Om Sri Sai Ram

1008 PEARLS OF SAYINGS OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

[1-100]
[A compilation of THOUGHT FOR THE DAY displayed in Prashanthi Nilayam over years prior to 1992]

These sayings by Sathya Sai Baba are posted daily on the Ashram Blackboard. An ardent
devotee compiled them into book form. Since this printed version had limited copies,
another devotee later reproduced the original into a computer format to facilitate wider
publication of the book and to allow for viewing as a "daily saying" on devotees’ computers
worldwide. There is no copyright on the original book or on this program. These disks are
distributed free of charge to devotees with the hope that they will be spread to other
devotees. The only requirement is that the material continue to be distributed free and
cannot be published for monetary gain.
With Swami's Grace it is hoped that these sayings will fill devotees' hearts with joy for
many days to come.
**
An ardent devotee, who wishes to remain anonymous, has woven this resplendent garland
of 1008 petals, each one suffused with the honeydew of the Grace of the Divine Master.
Over the last three years, each day, he called out, from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan
Sri Sathya Sai Baba, compiled in English by the noble soul, Shri. N. Kasturi, a glittering
piece to serve as "Thought for the Day." Not one day passed by without the 'Thought'
being written out and displayed on a Board attached to a tree in the vicinity of the
Poornachandra Auditorium in Prashanthi Nilayam. It has been to us, in Prashanthi
Nilayam, a common sight, every day, of Devotees congregating in front of the Board, after
the morning Darshan, to have their minds soaked in the "Thought for the Day" and to
gather the strength and competence to take one step toward the Divine Master.
With the Blessings of Bhagawan Baba, this Devotee has completed this labour of love –
putting 1008 Gems inside the covers of a handy Book that any Devotee can have as the
priceless possession for his lifetime. He has prayed to Bhagawan Baba to bless him with
leave to place copies of this Volume, free of cost, in the hands of the students and the
Teachers of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and other Devotees who come
with a ardent desire to sit at Bhagawan’s Lotus-Feet. The contents of the Book, primordial,
authentic, perennially sweet, and ennobling, can be read over and over again, at all times of
the day. By the Grace of Bhagawan Baba, such reading will help to intensify the process of
purification of the reader's mind. The Avatar is here to act as our Guru. Bhagawan has
made his advent on Earth for our benefit, and to give us the opportunity to learn the Truth,
and establish the foundation for our spiritual advancement. We, who are at the Divine
Lotus Feet, are fortunate because we have been given a chance to move away from the
pattern of life, in which we are enmeshed, in the twilight zone of Illusion - a state, which
obscures the Truth and prevents us from realizing lasting happiness. At this juncture, we
should resolve, with all our hearts, to surrender to the Divine Master. By this act, we will
experience Bliss, the supreme goal in life, and leave behind the miseries and
disappointments of the past and the present and move into a future full of Divine Grace.
Says Bhagawan Baba:
"The choice is yours and the timing is yours. I shall always be here, waiting for you."
This Volume, "Thought for the Day”, constitutes a bridge that will help us, when we are on
it, to learn to concentrate, and to acquire the ability to contemplate and finally reach the
stage of meditation on the vision of Reality and the Divine presence.
In his Avatar as Krishna, Bhagawan has said:
"Knowledge is superior to Practice;
Meditation is superior to Knowledge;
Superior to Meditation is Renunciation of the Fruit of Action;
From Renunciation arises immediately Peace"
Meditation holds the Golden Key to the Glory of Renunciation and the sacred Kingdom of
ever-lasting Peace. This Volume, "Thought for the Day", is a powerful instrument placed in
our hands to facilitate our entry into the domain of 'Meditation' that will lead us to
'Divinity'.
The architect of this compilation in English makes this plea:
"Let this sacred text of Divine Thoughts, rendered in the English language, find its bloom
in all the other languages of the World. Anyone, willing to take up this task, is free to do so,
subject to the compassionate condition that the product will be placed in the hands of
Devotees free of cost."
By the Grace of Bhagawan Baba, may this noble aspiration find fulfillment!
With the Book in our hands, we stand immersed in the milky ocean of the Lord's
Compassion. And, then, we are warmed by the Radiance of the Divine Master - a Radiance
that of an order of magnitude so great that no mortal can find words to describe it. In every
breath that we take, in every atom of our behaviour and in every manifestation of our
intellect, we should strive to become worthy recipients of the Divine Master's Love and
Compassion.
JAI SAI RAM
S. Sampath
 Vice-Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
Prashanthi Nilayam, May 1992

"Suklambaradaram Vishnum Sashivarnam

Chathurbhujam Prasanna Vadanam Dhyayeth
Saravavignopa Shantaye"
One who wears a white dress; One who is Omnipresent;
One who shines like the Moon; One who has four hands;
One who has a beautiful and shining face;
One who wards off all obstacles. I meditate on Him.
1. TODAY is the Birthday of Rama who is Dharma itself. He is Veda Dharma in Human
Form. He is Anandaswarupa and Dharmaswarupa. On this holy day of Ramnavami you
must immerse yourself in the Atma as Dharmaswarupa as the motivator of the moral life.
Rama is "Atma Rama" in every being. There is no place where Rama is not. He is
imminent and eternal. Rama for you should mean the Path He trod, the ideal He held aloft,
and the Ordinance He laid down. They are eternal and timeless. Now you worship His
Form, you repeat His name; ignoring His orders. Without practicing the discipline laid
down by Rama to purify the mind, all else is mere show, empty rituals. Contemplate on this
unique day to obtain Godhood. Use it not for feasting, picnics, hikes, watching films,
playing games, gambling, etc. The Immortal had come in the form of Rama to show the
way to Immortality.
2. THE four brothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Satrughna represent the Rig,
Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas. When man neglects the Divine aspect of their natures and
the awareness of the Omnipresent and Omnipotent OM, he falls prey to the impulses and
instincts dominated by the ego and develop faith in material gains. He spends his life in
amassing wealth, power and authority over fellow-beings and believes that holding others
under his sway is a desirable achievement. If there were a vacancy in Heaven, he would
surely apply for the position of God, for he believes that he has all the necessary attributes.
3. THE Ramayana has a deep undercurrent of significant meaning. Dasaratha means: he
who rides in a chariot of ten, that is to say, Man. He is tied up with three Gunas or three
wives, as in the Ramayana. He has four sons, the Purusharthas; Dharma (Rama), Artha
(Lakshmana), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha (Satrughna). These four aims of man have to
be systematically realised, always with the last one, Moksha, clearly before the eye.
Lakshmana represents the Buddhi or intellect and Sita is Truth. Hanuman is the Mind and
the repository of courage, if controlled and trained. Sugriva, the master of Hanuman, is
Discrimination. With these to help him, Rama seeks the Truth and succeeds. That is the
lesson of the Epic to every man.
4. RAMA is Dharma personified. "Vignahavak Dharmah". Rama is the Supreme
Exemplar of the Virtues that man must cultivate so that he might live as a master, husband,
son, brother, friend or even foe. The other three brothers of Rama personify the other three
ideals. Bharatha is the embodiment of Sathya; Satrughna of Shanti; and Lakshmana of
Prema. Study the Ramayana with the aim of imbibing from it the ideals for happy living,
for making this life worthwhile and you will be amply rewarded. Then you can deservedly
style yourselves "Devotees" of the Lord.
5. THE Ramayana is a guidebook, a sacred text, an inspiring scripture for every man in
all lands, whatever his creed or condition might be. It imparts poise, balance, equanimity,
inner strength and peace. Peace is the best treasure, without it power, authority, fame and
fortune are all dry and burdensome. Thyagaraja has sung that there can be no happiness
without inner peace.
6. WHY is it that the world reveres Rama and revolts at Ravana? Rama is not the uncle’s
son or Ravana the step-mother's child! It is the kinship of the spirit, innate goodness,
responding lovingly, adoringly to the goodness in Rama; and reacting revoltingly to the
wickedness of Ravana. It is not enough, nor is it essential that you should repeat the name
of Rama loudly; respect it in the fullness of love and admiration. If you have no spring of
love in you, dig into your heart with external instruments like Puja, Stotra, etc. and it will
start to flow.
7. VIBHISHANA, Ravana's own brother, chastised him for his willfulness and lust and
urged him to save himself, his kingdom and his kith and kin by restoring Sita unharmed to
her Lord. When Vibhishana went over to Rama, Rama knew that he had a pure heart and
that he could not survive the poisonous atmosphere of Lanka. So He took him and saved
him. The Lord likes to be called "Aarthathraana-paraayana" more than any other name,
for He is most happy when He rescues those in agony.
8. YOU talk glibly of Ramarajya, but how can it be established if you do not emulate
Rama? He was "Vignahavaan Dharmah", the very Embodiment of Dharma. He never
deviated from it. Dasaratha means one who is master of the ten Senses, the five
Karmendriyas and the five Jnanendriyas; that is to say, the successful Sadhaka. Such a
person can have the holy progeny of the four Purusharthas-Dharma (Rama), Artha
(Lakshmana), Kama (Bharatha) and Moksha (Satrughna). Become a Dasaratha and save
that holy progeny as a gift from God.
9. HANUMAN succeeded in coordinating his thought, word and act. Therefore he had
the unique distinction of being great in physical strength, mental stability and virtuous
character. He shines as an invaluable gem among the personalities of the Ramayana. He
was also a great scholar, who had mastered, of all things, the six schools of grammar. He
knew the four Vedas and the six Sastras. The Gita says that a scholar is one who sees the
 same Divine force motivating everyone. "Pandithaha Samadarsinha". Hanuman was a
good example of this outlook.
10. HANUMAN spoke to the brothers in sweet, gentle and pleasing words. Rama was
struck by the grammatical accuracy of his sentences. They readily answered all his queries;
and Hanuman was satisfied with their bona fides. He offered to take them to his Master
and Monarch. The Darshan (sight) and first Mana of Rama had removed all his sins; their
Sparshan (touch) burnt away all the consequences of his deeds in previous lives; and their
Sambashan (conversation) filled his mind with joy. That is the experience of all who
welcome the impact of Divinity.
11. HANUMAN became the messenger of Rama. There are three classes of messengers:
those who do not understand the orders of the Master or do not care to understand and
who operate to the detriment of the work assigned them; those who do only just as much as
the order literally communicates; and those who grasp the purpose and significance of the
orders and carry them out unflinchingly until the purpose is achieved. Hanuman belonged
to the last category.
12. YOU find some one parade all of a sudden some -ism- as new and revolutionary
socialism, for example. Socialism, which means, recognising the equality of every individual
with every one else was in fact practiced in India long ago. Rama, undisputed Sovereign of
a vast Empire, gave heed to the flippant scandal uttered by an irresponsible laundry-man
during a quarrel with his wife, and sent his Queen, the very dear person for whom had
waged a war of tremendous carnage, into exile, regardless of the fact that she was pregnant
at the time. Every one's voice was given equal weight in the empire ruled over by Rama.
13. THE Vanaras, while building the bridge across the ocean, carried huge boulders on
their heads repeating Rama-Nama all the while; and that made the rocks weigh less. It is
even said that they wrote the name on the stones and that made them float. Each time they
handled or lifted a stone, they sang Rama-Nama in unison and so they were a happy lot
doing Puja, not work, which is unpleasant. Rama's Grace helped all to overcome obstacles.
Take the name and make your work light: that is My advice to you.
14. I INSIST on your seeking and remaining in good company, Satsang. Being in the midst
of such spiritual heroes, you can fight against evil with a greater chance of success. Once,
when Garuda the sworn enemy of snakes went to Kailas, he saw the snakes that Siva wore
round His neck, His arms, His waist, and His Feet. The snakes were safe now and they
hissed with their puffed hoods at the celestial bird, which could not do them any harm since
they were in such Divine Company. Garuda said: "Well! Glide down from the Body and I
shall kill everyone of you"! That is the value of the Sath one has reached. Satsang is
valuable, for it is like keeping a pot of water inside a tank of water; there will not be any
loss through evaporation.
15. PRIDE is one of the worst sins in the spiritual field. If you feel conceited that you are
Bhakta of Hare, He will "hare" (destroy, in Telugu) you. Remember, Sharanaagathi should
be like the attitude of Lakshmana. Rama said: "Take Sita and leave her in the forest".
Implicit obedience! There is no other way. That is Lakshmana. That is Sharanaagathi; the
rest deserve, only of "Sarangathi", the arrow of Rama.
16. WHEN the queen Kaikeyi persuaded her husband to agree to her two requests -
enthroning her son Bharatha as the Crown Prince and sending the legitimate heir, Rama,
into exile for fourteen years - Lakshmana, another brother of Rama and Bharatha, did not
acquiesce tamely. He argued that man must meet every little crisis with courage and self-
reliance and that he should not yield craven-like to the machinations of intrigue. He
boasted that his arrow could avert the crisis. But the arrow is an inferior weapon, even a
negligible weapon when compared with the efficiency of Love. Rama heard him coolly and
advised him to desist from that hasty Karma, "Dharma must guide Karma"; then alone
can it be praise-worthy and successful.
17. THE path of spiritual discipline, which is most beneficial to man, is laid down in a
simple and sweet manner in the great Scriptures of Ancient India. They explain, through
example and precept, the Divine Principle inherent in the Universe and inspire mankind to
gaze with awe and reverence at the handiwork of God and His inscrutable Leela (sport).
They prompt man to march along the pilgrim road of sacrifice in the happy company of
Sages, so that the body feels the vision of the Eternal, which can be gained and enshrined in
the heart forever.
18. WHEN Sri Rama decided to end His Avatar career and walked into the flooded
Sarayu River, a dog too followed the concourse. When asked why it had attached itself to
the entourage, it said, "I desire to enter Heaven with you all. I was in my previous life a
full-fledged Yogi; but I slipped and fell from the straight path of self-control. I became the
slave of conceit. I expounded the Vedas as my fancy dictated, in strange but attractive ways.
So, I have now become this animal that takes delight in barking, biting and baying. The
persons who encouraged me then by praise are now the fleas and the flies that crowd on my
skin and pester me. Help me, Lord, to escape from the disgrace. I have worked my Karma;
I have lived out my sentence".
19. WHEN Rama is installed in the heart, every thing will be added unto you - fame,
fortune, freedom, and fullness. Hanuman was a mere monkey-leader until he met Rama.
He was a Minister in the Court of his Master. But when Rama gave him the commission to
seek Sita, that is to say, when Rama was installed in his heart as Guide and Guardian,
Hanuman became immortal.
20. DASA means "ten" and Ratha means "Chariot". Hence Dasaratha (the father of
Rama) in fact symbolizes "man" who operates with his ten sense organs such as the eyes,
the ears, the nose etc. His three wives symbolize man's three Gunas (attributes) and his
four sons, the four Purusharthas (purposes). Lakshmana also represents the Buddhi
(Intellect) of Rama. Hanuman is the mind, the repository of courage, while Sugriva stands
for Discrimination. With these to help him, Rama succeeds in finding Sita, the lost Truth.
This is the lesson of the Ramayana to everyone.
21. THERE are many who spend much time in mechanically reciting the name "Rama"
or systematically reading the Ramayana according to a fixed time-table, or who worship
the images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman as a daily ritual, with noisy pomp and
pedantry; but like a person who puts a foot forward only to draw it back again, these
persons do not progress at all as the years elapse. Without gaining purity of thought and
intention, compassion and the urge to serve, these outward expressions and exhibitions are
but ways of cheating yourself for having society applaud you as a great devotee. Your sight
must become an insight; it must be turned within and used to purify and clarify your mind.
22. THE greatest formula that can liberate, cleanse and elevate the mind is Rama-Name,
the Name of Rama. Rama is not to be identified with the hero of the Ramayana, the Divine
offspring of Emperor Dasaratha. The Court-Preceptor named him Rama because it was a
Name, which was already current. Vasishta, the Preceptor, said that he had chosen that
Name since it meant: He who pleases. While everyone pleases the self, nothing pleases the
caged individualized self more than the free universal individualized self. The self is
therefore referred to as Atma-Rama, the self that confers unending joy.
23. HANUMAN was ordered to discover the whereabouts of Sita and he implicitly,
without question, obeyed and succeeded. He did not calculate the dangers of the journey
and hesitate; and he did not feel proud that he was chosen for the high adventure. He
listened; he understood; he obeyed; and he won. The name Rama Dootha, Messenger and
Servant of Rama that he earned thereby has made him immortal. You must earn the name,
Sai Rama Dootha. Have fortitude and self-control; use good and sweet-words; and examine
each act of yours on the touch-stone of My preference.
24. THE toughest fiber is anger. It is the stickiest dirt. When you get angry, you forget
mother, father and teacher; you descend to the lowest depths. You lose all discrimination in
the excitement; even Hanumantha set fire to the whole of Lanka when the Rakshasas who
set fire to the tip of his tail incensed him; and he lost sight of the fact that Sita was in the
Asoka Vana. It was only after he had exulted in achievement for a little while that he
remembered it and then he started condemning himself for his anger.
25. RAMA is extolled as the ideal son who acted according to his father's wish regardless
of his own happiness. But Bhishma 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 Rama. Dasaratha
made Rama an exile in the forest for fourteen years to satisfy the claims of Truth, while
Santhanu 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 Rama's forte.
26. RAMANAMA Feast is cloying to some tastes, but it is something ever fresh that gives
undying sweetness to the heart that is filled with the love of God. One single name will yield
fresh sweetness and 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.
27. RAMATATWA is known only to Rama. What can the rest know? At best, they can
have but a glimpse of Rama's grace; and even then, 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 and Grace.
28. EVERY step in the career of the Avatars is fire-determined; Rama knew that the
coming of Surpanaka was the prelude to the coming of Ravana He had asked Sita to enter
the fire and remain in it as just an outer manifestation. Even before the human
manifestation, the Lord had decided that the Shakti must also accompany Him. Ravana's
Tapas were so strong that only a major sin could make the blessings he had won from the
Gods null and void.
29. DO not ask God for anything. Let Him deal with you as He wills. Did Jatayu ask that
Rama should come to him and perform the last rights? Did Sabari plead with Rama? Earn
the qualifications - holiness, purity faith and universal love - then He will approach you on
foot, to console, comfort and save. If you have purity of heart and mastery over the senses,
His Grace is your right.
30. EGO plays all kinds of tricks in order to get unholy pleasure. During the construction
of the bridge to Lanka to take the army across, Hanuman heaved a boulder on the raging
waves of the sea as part of the bridge! It floated. Rama heaved another; it sank.
Hanuman's ego was tickled, naturally. He laughed in derision; at that very moment, his
boulder sank! And the boulder that Rama had thrown rose from the bottom of the sea and
floated! Hanuman's ego was pricked into nothing. That was the purpose for which Rama
had willed that His boulder should sink!
31. RAMA Nama will save you, if you have at least the Pithru Bhakthi and Mathru
Bhakthi that Rama had. If not, Rama Nama is merely a movement of the lips. Meditate on
the Rama Swarupa, the Ramaswabhawa, when you recite or write Rama Nama. That will
give exercise to the mind; and it will be made healthy and strong in the spiritual sense.
Make the Dharmaswarupa your Atma Rama on the Janmadina of Rama. That is My
advice and My Blessing.
32. MAKARA Sankranti is a holy day because the day takes you from darkness to
increasing light. From today, the sun enters upon the Uttarayana taking a northward
direction for six months. When your Drishti (Sight) is on BRAHMAN and when you have
Uttama guna it is Uttarayana, and when your Drishti is on Prakriti it is Dakshinayana.
When you have fever, the tongue will be bitter. The bitter tongue is "Dakshinayana". When
you are healthy, your sweet tongue tastes well, it is Uttarayana. The real Uttarayana is
when you crave for the thought of the Lord and the company of the Godly. Bhishma spent
days in bed with pain, as he felt death, when the sun starts towards north is auspicious.
Bhishma yearned for the vision of Krishna in Uttarayana. Become fit for the vision of God,
cultivating Prema in your heart, full of fragrance and uncontaminated by the pests of greed
and egoism.
33. WITHOUT the flowers, the plant yields no fruit. Without the emerging fruit, ripeness
cannot happen. Without intense Karma, Bhakti cannot emerge. Without Bhakti, how can
Jnana be found? Somaka the wicked, spurned and suppressed the Veda. But did he reap
any happiness? The ten-headed monster coveted and kidnapped another's wife. But did he
achieve any gain? The close-fisted Kaurava refused a pinpoint of land to his closest Kin.
But did he keep his loot? The terror-bound Kamsa sought out and slaughtered each
newborn baby; but did he escape from death? Wicked men, even now, shall meet this fate.
Take this Sai word as the word of Truth.
34. HERE are the three vows that Krishna had taken; they are mentioned in the Bhagavad
Gita for all humanity to read, know and believe: "For the protection of the good and the
punishment of the bad, for the establishment of the Moral I shall concretize Myself, age
after age. Whoever is wholly immersed in My contemplation, with no other thought, I shall
be ever with Him; and I shall bear the burden of his welfare. "Surrender unto Me, giving
up all the other duties and obligations. I shall liberate you from all sin; do not grieve". The
armlets are reminders of these tasks on which He is set.
35. VYASA is the Loka guru; he is Divine Effulgence. Vyasa sought to bring home,
through the Puranas, the need for mastering the egoistic impulses, as the Sloka says:
Ashtaa dasa puraneshu
Paropakara punyaya
Paapaaya para peedanam.
Two statements can summarize all the eighteen Puranas composed by Vyasa. "Do good to
others; avoid doing harm". Doing good is the drug; avoiding harm is the regimen that must
accompany the treatment. That is the cure for the disease of suffering from joy and grief,
honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity and the dual thong that bothers man and
deprives him of equanimity.
36. THE Lord will be the Guide of whoever installs Him as his Sarathi. He will not
consider that position inferior. He is the Sanathana Sarathi, come to be the Sarathi of all.
He is the Lord for all who seek a Master, a support. The Atma is the Master in every one;
and Krishna is the "Universal Atma" personified.
37. THE moment Krishna was born, the chains that bound his father fell off; the doors
that had been bolted flew open; and the prison guards were immersed in the Ocean of
Bliss, so that they could not recognise any event or thing in the material world. The fire of
hatred that was burning in them was cooled; and darkness gave place to the dawn of
wisdom. The sky showered raindrops to soften the earth and lay down dust. How can the
lament operate against the Divine Will?
38. KRISHNA has three separate meanings - (1) the word Karsh is one root from which
the name is derived. It means, that which attracts; Krishna attracts hearts to Himself by
His sportive pastimes, miraculous victories over the forces of evil, His charming
conversation, His Wisdom and His personal beauty. (2) The word is also related to the root,
Krish: to cultivate, a field, for growing crops. The word means, He who removes the weeds
from the heart of Man and sows seeds of Faith, Courage and Joy. (3) It is related to the root
Krish, meaning something above and beyond the three attributers and the three eras; and
"na" means Sath-Chith-Ananda.
39. KRISHNA had taken three Vows and the Kankans were symbolic of His determination
to fulfill them. They were, as mentioned by Him in the Gita: (1) "Dharmasamsthapanaya
Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge". (I shall incarnate myself, in every age, to revive and resurrect
Dharma) - (2) "Yogakshemam Vaham Yaham" (I shall bear the burden of ensuring peace
of prosperity for all who rely on me) - (3) "Mokshayishyami maa sucha" (I shall save all
those who surrender wholeheartedly to Me and I shall liberate them from the cycle of birth
and death).
40. KRISHNA dealt with the World as with a Sitar, pulling its heartstrings to arouse the
melody of comradeship, heroism, love, affection, compassion and conviction. But, of these,
the two emotions of love and compassion were characteristically His and His own. His
breath was Love! His behaviour was Compassion! Adore Him, placing a garland of tears
around His neck; washing His feet with tears, springing from joy at the contemplation of
His Love! That very worship will endow you with the wisdom that Sages seek and the Bliss
that the Books extol!
41. THIS is the genuine Bharathiya Vision to transform life into a pilgrimage towards the
God resident in oneself; a steady march along the straight path to Bliss. There is no such
steadiness now. Fancy and Fantasy rule the mind of man. You desire one thing in the
morning; at noon you change over to something else. That desire will not persist until
evening. If your desire is fulfilled, you praise God and parade your devotion. But if it does
not prevail, you throw God overboard and parade your disbelief!
42. NARADA, who moves always by and with the Lord, feels that God is beyond his
understanding; Balarama who came as His own brother could not fathom His personality.
How then can you grasp My Mystery? How can those who strut about in well-ironed bush-
coats fathom the Truth? I know some that are here, who sold their Faith to hollow men and
started talking about My dress and My Hair! If you dare, seek My Truth. Come, surrender
unto Me. Do not teach treason to your friends and to other seekers. Dress and manners
have become polished now; but the inner man has deteriorated in virtue and faith!
43. DETACHMENT is a plant of slow growth; if you pluck the tender plant to look for the
pods, you will be disappointed. So too, long and constant practice alone is rewarded by the
Peace that God offers. Grace is acquired by Surrender as Krishna has declared in the Gita.
44. WHEN the Gita directs you to give up all Dharma (Set Codes of morality), it does not
ask you to also give up all Karma, and when you do it for God, through God and by God,
the Dharma of it does not matter; it has to be acceptable; and it is bound to benefit you.
The statement is not an invitation to licentiousness or complete inactivity; it is a call for
dedication and surrender to the highest in Man, namely GOD.
45. OF all the Slokas in the Bhagavad Gita, Ramakrishna was especially impressed by the
one that emphasized the attitude of Atmanivedana or Sharanaagathi:
 Manmana Bhava Madbakto
Madyaji Maam Namaskuru
Mamevaishyasi Yuktvaitvam
Atmanam Matparayanah.
"Become one with Me; be devoted to Me; sacrifice to Me and bow down to Me. Unify
yourself, thus you will surely come to Me".
46. THE Mahabharatha declares: "What is not in Bharath does not deserve reverential
consideration"; and in Bharath, the message has always been: tolerance, respect for all
faiths and the practice of the essential teachings of love and service with giving up of
hatred, envy and pride.
47. PERFORM all acts with as much love as you would offer God. In Truth, you eat for
the satisfaction of the "I" in you and dress up to please the self-same "I". The husband
loves his wife for the sake of the "I". And who is this "I" that is persistently inherent in
everyone? It is God Himself. "Iswara Sarva Bhootaanaam" says the Gita: the Lord resides
in the heart of every being. He is the Atman in every being. He is the Atman in everyone,
the Paramatma.
48. PONDER over your "sthithi" (present condition), "gathi" (direction of movement),
"shakti" (capabilities), and "mathi" (inclination). Then enter upon the path of Sadhana
step by step, so that you approach the goal faster every day, every hour, every minute.
Arjuna became entitled to the Gita Upadesh from the Lord Himself, because he evinced the
"Vishada", the "Vairagya", the "Sharanaagathi", and the “Ekagratha”, essential to
assimilate The Great Message. When the yearning for liberation has become intense,
beyond expression, man can set aside all social conventions, worldly norms and codes of
conduct that do not subserve that high purpose.
49. KRISHNA does not speak of whomever among men who pronounce the "Pranava" at
the moment of death, etc. The word He uses "whoever" is without any qualification of sex.
He does not say "Whoever that is authorized" or "Whoever among the deserving". The
clear intention of the Lord is to encourage women, as well as men, to take up Pranava-
Upasana. You would have seen that I do not discourage anyone from the Upasana. It is the
royal road to spiritual victory which all are entitled to use.
50. THE Gita says that, if you give up all Dharma and take refuge in Him, then He will
save you from Sin and wipe your tears. Giving up Dharma does not mean that you can bid
farewell to virtue and righteous action; it means, you have to give up egoism that you are
the doer. Be confirmed in the faith that He is the "doer" of every deed. That is the genuine
"giving up".
51. I AM in your heart all the time, whether you know it or not. Draupadi called out for
the Lord of Dwaraka, Sri Krishna, when the wicked cousins of her husbands cruelly
assaulted her, and so the Lord responded but after a little delay. He had to go to Dwaraka
and come from there to Hasthinapura where she was! He told her that she could have
received Him in the fraction of a second had she called out, "Oh Dweller in my heart", for
He dwells there as everywhere else.
52. THE elders in Brindavan who reveled in scandalizing Krishna - successors have been
born for them even now - set an ordeal for Radha to test her virtue. She was given a mud
pot with a hundred holes and asked to bring water in that pot from the Yamuna to her
house! She was so full of Krishna-consciousness that she never knew the condition of the
pot. She immersed it in the river, as usual repeating the name of Krishna with every intake
of the breath and every exhalation. Every time the name Krishna was uttered, a hole was
covered, so that by the time the pot was full, it was whole. That was the measure of her
Faith. Faith can affect even inanimate objects.
53. IN Realty, Truth is God; Love is God; Dharma is God. The Gopis and Gopalas saw in
Krishna the Embodiment of Truth, Love and Dharma. What He said was Truth; what He
was became Love, what He did was Dharma. They were so immersed in Krishna-
Consciousness that they saw everywhere and in everything nothing but Krishna. Krishna
for them did not exist as a separate entity in the home of Nanda; He was right in their own
consciousness, at all levels of it. These Gopis and Gopalas were true Bhaktas indeed.
54. WHATEVER is dedicated and offered to God can never be lost. People can gain
enormous benefit by offering even a little to God. "A leaf or a flower, a fruit or a little
water" - that is enough, if offered with devotion. Draupadi gave Sri Krishna the fraction of
a leaf sticking to the side of a vessel and God granted her endless good fortune. Kuchela
gave a handful of parched rice and received from the Lord awareness of His endless Glory.
55. THE Lord had Maya as His consort, so to say, and He had a son called Manas. This
Manas, to continue the parable, had two wives. Pravritti and Nivritti (Attachment and
Detachment). Of course, Pravritti was His favorite wife and she had a hundred children.
Nivritti was ill treated and neglected; and she had just five. That is the symbolism of the
Kauravas and the Pandavas. Though all the children lived in the same kingdom, ate the
same food and learnt from the same Teacher, their natures differed widely from one
another. The Kauravas, children of the attachment, were greedy, cruel, self-centered, and
vain. The Pandavas, five of them, each one represented a Supreme Virtue, so that they
could be said to symbolize Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. As they were so
pure and born of Detachment, the Lord became their Guide.
56. THE Gita speaks of Bhakthi, Jnana, and Karma as Yogas; and by Yoga is meant what
Patanjali intended it to mean: "Chiththa Vrithi Nirodha", that is to say, "the stilling of the
agitations of the consciousness". Vishnu is the supreme exemplar of this calm, for He is
"Saanthaakaaram bhujagasayanam", the very picture of peace and calm, though reclining
on a thousand-hooded snake, the snake being the symbol of the objective world with its
poisonous fangs. Being in the world but not of it, not bound by it - that is the secret.
57. THE riches that you should strive to amass are not fields, factories, bungalows or
bank-balances but the wisdom and experience of oneness with the Grandeur of the
Universe and the Force that runs it without a hitch. Arjuna is called Dhananjaya by
Krishna because he had won (Jaya) such Dhanam (riches) that saves man; and that cannot
be taxed, stolen or transferred. The method of winning these riches is Sadhana.
58. GIVE joy to all. Prema or Love is the means to achieve this ideal. When Love can
bring even God nearer to you, how can it fail where man is involved? Krishna could not be
bound by any other means. That is the reason why SAI has declared: "Start the day with
Love; spend the day with Love, fill the day with Love; end the day with Love. That is the
way to God".
59. KRISHNA was known to all as Almighty, All knowing, all encompassing, and All-
fulfilling. Yet, the enthusiasm to do Seva promoted Him to approach Dharmaraja, the
eldest of the Pandava brothers, on the eve of the magnificent Rajasuya Yaga that he had
planned to perform and offered to take up Seva of any kind. He suggested that He might be
given the task of cleaning the dining-hall after the guests had partaken of the feast!
Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds
are an ideal combination.
60. DURING the battle of Kurukshetra, which climaxed the Mahabharatha story,
Krishna served as the "driver" of the chariot of Arjuna throughout the day till dusk on the
field and caused the adjournment of the fight. He led the horses to the river, gave them a
refreshing bath and applied healing balms to the wounds suffered by them during the fierce
fray. He mended the reins and the harness and rendered the chariot battle-worthy for
another day. The Lord sets the example for the Devotees to follow. He teaches that Service
done to any living being is offered to Him and is accepted by Him most joyfully. Service
rendered to cattle, to beasts, and to men is laudable Sadhana.
61. THE World is today in deep distress because the common man and his leaders are all
distracted by lower desires and lower motives, which require only the lower skills and
meaner impulses of man. This is what I call "devaluation". Though man is inherently
divine, he lives only at the animal level. Very few live even in the native human level.
62. KRISHNA does say: "whoever among men who pronounce the Pranava at the
moment of death", etc. The word he uses is "whoever" without any qualification of sex. He
does not say "whoever is authorized or whoever is among the deserving". The clear
intention of the Lord is to encourage women as well as men to take up Pranava Upasana.
You will see that I do not discourage any one from the Upasana. It is the royal road to
spiritual victory which all are entitled to use.
63. BHISHMA, for example, has to be revered and accepted as an inspiration, even more
potent than Rama so far as homage to the father is concerned. In order to cater to the
carnal cravings, which he could have ordinarily condemned, he denied himself gladly,
spontaneously, without demur and for the entire period of his life, both wedded life and
royal status. He honoured the Vedic injunction, “Pithru Devobhava” in the fullest manner.
64. THIS created Universe has two aspects, one is impermanence (Anityam), the second
one is unhappiness (Askulham). In the Gita, Krishna has said, "Anityam Asukha Lokam
Imam Prapy Bhajaseva Maam". Nothing in this World can give happiness that is true and
lasting. Mistaking the World as "All" and forgetting the Atman, which alone is eternal and
the only refuge, is the greatest folly of man today. Man is pinning all his hopes on slippery
work and is madly running after amassing and hoarding wealth. Of course, material needs
are to be taken care of but within limits and not at the cost of spiritual values. Money and
mansions are not the only wealth. Hoard the wealth of the Spirit. Character is wealth; good
conduct is wealth; and spiritual wisdom is wealth.
65. WORKERS and peasants - that is the slogan nowadays. These two classes were given
their due share of social importance and honour during the Krishnavathar. Now, people are
honoured even if they grow not food but cash crops. Foreign exchange is what we are after
and so, people are encouraged to produce what others can buy not what we need; such as
milk and a variety of milk products which are highly nutritious foods. Balarama, the elder
brother and an Avathar in his own right, had as his weapon the plough. It declared
agriculture as a consecrated occupation.
66. EGOISM is the most dangerous illusion that has to be exploded and destroyed. Bhima
had it; but when he could not lift and lay aside the tail of a monkey, who was really
Anjaneya himself, that bubble was exploded. Arjuna had it one day after the battle. When
Krishna brought the chariot back to camp, he wanted that Krishna should get down first,
like all charioteers; the Master must get down later, after the Charioteer opens the door for
him. Krishna refused and insisted that Arjuna should alight before He should. At last
Krishna won. Arjuna got down and as soon as Krishna left His seat and touched the
ground, the chariot went up in flames. In fact, if Krishna had gotten down first, the various
fire-arrows, which had the power of burning the chariot, would have hit the target; but due
to the presence of Krishna, their igneous powers could not manifest themselves. After
knowing this, Arjuna was humbled and his egoism had a powerful shock. He realized that
every action of Krishna was full of significance.
67. THE Gita advises "Karmasamyasa", that is to say, Karma without attachment to the
fruit thereof. There are Karmas, which have to be done as duties related to the status in
“Samsara”, and, if these are done in the proper spirit, they will not bind at all. Do all
Karma as actors in a play, keeping your identity separate and not attaching yourself too
much to your role. Remember that the whole thing is just a play and the Lord has assigned
to you a part; act well your part; there all your duty ends. He has designed the play and He
enjoys it.
68. IT is when you are in a desperate situation that you call upon the Lord, forgetting
your pride and your egoism. The Pandavas were so full of misery in a worldly sense that
they always had an attitude of prayer. If I had given you all the comforts and opportunities,
you would not have come to Puttaparthi. Trouble is the bait with which the fish is pulled
out of the water. Kunthi asked that Krishna should continue giving her and her sons all
kinds of misery so that He may grant them His Grace continuously.
69. THE Gita prompts you to seek the answers and directs you to experience them. It
helps you to control the "Chittha", the agitations of the mind; it destroys delusion. It
develops true knowledge; it makes you glimpse the splendour of the Lord and confirms
your faith. You say at one moment: "Baba does everything, I am but an instrument; but the
next moment the same tongue says: "I did this; I did that; Swami did not do this for me". If
you never step into wrong, you can be ever certain of His Grace.
70. THE Mahabharatha, for example, is basically the story of the five Vital Airs of Man
(the Pancha Pranas) overcoming the hundred obstacles in the path of upward progress.
The eldest of the Five Pandava brothers is Dharmaraja (Morality, Righteousness); he is
ably supported by Bhima (physical strength devoted to Divine Service and charged with
Devotion), Arjuna (steady pure Faith in God), and Nakula and Sahadeva, who represent
Steadfastness and Equanimity. When these Five are exiled, the Hasthinapura (body) is
inundated with Adharma (unrighteousness).
71. IN the Manasa-Sarovar (the deep, placid mind-lake) of every man lurks a poisonous
cobra with six hoods: Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Pride and Hate, infesting the air
and destroying all who are near it. The Name of the Lord, when it dives into the depths,
forces it to come up to the surface so that it may be destroyed. So, allow the Divine in you -
the Krishna, Lord over the mind - trample on the hissing hood and take out the vicious
viper; let it vomit the venom and become Satwic and sweet.
72. LIKE all Avatars, Krishna announced His advent to the World bit-by-bit, step-by-
step, testing every time how far the Reality will be accepted by the masses. The signs and
miracles were intended, then as now, to proclaim the Avatar.
73. THE mystery and splendour of God can be grasped only by a pure mind and a clear
vision. That is why the Lord granted a new eye to Arjuna in order that he might not be
confounded by his glory. A resolution adopted by the mind is like a stone thrown into a
Sarovar or lake. It produces ripples that affect the entire face and unsettles equanimity. A
good resolution or "Sankalpa" sets up a series of such thoughts, each contributing its quota
to the process of purification and strengthening.
74. THE One is comprehensive of all this. So, it has no wants, no desires and no activity to
realise anything. Sri Krishna tells Arjuna: "Name Partha asthi Karthvyam, Thrishu
lokeshu Kinchava Partha". (There is nothing I have to do in any of the three Worlds). He
has willed the World as his sport. He has laid down that every deed must have its
consequence. He is the dispenser of the consequences but he is not involved in the deeds.
75. ONE can also be rid of Maya if one can discard the three Gunas from one's make-up.
The "Sathya guna" too has to be transcended; why? The Gita directs that even the
eagerness to be liberated is a bond. One is fundamentally free. Bondage is only an illusion.
So, the desire to close the bond is the result of ignorance. Krishna says, "Arjuna, become
free from the three Gunas". In truth, the word "Guna" means "rope", for all three
"Gunas" bind the "Jiva" with the rope of desire. Liberation means liberation from
delusive attachment or "Moha"; "Mohakshaya", decline in the desire caused by
attachment to sensory pleasure.
76. CONSIDER for a moment how long worldly triumphs last. They are but the play of
the scintillating name and form of the Divine, which is the core of every being. Earn the
vision that sees the Divine inherent in all. We are not troubled when something is good;
only when it is bad. This is because goodness is natural. In our evil aberration, we are
worried and alarmed when we slide into wrong or pain or sorrow. This is because Nature
plans us to be right, to be happy and ever in a state of joy. It is a pity that man has lost his
understanding of this Truth.
77. VYAS sympathized with man who was caught in the coils of do's and don'ts, of
success and failure, of desire and despair. He demarcated many a path, which leads man
along to fulfillment. The fulfillment consists in uprooting the animal that lurks in man and
reaching out to the Divinity. That is his essence.
78. DHYANA is not mere sitting erect and being silent nor is it the absence of any
movement. It is the merging of all your thoughts and feelings to God. Without the mind
becoming dissolved in God, Dhyana cannot succeed. The Gita declares genuine Dhyana as
"Anayaschinthayanthomaam Ye Janah Paryapasathi" (Those persons who adore me
without any other thought or feeling). Krishna has assured such persons that He would
carry their burden and be by their side, guiding and guarding them. Persons adept in this
Dhyana are very rare; most people go through the external exercises only. So they are
unable to win Grace.
79. LIFE is a song; sing it. That is what Krishna taught through his life. Arjuna heard
that song in the battlefield where tensions were at their highest and when the fate of
millions was to be decided by the sword. Krishna sang the Gita for Arjuna to listen to. Gita
means "Song", and he sang because he was "Ananda" wherever He might be, in Gokulam,
on the banks of the Yamuna or at Kurukshetra between the warring armies.
80. WHY does He attract all to His Presence? To plough the heart, prepare it for receiving
the shower of Grace, to grow the seeds of Love, weed it of all evil thoughts, which smother
the crops of joy and to enable it to gather the harvest of Wisdom. That wisdom finds its
fulfillment in Krishna Himself, for Krishna also means the pure Essence, the Supreme
Principle, the "Sath-Chith-Ananda".
81. 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
and you have to trudge alone, without fear or hesitation.
82. THE word Dharmakshetra is the first word in the Gita. In the very first verse of the
Song Celestial, the Kurukshetra (field of Action), in which the Maamakaah (my people, as
the blind Dhritharashtra described them through fond attachment and egoistic delusion),
people motivated by greed and passion, and the Pandavas (the other people, the good and
righteous, the sons of the Fair one, the Progeny of the pure), is spoken of as already
transmuted into Dharmakshetra (field of Righteousness). For victory is always for
Righteousness and not for greed and passion which blind men.
83. IF you ask Me, I will say that the Gita is like a balance: scales, needle and all. The
scale on the left is the 7th Sloka of the 2nd Chapter, speaking of "Karpanya Dosha". The
fulcrum is the 22nd Sloka of the 9th Chapter, beginning with
"Anayaschinthayamshomaam"; and the scale on the right is the Sloka in the 18th chapter,
speaking of "Sarvadharmaam Parithyajya". See how apt the fulcrum Sloka is. It speaks of
single-minded attention, "steady, like the needle of a well-adjusted balance". Really, the
Gita begins with two scales and a fulcrum: the two armies of Righteousness and
Unrighteousness with Krishna, the Teacher, in the middle.
84. BHAKTI is of various types according to the Damskara of the devotee and the state of
his mind and the stage of his development. There is the Shanta Bhakti of Bhishma, the
Vatsalya Bhakti of Yashoda, and the Madhura Bhakti of the Gopikas. Of these the Dasya
attitude is easiest and the best for the majority of aspirants at this time. It means
"Sharanaagathi" and "Prapathithi" out of Shanti Bhakti.
85. THE fire of sorrow and joy burns when the fuel of Vaasanas is fed into the furnace of
the mind. Take away the fuel and the fire dies out. Take away the Vaasanas, the force of the
impulses, promptings and urges and you become your own master. This is done in Yoga by
various physiological and psychological exercises. But Bhakti is the easier means for this
end. Naamasmarana is enough: it is said that the name Sitarama sufficed in the Thretha
Yuga; the name Radha-Shama sufficed in the Dwapara Yuga; and in the Kali Yuga, I tell
you, all Names have that capacity.
86. PRAKRUTHI is Dhara, Earth and Creation. Think of it always. Long for it. Pine for
Dhara, Dhara, Dhara and you find you are pining for Radha, Radha. So, Radha is the
Becoming and Krishna is the Being; the desire of Being becomes the longing of the
Becoming for the Being - this is the Radha-Krishna relationship, which has been sung by
seers and poets, calumniated and caricatured by ignorant critics, appreciated and
apprehended by aspirants, and analyzed and realised by sincere scholars of spiritual lore.
87. WELCOME all the blows of fate, all the misfortunes and miseries, as gold welcomes
the crucible, the hammer and the anvil in order to get shaped into a jewel; or as the cane
welcomes the chopper, the crusher, the boiler, the pan, the sprayer and the dryer, so that its
sweetness may be preserved and used as sugar by all. The Pandavas never demurred when
disasters fell thick upon them. They were happy that they helped them to remember
Krishna and call upon Him. Bhishma was in tears on the arrow-bed, when he was about to
pass away. Arjuna asked Him "why" and he replied, "I am shedding tears because the
miseries undergone by the Pandavas pass through my mind". Then he said, this is done in
order to teach the Kaliyug a lesson; never to seek power, position or pelf but to submit to
the will of God in a completely resigned way, so that you may be ever happy and unmoved.
88. THE Gita speaks of Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, as Yogas. By Yoga is meant what Patanjali
intended it to mean "Chiththa Krishthi Nirodha", that is to say, "the stifling of the
agitations of the consciousness". Vishnu is the supreme example of this calm, for He is
"Saanthakaaram bhujaga Sayanam", the very picture of peaceful calm, though reclining
on a thousand-hooded snake; the snake being the symbol of the objective World with its
poisonous fangs. Being in the World but not of it, not bound by it, that is the secret.
89. THE Individual is Arjuna, the Universal, which inspires him, is Krishna: Led by the
Universal, the Individual has to oppose the attractions and delusion of the Manifested, the
Maya, and the Prakruthi, that is, the Kaurava hordes. The battle depicted in the Epic is the
inner battle, between the temporary and the eternal, the particular and the universal, the
sensual and the super-sensual, the seen and the seer. The Atma is described as a streak of
lightning in the blue cloud. It is a Gita (streak in Telugu). Discover the Gita, then the
purpose of Gita study is fulfilled.
90. WHEN Dharmaraja, the eldest of the Five Pandavas came to know - after the death of
Karna which they effected successfully - that Karna was his brother, his agony knew no
bounds; he was struck disconsolate and was torn by despair. If only he had known the
truth, all that grief could have been avoided. So too, until you know that all are altars
where the name God is installed and all are moved and motivated by the Grace of the self-
same God, you are afflicted by hate and pride; once you know it and experience it, you are
full of Love and reverence to all.
91. WHEN Krishna leapt down from His Chariot with the wheel-weapon in His hand to
slay Bhishma, Arjuna jumped down with Him and holding both His Feet he prayed, "Oh
Lord, you have given word that you will not wield any weapon. Let it not be said that you
broke your word to save me from Bhishma, I am prepared to die". That was the measure of
his Bhakti. Bhishma too had equal Bhakti. He did not step forward to fight the new
challenge nor did he question the Lord. He stood silent drinking in the charm of the Lord
and filling himself with the vision of the magnificence of the Lord. That was the measure of
the dedication to His will.
92. KRISHNA is slandered by ignorant, prejudice critics as "jaara" and "chora" and
extolled by seekers and sages with the same appellations, "jaara” and "chora". He stole
the hearts and the owners were glad of it. He shed light, awakened people and made those,
whose hearts he stole, richer and happier. He destroyed all craving for sensual pleasure and
sensual knowledge and filled the entire being with thoughts of the Divine. How then can He
be referred to as "jaara" and "chora"? When the blind leads the blind in this way, both
have to fall into the pit.
93. IN the Mahabharatha, the most noteworthy theme is Dharmasthapana. When the
Pandavas were called into the forest, it was as if the Five Pranas of Dharma, the sustaining
forces of Dharma, were exiled. Dharmaraja is the Prana of the Right Conduct, Bhima, of
the protective Might of Dharma; Arjuna, of the Faith and Devotion needed as its
Foundation, Nakula and Sahadeva, of the shraddha essential for the Practice of Dharma.
When the Pandavas went to the forest, Hasthinapura was reduced to Astinapura, a city of
bones, without flesh and blood.
94. KRISHNA was the Purushothama, Arjuna the Narrothama; It was a friendship
between The Embodiment of the Highest and the Embodiment of the Best. Krishna was the
Avataric Person. Arjuna was the anandic person; it was a coming together of the
Avathramurthi and the Anandamurthi. Arjuna was often addressed by Krishna as
Kurunandana. This name has a deep significance. "Kuru" means "act, activity, Karma";
Nandana means "happy, delighted". Kurunandana therefore means "he who is delighted
while engaged in activity". Throughout the eighteen chapters of the Githa, Arjuna is alert
and active, participating vigilantly in every turn of argument.
95. PRACTICE the constant presence of God and, learn to offer all your activities at the
Feet of the Lord as an act of worship. Then they will be free from fault. Krishna advised
Arjuna to enter the fight and, at the same time, told him not to have "hatred" towards
"enemies". These may appear to be two irreconcilable attitudes, for war is rage (passion,
attachment) and renunciation of hatred is Vairagya (absence of raga). Arjuna asked
Krishna how he was to reconcile these two attitudes. Krishna said, "Maamnusmara
yudhyacha" (keep Me ever in thy mind, and fight. Do not cultivate the egotistic feeling that
it is you who is fighting. I am using you as My instrument).
96. THE Pandava brothers were highly fortunate. The eldest, Dharmaraja, rose to be the
emperor. The second was the Indomitable Bhima, armed with the terrible mace. The third
was Arjuna, son of the Lord of the Gods, Indra. The lord poured His Grace on Arjuna and
deigned to serve him in battle as his charioteer! In spite of all these advantages, they were
subjected to the severest tragedies in life. What is the lesson that their lives teach? No one
can predict what calamity will overtake one and at what time. Every thing depends on the
will of Providence; it all happens according to the Divine Plan.
97. THE question on the battlefield was not who was the Kin of whom, but who was right
and who was wrong; fight for justice, fight for truth, fight for these as akshatriyu is in duty
bound, and leave the result to the Dispenser of all. Krishna told Arjuna: "I am surprised
that you should weep, for you are Gudakesa, the conqueror of sleep and ignorance. You do
not kill, so don't be so conceited; nor do they die. They have many more things to do; and
so they are real deathless". "The sentence of death has been already pronounced on their
bodies by Me, and you have but to carry out My Orders", Krishna said.
98. KRISHNA felt that it was time to reveal His Truth and so He just showed all creation
in His Mouth when His mother asked Him to show her His tongue, when she suspected He
had eaten sand. He made even the longest rope too short to bind Him. It became the talk of
the place and every one felt he had all the fourteen Worlds in Him! Avathars choose the
time and the mode of announcement of their Advent and Their Glory. Even in this
Avathara such miracles had to be done when I decided that the time was opportune for
taking the people into My Secret.
99. WHEN the righteous Pandavas were harassed by wicked Kauravas, the beauteous
Krishna appeared and saved them. The lord can never design violence and blood shed.
Love is His instrument, non-violence His Message. He achieves the correction of the evil-
minded through education and example. But it may be asked, why did Kurukshetra
happen? It was a surgical operation and therefore cannot be described as an act of
violence. The Surgeon saves life through the beneficial use of His Knife.
100. CONSIDER the Name Krishna which the Avathar bore; what a significant Name?
Krishna is derived from the root "krish" which means (1) to attract (2) to plough and
cultivate and (3) the Divine Principle beyond time, space and causation. Krishna, like all
Avathars, attracts not only seekers, Saints and Sages but the simple, the innocent and the
good. He draws also the curious, the critics, the Skeptics and those who suffer from
atheism. He draws them towards Himself by the irresistible charm of His Person, by His
invincible Look, His Voice, His Flute, His counsel and His undaunted Heroism! He is ever
in a State of Bliss, spreading Harmony, Melody and beauty around Him; He sings
everywhere in the peaceful Pasture lands of Brindavan and in the blood soaked battle field
of Kurukshetra.
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Divine Lord Sai
Sai brother M. Palaniswamy
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