KK. Feb 2016 Ist Print (25.2.16) (Ist corr Print 16.3.16 ...kalyana-kalpataru.org/PDF (Full Issues)/kk_february_2016.pdf · Gita Press, Gorakhpur (India) websites: 1. www. kalyana-kalpataru.org

˙ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊Œ— ¬ÍáÊ¸Á◊Œ¢ ¬ÍáÊÊ¸à¬ÍáÊ¸◊ÈŒëÿÃ– ¬ÍáÊ¸Sÿ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊ÊŒÊÿ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊flÊflÁ‡ÊcÿÃH

A MONTHLY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF SPIRITUALIDEAS AND LOVE FOR GOD

Subhå¶itam

ªËÃ‡ÊÊSòÊÁflŸÊŒŸ ∑§Ê‹Ê ªë¿UÁÃ œË◊ÃÊ◊˜–√ÿ‚ŸŸ ÃÈ ◊ÍπÊ¸áÊÊ¢ ÁŸº˝ÿÊ ∑§‹„UŸ flÊH

Intelligent people spend their time in pursuit of musicand literature while fools waste their time in sleeping oruseless feuds.

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Vol. 61 February 2016 No. 5

C O N T E N T S1. Subhå¶itam ..... 32. The Supreme End of Human Pursuit

óBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka ..... 53. Devotion in the Form of Supreme Love

óNityalilalina Sri Hanumanprasad Poddar ..... 94. Kinship with GodóBrahmalina Swami Ramsukhdas ..... 115. EgolessnessóSwami Sharanananda ..... 156. The Need to FearóS. Kothandaraman ..... 187. Uddhava ..... 248. Hymn to Mahådeva ..... 269. An Ideal Character of Lord RåmaóV. Ramanathan ..... 29

10. Way to BlessednessóSwami Krishnananda ..... 3311. Bhakti as the Essence of ReligionóKhagendranath Mitra ..... 3512. Read and Digest ..... 3913. Hinduism cannot Be Branded Anti-Secular

óT. N. Pandey ..... 4014. Reward of Benevolence and Sincerity ..... 4615. After All Life is Eternal!óProf. Sudesh Gogia ..... 5016. Glory of HanumånóR. Subramanian ..... 5217. Godís TestóSwami Sivananda ..... 5718. The Faithful Student ..... 6219. Råmµuís Pilgrimage ..... 64

ILLUSTRATIONS1. Bålaka Råma

2. Goddess Saraswat∂ (Cover)

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EditoróKeshoram Aggarwal Co-EditoróDr. Prem P. LakkarPrinted and Published by Jagdish Prasad Jalan for Gobind Bhawan Karyalaya,

Gita Press, Gorakhpur (India)

websites: 1. www. kalyana-kalpataru.org 2. www.gitapress.orge-mail: booksales@ gitapress.org

The Supreme End of Human PursuitóBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka

This human body is immensely valuable and has beenattained through extreme good luck and exceptional graceof God. Therefore, it should not be devoted to the pursuitof wealth, gratification of the senses and luxuries, for thenotion of joy inhering in the body, the world and luxuriesis an outcome of ignorance. In fact, there is no joy in them.All these are perishable, momentary and fleeting. Therefore,men of sound judgement should not feel attached to these,they should rather spend their time in adoration of andmeditation on God, offering service and worship to Him,bowing to Him and in hymning Him and praying to Him.Says the Lordó

•ÁŸàÿ◊‚Èπ¢ ‹Ê∑§Á◊◊¢ ¬˝Êåÿ ÷¡Sfl ◊Ê◊˜H(G∂tå IX. 33)

ìTherefore, having obtained this joyless and transienthuman life, constantly worship Me.î

Besides this, one can attain the highest end of humanpursuit in the shape of final beatitude by performing oneísduty in a detached manner according to oneís grade insociety and stage in life. The Lord tells Arjuna in the G∂tåó

ÃS◊ÊŒ‚Q§— ‚ÃÃ¢ ∑§ÊÿZ ∑§◊¸ ‚◊Êø⁄U–•‚Q§Ê sÔÊø⁄Uã∑§◊¸ ¬⁄U◊Ê¬AÊÁÃ ¬ÍL§·—H

(III. 19)ìTherefore, go on efficiently doing your duty without

attachment. Doing work without attachment man attains thesupreme.î

6 Kalyana-Kalpataru

Arjuna was a K¶atriya; therefore, encouraging andurging him to remain devoted to the duties of a K¶atriya,which constituted his own duties, the Lord says:ó

Ä‹Òéÿ¢ ◊Ê S◊ ª◊— ¬ÊÕ¸ ŸÒÃûflƒÿÈ¬¬lÃ–ˇÊÈº˝¢ NUŒÿŒÊÒ’¸Àÿ¢ àÿÄàflÊÁûÊDÔU ¬⁄UãÃ¬H

(G∂tå II. 3)ìYield not to unmanliness, Arjuna; ill does it become

you. Shaking off this paltry faint-heartedness stand up, Oscorcher of enemies.î

Sflœ◊¸◊Á¬ øÊflˇÿ Ÿ Áfl∑§Áê¬ÃÈ◊„¸UÁ‚–œêÿÊ¸Áh ÿÈhÊë¿˛UÿÊ˘ãÿàˇÊÁòÊÿSÿ Ÿ ÁfllÃH

(G∂tå II. 31)ìBesides, considering your own duty too you should

not waver; for there is nothing more welcome for a manof the warrior class than a righteous war.î

‚ÈπŒÈ—π ‚◊ ∑Î§àflÊ ‹Ê÷Ê‹Ê÷ÊÒ ¡ÿÊ¡ÿÊÒ–ÃÃÊ ÿÈhÊÿ ÿÈÖÿSfl ŸÒfl¢ ¬Ê¬◊flÊåSÿÁ‚H

(G∂tå II. 38)ìTreating alike victory and defeat, gain and loss,

pleasure and pain, get ready for the fight, then; fightingthus you will not incur sin.î

Similarly, people belonging to other Varƒas and Å‹ramastoo, should make concentrated efforts for the redemptionof their soul in a detached manner and a disinterested spirit.If a man striving hard for the redemption of his soul asaforesaid, lays down his life at the alter of duty, he isrewarded with blessedness.

üÊÿÊŸ˜ Sflœ◊Ê¸ ÁflªÈáÊ— ¬⁄Uœ◊Ê¸àSflŸÈÁDÔUÃÊÃ˜–Sflœ◊¸ ÁŸœŸ¢ üÊÿ— ¬⁄Uœ◊Ê¸ ÷ÿÊfl„U—H

(G∂tå III. 35)ìOneís own duty, though devoid of merit, is preferable

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to the duty of another well performed. Even death in theperformance of oneís own duty; brings blessedness; anotherísduty is fraught with fear.î

The Lord has spoken very highly of the disinterestedperformance of oneís duty; for even a little of oneís dutyperformed in a disinterested spirit leads to blessedness.

Ÿ„UÊÁ÷∑˝§◊ŸÊ‡ÊÊ˘ÁSÃ ¬˝àÿflÊÿÊ Ÿ ÁfllÃ–SflÀ¬◊åÿSÿ œ◊¸Sÿ òÊÊÿÃ ◊„UÃÊ ÷ÿÊÃ˜H

(G∂tå II. 40)ìIn this path (of disinterested action) there is no loss

of effort, nor is there fear of contrary result. Even a littlepractice of this discipline saves one from the terrible wheelof birth and death.î

He, however, who, having obtained a human body,falls off from his duty, is as good as dead though livingbecause he leads a useless and reproachful life.

∞fl¢ ¬˝flÌÃÃ¢ ø∑˝¢§ ŸÊŸÈflÃ¸ÿÃË„U ÿ—–•ÉÊÊÿÈÁ⁄UÁãº˝ÿÊ⁄UÊ◊Ê ◊ÊÉÊ¢ ¬ÊÕ¸ ‚ ¡ËflÁÃH

(G∂tå III. 16)ìArjuna, he who does not follow the wheel of creation

thus set going in this world (i.e., does not perform hisduties) sinful and sensual, he lives in vain.î

Therefore, a man should never swerve from his dutynor should he fritter away his life in luxury and error. Withreference to those who having secured a human frame,spend their life in sense-enjoyments. ›r∂ Tulas∂dåsa saysó

Ÿ⁄UÃŸÈ ¬Êß Áfl·ÿ° ◊Ÿ Œ„UË¥–¬‹Á≈U ‚ÈœÊ Ã ‚∆U Á’· ‹„UË¥HÃÊÁ„U ∑§’„È°U ÷‹ ∑§„Uß Ÿ ∑§Êß¸–ªÈ¢¡Ê ª˝„Uß ¬⁄U‚ ◊ÁŸ πÊß¸H

The Supreme End of Human Pursuit

8 Kalyana-Kalpataru

For, this human body has been allotted not for sensuousenjoyment here or hereafter but for the redemption ofthe soul.

∞Á„U ÃŸ ∑§⁄U »§‹ Á’·ÿ Ÿ ÷Êß¸–Sflª¸©U SflÀ¬ •¢Ã ŒÈπŒÊß¸H

ìSensuous enjoyment, brethren, is not the be-all andend-all of human existence; even heavenly enjoyment isshort-lived and ends in sorrow.î

But many a man remits his Sådhanå (spiritual endeavour)considering destiny to be the main factor in God-realization,which is the highest end of human pursuit as well as inthe practice of piety. Such irreverent and doubting personsremain deprived of final beatitudeóthe highest end ofhuman pursuitóthrough, folly. They find happiness nowhere.

•ôÊ‡øÊüÊgœÊŸ‡ø ‚¢‡ÊÿÊà◊Ê ÁflŸ‡ÿÁÃ–ŸÊÿ¢ ‹Ê∑§Ê˘ÁSÃ Ÿ ¬⁄UÊ Ÿ ‚Èπ¢ ‚¢‡ÊÿÊà◊Ÿ—H

(G∂tå IV. 40)ìHe, who lacks discrimination, is devoid of faith, and

is at the same time possessed by doubt, is lost to the spiritualpath. For the doubting soul there is neither this world northe world beyond, nor even happiness.î

Therefore, resolving doubt through right knowledge, aman should make a supreme endeavour for the performanceof his duty.

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Devotion in the Form of Supreme LoveóNityalilalina Sri Hanumanprasad Poddar

As soon as Divine Love manifests itself in a person,it makes him mad. The devotee gets thoroughly intoxicatedwith this Love and begins to spend his days and nightsin singing the praises of his beloved Lord, in hearing Hisglory and in reflecting on His virtues. He remains obliviousof other external things. Just as a maniac talks and doeswhatever he likes, even so the Love-intoxicated devoteeremains merged in the thoughts and talks of the Lord; for,this is the one occupation to which his mind feels attracted.The Bhågavata saysó

oÎáflŸ˜ ‚È÷º˝ÊÁáÊ ⁄UÕÊXÔU¬ÊáÊ¡¸ã◊ÊÁŸ ∑§◊Ê¸ÁáÊ ø ÿÊÁŸ ‹Ê∑§–ªËÃÊÁŸ ŸÊ◊ÊÁŸ ÃŒÕ¸∑§ÊÁŸ ªÊÿŸ˜ Áfl‹îÊÊ Áflø⁄UŒ‚XÔU—H∞fl¢fl˝Ã— SflÁ¬˝ÿŸÊ◊∑§ËàÿÊ¸ ¡ÊÃÊŸÈ⁄UÊªÊ º˝ÈÃÁøûÊ ©UìÊÒ—–„U‚àÿÕÊ ⁄UÊÁŒÁÃ ⁄UÊÒÁÃ ªÊÿàÿÈã◊ÊŒflãŸÎàÿÁÃ ‹Ê∑§’ÊsÔ—H

(XI. 2. 39-40)ìHearing the blessed and universally known stories of

the birth and sports of Lord Vi¶ƒu, the Wielder of theDiscus, the devotee loses all sense of decorum and movesabout in the world unattached chanting in a loud voice theNames of God indicative of such sports. His heart meltsthrough Love as he habitually chants the Name of hisbeloved Lord in this way, and like one possessed, he nowbursts into peals of laughter, now weeps, now cries, nowsings aloud and now begins to dance in a singular way.î

Thus behaving like a mad man and filled with ecstasythe devotee sometimes assumes complete silence and sits

10 Kalyana-Kalpataru

motionless like a statue. But this suspended animationindicates only the supreme gratification of his desire. TheLord has manifested Himself within his heart, and thedevotee enraptured by the transcendent beauty of thatDivine Form gets absorbed in meditation.

Goswåm∂ Tulas∂dåsa, describing the condition of Sut∂k¶ƒa,saysó◊ÈÁŸ ◊ª ◊Ê¤Ê •ø‹ „UÊß ’Ò‚Ê– ¬È‹∑§ ‚⁄UË⁄U ¬Ÿ‚ »§‹ ¡Ò‚ÊH

(Månasa III. 9. 15)ìThe sage sat motionless on the way. Through excess

of joy his frame horripilated and assumed the appearanceof a jack fruit (the skin of which is covered with bristles).î

Such is the condition of the devotee when throughecstatic trance, he becomes one with the Lord. His mindand body get absolutely stilled. The soul gets enrapturedwith joy. Such is the condition of the Åtmåråma, one whois delighted in the Self. In this state of self-rejoicing, notrace of a thirst for worldly enjoyments is left within theheartó

Ÿ Á„U SflÊà◊Ê⁄UÊ◊¢ Áfl·ÿ◊ÎªÃÎcáÊÊ ÷˝◊ÿÁÃ–(›iva-Mahimna-Stotra)

He loses consciousness of everything else. This is thestate of Identity or Union reached through Love or Rasa(¬˝◊ÊmÒÃ or ⁄U‚ÊmÒÃ). Through Union with the Beloved, theLover loses his separate existence.

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Kinship with God óBrahmalina Swami Ramsukhdas

When a devotee, assumes that he is the Lordís and theLord is his, his defects such as worry, fear, sadness anddoubt, are rooted out. The reason is, that all defects arebased on his dependence on the world, including the body,and on his disinclination, for the Lord. As soon as hisaffinity, with the Lord gets a firm footing, all his defectsperish.

The criteria of oneís firm affinity, with the Lord arethe followingó

(1) FearlessnessóThe devotee who takes refuge in theLord, becomes free from external fear, as that of poisonoussnakes, scorpions, and wild beasts such as lion etc., andalso from internal fear, of evil propensities etc. A strivershould not have such a fear that his tendencies may beof evil nature, as by Godís grace, he becomes saturatedwith divine mercy. So, there is no question of any suchfear, for him. He could not purify his evil thoughts, as heregarded these as ëmineí. To regard these as oneís own,is impurity. He also becomes totally free from the greatestfear of death, from which even great scholars cannotescape. He perceives the Lordís grace everywhere.

Now, a doubt may arise, that when a devotee worshipsGod with exclusive devotion, it means that he regardshimself as different from God and as fear arises in dualityso he should be afraid of Him. But this doubt is baseless,because the devotee becomes so much intimate with theLord, that no question arises of his being afraid of Him.


He being the Lordís fragment, having taken refuge in Him,becomes fearless forever, like a child, who becomes fearlessin the lap of his mother. He is different from Prakæti(nature), not from Him. The Lord and he (self), are sentient,eternal, imperishable and unchanging, while Prakæti isinsentient, transient, perishable and everchanging. So hecan be afraid of nature, but not of the Lord. Actually, adevotee (self) has his identity with God, but he forgets it.And when he takes refuge in the Lord, he realizes thisfact.

(2) Freedom from sadness (sorrow):óA person,grieves over what has passed. To grieve over the past, isa blunder. A devotee, believes that whatever is allotted,cannot be blotted, and every action, incident or circumstance,destined by the Lord, is for his good. By thinking so, heremains free from sadness.

(3) Freedom from worry:óWhen a devotee takesrefuge in God, he is not at all worried about the necessitiesof life, here or what will happen to him in future. If hesurrenders himself to God, how can any worry remain?Worry is contrary to surrender. If there is worry, actuallythere is no surrender. The Lord declares, ìIíll release youfrom all sins.î What efforts does he need then? He is leastworried, whether his mind and intellect are purified or not.If sometimes evil propensities get hold of his mind, he mayinvoke the Lord to save him, but he does not at all worryor grieve. He becomes a yes-man of His will, because theLord, shoulders his full responsibility. If sometimes, he feelsthat body, senses, mind, life-breath and intellect are his,it is his error. He prays to God to deliver him, from thiserror and becomes free from worry.

(4) Freedom from doubt:óHe does not doubt, whetherhe is of the Lord or not, and whether the Lord has accepted

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him or not. He believes, that he has been of the Lord sincetime immemorial, and he will remain His. He holds, thatit was an error on his part that he had regarded himselfas separate from the Lord. But it is impossible, becausethe Lord declared, ìHe (the self) is a fragment of My ownselfî (G∂tå XV. 7). Thus, he has a belief that he is of theLord and the Lord is his, without doubt.

(5) Not to put to a test:óThe devotee, who takesrefuge in the Lord, does not put his surrender to a test,that he should possess such virtues; and if he does notpossess them, it means that he has not taken true refuge.He has a firm belief, that he has taken refuge in the Lordand so he is surprised, when he perceives that the signs ofa devotee, who is dear to the Lord (G∂tå XII. 13ó19), aremissing from him. By thinking so, he develops the marksof an enlightened devotee, without making any effort.

(6) Not to have a contrary resolution:óSuch adevotee, has no contrary resolution, that he is not of theLord. He has a firm belief, that his relationship with theLord is permanent and eternal, and he is only His. He wasnot conscious of this. It was his blunder. This relationshipis axiomatic. Now this blunder is no more. So, how canhe has a contrary belief ?

One who heartily accepts refuge in God, he becomesfree from evil, such as fear, grief and worry etc. and hisbelief in surrender, is intensified automatically.

A girl after her marriage regards her husbandís houseas her own. This relationship is so much strengthened, thatwhen she becomes a grandmother or great grandmother,she almost forgets that she belonged to another family.When the wife of her grandson or great grandson misbehavestowards any other member of the family, she scolds herby uttering the words, that a girl born in another family

Kinship with God


has spoiled the environment of her family. It means,that when such an assumed affinity is so strengthened,whyshould the real affinity of a man, with the Lord, not bestrengthened? His assumed affinity with the world is theonly obstacle to it.

If such a devotee, lacks anything in devotion orconduct; if he has contrary tendencies and his conduct isnot according to the Lordís will, there will be a feelingin his heart. God by His grace, will purge him of all sinsand will make up his deficiency and he need not makeany amends.

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Selfishness is the main cause of all the man-madetroubles in this world. Selfishness is not only the worstcrime but also the root of all the sins. We should,therefore, learn how to live for others and let others livefor the good of all.

óSwami Rama Tirtha

When the intellectuals and the capitalists of a countrybecome corrupt, the government of a country becomescorrupt. The government is generally run by the intellectualsand the capitalists. With the development of the characterof the intellectuals and the capitalists only, the nationcan develop.

EgolessnessóSwami Sharanananda

A Crystal Gaze and introspection of life would revealthat there is nothing really ours in ourselves; but when we,out of ignorance, assume anything in ourselves as ours,we become limited. Limitation leads to all sorts of differencesand misery. By holding our body, Pråƒa, sense-organs,mind, etc., as ëIí, we subject ourselves to the feeling ofdeath when these tools of ours inevitably perish. Nor dotheseóor any individual to whom we attach ourselves forthat matterñgain anything by such attachment. When wedetach ourselves from all these, then they too, begin tothrive in freedom. Whatsoever we attach our ëIí to, becomeslimited, and limitation makes a cesspool of the pure watersof love, breeding disease and death. Therefore, the primarytask before a spiritual aspirant is to annihilate or melt oneísego by deep thinking or by deep yearning for the Divinerespectively.

There is no Pravætti, however dear, of which man doesnot feel weary at one stage or another. One loves to eat,but at some stage one feels surfeited. One loves to walk,but at some stage one desires to rest. One loves to see,but at some stage one desires to close oneís eyes. Oneloves to hear, but at some stage one desires not to hear.Wealth appears attractive; but at some stage man says toit; ìNow you remain in the safe; I should like to sleepnowî. At some stage the lover seeks separation from thebeloved, the child from the mother and the mother fromthe child, friend from friendóall seeking separation for rest.


This shows that man can never be satisfied for all timewith any of the external thingsóreflections of the egoówhich sooner or later drive him to Nivætti.

Just as waterís awareness of itself remains unaffectedwhether the ocean is calm or foaming in waves, so doesoneís awareness of the Self remain unaffected while thebody and the mind automatically perform their functions.Work is not an obstacle to egoless living; what is anobstacle is, thinking about it in terms of the past and thefuture and the desire for its fruits. The boat floats on water,but if it is filled with water, it sinks.

Above all, if we examine deeply, we shall find thatnothing in us which we regard as ours, is really ours. Thebody is obviously a gift of the earth; the eyesight is a giftof the sun; the power of hearing is a gift of Akå‹a; themind is a tiny particle of the Cosmic Mind, and so on!These have got to be returned to their parent-stock. Fromthose who regard these as their own, they are snatched,leaving sorrow in the mind of the misappropriator. On theother hand, the wise Sådhaka who returns these to thosewhose gifts they are, through their service, finds himselfreleased from their bondage and flies like a bird to his realHome. Viveka has released him from all false identificationswith his body and mind, and taught him that all the partsplayed by him on the stage of changeful life, were justparts played, and not his real life.

That, what we consider as our power is not ours butthat of the Infinite, is evident from our experience ofexhaustion at each step, when the Infinite replenishes ourstrength, though concealing itself and allowing us to assumeit as our own. Such is His love for and kinship with us,though we are ungrateful enough not once to turn our backon these gifts and look at the Giver. If only once we would

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do it in the depth of our hearts, we would be rid of desires;and the body and the mind which stand impure by ourbelieving them to be ours, will become purified and betools of service of the Cosmos. No true service of the worldis possible without such self-purification. The limited egois only a centre of assumed relationships, which has to bedissolved by discharging the duties arising from thoserelationships. When these are faithfully discharged, thenonly arises the true self-enquiry, ëWho am I?î.

The hidden essence of the ëIí is indeed Truth, Goodnessand Beauty. That is why, when we identify our ëIí withany object, body or mind, they appear to be good andbeautiful. But in the very process, such assumed identification,with its limiting action, gives birth to desires and to impureSa∆kalpas. The limited ëIí, then, becomes a greater enemyto man than all the other adversaries put together. It is,therefore, essential for the spiritual aspirant to split the atomof the psyche, which is the ego; for the Peace of God isa state, not of the individual mind, but of a mind freedof individuality.

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Egolessness

One who is a friend to himself is a friend to the world,and the whole world also is a friend to him. ìThis selfis the friend of oneself, and this self is the enemy ofoneself,î says ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa in the G∂tå (VI. 5). That is tosay, pure mind is the cause of oneís Mukti and the impuremindóthat of bondage.

óSwami Virajananda

The Need to FearóS. Kothandaraman

There was a time when fear of punishment, meted outthen and there or years hence, or in some future life, wasregarded as worst that one had to face or faced in life.Everything went on smoothly, the family, father, son,husband, wife, mother, daughter, relatives, the teacher, thestudent, the public, faithful the functionaries, the public atlarge/society, the police, all feared the consequences andwere obedient, faithful, respectful, and their relationshipwas cordial and smooth. Those in schools, colleges, thestudents, teachers, parents of students, the public and thepolice, and their relationship were extraordinary, barring afew exceptions. The workers, the servants, the labourersrespectfully obeyed their Masters and employers, Theywere all not at loggerheads but were amicable, there wasan absolute disciplined obedience, in every walk of life.Almost all and every one was feared fear of punishmentfrom God for anything done or to be done; punishmentnow or later in life or in the next life. The society, thenwas not in disorder as it is today, and by and large leda simple life with negligible roughness and toughness. Allthese were possible and happened because of the ìfearîin each one of them, for facing the punishment. Not thefear of the impending danger but the fear of being punishedfor some wrong done to one or many, and the consequentialpossible isolation and neglect by the society, being left outas being a non-entity. The ìfearî then ruled the people,certainly to their advantage.

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The children feared their parents, took punishments fromthe parents for their minor/major misdeeds, wrongs andmistakes and other doings, as a matter of course andshuddered and afraid to repeat them, afraid to do anythingthat is unpalatable to the parents and dared not to do anythingwrong, and later grew as excellent member of the family,then as member of the Society. The relationship betweenhusband and wife was mostly cordial, except sporadicinstances of cruelty, mostly by the husband. Adjustment wasthe corner stone of bondage between them despite suchcruelties, and there were days when the wife feared thehusband and the elders in the best interests of the future ofthe family and the progeny and fear of being socially isolatedand neglected. The wife dare not to do anything that is notin the interests of her husband, her family, the parents forfear of being looked upon with contempt by the near anddear, losing relevance and identity in the society. Thestudents feared the teachers, obeyed them implicitly, tookthe punishments meted out to them in their stride, neverprotested, never made a hue and cry of it, taking them asa lesson for betterment of their future and in their best interest.Too many of those had come out successful in the walkof life, they chose. One and all, there were not many womencriminals then, in the society respected the police, fearedthem, at the thought of the harsh punishments etc. and therewere comparatively less and less crimes. It was considereda stigma and social shame if a police official visits a houseor a person is taken to a police station. A person returningfrom jail after serving even a small term of sentence, wasostracized/ abjured by even the kith and kin. The fear ofbeing a shamed. Nowadays people go to jails with all smilesand return more respectably. Not but the least, all withoutexception feared God, infants were told that God will punish

The Need to Fear


if some wrong is done to any, inculcating in them a senseof being good natured and mild mannered, the fear of Godwas infused and embedded in the mind when young, tetheredand controlled, the same stood the test of time and mouldedthem to be a god fearing and a disciplined person. As onegrew older, the greater was the application of the nourishedgood nature and it never left him and he dared not doanything against the society fearing punishment from God.They took responsibility of shaping their children in themanner they have grown. There were exceptions but thatwill not take way the credit that ìfearî infused and inculcatedin the minds of people tobe god fearing disciplined andworthier member of the society. That was history. We haveno fear of anybody or anything because today, we aresuffering from too much of freedem. Defiance and disobedience,be it the parents, the teachers, the leaders, the law, ordersof court et all, is the order of the day.

Today the position is reversed wholly because of theunpleasant, unsavoury ìexposureî everyone is having, theunlimited and unbridled ìfreedomî. The license everybodyhas, to do anything and everything, the mindset to disobey,all on account of the vast changes that had occurred inthe concept of family, the curriculum in the schools, thework environment, the outlook of the society, the patternof governing by the governing bodies, the media, bothvisual and audio, all aided by the selected few, parochial,petty minded. The level of protectionism, the patronizationof the undeserved, trivializing the important, undue importancefor too trivial things, making mountain of a mole, the allunsatiated ìsubsidizedî citizens, by the unprincipled rulingclass, have contributed to the present set up. All these suitsthose are considered necessary and not wrong, if one isto disobey parents, teachers, elders, Courts, orders, discard

21

well laid down traditions, to have unlimited licensedfreedom to have ones say and way and enjoy in the desiredmanner to do whatever one feels to do right or wrong,and to get away with it. There is also too much protective,unethical, ad hoc, short-sighted, favoured, hasty legislativeactions, almost legalizing many unacceptable social activities,which contributed to the present state of affairs and plight.Every new legislation brings with it new set of violators.

An inmate of a family, now even in the very shortenedfamily, even a boy/girl misbehaves, the parents/elders ifany, dare not control them by meting out punishments forsuch misbehaviour, lest it will be branded as domesticviolence, society all inclusive, is the watch dog. You areno longer the guardian shaping your own child. Arecalcitrant member becomes member of the society. Whatdo you expect from such a member?

A student misbehaves, the teacher cannot/dare notpunish him, if he does, the all inclusive society brands theteacher as a monster, giving corporal punishments to thehapless student, the student himself and or his/ her parents,with public and publicity, will denounce the teacher, therewill be gheraos, demonstrations, scenes of unruly behaviourincluding vandalism of the school, and the teacher will bepunished, by the society, the media and even by the schoolauthorities, for the misbehaviour of the student. What atravesty. Assault on the teacher in the name of the freedomof the student. Absence of fear begets an unruly and abelligerent future citizen.

The modern wife, having learned lessons from the pastby the male dominated society, never nowadays seems torespect the husband and the parents, leave alone fearingthem, barring a few exceptions, those days are gone, theysay, and take the slightest opportunity, to slight them, to

The Need to Fear


harass them with impunity, to get away (incompatibility isthe latest trend) from the matrimonial home in the nameof liberation from the tyranny of the male chauvinism, seethe evidence of flooded matrimonial cases/ dowry cases incourts. Who cares about the progeny?. Who cares aboutthe family, name and fame, culture or tradition or botheredabout shame? All in the name of equality and all thatmattered was free life, freedom from ìcruelî husband, herin-laws etc. That is the way of life they say. Lack of senseof adjustment and belonging or shame, and the absenceof fear of future.

Nowadays nobody fears the police either. Worst thepolice fear the politicians. It is another thing that there aresome criminals among politicians. Most people do not wantto obey law of the land or the law enforcing authorities,orders of courts, but precisely the other way round, theytake law in to their own hands and uphold their law, floutingimpunity. Police cannot act independently, will not beallowed to act independently, in any case, if it does, it willbe seen that crime is not punished. See the crimes committedday in and day out, on hourly basis across the states, reportedin the pages, page after page, of the daily papers/visualmedia, widely reported, discussed, debated and punished,and there are wise men for those occasions, and the worstpart of it is that nobody gets generally punished by the courts,barring some who have no clout or backing. Absence offear results in the pathetic state of affairs in the society.

The relegated, unimportant God is not feared at all, butcuriously, the most sought after one. The nearer the Godthe farther the faith, they say, but in todayís context it isapt to say, nearer the faith, farther is the fear of God. Leavealone feared, Selectively God is, not even spared of theignominy and slighted and spurned in the name of freedom

23

of expression. The irony of it, however, is all wants allbenefits and favours from God, but say sorry, no retributionplease. That is the trend. Absolute lack of tolerance,sincerity, sensibility, devotion, deep faith, et al foundwanting. It was because of fear of God, the fear ofpunishment for misdeeds/wrongs, against person andproperty, if not today but later, the society was betterplaced, by and large almost all, exceptions are always therewere trustworthy, honest, sincere, good natured, generous,loving and disciplined.

It is not to say, always fear or always do not fear, butone necessarily need to fear. There are occasions when oneneed to fear. There cannot by any straight jacket formulae.The children must fear the parents in their own interest,likewise, the students the teachers, the people the police,people the God. The absence of fear is the root cause fordisobedience. Mahåtmå should not be quoted here. Fearthose that need to be feared. Fear not the rest. Do not fearunder adverse circumstances, but be bold to face suchsituations, but do fear the consequences of such actions,do not fear to speak the truth but fear to tell blatant lies,do fear to commit any offence but do not fear to amend/compound, do not fear to be compassionate, do fear to begreedy but do not fear to be benevolent, do not fear totrust but fear to be ungrateful, fear to betray, do not fearto help others but fear to take on the recognition, do notfear to act in the interest of all concerned but fear to treadthe wrong path. Do fear to do evil, wrong actions, do notfear to share happiness and joy.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

The Need to Fear

Uddhava

Uddhava was a great friend of ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa and His lovingdevotee. He was sent to Brindaban by ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa with amessage to the Gop∂s whose hearts always yearned to see›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa in their midst and yet lived in constant communionwith Him under all circumstances. Gop∂s thronged roundUddhava when he reached the place and most impatientlyasked him questions about ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa. He gave them ›r∂Kæ¶ƒaís message full of words of high spiritual knowledge.ìThe all pervading Supreme is not confined to anyparticular place or thing. He is everywhere, immanent inall existences. See Him in all things and happenings.î TheGop∂s denied knowledge of this abstract, all-pervasivesomething; for, they said, they were simple rustics livingin villages and woods and they longed to look for theirplaymate ›yåmasundara with His charming face, lotus eyes,curly hair and sweet melodious music of the flute. Theysaid it was ›yåmasundara Whom they saw on the banksof the Jamunå, on the hill-tops, under the trees and in thebowers, here, there and everywhere. Uddhava was delightedto see in the Gop∂s so many living embodiments of perfectLove. He saw them all exceeding him in knowledge andself-awareness of the Supreme and placed the dust of theGop∂sí feet on his forehead. His love for ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa knewno bounds. He followed Him to Dwaraka and held aprominent place in the kingís cabinet. He wished to follow›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa during His final departure for, as he said, hecould not live even for half-a-second without Him. But ›r∂Kæ¶ƒa told him that he would be needed for His work in

25

the world even after. He had left it. He was present with›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa when at Prabhåsa on the bank of the Saraswat∂›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa departed from this world, leaving all Histeachings to Uddhava. Uddhava went to Badarikå‹rama asdirected by ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa and mourned and wept over hisseparation from ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa for a long time. Of him, ›r∂Kæ¶ƒa Himself said, ìAfter My departure from this world,Uddhava will preserve the knowledge I have unfolded. Heis in no way inferior to Me and he will give My teachingsto the world.î

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Uddhava

After you have the vision of God, you will find thateverything is Nåråyaƒa. It is Nåråyaƒa Himself who hasbecome everything.

Too much wealth makes one forget God. That is thevery nature of wealth.

óRamakrishna

By the peace of mind found in his presence and bythe sense of respect you feel for him, is the mark ofa competent Guru.

óSri Ramana Maharshi

Hymn to Mahådeva

„U øãº˝øÍ«U ◊ŒŸÊãÃ∑§ ‡ÊÍ‹¬ÊáÊ SÕÊáÊÊ Áª⁄UË‡Ê ÁªÁ⁄U¡‡Ê ◊„U‡Ê ‡Êê÷Ê–

÷ÍÃ‡Ê ÷ËÃ÷ÿ‚ÍŒŸ ◊Ê◊ŸÊÕ¢ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 1HO Mahådeva! O Thou Auspicious One, with the moon

shining in Thy crest!Slayer of Madana! Wielder of the trident! Unmoving

One! Lord of the Himålayas!O Consort of Durgå! Lord of all creatures! Thou

who scatterest the distress of the fearful!Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless

forest of this miserable world.„U ¬Êfl¸ÃËNUŒÿflÑU÷ øãº˝◊ÊÒ‹ ÷ÍÃÊÁœ¬ ¬˝◊ÕŸÊÕ Áª⁄UË‡Ê¡Ê¬–

„U flÊ◊Œfl ÷fl L§º˝ Á¬ŸÊ∑§¬ÊáÊ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 2HO Beloved of Pårvat∂ís heart! O Thou moon-

crested Deity!Master of every being! Lord of hosts! O Thou.

the Lord of Pårvat∂!O Våmadeva, Self-existent One! O Rudra, Wielder

of the bow!Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless

forest of this miserable world.„U ŸË‹∑§á∆U flÎ·÷äfl¡ ¬@fl∑˝§ ‹Ê∑§‡Ê ‡Ê·fl‹ÿ¢ ¬˝◊Õ‡Ê ‡Êfl¸–

„U œÍ¡¸≈U ¬‡ÊÈ¬Ã ÁªÁ⁄U¡Ê¬Ã ◊Ê¢ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 3HO Blue-throated God! ›iva, whose emblem is the

bull! O Five-faced One!Lord of the worlds, who wearest snakes about

Thy wrists! O Thou Auspicious One!O ›iva! O Pa‹upati! O Thou, the Lord of Pårvat∂!

27

Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackles forest of this miserable world.„U Áfl‡flŸÊÕ Á‡Êfl ‡ÊVÔU⁄U ŒflŒfl ªXÔUÊœ⁄U ¬˝◊ÕŸÊÿ∑§ ŸÁãŒ∑§‡Ê–’ÊáÊE⁄UÊãœ∑§Á⁄U¬Ê „U⁄U ‹Ê∑§ŸÊÕ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊÖ¡ªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 4H

O Lord of the universe! O ›iva ›a∆kara! O God of gods!

Thou who dost bear the river Ganges in Thy matted locks!

Thou, the Master of Pramatha and Nandika! O Hara, Lord of the world!

Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this miserable world.flÊ⁄UÊáÊ‚Ë¬È⁄U¬Ã ◊ÁáÊ∑§ÌáÊ∑§‡Ê flË⁄U‡Ê ŒˇÊ◊π∑§Ê‹ Áfl÷Ê ªáÊ‡Ê–‚fl¸ôÊ ‚fl¸NUŒÿÒ∑§ÁŸflÊ‚ ŸÊÕ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 5H

O King of Kå‹∂! Lord of the cremation ground of Maƒikarƒikå!

O mighty Hero! Thou, the Destroyer of Dak¶aís sacrifice! O All-pervasive One!

O Lord of hosts! Omniscient One, who art the sole Indweller in every heart! O God!

Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this miserable world.üÊË◊ã◊„UE⁄U ∑Î§¬Ê◊ÿ „U ŒÿÊ‹Ê „U √ÿÊ◊∑§‡Ê Á‡ÊÁÃ∑§á∆U ªáÊÊÁœŸÊÕ–÷S◊ÊXÔU⁄UÊªŸÎ∑§¬Ê‹∑§‹Ê¬◊Ê‹ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 6H

O Mahådeva; Compassionate One! Benign Deity!O Vyomake‹a! Blue-throated One! O Lord of hosts!Thou whose body is besmeared with ashes! Thou

who art garlanded with human skulls!Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless

forest of this miserable world.∑Ò§‹Ê‚‡ÊÒ‹ÁflÁŸflÊ‚ flÎ·Ê∑§¬ „U ◊ÎàÿÈTÿ ÁòÊŸÿŸ ÁòÊ¡ªÁÛÊflÊ‚–ŸÊ⁄UÊÿáÊÁ¬˝ÿ ◊ŒÊ¬„U ‡ÊÁÄÃŸÊÕ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 7H

Hymn to Mahådeva


O Thou who dwellest on Mount Kailå‹a! Thou whose carrier is the bull!

O Conqueror of death! O Three-eyed One! Lord of the three worlds!

Beloved of Nåråyaƒa! Slayer of lust! Thou, ›aktiís Lord!

Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this miserable world.ÁflE‡Ê ÁflE÷flŸÊÁ‡ÊÃ ÁflEM§¬ ÁflEÊà◊∑§ ÁòÊ÷ÈflŸÒ∑§ªÈáÊÊÁ÷fl‡Ê–„U ÁflEflãœÈ ∑§L§áÊÊ◊ÿ ŒËŸ’ãœÊ ‚¢‚Ê⁄UŒÈ—πª„UŸÊîÊªŒË‡Ê ⁄UˇÊH 8H

Lord of the universe! Refuge of the whole world! O Thou of infinite forms!

Soul of the universe! O Thou in whom repose the infinite virtues of the world!

O Thou adored by all! Compassionate One! O Friend of the poor!

Rescue me, helpless as I am, from the trackless forest of this miserable world.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Having been born in this rare human life, try to findHim, by finding Whom everything is obtained andnothing else remains to be gained. Strive to know Him,by knowing Whom everything becomes known andnothing else remains to be known. Love Him, by lovingWhom all other objects of loveóall attachment toëWoman and Goldíóappear to be but dust and ashes.Build up your life in such a way that you may attaindeathless life.

óSwami Virajananda

An Ideal Character of Lord RåmaóV. Ramanathan

One need not delve deep into Itihåsas, Puråƒas toknow that ›r∂ Råma is the one ideal man of character,worthy of emulation, the Puru¶ottama, the Maryådåpuru¶a,Cakravart∂ Tirumagan.

In BålakåƒŒa of Ådikåvya, the sinner turned SaintVålm∂ki asks Sage Nårada:

∑§Ù ãflÁS◊Ÿ˜ ‚Êê¬˝Ã¢ ‹Ù∑§ ªÈáÊflÊŸ˜ ∑§‡ø flËÿ¸flÊŸ˜–œ◊¸ôÊ‡ø ∑Î§ÃôÊ‡ø ‚àÿflÊÄÿÙ ŒÎ…Ufl˝Ã—H

(V. R. I. 1. 2)Sage Nårada in reply describes the superior qualities

in ›r∂ Råma in these verses in BålakåƒŒa:ßˇflÊ∑È§fl¢‡Ê¬˝÷flÙ ⁄UÊ◊Ù ŸÊ◊ ¡ŸÒ— üÊÈÃ—–

* * *’ÈÁh◊ÊŸ˜ ŸËÁÃ◊ÊŸ˜ flÊÇ◊Ë üÊË◊ÊÜ¿UòÊÈÁŸ’„Ô¸áÊ—–

(V. R. I. 1. 8-9)(annihilator of foes of common man and woman, Åstikas)........‚àÿ‚¢œ‡ø ¬˝¡ÊŸÊ¢ ø Á„UÃ ⁄UÃ—– (as a king, aiming for the welfareof the common man)óThis is the need of the hour in thisBhåratavar¶aó‚◊Èº˝ ßfl ªÊê÷Ëÿ¸ œÒÿ¸áÊ Á„U◊flÊÁŸfl (V. R. I. 1. 17).In SundarakåƒŒa, ›r∂ Hanumån describes ›r∂ Råma as:

Ã¡‚Ê˘˘ÁŒàÿ‚¢∑§Ê‡Ê— ˇÊ◊ÿÊ ¬ÎÁÕflË‚◊—–’Î„US¬ÁÃ‚◊Ê ’ÈhKÊ ÿ‡Ê‚Ê flÊ‚flÊ¬◊—H⁄UÁˇÊÃÊ ¡Ëfl‹Ê∑§Sÿ..........................................

(V. R. V. 35. 9-10)In character building the role of mother and teacher

cannot be over emphasized. ›r∂ Råma got his initiation intothe rules of administration and life from Guru Vasi¶¢ha in


ëYogavå‹i¶¢ha.í Values in life alone strengthen character inman; moral and ethical values must be woven together,virtue must be another face of character. One must be aman of values in life and not just a successful person.

S∂tå beloved of ›r∂ Råma, living in the shadow of herhusband as a dutiful wife ( ‚„UœÌ◊áÊË œ◊¸¬àŸË, sharing half ofall Råmaís good deeds and Puƒya) glowed with a haloof supreme power. Perhaps, she knew that ›r∂ Råma tookbirth as a human being only to destroy evil Råvaƒa andhence she chose to follow her husband to forest to be takenaway by the evil one. S∂tå is gusty, stands up and speaksher mind and if her decision, suggestion proves wrong, sheapologizes or pays for it. (Questioning the intentions ofLak¶maƒa when he refused to heed to the call of ›r∂ Råmafollowing Mår∂ca.) A person of character, she refuses theoffer of ›r∂ Hanumån to carry her on his back to ›r∂ Råma,saying boldly that none but her husband can touch heróin the matter of Råvaƒa she was taken by force.

All religions place faith in character of man. A manof character does have among others the following distinctions:

Wisdom, truth, temperance, courage, justice andcontentment, humility (not considering one superior to anyother) non-injury, modesty, respecting all others as part ofhumanity, divinity, service to humanity, purity in life,steadfastness and self-control, forbearance (not to getoffended or affected by the wrongs done by others),harmonising oneís thoughts and deeds, with intent to rightconduct, unswerving perseverance to mould oneís character,self-control as opposed to self-indulgence, perfect mind andethical spirituality. As per Ådi‹a∆kara: knowledge, power,and merit are characteristics of such a man. Man ofcharacter is always a winner. Man of character first knowshimself, and works for good of one and all. Positive energy

31

develops positive thoughts and results too. Man of characterhas a spiritual mind, he gifts with no expectation of thanks,leaving recipient free of any obligations. Gratefulnessshould be a feeling of thankfulness and not returning a gooddeed by another.

The leaders of men, law-makers in parliament shouldimbibe these words of wisdom to serve the common man,the voters and the nation by desisting from exploiting thepoor and indigent for self aggrandizement. These wordsshould be the guiding principle of judicial officers high andlow when dispensing justice without fear or favour. Thenalone would we have real Råmaråjya: in Malayalamfolklore, such a situation prevailed when all subjects weretreated by the King Mahåbal∂ as equal without anyreference to gender, creed, faith, rich or poor.

A man of character sows a thought, reaps an action,sows a habit, reaps a character, sows a character harvestsa destiny. Builds character by cultivating virtues, virtuouslife alone is a meaningful life.

Character building must not just be an idea, but a livingforce. Govern all your actions by making them suitable forthe betterment of society.

How to build character? Base all your actions in a seriesof eternal timeless principles. To build character one needsindustry, compassion, humility, patience, honesty, courage,actions must be congruent, aligned with true principles,sense of inner harmony for peaceful results. Such actionshould be in accordance with laws of nature and beuniversal. Man of character taps into the energy of anotherdimension of a higher power beyond us, moving from themundane and ordinary to the realms of the extraordinary,feeling the sacredness of oneís being. This must be thefirst step to enlightenment and character building. Do the

An Ideal Character of Lord Råma


right things, act in a manner congruent to your true nature,act with integrity, guided by your heart.

Man of character when faced with others treating himless than ordinary, takes it as an opportunity to realize histrue stature and worth. Do not humour others or prove otherswrong. But become enriched in character in the process.

Citta‹uddhi is another essential of such a man to realizethat just being busy is not being alive, happiness is a choiceand not an achievement in life.

Our national motto: “‚àÿ◊fl ¡ÿÃ ŸÊŸÎÃ◊˜”ó Truth alone andnot untruth triumphs: is indeed the fundamental quality ina man of character.

Is there need for men/women of character in this India,that is Bharat? The answer is a big yes. In all sections,all spheres of society in administrationóofficialdom, judiciary,politics, to mention a few we need men of character,integrity, steadfastness, if the nation is to move forwardand occupy its due place of leadership and importance inthe comity of nations.

It is the duty of one and all to identify the manyìRåmaís among the youth of India and cherish and nourishthem; the mothers singing lullabies to the children of anevening have the duty to glorify the great Avatåra Puru¶aswho lived in this År¶a Bharat: Bharata who refused toascend the throne rightfully belonging to elder brother: S∂tåDev∂ leading a life of Yogin∂ in A‹oka Vana surviving onthoughts ›r∂ Råma.

The youth of India in millions who are the life-breathof a prosperous forward looking nation, should carry thisgreat legacy left us by the sages of yore.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Way to BlessednessóSwami Krishnananda

This important factor is forgotten by the modern man,however much educated he may be. He has refused to walkfreely with the workings of the Spiritual Nature and hasattempted his best to centre himself in the state ofindividualised existence. The misery of the present-dayworld may be attributed to this constrictive tendency in thehuman being, which is ever trying to block the way ofthe expansion of the spiritual consciousness. The case ofthe half-baked material science and psychology may bespecially mentioned here as being one of the forces,obstructive to the happy process of Truth-realisation. Theills caused by wrong methods of education, the social andpolitical strifes, the individual evils and the world-degenerationare all effected by the one terrible fact that humanity hasturned against the law of the Spiritual Reality. So long asthis self-destructive tendency of the human mind is notcontrolled, and man is not shown the correct way ofprocedure, the unhappy world has to be contented withits fate. The remedy lies in our being sincere in takingrecourse to the direct method of such Realisation here andnow. Humanity has to be cent-per-cent spiritual. Those whothink that they are doing injustice to the world through theiract of Self-realisation, have naturally to be regarded ashaving not gone above the credulity of childhood. For, theyhave forgotten that the Self which is the Absolute, includesthe whole universe and far transcends it. It is the obtainingof everything, and not the losing of anything. The welfare


of society rests in its spirituality. Society is a formation ofbodies, effected through the unconscious spiritual bondexisting among beings belonging to the same genus orspecies. The social bond is stronger among those who thinkalike and who practise the same conduct. This bond is thestrongest among those who are in the same level of thedepth of consciousness. All this is a feeble reflection ofthe essential nature of the indivisibility of Existence whichis One. Human beings have to know and act accordingto this spiritual law, and its acceptance should not be merelyfor the purpose of academical research, but has to be thefoundation of the daily life of everyone in general. Unityin the world necessitates a heart-to-heart feeling of onenessamong its inhabitants. This is the need of the hour. Thisis the task of the political and the religious heads. Thisis what is going to pave the way of blessedness to thewhole universe.

The Upani¶ads are our guide-lights in this supremepursuit. Let us understand and follow them with sincerity,faith, calmness, surety and persistence.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Be grateful to the man you help, think of him asGod. Is it not a great privilege to be allowed to worshipGod by helping your fellow men?

óSwami Vivekananda

Bhakti as the Essence of ReligionóKhagendranath Mitra

Bhakti or love of God is not the monopoly of anyreligion. Bhakti is not a sectarian principle. There is anundercurrent of Bhakti in all the enlightened religioussystems of the world. In fact, there is hardly any faith whichdoes not openly or tacitly enjoin love of the SupremeBeing. In Judaism, sacrifices were regarded as all-importanttill the prophet Isaiah proclaimed that God does not wantthe bloody sacrifices but He wants pure heartís devotion.Then Jesus Christ came and openly preached the love ofGod. In Hinduism, the Paramåtmå is declared in one ofthe earliest ›rutis as ìdearer than son, dearer than wealthand dearer than all elseîó

¬˝ÿ— ¬ÈòÊÊÃ˜, ¬˝ÿÊ ÁflûÊÊÃ˜, ¬˝ÿÊ˘ãÿS◊ÊÃ˜ ‚fl¸S◊ÊÃ˜–›åƒŒilya and Nårada speak of the relation with God

as in essence a relation of love.‚Ê ¬⁄UÊŸÈ⁄UÁQ§⁄UËE⁄U–

ëBhakti is the highest love of the finite soul towardsGodí or

‚Ê ∑§S◊Ò ¬⁄U◊¬˝◊M§¬Ê–ëBhakti is in essence love in its highest and purest form

towards someone.íIn the Bhagavadg∂tå a complete code is given for the

first time as containing the requisites of the devotee or theBhakta in the twelfth discourse and elsewhere. In ordinaryparlance we speak of emotion as an easier approach to God.But the Bhagavadg∂tåís standard opens our eyes to therequirements, which are necessary for this emotional discipline.


The G∂tå says in so many words that the first requisitefor a devoted life is the control of the passions. Then thelife passes through the whole gamut of Yåga or sacrifice,Dåna or gifts to the needy, absence of all self-interest,Peace, Ahi≈så or non-violence. The devotee must riseabove all desires of gain, greed and power; he must noteven have a personal interest in his own property; he mustbe free from egotism and pride, and concentrate his mindon God alone. He must look upon friends and enemiesalike; he must disregard personal abuse and praise. In short,all his actions, thoughts and feelings must centre roundKæ¶ƒaó

ÿà∑§⁄UÊÁ· ÿŒ‡ŸÊÁ‚ ÿÖ¡È„UÊÁ· ŒŒÊÁ‚ ÿÃ˜–ÿûÊ¬SÿÁ‚ ∑§ÊÒãÃÿ Ãà∑È§L§cfl ◊Œ¬¸áÊ◊˜H

(G∂tå IX. 27)ìO Arjuna, let all that you do, all that you eat, all that

you offer as oblation, all that you give away, and allTapasyå you perform in obedience to the injunctions ofyour Dharma be completely surrendered to Me.î

In Southern India, there was a sect of Alvårs, whopreached the doctrine of Love. These Alvårs came mostlyfrom non-Bråhmaƒas, and the most famous of them was›a¢akopaswåm∂ or Nammå Alvår, who preached a self-forgetful love towards Vi¶ƒu as the highest criterion of apious life.

In the South, the disciples of the Alvårs did notrecognize the authority of the Vedas or of any Sanskrittext but regarded the Tamil Veda, i.e., the canonicalliterature of the Tamil saints as the only authoritativescripture. Nåthamuni is said to have arranged the songsof Alvårs; Yåmunåcårya, who was the teacher of Råmånuja,became known as Alavandår, which means victor, afterdefeating the court poet, Kolåhala. Yåmunåcårya wrote the

37

ëAlavandår Stotraí in celebration of his victory. Thesehymns are overflowing with love of God. Råmånuja, whoflourished in the eleventh century, preached the worshipof a loving God.

In the sixteenth century ›r∂ Caitanya preached thedoctrine of Love as Prema-Bhakti. He and his followersóRµupa, Sanåtana and J∂va Goswåm∂ subjected the conceptionof Bhakti to a very critical analysis and came to theconclusion that love, such as the Vrajagop∂s conceived forKæ¶ƒa, was the summum bonum of a manís religious life.They accepted the following as the definition of Bhaktió

•ãÿÊÁ÷‹ÊÁ·ÃÊ‡ÊÍãÿ¢ ôÊÊŸ∑§◊Ê¸lŸÊflÎÃ◊˜–•ÊŸÈ∑Í§ÀÿŸ ∑Î§cáÊÊŸÈ‡ÊË‹Ÿ¢ ÷ÁÄÃL§ûÊ◊ÊH

ìThe highest kind of Bhakti consists in freedom fromall desires and in arraying out the wishes of God and isunconnected with J¤åna and Karma (that is, knowledgeand action).î

Knowledge, if it consists of the analysis of the relationof the finite and the Infinite makes pure Bhakti impossible;for that discrimination is really difficult and leads to a blindalley. Similarly the due performance of actions such assacrifices and daily rites (e.g. Pµujå etc.) does not allow oneto concentrate oneís mind on the conception of God suchas Bhakti requires. The ultimate dependence on knowledgeleads, as in the case of ›a∆karåcårya, to a dry-as-dustphilosophy, and dependence on mere observances leads, asin the case of Kumårila Bha¢¢a, to a practical machanism,Bhakti steers her course in between them. Not that knowledgeis dispensed with, not that the practical observances lead tonothing; but they are both useful in their own way and helpthe wandering souls to follow the path of Bhakti.

›r∂ Caitanya, born in Navadw∂pa towards the end ofthe 15th century, a contemporary of Martin Luther, realized

Bhakti as the Essence of Religion


in his own life the emotional raptures of the milkmaids ofVrindavan. He realized the intense feeling of separationexperienced by Rådhå Herself and tears flowed in copiousstreams, consciousness was suspended, hairs stood onendóexactly those that were experienced by the Christianmystics and the Mohammedan Sufis.

The novel feature in Caitanyaís preaching is that helaid stress on a sort of passionate love for Godóexactlyas it is found in a lover and his sweetheart.

¬⁄U√ÿ‚ÁŸŸË ŸÊ⁄UË √ÿª˝ÊÁ¬ ªÎ„U∑§◊¸‚È–ÃŒåÿÊSflÊŒÿàÿãÃŸ¸fl‚XÔU⁄U‚ÊÿŸ◊˜ H

ìJust as a woman in illicit love, enjoys in her heartthe love delights, even when busy with her householdduties, so does the devotee engaged in his secular pursuits,enjoy the blissful thoughts of God.î

Bengal Vaisnavism, so far as preached by ›r∂ Caitanya,inculcates the importance of two elementsóNåma andPremaóthe name of the Lord and love of God.

This is known as the Theory of Devotion or theDoctrine of love. The name of God repeatedly pronouncedby the devotee brings forth attachment (Rati) and then love,which is regarded as the summum bonum of religious life.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Live in a such way that day by day we become abetter and a better person more and more an ideal humanindividual.

Read and Digest

Religious tussels are caused only by those who do notpractise their own religion in life.

* * *Wisdom is useless, even harmful if we do not act upto

it.* * *

Thousands of lives can be sacrificed for the man whosewords and heart are one.

* * *To forget the selfish desire, is to get all your desires

fulfilled.* * *

When your heart is filled with divine light, sweet andmelodious tunes are sure to come out of you.

* * *A Religion does not teach us to fight with others. The

first principle of every religion is to know and feel Godíspresence everywhere.

* * *Anger and worries are like diseases in living beings.

* * *You have no right or justification to infect others with

your anger, hatred or sorrow.* * *

To be attached to the worldly temptations is, to lickthe emptied plates at the dining table.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Hinduism cannot Be BrandedAnti-Secular

óT. N. Pandey

Dr. Subramanian Swamyís recent statements concerningconstruction of Ram temple at Ayodhya by the year endhas evoked vociferous adverse comments from some parties,labeling the same as communal and anti-secular, despitethe fact that in a seminar in Delhi University hall on09.01.2016, he has clarified that the temple will be constructed,not forcibly but after winning the legal battle pending beforethe Supreme Court. Yet, some sections of the students stagedprotests, shouting slogans and charging the BJP-led Govt.of polarizing the minds and intending to disturb the communalharmony. This raises the broader issue whether the followersof Hinduism, constituting nearly 80% of the population ofIndia, are not entitled to build a temple for worship whenthe Apex Court of the country, in a series of decisions hasheld that Hinduism ëdoes not satisfy the narrow traditionalfeatures of any religion or creed and broadly be describedas a way of life and nothing moreí (vide Gajendragadkar,C. J. of the Supreme Court in Sastri Y. and Ors. v. MuldasBhudardas Vaishya and Anr. AIR 1966 SC 1119.

2. There have been umpteen debates, discussions andelucidations in dictionaries and by academicians, learnedauthors and courts as to who are ëHindusí and whatëHinduismí means. The Encyclopedia of Religion andEthics, in Vol. VI has described ëHinduism as that form ofreligion, which prevails amongst the vast majority of thepresent population of the Indian Empireí (p. 686). According

41

to Dr. Radhakrishnan, ëThe Hindu civilization is so-calledsince its original founders or earliest followers occupied theterritory drained by the Sindhu (the Indus) river systemcomprising of NEFP and Punjab. This is recorded in the§Rgvedaóthe oldest of the Vedas, the Hindu Scriptures,which give their name to this period of Indian history. Thepeople on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hinduby the Persian and the later Western Invaders (ìThe Hinduway of Lifeî by Dr. Radhakrishnan ( p. 12).

3. The genesis of the term ëHinduí has been explainedby M. Williams thus:ó

ì.......The Hindu religion is a reflection of the compositecharacter of Hindus, who are not one people but many. Itis based on the idea of universal receptivity. It has aimedat accommodating itself to circumstances and has carried onthe process of adaptation through more than 3,000 years.It has first borne with and then, so to speak imbibed, digestedand assimilated something from all creeds (Religious Thoughtand Life in India by Monier Williamsî (p. 57).

4. Mulla in his ëPrinciples of Hindu Lawí at page 671(14th edition) has explained the concept of Hindu thus:ó

ìThe word ëHinduí does not denote any particularreligion or community. During the last hundred years andmore it has been a nomenclature used to refer comprehensivelyto various categories of people for purposes of personal law.It has been applied to dissenters and non-conformists andeven to those, who have entirely repudiated Brahmanism. Ithas been applied to various religious sects and bodies whichat various periods and in circumstances, developed out ofor split off from, the Hindu system but whose members havenevertheless continued to live under the Hindu law and theCourts have generally put a liberal construction uponenactments relating to the personal laws applicable to Hindus.î

Hinduism cannot Be Branded Anti-Secular


5. Toynbee in ìThe Present Day Experiment in WesternCivilizationî has elaborated about Hinduism in the followingmanner:ó

ìWhen we pass from the plane of social practice to theplane of intellectual outlook, Hinduism too comes out wellby comparison with the religions and ideologies of the South-West Asian group. In contrast to these, Hinduism has thesame outlook as the pre-Christian and pre-Muslim religionsand philosophies of the Western half of the old world. Likethem, Hinduism takes it for granted that there is more thanone valid approach to truth and to salvation and that thesedifferent approaches are not only compatible with each other,but are complementary.î (pp. 48-49)

6. In a two-judges decision, pronounced on 16.12.2015,Ranjan Gogai, J., has again reiterated the broader conceptof Hinduism thus:ó

ìHinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of beliefwithout mandating the selection or elimination of any onesingle belief. It is a religion that has no single founder; nosingle scripture and no single set of teachings. It has beendescribed as Sanåtana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as itis the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries thatHinduism seeks to preach and propagate.î

6.1 A religion, thus, described cannot be ëanti-secularíor ëcommunalí.

7. Now, it needs to be seen what could be consideredësecularismí in the context of Indian Constitution?

In the Constitutional scheme, secularization is something,which guarantees equality in the matter of religion to allindividuals and groups irrespective of their faith emphasizingthat there is no religion of the State itself. The Preambleof the Constitution read in particular with Articles 25 to 28emphasizes this aspect and indicates that it is in this manner

43

the concept of secularism embodied in the constitutionalscheme as a creed adopted by the Indian people, has to beunderstood while examining the constitutional validity of anylegislation on the touchstone of the Constitution. The conceptof secularism is one facet of the right to equality woven asthe central golden thread in the fabric depicting the patternof the scheme in our Constitution (Dr. M. Ismail Faruquiv. UOI, AIR 1995 SC 605óThe Ayodhya case).

7.1 From the concepts of Hindu and Hinduism andsecularism explained, the desire to construct a temple ofëRamaí as per courtís decision or speaking about it, cannotbe branded as anti-secular, specially in the background ofArticles 25 to 30 of the Constitution, providing fundamentalright to freedom of religion.

In Bhagwan Koer v. J.C. Bose ILR 1904 Cal 11, it washeld that Hindu religion is marvellously catholic and elastic.Its theology is marked by eclecticism and tolerance andalmost unlimited freedom of private worship........

7.2 In Dr. Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo v. PrabhakarKashinath Kunte and Ors. with Bal Thackeray v. P.Kashinath Kunte and Ors., AIR 1996 SC 113, dealing withRepresentation of People Actósection 123ósub-sections(3) and (3A), a 3 judges Bench of the SC, headed by J.S.Verma J. has said that mere use of the word ëHindutvaí orëHinduismí or mention of any other religion in an electionspeech does not bring it within the net of Sub-section (3)and or subjection (3A) of Section 123 unless the speech canbe construed as an appeal to vote for a candidate on theground that he is a Hindu or refrain from voting on theground that he is non-Hindu.

8. Concluding commentsóThe foregoing discussion demonstrates that it is a fallacy

as well as an error of law to presume that any reference



to Hindu, Hinduism or Hindutva in any conversation orspeech is opposed to the other religions or that the use ofthese words per se depicts an attitude of hostility to others,practising other religions. All matters are to be examinedin this background. Use of these words cannot be taken asprofessing of communalism.

8.1 As regards secularism, the elucidation given earlier,shows that the essentials to ensure secularity mentioned inthe Preamble to the Constitution are:ó

* Equality in the matter of religion:ó* There is no religion of the State itself.8.2 The Preamble read in particular with Articles 25 to

30 of the Constitution emphasizes the right to practice anyreligion one likes. Secularism is merely one facet of the rightof equality woven as the Central Golden threat in the fabric,depicting the pattern of the scheme in the Constitution. Inhis ìIndian Muslimsî, ìThe need for a positive outlookî,Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1994) has said ìOrdinarilyHindutva is understood as a way of life or state of mindand it is not to be equated with or understood as religiousHindu fundamentalismî.

8.3 Bharucha, J. in Dr. M. Ismail Faruquiís case (supra)in the separate opinion for himself and Ahmadi, J. (as hethen was), observed as under:ó

ìHinduism is a tolerant faith. It is that tolerance that hasenabled Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Buddhism,Jainism, and Sikhism to find shelter and support upon thisland......î

8.4 Occasionally, objections are raised when certainwritings of great authors of some religions are prescribedin school/college syllabi by the Govt. on the ground thatsuch action is anti-secular because these are religiousinstructions. The reply to this has been given by the SC in

45

the case of DAV College v. State of Punjab (AIR 1971SC 1731, where objections were taken to a provision in theGurunånaka University, Amritsar Act of 1969 for study andresearch on the lines and teachings of Gurunånaka and theircultural and religious impact in the context of national andworld civilizations on the ground that such a provisionwould propagate Sikh religion and would violate the rightsof Writ Petitioners guaranteed under Article 30 (1) of theConstitution. The violation of Articles 14 and 19 (1) (c) wasalso pleaded. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Courtrepelled the challenges saying:ó

ìReligious instruction is that which is imparted forinculcating the tenets, the rituals, the observances, ceremoniesand modes of worship of a particular sect or denomination.To provide for academic study of life and teaching or thephilosophy and culture of any great saint of India in relationto or the impact on the Indian and world civilization cannotbe considered as making provision for religious instructionsî.

Hinduism, having been described as a way of life,prescriptions to improve it cannot be anti secular. Secularismhas been inserted in the Preamble by reason of the Constitution(42nd Amendment) Act, 1976. The object of inserting thesaid word was to spell out expressly the high ideas ofsecularism and the integrity of the nation. Secularism doesnot mean the constitution of an atheist or theocratic society.It merely means equal status of all religions without anypreference in favour of or discrimination against any of them(M. P. Gopåla Kæ¶ƒa v. State of Kerala, AIR 205SC 3053).

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


Reward of Benevolence and Sincerity

Dobrive completed his studies. It was his birthday. Onthat occasion, a lot of gifts piled up at their house. Hisfather toldóìSon! your studies are complete. Now youshould earn wealth in the world. Till now you were a nice,valorous, intelligent and studious student. This is like a bigtreasure for you. I have faith in your ability. Go and prosperin the world.î

Dobrive was overwhelmed with joy. Offering hisreverence to his parents, he moved towards a beautiful ship.

His ship was speeding in the middle of the breaker ofthe ocean. On the way, he confronted with a Turkish ship.When his ship approached nearer to one of Turkey, heheard people on board, crying in pain. He asked loudlyto Turkish CaptainóìBrother! why people on board onyour ship are weeping? Whether they are hungry or sick?î

ìNo they are slave and imprisoned, they are being takento be soldî, replied the Turkish Captain.

Dobrive toldóìWait, we could, possibly reach at anunderstanding.î Turkish Captain saw ship of Dobrive wasladden with mercantile goods. He agreed to exchange theship. Dobrive started sailing with Turkish ship. He askedall the prisoners addresses of their origin and dropped themall at their respective places. But a beautiful girl and hercompanion, an old lady were unable to tell their origin.Their native place was far away and route was also notknown. The girl told that ìI am the daughter of RussianCzar and this old lady is my maidservant. Now it is almostimpossible for me to return to my native place, thus, I want

47

to earn my livelihood in any distant country.îDobrive toldóìPretty girl! You will have nothing to

worry, if you marry me.îThe girl was enamoured of the handsome and simple-

looking Dobrive and agreed.When the ship harboured before his home, Dobriveís

father came to meet him. His son toldóìFather! see, howI have made good use of your wealth. I have made somany suffering people happy and I have brought the mostbeautiful bride, before whom hundred ships will prove ofno value.

Joyous face of his father turned in anger after hearingthis and he scolded him.

Thinking that the boy has grown up now wise enough,after sometime the father prepared another mercantile shipand instructed to proceed him.

On arrival at another port, what Dobrive noticed thatpoor people are being confined by some soldiers and theirchildren are weeping. On inquiry, it was revealed that statehas levied some tax, which they are unable to pay andthat is why, they are being imprisoned. Dobrive sold entiregoods of his ship, paid the tax and got all of them released.

On his return to his home, his father was so madlyannoyed that he ousted Dobrive, his wife and old maidservantfrom his house. But neighbours somehow or the otherpacified him.

For the third time, father told Dobrive, ìLook at yourwife, if you repeat the foolish act, remember, this last chancewill slip out of your hand and you all have to starve.î

This time Dobrive embarked on his ship and he reachedon a harbour quiet far away. As he disembarked, he noticeda princely dressed man is on stroll and looking at himwistfully. On reaching nearer to him, he told Dobrive, ìThe



ring which you are wearing, is similar to that one of mydaughterís ring, where did you get it from? This ring isof Russian Czarís daughter. Come and tell me the story.î

The Czar and his subordinate became free from anxietyand were assured that missing daughter of Czar is nowthe wife of Dobrive. Czar was overwhelmed with joy andtold to Dobrive, ìYou will get half of my empire.î Heordered Dobrive to bring his wife and parents. He alsosent his subordinate along with enough presentations.

This time Dobriveís father did not utter a single word,rather, all were very happy and departed for Russia on aship.

Czarís subordinate was very envious. He pushedDobrive from the ship. ëShip was sailing fast. In the pursuitof reaching ashore, Dobrive motioned his hands and feetfuriously. Fortunately a wave of water brought him on theshore.

But he saw here a strange rock. Somehow, he managedto survive for next three days. On fourth day, a fisherman, inhis boat, was passing by that route. Dobrive narrated theentire episode. The fisherman agreed to take him to theRussian Port on one condition that whatever Dobrive willget, he has to part with half of the same to the fisherman.

The boat reached the other side of the sea. Dobriveentered the palace. Czar was very happy. Dobrive requestedhim, ìTo pardon his subordinate for his misconduct.î Onthe magnanimity of Dobrive, Czar gifted him entire empireand he spent his rest of life in adoration of Almighty ina lonely place.

The day of Dobriveís crowning. one old fishermanappeared before him and toldóìSir, you have promisedme to give half of the wealth which you would get.î

Dobrive could have ousted the old man from his Royal

49

Court with the help of guards, if he so wished. But hewelcomed and toldóìYes, Sir! Come in, first go throughthe map of the Estate, let us share it half-half and thenwe will go and share the treasure in same proportion.î

Suddenly white hair of the old man turned in goldencolour, dressed in white, he toldóìDobrive! God is alwayskind to those who have kind heartî and saying this, hedisappeared.

Keeping the wordings of the Angel as guide, Dobriveruled his Estate with peace. All inhabitant under his rulelived in comfort and ease.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


Lord Byoon was hooted in England and was not evenallowed to pass through the streets. The people loathedhis presence, but the last scenes of his life were so nobleand heroic that the English people began to love him.

Whatever is sweet and good for the people, whichis truthful, which is for the welfare of all, utter only suchwords.

Until scholarship has made some impact in ourcharacter, it is nothing.

óSwami Lokeswarananda

After All Life is Eternal!(Sat-Cit-Ånanda)

óProf. Sudesh Gogia

Lifeís a beautiful mysteryJust live it, live in the momentYouíll taste the totality of lifeYouíll celebrate life.

Donít try to understand its mysteryNor be baffled by its mysterious wayLove the voyage of lifeís journeyWhich is full of joy and ecstasy.

Inner poise, harmony and silenceAre the real celebrationsSpirituality is harmonious and harmony becomes

spiritualityThe essence of love and compassion.

Past is goneBut has taught you many lessons,What you should be doingWhat you should not.

Some pain some struggleBrought you some depthJoy, pleasure and hope for futureSail through to have a new vision of life.

51

Welcome future with genuine smileYou love someoneSomeone loves you passionatelyDivinity ushers-in to celebrate life.

Insecurity brings greedGreed brings selfishness followed by angerLust brings sadness followed by miseryThey all come behind the other like a chain.

Time moves on in its wayYet life follows in the direction of the bestThe ways of life are full of patchy rough pot holesBut they head to a better phenomenon of life.

No life is without difficulties and problems.In turn surprisingly they all give you joyJoy gives the width and purpose of lifeNow thereís understanding.

The wise see their past as destinyThe future as free willThe fools regret the pastThink future is destined.

Thus theyíre miserable in present.Present is a happy celebrationCelebration is an attitudeCelebrate life with compassion.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

After All Life is Eternal!

Glory of HanumånóR. Subramanian

(Continued from January, page 28)Devotionó

ìOnly in you are found strength, goodî sense and valour,said Jåmbavån and without seeking any reward Hanumångladly accepted the challenge to fly to Lanka to locate S∂tåDev∂. He declined the hospitality of Mainåka due to urgencyof work on hand. When he landed on the shores of Lankaafter vanquishing Suraså and Si≈hikå; the celestials praisedhim. When success was not forth coming while seekingS∂tå, he prayed, ìSalutations to Råma, Lak¶maƒa, thedaughter of Janaka, Rudra, Indra, Yama, Våyu.î When hemet S∂tå, he consoled her that her lord would be there torelieve her from troubles. S∂tå was reassured and asked himto prove equal to the task on hard. At length he struckterror into the heart of Råvaƒa. He is an exemplary Bhaktaas well as J¤ån∂. His chief interest is Lokasa≈graha.Devotion to work is devotion to Lord Råma. Råma is theenjoyer of all sacrifices, the real beneficiary of all gooddeeds of men. At the acme of devotion he asked Råma,ìPlease give me the blessing that my affection for youshould never diminish. I want to live long as your nameis preserved among the sons of the land.î In the A‹okaVana S∂tå said to him, ìYou have given me, solace in thisworld as also in the other world. To me, you are thePrimordial mother and father and an incarnation of grace.Even if I have the three worlds to present to you, they wouldnot be equal to the help rendered by you. I only pray you

53

live forever in this world.î His singular worship of Råmadid not make him narrow-minded or supercilious, insteadit made him compassionate. It brought consolation to S∂tåin A‹oka Vana even as it helped him to submit years laterto the buoyant valour of Råmaís sons Lava and Ku‹a.Hanumånís devotion was reinforced with true wisdom andknowledge. ›r∂ Råma moved by Hanumånís excellentservices and surrender, asked him as to how he saw Him.Hanumån said, ìFrom the point of view of physical bodythere is the difference between the Lord and myselfómaster and servant. From the stand point of J∂va. I am thepart and you are the whole. But from the stand point ofÅtman, I and the Lord are one and the same.îScholaró

›r∂ Råma was deeply impressed and exceedinglydelighted at the introductory speech of Hanumån. He musthave learnt the grammar thoroughly, for though he hadtalked for a considerable time, not a single mistakeoccurred. When he saw S∂tå at A‹oka Vana, he was greatlydelighted but when Råvaƒa ill-treated her with harsh words,he was sad. He began to recount the story and deeds ofRåma in a subdued voice. To create confidence in her,he revealed his true form by expanding in bulk. In the courtof Råvaƒa, he gave apt and succint replies to the questionsput to him. He narrated the Våli incident where he wasreduced to a plaything to the child A∆gada. He appealedto his proficiency in the Vedas and his unrivalled positionas a ›iva Bhakta as also his connections to the clan ofPulastya, to return at once S∂tå to Råma and seek friendshipwith him. If not ›iva or Vi¶ƒu or Brahmå could come tohis rescue when he became a target of ›r∂ Råmacandra.When Vibh∂¶aƒa made a humble surrender to ›r∂ Råmaall the Vånaras suspected him but Hanumån suggested toRåma to accept him as a sign of diplomacy. When the

Glory of Hanumån


Vånaras were asked about their capability of flight toLanka, Jåmbavån said to Hanumån, ìO great warrior! Youlearnt all branches of knowledge and why are you silent?In strength and splendour donít you surpass all the restof us? Realise your strength and jump forward. ìYou areBuddhimatå≈ vari¶¢ha¨.î In the Yuddha KåƒŒa, Agastyasaid of Hanumån, ìHanumån has studied Sµutras andMahåbhå¶ya of Sanskrit Grammar. There is no parallel tohim in his mastery of the Vedas. He is a competentBæhaspati in all branches of knowledge.îJ¤ån∂ñ

It is a state of pure awareness of supreme beatitudeof sterling love of the Divine. When the Vånaras werecaught in a cave during the search for S∂tå, the Vånaraswere afraid that Råma would punish them. At that timeHanumån said to them, ìRåma is not a human being butGod the imperishable Nåråyaƒa and S∂tå is Divine Måyå.Being prayed by Brahmå He incarnated as Måyå-Månu¶ato protect the world.î When taken bound to the court ofRåvaƒa, he said, ìAll your merits have been exhausted;the demerits are to be suffered. Because of whose presenceMåyå projects the whole universe and Brahmå, Vi¶ƒu, ›ivacarry out their respective functions that is Lord Råma. Wenotice the qualities of Sthitapraj¤a, man of steady wisdomin Hanumån at every stepñsingle pointed vision, balancedin pain and pleasure and honour and dishonour. Herenounced Mainåkaís hospitality for he does not courtcomfort. When praised by Råma, he said, ìEvery thing wasdue to the Lord and his might that no credit goes to him.îHe learnt all the Vedas and ›åstras abiding face to facewith Sµurya in transit over the sky. He is the eleventh Rudra,the last incarnation of ›iva. Inconceivable sagacity,impracticable manoeuvre, indomitable courage and valour

55

with which he crossed the ocean, entered the impregnableLanka, successfully searched the nooks and corners of thecity, established communication between S∂tå and Råma,made direct acquaintance with Vibh∂¶aƒa about the enemystrategies, the matchless gallantry in fighting with Råvaƒa,the miraculous manner in which he saved Lak¶maƒa bybringing Sa¤j∂van∂ and the marvellous manner in which hesaved Råma and Lak¶maƒa from the clutches of AhiRåvaƒaóare some of his unimaginable divine deeds ofsupreme discernmentóViveka.Envoyó

The dialogue between Hanumån and Råvaƒa in theSundara KåƒŒa is awe-inspiring as it is soul-uplifting.Hanumån stands as a colossus sans fear in the court ofRåvaƒa. He thought of Råvaƒa how magnificent he lookedin all grandeur and splendour. He is not clouded byjealousy nor was he awed. To a question put to him hesaid, ìI am no messenger from the celestials; I am a Vånara.I have come to see you but I cannot get in and so I resortedto the destruction of the garden. In self defence I had tokill the warriors. I cannot be bound by Brahmåstra butI allowed myself to be bound mainly to see you. BySugr∂vaís orders, I have come here.î ìHe narrates thegreatness of Da‹aratha, the departure of Råma to forestsand his losing of S∂tå and continues the story till he sawS∂tå at the A‹oka garden. He speaks in a tone firm butgentle; bold but sagacious, frank, sober, hard-hitting butwell-motivated. He strains to bring a change in Råvaƒa andto persuade him to restore S∂tå to Råma. He also administersa stern warning to Råvaƒa. ìThere is none to save youwho is opposed to ›r∂ Råmacandra. Brahmå, Vi¶ƒu and›iva could not save you as you are the enemy of Råma.Then he extends the olive branch. Accept and instal the

Glory of Hanumån


image of Råma in your mind and enjoy the uninterruptedsovereignty of Lanka. The glory of the Sage Pulastyashines like a moon without spots; be not a speck on themoon. Ponder and see for yourself casting aside arroganceand infatuation.î This is the incident where the envoyHanumån graduates himself to become an ambassador parexcellence.

Hanumån is no doubt an exemplary Bhakta as well asJ¤ån∂. The outstanding feature that makes him unique is that,he is a Karmayog∂, a mighty warrior, master diplomat,eloquentspeaker, tireless worker with will power. This world is Godísmanifestation and His handiwork, home and kingdom;recreation and delight. Devotion to the work of the worldis devotion to Råma Himself. He is the enjoyer of allsacrifices. He loves and rewards those who love and helpthe fellow beings. He punishes those who hurt and neglecttheir fellow men. Let us recognise Hanumån as Vi‹vakarmå,world worker. Let us emulate Hanumån and try by prayerand worship by thought, word and deed by individual andcollective work by professional and bread-winning toil tomake our Country an emblem of Heaven on Earth.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

To evaluate oneself on the basis of oneís circumstancesand environment is a false standard; for circumstancesand environment are tools of duty and do not constitutelife.

Each day do some good. Give to a worthy cause,it does not matter how much. Make up your mind tobe of service to someone everyday.

Godís TestóSwami Sivananda

Just as deputy collectors are expected to pass certaintests before they are promoted to the superior grade, soalso, God tests the aspirants before He admits them intothe domain of Mok¶a. The tests are very severe andrigorous. There are four important tests in the Adhyatmicfield, viz. the test of Brahmacarya, the test of Deha-Adhyåsa, the test of equal vision and the test of balanceof mind.

Even Buddha was tested for his mental purity. He hadto face temptations of every sort. He had to face Måra.It was only then and not till then, that he had illuminationunder the Bodhi tree (the Tree of Wisdom) in Gayå. Satantempted Jesus in a variety of ways. Jaimini was tested byhis Guru, Bhagavån Vyåsa. Vyåsa assumed the form ofa beautiful young girl and appeared before Jaimini. Jaiminimade love to her. Immediately Vyåsa resumed his originalform and thus, Jaimini was put to shame. He failed in thetest. Vi‹våmitra also failed in this test in the beginning.He covered his eyes when Menakå brought his child›akuntalå in her arms. Nårada was also tested by LordHari. Nårada also failed in the beginning. He was not ableto understand the subtle workings of Måyå. Passion is verypowerful. Many aspirants fail in the tests. One has to bevery careful. He will have to develop a very high standardof mental purity. Then alone, he will be able to stand thetest. God will place the aspirants in very unfavourablesurroundings to test them. They will be tempted by young


girls. Name and fame bring the householders in closecontact with the aspirants. Women begin to worship them.They become their disciples. Gradually, the aspirants geta nasty downfall. Instances are many. Aspirants should hidethemselves and pass for quite ordinary people. They shouldnot show their Camatkåras.

Then comes another test, the test of Deha-Adhyåsa.God will test whether the aspirant has got Moha oridentification with his perishable body. This is, indeed, apotent test. Yog∂ Matsyendranåtha tested some of hisdisciples also in the following manner. He fixed in theground one sharp Tri‹µula (trident). He asked his disciplesto climb the tree and hurl their bodies down, right againstthe trident. Many refused to do so. But a very sincereaspirant, who had deep faith in the words of his Guru,immediately ascended the tree and fell against the trident.He was protected by the mysterious Yogic powers ofMatsyendranåtha. Guru Gobinda Sahib also tested hisCelås. He asked them to give their heads. Many refused.Five disciples alone came forward. He took them insidea camp and cut the heads of five goats. Sometimes Godwill take the form of a tiger and appear before the aspirant.If he be very courageous and takes the tiger also as theform of Lord Vi¶ƒu, he will have immediately the Dar‹anaof the Lord. If he becomes timid and runs away out offright, then he has lost the game.

The third is the test of equal vision. God will test theaspirants to see whether they see the Lord in all beingsóin dogs and horses, in snakes and scorpions, in outcastesand Brahmins. Ekanåtha was tested. You have alreadyknown that story. Nowadays there are many aspirants whowill not give even a drop of water to a thirsty man in atrain, but they will pose themselves for big devotees and

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shout: ìHey Kæ¶ƒa, Hey Råma, Hey Hari.î If they cannotserve and love the living Nåråyaƒas, how then can theyserve and love the unseen Lord?

Nåmadeva was also tested. Lord Vi¢¢hala of Pandharpurassumed the form of a dog and appeared before Nåmadeva.That is another marvellous instance where a Bhaktaexhibited his true devotion to the Lord. You all know thatstory.

›a∆karåcårya was also tested. He had a little Abhimånaof caste. He was a Nambudiri Brahmin. Lord ›iva assumedthe form of a Paraiah (a low caste Harijana) and appearedbefore ›a∆kara. ›a∆kara did not like to tread the same pathtrodden by the Paraiah. Then the Paraiah asked: ìO ›a∆kara,great Advaitic philosopher thou art! Where is your equalvision now? Where is your Vedånta or oneness of life? Youare showing dislike to me here as I am a low caste fellow.You still have Brahmin-Abhimåna. Where is your Advaitaphilosophy gone now? What is the difference between mybody and your body? Does your body contain six elements?Have I not got the same Avinå‹∂ Åtmå, the source for thisworld? Does your Åtmå differ from my Åtmå?î ›a∆karawas really ashamed. He at once recognised that thisoutcaste was not really an outcaste. He reflected: ìThisoutcaste cannot talk of such lofty philosophy. It is onlyLord ›iva who has come here to test me. I still have sometraces of caste Abhimåna. ìHe at once prostrated beforethe outcaste and touched his feet. Then, immediately, theoutcaste assumed the form of Lord ›iva.

The fourth is the test of balance of mind. God willput the aspirants into various sorts of troubles. He will takeaway the son or wife. He will destroy the property. Hewill give incurable diseases. He will make him utterlyhopeless. Then, He will watch the devotee and see whether

Godís Test


he has devotion for Him in such straitened circumstancesor not, whether he keeps the balance of mind and whetherhe rejoices in suffering or not. Råmadåsa of Bhadrachalamwas also tried. He lost his son. He was put to rigorousimprisonment for twelve years. He underwent various sortsof hardships during the period of his imprisonment. Yet,he never swerved a bit from his spontaneous love for hisbeloved Råma. Then ›r∂ Råma brought back the life ofhis son. The sufferings that He gives, are all blessings indisguise. He wants to infuse greater and greater Vairågyaby destroying all worldly pleasure-centres. He wants thedevotee to give his full mind towards Him.

You will also be tested by God for your sincerity andpatience. The great translator, Malpa of Tibet tested hisdisciple Milarepa in a variety of ways. He caught hold ofhis tuft and hurled him down the valley. He asked Milarepato build huts and to destroy them several times to test hispatience and sincerity. He drove him out of the house. ButMalpaís wife was very kind towards Milarepa. Milarepaleft the house several times and came back several times.But Malpa never gave him any initiation. No aspirant canhave that marvellous and extraordinary patience and devotionto Guru which, Milarepa of happy memory had. Hebecame the pet disciple of Malpa and turned out to be thebest of all Yogins that Tibet has ever produced. In thesedays, disciples cannot bear even a single harsh word ofthe Guru. They are quite independent. They change theirGurus forthwith. That is the reason why they do not, atall succeed in the spiritual path. They wander about hitherand thither as idlers. They are burdens on society.

If any aspirant stands these four vital tests, the Lordwould actually become a slave to that devotee. He wouldcarry water for his morning and evening ablutions. He

61

would serve him during his ailment as He did in the caseof Mådhavadåsa of Puri. He shampooed the legs of theRaja when His barber-devotee was indisposed. He guidedthe blind Sµuradåsa with a stick in His hand. He wouldcarry food and water for the devoteeís sake even as Hedid for the blind Vilvama∆gala. He wears the dust of thefeet of such a devotee on His forehead. He would followthe devotee wherever he goes. In addition to these tests,there may be several other tests which, cannot be exactlydescribed. We cannot definitely say that God will test Hisdevotees in such and such a manner. But, a sincere devoteeis never afraid of these tests.

You should live, work and breathe for God-realisationalone. You should exert your level best to reach the goal.You should dedicate your mind, body and soul at His altar.The whole world is His L∂lå only. There is nothing butGod. Feel His indwelling presence, always and everywhereand enjoy the Atmic bliss.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Godís Test

Every person is innately wonderful; he has only torid himself of the mask of ego-consciousness.

óParamahansa Yogananda

Persevering souls who realize Him within their hearts,attain eternal Bliss; not others.

óKa¢hopani¶ad

The Faithful Student

The teacher was appraising the students in a schoolóìGod is ubiquitous, His presence is unequivocal, unerring,everywhereóevery time, in water, air, sky, earth, tree,stone, day-night, morning-evening. Not even a bit of grainis left in the world, where His presence is not felt. Heis watching our all acts and activities. No one can daredo anything hiding from Him: Students were highlyinfluenced by the sermon of the teacher.î Amongst thestudents, there was a boy from the farmerís family. Whenthe boy returned to his home from the school, his fathertold, let us go, I have to finish a work.í He followed hisfather. The farmer took him to another farmerís field andtoldóìSon! Just see, no one is here to see us. I will cutgrass for our cow. We will sell the excess quantity outof our use, if so happens. You watch carefully that nobodycomes this side.î

The boy sat down and was thinkingóis father notknowing the fact that God is watching our activities allthe time? The farmer started cutting grass. After sometimehe askedóìSon! Whether any body is seeing us or not?îThe boy got the opportunity, which he was looking forand toldóìFather, here is none other than you and mewho could see our act; but father! My teacher has preachedthat God is everywhere, he is ubiquitous, even in smallestof the small particle, watching our right-wrong doing.Though we do our work secretly, thinking, it is hiddenfrom Him, but it is absolutely impossible to hide. Surely,the God is watching the theft which we are committing.î

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Hearing this firm truth from his son, the farmer shivered.The reaping-hook slipped from his hand and he returnedto his home with the boy, leaving behind the cut grassin the field itself. And, from very that day, he decided notto commit theft.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

The Faithful Student

O man, if you would live in bliss repeat Lord Hariísname, then you will lead a life of Joy and go to paradise,and feed upon the fruit of Mok¶a evermore.

Such is the glory of His name!I give you the name of Hari, which ›iva, God of

gods, repeats aloud with His five mouths.óRamakrishna

To enquire ëwho am Ií really means trying to findout the source of the ego or the ëI thoughtí.

óSri Ramana Maharshi

That which you focus upon, that you become. If youthink upon the silly, negative qualities of others insteadof improving yourself. You draw upon yourself negativequalities. You make your vision petty instead of makingit lofty. It is a great blunder.

Råmµuís Pilgrimage

A saint-poet visited one of the famous pilgrimage. Oneday after taking holy dip there, he was sleeping in the nightnear the temple. He dreamt that two gods of the pilgrimageare having conversation. One askedó

ëHow many men and women visited pilgrimage thisyear?í

ëThey may be about six lakhs in numberí replied theother.

ëWhether services of all have been recognized by theGod?í

ëMerit of the pilgrimage is a quite distinct fact; otherwiseservices of very few have been recognized.í

ëWhy so?íëIt is because that very few have come with deep

reverence and faith in God, they may have also committedseveral types of sins here at the pilgrimage.í

ëDo you know any such individual who has nevervisited any pilgrimage but even then, he has been regarded aspious and kindness of Almighty is showering upon him.?í

ëMay be so many, I tell oneís name; he is RåmµuCobbler, a habitat from far away, Kerala region.í

By this time the saint was awoken. He was extremelysurprised and felt a desire to have a vision of the blessedRåmµu Cobbler. Commonly the saints are energetic and ofa determinate nature. He set out on his journey, reachedKerala with much difficulty. Somehow he managed tolocate the residence of Råmµu in a village. Seeing a saint,Råmµu came out of his house. Saint askedóëWhat is your

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profession brother?íëMaking shoes and selling them, my lord!í Replied

Råmµu.ëHave ever you been to any pilgrimage?íëNo, my lord! I am a poor manómoney for pilgrimage

where to arrange from? Though it was my earnest desireto go on pilgrimage, but could not succeed.í

ëHave you performed any other virtuous action?íëNo, my lords! Being ignoble, how I could earn any

merit?íThen the saint disclosed his own dream and askedó

ìIn spite of all these, how the Almighty has showered Hisblessings in abundance on you?î

This is a well known truth that God is always kind-hearted. He is very merciful, specially to the humble people.(While talking, he was greatly delighted and told in achoked voiceó) Lord! It was my hearty wish since manyyears to visit a holy place. Spending much less, even onfood, I however, managed to save some money. When Iwas just to set out on the pilgrimage, my wife becamepregnant. One day she smelt fragrance of fenugreek comingout of my neighbourís house. She expressed her desire topartake of the vegetable of fenugreek and told meóìGoand ask for some quantity.î My neighbour gave me butwith a hint that this is very unholy as we all were withoutfood since last seven days and were about to die. Someleaves of fenugreek were scattered on a dead body whichmy husband collected and brought here. I am cookingthese, (Råmµu again said in a very choked voiceó) I feltshivering on hearing this. I thought that my neighbourísfamily is starving, they are without food for last seven daysand I am planning to go on pilgrimage? This is totallyimproper. I gave them all my savings with respect and they

Råmµuís Pilgrimage


became a happy family with food and clothing. In the nightGod appeared in my dream and toldóìSon! You havebeen awarded all the merits of the visit to all the holyplaces. I will shower my blessings on you.î My lord! Sincethen, I am leading a happy life really. From then onward,I always feel the presence of Godóthe pilgrimage incarnate.

The saint wept on hearing all from Råmµu and told thatyou and only you have done real pilgrimage.

❑❑ ❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

O man, you have been given this body in order thatyou may engage it in doing good to others. It shinesas the supreme ideal of life.

óSwami Chidananda

We must feel the needs of the whole world as ourown need. We must evolve ourselves to such an extentas to make our individual self, the self of the wholenation. We must feel our oneness with the whole nation.

óSwami Rama Tirtha

If you are unselfish, good tempered, understanding,you are richer than those who are selfish, angry andjealous.

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KK. Feb 2016 Ist Print (25.2.16) (Ist corr Print 16.3.16 ...kalyana-kalpataru.org/PDF (Full Issues)/kk_february_2016.pdf · Gita Press, Gorakhpur (India) websites: 1. www. kalyana-kalpataru.org