Guest guest Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 --- On Mon, 7/28/08, Ramchand Chugani <rgcjp wrote: Ramchand Chugani <rgcjpFw: subject: KANSAI LIGHT FOR AUGUST 2008"OMSAIRAM..RAMCHAND GHANSHAMDAS CHUGANI" <rgcjpMonday, July 28, 2008, 5:06 PM ------- KANSAI LIGHT FOR AUGEST ISSUE 2008------ KANSAI LIGHT , AUGUST 2008. ISSUE News letter of Sri Sathya Sai Organization Japan address: I.S.S, 2nd Fl, 1-3, Kumochi 5-Chome, Chuo Ku Kobe Tel: 078-222-1885, Email: rgcjp --------- PLEASE PRINT COPY FOR YOUR EASY REFERENCE --------- As written at PRASANTHI NILAYAM Today Man should be the master of his behaviour; he should not be led away by the impulse of the moment; he must always be conscious of what is good for him. He should carry on his daily tasks such that he does not make others suffer or suffer himself. Be calm, unruffled and collected. The more you develop charity for all beings, contrition at your own faults, fear of sin and love of God, the more firmly established you will be in Shanti (peace). BABA --------------------------------PART - 43(Continued from the previous issue) [ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ] > ACT XVII - SCENE 1 SESHAMA: Suseela, can you please get me some water? SUSEELA: Yes I will. But tell me did you write to your father and mother? SESHAMA: Well, I have sent a messenger immediately. But I am still not able to decide whether Sathyam’s behaviour is due to immaturity or mental imbalance. SUSEELA: Why should we think that way? Why can’t it be the Will of Providence? If there is no Divinity in Him, then how can we explain the Vibhuti and all those other articles that He materializes? And why will so many people offer Aarathi to Sathyam? Look at it this way - ants gather only where there is jaggery and similarly devotees flock only where there is Divinity! SESHAMA: What Divinity and what devotees are you talking about?! I don’t see any. No matter how many times I call Him back home, He refuses to come. When father and mother arrive and we hand Him over to them, our responsibility would be over. SUSEELA: When I take food to Him, He says, “Offer it as Naivedyam [sacred offering] to God.” To the devotees, He says, “Perform worship on Thursdays”. We just don’t know what Sathyam will do till mother-in-law and father-in-law come. SESHAMA: Well, I guess we will have to wait and see. SCENE 2 ANJANEYULU: Rama Rao, you must take very good photos of Sathyam. They must be terrific! RAMA RAO: Anjaneyulu, it is your good fortune that Sathyam is in your garden; and it is my good fortune to be able to photograph Him. Just watch, I will take a great picture! ANJANEYULU: OK, go ahead. RAMA RAO: Anjaneyulu, remove that small stone in front of the boy. SATHYA: No; leave the stone where it is; it must appear in the picture. ANJANEYULU: OK. RAMA RAO: Smile please! SCENE 3 KONDAMA: What is it that you are reading with so much agitation? Is it a letter from Seshama? VENKAMA RAJU: Yes, father. EASWARAMMA: What’s the matter? Has something happened again to Sathyam? VENKAMA: Easwari, don’t get agitated. You know about our Sathyam; His behaviour has once again turned peculiar. EASWARAMMA: That is why I am asking you. What has happened now? VENKAMA: Seshama says that the other day, Sathyam suddenly declared that He would not attend school anymore. And that He does not need any further studies and has no bonds. Sathyam said that He has a lot of work to do, and that He is SAI! EASWARAMMA: What is Seshama doing about all this? VENKAMA: What can Seshama do? Sathyam does not listen to either his word or threat. Instead of staying in His elder brother’s house, Sathyam has established Himself in Anjaneyulu’s garden, and is performing Bhajans there! EASWARAMMA: Father-in-law, we must immediately go to Uravakonda and see what has happened to Sathyam. VENKAMA: This Sathyam’s affair is very perplexing; I cannot make out anything from all this. KONDAMA: Listen Venkama, our perception is very limited. Whatever happens is the Will of God. People study in order to earn wealth but my grandson is renouncing worldly education in favour of Higher Realms. While others are in quest of worldly happiness, my grandson is after the Wealth of Spiritual Wisdom. Sathyam, the lamp of our family, will illumine the whole world. OK, if you wish, go and bring Sathyam back to Puttaparthi. VENKAMA: Sambamurthi! SAMBA: Sir? VENKAMA: Please inform Seshama that we are on our way. SAMBA: Will do so at once, sir. SCENE 4 ANJANEYULU: My dear boy, I have brought Prasaadam for You. Today is Thursday. Since morning You have had nothing, except a little milk. Kindly partake of this Prasaadam. SATHYA: Is it Naivedyam [a sacred offering] or Prasaadam [remnant of a scared offering]? ANJANEYULU: For You, it is Naivedyam, and for us it is Prasaadam! Pray accept. SATHYA: The leaf is full of food but every morsel of it has the taste of the whole. The ocean is full of water but every drop of it has the same quality as the entire ocean. In the same way, every man has all the qualities of God. Everything we eat is the gift of God. ANJANEYULU: It is so wonderful to listen to Your words! They bring fulfilment to our lives. It is due to the merit earned in earlier lives that we are able to have the proximity of a Noble One like You! SATHYA: Here, I have touched this Naivedyam with My hand; take it now as Prasaadam. ANJANEYULU: This was specially made for You. Please have at least a tiny bit. SATHYA: People say, “This was harvested in my field,” “I have cooked it,” and so on. You are a spark of the Divine. Everything is God – the field, the crop, and every happening, including harvesting and cooking. God harvests, God cooks, and God is also the One Who tastes. The word “I” is the sure sign of ego. If you give it up, it is equal to giving up the whole world! This tastes good. Do you know what is in it? ANJANEYULU: I do not know. SATHYA: Taste! The Divine is hidden in the devotee, in the same way taste is hidden in the pudding. ANJANEYULU: Ah, blessed are we! RAMA RAO: Anjananeyulu, did you see this great wonder! There is an idol of Shirdi Baba in the photo, in place of this stone! ANJANEYULU: My God! How did Shirdi Baba appear? RAMA RAO: Remember I wanted the stone removed and the young Swami did not permit it? Now do you see the miracle! ANJANEYULU: What a wonder! We did not know that Shirdi Baba was in the stone! Devotees! Look here! In this photo taken yesterday by Rama Rao, this stone is seen as an idol of Shirdi Baba! SATHYA: There, Maya is coming! Everything is an illusion. Who is what to whom? To Me, all are one. EASWARAMMA: Sathyam, what kind of words are these? What are these ceremonies and Bhajans? My boy, I am unable to understand Your behaviour! What’s all this? SATHYA: The path of devotion and love to the Highest Realm. If understood, it is the easiest! EASWARAMMA: What’s all this philosophy? SATHYA: This is not dry philosophy but the highest Truth! EASWARAMMA: I don’t understand all this. I know only one thing and that is my love for my child. My boy, understand the heart of this mother and know the pain it is suffering. SATHYA: Take a look at this idol. EASWARAMMA: Do you see Shirdi Baba next to Sathyam? VENKAMA: How did Babaji come here? It is most surprising. SATHYA: God is everywhere! It is our duty to realise that. EASWARAMMA: What are You saying? ….What is this boy saying? VENKAMA: Sathyam, I am not able to understand Your feelings. You say that You are on Your way to becoming the beacon to those in quest of the nobler purpose of life. What is all this? EASWARAMMA: Boy, this is not good at this age. And do not belie the dreams of Your parents. VENKAMA: Are You trying to become a renunciate in Your childhood? Before You save the world, You must first help Your mother who gave birth to You, Your father who brought You up, and other elders who have strained for Your welfare. That is Your Dharma, and don’t forget that! Listen to me! Change Your decision! EASWARAMMA: Sathyam my boy, we don’t know what’s in Your mind. Come at once to Your brother’s house, and explain to us in a manner we can understand about what is in Your mind. We must know what You want to do, right? Look my boy, listen to my words. Sathyam, don’t refuse this wish of Your mother. SCENE 5 SESHAMA: Mother, father! I am the eldest son of the family. All of us thought that the younger son Sathyam would receive English education and secure a Government job. We have worked very hard towards that end but with no result. His path seems to be different. Instead of being in the world, He is aspiring to be spiritual. Instead of the body, He loves the Atma. Divinity and meditation are His very breath. He says He is God. He says that He has no earthly bondage and that He will go wherever He wants. That is why I sent for you both, and asked you to come immediately. Please put some sense into Him. VENKAMA: Seshama, that stage has passed. I don’t think that Sathyam, who wants to reach out to the wide world, will listen to our words. Maybe she can try….. EASWARAMMA: Whether He listens or not, it is our duty to try. Suseela dear, please get some food. SUSEELA: Yes mother-in-law. SUSEELA: Here, mother-in-law. EASWARAMMA: Sathyam my boy, please accept three handfuls of food from Your mother’s hand. SATHYA: Illusion, illusion! SESHAMA: Mother, he is calling you illusion! SATHYA: No more bondage; illusion is gone, illusion is gone! EASWARAMMA: What bondage, what freedom? Is it for declaring that I gave You three handfuls of food? My boy Sathyam, what’s all this? Maybe we are in illusion and we are ourselves illusion, but You are beyond illusion. Therefore my boy, we will not come in Your way. We will not argue either. But don’t go away from us to some cave, or to the Himalayas. Sathyam my boy, promise Your mother that You will stay in Puttaparthi. Let Your devotees come there, and I will gladly receive them. SATHYA: I have chosen Puttaparthi as My arena. I am granting this wish not only to you, but to the village of Puttaparthi and to whole world. VENKAMA: Seshama, make arrangements for our return. We will go back tomorrow itself, before He changes His mind! We will take Him to Puttaparthi. EASWARAMMA: My boy’s mind does not change. True to His name, He will always speak the Truth. - END OF SCENE 5 - ------------------------------- Spiritual-Guru-Shirdi-Sai-Baba-Photo-0053Sahasra Deepa Seva To Shri Sainath Maharaj Yes ! It is the repetition of the Jamner Episode ! It occurred on 14-11-1982 at 1-25 P. M. at Pune. Shivaji Nagar, Bus stand. To fulfil a sankalpa of lighting 1008 lamps on Diwali night, I set out to Shirdi by Dadar Express on 13-11-1982 and the train reached Pune the next day late by 2 hours. The Pune bus stand was overflowing with Diwali passenger crowd and I missed the 9-40 Bus, as the conductor refused to take me seeing my heavy luggage. The next one to leave by 1. 30 P, M. was also heavily booked and a good Samaritan advised me to go to Shivajinagar bus stand. It was worse there and the counter clerk said :*'Take your chance when the bus comes". I came out for coffee and saw a lone taxi there. When I asked the taxi walla what would be his fare to Shirdi, he said Rs. 450/- which I could rot afford at that juncture. I quietly repaired back to the stand and was watching the crowd, who were boarding the buses, some jumping in through the opening above the dickey; the ladies too doing acrobatics to enter the bus anyhow. At 66, it was impossible for me to do any of those acrobatics, (with three cartons of Panatis, each weighing 7 kgs. as my luggage) to board the bus. I sat in a corner of the bus stand and started chanting the Taraka Mantra Sai Ram. The Geetacharya's advice passed through my mind : "Fix your mind on Me and worship Me devotedly and thou shall reach Me without doubt. I truly promise to you, for you are dear to Me ". Believe it or not! at 1, 25 P. M. the taxi walla whom I had met earlier, came to me and said "Chaio Saheb, gadi tayyar hai". I was dazed for a second and dumb founded. Oh ! Baba, you as a tongawala took Ramgirbuva from Jalgaon to Jamner to deliver the Udhi to Nanasahab Chandorkar and saved his daughter Mainatai from a crisis; and Thou hast come again to the aid of this fakir. My .eyes swelled with Ananda Bashpa (tears of joy) The Taxi walla said that he has a passenger upto Nagar .and he is willing to take me to Shirdi for any consideration I like. The passenger was one Mr. Bhosle of Pune, who had booked the taxi to go to Nagar, with his wife and baby daughter, and was an utter stranger. While travelling, when I asked Mr. Bhosle whether he knew Mr. C. G. Chitamber of Nagar; he replied : "Oh ! you know Mr Chitamber ? He is my intimate dost." To my surprise again, he drove straight to Mr. Chitamber's house at Nagar. Mr. Chitamber was equally surprised at my sudden appearance in his house with his friend. I had the good fortune to spend at his feet quite a few hours, during the Feb. 82, writers' convention. After exchanging Diwali greetings and tea, I took leave of the two great Sayees, and Taxi No. MTF 7817 whizzed off and reached Shirdi on time at 6 P. M. I made a Sashtanga Namaskar to our Sad guru Sainath Maharaj, The taxiwalla also was delighted to have an unexpected Shirdi Darshan. The Sahasra Dee pas were arranged in rows before the portrait of Sainath in Dwarakamayi, and all around the three sides of the Mandap in front of the Samadhi Mandir. The children of the neighbouring houses and Swamis in Chavadi gave a lending hand to arrange the lamps, And Dwarakamayi was illumined with the twinkling lights from the panatis and Baba glittered and glowed with radiance saining (shining) brightly. The Sansthan Pujari Shri Digamber remarked; "Bahut achha hai". Sai Bandhus: I have to mention here that originally I booked my seat to Kopergaon and after a week I cancelled it and booked it to Pune. All this had happened by His grace to make me bask in the Sai shade in the company of the Chitambers and their friend Mr. Bhosle who, just like Das Ganu Maharaj, had resigned his police job and with Baba's blessings was now doing service to humanity. Let me bow to the Sai Bandhus of Tamilnad, Hyderabad, Bombay and Chandigar, who, by their spontaneous response to my appeal, made it possible for me to offer this Sahasra Deepa Seva on this Diwali Day. May their wishes be granted by Sai Maharaj and may their tribe increase R. S. Ramakrishnan Madras . 600004 – (Source Shri Sai Leela May 1983)------------------ The Story of Krishna (continued) Loving Sai Ram and greetings from Prashanti Nilayam. We resume this journey through the Avatars, by continuing from where I left last time. If you recall, I was telling you about the early years of the Krishna Avatar. Lord Krishna Despatches Several Demons Years rolled by and Krishna grew into adulthood. Numerous were His experiences, but His encounters with the evil ones did not cease. One of those with whom He had frequent brushes was Jarasanda, the father-in-law of Kamsa. Enraged that Krishna had made his two daughters who were married to Kamsa into widows, Jarasanda repeatedly attacked Mathura where Krishna had established Himself. As many as eighteen invasions were attempted, and this led Krishna to create far away on the western coast, a new city called Dwaraka. Once Dwaraka was ready, Krishna instantly transported all His people from Mathura to Dwaraka by the use of His Yogic powers. Eventually, Krishna used Bhima as His instrument for killing Jarasanda. By the way, the Dwaraka of today is a town created later in history; the Dwaraka of Krishna is supposed to have gone under the sea a long time ago. Recently, underwater explorations off the sea coast of Gujarat revealed what seemed like ruins of an ancient town. Maybe those are the remains of the Dwaraka of Krishna; however, more work is needed to confirm that. Jarasanda meets his end A parenthetical remark here about the mysterious ways of the Lord is also in order. You might legitimately wonder why, if Krishna was indeed the Lord of the Universe, did He put up with eighteen invasions of Mathura by Jarasanda? Why did He, who used His Yogic powers to transport all the people of Mathura to Dwaraka in an instant, have to use Bhima to get rid of Jarasanda? We will never know! As Swami says, God's actions can never be understood; He moves in mysterious ways and performs His wonders - that is all! Indeed, this is true of the current Avatar as well. One day, after the Pandavas had established themselves at Indraprastha (that story will come later), Yudhishtira decided that the most auspicious Rajasuya Yajna should be performed. Invitations were sent to all leading kings, princes and chieftains, and there was an overwhelming response. At the conclusion of the rites, homage had to be paid to the foremost among the guests gathered and the question was who should be so honoured? The name of Krishna came up and Yudhishtira jumped at the idea. However, the idea did not find favour with many and Sishupala, until recently the commander-in-chief of Jarasanda’s forces, rose not only to make his objection but also hurl abuse at Krishna. The latter did not react but merely kept on smiling because He had given His word to Sishupala's mother that He would put up with insults - up to a point that is. Seeing Krishna smile made Sishupala even more furious and the abuse now poured out in a torrent. Eventually Krishna decided that Sishupala had exceeded all decent limits (including in the number of abuses hurled) and that He was no longer bound by the pledge given to the misguided one's mother. Calmly He beheaded Sishupala. (Tradition has it that Krishna launched His Divine Chakra or discus, but Swami has clarified that Krishna merely flung a plate He was holding and that acting like a spinning wheel, cut Sishupala's head off). And lo and behold! A glow left Sishupala's body, flew towards Krishna and merged with His Feet. Krishna beheads Sishpala Yudhishtira, who was a witness, was both amazed as well as dismayed. How could such an evil one obtain merger? Seeing his confusion, Narada who was among those present, drew Yudhishtira aside and quickly narrated the entire history of Jayan and Vijayan and their indiscretion. He added, "This Sishupala is none other than Jayan reborn. No doubt he hated Krishna but he was always thinking of Him. Curiously and strange as it might sound, one who constantly hates the Lord is also a Yogi. Obviously, practice of this kind of Yoga is very rare; and it is the practice of that Yoga that gave Sishupala his liberation; needless to say, this type of Yoga is not recommended!” Narada continued, “With Jayan gone, Krishna would now have to tackle Vijayan, that is Dantavakra, and that day was not far off. Meanwhile, do you realise, O Yudhishtira, that this Krishna with whom you and your brothers move so freely and casually is none other than Narayana Himself and that this sort of privilege is not available even to those who have spent long periods in Tapas (penance)?” That in brief is what Sage Narada told Yudhishtira. Shortly after the extermination of Sishupala, Dantavakra, the incarnation of Vijayan, also met his end at the hands of Krishna, precisely as Narada had foretold Yudhishtira. One would have thought that with “mission accomplished” Narayana would have returned to His base; no, He did not. For, there was a much greater job awaiting Him, namely the proclamation of His Divine and Eternal Message. Krishna now became increasingly involved with the Pandavas and their affairs, and I shall be describing that in detail soon. For the moment it suffices to say that after the great Kurukshetra war, Krishna ruled for many years in Dwaraka. Lord Krishna’s Sneha Bhava (divine friendship) for Sudhama Once during this period, there came one day to the court of Krishna, a Brahmin named Sudhama (also known as Kuchela). Sudhama and Krishna had studied together in the Gurukulam (school) of Sandipani but later their ways parted; while Krishna became a ruler, Sudhama lived in poverty. One day his wife persuaded Sudhama to go to Dwaraka, call on Krishna and seek some help. For a variety of reasons, Sudhama was most reluctant to do so, but finally had to yield to the pressure of his wife. Hesitantly he started his journey to Dwaraka, but just before he set out he told himself: “I don't know if Krishna would recognise me; after all, He is a big ruler whereas I am only a poor Brahmin. But anyway, if He is still like He once used to be, then I should take for Him some puffed rice for He used to love it so much in those days. True, it is a trivial gift to offer to a King but then I am poor, and in fact I am going there precisely for begging!” Thus excusing himself, Sudhama took with him a small bundle of puffed rice to be given as a humble offering. Krishna and Sudhama fondly rekindle past memories Sudhama slowly trudged to Dwaraka and, after successfully negotiating various royal guards, eventually made it to Krishna's presence. This was the moment of trial - would the great Krishna recognise him or throw him out? What actually happened was something that Sudhama was totally unprepared for. Krishna not only rushed to welcome Sudhama and fold him in a tight embrace, but he extended all the traditional honours due to a guest, including the washing of the feet! And then came the fond reminiscences – “O Sudhama, do you remember” “O Krishna, do you remember” – that sort of thing that happens when old friends meet after a very long time. This went on for a while and Sudhama cleanly forgot about the "gift" he had brought; but would the compassionate Lord let a slip like that happen? So suddenly, Krishna took hold of the bundle containing the puffed rice and said, “O Sudhama, how could you have forgotten to give Me the loving gift sent by My sister (Sudhama's wife)?!” So saying, He took the puffed rice and not only ate it by the handful, but shared it also with His consort Rukmini. Sudhama was thoroughly overwhelmed and choked with emotion. Soon it was time to say goodbye, and after a tender leave-taking, Sudhama left for his village. Only much later did he realise with a start that he had completely forgotten to ask Krishna for help. Now what on earth was he going to tell his wife? She would be hopping mad for having blown away the opportunity of a lifetime. Wondering how he would negotiate the storm waiting for him at home, he returned feeling sad. But when he approached his house, a strange sight greeted him. In the place where his pathetic hut once stood, there now was a great mansion; and as he entered, his wife greeted him with huge smiles, draped in jewellery and the costliest of clothes. Krishna knows of our wants even if we do not speak of them Sudhama quietly reflected: "Krishna certainly knew about my wants. He gave me an opportunity to give expression to them but I, swept by Him in all respects, spent my time in adoration totally forgetting my wants. That, I suppose is what Bhakti or devotion is all about; and of course, Krishna cares only for Bhakti; even the most insignificant offering of a Bhakta or devotee is to Him a great thing! For Him, a Bhakta comes above everything else and once a Bhakta wins a place in His heart, he does not even have to ask; every need of his is taken care of, as if automatically." Realising the profound significance of the fortune that had befallen him, Sudhama advised his wife not to be swept by the worldly aspect of Krishna 's largesse but pay more attention to the Divine Grace received. Thus, Sudhama and his family, though now affluent, spent all their time thinking of Krishna. And his story became an eternal example of how the Lord cares not for the material value of what is offered to Him, but for the feeling with which the offering is made. (It is pertinent in this context, to mention in passing an incident recounted in one edition of the Sanathana Sarathi, about a young boy who gave a small contribution to the hospital fund from the money he had saved, and how Swami declared that contribution to be more valuable than a million dollars!) Years went rolling by and up in Vaikuntam, everyone was beginning to feel the prolonged absence of Narayana (rather like what the inhabitants of Puttaparthi feel when Swami is away for an extended period as He sometimes is). On behalf of the pining celestial denizens, Brahma came down along with the Devas to make a plea to Krishna. He said, "O Lord, You incarnated to destroy the human forms of Jayan and Vijayan. That was accomplished a long time ago. You then stayed on to give Arjuna (and humanity) Your priceless jewel, the Bhagavad Gita. Is it not time now for You to return to Vaikuntam? Please do so immediately, for without You we are so lonely." Krishna smiled and replied, "True, I have done all that you have said but there is still one more massive task left. My own clansmen, the Yadavas, have, over the years, become lustful, conceited and arrogant. Right now I am exercising control over them, which is why they have not wrought as much havoc as they are capable of. Once I depart, they would go on the rampage, which is unacceptable. So I have to take care of the Yadava problem before I return. But be not anxious for soon I would be back." Uddhava Elicits Lord Krishna’s Final Glorious Teaching Krishna is Love personified, and it was His Love for Arjuna (and humanity as a whole) that made Him give the glorious and timeless message. Understandably, the Gita is truly famous but Arjuna was not the only one to be favoured with direct Divine teaching; there was another equally fortunate, namely Uddhava. Uddhava was one of the Yadavas who was deeply devoted to Krishna. Shortly before the curtain was to be rung down, Krishna acknowledged Uddhava's devotion or Bhakti by favouring him with special advice, sometimes referred to as the Uddhava Gita. Unlike the dialogue with Arjuna that was severely curtailed by the impending battle, Krishna's conversation with Uddhava was more relaxed. Uddhava wanted to know many things and Krishna patiently obliged. The Lord said, “Uddhava, I am pleased with your spiritual thirst. Let Me quench it with some advice. First, I shall briefly recall what Dattatreya told my ancestor Yadu. In his wanderings, Yadu came across Dattatreya, around whom there was the aura or glow of inner peace. When asked about the secret, Dattatreya replied, “O King, Nature is the best teacher. My teachers have been the earth, the sky, water, the Moon, the Sun, a pigeon, a python, the ocean, a moth, the honey-bee, the keeper of a beehive, an elephant, a deer, a fish, a woman named Pingala, a squirrel-like animal called Kurari, a child, a young girl, an archer, a snake, a spider and a wasp.” The wise man studies Nature to become Divine Seeing the puzzled look on Yadu's face, Dattatreya continued, “I shall explain myself with a few examples. I saw that the earth bears all loads silently. This taught me forbearance and the need for being firm like a mountain. Next the sky. When the sky is overcast, we think it is covered with clouds; but that is not true because there is no contact between the clouds and the sky. From this I learnt that though the Atma is enclosed in a body which is made up of the five elements, it (the Atma) is not involved with the body; in other words, the Brahman is always apart from His manifestation. The water of a river is pure and sweet and it purifies those who come to it. In the same manner, good men serve to purify humanity with their presence (Darshan), their touch (Sparshan) and words (Sambhashan). What about the python? As you know, the python never goes out of its way to obtain food; it is content to eat whatever comes its way, be it big or small. Sometimes it even starves for days together but it always waits patiently. This taught me that man should accept with fortitude whatever life offers, be it favourable or otherwise. The moth, as you know, is attracted by flame to which it later falls a prey. It is a victim of the sense of sight which beguiles it. From this, I learnt that unless a person controlled his senses, he runs the danger of being destroyed. Turning to the bee, I noticed that it does not hurt the flower it sucks nectar from. Also, it does not take more than just a small amount. Even so, a renunciate or Sannyasi must accept from a householder just so much and no more. Next the Kurari. Once it had a piece of meat. Large birds then surrounded the Kurari and attacked it fiercely. The Kurari suffered much and could not ward off the attackers. Finally, it let go the piece of meat and instantly the attack stopped. To me this was a lesson that renunciation leads to peace. The snake avoids company and lives by itself in a hole in the ground. Likewise, a renunciate or Sannyasi should shun company and live by himself in a secluded cave or hermitage. The spider taught me the final lesson. One day I was watching this spider sitting on a branch. Suddenly he spat saliva and began to weave threads, which he made into a nice web. Later he ate the threads and soon nothing was left of the web. Even so, at the beginning of an aeon or Kalpa, Paramatma or the Supreme Lord manifests Himself as the phenomenal Universe which, later at the end of the Kalpa, He withdraws into Himself.” “This, O King”, Dattatreya concluded, “should give you some idea of how to learn from Nature, shape your life and derive inner peace.” Krishna then said to Uddhava, “See Uddhava, everywhere there are lessons to learn from. These lessons would become apparent only if you train yourself to look beneath the surface and search for a meaning. Creation is beautiful but don't be dazzled by it for that is what Maya (illusion) is all about. Look beyond and you will see the Creator who is much grander! [speaking in a similar vein during His Divine Discourse delivered on February 13, 1997, during the first-ever celebration of the Chinese New Year at Prasanthi Nilayam, Bhagavan Baba described the lessons one could learn from the cow, the snake, the donkey, the dog and the parrot.] Krishna shares with Uddhava His secrets Starting thus, Krishna in essence repeated to Uddhava the teaching He had earlier imparted to Arjuna. Uddhava listened intently as Arjuna had done before, and asked many questions. Finally, he said, “Krishna, this Bhakti (devotion) seems to be most wonderful. Please tell me more about Bhakti and Your Bhaktas (devotees).” Smiling broadly Krishna said, “Uddhava, you certainly seem to know what I like best!” and then went on to expound the greatness of Bhakti as well as how He adores His devotees. Uddhava then asked, “Krishna, can you please describe Your Bhakta?” Krishna replied, “Gladly. My Bhakta is easily recognised by his compassionate nature and the softness of his heart. He loves to talk about Me and sing My praise. He never eats or drinks anything without first offering it to Me. If other Bhaktas are talking about Me, he pricks up his ears. As he goes about his work, his body functions like a robot while his mind is totally absorbed in Me. For him, nothing else exists in the Universe except Me, and wherever he turns, he sees nothing other than Me. Tears of joy come to his eyes when he thinks of Me, indeed even when he merely hears My name! A Bhakta is mad about Me, but believe Me Uddhava, God-madness is better than anything else you can think of. And let Me tell you one more thing. To Me, My Bhakta is more precious than anything in this world. I don't mind or care if people insult or abuse Me, but take it from Me that I shall not tolerate in the least bit any calculated injury to My dear devotee.” Uddhava was the last one to receive the benefit of Krishna's Divine teachings. He was then sent by Krishna to Badri Ashram on the banks of the Ganges to meditate and spend the rest of his life. With Uddhava gone, Krishna could now attend to the remaining unfinished business, namely the elimination of the Yadava clan. The Yadava Clan Attract a Terrible Curse Being the masterly playwright that He is, the Lord had already scripted the destruction of the Yadavas and His own exit as well! Much earlier, Krishna once created an urge in some great sages to visit Him. Thus, it was that a group led by Sage Vishwamitra made a pilgrimage, which included a visit to Dwaraka. As they entered the palace gates at Dwaraka to pay their homage to Krishna, a group of Yadava boys decided to play a prank. They dressed a young lad as a girl and taking him before the sages asked, “O Wise Ones, this girl is with child. Will she give birth to a boy or a girl?” Krishna and the Yadavas arrive in Prabhasa to offer sacrifice The Rishis saw through the game and pronounced a curse, “An iron pestle would be born which later would be the cause of destruction of the entire Yadava community.” Intensely scared, the pranksters fled from the place. Later, when the female disguise was removed, an iron pestle was found in the garment. The elders who came to know of the incident were alarmed and ordered that the pestle be ground into fine powder and the dust thrown into the sea. This was duly done but one sharp piece of the pestle remained which could not be powdered; however, that too was flung into the sea. The Yadavas now breathed easier, confident that they had circumvented the curse. It was not as if the Rishis had spontaneously pronounced the curse; rather, the Lord had willed that they do so as a part of His Master Plan. Could that be thwarted so easily? The iron powder scattered into the sea was washed ashore where it sprouted as reeds which grew tall, waiting to play their role when the time came. And that came thirty-six years after the Kurukshetra war when one day Krishna summoned all the Yadavas and said, “Lately, many evil omens have been appearing. We must therefore pray, practice austerities and offer sacrifices. I suggest we all go out of Dwaraka for this purpose. The women and children may go to the nearby spot of Sangotra, whereas we might proceed further to Prabhasa on the sea coast.” Soon after, the male members, led by Krishna and Balarama reached Prabhasa for performing the various rites. One day, along with the meal, the Yadavas partook rather generously of wine. In no time at all they became intoxicated, and friendly arguments transformed into quarrels and later into physical fights. Looking for weapons to use, they saw the tall reeds that were as strong as iron rods. Everyone grabbed the reeds and soon the Yadavas were smashing each other to death. It was a gory sight but standing quite aloof, Krishna watched it silently; after all, was it not a part of His play? Balarama too watched from a distance but unlike Krishna, he was totally disgusted. Silently he walked away to shed his mortal coil. In the end, the Yadavas were all dead and only Krishna was left. It was now His turn to go and He had scripted his own exit too! But before I get on to that, there is something I must mention. Krishna reveals the Truth to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war in the Bhagavad Gita In my next talk, I shall tell you something about the Kurukshetra war at the commencement of which the Bhagavad Gita was given by the Lord to humanity. But here I would like to state the following: Soon after the Kurukshetra war, Krishna went to Hastinapura to console Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, the bereaved parents whose sons had all died in the war. The latter was fully aware that her sons were unadulterated evil but even so, as a mother who had lost all her sons, she would not be consoled. To Krishna she wailed, “O Krishna, You could easily have averted this tragedy but You did not do so. Just as my sons have been completely annihilated, I curse that your Yadava clan be similarly wiped out and You too along with them, thirty-six years from now.” Krishna smiled and replied, “Venerable aunt, I know how you feel and gladly accept your curse. But you must concede that I did try My best to avert the conflict. I warned Duryodhana so many times but he would not pay heed. Anyway, the past is past and there is not much point in brooding over it. Console yourself with the thought that it was after all the Lord's will.” Krishna recalled that scene enacted over three decades ago. The Yadavas were now gone and one more scene remained to be enacted before the curtain could be rung down upon the DwaparaYuga, and that was His own exit. The Elegiac End to Lord Krishna’s Earthly Life Krishna now withdrew to a forest, selected a nice tree, sat under it and went into meditation; as usual, He was dressed in yellow silk. Some distance away, there was a hunter passing by. Seeing the yellow dress through leaves, he mistook Krishna to be a spotted deer and shot an arrow, which pierced Krishna's heel. Krishna uttered a cry and hearing it, the hunter rushed to the spot. Instead of a deer, he saw Krishna lying on the ground and bleeding profusely. Stunned and horrified, he fell at Krishna's feet and begged forgiveness. In reply Krishna said, “Don't cry or be sorry. I am not angry with you. It was not your fault at all; let us just say it was God's will and that you played your part admirably in the Cosmic Drama, for which heaven would be your reward. Be at peace.” Krishna is mortally wounded by a hunter in His last Divine leela Meanwhile, Daruka, the charioteer of Krishna was searching for his Master. He knew Krishna had walked away from the carnage by the sea-side towards the forest. Guided by the scent of the Tulsi leaves which Krishna wore as a garland, he eventually came to where Krishna was lying mortally wounded. Overwhelmed with deep anguish, he cried, “O Lord, how did this terrible thing happen?” In a matter-of-fact tone, Krishna replied, “Daruka, there is no time now to discuss all that. Let Me quickly give you a few instructions. Firstly, you must return immediately to Dwaraka and gently break the news about Me and also the end of the Yadavas to My parents. They would no doubt be heartbroken, but you must console them. After My end, the waters of the sea would enter Dwaraka and the city would be submerged; so the women and children must not return to Dwaraka from Sangotra. Ask Arjuna to escort them to Hastinapura where they could live. And now if you please, pull this arrow out before you leave.” Weeping like a child and with trembling hands, Daruka did as instructed. The arrowhead which Daruka extracted had been shaped from the piece of the iron pestle which could not be broken up earlier. While in the sea, the piece was swallowed by a fish. Later, the fish was caught and when it was cut open, there was the iron piece. The hunter used it to make an arrow-head and eventually by Divine design, that very arrow-head helped Krishna shed His mortal coil while respecting at the same time the curse laid upon Him! The fatal arrow having been extracted from the foot, Krishna asked Daruka to hurry back. Tearfully Daruka went round Krishna three times and hastened to Dwaraka to carry out the assigned tasks. Mission over, Krishna smiled for the last time and then went into a Yogic trance. In that state He separated from the body which had served Him for over a century and returned to Vaikuntam, much to the great delight of all the celestial beings. The Dwapara Yuga had ended, and mankind would have to wait five thousand and odd years before the Lord deigned to come down again as a Poorna Avatar. (To be Continued...) Previous Articles In The Same Series ------- CONVERSATIONS WITH SAI Satyopanishad - part 6: Direct Directions from the Divine Dear reader, in response to positive feedback to this section where we have a dialogue with the Divine, we continue with Prof. Anil Kumar’s “Satyopanishad” after completing the serial Dr. John Hislop’s “Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba” in January 2008. This also is in the “question-answer” format that many devotees prefer, and has answers from Bhagavan on topics as wide-ranging as the origin of evil, the goals of human life, aspects of God – embodied and formless, to price hikes, women’s liberation, vegetarianism and the generation gap of the present times. Published in two parts by the author, these volumes have 270 questions in all, which are neatly grouped under separate chapters. In this issue, we continue with chapter two, called Trends in Society. CHAPTER 2 - TRENDS IN SOCIETY (Continued from the previous issue) Anil Kumar: Swami! As we think of the way in which our life is going, we find it confusing and disheartening. We also doubt if it is going in the right direction or not. You are our only refuge. Kindly guide us. Bhagavan: You know mrdangam, the South Indian musical instrument, which like a drum, has to be beaten on both the sides as you play. Your life is like a rat caught in that mrdangam. If the mrdangam is beaten on one side, the rat runs to the other side, and vice versa, as there is no way out for it. Similarly, having been fed up with this world, you think of God. When God tests you, you again drift towards the world. Your movement between the world and God is like that of the rat. This is not the proper way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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