Sanathana Dharma is the mother of all religions, all ethical
codes and all Dharmas of this world; and Bharatha Desa is the home
where the Mother was born. Oh! How fortunate are the Bharathiyas!
How sublimely splendid is this Bharatha Desa!
The world in its entirety is the Body of the Lord of the world,
and this Bharatha desa is that Body's unique organ, the Eye.
Without the eye the body is not master of itself, is it not?
Again, it can be said that Bharatha Desa has been beautified by
the two eyes; the Vedas and the Sastras. On account of this it can
be declared without doubt that the Samskara attained by the
Bharathiyas has not been acquired by the people of any other
country. Sanathana Dharma, which teaches the truth of all
religions and tolerance of all religions, is the Dharma of all
mankind. Born in various areas, flowing through various paths, the
rivers at last reach the Ocean; so too, born in different lands,
practising different ways of Dharma, people reach the Ocean of the
presence of the Lord, through different modes of worship.
Sanathana Dharma is the central location in which all these
various paths, moving in different directions, converge. Followers
of the different religions can practise this Sanathana Dharma, by
being truthful in speech, by avoiding jealousy and anger, and by
acting always with a loving heart. All those who so practise
Sanathana Dharma and, without faltering, achieve it, are entitled
to be called 'Bharathiyas'.
The Hindu religion is the only religion that has achieved and
maintained the foremost position among all religions from earliest
times and established itself permanently. The only people who have
survived without being destroyed, throughout the historic age, are
the Hindus. In this religion, more than in any other, people have
practised lives of love, equality and gratitude. The Hindus have
earned their Dharma through the discovery of philosophic
principles and through the Vedas. They have drunk deep the essence
of the Vedas which are without beginning and without end. A land
so holy is a veritable spiritual mine to the world. Just as the
bowels of the earth reveal in each area mines of different metals,
in Bharatha Desa is found in mine of Sanathana Dharma, the essence
of all the principles of all the Sastras, all the Vedas, and all
the Upanishads.
As if by good luck of the Bharathiyas, along with the emergence
of the mine of Sanathana Dharma, which is as a home to them, from
that moment and for that very purpose, leaders, thinkers,
commentators, apostles and teachers have been originating in this
land itself. Also from this very Bharatha Desa arose seers,
selfless karmayogis, wise men, realised souls, and Divine
personages connected with this religion. It is through these
persons that spiritual wisdom reinforced by experience flowed all
over the country. In this way loaded with essence, Sanathana
Dharma progressed throughout the world. But, to whatever land it
spread, the 'original home' is Bharatha itself.
Look at the world today: machines, cars, engines of some new
type or other are made in one country and are exported to others.
But their original home cannot be forgotten. Such cars and engines
are manufactured only on the basis of its experience. Nothing can
be done without that basis. So too, Sanathana Dharma arose in
Bharatha Desa and people of other countries benefited from its
waters through the great personages and the books they composed.
Hence, the basis of the original home cannot be ignored. That is
impossible. But it is a matter of some concern to see today, in
this Bharatha Desa the birthplace of those holy persons who nursed
and fostered this sacred Dharma, new modes being accepted as one's
Dharma, and the Sanathana Dharma, itself being assigned and kept
aside for people of other countries, by the persons who have not
even tasted the sweetness of the Dharma, who have not grasped its
meaning, and who have smothered it in empty disputation. The
reason for this is, of course, the absence of proper guides who
could show the way. But even when there are such guides, people
yield to these modern modes and get attached to them. These are
really like bazaar pakodas. They attract by their smell, and are
bought by persons who do not discriminate. Though their Swadharama
is the pure Sanathana Dharma, the fascination exercised by outward
show is absent and so it gets neglected. Truth has no need for
such decorations. Taste is the important thing. The basic reason
for this is the fact that men today are motivated by mere whim and
fancy. It has become the habit to reject the reality and accept
the Dharama of another. This is a great mistake. It is against
Dharma for Bharathiyas to be attracted by external forms and by
outward show. No other Dharma has or will have Truth and Highest
Love, above and beyond that contained in Sanathana Dharma.
Sanathana Dharma is the veritable embodiment of Truth. It is the
Heritage of all. There can be no boundary for Holiness. Holiness
is one, without a second.
Those who have attained Liberation in this life by adherence to
this Sanathana Dharma, who have earned the grace of God, who have
understood the nature of Truth, who have achieved Realisation are
all Bharathiyas. Bharathiyas have adored those who have reached
that holy stage, without distinction of caste, creed, or sex. The
holiness of that stage burns to ashes all such limitations. It is
only until that stage is reached that it becomes impossible to
consider everything as equal. So, it is necessary to embark boldly
on the realisation of Sanathana Dharma. This is the birthright of
Bharathiyas.
If we examine history since its very beginnings, we can know in
detail what great personages were born, in which sections of the
Hindus. Incarnations, Divine personalities and Jeevanmuktas like
Rama, Krishna, Balarama, Janaka and Parikshit, Rajayogis like
Viswamitra all arose among the Kshatriyas. Brahmarishis, great
Pandits, Sastric Scholars, Vedic Rishis, originated in the Brahmin
section. Sudras predominate in the epic books, like Bharatha and
Bhagavatha. Among the great devotees of the Lord, members of the
lower castes form a large number. To attain holiness without being
affected by the world, and to reach Paramatma, each one's Sadhana
is important; other things like caste will not be a hindrance at
all. But, one should deserve the Grace required for it; one should
become regular and disciplined in practice.
Many Bharathiyas, however, now bring endless disgrace on the
Hindu religion by neglecting the principles of life of the above
mentioned great personages, not studying them and following their
instructions, by modifying their way of life to suit the changing
times and (as the saying goes "The hour of ruin brings wicked
thoughts") by becoming slaves to name and fame and the craving for
power and position and out of concern to promote the well-being of
their wives and children through selfish means. Still, there is no
dearth of persons who love all in equal measure, who are devoid of
selfishness, who are engaged in the promotion of the welfare of
all, who have dedicated themselves to the service of mankind and
who are ready to sacrifice everything. But they are suppressed;
they are not appreciated or placed in positions of high authority
for fear there will be then no place for the wicked, the crooked
and unjust.
However broad and deep the ocean, when the earth quakes
underneath, the waters part off themselves, and when the commotion
subsides, they resume their original position. So too these good
men keep away without being caught up in it during the earthquake
of injustice, unrighteousness, selfishness and ostentation; and as
soon as the hullabaloo subsides, they re-enter the world.
Evanescent authority and self-glorification cannot be permanent
"To grow is only to decay", it is said. The present peacelessness
is decay not growth. For, see how the Bharathiyas who from the
beginning, grew up in righteous ways with pure feelings, with
self-control and reverence for the good name, who were fed on the
breast-milk of the Vedas, Sastras and Upanishads, who have
welcomed and honoured even races driven out of their own country
and vouchsafed to them love in equal measure, today, for love of
power and self, accuse their own brethren, one person impatiently
envying the prosperity of another, deceive their own brothers
maddened by selfish greed, keep at arm's length their real
well-wishers, pursue only each one's selfish end, multiply bad
qualities hitherto unheard of in the Hindu fold, follow wrong
paths and ways of life, and become the target of conflict and
restlessness, on account of the absence of fear of sin, fear of
God, discipline, reverence and faith. The fall is indeed
incredible.
Hindu Brethren! Children of Bharath! Followers of the Sanathana
way! Where have the manly qualities of old gone? Truth, Tolerance,
Morality, Discipline - when would you accept them? Arise, Awake,
and Establish once again Rama Rajya, resplendent with mansions of
Sathya, Dharma and Santhi. Love your Bharathiya brethren. Practise
Sanathana Dharma. Quench the burning flames of ignorance,
Peacelessness, Injustice and Envy with the waters of Love,
Forbearance and Truth. Develop the feeling of Mutualness. Sweep
away all jealousy and anger. Remember the rule of the holy
personages, the characteristics of the most eminent and of the
reign of God. Each one should realise his own faults, and
understand there is no use in searching for faults in others. That
is mere waste of time; it also breeds quarrels. So, give up that
trait. If this opportunity is missed, what else can be done? Do
not yield to dejection, but say 'Finis' to all the unrighteousness
of the past. Repent sincerely and tread the path of Prayer to God,
Good Deeds and Brotherly Love. Establish the eternal Rama Rajya.
The 'Sanathana Sarathi' has been started to win this Rajya; its
army will help this effort by word and deed. Draw that chariot
forward! Gird up your loins and begin Narayana-sarana...
Bharathiyas are all the children of one Mother, Her name is
Sanathana Dharma. Redeem the debt due to the Mother. He is no son
who forgets the mother. He cannot be good who says the Mother is
bad. Her breast-milk is the very breath of our life... The giver
of this Life, the Father of all is Paramatma.
All are the children of the same parents. So, without blaming
and accusing each other, without wishing evil for one's kith and
kin, understand that your other brothers have the same attachment
to the objects they love that you have towards the things that you
love. One should not find fault with what another loves; nor
should one laugh at it. He should, on the other hand, try to love
it. These are the characteristics of the Truth and Love of
Bharathiyas.