Released today 17th April : Ugadi Divine Discourse 30th March- 2006- ATMA IS THE NAMELESS, FORMLESS DIVINITY

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30th March 2006

Ugadi

Prasanthi Nilayam

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Read All the Latest Discourses Ugadi Divine Discourse on 30th March- 2006by

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai BabaNote: Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Babaon this

SBOI-website/group are unedited, authentic & official .

"ATMA IS THE NAMELESS, FORMLESS DIVINITY"

Draupadi’s father Drupada organised a Swayamvara (choosing of bridegroom by the

bride) to perform her marriage. Thousands of youth, princes and kings came to

his court to win the hand of Draupadi in this Swayamvara. Just as King Janaka

had declared that he would give his daughter Sita in marriage to the prince who

could string the bow of Lord Siva, King Drupada arranged a Matsyayantra (a

device with replica of fish). The condition of the contest was that whosoever

was able to hit the eye of the fish revolving high above on a pole with an

arrow by looking at its reflection in water below would be successful in

winning the hand of his daughter. Extraordinary Qualities of DraupadiMany

valorous youth and princes who were confident of their victory tried their luck

without any success. This was not an ordinary test that everyone could succeed.

Many people thought that it was easy, but in reality it was not so. When no one

could succeed in the contest, the entire assembly fell into a stunning silence.

The Pandavas were also present incognito in this assembly. Krishna, who was

also present, looked at the Pandavas and smiled. At that point of time, the

Pandavas spoke to each other in whispers. Soon after this, Arjuna walked

majestically towards the Matsyayantra, smiling all the way. He was totally calm

and composed. Looking at the reflection of the fish in water, he shot an arrow.

When it hit the target successfully, the entire assembly went into raptures.

All the people looked at Arjuna in admiration with great delight. Handing over

a garland to his daughter Draupadi, Drupada asked her to garland Arjuna. At

that time, the Pandavas were staying in the house of a potter. When they went

to their house along with the bride, their mother Kunti was inside the house.

Even before entering their house, they announced to their mother that they had

earned a very valuable fruit. Their mother replied from inside the house that

they should share the fruit equally between themselves. The Pandavas always

obeyed the command of their mother and honoured every word that she uttered.

They went inside and offered their salutations to their mother and vowed to

follow her command religiously. In this way, Draupadi became the wife of all

the five Pandavas. The Pandavas dutifully accepted the command of their mother.

But, how could the world accept this? It is the duty of the children to obey the

command of their parents, irrespective of the fact whether the world accepts it

or not. People, however, accepted this in view of the intimate relationship

that existed between the five brothers. How can one consider somebody as one’s

wife? Not merely because one is married to her. One can call her as wife only

when one considers her as half part of his body. Many people questioned Krishna

how Draupadi could be called a Pativrata (chaste wife) when she was the wife of

five husbands. Then Krishna described her qualities which earned her this noble

ideal. She dutifully obeyed the command of her husbands. She would never say to

any one of them that she had no time to serve him. She was satisfied with

whatever she got in life. She was the supreme example of chastity and none

could match her in this respect. She never asked for anything beyond the means

of her husbands. A true chaste woman is one who conducts herself according to

the condition of her husband. The husband should also recognise the qualities

of his wife and have equal concern for her. Only then can both of them lead a

virtuous and noble life. Looking at her virtuous conduct and her power to

control the five senses, Dharmaraja told Draupadi, “You do not merely belong to

us; you are the embodiment of primal energy.” Her father Drupada had also held

this view and considered her as the embodiment of divine energy. Only those who

achieve control over the five senses and the five elements can rule the world.

Only such people can know the reality of the world and conduct themselves in a

righteous manner. One who has complete control over one’s senses can achieve

the greatest heights in life. Draupadi was endowed with great power of

discrimination and she could discriminate between who was good and who was bad.

Both good and bad are present in this world just like darkness and light. She

encouraged all those who were virtuous and imparted sacred teachings to

evil-minded people to transform them. Not only she had control over the five

senses and five elements, she had thorough knowledge of Pancha Koshas (five

sheaths of the soul) and Pancha Pranas (five life-breaths) also. She could

differentiate between Atma and Anatma (Self and non-Self). Thus, she set an

ideal to the world and earned a good name. Draupadi taught that one should do

one’s duty with dedication. She exhorted all to exercise control over their

desires and discriminate between good and bad, imbibing all that was good and

giving up all that was bad. One should never forget to perform good actions and

discharge one’s duties, she advised. Everyone should discharge his duty with

dedication and should not interfere in the duties of others, she counselled the

people. “You may have wife and children. It is your duty to fulfill your

responsibility towards them, but at the same time all your desires should be

directed towards the path of goodness and righteousness”, she said. Thus, she

became an ideal to the world and showed the path of truth to one and all. One

can attain Dharma only by following the path of Sathya. Sathyannasti Paro

Dharma (There is no Dharma greater than adherence to truth). There can be no

Dharma without truth. It is the path of truth that leads one to God. Follow the

Path of Sathya and Dharma Everyone should perform his duty meticulously and

adhere to Dharma. Even an ant follows its Dharma. Wherever it finds food, it

carries it to its place and consumes it. It does not harm anybody nor does it

steal anything from anybody. All the birds and animals follow their natural

Dharma and conduct themselves accordingly. The path of Dharma is the same for

the Cheema (ant) and Brahma. The same principle of truth is present in both.

This truth was propagated by Draupadi. She also taught that one should not

become a victim of the six inner enemies, namely, Kama (desire), Krodha

(anger), Lobha (greed) Moha (attachment), Mada (pride) and Matsarya

(jeaslousy). Anger is the greatest enemy of man. One with anger cannot follow

the path of Dharma. This is contrary to human nature. One should not

unnecessarily show anger towards others. One with anger will not be successful

in any of his endeavours. He will commit sins and will be ridiculed by one and

all. His own people will abandon him. He will lose all wealth and respect. His

anger will ruin him completely. (Telugu Poem) Hatred is another great enemy of

man. Whom should you hate? Should you hate those who oppose you or those who

have harmed or those who dislike you? No; none of these. You should hate only

the evil qualities. You should extend your love and support to those who follow

Sathya and Dharma. If you hate Sathya and Dharma, you are not a human being at

all. Truth is the basis of all virtues. By following the path of truth,

Draupadi could experience peace and love. She taught that one should restrain

from violence. One should not indulge in violence through one’s actions, words

and even thoughts. By following the path of truth, Draupadi set the greatest

ideal to the world. As you Sow, So you ReapBy exercising sense control, man can

achieve great heights in life. Damayanti was a woman of great virtues like

Draupadi. She earned this name as she was endowed with Dama (sense control).

The senses are wayward by nature, and it is difficult to control them. Man

should, however, do his best to control them and put them to right use. Why has

God given you ears? Is it to hear vain gossip? Never listen to anything that is

bad. Listen to all that is good. Why has God given you tongue? It is not merely

to satisfy your sense of taste. It has been given to sing the glory of God. Just

as the tongue accepts all that is tasty and palatable and rejects all that is

bad and unpalatable, man should accept all that is good and reject everything

that is bad. People think that it is God who is the cause of their happiness

and sorrow. But it is not really so. Each one is responsible for his actions

and reaps their consequences, good or bad. God is the eternal witness and does

not interfere in this. He neither gives happiness nor sorrow. If you talk

endearingly to someone, he will also speak to you in the same loving manner.

But if you talk in an arrogant way, you will get a similar response. As is the

action, so is the reaction. The reaction, reflection and resound are based on

your own thoughts, words and actions; God is not responsible for them. If you

stand before a mirror, you will see your own reflection. In whatever way you

speak to others, you will have the resound in the same way. Whatever thoughts

you have in your mind, they will be reflected back to you. It is therefore

essential for man to know whether his thoughts and actions are good or bad.

Whatever good or bad you experience is the result of your thoughts, words and

actions. When any bad thought comes into your mind, give it up immediately. If

you conduct yourself in this manner, you will become a true devotee of God and

achieve liberation. Everyone has to face the consequences of his actions,

whoever he may be. No one can know what lies ahead for him in future. But this

much is sure that everybody has to reap the consequences of his actions. Even

the mighty Rama suffered the pain of separation from His wife and cried like an

ordinary person. (Telugu Poem) Young Men!Good and bad coexist. It is not

possible for anyone to separate them. When you cultivate more of goodness, the

bad in you will become absolutely insignificant. There is no need to use any

force to drive all that is bad. When you forget bad, goodness will develop in

you in full measure. This is the message I would like to give you on this day.

Do not think that the New Year will give you some new fruits. The fruits that

you earn will be based on your qualities and actions. All that you think will

be reflected back to you. Everything is the result of your thoughts. World is

Reaction, Reflection and ResoundOnce there was a cowherd who used to take the

cows for grazing to a place surrounded by three mountains. One day when the

cows were grazing, he sat down under a tree and started singing a song in

praise of God. As he sang the song, he heard its echo. He thought that someone

was imitating his song to tease him. Therefore, he shouted in anger at the

invisible intruder, and heard its resound in the same angry tone. In this state

of anger, he went home and did not even take his food. His mother asked him why

he was so upset. He narrated what had happened. Next day, his mother

accompanied him and came to know that it was his own echo which was the cause

of his trouble. In the same manner if you criticise or abuse anybody, all that

will come back to you. The world is nothing but reaction, reflection and

resound. Whatever you do will come back to you, and nothing else. This is the

divine law. Those who are full of love will see love everywhere. Those who are

full of hatred will see enemies all around. Therefore, love and hatred do not

come from outside. They have their origin within you. The good and bad you

experience arise out of your own feelings. God is not responsible for any of

these. God is Nirguna, Niranjana, Sanathana (attributeless, pure, final abode).

It is only your feelings that change. God is changeless. Students!All your

feelings are reflected back to you. Everything is within you. Whatever you

experience is the reaction, reflection and resound of your thoughts and

feelings. You see somebody laughing and you think that he is laughing at you.

But how can you conclude in this manner? Once a famous wrestler was doing

exercise on a road early in the morning. At that time, a lady was coming from a

village to sell milk and curd. When he looked at her, he felt she was laughing

at him. The wrestler became angry and said to the woman, “How dare you laugh at

me? Do you know who I am? Are you aware of my strength?” The woman replied, “I

am not laughing at you. You are so strong that you can stop a speeding car with

one hand. What is the use of your physical strength if you lack forbearance?”

All our notions are based upon our deluded feeling. Be Good, Do Good, See

GoodStudents!No doubt, your innate feelings are good. But they undergo change

depending upon what you see and hear. It is the external impulses that are

responsible for changes in your thoughts and feelings. Truly speaking, there is

no human form. In fact, there is no form at all. It is because of your illusion

that you see a form and give a name to it. It is a sign of foolishness to think

so. You may think that you are highly educated and very intelligent. But how can

you call yourself so if you are ignorant of your true Self? You can be called

truly educated only when you know your real nature. If you do not know your own

truth, how can you know the truth of others? First of all, you should control

your mind. Only then can your worship and prayer be fruitful. The mind is the

root cause of the world. Manah Eva Manushyanam Karanam Bandhamokshayo (mind is

the cause for bondage and liberation of man). It is comparatively easy to

control the body, but not the mind. When Pramila, the ruler of women’s kingdom

captured the Aswamedha horse and defeated Arjuna in the battle, Arjuna told her

that she could arrest his body but not his mind. It may be possible to capture

the whole world with army, weapons and bombs, but it is not possible for anyone

to capture the mind. When you gain control over your mind, everything else will

come under your control. Therefore, you should make all efforts to control your

mind. Then you are sure to become an ideal and great person. First and foremost,

you should know your mistakes and try to rectify them. Only then can you aspire

to become a Mumukshu (spiritual aspirant). Knowingly or unknowingly you may

have committed some mistakes. Once you know your mistakes, you should have

repentance. Repentance is true atonement. This is the royal path which leads to

divinity. There is little use in performing Puja (worship), Vratas (rituals) and

Yajnas without repentance and atonement. Jantunam Nara Janma Durlabham (out of

all living beings, human birth is the rarest). It is not easy to attain human

form. Man is not a mere mortal. He is verily divine. Daivam Manusha Rupena (God

is in the form of a human being). If you do or think something bad, you are not

divine. First of all, you should become a good person. Be good, do good, see

good. This is the way to God. Develop the Qualities Exemplified by Rama and

SitaStudents!First of all, you have to control your mind. Offer your mind to

God. He can do everything for you. Have firm devotion to God with firm faith

that He is everywhere. Do not doubt that God is here and not there. Wherever

you search for Him, He is there. (Telugu Poem) Where is God? Sarvatah Panipadam

Tat Sarvathokshi Siromukham, Sarvatah Sruthimalloke Sarvamavruthya Tishthati

(with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He

permeates the entire universe). Ordinary people are not able to recognise this

truth. God is present in all beings, be it a small insect like an ant or a big

animal like an elephant or a lion. He is present in a particle of sand and also

in a particle of sugar.Discharge your duty earnestly with devotion to God. Put

your knowledge into practice and earn a good name. I never prevent anyone from

pursuing his studies. But along with acquiring secular knowledge, you should

acquire spiritual knowledge also. Proper enquiry of the mind and purity of

heart are very essential. Students!You have completed one academic year, and

you will now go home for vacation. You will be looking for your results and

searching your roll number in the list of successful candidates. More than

searching your roll number, search your heart. If you have really written well,

you are sure to find your roll number. On the other hand, if you have not

written your examination well, you should not be delighted even when you find

your roll number in the list of successful candidates. It is not the number of

marks that are important. What is important is that you should become number

one man (loud applause). This morning our students sang the song conveying the

message that one should have a son like Rama and a daughter like Sita. You may

aspire to have a son like Rama and a daughter like Sita. But, how is it

possible when you have the demonic qualities of Ravana and Surpanakha? If you

want a son like Rama, you should follow Dharma like Him. If you aspire to have

a daughter like Sita, you should have the virtues as exemplified by Sita.

Whatever form you aspire for, you should cultivate the same type of qualities

corresponding to that. Only then can you attain harmony, tolerance and peace.

Where is peace? Peace lies in the control of the senses. If you are not able to

control your senses you cannot attain peace; you will get only pieces. If you

want to be peaceful, you have to imbibe the qualities of quietude and

composure. Let anybody criticise, abuse or hit you; you should maintain your

composure. When someone criticises you, do not take it to heart. Think that his

tongue has produced some sound. You have nothing to do with it. If you receive

the abuses hurled at you, you will be affected by them. Otherwise, you will not

be disturbed. Even if somebody beats you, think that he has beaten your body and

not you. In fact, none can ever harm or hurt you, because you are not the body.

If you have such a firm conviction, then you will not have anger or hatred

towards even those who abuse or assault you. Therefore, firm conviction is most

essential for peace. Offer your Heart to God in PrayerDraupadi had deep devotion

for Krishna. She prayed to him, “Oh Krishna! I worship You day and night. Oh

Lord! Be compassionate and protect me. If You are compassionate towards me,

then I will not be bothered about any other thing in life.” Draupadi faced many

challenges and ordeals in life, but her devotion towards Krishna remained

unaffected. Thyagaraja said, Oh Lord! I have been praying to You incessantly,

why are You depriving me of Your love and compassion? What is that I have not

offered to You? I have surrendered my wealth, my family and even my soul to

You. Now, please come to my rescue. I seek refuge only in You. (Sanskrit Sloka)

Mere words are not enough when you pray; you should offer your heart to God in

prayer. Man has a name and a form, but the Atma transcends both. It has neither

a name nor a form. People like some particular names and forms. One cannot have

faith in many names and forms, but one can surely have faith in the formless

principle of the Atma which is present in all. Na Atma Sakshi (my Atma is the

witness) is a common saying, which shows that people have faith in the Atma.

That is why Atma is the common name for all. Some may pray to Rama, others may

pray to Krishna. Names and forms are many, but Divinity is one. Atma is the

nameless, formless divinity. When you worship such a formless and nameless

divine principle, you will certainly attain Divinity.(Bhagavan concluded His

Discourse with the Bhajan, “Prema Mudita Manase Kaho …” )- From Bhagavan’s

Ugadi Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 30th March 2006.

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