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Obey the Divine Command
with total Faith
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering the Divine Discourse
on
19th October 2004 (Dasara) at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 19th October 2004
(Dasara) at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall
Everyone has to face the
consequences of one's own Karma. Who has made the bats to
hang from the branches of a tree with their heads downwards? It
is their fate. Likewise, nobody can escape from the consequences
of Karma.
(Telugu Poem)
Students!
Karma (destiny) has neither feet nor eyes nor mouth. But, man
cannot escape from it. That is why our ancients declared that
one cannot escape the consequences of one's own actions. Karma
does not conform to your likes and dislikes. Something happens
not merely because of your desire and similarly something is not
averted because you do not desire it. Karma follows its own
course. Your thoughts and desires cause the illusion that things
happen because of your will.
The world is full of mystery and wonder. It is nothing but a
manifestation of the five elements. It undergoes changes with
the passage of time. Likewise, the physical body which is also
made up of five elements is subject to changes. Only the
Indweller is permanent.
Embodiments of Love!
It is not possible for anybody to go against the Will of God.
The ways of God are beyond the grasp of human understanding. God
can make things appear which do not exist in reality. Likewise,
what appears to the eye may vanish in a trice by God's Will. How
can anybody understand such mysterious happenings? It is not
possible for anybody to protect the physical body for ever. It
remains so long as it is destined to be. Once its purpose is
served, the body will perish. Nobody has any control over death.
It is decided at the time of birth itself. The date of departure
is written on the body when it comes into the world. It is not
possible for man to comprehend the way the universe functions.
Each person's experience is unique. How is it that the bat hangs
from the branch of a tree with its head downwards? Nobody can
explain this phenomenon. Who is responsible for such wonders and
mysteries that we witness in this world? What each one has to
do, when, where and how, all is predestined. Man has no control
over it. Everything happens according to Divine Will and His
command. It is the primary duty of man to obey the Divine
command implicitly. Everything in this world, visible or
imperceptible happens according to Divine Will. One need not pay
heed to what others say when it comes to obeying God's command.
You have to obey the divine command in letter and spirit without
adding any commas and full stops by yourself. Unfortunately,
today nobody is making any effort to understand the mysteries of
God's creation. Scientists boast of having unravelled the
mysteries of creation, but they do not have true experience of
the reality behind the phenomena. Each and every activity that
takes place in this universe is full of wonder. When you observe
carefully you will be able to perceive the unseen hand of God at
work.
Embodiments of Love!
One should obey the divine command with total faith and without
any disputation pro and contra. Markandeya was born as the
result of a boon granted by Easwara to his parents. Easwara
asked his parents whether they wanted a virtuous son with a
short life-span or a son not so virtuous but who would live
long. The parents opted for a virtuous son. Accordingly,
Markandeya was born. He was one of good thought, good behaviour
and good conduct. Easwara informed his parents that he would
live only for sixteen years. Nevertheless, the parents were
overjoyed as they had been blessed with a virtuous son. Years
rolled by and Markandeya entered his sixteenth year. Remembering
the words of Easwara, his parents became grief-stricken. His
mother would often shed tears thinking of the imminent death of
her son. Markandeya could not understand the cause of her grief
and wondered why she was shedding tears. One day, he found his
parents steeped in sorrow. On enquiry, they revealed that his
death was imminent as per the Divine Will and that was the cause
of their sorrow. Markandeya felt sorry that Easwara's Will was
not revealed to him till then because of which he had wasted the
precious time allotted to him. He did not want to waste time any
longer. He had an early bath, went to the temple of Easwara and
started chanting the sacred Siva Panchakshari Mantra, Namah
Sivaya, with all sincerity and devotion. He lost himself in
the contemplation of Easwara. He did not expect any reward for
his prayers. He considered it as his primary duty to contemplate
on God. The following day was supposed to be the last day of his
earthly sojourn. Hence, he remained in the temple. As he had not
returned home, His parents went to the temple and sat at its
entrance. They were shedding tears thinking of the impending end
of Markandeya's life. As willed by the Lord, Markandeya left his
mortal coil the moment he completed his sixteenth year. His
parents were in a sea of sorrow. As Markandeya left his mortal
body in the external world, his Jiva (soul) reached Lord Siva in
the divine world. The Lord was immensely pleased with the
sincere devotion of Markandeya. He said, "Markandeya! Today
marks the completion of your sixteenth year. You have come to Me
in a happy frame of mind. You have bowed down to My Will with
implicit faith and obedience. I am pleased with your devotion."
As Easwara was speaking to Markandeya in this manner, Mother
Parvati intervened and said, "Oh Lord! Why don't You send him
back to his parents as he has obeyed Your command implicitly."
Easwara wanted Parvati also to accompany Him. Together they
infused life into the body of Markandeya. The parents' joy knew
no bounds when they noticed some movement in Markandeya's body.
He got up and said, "My dear mother and father, Lord Easwara and
Mother Parvati have brought me back to life. I will stay with
you as long as you want me. Let us entertain noble thoughts and
undertake good deeds. I will discharge my duties as your son and
give you happiness." Accompanying his parents, Markandeya went
home. The people of the village were struck with wonder when
they came to know that Markandeya was brought back to life by
Lord Easwara and Mother Parvati. Markandeya narrated to them in
detail all that had happened in the divine world.
God responds to the prayers of devotees and comes to their
rescue only when they have purity of heart. One with a pure
heart can even alter the Sankalpa of God. The story of
Markandeya bears ample testimony to this. Markandeya had no
desires. He made sacred use of the time granted to him. It is
the primary duty of devotees to cultivate noble thoughts and
perform sacred actions. Markandeya remained a Chiranjeevi
(immortal), served his parents and gave them immense happiness.
In the normal course, God's Will cannot be altered. But,
sometimes God does change His Sankalpa in answer to the prayers
of a devotee who is sincere and pure at heart. The devotee has
the power to change the Will of God. Devotion does not mean mere
vocal expression of prayers; one should have purity of heart.
Adi Sankara was born in Kerala during the 7th century A.D. and
propagated the essence of all scriptures to mankind. But he left
his body at an early age of 32 years. Ramanujacharya was born in
11th century A.D. and propagated the efficacy of the Divine
Name. That was the time when devotion to God was on the decline.
It was because of Ramanujacharya's teachings that people
developed devotion and a sense of surrender to God. Madhwacharya
was born during 13th century A.D. and propagated the principle
of Dvaitha (Dualism). Even He taught that the Jiva
(individual soul) and Deva (universal soul) are not
different from each other in essence. However, the underlying
principle in all the three systems of philosophy as propagated
by Adi Sankara, Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya is one and the
same. The same principle of Atma is present in all beings. It is
referred to as Easwaratwa (divinity). The divine
incarnations such as Rama and Krishna can be recognised by their
Divine forms. Every incarnation has a particular form. But
Easwaratwa has no form. It represents the principle of truth
that is present in all beings. It is responsible for Srushti,
Sthiti and Laya (creation, sustenance and
dissolution).
Easwaratwa, which has no specific form is symbolised in the form
of a Linga. It is usually placed on a horizontal base
which is known as Panavatta. Do you know how it looks
like? (At this, Bhagawan with a wave of His hand materialised a
Linga with Panavatta.) Lord Easwara exhorted
Markandeya and his parents to sanctify their time in the
contemplation of God. He materialised a Linga like this and gave
it to Markandeya's parents. They sanctified their lives by
worshipping the Linga. Linga represents the Atmic
principle which is present in all. It is not possible for anyone
to understand or estimate the divine power. The principle of
Atma is changeless. It can assume any form in accordance with
the feelings of devotees. Linga is not something which man has
made for worship. It is the direct manifestation of Divinity (Sakshat-akara).
This truth was very well understood by Markandeya and his father
Mrukanda and hence they worshipped divinity in the form of a
Linga.
Every living being comprises three aspects ? Sthula,
Sukshma and Karana (gross, subtle and causal). The
physical form represents the gross aspect. The same principle of
divinity is present in all the three levels. Without thread,
there can be no cloth. Without silver, there can be no plate.
Without clay, pot cannot be made. Likewise, without Brahma
(Divinity), there can be no world. Without the creator, there
can be no creation. The creator can be compared to thread and
the creation to cloth. The creator is the embodiment of gross,
subtle and causal aspects. When you contemplate on God, you
should transcend the mind. By merely having threads, one cannot
make cloth. They have to be interwoven. Likewise, self-effort
and divine grace, both are essential in order to achieve the
desired result.
Sukshma Sarira (subtle body) is the source from which our
words and deeds originate. Our students are chanting the Vedas
everyday. Each Mantra is attributed to a particular form of
divinity. It is necessary that one knows all the Mantras. If one
wants to purify his thoughts and understand his true Self, he
should take Vedas as the basis. Unable to understand this truth,
many students are behaving like thieves when it comes to
chanting the Vedic Mantras. One who does something wrong and
feigns ignorance is a thief. Likewise, one who has the ability
to chant the Vedas but does not do so full-throated and
wholeheartedly can also be called a thief. All students can
chant the Vedas, but some of them are not joining others in
chanting. They are not making proper use of whatever they have
learnt. They are keeping to themselves all that they have
learnt. I am observing the students as they chant the Vedas.
Having learnt the Mantras, they are expected to chant them. But,
some of them are keeping silent. In a way, they are resorting to
vidya choratwam and daiva droham (theft of
knowledge and betrayal of God). In this manner, the educated are
becoming traitors and betrayers. Only those who chant
wholeheartedly whatever they have learnt are eligible for
Sakshatkara (God-realisation). When the students chant the
Mantras, ladies sitting on the other side also join them. They
have every right to chant the Vedas. None can deny them their
right. They feel inspired to chant the Vedas when they see our
students chant. There are many small children sitting here. Who
has taught them the Vedas? They hear attentively while the
senior students chant the Mantras and learn them by heart.
However, there are some educated persons who sit by the side of
Veda chanting boys and yet remain tight-lipped. I am observing
them. What is the use of sitting with Veda group if they do not
make efforts to learn and chant them? They are bigger thieves.
They listen to Vedic chants but do not participate in them. One
should listen and also chant the Mantras in order to experience
divinity.
The Vedas are the very form of God. There are many Mantras to
propitiate the Pancha Bhutas (five elements). The five
elements are our very life-breath. They sustain our life. The
world itself is a manifestation of the five elements. But people
forget to express their gratitude to the five elements. What a
sin it is! We fill our minds with unnecessary information and
consequently fail to give due respect to the five elements.
Everyone should necessarily learn the Vedas, contemplate on them
and chant them wholeheartedly. There is no point in merely
learning the Vedas if you do not chant them. There are some who
chant the Mantras when they are here but forget them when they
go outside. You may go anywhere but you should repeat the
Mantras at least in your mind. You should never become a
vidya drohi (one who does not do justice to the knowledge
acquired). A vidya drohi will become Daiva drohi
also and will ultimately miss the chance to become recipient of
God's grace.
Students may commit mistakes without their knowledge. But, once
they realise their mistake they should not repeat it. Whatever
Mantras you hear today, you should be able to chant them
tomorrow. When all people chant the Mantras in unison and in
perfect harmony, Brahman will manifest right in front of you.
Our ancient sages and seers declared: Vedahametham Purusham
Mahantham Adityavarnam Thamasa Parasthath (I have visualised
that Supreme Being who shines with the effulgence of a billion
suns and who is beyond Thamas - the darkness of
ignorance). The sound of the Vedas is highly sacred. It is
extolled as Sabda Brahmamayi, Characharamayi,
Jyotirmayi, Vangmayi, Nityanandamayi,
Paratparamayi, MayamayiandSreemayi (embodiment of
sound, mobility and immobility, light, speech, eternal bliss,
perfection, delusion and wealth). It is compulsory for everyone
to learn the Vedas. If it is not possible, at least one should
chant the Name of God. Whatever Vedic Mantras you learn, you
should be able to chant them properly. Otherwise, you don't need
to learn them at all! I have seen many boys, who learn the Vedas
here, but forget them when they go to Bangalore. They chant one
or two Mantras to satisfy the elders who visit that place. It is
not for publicity, but it is for your own benefit of
experiencing bliss that you should chant the Vedas. The three
aspects, namely, Karma, Upasana and Jnana (work,
worship and wisdom) may be compared to chanting, practising and
experiencing bliss. You should transcend Vijnanamaya Kosha
(wisdom sheath) and enter Anandamaya Kosha (bliss
sheath). Karma leads to Upasana which in turn leads to
Jnana (wisdom). Once you attain Jnana, you will
experience peace and bliss. Everything depends on Karma. You
should not chant the Mantras in a mechanical way just because
others are chanting. You should assimilate and digest them. Why
do you eat food? Is it to preserve it in the stomach? No. The
food partaken should be digested and the essence should be
supplied to all parts of the body. In the same manner, you
should understand and assimilate the Vedic knowledge and derive
strength from it. It should be expressed in your thoughts, words
and deeds. You should take part in the propagation of the Vedas
and share your joy with others. People say God is all-pervasive.
He is present everywhere in the form of five elements. Each
element represents a form of divinity. All the five elements
together constitute the form of the Atma. When you realise this
truth, you will experience divine bliss.
Embodiments of Love! Students!
Whatever you have learnt here, share it with others. It is not
enough if you share it with others, you too should put your
knowledge into practice and derive benefit therefrom. We prepare
many delicious items at home and serve them to the guests. Is it
not necessary that we should also partake of them? Likewise, we
should digest the Vedic knowledge we have acquired and also
share it with others. All types of knowledge have originated
from the Vedas. That is why the Veda is extolled as Sarva
Vijnana Sampatti (the treasure chest of knowledge). But
unfortunately, we are not making proper use of such a treasure.
Share your knowledge to the extent you have acquired. Never
forget what you have learnt. With sincere effort, you will
certainly be able to attain Sakshatkara. How did Markandeya
attain Sakshatkara? He repeated the Panchakshari Mantra
forgetting himself. As a result, Lord Easwara appeared before
him and showered His grace. Those of you who wish to have the
vision of God should digest the Vedic wisdom you have acquired
and share it with others.
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/Dasara_19th_Discourse.htm
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