not the rest.
No fuel, no fire. No saadhana, no sankalpa (sub-conciousness desire). Pour oil and light the
wick. You are on a pilgrimage to the beyond, so, you cannot long dwell in this beneath. Some
time or other, sooner or later, this birth or the next, you have to realise that this is but a dream
you took to be true; you have to pack up and march. This is asath (non-Being); go towards the
Sath (Being). This is thamas (darkness): this is the realm of death. Proceed towards the jyothi
(effulgent Light); proceed towards the realm where immortality reigns.
Let the desire to be saved sprout in you
The tree might appear to be dry; but, it will bloom, it will bear fruit; do not despair. I shall make
it sprout, provided the sap of repentance is still running. Come just one step forward, I shall take
a hundred towards you. Shed just one tear, I shall wipe a hundred from your eyes. I bless only
thus! May your Aanandha (Bliss) grow.
When the night grows chill, you draw the rug tighter around you, is it not? So too when grief
assails you, draw the warmth of the name of the Lord closer round your mind, Out of all the
crores of Indians, you alone have gained this contact, through your good luck. Let at least the
desire to be saved sprout in you; I shall see that it grows and gives fruit, provided you yearn and
try. To pour the nectar of grace, the vessel must be cleansed. Clean it and demand the nectar; do
not grieve later that you missed the chance, when it had come within reach. You will not know
Me in a trice, or even in days. It is something that has to be realised by stages, in due course,
through viveka, vairaagya and vichakshana (discrimination, non-attachment, clear-sightedness).
You have been squatting for four hours and some of you might be squirming and feeling an ache
in the back. But it is no ache. pray that you may get this feeling all through life, for you have
been receiving the teaching that will sweeten and lighten life itself.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 6-2-1963
Each has his allotted task, according to the status, taste, tendency
and earned merit. Do it, with the fear of God and of sin, deep in
your heart. Welcome pain and grief so that you take both success
and failure as hammer strokes to shape you into a sturdy
saadhaka. Inner content is more important than outer prosperity.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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6. Griha or guha?
THE Deekshith spoke about the glory of the Lord and the other Pandiths gave you detailed
accounts of the experiences of ideal men who struggled to arrive at the Truth. Every one must be
interested in knowing about these, for, all should have an ideal to strive for, a goal to be reached.
Otherwise, life is reduced to aimless wandering. For saplings to grow, soil is essential; for ideals
to get implanted, knowledge of the struggles and successes of saints and sages is essential. These
experiences are not uniform; each saadhaka has a different story to tell, depending upon his
equipment and enthusiasm. So, the vision and the glory are different, though all are divine. The
mansion of India's glory is built of charming stones, each block being the hardy thapas of some
sage or other. No one sage can be neglected, for if his attainment is ignored, the wall of the
mansion would be so much the weaker.
Take the case of Agasthya, for example. I mention him because some one gave out his name,
while addressing you. He is called "potborn," but, remember, he and Vashishtha were both
children of Mithra-Varuna and were both born from the same pot! He put an end to the evil
deeds of the ferocious giants, Ilvala and Vaathaapi, by just three words, "Vaathaapi jeerno
bhava." He made the high- peaked Vindhya bow his head and become low; that is why he is
known by the name, Agasthya! That is to say, he taught humility to the proudest in the land.
The home must resound to the name of God
Agasthya is also reported to have drunk off the ocean all in one sip. That is to say, he dried up
the ocean of samsaara, with its waves of grief and joy, prosperity and adversity, success and
failure. It is not any sidhi, this feat; it is a parable explaining that though he was a grihastha (a
married man) with a son who recited the Vedhas as soon as he saw light, he had conquered all
attachments of the world. Be attached only to the ideal---that is the sign of the sage.
Kabeer was weaving a peethaambara (yellow silk garment) for the Lord, for his Raama. He had
to work the loom alone, by hand. He recited Raama Raama Raama and went on weaving
ceaselessly. The cloth had become twenty yards long, but, Kabeer did not stop; his thapas
continued unabated the peethaambara was becoming longer. The aanandha of the craft,
devotion to his Lord, was enough food and drink for his sustenance. When he gave it to the
temple priest for clothing the idol of Raama, the peethaambara was just the length and breadth,
not a finger breadth more! Such men are the mainsprings of the joy that spiritual persons fill
themselves with in India.
The griha (home) must resound to the name of Govindha; otherwise, it is just a guha (a cave),
where wild animals dwell. The body needs a house but, the body is itself a house; in that house
too. the name of Govindha must be heard. Or else, it is a ghata (a mud pot), not a man's body.
Offer God the fragrant leaf of bhakthi
An insidious disease is now rampant among most people, namely, unbelief. It sets fire to the tiny
shoots of faith and reduces life into cinders and ashes. You have no criterion to judge, yet you
pretend to judge. Doubt, anger, poison and illness---all these have to be scotched before they
grow. Repeat the Raamanaama, whether you have faith or not; that will itself induce faith; that
will itself create the evidence on which faith can be built.
There was a fisherman once, who spread his net over a lake and sat watching, for robbers might
drag away his catch. He sat on a tree; and for getting clearer vision all round, he plucked leaves
and pulled off branches It was a bilva tree! The day was Magha Krishna Chathurdhasi,
Shivaraathri day. Mahaashivaraathri (Great Night of Emergence of Shiva's Radiant Form), in
fact. And, right under the tree, where bilva leaves fell, there was a Shivalinga! For want of food,
he starved the night and so, he got the merit of a vigil and of a fast!
His wife too ardently waited for him in his hut; just when she was about to eat her supper a dog
peeped in; she felt it was very hungry and so she followed it with the plate of food and fed it, in a
spirit of puuja. She too kept vigil. In the morning, he went to the temple and prayed that he may
merge in God; his wife prayed that he may be spared for her sake; but God had both of them
merged in Him.
You attach importance to quantity; but, the Lord considers only quality. He does not calculate
how many measures of "sweet rice" you offered, but, how many sweet words you uttered, how
much sweetness you added in your thoughts. Offer Him the fragrant leaf of bhakthi, the flowers
of your emotions and impulses, freed from the pests of lust, anger, etc.; give him fruits grown in
the orchard of your mind, sour or sweet, juicy or dry, bitter or sugary.
Your homes must be immersed in highest shaanthi Once you decide that the orchard in your
mind is His, all fruits will be sweet; that sharanaagathi (seeking refuge for protection) will
render all fruits acceptable to the Lord and so, they cannot be bitter. And, for water, what can be
purer and more precious than your tears, shed, not in grief mind you, but, in rapture at the chance
to serve the Lord and to walk along the path that leads to Him!
All who aspire to be bhakthas must eschew raaga and dhwesha (attachment and aversion). You
need not be proud when you are able to sing better or if your puuja room is better decorated.
There must be a steady improvement in your habits and attitudes; otherwise, saadhana is a vain
pastime.
This place as well as your homes when you return must be prashaantha---immersed in the
highest shaanthi (peace)---undisturbed by any streak of hatred or malice, pride or envy. No
puuja, thapas, no vratha can equal the efficacy of obedience, obedience to aajna (the command),
given for your liberation.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 8-2-1963
Individual reconstruction is much more important than the
construction of temples.
Multiply virtues, not buildings; practise what you preach, that is
the real pilgrimage; cleanse your minds of envy and malice, that is
the real bath in holy waters. Of what avail is the name of the Lord
on the tongue, if the heart within is impure?
Injustice and discontent are spreading everywhere due to this one
fault in man: saying one thing and doing the opposite, the tongue
and the hand going in different directions.
Man has to set himself right and correct his food, his recreation,
his method of spending his leisure as well as his habits of thought.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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7. Bend before Prema and Sathya
DO not grieve that the Lord is testing you and putting you to the ordeal of undergoing them For,
it is only when you are tested that you can assure yourself of success or become aware of your
limitations. You can then concentrate on the subjects in which you are deficient and pay more
intensive? attention, so that you can pass in them too, when you are tested again, You should not
study for the examination at the last moment; study well in advance and be ready with the
needed knowledge and the courage and confidence born out of that knowledge and skill. What
you have studied well in advance must be rolled over and Over in the mind, just previous to the
examination; that is all that should be done, then. This is the pathway to victory.
Many grieve : "It is said that darshanam (getting the audience) is paapanaashanam (destruction
of sin); well, I have had darshan not once but many times, but, yet, my evil fate has not left me
and I am suffering even more than formerly." True, they have come and have had darshan and
they have sowed fresh seeds secured from this place, seeds of Prema (Love), Shraddha (Faith),
Bhakthi (Devotion), Sathsanga (Good company), Sarveshwarachintha (Godly thoughts),
Naamasmarana (Remembering God's Name), etc., and they have learnt the art of intensive
cultivation and soil-preparation. They have now sown the seeds in the well-prepared fields of the
cleansed hearts. Now, until the new harvest comes in, they have to consume the grain already
stored in previous harvests. The troubles and anxieties are the crop collected in previous
harvests- so do not grieve, and lose heart.
******
In this sacred land, people have forgotten the real source of sacredness, of holy life, of living in
peace with oneself and others. Now, the time has come to remind them of it. With jewel in the
neck, the wearer has been searching for it everywhere else. A person has to hold the mirror to the
face. The Vedhic clarion call will soon ring in ears of humanity. The Person has come to remind
man and to redirect him along the True path.
******
If any one challenges you to show them one text where the principles of Sanaathana dharma
(Eternal Religion) are succincity stated tell them about the Bhagavath Geetha. It is the essence of
the Vedhas (Scriptures, of Eternal Truths) and the Shaasthras and the Puraanas. It is like a bottle
of fruit-juice obtained from a basket of fruit. It will not get dry or rot like the fruits, for the juice
has been well extracted and preserved. Its taste and excellence will persist until the end of this
Yuga (Age) and then it will merge in the Vedhas.
******
In the forest of samsaara (worldly life), the body is a tree and the thoughts, feelings and
imaginations of man are the branches, twigs and leaves. Worry, anxiety and fear are the monkeys
that frisk among the branches. Grief in its various forms represents the insect pests that destroy
the blooms. The blossoms are smiles; the owls and crows that infest it are anger, hatred, sloth
and spite!
******
The Sun never rises or sets; it appears to rise and appears to set, on account of the revolution of
the earth! What happens when the Sun rises is that the avyaktha (invisible) becomes vyaktha
(visible), that is all. This series of udhaya (rising) and asthamana (setting) of Sun exist only for
those who feel it and does not exist for those who deny it. The duality of appearance and non-
appearance can be overcome by jnaana; so also, when the jnaana-bhaaskara (Sun of
Knowledge) is known, it is experienced as shining always with undiminished lustre.
******
Lingam means simply "the sign," "the symbol"; it is just a mark, which indicates merging (laya);
that is to say, the passing away of the mind and all mental agitations and all mental pictures,
which means, this objective world. Shivaraathri is the day on which the Moon, the presiding
deity of the mind, is as near laya as possible and so, just a little extra effort that day leads to full
success: the saadhaka can thereby achieve complete Manonaashana (destruction of the mind).
The realisation is that everything is subsumed in the Lingam (the symbol of the Formless).
******
God is a huge fire, and the sparks that fly out from it are the jeevis (individual souls); the jeevis
are infinitesimal fractions of the same effulgence, having the same splendrous essence as their
base; but, the wind of vaasanas (impressions left on the mind by past actions) sweeps upon the
sparks and puts out the light and destroys the heat. But, the same wind cannot put out the fire, it
can only feed it further and cause its splendour to shine forth in even greater measure, for, the
Sankalpa (will) of the Lord can only add to His Glory.
******
Just as the dreams you see are shaped by the experiences, cravings and disappointments of the
waking stage, the experiences of the waking stage are the results of your previous lives. While
dreaming, you do not relate the incidents and emotions to the waking stage, do you? You feel
they are un-related, unique, genuine experiences, is it not? So too, you do not realise that your
joy and grief, your actions, and reactions .in the waking stage are all based on your past lives.
But, they are so based.
******
A great painter once came to a Prince and offered to do a fresco on the palace wall; behind him
came another, who declared that he would paint on the wall opposite, whatever painting the first
one drew, even if a curtain hid it from view and even if he was not told the subject of the fresco!
Both were commissioned to the tasks they had accepted. The second man finished his work at
the very moment, the first one announced that he had completed the task! The Prince arrived in
the hall, where a thick curtain partitioned off the two artists and their paintings. He saw the
fresco and admired it very much. Then he ordered that the curtain be removed, and lo, on the
wall facing the fresco, there was an exact duplicate of the picture that the first man had so
laboriously painted! Exact...because, what he had done was, polishing the wall and making it a
fine big mirror! Make your hearts too clean and pure and smooth, so that the Glory of the Lord
might be reflected therein, so that the Lord might see His own Image thereon.
******
The players do not derive as much joy as the onlookers; so develop the attitude of the onlooker,
the witness (the dhrashta). The batsmen, bowlers and fieldsmen do not get a fraction of the
pleasure that the 'fans' beyond the boundary, derive. They note each fault and excellence in
stroke and defence; they appreciate the finer points of the game. So too, to get the maximum joy
out of this game of living, one should cultivate the attitude of the onlooker, even when one has to
get embroiled in the game.
******
I will not bend before any one for anything. I am therefore un-afraid. I bend for Prema, I bend
before Truth, that is all. Do not worry about worldly comforts and ask Me about those things as
if they are all-in-all. Do not waste your precious life-time in distracting doubts about the
existence of the Lord in human form, here and now. Cultivate prema towards all; that is the
greatest service you can do to your self for, all others are but you yourself. You too should bend,
only before prema and sathya, not before hatred and cruelty and falsehood.
Sparks from discourses during Shivaraathri, March 1963
Man did not come here to sleep and eat; he has come to manifest,
by disciplined processes, the divine in him. That is why he is called
vyakthi (individual), he who makes vyaktha (clear) the Shakthi
(power) that is in him---the Divine energy that motivates him. For
this purpose he has come endowed with this body and the intel-
ligence needed to control it and divert it to useful channels of
activity. You must achieve this by Dharma-nishttha and Karma-
nishttha--steady pursuit of morality and good deeds.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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8. Devotion of the gopees
THE meaning of the Krishna Avathaar is beyond your understanding; why, all the Avathaars
(Divine Incarnations) are inexplicable, in the language of this world, in the vocabulary of
common men. To attempt it is to encase the ocean in a canal by its side. You can understand it
only when you become lost to the world and its attachments through the expansion of your
sympathies and the purification of your motives. The One God-head was experienced by the
gopees as immanent in every being; they steadied their minds and installed Him therein.
Veerabhadra Shaasthry said just now that the Lord will not stay in the heart unless it is
maintained, fixed and unagitated. Of course, when you place a child in the cradle, it must be firm
and unmoving; but, once the child is laid, the cradle can be swung, for it is only when it is swung
to song that "I am glad and you are glad." Remember, the Lord too is a child, personified sath
chith aanandha, devoid of gunas (qualities).
When Uddhava came to Gokula, Shaasthry said the cows were fat and full, the gopees were
happy and joyful and the place was full of fragrance and music." But, the facts were different.
The place was forlorn and the men and women, disconsolate and helpless; the cattle too were
overcome with grief. Uddhava brought them all a fresh lease of life. Krishna told him, "Their
hearts are merged in Mine; their minds think only of Me; they have forsaken even bodily needs
and they exist only because they hope to see Me again, some day." So how could the gopees be
as happy and gay as Shaasthry described Uddhava himself was humbled at the sight of their
complete surrender and the pangs of separation which consumed them. That is the very reason
why He sent Uddhava to them.
The simple gopees were wiser than yogis
Every act of Krishna had a meaning and a purpose and a sweet aptness. The gopees were
convinced that Krishna was the Lord. Many yogis and ascetics, many Raajas and Mahaaraajas
among whom Krishna moved had not realised that truth. The unlearned simple cowherds and
cowherdesses were wiser. When you too feel so, affected by those pangs, you can understand the
gopees, not till then. For that pain, the message of Krishna is the antidote. "Your grief is caused
by your limited artificial outlook; you take Me to be a limited bound entity and so you feel :I am
far away, I am absent, I am by your side, etc. You are hugging a delusion, awake to the Truth
and establish yourselves in joy."
The One does not, of its own Free Will, desire to become many. It has no desire. It has no likes
and dislikes. It is immanent and transcendent. It is all this and more. What then is the reason for
this manifold appearance? The reason lies in the mind of bhaktha (devotee). You declare. "Baaba
appeared before me in this Form; I saw Baaba in this Form." But, what happens is you desire that
vision. I do not change into that Form. The Lord is sugar, sweetness. You may drop it into tea or
coffee or milk or water. Into whatever thing you put it, it will make it sweet. That is My nature,
sweetness; My signature. Once It has melted, what remains is neither water nor sugar, but a third
thing, sherbeth (syrup). But, when your tongue is bitter through envy, hatred and pride, how can
you taste the sugar?
Seek God just as you seek food
The Lord cares for the motive, not the object offered. The tiny leaf from the cooking vessel that
Dhroupadhi gave Him satisfied His hunger and the hunger of the Universe, along with His---for,
she saturated it with her bhakthi. The thulasi leaf placed by Rukmini in the scale was able to
balance the weight of Him who has all the 14 worlds in His belly, for, her intent added so much
weight to it. The handful of flattened rice that Kuchela took to Krishna was worth less than a
paisa but, it was suffused so heavily with the devotion and faith of his wife that it brought great
good fortune. It is possible to fill in an atom of deed, a world of Feeling and the Lord will value
and appreciate that.
Krishna is the causeless conditioning, you cannot discover the causes for His acts or deeds; it is
sheer waste to search for them. If you go on searching for causes and then trying to tread the
path, you may not get the chance at all. You have come as men in order to reach God, remember
that. "Why do you go to Madhura-Brindaavan, to Thirupathi, to Puttaparthi?" people stop you on
the way and ask. Nobody asks you "Why do you take food?" In fact, one has to seek God just as
one seeks food. Both are necessary for happiness, man seeks happiness, for his originally and
truly free; he is immortal and so he seeks to overcome death.
Everyone must rise to the level of the gopees
Do not blame the Lord for your failure in saadhana (spiritual practice); examine yourself. You
set the alarm clock at 6 a.m. and go to bed; if it rings only at 10 a.m. you infer that something is
wrong with its nuts, bolts, springs, wheels, etc. So too, when the expected results do not
materialise, infer that something is wrong in you yourself, your habits of food, drink, sleep or
conduct or behaviour or attitude to others. Everyone, be he a Brahmin or Pandith or Student or
Artist, has to adhere to a strict code of discipline. Without that, victory is beyond reach. You
must become master of the senses and attain the Mahaashthi (Supreme Energy)from this basic
Maayashakthi (Deluding Power). In short you too must rise to the level of the gopees.
The body is assigned to you as a boat to cross the ocean to samsaara (worldly life) but you use it
for storing things which give worldly joy and do not launch it on the waters; misusing it like that,
it comes in the way of, all activity that is really conducive to happiness; use it in the way of
Dharma (righteousness) and success will be yours. Bheema asked Dharmaraaja whether, if
Dhuryodhana invited him for another game of dice after the 12 years of forest and the one year
of incognito were over, he would agree and he replied, "I can never deviate from the path of
Dharma." Since that was his attitude, the Paandavas were helped by the continuous Grace of
Krishna and the blessings of sages like Maarkandeya and Vedhavyaasa. The Kauravas, on the
other hand, were debilitated by curse after curse from enraged sages and by one ill-omen after
another.
Gopees are best examples of yearning for the Lord
Your saadhana involves not reading or writing so much as actual experiencing. Raavana was a
postmaster in the four Vedhas and the six Shaasthras (spiritual sciences); his ten heads were full
of them. But, of what avail? He had no shaanthi (peace), nor could he give shaanthi to his kith
and kin. What is the profit if you simply repeat, "Delicious food, delicious food" a thousand
times? You have to eat, digest and assimilate. You have no deposits on your account in the Bank
of Bhagavaan's Grace and yet you dare issue cheques, expecting His Grace when in distress!
Have the deposits or, at least have some property on hand (like service to others, prema (love)
towards all, Ahimsa (non-violence), etc. so that you can mortgage it and get help. If you have
neither, why blame the Bank?
Through your daily avocations and activities you can realise the Lord, believe Me! The gopees
are the best examples of this, the best proofs. Remember ever the Name of the Lord with agony
of unfulfilled search and remember ever the beauteous Form with the agony of being forced to be
away---and, you too can see Krishna in your midst. That yearning must be there: then, the result
is certain.
The Lord wants sincerity, not imitation
Prahlaadha was immersed in that bhaava (thought); when he was thrown downhill, trampled by
the elephant and tortured by the minions of his father, he paid no heed, for he heeded only his
Lord; he needed only his Lord. The gopees too when they listened to the murali (flute) lost all
attachment to the world and to the senses and to the manifold objective phenomenal things; they
yearned for the sublimest spiritual merging with the Infinite that was always calling on the finite,
to realise its finiteness.
By the purification of impulses one gets into the higher stage, when the Mystery of the Divine is
grasped--the Saalokya (realm of spirituality) stage. Then, by contemplation of the Divine, the
Saameepya and the Saaruupya (proximity to the Divinity and likeness of the Form of Divinity)
stages are won. Many great mystic poets attained this height. Jayadheva sang in that strain, but, if
you sing that song in the same way, Krishna will not appear. He wants sincerity not imitation.
The name uttered with sincere faith was the flower offering of the gopees; that was the bead of
their rosary.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, March 1963

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9. A drama within a drama
THE two Pandiths who spoke have given you substantial food, but, one feels full only after
drinking a glassful of water in the end; I shall provide the water now. Of course, the water drawn
from the Shaasthras is not just water, it is nectar. The Pandith referred to some episodes in the
Raamaayana which cause confusion and doubt. He asked why Dhasharatha chose an occasion
when Bharatha was absent, to raise the question of the coronation of Raama, why the Ahalya
incident was allowed to reveal the Divinity of Raama, when all along Raama is depicted as only
human, why Vaali had to be killed by such a virtuous hero as Raama from behind a tree, why
Kaikeyi who loved Raama even more than she loved Bharatha suddenly got so concerned about
Bharatha. The fact is, doubt grows wild in the absence of faith. Faith can be established only
when one grasps the inner significance of each incident and remark.
All must reach the goal some day or other
Dhasharatha did not invite the king of the Kekayas for consultation along with the other leaders
and princes who were called to give their opinion on the choice of Raama as the heir-apparent,
for, in that case, subsequent events in furtherance of the Master Plan would have been rendered
difficult. Why, Dhasharatha did not command Raama to go into exile in so many words; he only
acknowledged to Kaikeyi that he had granted her two boons and that he was now helpless to
back out of that grant. It was Kaikeyi who communicated the news to Raama. Silence was as
good as approval and Raama had to accept silence as the command from His father. Kaikeyi had
to intervene, so that the purpose of the Avathaar might be fulfilled. The sense of righteousness in
Raama was so strong that when he heard of the dilemma in which Dhasharatha was caught, He
helped him to come out of it unharmed; he insisted he would go into exile as his father had
promised by implication.
The Aathmaaraama (Divinity) in every one prompts him to stick to truth and to the moral code;
you have only to listen and obey and get saved. Some hear even its whisperings; some listen only
when it protests loudly; some are deaf; some are determined not to hear. But, all have to be
guided by it, sooner or later. Some may ascend a plane, others may travel by car or board a bus,
some may prefer a train journey, others may like to trudge along---but, all must reach the goal,
some day or other.
Sugreeva forgot his plighted word and indulged himself in the newly won revels of the court; he
ignored the fact that the jagath (mundane world) is based not on dhana (wealth) but on dharma
(virtue); so, Raama prodded the snake Anantha, to raise its angry hood and hiss furiously. That is
to say, he reminded Lakshmana of the ingratitude of Sugreeva and made him furious. An
ungrateful king is as worthless as an ungrateful subject.
Line of Grace must be won by saadhana alone
The Pandith spoke of the death of Vaali, which gave Sugreeva the throne. But, remember, it was
not Vaali alone that died. His ajnaana (Primal ignorance) also died with him. He saw Raama
with all His divine glory, as filling the entire Universe, which is but a fraction of His personality.
The anger of Raama at Sugreeva's dilatoriness is a drama within a drama; for, Raama knew that
Sugreeva will set about the task of searching for Seetha, as soon as He gives the prompting.
The avathaars all play a drama, within the drama of this universe. You say that Raama 'wept' for
Seetha; but, how can an ant judge the depth of the sea? Raama was the greatest hero in history;
he killed the 14,000 raakshasas led by Khara, Dhushaasana and Thrisiras, all by Himself! Every
raakshasa beheld in every neighbouring raakshasa a Raama; and, full of fury, he slew the
Raama and was killed in turn by his neighbour.
The avathaara behaves in a human way so that mankind can feel kinship, but, rises to super-
human heights so that mankind can aspire to those heights. The nara thathwa (real nature of
man) can be transformed into the Naaraayana thathwa (real nature of God), for both are
basically the same. Only, you have to switch on to the particular wave-length. Know it, adjust
correctly and the all-pervading will be grasped clearly with no distortion.
You may read the Geetha many times; but the Geetha ('line,' in Thelugu) of grace must be won
by saadhana, The line of fortune that the palmists say will bring success is the result of grace
alone. You may say that you are the master of the Geethashaasthra, that you have read and
digested it, but when you belch, the taste and the flavour must be manifest! They are not evident
at all. Trifles are sought after; temporary benefits pursued; joy and grief alternately tease and
agitate. The sea of samsaara (worldly life) has to be crossed and all its Waves transcended, with
the help of Raamanaama, If you seek to know the highest and secure the award of the Lord,
there can be no place for doubt. The heart should be set on achieving the task of realising the
Lord within you, as the motivator. The Lord comes in human form to show this.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 10-2-I 963
Falsehood looks easy and profitable; but, it binds you and pushes
you into perdition.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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10. True nature of Raama
DHARMA (virtue) is not a matter of time and space, to be modified and adjusted to the needs
and pressures of the moment. It means a number of fundamental principles that should guide
mankind, in its progress towards inner harmony and outer peace. When man strays away from
Dharma, he meets with greater harm than even physical slavery. There is a dread now about
invasion and bondage to the enemy if you are not alert enough and united enough. But the loss of
Dharma is an even greater calamity, for what is life worth if man cannot live up to the talents he
is endowed with?
These principles are called Sanaathana (Eternal), because their origins are not dated, their author
is not identifiable; they are the revelations made in the clarified intellects of impartial sages.
They are basic and eternal. They do not represent temporary vagaries. India stood unshaken and
undaunted against the onslaught of attitudes that were bred in other lands to suit the needs of
limited societies, because she stuck to the Dharma that was laid down for all time and all men.
Indian rulers also respected the rigours of Dharma and took the advice of the repositories of
Dharma and the interpreters of Dharma, those who were purified in the crucible of thapas. They
recognised the Ruler of Rulers, and sought His guidance by prayer and penance. They knew that
their Prabhu (Master) was Sarvaantharyaamin (the Eternal Indweller or Onlooker). They were
taught that He was in full sympathy, not only with the king but even with the lowliest of his
subjects. Therefore, the rulers of this land were warned to care for the happiness and cure the
misery of every single individual in the State.
The Divine is an indivisible entity
Dharma is the code of conduct which will promote the ideals of each stage of man---learner,
householder, earner, master, servant, saadhaka, sanyaasi, etc. When the code is distorted and
man undermines his earthly career, forgetting the high purpose for which he has come, the Lord
incarnates and leads him along the correct path. That is to say, He comes as Man, to restore the
principles and re-establish the practice of Dharma. This is what is referred to as
Dharmasamsthaapana in the Geetha. Among these Forms assumed by the Lord, there is no
higher or lower, though Pandiths may argue who is better or greater among, say, Raama or
Krishna! That is but a type of intellectual gymnastics, which gives the Pandiths the keen joy of a
pugilistic encounter! Veerabhadhra Shaasthry has posed a similar problem now. Let me tell you
at the outset that the Divine is an indivisible entity, whatever Form it may assume, here or
elsewhere.
Raama never deviated from Dharma
Raama appeared as Maayaa-maanusha-ruupa (illusory human form); He stuck to Dharma in
daily practice, even from His infancy. He is the personification of Dharma. There is no trace of
adharma (vice) in him. His Divine Nature is revealed in shaantha guna (calm temperament) and
karunaa rasa (feeling of love and affection); meditate on Him and you are filled with Prema for
all beings; dwell on His story and you find all the agitations of your minds quietening in perfect
calm. When Thaataki, the female demon, had to be killed, He argued, hesitated and desisted,
until Sage Vishwaamithra convinced Him that she had to be liberated from a curse by His own
arrow. That is a sign of His Karuna Rasa.
Raama never provoked another in order to create a convenient excuse to destroy him; on the
other hand, He gave the adversary every chance to be saved, He carried the message of Dharma
to the Vaanaraas and the Raakshasas, as well as [o sages like Jaabaali. He accepted the homage
of Vibheeshana without demur and He announced that He was prepared to accept even Raavana,
if only he repented his iniquity. "Sathyam vadha" (speak the truth), says the Shruthi; Raama
stuck to truth, in spite of all temptations. "Dharmam chara" (Practise virtue), says the Shruthi.
He never deviated from the path. For example, He had, as you know, to live 14 years in the
forest, to fulfil His father's behest. So during that period, He did not enter an inhabited town or
village. He avoided Kishkindha and Lanka, even when the Coronations of Sugreeva and
Vibheeshana took place. Vibheeshana pleaded with Him very plaintively, saying that only a few
days remained out of the 14 years, but Raama sent Lakshmana instead. He did not waver or
overstep. That was the strictness with which He kept the vow.
Make Raama your Aathma Raama
Raama is Dharmaswaruupam (Embodiment of Virtue}; Krishna is Premaswaruupam
(Embodiment of Love). Raama was ever aware of the obligations of Dharma When Dhasharatha,
running after His chariot in mortal anguish, cried out, "Stop, stop" and called on Sumanthra to
stop, Raama told him not to. He said, "If he chides you, tell him you did not hear him."
Sumanthra was in a fix. How could He say something not true? But, Raama explained, "This
order to stop the chariot comes from a grief-stricken father, whereas the order to take Me to the
forest came from the King, whose minister you are. You should not hear the ravings of a man
who has lost his reason through sorrow; you must listen only to the commands of the King."
Even before the advent of the Avathaar, the stage is set to the minutest detail; Kaikeyi is ready
with her two indefinite boons, Dhasharatha is ready with the curse of the ascetic on his head,
entailing upon him a death due to anguish at the separation of his son, the Vaanaras are ready to
help the Divine Purpose. Seetha is ready risen from the earth, to provide the cause for the
downfall of Evil. Just as a garland is made of flowers gathered from many plants, flowers of
many hues and fragrances, so too the Garland of the Divine Story is made up of a variety of
incidents, a boon, a blessing, a curse to provide the wonderful plot of His Story.
There are some who say that Raama shows man how to suffer! Well, if a king arranges a play in
the palace and takes delight in enacting the role of a beggar, and acts it very realistically, do you
therefore declare that he is suffering the miseries of beggary? Raama is Aanandha (Bliss).
Aanandha is Raama. If it is not sweet, how can it be sugar? If Raama is suffering, He cannot be
Raama. A ball of iron cannot burn the skin; but, make it red-hot; it does. That is but an assumed
role. When the heat subsides it is as cool as ever.
Raama Naama (name) will save you, if you have at least the Pithru Bhakthi and Maathru
Bhakthi (devotion to father and to mother)that Raama had. If not, Raama Naama is merely a
movement of the lips. Meditate on the Raama swaruupa (Form of Raama) and the Raama
swabhaava (the true nature of Raama), when you recite or write Raama Naama. That will give
exercise to the mind and it will be made healthy and strong, in the spiritual sense. Make this
Dharmaswaruupa your Aathmaa Raama, on this Janmadhina (birthday)of Raama. That is My
advice anti My blessing.
Rajahmundhry, 1-4-1963

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11. The Fifth Vedha
GULLAPALLI Buuchiraamayya Shaasthry spoke about the Mahaabhaaratha so well and with so
much scholarship, as he has been specialising in its exposition for years. The Mahaabhaaratha is
considered by many as not so conducive to Bhakthi as the Bhaagavatha for instance, or as the
Raamaayana; but, if once you know the taste, no one will give it up or consider it as of lower
value. It is called the Fifth Vedha, not without reason. The Vedhas reveal things that are beyond
the reach of the intellect. The truths declared by the Vedhas are made practicable and simple,
interesting and instructive, by means of stories and homilies in the Mahaabhaaratha.
The Puurva Meemaamsa (analysis of Vedhic statements concerning rituals) deals with the
Pravritthi maarga (path of worldly desire) and the Utthara Meemaamsa with the Nivriththi
maarga (path of renunciation). Puurva Meemaamsa deals with the kaarana (reason) and the
Utthara Meemaamsa, with the kaaryam (duty), which is jnaanam. In the Mahaabhaaratha, both
the paths are fully explained. So, it is called the Fifth Vedha. It is the Vedhasaara (essence of
Vedha) itself. In Thelugu there is a proverb, "If it is a question of listening, listen to Bhaaratham;
if it is a question of eating, eat gaarlu." That is because the Bhaaratham gives in sweet simple
style all the inspiration that a man needs for this world and for the next.
Where there is Dharma, victory is assured
The Vedha saadhana has four pillars on which it stands---Sathya, Dharma, Shaanthi and Prema.
They have to be practised, experienced and their combined result, namely, Aanandha has to be
enjoyed. Krishna told the Paandavas that He did not know anything about the fateful dice game,
which started the succession of calamities. "I was in Dwaaraka at the time," He said. Dwaaraka
means the citadel with the nine gates or dwaaras, the Body itself. Krishna is the witness of
everything; anything done without His approval or without being dedicated to Him will be a
failure.
The five Paandava brothers are the Five Praanas (vital energies), symbolised in story, and with
the help of the Lord, they won the battle against the forces of evil. Where there is Dharma,
victory is assured. The Mahaabhaaratha teaches that truth. The Pandavaas had many temptations
placed before them to slide back into A-dharma;
but, they held on to the difficult path of Dharma and won. The status of manhood has been won
after aeons of arduous struggle and to waste it in vain pursuits forgetting the Dhivyathvam
(Divinity) which has to be manifested is indeed pitiable.
God weighs only the feelings behind prayer
Dhroupadhi praying in distress from the Assembly Hall of the Kauravas is an instance in point.
The Mahaabhaaratha proves times out of number that the Lord answers prayers that come out of
faith and agony in yearning. There was a cowherd called Maaladhaasa who was determined to
see the Lord, as He was described in the sacred texts he had heard expounded in the village
temple by a Pandith. So he prayed and prayed to the "black Lord riding on the white bird" all the
time his cows were pasturing in the fields. Eleven days passed; but, there was no sign of the
"black Lord riding the white bird," He had forgotten to take food and drink during all those days
and so, had become weak, too weak to walk or talk. At last, the Lord melted at his entreaties and
presented Himself before him as an old Brahmin; but the Brahmin was not riding a white bird,
nor was he black, beautifully black, as the Pandith had described. So, he asked the Brahmin to
come the next day at seven in the morning, so that he may bring the Pandith and verify whether
He was the Lord Himself. The Pandith laughed at the whole affair and refused to take part in it;
but Maaladhaasa was so importunate that he agreed.
The entire village turned out on the river bank the next day, long before seven o'clock. The
Brahmin was there, exactly as he had promised and Maaladhaasa showed Him to all. But, they
could not see him! They began to laugh at the cowherd's antics and threatened him with a severe
beating for bringing them along as butts for his joke. Maaladhaasa could see the Brahmin clearly
but no one else could. At last, he got so enraged that he walked up to the old Brahmin and gave
him a whacking blow on the cheek, saying, "Why don't you show yourself to all?"
That blow changed the entire scene. Krishna appeared in resplendent robes, smiling face,
captivating form and the white bird. As the astounded villagers were recovering from the
amazement, the Vimaana (heavenly chariot), floated down from the sky and Krishna asked
Maaladhaasa to sit inside it. Then, with the Lord by his side Maaladhaasa rose up and soon was
out of sight.
Mahaabharaatha is an inspiration for all time
The Lord always weighs only the feeling behind the prayer to satisfy and please; the Saguna
form visible to the eye and cognisable by the senses, but something unapproachable by the
senses (In-dhriya-atheetha), has to be offered. In this way, karma itself becomes Upaasana, by
the addition to saturation point, of dedication. Rathi (attachment) is the seed; Bhaava (feeling) is
the sapling; Prema (love) is the tree; Sath-Chith-Aanandha (Being, Awareness, Bliss)is the fruit.
The Vedhas have Karma, Upaasana and Jnaana (action, devotion and knowledge) sections. The
Mahaabhaaratha teaches all three and so, for the Vedhavriksha (Vedha tree), the Bhaaratha can
be said to be the fruit.
You have heard that the Lord comes down when Dharmaglaani (the decline of Dharma)
happens; well, Vedhaglaani (the decline of the Vedhas) is equivalent to the decline of Dharma,
for Vedha is the very root of Dharma. There are five treasures which the good always try to
guard, and which you should endevaour to foster---the Cow, the Brahmin, the Vedhas, the
Shaasthras, and Chastity. If these are lost, then, life is lost; everything that adds value to life is
lost.
You are your own foe and friend
Where there is Dharma, there Krishna is; so, think for yourself, each one of you! How far have
you deserved the Grace of the Lord? You draw Him near; you keep Him far. You entangle
yourself, bind yourself, and get caught in the trap. No one is your foe except yourself. No one
else is your friend; you are your only friend. The Guru shows you the road; you have to trudge
alone, without fear or hesitation.
The Mahaabhaaratha clearly explains the bunds which Sanaathana Dharma has constructed to
direct the wild flocks of the senses and the emotions, into the sea, without harming the banks.
Brahmacharya (student celibate), Grihastha (householder). Vaanaprastha (recluse in the forest),
Sanyaasa (ascetic)---these stages of life with the restrictions and regulations prescribed for each
are such bunds to guard the individual and society from the upsurge of the beast in man. Even
today, the Mahaabhaaratha can be of great help; it is an inspiration for all lime, for all humanity.
The battle between Dharmakshethra (the camp of virtue-bound noble Paandavas) and
Kurukshethra (the camp of the egoistic wicked Kauravas) is ever on and however strong the
Kurukshethra might appear to be, even if it has the
Yaadhavas on its side, so long as the Lord is the charioteer, victory is certain for the champions
of Dharma. Even now, when the Chinese are pressing on the frontier, the best armour for the
country is Dharma, which will win the Grace of God. What is not possible for a people who have
won that?
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 23-4-1963
If only men knew the path to permanent joy and peace, they will
not wander distracted among the bye-lanes of sensual pleasure.
Just as the joy felt in dreams disappears when you wake, the joy
felt in the waking stages disappears when you wake into the higher
awareness, called jnaana. Use the moment while it is available, for
the best of uses, the awareness of the Divine in all.
When you die, you must die not like a tree or a beast or a worm,
but, like a Man who has realised that he is Maadhava (God). That
is the consummation of all the years you spend in the human
frame.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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12. Shankara's Adhwaitha
THE Ari-shadvargas (the six enemies of Man), get a foothold in his mind, because it is filled
with the darkness of Ajnaana. They are nocturnal birds like bats and owls that cannot tolerate
light. Darkness will not flee if you throw stones at it; nor will it disappear if you lay about it with
a sword, or shoot it with a gun. It will be destroyed only when a lamp is lit. Shankara taught this
simple truth to many who were ignorant of this simple fact. The people of this country were lost
in the pursuit of many goals, because their vision was blurred by darkness. Shankara taught them
that the Vedhas, Upanishaths and Shaasthras had but One in view, the One-without-a-second,
Adhwaitha.
Shankara, when quite a young boy, was one day offering puuja to Dhevi, the household Deity,
because his father was away and he had asked him to perform worship in his absence. He placed
milk before the image and prayed pathetically that She should sip the milk, as he imagined She
was wont to do, when his father did the Puuja. He wept so sincerely that Mother melted at his
walling and drank the entire quantity) Shankara had seen his father distribute the milk that was
offered to the Mother, a tiny spoonful, to every member of the family; but, since the cup was
emptied in one quaff by Her, nothing remained; the boy feared that he would be blamed for
drinking what was the share of the others. So, he wailed again. Dhevi felt great pity at the plight
of Shankara, who had taken the Image to be alive, and who had compelled Her already to
manifest Herself from it. But, she did not pour milk out of Her palm, as I do; she pressed Her
Maternal Breasts and filled the cup. Shankara's Avedhana, his anguished yearning, had
succeeded in matting Dhevi respond!
Beginners only need image worship
Similarly, the other day, Shri Raamamurthy, who is sitting among you here, shouted, "Swamee"
in sincere faith and agony. His wife was writhing in pain, because her clothes had caught fire.
She was too panic-stricken to call out My Name. But, this cry was heard by Me. I hurried to the
spot, which is, as you say, 400 miles away; I crumpled the fire out, before it was too late.
Shankara worshipped images in childhood and he knew the value of Saguna swaruupa (God as
endowed with qualities). He advised Saguna Aaraadhana (worship of Form) to the large
majority of people, even later in his life. Little children must be taught with the help of slates and
boards, on which illustrations are drawn. Temples, images and pictures are the slates and boards
for the children in spiritual progress. But, if you play with a toy elephant, you cannot derive the
experience of contacting the real one. The Formless can be conceived only when you have
transcended Form.
Shankara's Adhwaitha is the Ultimate Truth
When Shankara thought of renouncing the world (in order to get the authority to educate it), he
felt that his mother's consent had to be taken for the step. So, while bathing in the Poorna river
near his house, he cried out one day that a crocodile had caught his leg. It was true, for the
crocodile was, as in the Gajendhramoksha story, only Samsaara (wordly life) called by that
name, Sensual Desire, to put it in other words. When the mother came rushing to the bank of the
river, he told her that the crocodile would let him off, only if he took Sanyaasa, became a monk!
This was also true, for, renunciation, detachment, giving up worldly ties, is the means of saving
oneself from bondage. The bewildered mother agreed and the boy left home to seek his Guru,
and through him the secret of liberation.
Shankara lived only for thirty-two years, but, during that time, he purified and consolidated the
various schools of worship and brought them under the over-all care of one philosophical
principle, Adhwaitha (non-dualism).
The Mahaavaakyas (the great statements on Supreme Reality) of the Vedhas once again began
ringing in the hearts of all, with their true meaning. Aham Brahmaasmi; Thath-thwam-asi;
Prajnaanam Brahma (I am Brahman, Thou art That; consciousness is Brahman)--all were
explained in simple, convincing logic, in sweet captivating poetry. Shankara's Adhwaitha is the
ultimate Truth and so, it is only confirmed, not shaken, by the discoveries of science or the
flights of intellect. It speaks of the unity of matter and energy; of time and space, of the Universe
being but Brahman Seen through the veil of Maayaa, which too is but an activity of the
Primordial.
Shankara knew that Adhwaitha requires intense saadhana (spiritual effort) which will remove all
trace of ego, all idea of duality, from the mind of man. So, as a preparatory discipline to the
dawn of the awareness of one's real unity with the substance of the Universe, he taught the rules
of yoga and bhakthi and karma; these, according to him, will brighten the intellect, cleanse the
emotions and purify the heart. Adhwaitha is the awareness of the Divine, in everything,
everywhere, in full measure.
Shankara suggested sath-sanga (good company) as the very first step in saadhana; the company
of the wise and the good will develop into detachment and love of silence and solitude. That will
promote the disappearance of moha (delusion), which according to Arjuna, was the fruit of
listening to the Geetha. When that happens, one is established steadily in the Thath-thwam, the
reality of this and that, the identity of this with that. Well, the recognition of that identity is the
attainment of Mukthi (liberation).
Prashaanthi Nilayam, Shankara Jayanthi, 28-4-1963

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13. Shivam, not shavam
GHANDIKOTA Subrahmanya Shaasthry read and offered what he called a Navarathna
Haaram---a Garland of Nine Poetic Gems; but though I do not accept garlands, I certainly accept
the devotion that gives fragrance to the garland. He said that the Vedhas are for the glorification
of the Gods (Dhevaanaam sthuthyartham), that in the Kali Yuga, one is asked to rely more on
Naamasmarana (repeated remembrance of God) for liberation. Why is it considered enough for
the people of this Age? For, other Saadhanas are fraught with difficulties. They need rigorous
discipline and much preliminary effort. Again, there is another advantage in Naamasmarana: as
soon as the Name is uttered, the owner of the Name comes into view. When you think of the
Form, the Name may not always accompany; you may not be able to identify. There may be
more than one Name and you may be confused. But take the Name, and the Form automatically
appears before the mental eye.
In Bhaarath, the discipline, to remove that attachment to the senses and to curb the mind from
running after fleeting pleasures, is clearly laid down since ages; and we have the experience of
many saints, recorded in the sacred literature of this land. All the activities of thought, word and
deed are sublimated to this higher purpose. Man is Shivam (auspicious), not shavam (corpse); he
has three eyes, which are derived from the Sun and the Moon, and from Agni.
Where the Lord's Name is sung, there He sits
The Agni eye is the internal eye, which can be opened by the discipline of the Yoga. The three-
eyed Shiva can see the past, the present and the future. A boy of ten whom you have seen, you
can recall his picture as he was when you saw him; but you can't see him as he is now or as he
will be ten years hence. But, if you earn the Thrinethra (three eyes), capable of seeing the past,
present and future, you can see all three. You become master of time and space.
The Name is enough to give you all the results of every type of saadhana (spiritual effort). This
is accepted by all the Shaasthras and all the saadhakas (spiritual aspirants) who have left
accounts of their struggle and success. Moreover, the Name is capable of being recited and
meditated upon by all, equally. Of course, the Name is a limitation of the Universal; it identifies
the un-identifiable, through one of its aspects. Take the Upaadhi (disguise) as a means of saving
yourself; take it as a boat that will take you across the sea of birth and death.
When you repeat the Name, all the sweetness of the Form and its associated glory must come to
memory and just as your mouth waters when you remember some sweet dish you relish, your
mind must "water" when you contemplate it. Choose the Name that captivates your heart. Why
run after riches when all the pleasure and satisfaction that riches can offer and even a hundred-
fold, can be got by dwelling on the Name? The Lord has said that where His Name is sung,
"thathra thish-tthaami," ("there I sit"). He establishes Himself there! He will not move from the
place. So, the tongue is enough to win Him, the tongue that speaks the language of the pure
mind.
The Lord is a Kalpavriksha (Wish-fulfilling Tree); you have to approach Him and develop
attachment to Him. You must win His Grace and be ever near Him keeping back all the forces
that draw you away from Him. Even if you commit some technical faults in singing about Him
or in worshipping Him, it does not matter. Bhakthi (intense devotion) makes every error
excusable. Nectar, though poured into a brass cup, will not lose its savour or taste. Poison, even
if is poured into a cup of gold set with gems, will not lose its death-dealing property.
The Name persuades the Form to bend and bless
Bhakthi will force the Lord to give you Himself as the gift. The Coronation Ceremony of Sree
Raamachandhra and the celebrations were all over; the presentation of gifts to all important
people was over. Then, Seetha remembered that Maaruthi had been forgotten. There was no one
in the hall except Raama. Seetha and Maaruthi. Raama wondered what to give him: He
suggested to Seetha that the gemset ring that Janaka gave him on the occasion of the marriage
would be the best gift, because as He said. "Your father gave this to me. on the day he gave you
to me; this Maaruthi gave you to me. a second time. So. I shall give him this." Maaruthi did not
seem quite happy when the ring was placed in his hand. Evidently he did not appreciate the gift
because it was not given in full sight of all; when all were given, he was neglected! But Maaruthi
placed it near his ear as if he sought to know what sound emanated from it: he bit it with his
teeth; tried to peer into its structure.
Raama asked him why, and Seetha was also anxious to know. Maaruthi said, "I am finding out
whether it has the Raamanaama which I want to the exclusion of everything else." Then. Raama
embraced him and said, "Maaruthi! what other gift can I give you? I shall give you Myself as the
gift. Accept Me!" So, that is why he was neglected, at the time every, one else was awarded
gifts! That is why wherever Maaruthi is. there Raama is bound to be-wherever Raama is, there
Maaruthi is invariably present. The Name is so valuable for the Bhaktha (devotee). It persuades
the Form to bend and bless.
The Name that pleases you is best for you
Just consider this- the form changes from age to age, from one appearance to another. Raama and
Krishna were different in form; even their deeds were distinct. But still, people agree when you
say that both are identical. Well; tell them that Raama held aloft the Govardhanagiri, they will
not accept it.
The Name has the association of all the special fragrance of the Leela (Divine play) and the
Mahima (Power) and the Upadhesha (spiritual instruction). Each one has a special attachment to
one Name out of many, suited to the temperament and the Samskaara, the inherited instincts and
tendencies shaped in previous births.
Meera loved the Name Giridhaari (mountain-holder). To her, that leela appealed as the most
significant, as the most symbolic of the' Lord's glory. The name that pleases you, that arouses the
sweetest and the purest 10ve, is best for you. Raamayathi is Raama (the thing that pleases is
Raama); Harathi is Hara (the thing that destroys Maayaa, is Hara or Hari).
Keep the Name lit on the tongue
Suurdhaas was overwhelmed with grief, when the lovely little body who held his stick and led
him along the road to Brindhaavan suddenly left him with the announcement that his name was
Krishna! He ran about with both hands extended to catch Him and keep Him in his embrace, but
Krishna had disappeared; then, Suurdhaas shouted, "You may run away from my clasp; but I
have you in my heart. You can never run away from there." Prahlaadha was also like that; he had
no other thought; he saw nothing else; elephant, snake, poison, fire---all were for him
Naaraayana-thathwa (divine principle) itself. How then could they harm him?
The Naama is the Narasimha for the Hiranyaakshas of the mind; the Raajasik (passionate) and
Thaamasik (ignorant) forces, besieging your heart are bent on your downfall. Just as they give
Calcium and Vitamin tablets to cure anaemia, etc., take Naamam tablets to get rid of mental
anaemia and other illnesses. There are some throat pastilles, which you have to carry to your
mouth and whose taste you have to slowly swallow, in order to relieve cough; have the Naamam
on your tongue and imbibe its taste slowly to get rid of the troublesome upsurge of passions and
emotions. Keep the Name lit on the tongue; it will illumine your interior and also the exterior. It
will cleanse your mind, as well as minds of those who hear the Name when you recite it.
Keeping it on the tongue is like keeping a lamp lit on the door-step at the entrance to your house.
Naamasmarana is the best saadhana; it is the most beneficial sath-pravarthana. That is the
highest japam, the most profitable thapas. Kuchela won the Grace of the Lord through the same
means. Fill the Name with your Love, whenever you repeat it; saturate it with devotion. That is
the easiest path for all of you.
Prashaanthi Nilayam, 29-4-1963
A mere Five-minute inquiry will convince you that you are not the
body, or the senses, the mind or the intelligence, the name or the
form, but that you are the Aathma Itself, the same Aathma that
appears as all this variety.
Once you get a glimpse of this truth, hold on to it; do not allow it
to slip. Make it your permanent possession.
Sathya Sai Baaba

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14. Sathyam, Shivam, Sundharam
TO EARN the Grace of God, you have to pray to the Personified Power with Name and Form; it
is your yearning that decides in what form the Lord appears. You call and He answers. If you are
not earnest, if you feel indifferent, and say, "Let Him come when He wills, in the Form He likes
and with the Name He prefers," He will not come at all. Call on Him with anguish; He will
respond.
In Raajasthan, there was a priest who worshipped the image of Baalakrishna installed in the
temple, attached to the palace of Udhaipur. His name was Dhevesha. His story may not be found
anywhere but since he was intimately connected with Me, I know him very well. Every night he
used to "put Baalakrishna to sleep," with appropriate ritual and close the door of the shrine; but,
before he came out, he would take from the head of the image, the mallika (jasmine) garland he
had placed there in the evening and wear it himself, before proceeding home. Of course, on those
days on which the Mahaaraana visited the temple, the garland had to be given to him, for wear.
One day, however, the Mahaaraana came immediately after he had worn it inside his tuft 'of hair;
so, when the Ruler demanded the flower, he had to get inside the shrine and, slyly removing it
from his tuft, hand it reverentially back to him. The Mahaarana was happy that he had not missed
the gift; but, was shocked to find in it a strand of gray hair! Suspecting some tricks he shouted
angrily. "What! has our Balakrishna grown old and grey?" The priest, to save his skin, said "Yes,
Yes." The Mahaaraana replied, "Well, I shall not disturb now; but, early tomorrow, I shall come
and see if His hair has really gone grey."
Devesha had no food or sleep that night. He wept his eyes out in agony, for, he had in his fear,
imposed old age and greyness on the ever-youthful Lord. Morning came and the Mahaaraana
hurried to the temple to open the shrine. They both looked in and, Io, the hair was grey. The
King suspected that the hair was false, planted by the priest. So he pulled and tugged at it, only to
find drops of blood at the roots. God had responded to the anguished cry, the call of the agony.
The Formless will assume any Form and undergo any transformation to satisfy the yearning of
the devoted aspirant. The over-riding purpose is to make all karma-jeevis (action-oriented
beings), Brahma-jeevis (God-filled beings).
Man must crave for the vision of God, then only is he entitled to the status of human-ness.
Maanava(the human) must reach Maadhava (the Divine). He must conquer the mind. Man is the
ruler of Manas (the mind), not its slave. Who takes the role of educator from the beginning of
your life? The Mother, is it not? Prakrithi (Nature) is the Mother, the Feminine principle, the
Maayaa (illusory energy). She is the great teacher. If you do not learn the lessons well, Nature
punishes you, boxes you in the ear, hits you on the head. She is a stern merciless instructress;
but, if you learn well, she will lead you proudly to the Presence of Purushoththama (the Supreme
Person). Obey Prakrithi and be well trained by her: then, you can inherit the Glory of
Purushoththama. If you disregard Her teaching, the Mother gets disgusted with you and the
Father too will disregard your entreaties. The commands of Prakrithi given for your good are
called, dharma. Have that dharma as the witness of all your thoughts, words and deeds. Be
guided every instant by the dictates of that Dharma, and success will be yours.
Little children must be taught with the help of big letters scrawled on boards and slates. Temples,
images and Saligrams (crystal stones) are the slates and boards, for children in spiritual progress,
But, even if you play with a toy elephant you cannot get the experience of contacting a live
elephant, can you? The Formless God-head can be understood by you only when you have
rendered yourself Formless! When you are in the world of gunas (qualities), you have to attach
yourself only to a Saguna Lord (God with attributes).
Even a thief does not like being called "thief" He gets either ashamed or angry when he is called.
Why? Truth is his real nature and his true nature revolts against the appellation. The Aathma is
always Shivam (auspicious and holy). So it protests vehemently when the vehicle where it
resides is called amangalam (inauspicious), Shayam (dead). The Aathma is also Sundharam
(beauty). A U M is the Ahamkaaram {egoism) of Paramaathma; it has no vikaaraam (ugliness)
in it. So it is always Sundharam (beautiful, charming, lovely). That is why when it is described
as ugly, deformed, disgusting, etc., he lowers his head in shame, for something revolting to his
true nature is being imputed. Sathyam, Shivam, Sundharam is yourself; you have not realised it
because of delusion, ignorance and false inference. Get rid of these and merge in your real self.
Excerpts from Discourses during May 1963
Enter from now on into a discipline of Naamasmarana, the
incessant remembrance of God through the Name of the Lord. It
does not need any special time or extra allotment of time; it can be
done always, in the waking stage, whether you are bathing or
eating, walking or sitting. All the hours now spend in gossip, in
watching sports or films, in hollow conversation, can best be used
for silent contemplation of the Name and Form, and splendour of
the Lord.
Sathya Sai Baaba

[V2K]

15. Shiva Shakthi
(Baaba was brought down the winding stairs into the Private Room on the ground floor,
because He insisted on giving Darshan to the thousands of devotees who had come on that
auspicious day. He had an attack of cerebral thrombosis (or tubercular meningitis?) and was in
bed for eight days from the morning of Saturday, 29th June to the evening of 6th July. His left
hand, leg and eye were affected; His right hand had also slight palsy; the tongue was indistinct
and the face was twitching. He was placed on the Silver Chair in the Prayer Hall and His hand
and leg were adjusted in proper position. As soon as He was seated, He communicated the
following message which was interpreted and announced).
THIS is not Swaami's illness; this is an illness which Swaami has taken on, in order to save some
one. Swaami has no illness, nor will He get ill at any time. You must all be happy; that alone will
make Swaami happy. If you grieve, Swaami will not be happy. Your joy is Swaami's food.
Then, Baaba signed to Kasturi to speak, and after his short speech was over, Baaba wanted the
mike to be held before Him. He asked through it, "Vinipisthundhaa?" (Do you hear Me?) But,
though He asked again and again, the voice was so indistinct that no one could make out what it
meant. He then signed for water and when it was brought, He sprinkled a little with His shaking
right hand on the stricken left hand and on His left leg. He stroked His left hand with the right.
Immediately, He used both hands to stroke His left leg; that touch was enough to cure it. He
doffed the disease in a thrice! He started to speak! It was the same musical voice.).
God is the refuge for those who have no refuge Dhikkulenivaariki dhevude gathi---"For those
who have no refuge, God is the refuge." That is exactly the reason why I had to take on the
disease that one helpless Bhaktha was to get. He had to suffer this dire illness, as well as the four
heart attacks that accompanied it; and he would not have survived it. So, according to My
Dharma of Bhakthasamrakshana (protection of devotees), I had to rescue him. Of course, this is
not the first time that I have taken on the illness of persons whom I wanted to save. Even in the
previous sareeram at Shirdi, I had this responsibility The suffering that you saw was too much
for this particular devotee and so, I had to save him, by Myself going through it. This is My
Leela: My nature. It is part of the task for which I have Come: Sishyarakshana (protection Of
disciples).
Persons who were near Me during the last week were asking Me to give them the name of the
person whom I had saved. I told them that it will make them angry against that person, for
Swaami they would say, "had to undergo so much of pain in order to save that one person."
Then, they replied, that they would honour the person, because of the extraordinary Bhakthi that
persuaded Swaami to run to his rescue, on Saturday morning.
Baaba's Identity, Mission and Advent revealed
Some people even asked Me whether it was this person or that, giving names of those who had
attacks of paralysis, especially on the left side! This is even more ludicrous, because when I save
a person, I save him completely. I do not wait until he gets the disease and I do not leave in him a
fraction of the disease, so that he may be identified later. It all looks so funny to Me, the guesses
and surmises that you make.
Even in Shirdi, Dhadha Saheb, Nandharaam, Balawanth, all were saved by these means.
Balawanth was destined to get plague, but, the bubo was taken over and the boy saved.
This is perhaps the longest period when I kept the devotees wondering and worried. That was
because of the heart attacks which had to come later on the Bhaktha, from Which also he had to
be saved. Then, there is another reason too, why the 8-day period had to be observed. Well, I
shall tell you why. That means I must tell you about Myself, about something I have not
disclosed so far, something which I was keeping within Myself, for the last 37 years. The time
has come to announce it. This is a sacred day, and I shall tell you.
You know I declared on the very day when I decided to disclose My Identity, My Mission and
My Advent, that I belonged to the Aapasthamba Suuthra (Code of conduct) and the
Bharadhwaaja Gothra (lineage). This Bharadhwaaja was a great sage, who studied the Vedhas
for full one hundred years; but, finding that the Vedhas were anantha (endless) he did thapas for
prolonging life, and from Indhra he got two extensions of a century each. Even then, the Vedhas
could not be completed, so, he asked Indhra again for another hundred years. Indhra showed him
3 huge mountain ranges and said, "What you have learned in 3 centuries form only 3 handfulIs
from out of the 3 ranges, which the Vedhas are. So, give up the attempt to exhaust the Vedhas.
Do a Yaaga (ritual sacrifice), instead, which I shall teach you: that will give you the fruit of
Vedhic study, full and complete."
The yaaga performed by sage Bharadhwaaja
Bharadhwaaja decided on performing the yaaga; Indhra taught him how to do it; all preparations
were completed. The sage wanted that Shakthi must preside and bless the yaaga. So he went to
Kailaasa but, the time was not opportune for presenting his petition. Shiva and Shakthi were
engaged in a competitive dance, trying to find out who could dance longer. Eight days passed
thus, before Shakthi noticed Bharadhwaaja standing in the cold. She just cast a smile at him and
danced along as before! The sage mistook the smile as a cynical refusal to notice him; so he
turned his back on Kailaasa and started to descend. To his dismay, he found his left leg, hand and
eye put out of action by a stroke. Shiva saw him fall; He came up to him and consoled him;
Bharadhwaaja was told that Shakthi had indeed blessed him and his yaaga. Then, Shiva revived
him and cured him, sprinkling water from the Kamandalu. Both Shiva and Shakthi granted the
Rishi (sage) boons: They would both attend the yaaga, they said.
All past assurances accomplished by one incident
After the yaaga was over, They were so pleased that They conferred even more boons on the
sage. Shiva said that They would take human form and be born in the Bharadhwaaja Gothra
(lineage) thrice: Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai Baaba, Shiva and Shakthi together at Puttaparthy as
Sathya Sai Baaba and Shakthi alone as Prema Sai, later. Then Shiva remembered the illness that
had suddenly come upon Bharadhwaaja at Kailaasa on the eighth day of the waiting in the cold
on the ice. He gave another assurance. "As expiation for the neglect which Shakthi showed you
at Kailaasa for 8 days, this Shakthi will suffer the stroke for 8 days, when We both take birth as
Sathya Sai and, on the 8th day, I shall relieve her from all signs of the disease by sprinkling
water, just as I did at Kailaasa to cure your illness."
It was the working out of this assurance that you witnessed today, just now. This had to happen,
this stroke and the cure. The assurance given in the Threthaa Yuga had to be honoured. I may tell
you now that the poor forlorn bhaktha who had to get the stroke which I took over, was a
convenient excuse, which was utilised. You see, a railway engine is not made available to haul
just one bogey; they wait until a number of bogeys are to be taken along and then, they put the
engine into action. So too, the disease had to be gone through, the Bhaktha had to be saved, the
assurance to be carried out, the mystery had to be cleared, the Divinity had to be more clearly
announced by the manifestation of this Grand Miracle. All these were accomplished by this one
incident.
Let Me tell you one more thing: Nothing can impede or halt the work of this Avathaara. When I
was upstairs all these days, some people foolishly went about saying. "It is all over with Sai
Baaba" and they turned back many who were coming to Puttaparthi! Some said I was in
Samaadhi, as if I am a Saadhaka! Some feared I was the victim of black magic, as if anything
can affect Me! The splendour of this Avathaara will go increasing, day by day. Formerly when
the Govardhanagiri was raised aloft by the little boy, the gopees and gopaalas realised that
Krishna was the Lord. Now, it is not one Govardhanagiri, a whole range will be lifted, you will
see! Have patience, have faith. Tomorrow morning, I shall give every one of you the
Namaskaaram blessing that you missed today.
Gurupournami Day, 6-7-1963
To discover one's reality and to dwell in that Divine peace, one
need not give up the world and take to asceticism.
Sathya Sai Baaba