Divine Discourse on the afternoon of 6th September 2004, Krishna Janmashtami

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God Protects those who Protect Sathya and Dharma

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba giving His Divine Discourse on the afternoonof 6th

September 2004 (Krishna Janmashtami) at Prashanti Nilayam

Text of the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the

afternoon session of Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations, 6th September 2004 at

Prashanti Nilayam, Sai Kulwanth Hall

No visit to any pilgrim centre, no penance, no Yogic practice, no study of

sacred texts nor charitable acts will help you in crossing over the ocean of

Samsara, but the service rendered to the noble. (Sanskrit Sloka) Embodiments of

Love! You would have read in sacred texts that Ravana was a master of four Vedas

and six Sastras. Having learnt these sacred texts, was there any transformation

in him? No. Instead of developing Daivatva (divine qualities), he developed

Danavatva (demonic qualities). The ten heads of Ravana symbolised four Vedas

and six Sastras. In the decisive battle, Rama severed Ravana's heads since he

did not put into practice the knowledge he had acquired. Mere learning of

sacred texts and chanting of Vedas will not bring about any transformation. In

order to drive home this message, Rama cut off with his arrows Ravana's ten

heads. It is only right at the end. Just before his spirit left his body did

Ravana recognise

his faults and repented for them and became sacred thereby. All that God

preaches is for the benefit and welfare of humanity. Therefore, it is enough if

one puts into practice at least one of the teachings of the Vedas. It should be

a natural trait for everyone to put into practice the divine teachings.In

Prasanthi Nilayam, you find that even the Primary school children join the

senior students in chanting Vedas. They know all Vedas, but they do not have

the required knowledge to put them into practice. Mere recitation of the Vedas

is of little use.Only God exists everywhere and at all times. The world is but

an illusion. The sacred teaching that God exists everywhere should be

propagated to everyone. You find many Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) chanting

and teaching the Vedas. Consider this example: a cassette tape or a disc merely

plays, but does not experience the melody. It would be fruitless if one does not

practise what he preaches. So, one should recognise,

understand and practice the sacred teachings. Lord Krishna put into practice

what He propagated and also insisted that everyone should follow suit. You find

many elders in the Mahabharata who were great scholars themselves, but, failed

to put into practice the knowledge they acquired. The same is the position

today. God has no preferences or no dislike whatsoever. All are equal for Him.

But, He watches to see how much a person puts into practice what he has learnt.

Many people study sacred texts, go on pilgrimage, perform penance, repeat God's

Name, but what is the use? Many ask Me for a Japamala (rosary). Is it to adorn

your neck for publicity or is it for spiritual experience? One hand is enough

for one who wants to practise this Sadhana. (At this point, Swami demonstrated

with His hand as to how one should do Namasmarana.) The five fingers of the

hand contain nine Aksharas (letters) which are further divided into twelve

Brahmas and this makes up to hundred and eight beads of the

rosary. Chanting the name of Rama nine times twelve will make up to one hundred

and eight. This Sadhana requires neither a Japamala nor a fixed place. It can

be done while walking or even while lying down till you go to sleep. When there

are such easy and sacred paths, why should one go for strenuous Sadhanas

foregoing sleep?Droupadi is known for her chastity. She has protected her

husbands in many ways. 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 evildoer and pronouncing

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 to kill my children. How could you have the heart to

kill them who were unharmed, 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, Bhima could not bear to

see this. Exploding in anger, Bhima 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)When Arjuna was about to kill Aswatthama,

Droupadi fell at his feet and reasoned with him thus: "Arjuna! Will my sons be

revived by killing Aswatthama? His mother too would experience the same kind of

sorrow that I am undergoing at the loss of my sons. Having studied the Vedas and

Sastras, how is it that you are not able to maintain your tranquillity?"The body

is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later, but the

Indweller has neither birth nor death. The Indweller has no attachment

whatsoever and is the Eternal Witness. Truly speaking, the Indweller who is in

the form of the Atma

is verily God Himself.(Telugu poem) Thus, Droupadi 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." Arjuna

paid heed to Droupadi's advice and as a token punishment shaved Aswatthama's

head, took his crown jewel and sent him away.What is Papa (sin)? Hurting,

abusing and killing others is sin. What is Punya (merit)? Helping others is

merit. Therefore, one should not retaliate to an evil act with an evil act.

Instead, one should be magnanimous in forgiving the offender. There are many

such sacred teachings in the Mahabharata.There are many such noble women like

Droupadi. She stands as an ideal for all women. Why are we forgetting the

teachings of such great women? Today, women are treated as mere puppets. But

they are full of courage, valour, sacrifice,

determination and righteousness. Have you ever cared to recognise the power

latent in women? Men do not possess such valour and courage of women. It is

because of such great women that our Bharatiya culture is held in high esteem.

Otherwise, it would have declined long ago. Did you ever recognise the fact

that women are endowed with such great powers as courage, valour, determination

and righteousness? These qualities are not to be easily found in men. Why? Most

of them are afflicted with the disease of anger, which is ruining them.One with

anger will not be successful in any of his endeavours. He will commit sins and

will be derided by one and all.(Telugu poem)It is possible that women may also

succumb to anger and indulge in sinful deeds, now and then. Such people should

be pardoned and encouraged to make amends, not denounced and condemned. The

quality of patience and perseverance in women is great. In fact, it is the

quality of equanimity in times of

difficulty that was characteristic of the Droupadi, which saved the Pandavas.

There are several such women even in present times also. The bad qualities of

anger, passion, jealousy, envy and pride are more prominent in men. Women are

able to control such evil qualities from overtaking them. Under the

circumstances is it not our duty to encourage and honour such women who

preserve and promote peace and harmony? On the contrary, women are belittled

and slighted. No, no, this should not happen. Such women with noble qualities

deserve to be encouraged and upheld.A few days ago, you had witnessed a

function in this Hall, where the glory of womanhood was highlighted. A playlet

was put up in this Hall by Chethana, in which the greatness of mother Sita, as

the ideal woman, was presented. Sita and Droupadi were great Pathivrathas

(women of chastity). Such efforts to highlight the greatness of women need to

be encouraged.Sathya and Dharma (truth and righteousness) are the

greatest characteristics of Indian culture. If these two are protected, the

country can be saved from degeneration. If you want to protect your country,

you need not join the army and fight a battle. If truth and righteousness that

are inherent in you are protected, they themselves will protect the country. It

is not great to kill the enemies in a war. First and foremost, protect truth and

righteousness in you. The country will automatically be protected. Indian

culture exhorts Sathyam Vada (speak truth) and Dharmam Chara (practise

righteousness). When you do this with perseverance, you will become a great

hero. When you protect Sathya and Dharma, God will, in turn, protect you.

Instead of trying to worship God and obtain His grace, if you protect truth and

righteousness, God will protect not only your country, but the whole world.

Truth is your very life-breath. Righteousness is your armour. Therefore,

protect truth; foster righteousness. That is enough. Truth and

righteousness are inseparable. One cannot exist without the other. They are the

very life-breath for the universe. Droupadi was assiduously observing and

propagating these two.Sathya Dharmamu Santhi PremalathoNee nithya jeevana

yathra saginchu.(Oh man! Carry on your life's journey with the help of Truth,

Righteousness, Peace, and Love). You must hold on to these principles, come

what may. God will always protect such people. History is replete with several

examples wherein people held steadfastly to the principles of Sathya and

Dharma, and were constantly protected by God. One such example is that of

Pandavas and their chaste wife, Droupadi. You may argue, "Where is Sathya and

Dharma in the present-day world? Whom are they protecting?" This is a totally

wrong argument. If you protect Sathya and Dharma, they will, in turn, stand

before you and protect you. They are the very embodiments of Divinity.

Unfortunately, today, instead of Sathyam

Vada (speak truth) and Dharmam Chara (practise righteousness), people are

following the distorted version Sathyam Vadha (kill truth) and Dharmam Chara

(imprison righteousness). This is utter perversion. You should lead your lives

based on Sathya and Dharma and consider them as more important than your

lives.When Droupadi was pleading with Aswatthama who killed her sons, Bhima was

furious with uncontrollable anger. He clenched his fist and proceeded towards

Aswatthama to kill him. In that uncontrollable rage, he argued with Droupadi,

"Are you mad? Why are you trying to save this man who mercilessly slit the

throat of your five sons? I will break the head of this child-killer into

pieces with my fist. Do not come in my way." At that moment Droupadi fell at

the feet of Bhima and pleaded with him to spare the life of Aswatthama. She

prayed for regaining his composure. People around, who were witnessing this

scene, were wonderstruck. They were wondering

whether Droupadi was really mad! In fact, the world will be better if everyone

is afflicted with such madness. Thus, when Droupadi pleaded with her husbands

for saving the life of Aswatthama, he prayed for forgiveness. Droupadi was

happy at the change of heart in Aswatthama and advised him, "Brother! You need

not beg for my forgiveness. Instead, you pay your respect and do service to

your mother. Do not drown her in sorrow. Never cause her anguish; take good

care of her." Even the loss of five sons did not make Droupadi shed tears of

sorrow.Several women come to me with a heavy heart and tell me "Swami! My

husband's death has caused me deep sorrow and anguish. How do I bear this

calamity?" Then I would respond saying, "Oh! Your husband died? Very happy."

They feel very unhappy with My attitude and question Me, "What is this Swami?

Are You so happy on hearing the news of my husband's death?" What am I to say?

I am always happy. I do not know what sorrow is. I always discharge

My duty.God is the only person who protects everybody. Therefore, pray to God

always. Forgetting God and depending on the mercy of human beings! What

madness! You must depend on God, for everything in your life. That is real

Thapas (penance).Since ancient times, women have been the very life-breath and

foundation for Bharat. They are the very embodiment of truth and righteousness.

How much respect and reverence we must show towards such noble women? On the

contrary, there are several people today, who put them to untold suffering. Due

to bad habits and bad company, people lose their sense of discrimination and

torture the women. No woman should be put to mental and physical torture,

whatever be their nature. They must be revered and respected and protected in

all ways. Women in Bharat have always been held in high esteem. There are

several chaste and noble women in Bharat and still Bharatiyas are undergoing

difficulties. What is the reason? Whose fault is this? It is

only because the Bharatiyas are not giving proper respect and place to women in

society. The fault lies squarely on the men. Forbearance is the real beauty in

this sacred land of Bharat. Of all the rituals, adherence to truth is the

greatest penance.(Telugu poem)The truthful character of the women is really

their Tapas (penance). Therefore, such noble women must be encouraged and

honoured. If you can put this one great principle into practice, your life will

be sanctified. Those who ill-treat their wives can never be happy and

prosperous. If men cannot protect their women who are prepared to sacrifice

even their lives for the sake of their husbands, what for is their existence?

Women are really the presiding deities of their homes. Our primary duty is to

protect them. Never let your women shed tears. If women shed tears, such homes

will be ruined in no time. Women are ideals to the society. Never cause them

distress.Men should lead a life of truth

and righteousness. Only then can they protect the country and become worthy of

being called real men. Otherwise, how can they become heroic men? Several

people go to temples. When they visit a temple, they must make a vow that they

would respect and protect the women. Only then will they be protected. It is

only when the women are safe, the whole world will be happy. Therefore, if you

wish to protect Dharma in the world, you must first protect your Dharma towards

women.Embodiments of Love!Imagine a situation wherein you are in the role of

women and some men torture you. How miserable and helpless you would feel!

Women are prepared to sacrifice even their lives for the sake of their

husbands. But, men do not have such spirit of sacrifice. Men should also

cultivate such a spirit of sacrifice, like women. Only then will you be fit to

be called men. Otherwise, you will be men only in form, but lacking in

masculinity. You consider women as Abala (weak). But, the truth

is they are Sakthi Swarupas (embodiments of strength and power). Only, I know

the plight of women who lost their husbands. It is our duty to protect such

women. If you can discharge this duty properly, you will be happy throughout

your life.Embodiments of Love!You must follow truth even in small matters.

There are three letters "Sa", "Tha" and "Ya" in the word "Sathya". If you

reverse the order, it will become "YaTha" and "Sa". This means when you do

Thapas with austerities like Yama (control of the inner senses) and Niyama

(control of the outer senses), you will have the divine vision of Sathya

Swarupa (Embodiment of Truth). You have to thus, recognise the inner meaning of

every word and follow them meticulously.King Janaka, a great renunciant king,

used to propagate truth and righteousness to his subjects among his own

example. His daughter, Sita, also led a pious life based on truth and

righteousness. You are not studying the life history of such

ideal women. Instead, you are reading trash. No. No. This is unbecoming of you.

You should study the ancient history of Bharat, which is so sacred. The

character and morality of women in Bharat are very sacred. You will become

worthy of being called men only when you undertake to protect such great women.

By mere sporting a moustache or growing a beard, will you become men? Moustache

and beard are not the real signs of masculinity. You must protect ladies and

uphold the dignity of the family. Only then can you become great heroes and men

of character. Embodiments of Love!Consider women as embodiments of truth. Even

if some minor faults are noticed in them, do not give credence to them. Respect

and revere them. Do not use even a single word that would offend them. If they

really wish, they can achieve any great task. You should be even prepared to

lay down your lives for the sake of protecting and fostering women. At least

from today, all of you should come forward

to protect the honour and dignity of women in the world. Women also should

undertake a vow to contribute their mite in this great task of protection of

Sthri Dharma. As regards men, there is nothing great or new in trying to

protect women. That is your duty. Her duty is to foster and maintain the entire

family as a unit. If women are protected, they in turn will protect the entire

world. Never belittle women and treat them as mere playthings. I hope all of

you men will, at least in future, undertake to protect the dignity and honour

of women and thereby protect your own dignity and honour. I conclude My

discourse blessing you all. (Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan,

"Rama Rama Rama Sita …")

Source: http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/Janmashtami_Discourse.htm

 

 

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