|
Elders are a source of wisdom
and strength.
Revere and respect them
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 10th February 2005 at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on 10th February 2005
(Bheema Rathi Shanthi), at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall
Embodiments of Love!
The elderly couples who participated in the "Bheema Ratha
Shanthi" celebrations held today have experienced
inexplicable joy and bliss. In this context, you must understand
the underlying meaning in naming this ceremony as "Bheema
Ratha Shanthi". It does not mean that all these couples must
be physically strong and courageous like Bheema, the
Mahabharata hero. Bheema was the son of Vayu (air), which is
all-pervasive. The wind by nature is a very strong and powerful
element, which can uproot even a mighty tree.
There are certain traditional rules for the performance of this
Bheema Ratha Shanthi. But there is no age restriction as
such for this ceremony. By God's grace, everyone has Sath
Sankalpa (good thoughts). Normally, married couples
celebrate the Shastyabdha Poorthi ceremony when the
husband attains the age of sixty years, hoping to lead a
peaceful and happy married life. They also celebrate when the
husband attains the age of 70 years. Generally, people believe
70 years of age as the deadline in the life-span of an
individual. But, there are other milestones like 80, 90 and 100
years also to be crossed in life. When an individual crosses
these important milestones in his married life these blissful
occasions are named and celebrated as "Bheema Ratha Shanthi".
Unable to understand and appreciate the importance of these holy
occasions, the children in this Kali Age are sending their
parents away when they cross 60 years in life, under the
mistaken notion that they should not lead a married life and
they are fit only to be Sanyasis (renunciants). This is a
serious mistake. On the other hand, children should take greater
care of their parents when they attain sixty years of age and
beyond. Generally, children are under the impression that people
beyond the age of 70 years are useless and a burden to the
family as well as to the society. But, the truth is otherwise.
In fact, the enthusiasm, encouragement and mental strength
increase after a person crosses 70 years. It is only after 70
years that the mental faculties and Atmic strength express
themselves in full measure. Prior to that, they also behave like
other human beings. They will not specially strive to set an
example to others. The mental faculties, divine force and the
will power in a person will manifest fully after 70 years and
prompt him to set a new goal in life. As a result, such elderly
persons will be contemplating upon and exploring the secrets of
life. The divine force latent in these elderly persons is beyond
the reach of the youth. It manifests in ever-so-many ways in
their actions. Today, we find several youngsters talking ill of
their parents and making fun of them. This is a grave mistake.
Instead, if one can analyse carefully their actions, every
action of theirs will prove to be purposeful and divine in
nature. If the youth of today wish to receive proper training to
face the challenges in life, they must live with their parents
and constantly observe the noble qualities that manifest in the
actions of their parents. In fact, no one can match their
systematic life and strict discipline. The blossoming of their
intellect and the divine qualities in them will herald a new and
meaningful life for humanity. You just observe their life
closely and you will be thrilled at the changes it can bring
about in your own life.
Embodiments of Love!
These days, we are ignoring these elders, considering them to be
not useful to society. This is not correct. In fact, the
strength and energy latent in these elders are not to be found
in the youth. When you wish to undertake any new activity, it
will become fruitful only when you take the guidance of the
elders and walk in their footsteps.
Nowadays, a human being is unable to recognise the qualities of
a fellow human being. The term "Manava" (human being) means a
person who can make the quality of humanness blossom. People
generally tend to describe the physical strength of body,
whenever a mention is made of Bheema, the younger brother of
Dharmaraja, the Pandava King. But, that is not the real
strength.
The real strength of elders lies in their wisdom and noble
thoughts. The ideals set by these elders for the younger
generation are most valuable. Unable to understand their value,
people ignore them as useless folk. Today, a lot of value is
attached to the retired scientists. None can match their
intelligence and passion for new inventions. But, their services
are not made use of properly for the benefit of society and they
are being wasted. The world can benefit a lot from these elderly
people. There is immense power in these elders that can be
harnessed for the good of society. Today, we are making an
effort to reveal the strength and great spiritual power latent
in the ancient Rishis. These elderly people reflect those great
ideals. Hence, we should not neglect them. Every thought that
emanates from these elders is noble and most valuable. The youth
cannot produce even a minute fraction of thoughts and ideas in
comparison. Hence, we must nourish and nurture these valuable
assets and take good care of them.
Unfortunately, nowadays the younger generation grudges even to
provide one square meal a day to their elders. They think it is
an avoidable expenditure. Do not by any means let this happen.
Even if you put them on a sustenance diet, they will maintain
the dignity and reputation of your family as if they are well
fed. The concern and enthusiasm displayed by these elders in
bringing up the children in a proper way is not found in others
unrelated. In the ancient times, kings and nobles made use of
the great wisdom of the Rishis by seeking their advice
regularly. Even to this day, the great treatises on spiritual
and temporal matters compiled by the great Rishis of yore are an
authority to the younger generation. Unfortunately, they are not
able to understand the great truths expounded in those
treatises. It is Swami's advise that from now on we must
popularise this great ancient tradition of Bheema Ratha
Shanthi. It has great significance and value for the coming
generations. The ritual of Bheema Ratha Shanthi signifies
nourishing and nurturing the quality of humanness by undertaking
spiritually powerful and noble activities.
During the Mahabharata war, after the gruesome massacre of the
young Pandava children, Arjuna tracked down Aswatthama, the
perpetrator of the atrocity and dragged him before Droupadi.
Instead of cursing the evil doer and pronouncing the punishment
for him, she fell at the feet of Aswatthama, the son of her
husbands' most revered Guru and said:
"It is at the feet of your father Dronacharya that my
husbands have learnt all that they know. Being the son of
Dronacharya, was it proper on your part to kill my children? How
could you have the heart to kill them, who were unarmed, young,
quietly asleep, were not having any grudge against you and were
not contemplating any harm to you?"
(Telugu poem)
When Droupadi was praying like this, Bheema could not bear to
see this. Exploding in anger, he roared:
This Droupadi is a stupid woman, for she pleads for this
wretch's freedom. She feels no anger against this murderer of
her sons.
(Telugu poem)
Meanwhile, Arjuna was seething with anger and was about to kill
Aswatthama. Droupadi fell at his feet and reasoned with him
thus:
Arjuna! Will my sons be revived by killing Aswathama? His
mother too would experience the same kind of sorrow that I am
undergoing now at the loss of my sons. Having studied the Vedas
and Sastras, how is it that you are not able to maintain your
tranquillity?
(Telugu poem)
Droupadi further pleaded with Arjuna to forgive Aswatthama for
his heinous act. Arjuna replied, "You are preventing me from
keeping up my vow." To this, Droupadi said, "Tonsuring his head
and removing the crown jewel from his head is equivalent to
killing him." As per Droupadi's advice and as a token of
punishment, Arjuna took the crown jewel from the head of
Aswatthama and shaved off the hair with his sword.
In ancient times, the Rishis were not shaving off their hair,
since the hair was considered very sacred and powerful,
spiritually. This body (pointing to Himself) is nearly 80 years
old. Still, the hair on My head remains very strong and powerful
to this day. I will tell you more about the power of the hair on
My head, later. Once, Droupadi was alone as her husbands had
gone out. She took out one strand of hair from her head and
dropped it in the water, chanting some Mantras. That single hair
with the potency of Mantras could bind all the hills around.
Later on, a number of yogis assembled together and enquired as
to how a single hair could bind all the hills around. They
concluded that it was the strength of the hair of Droupadi, and
her will power that could perform this stupendous task. It is
difficult to comprehend such latent divine phenomenon.
Unfortunately, today man is unable to realise his innate
divinity. Man, who is heir to the humanness is forgetting the
very quality of his humanness. He is cultivating demonic
qualities.
Dear students!
You have to avoid acquiring such demonic nature and allow your
natural humanness to blossom. Develop humanness and from there
rise to the level of divinity. Always remember three things –
unity, purity and divinity. Unity implies the oneness of human
race. When there is such unity in humanity, divinity manifests.
Once, I went on a countrywide tour. During that tour I went to
the river Sindhu along with a saintly person. Linguists know
that some people pronounce Sindhu as Hindu. I stayed in Goa in
the Raj Bhavan when Nakul Sen was the Lt. Governor of that
State. His wife's name was Indu. I slept in the front hall of
the Raj Bhavan. Nakul Sen and his wife slept in their bedroom.
There was a window in their bedroom from where they could see
what was happening in the front hall. After I slept, Nakul Sen's
wife saw through the window a brilliant light emerging from My
body. Unable to bear the effulgence of that brilliant light, she
tried to wake up her husband. Nakul Sen would not like to be
disturbed at that hour. He admonished her not to disturb him and
to sleep peacefully. But, she insisted that her husband should
wake up and witness that brilliant light emanating from Swami.
At last, Nakul Sen woke up and had the divine darshan of that
effulgence.
In the early years of the advent
of this Avatar, a great devotee by name Karnam Subbamma
used to serve Swami. Her devotion to Swami was unparalleled. In
those days, caste differences were widely prevalent and observed
strictly in Puttaparthi. Especially, the Brahmins used to keep
distance from the Harijans. Since, Subbamma was an orthodox
Brahmin, she used to meticulously observe these practices. One
day, I informed Subbamma that I would be visiting the
Harijanwada. Subbamma felt very unhappy and tried to
dissuade Me from going to that place saying, "Oh! Swami! Why
should You visit that place?" I asked her, "Why should I not go?
Why should I not eat the food offered by the Harijans? I will
certainly go there." So saying, I started for the Harijanwada.
However, as she was a great devotee of Swami and was very much
attached to Him, she followed. The people living in the
Harijanwada were very poor. They had no chairs or mattresses to
make Me seated comfortably. They spread an old dhoti on the
floor and requested Me to sit on that. In the meantime, I felt
drowsy and fell asleep. Thereafter, a big sound emanated from My
navel, as though the roof over the building was being blown off.
The people in the house trembled in fear, on hearing that big
sound. All of them ran helter-skelter. Thus, the Divine power
manifests from the bodies of the Avatars, saints and yogis in
many different ways.
Long ago, when I went to some African countries on tour, the
devotees there presented Me with a comb made of iron. However, I
had no necessity for it. I do not use a comb. If ever I put the
brush on My hair, it will get stuck. My hair is so thick and
strong. Even if one wants to pull out one hair, it is not
possible. This is the nature of the hair of divine
personalities. Not only Myself, every individual has certain
divine powers, which he should try to nurture. Today, the youth
are not making any effort to protect the God-given power. They
are frittering away the divine power in ever so many ways. They
waste a lot of power daily with the result they lose their
energy and become prematurely old. Especially, the head is the
seat of all power. Hence, one has to carefully protect the head.
Embodiments of Divine Atma!
You are all men and women of noble qualities and strong in body
and mind. But, unfortunately, you are frittering away your
energies in vain pursuits. You become weak by wasting your
energy. When I clench My fist not even ten persons can prise it
open. Even at the physical level the Divine power is
immeasurable and beyond description. All of you should try to
realise this innate Divinity in you, not for the sake of the
physical strength, but to enjoy the divine bliss.
Embodiments of Love!
The divine power latent in a human being has no limits. Whether
it is fine arts like music or any other human endeavour, when it
is suffused with divine power, it reaches great heights. Hence,
sanctify that divine power by dedicating all your efforts to
God.
Source:
http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/BheemaRatha_Discourse.htm |