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You are all Amrutaputras – Sons
of Immortality
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
delivering His Divine Discourse on 8th March 2005, evening, at
Prashanti Nilayam
Text of the Divine Discourse
delivered by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the evening of 8th
March 2005
(Shivarathri), at Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall
In this supremely holy land of
Bharat
Tolerance is the towering quality of our character;
Of all the religious vows, the foremost is
Adherence to Truth, which is difficult to practise;
The sweetest and most respectable feeling in this land of Bharat
is the feeling towards mother;
Consigning to flames the moral fabric of our country
which ordains self-respect as greater than one's own life,
The dagger of unrestrained freedom has been given to people
Imitating the Western way of life;
Alas! What can I say about the rulers of this land of Bharat?
Just as an elephant cannot realise its own strength
So are the Bharatiyas today. (Telugu poem)
Embodiments of Love!
No one has been able to realise the uniqueness, greatness and
sanctity of this holy land of Bharat so far. The culture of
Bharat is nobler and holier than all other cultures in the
world. This unique culture is pervading from the microcosm to
the macrocosm equally. Unfortunately, nowadays, the Bharatiyas
have forgotten this great culture and are practising the alien
culture. The great human values of Sathya (Truth) and Dharma
(Righteousness) have declined in this holy land of Bharat.
However, fortunately, none has been able to root out these great
human values so far. There is nothing more sacred than Truth and
Righteousness. They are like the two eyes to a human being.
Unfortunately, today, people are losing the vision in these two
eyes and thereby becoming blind. Though the students of the
present times are pursuing higher education and acquiring
degrees, they are losing sight of these great human values.
Instead of fostering such a sacred and noble culture and leading
their lives in accordance with the principles laid down in this
great culture, people are wasting their time in vain pursuits.
It is only the practice of these great human values of Sathya
(Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Santhi (Peace) and Prema (Love)
that had made the country of Bharat the great spiritual leader
of the entire world. It is only when we foster these great human
values, we are entitled to be called Bharatiyas in the real
sense. Losing sight of even one of these values will not entitle
us to the great name of Bharatiyas. The real thyaga (sacrifice)
is leading a life of constant practice of these human values in
our day-to-day lives. Our life must be a continuous journey from
Sathya (Truth) to Prema (Love) in the order of Sathya, Dharma,
Santhi and Prema. These values must enter the core of our heart
and flow in every cell of our body.
The whole creation is from Truth,
In Truth all creation merges.
Is there a place in this universe where the grandeur of Truth is
not felt?
The entire universe is a manifestation of
Pure consciousness; know this reality. (Telugu poem)
From the time a human being is born from his mother's womb, it
is Truth and Righteousness that are sustaining and fostering
him. The women of Bharat have undergone many ordeals in
sustaining these great values amidst their household duties and
domestic chores. Yet, they have continuously taught these values
to their children. Swami knows too well how much suffering the
parents of these children undergo in bringing them up. What the
students of the present times are expected to acquire is not
education and high degrees, but the essence of Truth and
Righteousness. One has to understand the real meaning of Sathya
and Dharma. The word "Sathya" consists of three letters "Sa",
"Tha" and "Ya". The letter "Sa" signifies the Sattwic quality,
"Tha", the quality of Thyaga (sacrifice) and "Ya" the qualities
of Yama and Niyama (inner and outer sense control). Hence, the
word "Sathya" means fostering the Sattwic quality with a spirit
of sacrifice and by observing sense control. Unfortunately,
today, we are losing sight of such great human values which
formed the core of Bharatiya culture. Man today does not know
what Sathya and Dharma are. Dharma is taken to be duty. This
interpretation is not correct. This is only an English
translation, rather inadequately expressed! The real
interpretation of Dharma is Dharayati iti Dharma (that which
sustains is Dharma). It sustains the human life. Sathya (Truth)
emerges from the Hridaya Nabhi (Heart region) of a human being.
Thus, when a man led a life of Sathya and Dharma, he will become
sacred. The Pandavas and Droupadi led such a noble life by
following Sathya and Dharma. All your present difficulties and
humiliations are due to non adherence to Dharma.
One should obey the divine command with total faith and without
any disputation for or against. Markandeya was born out 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 joyous 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 impending 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 very near as willed by the divine 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 any
more time. He had an early bath, went to the temple of Easwara
and started chanting the sacred Shiva Panchakshari mantra, Namah
Shivaya, 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 the
entrance. They were shedding tears thinking of the impending end
of Markandeya's life. As ordained by the Lord, Markandeya left
his mortal coil the moment he completed his sixteenth year. His
parents were in deep sorrow. As Markandeya left his mortal body
in the external world, his jiva (soul) reached Lord Shiva 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
restored 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."
It is only God, who can save the life of a human being. Some
doctors claim that they can give good medicines or perform
surgery to save the life of a person. They make several promises
thus, but they fail. Except God, none else can save or prolong
the life of a person. He only can interfere in the law of Karma.
With God's grace, one can achieve anything in this world. Dear
students! You must strive to earn the grace of God right from
your childhood. When you pray for His grace and strive for the
same, you will be protected by God.
Embodiments of Love!
Today is the holy day of Shivarathri. Shiva means
auspiciousness. Where there is Shiva (auspiciousness) there
cannot be Shava (inauspiciousness). This holy day of Shivarathri
must be spent in the constant contemplation of God chanting the
holy name of Shiva right from early in the morning till you go
to bed. The Lord's name must dance on your tongue. Divinity is
eternal. It cannot be achieved so easily. Nobody has been able
to explain Divinity so far, though some vague definitions like
eternal, changeless, etc., have been given. The proper
definition of Divinity would be Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam,
Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam Bhavateetam Trigunarahitam
(One without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness to all
functions of the intellect, beyond one's imagination, beyond the
three Gunas (Sattwa, Rajas and Thamas).
One of the names attributed to Lord Shiva is Mrityunjaya,
which means one who has transcended death. This is from the
worldly point of view. But if one wants to understand the true
and eternal nature of Divinity, one has to understand the
relationship between Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. Once there
was a slight difference of opinion between them about giving an
appropriate name to their child. Parvati wanted to name the
child by a particular name from among the several names Lord
Shiva has. Lord Shiva however, chose to name the child as "Amrutaputra"
(son of immortality). In fact, every human being is an
Amrutaputra. Even the Upanishads declare him so. The Upanishads
reveal the true identity of a human being by addressing as
Srunvantu Viswe Amrutasya Putrah (Oh the children of
immortality! Listen).
Dear Devotees and Students!
You are also Amrutaputras, not Anrutaputras (sons
of immortality, not falsehood). One who is an Amrutaputra is not
affected by change and death. You verily are the embodiments of
the changeless, eternal principle. Once Mother Parvati was
putting child Ganapati to sleep by rocking the cradle and
singing a lullaby, "Oh Amrutaputra! Sleep my dear! Sleep.
If you are awake, the whole world will be awake." Lakshmidevi,
the consort of Lord Vishnu came there and witnessed the scene.
She felt that it was rather a strange lullaby. She enquired
about the name of the child and Parvati told her that His name
was Amrutaputra. Lakshmidevi further enquired from where
did she get that name. Parvati replied that it was Lord Shiva
who gave that name to the child. One who had descended from
Easwarattwa is Easwara Himself.
Embodiments of Love!
You are not reading the sacred texts of yore. Unless you read
those texts also, you will not be able to understand what is
being related to you. Dear Students! You are all Amrutaputras.
People would naturally expect that you should live up to that
great appellation. In fact, the names given to children by
elders in our country have a lot of significance and meaning.
They are not given just casually or for fun. In order to
understand the underlying meaning and sanctity of these names,
we must read the sacred texts like Puranas. Unable to realise
the eternal reality of the values of Sathya and Dharma, we are
taking to wrong ways. We are simply repeating the words Sathya,
Dharma, Santhi and Prema like a parrot. But, we are not making
any effort to understand the true import and significance of
these great human values. All of you are Amrutaputras,
not Anrutaputras.
Dear students!
Try to understand the true nature and significance of the names.
It is a fact that nobody has ever seen Lord Easwara in person.
People call Him "Kailasavasi" (the Lord who resides in
Kailasa). Where is Kailasa? It is only when you contemplate on
Him in the depth of silence that you can visualise Lord Easwara
in Kailasa. Therefore, one has to practise "Mouna" (silence).
And that silence implies total stillness of thought and word.
Embodiments of Love!
You are all Amrutaputras. Hence, constantly remain under
that awareness. Proclaim yourself to be Amrutaputras.
Whatever name has been already given to you, prefix that name
with "Amrutaputra". If you consider yourself as
Anrutaputra, it is a great mistake and a misnomer. Hence,
realise your true nature and call yourself Amrutaputra.
(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema
Mudita Manase Kaho…")
Source:
http://sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/Shivarathri_Evening_Discourse.htm |