This section of the
blog is a compilation of the Chinna
Kathas (Parables) narrated by Bhagawan Baba at several points during the
delivery of His Discourses. These are short stories that are pregnant with deep
meaning and profound wisdom. Bhagawan Baba, as a Master orator, uses these
stories to convey noble and lofty messages through His humorous and inspiring
narration. One could hear the same story again and again and yet discover newer
dimensions to it and greater messages in it.
The audio clip of
the Chinna Katha has a name that
adopts the following code: Title, Duration of the clip, Year-Month-Date of the
Clip. The central theme of the parable is presented first, before the title of
the clip. Below the title is the English translation of the short story. Below the text of the story is the audio player.
The silent
inconspicuous devotee
Central Theme: The last thing that we
should be doing as human beings is judging the devotion to God in others. It is
impossible to determine how devoted an individual is to God. Devotion is the
sacred love that exists between an individual and God, and is known only to both
of them. There is no yardstick available to human beings to measure devotion.
Many of us consider external manifestations of devotion as a measure of one’s
love for God: such as chanting the name of the Lord, spending time in worship,
visiting places of worship or pilgrim centers, participating in holy
gatherings, etc. However, these are neither necessary nor sufficient parameters
for establishing the presence of devotion in an individual. In this short
story, Bhagawan Baba breaks this myth and clarifies that devotion is a private
matter between the devotee and the Lord and need not be known to anybody
else.
The silent inconspicuous
devotee-6.25-1998 April 22
 |
| Devotion is a personal relationship with God, not to be exhibited to others |
There are some people who are not known to be devotees to the outside
world. They do not engage in any satsangh
(holy association). They do not engage in any sacred conversation. They do not
openly demonstrate any sacred action. But yet these set of people keep God
hidden in their heart.
In a family there lived a husband and wife. The wife was an ardent
devotee. She sanctified all her time in incessant remembrance of the name of
the Lord. She kept looking forward to hearing the name of the Lord from her husband’s
mouth any time or at any moment. But, the husband would not utter the name of
the Lord in any situation or in any conversation. The wife was very depressed
on account of this. God’s name is the most important principle for this life.
God’s name is like the boat to cross the ocean of life. The wife was worried as
to what would be the fate of her husband under these circumstances.
“Having been born as a human being, experiencing the noble life of a
human being, what is the use of this life if he does not think about God? Is
this my bad luck? Or is this his fortune?” The wife used to think about all
this and cry to herself. One day she made a special prayer to the Lord. “O
compassionate One, O ocean of mercy, why did You give such a mind to my husband?
He is unable to remember You even for a moment. Whatever may be the
circumstances, he never thinks about You. Why did You bestow on him such a hard
heart. Why have you transformed my husband to a stone hearted person? And why
have You given me alone so much devotion? There seems to be no relation between
these two. Is this my fate? Is this my past karma?” Praying so, she cried a
lot.
That night, the husband was fast asleep. While tossing to one side, he
uttered, “Rama, Rama”. The wife heard these words. She told herself, “What a
lucky day it is today. My ears are truly so lucky. I was able to hear the word
“Rama” from the mouth of my husband”. Without his knowledge she got up from the
bed. She decided to perform “poor feeding”, i.e. feeding food to the poor in
the morning. She cleaned the house and decorated it with Rangoli (patterns
created on the floor using materials such as coloured rice, dry flour, coloured
sand or flower petals, meant to be sacred welcoming areas). She arranged for Managala Vaadya (Naadaswaram – auspicious music). When the husband got uup the Naadaswaram was playing at the entrance
of the house. Banana plants were tied at the entrance of the house (symbolizing
festivity and sacredness). The wife was jumping with joy and moving about in
the house.
The husband asked her, “What is the festival today? Why are you so
overjoyed?” When the husband questioned thus, she could not control herself
anymore and she fell at the feet of her husband and cried out, “My God is an
ocean of mercy, He is the storehouse of compassion. He has heard my prayers.
Today I could get a reply for my prayers”. The husband asked her what reply was
she referring to. The wife said, “Last night, in your sleep you remembered the
name of Rama by chanting “Rama Rama”. In so many years I had never heard the
name of Rama or Krishna or Govinda from your lips. At times I thought at least
by mistake you may utter the name of the Lord while conversing with somebody.
But I could not even hear that. However, yesterday night while tossing on the
bed, you uttered the name of Rama. The name Rama uttered by you is the cause
for my extreme joy. It has given me so much enthusiasm. Unable to control my
joy I decided to offer free food to some ten or more people”.
Listening to this the husband was surprised. “What? Did the name of Rama
escape from my lips? All this while, I protected Him so safely inside me. I
kept His name locked inside my heart. Did He escape from my heart yesterday
night?” So saying, the husband breathed his last!
Divine Discourse
22 April 1998
Will of God always prevails-Story of Shiva-Parvati and their house
Central Theme: God is omnipresent,
omnipotent and omniscient. His Will always prevails. It is just that we, as
human beings, with our restricted understanding and perspective and our limited
conscious memory are unable to comprehend and recognize His Will pervading
through every event in our lives. However, after the occurrence of an event or
a situation, we find it easier to accept it as His Will. At times, our wish and
desire may align with His Will, which brings us joy and happiness and at other
times our plans may not be in alignment with His Will and such situations tend
to make us feel disappointed and sometimes frustrated. However, Bhagawan Baba
says that a true devotee must accept both such situations with a positive
spirit and always remain cheerful knowing that whatever happen is for our good.
In this short story, Bhagawan Baba uses examples of Lord Shiva (representing
the Almighty Omniwill) and Parvati (representing Prakruti / Nature, i.e. the human being) to illustrate the above
point.
Will of God always prevails-Story of
Shiva-Parvati and their house-7.46-2000 May 16
.jpg) |
| God's Will always prevails!! |
This goes to show that the house wife Parvati had a desire for a house.
This is a very natural quality in all women. She asked for a house to be built.
Iswara replied, “Parvati, what is there in building a house? Even before we
enter into it, rats will get in. To prevent rats from coming in, we would need
a cat. For the cat we would need milk. And then to take care of all this, we
would need a maidservant. Why all this paraphernalia? It is better not to have
any house at all”.
However, Parvati insisted on having a house and Iswara on not having
one. This debate went on between them. In every family, this debate of “yes /
no”, “yes / no”, keeps going on. Finally, the decision of Iswara prevailed.
Parvati then very calmly put forth a question to Iswara, “Iswara why do you speak
in such a stubborn manner? This (request for a house) is not merely for me. The
sages too will come and reside here. They will stay here as there would be
shelter for them. It would give you, me and everybody a shelter to cover
ourselves”.
Iswara said, “Even if you were to start (building the house) now, the
timing is not very good (auspicious). Whatever mansion you may build, Agni Devata (the Lord of fire) will burn
the mansion out of anger. I am aware of the future. You do not know. Therefore,
please remain silent and sit down”. Parvati replied, “Iswara, all powers are in
you. All deities are in your control. Fire is under your control, In fact, all
elements are under your control. If you command Agni (Lord of fire), he would not cause any harm, is it not? He
would obey your command and would never violate it. Therefore, please command
the Lord of fire”.
Iswara agreed to do so. What else could he do? The wish of the house
lady had to be fulfilled. He made a promise to Parvati. He said, He would go to
the Lord of fire and get a word of commitment from him. He asked her to wait
till then. Since the words of Iswara are always the Truth, she started the
construction of the house. But when Iswara was leaving, Parvati made one
observation, “Iswara, in case Agni
(the Lord of fire) comes and burns the house built by me, it will be a great
embarrassment for me. Therefore, if Agni
(Lord of fire) does not agree to your command, you please play the drum. Then, (understanding
the signal) I will myself burn the house built by me. I will not give Agni (Lord of fire) this opportunity”.
She got this promise from Iswara.
Iswara went to Agni (Lord of
fire). Agni bowed to Him and asked,
“Lord, what is the work for which you have come here? What is your command?”
Iswara replied, “I have no wish. But, Parvati is building a house. She is
likely to be harmed by you. But, I request you, not to get in her way. Kindly
make me this promise”. Agni (Lord of fire)
gave this promise. Having made the promise, Agni
prayed to Iswara, “Swami, from so many days, I am desirous of seeing your Shiva Tandava dance. I have desired to
witness the Shiva Tandava dance from
such a long time”.
To satisfy Agni (Lord of fire),
Shiva performed the Shiva Tandava
dance. While performing the dance, Shiva played the drum (which is part of the performance).
Parvati heard the sound of the drum and (mistaking it to be the signal from
Iswara) she burned down the house built by her.
Tandava Kelisalpene Parameswarudu Sri Sambasivudu....(Telugu song
describing Lord Shiva performing the Shiva Tandava dance)
Finally, Parvati burned down her house.
Iswara came and saw this. The bonfire was on. Iswara asked, “Parvati, what is
this strange happening? Lord Agni gave Me a word that he would not burn
down the house.” Parvati in turn asked, “Then, why did you play the drum?” Iswara
said, “In fact, I had willed (right from the beginning) that there should be no
house. I performed the Shiva Tandava dance to satisfy Agni (Lord
of fire). While performing the Tandava, I forgot and played the drum”.
This only means that the Will of Iswara will
never go unfulfilled in spite of any obstacles coming in the way.
Divine Discourse
16 May 2000
Whatever happens is for our good-Story of King and Minister
Central Theme: To see any situation
dispassionately and objectively, as is always desirable in understanding a scenario,
it is essential to have a perception of the big picture. However, humans as we
are, with limited knowledge of the past, thanks to our failing memories; total
ignorance about the future and apathy towards the present; we hardly ever
succeed in seeing the big picture or the helicopter view, if you wish. God, who
is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, is the only One who has a complete
picture of each life in its entirety. Therefore, whatever God Wills, does or
says with His Selfless Love must necessarily be for the ultimate good of human
beings. However, when seen through the constrained lens of the human eye, His
words or acts may appear negative or at times unjust. But all it takes is
patience and forbearance to be a witness to how His Will unfolds itself in a
way that we would never imagine and culminates in what is plausibly the best
for us.
Whatever happens is for our good-Story of
King and Minister-7.42-1995 August 25
.jpg) |
| Everything is for your good only... |
Once upon a time, there used to be a king. As he was the king, several
servants used to get sugarcane, peel the skin, cut it into small pieces and
offer them to him. One day, the king desired to cut the sugarcane himself and
eat it. He held the sugarcane and cut it with a knife. His finger got caught
(in the process). The blood was oozing out. The Minister who stood next to the
king, folded his hands and said, “Maharaja (king), this is good for you”. The
king was furious, “What? My finger getting cut; is it good for me? Are you
desirous of subjecting me to danger? Are you seeking that I should be subject
to difficulties? Chee (fie on you)...such
a Minister should not be with me”. The king called for a soldier and asked him
to put the Minister in jail. Even while entering into the prison, the Minister
said, “Maharaja (king), this is for my good”. Earlier he had told the king,
“This is good for you”. Now he said, “This is good for me”.
The king was confused. My finger getting cut, the Minister said, was
good for me. Now going to the jail, he says, is good for him. How can this be
good? The king was drowned in this thought. These days, kings have crowns with
all precious gems and stones on their head, but inside their head they have
mud. This is so because; the kings always live with the support of others
(seeking guidance from others). That is why they keep Ministers. The king then left
the place.
After around three to four days, the king went to the forest for
hunting. The king had no helper. The other soldiers do not generally sit in the
king’s chariot. As the Minister was not there, the king was travelling in the
chariot all alone. He went round and round and round the forest. He was tired.
However, there was no one to even give him water. He sat and took rest under a
tree.
Meanwhile, there were some tribals in the forest who were big thieves.
They had a festival that day. What was the festival? It was the day when they
had to offer a good human body as sacrifice to their family deity. They sent
their soldiers all around to fetch some good human body. The soldiers were
roaming all around the forest. The king was tired and relaxing below a tree.
The thieves saw him. They thought, “Wow! We have got a very good person. He’s
just like a sweet, a laddoo (sweet ball) for our deity”. Once they saw him,
they caught him. They took him and proceeded to the king of the thieves. The
king said, “Fine, we have got a good person. Make all arrangements for (the
sacrifice) tomorrow”.
The king was fed well. They applied kumkum
(vermillion) on his face. They tied neem leaves and took him to the Goddess, so
as to behead him. There was a priest over there. He said, “There should be no defect
in the offering that is being made to the God. Any human body with any sort of
deformity cannot be offered to God. So please check whether all his limbs are
fine”. They checked all parts of his body. They came close to the fingers. They
found one finger cut. They exclaimed, “Che
che che (fie)..Mother (Goddess) will not accept this body”. Saying so, they left him free.
The king immediately thought about the statement made by the Minister.
He had said (with respect to the cut finger), “It is good for you”. He thought,
“Today because my finger was cut, my life got saved”. He believed that what the
Minister had said was the greatest truth. But the Minister had said (with
respect to him going to jail) that it was good for him. How can being in the
jail be good for him?”
The king went straight from the forest to the jail. He said, “Minister,
what you said has become true. It is the highest truth. My finger getting cut
was good for me. The Goddess did not accept me and therefore I was set free
with my life. But when you were sent to jail, you said, that was good for you.
What is good for you in this?” The Minister replied, “Maharaja (king), in case
I was fine and I would not have been in jail, I would have come along with you.
Your body had a defect but my body would have been fine. Therefore, they would
have offered me as a sacrifice. That is why; putting me in the jail was good
for me. My life also got saved. It is good for you as your life also got
saved”.
Thus whatever happens, (we must think), it is good for me, good for me,
good for me. Only when we recognize this truth, we will earn God’s Grace in
plenty, in abundance. If we go only by our own feelings, when will we follow
the vast, lofty principle of God? We must have the firm confidence that whatever
God says or does, it is for my good.
Divine Discourse
25 August 1995
The husband and his four wives with varied expectations
Central Theme: Human temperaments vary
from person to person. Accordingly, the approach followed to develop an
intimate relationship with God, also varies from person to person. Some
consider God as a supreme being whose duty is to solve their problems and difficulties
and bring happiness to them. Others regard God as a “Cosmic ATM” who ought to
bestow all riches and wealth on them. There are others who seek for the highest
wisdom and wish to know the Truth about the creation and the creator. And then
there are those who have no desires but to seek Him. Lord Krishna in the
Bhagavad Gita, declares that all these four types of devotees are very dear to
Him.
Chatur-Vidha Bhajante Maam
Janah Sukrtino 'rjuna
Arto Jijnasur Artharthi
Jnani Cha Bharatarsabha
Janah Sukrtino 'rjuna
Arto Jijnasur Artharthi
Jnani Cha Bharatarsabha
O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna],
four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me: the distressed, the
desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of
the Absolute.
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter-7, Sloka 16
Bhagawan
Baba illustrates this concept of the four types of devotees, through the story
of a rich man who had four wives, with varying expectations from their husband.
The husband and his four wives with
varied expectations-7.11-1996 December 25
 |
| All four types of devotees are dear to the Lord |
In the same manner, God in the beginning assumes a form. When we face
difficulties and problems we pray to Him as Aarthis.
Later we assume the role of Arthaarthis.
Then we become Jignaasis. In this
manner we must develop different types of intimate bonding and relationship
with God.
Here is a short story. A rich man had four wives. The first wife was
very spiritual. The second wife was not keeping very well due to ill health.
The third wife used to read many good books. The fourth wife was a modern wife.
She desired for fashionable saris, fashionable jewels and such other fashionable
items. Once, the rich man had to go to America on some business work. However,
the work for which he had gone could not be completed in time and he kept
postponing his return. He then wrote four letters, one to each of his wives. He
wrote, “I am returning in the coming week. Each one you, please send me a
message about what all you want from here. Send me a fax message”.
The fourth wife, who was a modern girl, wrote to him, “In that country,
whatever latest fashion saris and jewels are there, please bring them for me”.
The third wife asked him to bring books on the stories of great and noble
characters. The second wife wrote, “I am unable to bear my sickness. If there
are any latest medicines for this ailment, please bring them to me”. The first
wife wrote, “I do not need anything. You please return here safely, that is
enough for me”.
The husband returned. He gave the saris and jewels that he had brought,
to the fourth wife. He gave to the third wife the books that he had brought
with him. To the second wife, he handed over the medicines that he had brought.
He then went to the first wife and stayed with her in his house. The other
three wives got angry. “Why do you stay there? Why don’t you come here?”’ they
questioned. It is so difficult in this world to stay with one wife itself; and
if there are two wives, nothing more to say! And if one has three wives, then
one would have to go on exile like Sri Rama had to (when one of the three wives
prayed to King Dasaratha accordingly). And with four wives, it would be just
unbearable.
The three wives therefore started fighting with him. He then said
(pointing to the three wives), “I gave you what you desired. You asked for
saris and jewels. You asked for good books. You wanted medicines. And she
(pointing to the first wife) desired for me. Therefore, I am staying with her”.
God is also just like that. To those who pray for riches and wealth, God
confers on them riches and wealth. To others who pray for wisdom, He grants
them wisdom. To those who pray for healing their sickness, He gives them
medicines by constructing super speciality hospitals. And to those who pray
only for Him, He goes and stays close to them. These are the four types of
devotees: Aarthi, Arthaarthi, Jignaasu
and Jnani.
Therefore whatever we desire, God will grant us the same. But these are
all not important for us. It is God who is important. Once God becomes ours, we
can earn whatever we want. Thus, real wealth is God. Real health is God. Humans
should make an attempt to desire for such God. Why? Because, we have come from
God, we need to reach back to Him.
Note: A brief explanation about the four types
of devotees:
Arthi is the distressed devotee who suffers and craves for
the grace of God in order to be relieved from pain and sorrow. He worships in
order to receive God’s grace and be relieved from suffering on account of
disaster, failure, loss, harassment, etc.
Artharthi is the seeker of wealth who worships the Lord in
order to acquire material possessions, progeny, assets, property, fame and
fortune.
Jignasu is the enquirer and intellectual devotee. He is dissatisfied
with the world and feels there is a void in his life. He senses that pleasure
is not the highest form of happiness and that there is pure eternal bliss to be
found within, untainted by grief and pain. He seeks higher knowledge and
wisdom.
Jnani is a man of knowledge who has attained
self-illumination. He is the wise bhakta who seeks God without any expectations
and realizes that the Lord is within himself and everywhere around him.
Divine Discourse
25 December 1996
Assembly of Scholars or Congregation of Cobblers
Central Theme: The human body is merely
an instrument in our hands. Ancient wisdom tells us that man is truly Divine,
but having a human experience. However, the manifest creation that is a permutation
and combination of the 5 elements and the 3 Gunas
(attributes) is so realistic when perceived through our sense organs, that we
refuse to believe in its ephemeral nature. Whereas we, on the other hand, refuse
to believe in the eternal nature of our true Self! This point is well
illustrated in the story of Sage Ashtavakra, who had a physical body with 8
bends/twists. Great eminent scholars get carried away with his physical appearance
and mock at him, whereas Ashtavakra reminds them of his true nature that is
beyond form and name.
Assembly of Scholars or Congregation
of Cobblers-3.42-1996 August 22
 |
| Assembly of Scholars or Congregation of Cobblers? |
In the assembly, right at the centre of the pathway, an individual who
had many bends/twists in his body was walking and approaching the king.
Everybody looked at him. If he would have been an ordinary person, nobody would
have cared about him, but being an individual with so many bends in his body,
it was very strange for all to look at such a person. Immediately everybody
burst into laughter. A look at his (crooked) form, brought laughter to all. (Surprisingly)
If they all laughed loudly, this person laughed even more loudly, 10 times more
than what they laughed.
The king was very surprised. He welcomed him and offered him an elevated
throne for sitting. The king said, “O noble soul, there is a reason for all
these people to laugh. The reason being your physical body, which has so many
twists/bends. What is your name?” The visitor replied, “My name is Ashtavakra (meaning
his body had eight bends/twists in it)”. Looking at his body, all scholars had
a hearty laugh.
Ashtavakra got up and said, “O Master, since you sent the information to
me that there will be an assembly of scholars, I came here. I came with the
foolish thought that all who are assembled here would be great scholars.
However, there is not one scholar here, in this assembly. All are mere cobblers;
cobblers meaning those who stitch slippers.” The king exclaimed, “What? How can
you make such a loaded statement? Are all these scholars, in your opinion, mere
cobblers who stitch slippers?”
Ashtavakra replied, “Only a cobbler will know the intricacies of the
skin/leather. All these assembled here are merely looking at my skin (physical
body). They are not looking at my heart (Self/Atma). They are not observing my
sacredness. I laughed loudly, wondering as to how you have invited such
cobblers for an assembly of scholars.”
Each one has their own perceptions. Munde
munde matir bhinna (Each head thinks differently). Each one’s perspective
makes one look at everything in one’s own way.
Divine Discourse
22 August 1996
The Sculptor and the Idol of Rama
Central Theme: The essence of the ancient wisdom of the Bharatiya culture lies
in the belief of the oneness of Divinity. Vedanta stresses on the truth that
God is one, not two. What we perceive with our senses is only a manifestation
of the diversity in unity. Therefore, the goal and purpose of human life is
to seek the unity in all this apparent diversity. Bhagawan communicates this
profound truth through a wonderful analogy of a boulder that is sculpted into
an idol of Lord Rama.
Story of the Sculptor and the idol of Rama-Tat Tvam Asi-2.34-1996
July 20
The sculptor finds some useless boulder fallen on a mountain. However, the sculptor chisels the boulder and makes it into an idol of Lord Rama. The sculptor transforms the rock fallen on a mountain into an attractive idol of Lord Rama. Now, did the sculptor transform the boulder into an idol of Rama or was there an idol of Rama in the boulder already? Rama was there in the boulder from before! The sculptor only removed all the fat (extra pieces) neatly. Once the fat is removed, the idol of Rama manifests itself.
Therefore, Divinity is there in everything. Here is a
small example. We install this idol of Lord Rama in a temple and perform
worship to it. We call this verily Lord Ramachandramurthy Himself. The small
pieces of stones from the boulder, from which the idol of Rama was made, are
left back in the forest only or fall into some pit. No one worships those
pieces of stones. Why? Because they have no form. Though they may not have any
form, the pieces call out, “Tat Tvam Asi.
That (the idol) and we (the pieces) are one and the same. It is the sculptor
who came and separated us, but otherwise we are one and the same.”
This is referred to (in Vedanta) as “Tat Tvam Asi”; “Aham Brahmasmi” (we are that). However, we on our own, because of
worldly tendencies and attractions, are considering ourselves to be different
and are dividing ourselves. The defect here lies in the individual and not in
the Divine power. Wherever you see, God is there. We must therefore, without
fail, have faith in such Divinity.
Divine
Discourse
20 July 1996
Vinaayaka and Karthikeya run the race around the world
Central Theme: The story of Lord Ganesha going around His parents thrice and
claiming that He had indeed gone around the world thrice is a very popular
story. But listening to the story from Bhagawan’s own mouth is an unique
experience, for the subtleties and the nuances that He can give, being the very
embodiment of Lord Shiva Himself, cannot be heard anywhere else. The central
theme of the story is that God is only one and is everywhere. Another important
message that we receive from this story is that our parents are verily our God.
Vinaayaka goes round His parents and wins the race-3.05-1995
August 29
 |
| Parents are your God!! |
Sarvatahpaanipaadam
Tatsarvatokshisiromukham
Sarvatahsrutimalloke
Sarvamaavrutya Tishthati
(Bhagavad Gita 13.13)
This is Prakruti
(Nature) and Paramaatma (Supreme
Self). Prakruti without Paramaatma and Paramaatma without Prakruti
cannot be found anywhere. Therefore, this world is the combined form of Prakruti (Nature) and Paramaatma (Supreme Self). Thus
Vinaayaka was the one who recognized the truth that circumambulation of his
parents would amount to circumambulation of the entire world.
Subramanya was returning at full speed. Vinaayaka saw
this. He immediately got up, went round his parents and said, “Father, I have
returned”. Parvati was smiling. She remarked, “What is this – your
intelligence? How easily you are trying to escape! Do not change your knack
into crack. You should make use of your knack with the right Divine feelings”.
Ganapati then replied, “Mother, this is not knack.
This is the supreme truth. Where are the three worlds? We say they are the
past, present and future. We say Bhoolokam,
Bhuvarlokam and Swargalokam; Paataalalokam,
Bhulokam and Swargalokam; Hell, Heaven and Earth. The Divinity in all these
three worlds is only one! Therefore, if we circumambulate God and if we
surrender to Him, all success will be ours!”
Lord Iswara then blessed Ganesha, “To propagate this
truth of Satyam Jnaanam Anantam Brahma
(Brahma is Truth, Wisdom and Infinity) to the world, may you become the Master
and may all worship you.”
Divine
Discourse
29 August 1995
Ubhaya Bharati and the Brahmajnaani
Central Theme: Bhagawan says that our two greatest enemies are Ahamkaaram and Mamakaaram (I and Mine - ego and attachment), which prevent us from
embarking on our spiritual journey. The story of Ubhaya Bharati and the Brahmajnaani, is
narrated by Bhagawan to drive home this important message to us. It illustrates
that leave alone ordinary human beings, even great people of wisdom find it
very difficult to give up ego and attachment. Hence, we must right away start
making efforts to overcome these two negative aspects in our life.
Ubhaya Bharathi and the Brahmajnaani-4.01-1997 October 08
Ubhaya Bharati, was the wife of Manadana Misra (a
Hindu philosopher who later became a disciple of Sri Adi Shankaracharya). Being
the better half of Manadana Misra; once he took to sanyasa (renunciation), she too had to take to the same path of sanyasa. She set up a small hermitage.
She collected all women there and started preaching to them, the sacred principle
of the Atman. Her regular daily duty consisted of going to banks of the river Ganga
along with her disciples, taking a holy bath, preaching Vedanata to them for a
while and bringing them back home thereafter.
One day, while going to the banks of the river Ganga,
they saw a board there, which read, “The Ashram of the Brahmajnaani (wise one)”. She enquired “What? Is there anyone who possesses
the qualities of this name?” At a short distance they saw a noble person
sleeping over there keeping his hollow water jug (made out of a dried
bottle-gourd) as a pillow under his head. The people around pointed to him
stating that he was the Brahmajnaani.
Ubhaya Bharati smiled, “Ayo paapam
(poor man), if he is truly a Brahmajnaani,
then why is he so attached to this water jug? He has kept this water jug under
his head to protect it”. She said this loudly to her disciple sisters, with the
intention that he should also be able to hear the same. The disciples laughed
(at her remark).
The Brahmajnaani
heard the remark and also saw them (laughing). He got very angry. He was waiting
for them to return (from the river bank). Seeing them returning, he removed the
water jug from below his head and threw it towards them. It was to show them
symbolically, “see how much sense of sacrifice I have”. Looking at this Ubahaya
Bharati said, “Ayo paapam (poor man), when we went by this morning, we
thought he just had abhimaanam (ego or
attachment); now he seems to have anger too. Can a person having attachment and
anger ever be a Brahmajnaani?
Hearing this, the Brahmajnaani
thought deeply, “she is not an ordinary lady”. He got up and came to her. He
asked, “Mother, who are you? I think you are Ubhaya Bharati, the wife of
Manadana Misra. Please pardon my mistake. So long as there is Raaga and Dvesha (attachment and hatred), one cannot become a Brahmajnaani. So long as one has Ahamkaaram and Mamakaaram (ego and attachment), one can never become a Brahmajnaani”. Saying so, he prostrated
in front of her and requested her to preach to him the Brahmajnaanam.
Divine
Discourse
08 October 1997
Rich Man Ill-treating Old Father
Central Theme: Bharatiya scriptures state – Matru
Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava - Mother is God, Father is God. Respect and
love for parents is a virtue highlighted in all scriptures. But yet, we find a
huge deficit of filial piety in the world. Bhagawan narrates a story to focus
on this very aspect. He emphasizes that every action has a consequence and therefore,
if we do not love and respect our parents, we would face a similar treatment
from our own children in the future.
Rich man ill-treating old father-Action-Reaction-6.24-1996 July
18
 |
| Give respect and take respect Image Source |
The couple begot a son. The son used to go to the
grandfather from morning to night, asking him to share his life experiences,
good experiences and matters of morality with him. The rich educated man was
apprehensive about the impact that the grandfather would have on his son and so
he prevented his son from going to his grandfather.
The couple used to dump some cooked food in an earthen
plate and place it for the old man to eat. Apart from that, they would never go
to meet him. The young boy with a tender heart watched all these scenes. He
thought to himself, “Whose is the property which my father and mother are
enjoying? It is the property of my grandfather. All the comforts that we are
enjoying belong to my grandfather. My grandfather is responsible for the
recognition and the wealth that my parents have earned. Today, enjoying all the
property of my grandfather, they are causing so much pain to him; this is very
unjust”.
One day, the student (boy) who understood this truth;
took the earthen plate and hid it somewhere. The next day his mother and
father, both were searching all the rooms (for the earthen plate), so as to
give food to the old man. The boy approached them and said, “Father, mother,
what are you searching for?” They replied, “Nothing son, we are unable to find
the earthen plate that we use for your grandfather. We keep food in that and
give it to him. Today, we are unable to find that plate”. The boy took courage
and said, “Father, you do not need to search for that plate. I have actually
hidden that plate”. The father reprimanded him with anger, “Why have you hidden
that plate?” The boy replied, “I have kept it aside for the future; to use that
plate for you in your old age”.
See, today’s children are already planning to give you
the experience of the consequences of your actions. Your children will treat
you just like you treat your parents. Just like you deceive your friend, your
friend will also deceive you. Just like you respect your brother, your brother
will also respect you. Therefore, “Yad
Bhaavam Tad Bhavati”; we cannot escape the consequences of our actions.
God created this beautiful world and gave man the
freedom to enjoy all conveniences and comforts. He also gave man a variety of
powers and capabilities. God will never say “No” to anything. You can act
according to what you desire. But before you act, bear in mind that you will
have to face the consequences of your actions and there is no escape from that.
Then, you will not enter into such bad actions. You will never undertake sinful
acts. You will sanctify your time, only in good and sacred actions.
Divine
Discourse
18 July 1996
Swami Ramananda Tirtha and his Wife
Central Theme: Bhagawan always stresses on transformation of the heart. It is
the feelings that need to be transformed and not merely the name, dress or the
look. Often, we miss the wood for the trees. Through this story of Swami Ramanand
Tirtha (Swami Ramanand Tirtha [1903-1972] was an Indian Freedom fighter,
educator and social activist who led the Hyderabad liberation struggle, during
the reign of the last Nizam. He was the main leader of the Hyderabad State
Congress), Bhagawan demonstrates how merely changing the form does not help one
in spirituality. It is the content that needs modification. Swami Ramanand
Tirtha’s wife was instrumental in this process of transformation.
Swami Ramananda and wife-Feelings must be transformed-3.29-1996
September 23
 |
| Swami Ramamnanda Tirtha Image Source |
I have told you the story of Ramananda Tirtha.
Ramananda took up the life of an ascetic (sanyaasi). Living on the top of the
Chitrakuta mountain and contemplating on God; he propagated the message of
spirituality to the people. His teachings were very attractive. People from all
nearby villages would gather there to listen to his enchanting teachings.
Amidst that group, once his wife too went there to listen to his teachings. As
the wife sat there to listen to his teachings, Ramananda’s sight fell on her as
he was speaking. He immediately turned his face in another direction.
After the conclusion of the Discourse, the wife went
to him and advised him, “Swami I thought you were a noble person, a total
renunciant, without any desires; and thus came to listen to your teachings. However,
you have merely changed your form and not your feelings. When you looked at me,
you got a thought that I am your wife and that is why you changed your
direction of looks immediately, is it not? Why should you still have the
feeling that I am your wife? This feeling is responsible for everything. Being so,
you will not be able to attain Divinity”.
Ramamnanda recognized the truth in her advise. He
handed over his upper garment (angavastraa) to her and promised her, “from
today I am taking true renunciation (sanyaasa).” From that day onwards he genuinely
transformed his feelings.
In the same manner, whatever Sadhana (spiritual
exercise) one may engage in, devotees must make an attempt to turn their
feelings towards God. Sitting in a spiritual congregation and engaging the mind
in the world – how will this help? Thus the mind has to be turned towards God.
It must be full of Divine feelings. Only then will our spiritual pursuits find true
fulfillment.
Divine
Discourse
23 September 1996
Sage and the Magic Pill
Central Theme: However genuine worldly relations may be; they are eventually
ephemeral. Through this humorous story of the sage and the magic pill, Bhagawan
sends us a strong message about the ephemeral nature of our worldly
relationships. This is not to condemn worldly relationships, but to just
caution human beings not to get too attached to worldly relationships,
imagining them to be eternal and permanent. They are no doubt necessary but not
sufficient for a happy life. They are not the “be-all and end-all” of life!
Sage and the magic pill-Ephemeral worldly relationships-1996
August 16
 |
| All relationships are ephemeral |
Maata Naasti
Pita Naasti
Naasti Bandhu
Sahodara
Artham Naasti
Griham Naasti
Tasmaat Jaagrataah
Jaagrataah Jaagrataah
Mother is unreal, Father is unreal (ephemeral),
Relatives and friends are unreal,
Wealth is unreal, House is unreal,
Therefore, beware, beware, beware!
Janma Dukham
Jaraa Dukham
Jaayaa Dukham
Punah Punaha
Antya Kaale
Mahaa Dukham
Tasmaat Jaagrataah
Jaagrataah Jaagrataah
Birth is misery, Old age is misery,
Spouse is a misery now and again,
The final moments are most sorrowful,
Therefore, beware, beware, beware!
Hearing all this, the boy told the preceptor, “Master,
all these teachings may be relevant for people like you but not for people like
me”. There may be many such people in
the world, but my father and mother are not like that, my wife is not like that.
In fact, if I were not to be there, my wife would not even lift a morsel of
food; she would not partake any food. If I were not to be there, my father and
mother would not even enter into the house; they would wait near the door for
me. They all have so much love for me. Therefore, there is no meaning in saying
that mother is unreal, father is unreal (ephemeral).”
The guru told him, “See, I will prove to you with
direct experience.” He gave the boy a pill and said, “As soon as you go home,
you consume that pill. You will then fall down as though you were dead.
However, you will be very much conscious. You will know what each person is
doing and saying. But for the outer world, it will appear as though you have no
life in you. Then you will recognize this truth. Let us see, this is a test”.
Students and youth, these days, like to test
everything. You have so many tests – 1st Semester, 2nd
Semester, 3rd Semester and 4th Semester. Thus test is
like a taste for the students. The boy went home and consumed the pill. He
dropped down. The mother came and called the father. She started screaming and
crying as her son was dead. Hearing this, the wife came running. She too
started crying worrying about her own fate. She thought, “I am the only
daughter of my father. If my husband dies like this what will be my fate?” Even
while crying, she was repeating “What will be my fate? What will be my fate?” All
others too assembled there. All of them felt very sad that he was such a good
boy and was spending his time on the spiritual path.
At this moment, the Swami came there. It was the most
appropriate moment. As the Swami was coming in, all of them cleared the pathway
for him. The Swami asked the mother, “Mother, why are you crying?” She replied,
“Swami, my son died.” He then asked the wife, “Why are you feeling so sorry?”
She replied, “O, this is my husband. If he leaves me, what will be my fate?” The
Swami then told the father, “Go inside and get me a glass of water.” The Swami
appeared to close his eyes and enacted a small drama. He then said, “Here is
this water. The one who drinks this water will die and this boy will in turn come
alive.”
The Swami went first to the wife and asked her whether
she would drink the water. After all, was she not the dearest one to her
husband? She said, “O Swami, I am the only daughter of my parents. If I die, my
father and mother will end their lives too. So please excuse me, I will not
drink this water.” The Swami said, “Your husband will come alive, you can die; what
is the problem in that?” She said, “Anyhow he has died. Swami, let him go. I
will not go.”
The Swami then took the glass to the mother and asked
her, “Mother, will you drink this water?” She replied, “O son, my daughter has
come home for delivery. There is nobody else to perform her delivery. I have
two more daughters too and they have to be married. I have all these
responsibilities. How can I die?”
The Swami then approached the father. The father
thought and then replied, “I am the head of this family. (If I go), two women will
remain alone. My daughter has become a widow. My wife too will become a widow.
There will be no men in the house. Therefore, how can I die?”
Thus, all the three refused. They went in and designed
a master plan. They came out and said, “Swami, you are so compassionate. You
have no responsibilities. Please, you yourself drink this water and save our
son. We will get a beautiful marble Samadhi (tomb) built for you!
The Swami sprinkled some water on the boy and he got
up. The Swami said, “Boy, did you see what your wife told? What did your mother
say? What did your father say? Finally, they asked me to die. So long as there
is body attachment, we love this body. This love too is for selfish reasons.
God is the only one who is selfless, without any selfishness.
Divine
Discourse
16 August 1996
Thief Returning to Prison
Central Theme: The true purpose of life is to realize our true Self, to realize
that we are beyond birth and death. Hence, the true purpose of being born is to
ensure that we are not born again. However, we fail to realize this purpose and
get caught up in the cycle of birth and death. Bhagawan brings to attention
this folly of ours, through the humorous story of a thief returning time and
again to the prison.
The audio clip of
the parable has a name that adopts the following code: Title, Duration of the
clip, Year-Month-Date of the Clip. Below the title is the translation in
English, followed by the audio player.
Thief returning to prison-purpose of life-2.37-1996 August 19
 |
| Should we aspire to return to the prison of this world again and again? |
There was a thief. He would commit theft and then go
and rest in the jail. Once, he committed a major crime and even murdered a
person. He was arrested and granted three years of rigorous imprisonment. The
three years passed by. The jail superintendent came and told him, “Son, your
period (of imprisonment) is over. We are releasing you tomorrow. Keep all your
items (plate, basket, and other baggage) ready”. The thief then folded his
hands (as a mark of respect) and told the Superintendent, “Sir, anyway I will be
coming back tomorrow or the day after. So please let this baggage be here only”.
That means, his objective was to commit theft again.
If you ask anybody as to why they take medicine, they
would say, “We take medicine to get cured from the disease”. This is not the
right answer. Why do you take medicine? We take medicine so that we may not
have to take any medicine again. This is the right answer. But we think it is
just for curing the disease. OK, it may cure that disease, but you may contract
another new disease. Then, you will have to take some other medicine.
Therefore, why do we take medicines? It is to ensure that we do not have to
take any medicines again, i.e. to ensure that no other disease affects us
again.
Why are we born? We are born so as not to be born
again. That is the right answer. Why do you go to write the examination? To
make sure you do not have to write the examination again. Otherwise, you write
an exam, you fail, you again write the exam, you fail, is this the true
purpose? No, you should never go to write the exam again. We must recognize
these right answers and strive to live life accordingly.
Divine
Discourse
19 August 1996
Rich Man Suffering from Indigestion
Central Theme: Worldly desires are the ones that take us away from God. Through
this humorous story, Bhagawan communicates to us that so long as worldly
desires fill our mind; it will never get attracted to God and will not turn
towards spirituality. The key is to wash away the bitterness of the worldly
desires so that we can taste the true Divine sweetness.
Rich man suffering from indigestion-5.21-1996 August 21
 |
| The problem is within, not without! Image Source |
His birthday fell at around this time. As his
indigestion problem had reduced, he thought that he would distribute sweets to
everybody on his birthday. He went to every sweet shop. “Sir, I want to see how
your sweets taste”. Saying so, he pinched a little piece and put it into his
mouth. It was salty. He did not like this. He went further to 5 to 6 shops, one
by one. The 6th shopkeeper could understand the situation well. The
rich man told the shopkeeper, “I will first taste your sweet and then make the
purchase”. The sweet shopkeeper said, “OK. First do you see the tap over there?
Go there and wash your mouth. Then I will show you the taste of my Laddu”. The
rich man went as instructed and washed his mouth clean. He threw out the rock
salt in his mouth and returned with a clean mouth. He then tasted the Laddu and
found it to be sweet. He said, “This Laddu is good”. The Laddu shopkeeper then
said, “O foolish man, keeping the salt in your mouth, how much ever sweet you
taste, will it taste sweet? No. It will taste salty only”.
Likewise, today, for those who are affected with the
disease of atheism, it is equivalent to keeping a rock of bitterness in the
mouth and eating any form of sweet. It will taste bitter only. Keeping bad
qualities, bad thoughts, bad feelings in the mouth, how much ever sweet the
tasty name or word of God may be, it will be bitter only, it will be salty
only. Is this the mistake of the material? No, no, no. It is the defect of the
disease within us.
So long as they are here, be it students, teachers or
anybody else; they fill their hearts with good and sacred feelings. Everything appears
good. Everything is sweet. But once they cross this place and go out, falling
into the environment of the nature, some diseases start affecting them. What is
this disease? The disease of worldly desires commences. Once the disease of
worldly desires enters inside, spirituality gets far away. Confusion sets in
and there is no cure for this disease.
Divine
Discourse
21 August 1996
Stranger at the Marriage Party
Central Theme: It is very difficult to understand ignorance or Maaya. As the scriptures say, Maaya is truly non-existent but puts up
an appearance as though it exists. Through this story of a stranger in a
wedding party, Bhagawan demonstrates this non-existent nature of Maaya very well. The story also teaches
us the way to overcome Maaya or
illusion.
Stranger at the Marriage Party-3.59-1996 August 01
 |
| Who is the stranger at the party? Image Source |
A marriage is in progress. The party of the bride is
in one house and the bridegroom’s party is in another house. To liaison and
dialogue between the two parties a “relative” landed up there. He went to the
bride’s party a number of times and argued with them each time. “What is this,
you are not supplying us tiffin (breakfast) and coffee from time to time, I
thought you are going to organize this wedding in a very grand fashion, but you
are not doing it well. You are not paying any attention to the bridegroom’s
party…”, thus he argued.
Next time he went to the party of the bridegroom.
“What is this, what all we have arranged for you; though we have called you a
number of times, you are not coming. The food is getting cold. You must
definitely come soon”, thus he coerced them.
When he went to the bridegroom’s side and put pressure
on them, they thought that he must be a very important person from the bride’s
side. When he went to the bride’s side and put pressure on them, they thought
that he must be a very important person from the bridegroom’s party. Soon, the
freedom he took, stretched too far. Eventually, both the bride and the
bridegroom’s party were vexed. They started an enquiry to find out who this man
was.
The groom’s party asked the bride’s side as to who he
was and they replied that they did not know him. The bride’s party asked the
groom’s side as to who he was and they too replied that they did not know him.
The moment they both came together and commenced an enquiry, this man was gone.
Knowing that his secret was out, he ran away from that place.
In the same manner, the ignorance sways towards the Atma at one time and towards the Nature at
another time and puts pressure on both. Only when you discriminate and conduct
an enquiry into the matter of Atma
and Anaatma, the ignorance
disappears. We are not conducting such an enquiry today. Is it Atma or Anaatma? Is it worldly (related to nature) or spiritual
(transcendental)? Because we do not make such an enquiry it causes so much
trouble to us.
Divine
Discourse
The Businessman and Lord Rama’s
Paarayanam
Central Theme: Without the spirit in any ritual it remains a mere ritual.
Bhagawan, through this short story of a businessman attending spiritual
discourses, highlights the hypocrisy associated with these spiritual talks and gatherings,
on both sides. From the point of the Pundit, Bhagawan laments that all they
seek for is a big crowd and recognition. And from the point of the so called
“devotees”, they expect instant transformation, but put in no effort to that
cause.
Businessman attending Paaraayanam-3.10-1996 July 11
 |
| Is detachment so easy? Image Source |
One day, this devotee had to mandatorily go elsewhere
on some work. The devotee asked the Pundit whether for that one day, his son
could attend the discourse instead of him. The Pundit was concerned only with
filling up the seat; therefore how would it matter as to who came for the
discourse. Thinking so, he told the devotee that his son could come for the
discourse. The devotee went home. He then thought, “Oh, this Pundit is talking
so much about renunciation. Asthiram
Jeevanam Loke, Asthiram Yauvanam Dhanam (Life in this world is ephemeral,
youth and wealth are ephemeral). If my son goes and hears his discourse, he too
may imbibe the quality of detachment. What if he leaves everything and goes
away”? Thinking so, the devotee went the next morning to the Pundit and told
him, “Sir, your discourses are very good. But if young children of today, like
my son, develop detachment and leave their family and house; what will be my
fate? The Pundit replied strongly and in a straight forward manner, so as to
make a deep impact on the devotee’s heart. “Sir, you have been attending my
discourses for the last 16 years. How much of detachment have you developed? Do
you think your son will develop detachment just by attending one day of the
discourse? It is not so easy to develop detachment.
Divine
Discourse
Vishnu Resolves the Dilemma of Narada
Central Theme: There is nothing bad in this creation. Good or bad is a
perception of the human mind. Therefore, it is subjective and relative. None
can judge anything in this creation as good or bad. Essentially, everything in
this creation is sacred as it has come from the Divine source that is sacred.
To drive home this point, Bhagawan narrates a very humorous anecdote. Humorous
though, it is pregnant with profound wisdom. What we normally consider as bad,
is just another form of the good.
Vishnu resolves the dilemma of Narada-3.33-2000 May 20
 |
| There is nothing bad in My Creation Image Source |
Do not take it
otherwise, but some bad things also have to be told to you. Once upon a time,
Narada went to Lord Vishnu for an interaction. Lord Vishnu smiled and asked,
“Narada, where are you coming from?” Narada replied, “Swami do I have any house
or home or wife or children? I am always roaming around. I move around the
entire creation.” Vishnu said, “Oh, is it so? Are you moving around? That is
good. Have you recognized the mystery of My creation?” Narada responded,
“Swami, have I not understood your creation? Oh, definitely I have understood.”
Vishnu continued further, “I have created everything for good only. Have you
seen anything bad in My creation?”
Narada thought for a
while and said, “Swami, forgive me, but I did see one bad thing.” Vishnu
exclaimed, “What? Is there something bad in what I have created? No, there is
no bad at all.” But Narada insisted, “Swami, there is one bad thing.” “What is
it?” asked Vishnu. Narada replied, “Feces. Swami, we cannot even go near it.
Without knowing, we keep it right in our stomach and foster it. But when we see
it, we cannot tolerate it! Why have you created such a bad thing?”
Vishnu replied, “It
is not bad at all. You go and talk to it once.” Narada said, “O Swami, I cannot
go near it.” But Vishnu insisted, “Go, do as I command you.”
Well, it was
Vishnu’s command, nothing could be done and so Narada went. As Narada went
closer and closer to the fecal matter, the feces cried out, “Chhee (an expression of disgust),
Narada, stay away from me. Do not come close to me. Be far away.” Narada
wondered, “What? Why is the feces speaking like this?” He asked, “Why should I
not come closer?” The feces replied, “I am so sacred. Yesterday, I was good
cooked food. I was good milk. I was good Payasam
(sweet pudding). I was good curd (yogurt). I was so sacred, fit to be offered
to the Lord. When I got into the company of this human being just once, look at
my fate. I have become like this. If now, I come into your contact the second
time, I do not know what my plight will be. Therefore, do not come close to
me.”
Thus because of the
company of man, it becomes bad. As such, there is no bad in creation. But
people do not understanding this correctly.
Divine
Discourse
Hunter, Deer and the Saint
Central Theme: Always speak the truth. Through this Chinna Katha (short story) Bhagawan stresses on the need for
adherence to truth. However, at times, we may be faced with situations where
speaking the truth may cause harm to somebody. Then, would it not clash with
Bhagawan’s message of “Help Ever, Hurt Never”? Bhagawan resolves this issue in
a very unique way. Under such circumstances, Bhagawan says, it is better to
neither speak the truth nor the untruth. It is best to remain silent.
Therefore, it is important that one should not speak truth that is bitter or
unpalatable, but that does not mean that one can utter lies just because it is
pleasant. Silence is the best policy in these situations.
Hunter-Deer and the Saint-5.03-1996 July 02
Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnaat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamaadaaya Purnameva Vashishyate
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih
(Om, That is Full, This also is Full, From
Fullness comes that Fullness. Taking Fullness from
Fullness, Fullness Indeed Remains. Om Peace, Peace, Peace)
Ishavasya Upanishad – Shaantih Mantra
Purnamadah
- That is full, you are also full, the world is also full, everything is full.
Therefore, this fullness is Truth. Truth is this fullness. Truth is full. We
must recognize this truth and to the extent possible, we must make sure that we
do not utter untruth with this mouth. In case, there is a situation wherein
speaking the truth can lead to some danger or some problem, do not speak the
truth. Do not speak untruth too. Maintain silence.
Anudvegakaram
Vaakyam
Satyam Preeti Hitam
Cha Yat
(Do not speak words
that cause distress. Speak the truth in a pleasant and comforting way -
Bhagavad Gita – 17.15)
Under such circumstances, do not speak the truth and do not speak
untruth too.
At one point of time, Lord Indra wished to test an ascetic. He was a
great renunciant. He had taken two vows; not to hurt others and not to speak
untruth. He was performing penance with all determination to fulfill these two
vows in his lifetime. God assumed the form of a hunter and chasing a deer, He
made the deer appear in front of the ascetic. As the deer was jumping and
running, the ascetic opened his eyes and saw the deer. As soon as he opened his
eyes, he saw the deer getting into a bush. God in the form of the hunter came
over there. He said, “Swamiji, I came here chasing a deer. Did you see it by
any chance?”
If the ascetic says he has not seen the deer, it would amount to
untruth. If he says he has seen it, the hunter will ask him about its location.
If the ascetic points to the deer in the bush, the hunter will cause pain to
it. In that case, he (the ascetic) would be guilty of not keeping up his vow of
not harming any being. If he says he has not seen he would be telling the
untruth. At that instance, the ascetic prayed to God. “O God, please give me a
vision, a thought, such that both these vows of mine will not be broken”. God
immediately granted him a vision. For the one who prays with a pure heart, God
will respond within seconds. If the prayer is only a lip service, He will not
respond even in years. For the one who prays from the heart, there will be immediate
resound, reflection and reaction.
There appeared the vision. The ascetic said, “the one that has seen
cannot speak; the one that can speak has not seen; what can I do? O hunter, the
eyes have seen the deer, but they cannot speak. They do not have a mouth. The
mouth can speak, but it has not seen. How can it speak about that which it has
not seen? How can it see that which it has not spoken about? One thing sees and
the other thing speaks; this is not truth”.
In this manner, the ascetic escaped (from the situation). God had shown
him the right path. In this world, man living a human life, must make an
attempt to escape such confusing circumstances. He must speak the truth that
will result in some great danger. At the same time, he must not incur sin by
speaking the untruth. He must follow the Madhya Maarga (middle path) as
this is the Madhya Lokaa (middle world).
Divine Discourse
The Child and the Scorpion Bite
Central Theme: Through this Chinna Katha
(short story) Bhagawan points out the folly in our efforts today. We complain
about the growing restlessness in the world, but we do not make an attempt to
identify the root causes for the same. We do make great efforts, but in the
wrong direction. It is like the person who climbed up the ladder, no doubt; but
finally discovered that the ladder was resting on the wrong wall! Root cause
analysis, in-depth understanding of the problem and the right holistic approach
to problem solving, is the need of the hour.
The child and the scorpion bite-2.31-1996 July 01
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| Where is the problem? Image Source-1 Image Source-2 |
A father had only
one son. When he was playing in the room, the ball went into a corner. The
child went to the corner to fetch the ball and a scorpion bit him over there.
The child came crying, “Father, a scorpion has stung me”. The father loved the
son very much. As the son was stung by a scorpion and was in pain, he ran to
the doctor. The doctor gave him an ointment and said, “Rub this where the scorpion
stung him. It will act as an analgesic and he will not feel the pain”. The father
did not understand the advice correctly as he was in a hurry. He asked the son,
“Where did the scorpion sting you?” The son replied, “Father, it stung me in
that corner”. The father took the ointment and rubbed it in that corner. If it
is rubbed in the corner, will it remove the pain? It has to be applied where
the child has been stung (on the body). By applying it where the scorpion is,
will it remove the pain?
All our efforts
today are of this type. Where from has lack of peace (restlessness) come?
Recognizing that, we must make an effort to remove the restlessness. Not
recognizing this truth, if the pain is in one location, we are making an effort
to remove the same elsewhere.
Divine Discourse
01 July 1996
The Crocodile – Monkey Story
Central Theme: Through this Chinna Katha (short story) Bhagawan communicates
multiple messages. First of all, His style of narration is very humorous! The
story is not new. It is a very well-known story. But yet, hearing Bhagawan
narrating it is an experience by itself! Through this story, Bhagawan indicates
the plight of present day education. He compares the dullard crocodile to the intelligent
people of today, driving home the sad state of education in modern times. On
the other hand, He uses the example of the intelligent monkey to focus on the
greatness and nobility of Sri Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama. He
also highlights the type of friendship that one must have. We must make friends
only with sensible people and not with dullards.
Crocodile
- Monkey Story-4.58-1996 July 01
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| The smart monkey!! Image Source |
There was a
crocodile living in a lake, spending its time over there. There was a huge tree
on the bank of the lake. A monkey lived on that tree. The tree was a Neredu tree (Myrtus cyminum or Rose Apple tree). The monkey used to eat all
these fruits. It would eat the fruits and then drop them down. The crocodile
would eat all the fruits that had dropped down and also the leftovers of the
fruits, and it was very happy. The crocodile ate in this manner for quite some
time and grew fat. A very good friendship developed between the crocodile and
the monkey.
The crocodile said, “O
monkey Baava (brother-in-law), O
brother-in-law monkey, I am enjoying every day the wonderful banquet offered by
you. You should also visit my home one day and accept my hospitality”. The
monkey was surprised. Where does this crocodile stay? Where does it have its
house? The monkey started wondering. The monkey is the ancestor of the human
beings. Therefore, it has great intelligence. We may just call it a monkey. But
the intelligence that a monkey has, even a man does not have. That is why
Hanuman prepared himself as the servant of Lord Rama. He accomplished such
great tasks.
The monkey accepted
the proposal. “How do I come to your house? I cannot get down into the water.
You cannot leave the water and come onto the bank. Then how can I visit your house?”
the monkey questioned. “O friend, I have such a huge body. You sit on my back
and I will take you across like a boat”, said the crocodile. The monkey sat on
its back. As they were about to reach the other bank of the lake, the crocodile
revealed the true secret.
The crocodile said, “No.
no. O brother-in-law, my wife has a great desire to eat your heart. I must
satisfy her wish and that is why I brought you here”. The monkey thought deeply
and said, “O foolish crocodile, satisfying your wife gives me also great pleasure.
Why did you not tell me earlier? As I keep jumping here and there, (with the
fear that) my heart may fall down, I have left my heart hanging on the tree. Come
let us go back. I keep jumping all the time. As the heart may fall down
somewhere, I kept it in one place safely. Come, take reverse, let us go back
and I will get the heart”.
The crocodile has no
intelligence. It has great strength but no intelligence. It is like the intelligent
people of modern times! With the desire that it will give the heart, the
crocodile returned, as though returning to a club. “Stay here, I will go and
get the heart”, saying so, the monkey got down and went up the tree. “O foolish
crocodile, is it possible to remove the heart and hang it somewhere? Do you not
have that much sense? I do not need the friendship of such ones. Why should I
have friendship with such dullards? Friendship should be with intelligent ones.”
Divine Discourse
01 July 1996
