Sai message for the day

[Guest guest]

Swami? We are here by your sheer grace and mercy. You say that you

spend three-fourths of your time on your boys. What do you want us to

do?

 

Sai Baba: There is nothing you can do for me. I don't need anything

from you. I only give and never receive. I do not accept or receive

anything from anyone. I never stretch my hand before anybody in order

to receive something. I have never asked anybody for anything till

now. In fact, all things happen according to the will of Swami. But,

I ask you to give me only one thing, and that is enough. What is it?

It is your love. Your parents sometimes stay away from you. But I am

always with you, in you, below you, above you and around you. I am

indeed yourself. You remember this always, and that is enough. You

follow Swami, you will shine like a precious gem in the future. You

will be highly respected and you will get a good name in society.

Whatever you have learnt here in the hostel and the college, and on

top of all this, the love of Swami you have received, should never be

forgotten. Get for yourselves a good name. Follow Swami's teachings.

 

Once King Janaka put a question in the open court, " Is there anyone

who can teach me brahmaj nana, knowledge of the ultimate reality,

within the time it takes to place my foot in the stirrup and ride on

the back of my horse? " His preceptor, Yajnavalkya said, " Oh King! I

shall teach you. Follow me " . King Janaka accordingly got up from the

throne and started following him. After walking some distance,

Yajnavalkya asked the king to stop and sit on the ground in the

middle of the royal highway. Janaka obeyed and sat down accordingly.

 

Everyone was taken aback on seeing the King sitting on the ground. In

vain they prayed to him to go back to the palace but he would not

respond to any of his citizens. The army chief and the ministers

heard the news; rushed off to the spot and pleaded with the King to

let them know what had happened. Janaka did not open his mouth. The

Queen came out of the royal palace, sat in front of him, cried and

begged him to let her know what had happened. The King did not speak

to her. Soon everyone came to know that Sage Yajnavalkya was

responsible for the present plight of the King. They went out in

search of him, and finally got him. They questioned him as to what he

had done to the King that made him sit on the ground in the highway.

Yajnavalkya replied that he did not do anything to the King, and

never asked him to keep silent.

 

Followed by all of them, Yajnavalkya came to the King and asked him

why he was remaining silent without replying to any of the queries

made by those visiting him. Janaka said, " Swami! You asked me to

follow you. I did so. You made me sit on the ground in the highway. I

obeyed you. But you never asked me to reply or talk to anyone. I

needed your permission to do anything other than what you had told me

to do. The moment you wanted me to follow you, I was no longer my

own. I had to wait for your instructions, isn't that right, Sir? "

This kind of strict obedience to his Guru made Janaka a Rajarshi, a

saint among kings. What is expected from all of you is following the

teachings of Swami.

 

The Pandavas were acclaimed as the noblest of kings since they

followed Lord Krishna unquestioningly. You follow Swami's command.

That is enough. Since Anjaneya followed the command of his chief

Sugriva, he could come so close to Rama and he could do the duty

assigned to him successfully. This is why he is remembered today as a

great devotee of Rama.

 

There is nothing that you can't achieve if you follow Swami's

teachings. There was a Muslim devotee by name Mansoor. He always used

to repeat analhak, which means `I am God'. Hearing this, the King of

the place was very furious and forbade him to repeat these words. But

still Mansoor did not stop saying `analhak'. The king became so very

angry with him this time that he got Mansoor's hands and legs chopped

off. Yet, Mansoor didn't stop repeating `ahalhak'. The blood that was

oozing out of the wounds started saying 'analhak'. Finally, the King

got Mansoor burnt alive. Then the ashes from the burnt body started

rising, echoing `analhak'. This is an eloquent example of a devotee's

staunch and unflinching faith in God. He may choose to die, but he

would not under any circumstances lose his faith in God.