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Discourses
30th
March 2006 |
Ugadi |
Prasanthi Nilayam |
Ugadi
Divine Discourse on 30th March- 2006
[quick
download discourse text file - Right click & save]
by
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Note:
Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
on this SBOIwebsite/group are unedited, authentic & only
sourced from the official Sai baba Org.
"ATMA IS THE NAMELESS,
FORMLESS DIVINITY"
Draupadi’s father Drupada organised a Swayamvara
(choosing of bridegroom by the bride) to perform her marriage. Thousands
of youth, princes and
kings came to his court to win the hand of Draupadi in this Swayamvara.
Just as King Janaka had declared that he would give his daughter Sita in
marriage to the prince who could string the bow of Lord Siva, King Drupada
arranged a Matsyayantra (a device with replica of fish). The condition of
the contest was that whosoever was able to hit the eye of the fish
revolving high above on a pole with an arrow by looking at its reflection
in water
below would be successful in winning the hand of his daughter.
Extraordinary Qualities of Draupadi
Many valorous youth and princes
who were confident of their victory tried their luck without any success.
This was not an ordinary test that
everyone could succeed. Many people thought that it was easy, but in
reality it was not so. When no one could succeed in the contest, the
entire
assembly fell into a stunning silence. The Pandavas were also present
incognito in this assembly. Krishna, who was also present, looked at the
Pandavas and smiled. At that point of time, the Pandavas spoke to each
other in whispers. Soon after this, Arjuna walked majestically towards the
Matsyayantra, smiling all the way. He was totally calm and composed.
Looking at the reflection of the fish in water, he shot an arrow. When it
hit
the target successfully, the entire assembly went into raptures. All the
people looked at Arjuna in admiration with great delight. Handing over a
garland to his daughter Draupadi, Drupada asked her to garland Arjuna.
At that time, the Pandavas were staying in the house of a potter. When
they went to their house along with the bride, their mother Kunti was
inside
the house. Even before entering their house, they announced to their
mother that they had earned a very valuable fruit. Their mother replied
from
inside the house that they should share the fruit equally between
themselves. The Pandavas always obeyed the command of their mother and
honoured every word that she uttered. They went inside and offered their
salutations to their mother and vowed to follow her command religiously.
In this way, Draupadi became the wife of all the five Pandavas. The
Pandavas dutifully accepted the command of their mother. But, how could
the
world accept this? It is the duty of the children to obey the command of
their parents, irrespective of the fact whether the world accepts it or
not.
People, however, accepted this in view of the intimate relationship that
existed between the five brothers.
How can one consider somebody as one’s wife? Not merely because one is
married to her. One can call her as wife only when one considers her as
half part of his body. Many people questioned Krishna how Draupadi could
be called a Pativrata (chaste wife) when she was the wife of five
husbands. Then Krishna described her qualities which earned her this noble
ideal. She dutifully obeyed the command of her husbands. She would
never say to any one of them that she had no time to serve him. She was
satisfied with whatever she got in life. She was the supreme example of
chastity and none could match her in this respect. She never asked for
anything beyond the means of her husbands. A true chaste woman is one
who conducts herself according to the condition of her husband. The
husband should also recognise the qualities of his wife and have equal
concern
for her. Only then can both of them lead a virtuous and noble life.
Looking at her virtuous conduct and her power to control the five senses,
Dharmaraja told Draupadi, “You do not merely belong to us; you are the
embodiment of primal energy.” Her father Drupada had also held this view
and considered her as the embodiment of divine energy. Only those who
achieve control over the five senses and the five elements can rule the
world. Only such people can know the reality of the world and conduct
themselves in a righteous manner. One who has complete control over one’s
senses can achieve the greatest heights in life.
Draupadi was endowed with great power of discrimination and she could
discriminate between who was good and who was bad. Both good and bad
are present in this world just like darkness and light. She encouraged all
those who were virtuous and imparted sacred teachings to evil-minded
people to transform them. Not only she had control over the five senses
and five elements, she had thorough knowledge of Pancha Koshas (five
sheaths of the soul) and Pancha Pranas (five life-breaths) also. She could
differentiate between Atma and Anatma (Self and non-Self). Thus, she
set an ideal to the world and earned a good name.
Draupadi taught that one should do one’s duty with dedication. She
exhorted all to exercise control over their desires and discriminate
between
good and bad, imbibing all that was good and giving up all that was bad.
One should never forget to perform good actions and discharge one’s
duties, she advised. Everyone should discharge his duty with dedication
and should not interfere in the duties of others, she counselled the
people.
“You may have wife and children. It is your duty to fulfil your
responsibility towards them, but at the same time all your desires should
be directed
towards the path of goodness and righteousness”, she said. Thus, she
became an ideal to the world and showed the path of truth to one and all.
One can attain Dharma only by following the path of Sathya. Sathyannasti
Paro Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth).
There can be no Dharma without truth. It is the path of truth that leads
one to God.
Follow the Path of Sathya and Dharma
Everyone should perform his duty meticulously and adhere to Dharma. Even
an ant follows its Dharma. Wherever it finds food, it carries it to its
place and consumes it. It does not harm anybody nor does it steal anything
from anybody. All the birds and animals follow their natural Dharma and
conduct themselves accordingly. The path of Dharma is the same for the
Cheema (ant) and Brahma. The same principle of truth is present in both.
This truth was propagated by Draupadi. She also taught that one should not
become a victim of the six inner enemies, namely, Kama (desire),
Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed) Moha (attachment), Mada (pride) and Matsarya
(jeaslousy).
Anger is the greatest enemy of man. One with anger cannot follow the path
of Dharma. This is contrary to human nature. One should not
unnecessarily show anger towards others.
One with anger will not be successful in any of his endeavours.
He will commit sins and will be ridiculed by one and all.
His own people will abandon him.
He will lose all wealth and respect.
His anger will ruin him completely. (Telugu Poem)
Hatred is another great enemy of man. Whom should you hate? Should you
hate those who oppose you or those who have harmed or those who
dislike you? No; none of these. You should hate only the evil qualities.
You should extend your love and support to those who follow Sathya and
Dharma. If you hate Sathya and Dharma, you are not a human being at all.
Truth is the basis of all virtues. By following the path of truth,
Draupadi
could experience peace and love. She taught that one should restrain from
violence. One should not indulge in violence through one’s actions, words
and even thoughts. By following the path of truth, Draupadi set the
greatest ideal to the world.
As you Sow, So you Reap
By exercising sense control, man can achieve great heights in life.
Damayanti was a woman of great virtues like Draupadi. She earned this name
as
she was endowed with Dama (sense control). The senses are wayward by
nature, and it is difficult to control them. Man should, however, do his
best to control them and put them to right use. Why has God given you
ears? Is it to hear vain gossip? Never listen to anything that is bad.
Listen
to all that is good. Why has God given you tongue? It is not merely to
satisfy your sense of taste. It has been given to sing the glory of God.
Just
as the tongue accepts all that is tasty and palatable and rejects all that
is bad and unpalatable, man should accept all that is good and reject
everything that is bad.
People think that it is God who is the cause of their happiness and
sorrow. But it is not really so. Each one is responsible for his actions
and reaps
their consequences, good or bad. God is the eternal witness and does not
interfere in this. He neither gives happiness nor sorrow. If you talk
endearingly to someone, he will also speak to you in the same loving
manner. But if you talk in an arrogant way, you will get a similar
response. As is
the action, so is the reaction. The reaction, reflection and resound are
based on your own thoughts, words and actions; God is not responsible for
them. If you stand before a mirror, you will see your own reflection. In
whatever way you speak to others, you will have the resound in the same
way. Whatever thoughts you have in your mind, they will be reflected back
to you. It is therefore essential for man to know whether his thoughts
and actions are good or bad. Whatever good or bad you experience is the
result of your thoughts, words and actions. When any bad thought comes
into your mind, give it up immediately. If you conduct yourself in this
manner, you will become a true devotee of God and achieve liberation.
Everyone has to face the consequences of his actions, whoever he may be.
No one can know what lies ahead for him in future.
But this much is sure that everybody has to reap the consequences of his
actions. Even the mighty Rama suffered the pain of separation from His
wife and cried like an ordinary person.
(Telugu Poem)
Young Men!
Good and bad coexist. It is not possible for anyone to separate them. When
you cultivate more of goodness, the bad in you will become absolutely
insignificant. There is no need to use any force to drive all that is bad.
When you forget bad, goodness will develop in you in full measure.
This is the message I would like to give you on this day. Do not think
that the New Year will give you some new fruits. The fruits that you earn
will
be based on your qualities and actions. All that you think will be
reflected back to you. Everything is the result of your thoughts.
World is Reaction, Reflection and Resound
Once there was a cowherd who used to take the cows for grazing to a place
surrounded by three mountains. One day when the cows were grazing,
he sat down under a tree and started singing a song in praise of God. As
he sang the song, he heard its echo. He thought that someone was
imitating his song to tease him. Therefore, he shouted in anger at the
invisible intruder, and heard its resound in the same angry tone. In this
state
of anger, he went home and did not even take his food. His mother asked
him why he was so upset. He narrated what had happened. Next day, his
mother accompanied him and came to know that it was his own echo which was
the cause of his trouble. In the same manner if you criticise or
abuse anybody, all that will come back to you. The world is nothing but
reaction, reflection and resound. Whatever you do will come back to you,
and nothing else. This is the divine law. Those who are full of love will
see love everywhere. Those who are full of hatred will see enemies all
around.
Therefore, love and hatred do not come from outside. They have their
origin within you. The good and bad you experience arise out of your own
feelings. God is not responsible for any of these. God is Nirguna,
Niranjana, Sanathana (attributeless, pure, final abode). It is only your
feelings that
change. God is changeless.
Students!
All your feelings are reflected back to you. Everything is within you.
Whatever you experience is the reaction, reflection and resound of your
thoughts and feelings. You see somebody laughing and you think that he is
laughing at you. But how can you conclude in this manner? Once a
famous wrestler was doing exercise on a road early in the morning. At that
time, a lady was coming from a village to sell milk and curd. When he
looked at her, he felt she was laughing at him. The wrestler became angry
and said to the woman, “How dare you laugh at me? Do you know who I
am? Are you aware of my strength?” The woman replied, “I am not laughing
at you. You are so strong that you can stop a speeding car with one
hand. What is the use of your physical strength if you lack forbearance?”
All our notions are based upon our deluded feeling.
Be Good, Do Good, See Good
Students!
No doubt, your innate feelings are good. But they undergo change depending
upon what you see and hear. It is the external impulses that are
responsible for changes in your thoughts and feelings. Truly speaking,
there is no human form. In fact, there is no form at all. It is because of
your
illusion that you see a form and give a name to it. It is a sign of
foolishness to think so. You may think that you are highly educated and
very
intelligent. But how can you call yourself so if you are ignorant of your
true Self? You can be called truly educated only when you know your real
nature. If you do not know your own truth, how can you know the truth of
others? First of all, you should control your mind. Only then can your
worship and prayer be fruitful. The mind is the root cause of the world.
Manah Eva Manushyanam Karanam Bandhamokshayo (mind is the cause for
bondage and liberation of man). It is comparatively easy to control the
body, but not the mind. When Pramila, the ruler of women’s kingdom
captured the Aswamedha horse and defeated Arjuna in the battle, Arjuna
told her that she could arrest his body but not his mind. It may be
possible to capture the whole world with army, weapons and bombs, but it
is not possible for anyone to capture the mind. When you gain control
over your mind, everything else will come under your control. Therefore,
you should make all efforts to control your mind. Then you are sure to
become an ideal and great person. First and foremost, you should know your
mistakes and try to rectify them. Only then can you aspire to become
a Mumukshu (spiritual aspirant). Knowingly or unknowingly you may have
committed some mistakes. Once you know your mistakes, you should have
repentance. Repentance is true atonement. This is the royal path which
leads to divinity. There is little use in performing Puja (worship),
Vratas
(rituals) and Yajnas without repentance and atonement.
Jantunam Nara Janma Durlabham (out of all living beings, human birth is
the rarest). It is not easy to attain human form. Man is not a mere
mortal.
He is verily divine. Daivam Manusha Rupena (God is in the form of a human
being). If you do or think something bad, you are not divine. First of
all,
you should become a good person. Be good, do good, see good. This is the
way to God.
Develop the Qualities Exemplified by Rama and Sita
Students!
First of all, you have to control your mind. Offer your mind to God. He
can do everything for you. Have firm devotion to God with firm faith that
He is
everywhere.
Do not doubt that God is here and not there. Wherever you search for Him,
He is there.
(Telugu Poem)
Where is God? Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvathokshi Siromukham, Sarvatah
Sruthimalloke Sarvamavruthya Tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head,
mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire universe).
Ordinary people are not able to recognise this truth. God is present in
all
beings, be it a small insect like an ant or a big animal like an elephant
or a lion. He is present in a particle of sand and also in a particle of
sugar.
Discharge your duty earnestly with devotion to God. Put your knowledge
into practice and earn a good name. I never prevent anyone from pursuing
his studies. But along with acquiring secular knowledge, you should
acquire spiritual knowledge also. Proper enquiry of the mind and purity of
heart
are very essential.
Students!
You have completed one academic year, and you will now go home for
vacation. You will be looking for your results and searching your roll
number in
the list of successful candidates. More than searching your roll number,
search your heart. If you have really written well, you are sure to find
your
roll number. On the other hand, if you have not written your examination
well, you should not be delighted even when you find your roll number in
the list of successful candidates. It is not the number of marks that are
important. What is important is that you should become number one man
(loud applause).
This morning our students sang the song conveying the message that one
should have a son like Rama and a daughter like Sita. You may aspire to
have a son like Rama and a daughter like Sita. But, how is it possible
when you have the demonic qualities of Ravana and Surpanakha? If you want
a
son like Rama, you should follow Dharma like Him. If you aspire to have a
daughter like Sita, you should have the virtues as exemplified by Sita.
Whatever form you aspire for, you should cultivate the same type of
qualities corresponding to that. Only then can you attain harmony,
tolerance
and peace. Where is peace? Peace lies in the control of the senses. If you
are not able to control your senses you cannot attain peace; you will get
only pieces. If you want to be peaceful, you have to imbibe the qualities
of quietude and composure. Let anybody criticise, abuse or hit you; you
should maintain your composure. When someone criticises you, do not take
it to heart. Think that his tongue has produced some sound. You have
nothing to do with it. If you receive the abuses hurled at you, you will
be affected by them. Otherwise, you will not be disturbed. Even if
somebody
beats you, think that he has beaten your body and not you. In fact, none
can ever harm or hurt you, because you are not the body. If you have
such a firm conviction, then you will not have anger or hatred towards
even those who abuse or assault you. Therefore, firm conviction is most
essential for peace.
Offer your Heart to God in Prayer
Draupadi had deep devotion for Krishna. She prayed to him, “Oh Krishna! I
worship You day and night. Oh Lord! Be compassionate and protect me. If
You are compassionate towards me, then I will not be bothered about any
other thing in life.” Draupadi faced many challenges and ordeals in life,
but her devotion towards Krishna remained unaffected. Thyagaraja said, Oh
Lord! I have been praying to You incessantly, why are You depriving me
of Your love and compassion? What is that I have not offered to You? I
have surrendered my wealth, my family and even my soul to You. Now,
please come to my rescue. I seek refuge only in You. (Sanskrit Sloka)
Mere words are not enough when you pray; you should offer your heart to
God in prayer.
Man has a name and a form, but the Atma transcends both. It has neither a
name nor a form. People like some particular names and forms. One
cannot have faith in many names and forms, but one can surely have faith
in the formless principle of the Atma which is present in all. Na Atma
Sakshi (my Atma is the witness) is a common saying, which shows that
people have faith in the Atma. That is why Atma is the common name for
all.
Some may pray to Rama, others may pray to Krishna. Names and forms are
many, but Divinity is one. Atma is the nameless, formless divinity. When
you worship such a formless and nameless divine principle, you will
certainly attain Divinity.
(Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Prema Mudita Manase
Kaho …” )
- From Bhagavan’s Ugadi Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam
on 30th March 2006.
Source: sssbpt.org
***SBOI***
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