"KARMABHUMI"

This land of ours is called 'Karma Bhumi’! What do you mean by that? It is the land of sacrifice or yajna. Our life itself is a series of sacrifices. Without sacrifice it is impossible to exist. It is surprising that from the unicellular organism amoeba to the most complex organism, namely man, life is a series of sacrifices or yajna! The mother sacrifices for the child,the father for his children, the friend for the friend, the individual for the group, the present for the future, the haves for the have nots, the weak for the strong--what is all this if not sacrifice or yajna? But while doing these we do them mechanically without understanding the significance of such sacrifice. We do it out of fear, or greed or for the fulfilment of our desires. Any yajna should be done consciously for spiritual and elevating purposes by man. When life is soaked in sacrifice egoism and arrogance will vanish. The Vedas are the repositories of hymns and mantras for the yajnas. Every single hymn of the Vedas and the rites signifies yajna or Sacrifice. If the stream of yajna dries up, it will be a great loss of spiritual wealth. India “ Is a Vedabhumi, not a vedanabhumi, not the vedanabhumi it is fast becoming. Vedana or suffering can never come if the Vedas are learnt or practiced again.”asserts Bhagawan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The root of all Dharma or righteousness is the Vedas. “ Vedokilo Dharma mulam.” Any injury to the root will kill the tree beyond revival. If the roots are alive the tree will come back to life. The Vedas and the sastras are the two eyes of India. Blind aping of Western culture has dimmed those eyes. The neglect of the Vedas and the sastras has made India dependent on others  who guided it to their own culture! The Vedas are the property of those who realize their value, those that have an insatiable thirst for them and are ready to practice and enjoy the bliss and peace that it grants. Others have no right to talk of the Vedas and sit in judgement. To say that the Vedas are mere “Contraptions put together by a few Brahmins for their aggrandizement is the height of folly.” Essentially man is a seeker of Ananda or Bliss. Without that he is like a fish out of water. “He is Amrithaswarupa; hence, it is difficult for him to imagine that his body will fall off and he has to die one day. He has bandaged his eyes with egoism and he says the darkness is very congenial; the curious shapes of things he sees darkly, he takes as true.” comments Swami in one of His Divine discourses.

To come out of the illusion in modern life and bondage, one has to follow certain disciplines and Dharma. It is only then man can see the Light and all things in new Light. The antidote for the ‘Bhavaroga’- the disease of samsara, is the Vedic drug and the regimen of restrictions and regulations placed on the Brahmins who follow them. Many at present consider these rules and restrictions as mere superstitions. But that is not true. They are restrictions on conduct and on  the details of daily life. It requires great courage, and faith to follow and practice them.Those who follow  these restrictions and regulations are doing with great sincerity. Modern life has become a path overgrown with thorns and almost unrecognizable with potholes, hollows and brush. This is because of the long neglect of the royal highway laid down by the Vedic seers. Under the influence of modern civilization people have totally gone astray. They have no regard for religion and the mandate of the Vedas and the sastras. As a result many proscribed and unethical acts are being done.The urgent need of the hour is the resuscitation of Dharma and creation of a congenial atmosphere for the propagation of the Vedas?

Religious institutions and mutts like Jagadguru Sri Sankarachaya Mutt of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam are enlisting youngsters and instructing them in the Vedas from their early years.They are provided free boarding and lodging. Various spiritual and charitable institutions are also involved in spreading the knowledge of the Vedas and our scriptures.The response from the youngsters is not enough. Parents have to realize the significance of this spiritual orientation for their kids and support the institutions by sending their children for a study of the Vedas. Sri Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam authorities are doing yeoman service in the propagation of Dharma through various activities like discourses by eminent and scholarly speakers and conducting courses in the Vedas.

The advent of the Sai Avatar has changed the situation dramatically! Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization has changed the fabric of society! Swami has underlined the primacy of the study of the Vedas and the value of practicing Dharma. He has instructed that important sections of the Vedas should be taught to children, adults and even women! Sai Samitis are scrupulously following the mandate of Swami. Sai Organizations all over the world are thus endowed with the  rare opportunity of learning the chanting of the Vedic mantras including the Gayatri Mantra! I had the amazing experience of listening to the wonderful rendering of Sai Bhajans from the devotees from Saudi Arabia! European devotees are excellent in rendering the most difficult chanting of Sri Rudram and Chamakam! They also chant the Purusha Sukta and Mantra Pushpa and other hymns! In the Atirudra Mahayagna conducted in July-Aug, in Tiruvannamalai, about 200 devotees from all over the world participated and chanted Sri Rudram and Chamakam! A number of ladies were among them! Is it not a wonder? Devotees are able to feel peace and loss of stress and strain from their disgusting schedules! There is a kind of dharmic and spiritual Renaissance that is slowly enveloping the society despite the other enervating causes!

GUGGULUKALASA NAYANAR

Sivaratri means the night of Lord Siva. According to lunar calendar every month has a Sivaratri but the one in the waning period of the moon in the month of Magha is called Mahasivarathri! It is an all India festival There are celebrations galore in which devotees lose themselves in worship, meditation and celebration! Why is Mahasivarathri a special occasion? According to legend it is the day when the world, Devas and Asuras were saved by Lord Siva! When the ocean was churned by the Asuras and Devas with Mandhara mountain at the center and Vasuki the king of snakes as the rope, terrible all consuming poison came out first! Devas and Asuras ran helter skelter! None could save the situation! They prayed to Lord Siva who readily collected the poison into a ball and gulped it down! But it was stopped at the throat by Goddess Parvati! Hence Lord Siva is called ‘Nilakanta’ the one with blue throat! This incident is believed to have happened on the Sivaratri day! Another legend speaks about the attempt of Vishnu and Creator Brahma to find out the origin and end of the Linga! Both the Gods move in different directions but fail miserably! Vishnu owns defeat but Brahma lies for which he is cursed! It is because of this curse that Brahma has no separate temple for worship! The Jyotirlinga ( Fire) at Tiruvannamalai is said to be place of this incident!

The Nayanmars were those devotees of Lord Siva who lived, loved, ate and slept with their Lord! Theirs was utter surrender to the Lord! They detached themselves from all family attachments and fixed Him in their hearts! Gnanasambandar, Tirunilakantar, Tirunavukkarasar

and a host others are names to conjure with! They directly conversed with the Lord and many were the miracles that the Lord exhibited in their lives! On the eve of Mahasivarathri let us remember one such great Nayanar who was obsessed with offering fragrance dhoop to the Lord throughout his life! There lived a Brahmin in the village of Thirukkadavoor In the land of the Cholas. His name was Kalasa and soon after he came of age, he started worshipping Lord Siva in the Virattanam temple. He would offer fragrant dhoop daily to the Lord and hence was called  Guggulukalasa Nayanar. He was so much obsessed with this worship and offering to the Lord that he spent all his money on it! Unwilling to stop the worship for want of money, he started selling his property one by one till all of them were sold and the money was utilized for the worship of his dear Lord Siva! His wife and children had to starve for five days when it became unbearable and she called the Nayanar, gave her mangalyam and asked him to get groceries by selling it. On his way to the market, the Nayanar met a merchant carrying a bag of fragrant dhoop! This tempted the Nayanar and he felt that it would be better to buy the fragrant dhoop than get the groceries! He gave away the gold mangalya and bought fragrance dhoop! He went directly to the temple for worship forgetting completely the purpose for which he had come!

Nayanar’s wife and children waited for him but in vain. It was evening and became dark soon. There was no sign of his return. It was now very late In the night. Disgusted, hungry and tired, she fell asleep. She had a dream in which Lord Siva appeared and said that he had granted them prosperity! She woke up and to her pleasant shock and surprise saw her home full of groceries like rice, dal, ghee and jaggery! Very happily she cooked food, fed her children and awaited her husband. Meanwhile Lord Siva directed Nayanar to go home and have his meal as he was hungry! Returning home, Nayanar was wonderstruck to see what has happened. His wife narrated to him of her dream and the miracle. Despite their great prosperity and riches, the couple served the devotees of Lord Siva wholeheartedly when a strange incident occurred!

The king of Tiruppanandal was very much worried of the Sivalingam in the temple which had tilted to a side! He wanted to remove the dilapidated temple and replace the lingam! He employed many brahmins to lift the Siva lingam! But however much they tried to lift the lingam it did not move or budge! Disappointed, the king brought elephants, tied a rope to the lingam and had it dragged by the pachyderm! Still the Sivalingam did not move! The king was dispirited and didn't know what to do! The news spread like wildfire and Nayanar came to know about it. He wanted to see this wonder personally. When he went there he was shocked to see the elephant and the brahmins had swooned and fallen on the ground!

He was in a dilemma! How is it that the Sivalingam is so stubborn? What is the secret about it? How can the elephant fail in lifting the Sivalingam? These thoughts flitted across his mind! Will it be possible for him to try? Yes, he decided to try! He had an upper cloth on his person and nothing else! Can this ordinary piece of clothing do what the brahmins and the elephant failed to do? He immediately tied his upper cloth to the Sivalingam and pulled it with all his might! And lo, behold! With a single pull the Sivalingam dislodged itself from its place and came out of its position! The king and the people were amazed at the ease with which the Nayanar could lift the

Sivalingam. They realized that the Nayanar had removed the Lingam through the rope of his intense bhakti or devotion! The king and the people praised and honored the Nayanar. Later with the help of Nayanar the Sivalingam was consecrated. Nayanar stayed there for some time and left for his home. Later Vagisa Nayanar, and Gnanasambanda Murthy Nayanar visited him! He received them warmly and offered his hospitality. After living righteously for long, Nayanar reached the feet of the Lord!

ON SIDDHA PURUSHAS

For a realized soul there are no differences! To him all are equal, good or bad, big or small, right or wrong. He has attained equanimity and knows the differences are superficial! He does not worry about them. On the ground there is such a vast difference between the grass and the mighty pine tree. Man wonders at the difference between the size of grass and the pine tree. But when he climbs on the mountain and looks down, the grass and the pine tree as well as all other huge trees look insignificantly small and merge into the same background! Similarly for the common man in the world there are differences in rank and position-- one is a king another a cobbler, one is a father and another a son, one is a master and another a servant! The divine vision nullifies all these distinctions of good and bad or of high and low! Sri Ramakrishna gives an interesting incident to establish this fact! The saint was living at Rani Rashmoni Kali temple.

It so happened that a God intoxicated sadhu came to the temple where the saint was living. He did not get any food on that day. Despite that he did not approach any one for food! He was very hungry no doubt. An astonishing thing happened at this time. He saw a dog eating the remnants of the food thrown away in a corner after a feast. His action after seeing the dog was still more amazing! He went near the dog, and embraced it. He called it his brother and wondered how it could eat alone without sharing the food with him! He joined the dog in sharing the food without any Inhibition! After eating the food in the company of the dog, the sage entered the temple. He prayed with such sincerity and devotion that it reverberated through the temple! The sage, after finishing his prayers, prepared to depart.

All the while,Sri Ramakrishna was a silent witness to these happenings! He called his cousin,Hriday and directed him to follow the sage and talk to him. Hriday did as he was bid. The sage knew that he was being followed. After Hriday followed the sage for a distance, the sage could not keep quiet. The sage turned round, looked at Hriday and questioned why he was following him. There was no particular reason for Hriday in following him. Sri Ramakrishna had asked him to follow the sage and talk to him. So Hriday requested the sage to give him some instruction.  He wanted to know from the sage certain valuable lessons for life.

The sage significantly replied that the water of the dirty ditch and the holy Ganges at distance should  appear one in your sight! The sound of the flageolet and the noise of the crowd should not have a distinction in his ear! The sage remarked that only then he would reach the state of  true Knowledge! A realized Soul is one who treats all persons and objects equally! Hriday was astounded at the realization of the Sage! Hriday returned and narrated in detail what transpired between him and the sage. Sri Ramakrishna said that the sage has attained the true state of ecstasy and of knowledge! Such People are called Siddhas. They move about in different disguises, as a child, as an unclean spirit or even as a madman! It is very difficult to understand them for their behavior is quixotic and entirely different from that of the common man.They appear to be mad outwardly but they are mad after God! They have totally disconnected themselves from all external attachments but are perennially attached to God inwardly!

In modern times we have seen rare Siddhas like Sri Seshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai in Tamilnadu. He was Siddha par excellence! His ashram is in Tiruvannamalai where his samadhi is worshipped even today! His ways, when he lived, were exceptional and different from those of ordinary mortals! He would smear earth all over his body, drink gutter water and roam about the streets of the town! If he were to enter any shop, that would bring a bonanza or a windfall for the shopkeeper! All his ware in the shop would be sold quickly and he would realize very good profit! All the traders anxiously anticipated his entry into their shops! But none knew when and where he would set his foot! Siddhas have wonderful supernatural powers called “ Animadi ashta Siddhis" They are Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Isatwa,and Vasitva.”They can float in air, walk on water, appear and vanish at will and have power over others! They get these extraordinary powers by severe  tapas and Sadhana! The danger with these powers is that it tempts them to misuse the power for personal benefits! It is very rarely that we find real yogis and Siddhas who utilize these exceptional powers for the benefit of mankind!

" CHILD ISTHE FATHER OF MAN"

“ Child is the father of man” goes the saying. It is the child that grows into man and the quality and nature of man depends on his bringing up by his parents. Parents have to be very careful  and serious in looking after their wards lest they may stray away from the righteous path. It is alarming to witness the behavior of modern youth given to violence, and other evil ways! Children are the future pillars of society, future leaders and legislators of the nation. If they aren't guided properly the whole society is polluted and gets spoiled. Children are innocent and their love is pure and unselfish. Home is their first school and they learn many things by carefully and silently observing their parents. Hence the parents have to be very careful in their behavior  with the children and between them! Children up to five years are considered divine. Later up to their youth they have to be treated as servants. Later they have to be considered as friends! Mother is the first teacher of the child! Presence of the mother with the child is sine qua non for the well being and future greatness of the child. Her righteous influence goes a long way in moulding the future of the child. “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” is a familiar quote that establishes the significance of the mother in the development of the child.

For the first five years the child should grow with the mother! How many children have that fortune? Many children don't know what mother’s love is. It is of paramount importance that the child is not handed over to someone else for bringing up. Handing over children to servants and ayahs deprives them not only of mother’s heavenly love but they learn the customs, habits and vocabulary of those people! Next comes the part played by the father and the Guru. Children should imbibe human values from the preceptor as well as their duties to society. Modern school teachers are badly in need of them. “ Children are like fresh cloth; they can be given any color you like. Just dip them in that color, that is enough. Hearts that are green and soft will learn habits and disciplines quicker” remarks Bhagawan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba.  Children believe everyone and everyone can believe them. Swami says that their hearts are like gramaphone records. They reproduce the correct tune without any distortion If the needle is sharp. What is that needle? The needle is Prema or love sharp and direct!

Children have no fear and they are innocent too. Elders are responsible for planting fear among children. They are also truthful while the elders educate them in lying! Children are plain spoken while the elders are not. Speech of elders may be truthful or scandalous or untruthful. It is therefore one should be simple and straightforward as a child. Children are devoid of any ego. Child devotee, Prahlada is a classical example for the absence of egoism and total unaffected calm. He never felt what affected his physical body! Childhood is the essence of Sath or pure truth and innocence. Without yarn there is no cloth and yarn is an integral part of cloth. If the child grows into man with this quality of Sath and innocence, as the great sage Suka did,  he can attain salvation easily. Children are always open minded and hence they are illuminated. Their smile dispels the darkness and grief at home. Other great illustrations of child devotees who attained mukti  through intense Sadhana are Dhruva and Markandeya!

What is it that man seeks in life? They are joy, encouragement, unison and Love between the master and the servant, husband and the wife, and the father and the son. These are essential between any two. These harmonious qualities have to be inculcated among children even from their early age. That is the richest inheritance that the parents can give their children! That is the effective antidote against the attack of despair, despondency, and discontent! God is the owner of this entire universe. Foolishly we think that the house we live in and the land is ours. We are the tenants and He is the Owner and Master. What is the rent we pay the Owner? We have to please God by engaging ourselves in constructive work. One who  lives only to eat is a cheat! Children should be taught not to receive anything for nothing. They should earn by hard work the things they seek.

Children should develop sporting spirit in playing games. The thrust and urge to win over the opponent causes mistakes. Play according to rules and with you heart and soul to gain victory.They should not be affected by the atmosphere of rivalry or enmity. Animosity, hatred and other qualities have to be eschewed while playing any game. Any competition has to  be healthy and the game has to be played according to proper rules and free from hatred and malice! Children are rough diamonds and invaluable precious stones that have to be polished and rounded up very carefully so that they may shine with coruscating brilliance! They are precious treasures that have to be looked after so that they may turn God

Lolward and serve the country well!!

ON REAL LIVING

Every being created by God lives for a longer or shorter duration on this Earth! They carry on their lives in one way or the other perpetuating their race is an important concern for them. The basic needs of food, clothing, sleep and reproduction are common to all even from the unicellular organisms like the amoeba! In what way is man different from all other creatures inhabiting the earth? Man is at the acme of evolution and cannot be satisfied with mere eating, sleeping and reproducing! A relevant question is being asked by many. “Do we live to eat or eat to live?” We may find a few who may live to eat but mostly people eat to live for without Annam Prana cannot exist. So, for sustenance food is the prime necessity. But is it enough if like animals, birds and other creatures man too exits the earth eating, sleeping,and begetting children? Is there no other purpose for man on earth? Living is not important but the way in which we live adjusting and accommodating ourselves to the trials and tribulations of family life  is far more important! We should not be merely born, grow and die soon and be forgotten!

There is a definite purpose for which God has created Man! But caught in the web of Maya or illusion man has gone astray. He has totally immersed himself in silly material things an attachments that prevent him from soaring high into the spiritual plane. He is a victim of the “Arishadvargas” like desire, anger, and others that have enslaved them and spread their tentacles on them! Religion has not helped him! Instead of uniting, it has divided man from man!

Theism has given place to atheism and agnosticism. One section of religion fights to destroy the other section of the same religion! Brotherly feelings for others have died down permanently and there is no proper understanding between people and the nations. Morals have been totally forgotten and immorality has increased in the present society by leaps and bounds! Yet man thinks that he is happy and carries on his existence as if nothing has happened!  Can this be called a proper living? Values for which he should live and die viz Satya-truth, Dharma- righteousness, Santhi- peace, Prema- love and Ahimsa- non violence have become things of the past!

Proper living is that which leaves footprints on the sands of time! It should guide the future generations to the right path! Man should achieve something noble and good by which he should be remembered forever and become an immortal! Hundreds of our ancients who have served the society and made others’ lives happy and comfortable are still remembered for their invaluable contribution! They have become Immortal! Should not mortal man become Immortal through his actions and thoughts? “ Asatoma sadgamaya, Tamasoma jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma amritam gamaya.”Should he not proceed from untruth to truth, from darkness to light and from  mortality to immortality? Present man and society is steeped in untruth, and darkness and both have to be saved from a catastrophic end! One shudders to think and witness the terrorist acts of senseless violence all over the world! Nations are locked in arguments and threats of war against one another! The common man is the sufferer to the maximum! Materialism and civilization has become more or less a bane rather than a boon to society despite the comforts and conveniences that they have brought!

Man has become obsessed with sex! There is not a single day when a rape or abduction is  not reported! Theft, robbery, kidnapping, murder, forgery, cheating, smuggling are the order of the day! Can we say that our living is ideal? Assess yourself and you will be aghast at the atrocities being committed by man! Yet he says he is happy and civilized! Can such living amidst such a society be called proper living? I doubt it very much. What is then the remedy for this rot that is eating away the vitals of society? The panacea for all the ills of modern society is to develop a sense of Spirituality! A few are afraid of of the term Spirituality. It has nothing to do with withdrawing into areas far from the madding crowd and meditating under the greenwood trees! It means service to society without expectation of any reward! Krishna emphasizes the same in his Bhagavad-Gita, “ Karmanye vadhikarastu ma phaleshu kadachana”-you have authority to act not to expect any reward! At least a tinge of selflessness or sacrifice and a concern for the sufferings of others is absolutely necessary for the modern man. It is badly wanting in him.  Faith in God, company with the wise and the pious, reading the scriptures and being a good Samaritan shall go along way in making him a spiritual person! Above all love for all creatures  is the crown of Spirituality and without it no service can take place!

Thus if we live to serve others in need and difficulties, we are living a worthy life! Otherwise it is worthless! Living, we are dead! “ He lives who lives for others”! There are so many downtrodden and hapless individuals in society who have not even a single meal a day, people without a home, those who cannot afford normal dress who cry for our attention and love! Do we look at them and does our heart go out in infinite love for their well being? That is the test for our good and ideal living! A life of such activity is real living! You should see God in the smile of every man! God manifests in every creature. “Ajayamano bahudha vijayathe”-without a birth He manifests in many!  A Living that identifies the God within with the God in the other can be called a Real Living!