Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas – III

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas – III

Tara is not only an important Hindu Goddess; she is also one of the most important Buddhist Goddesses. The Bodhisattva Tara is the consort of the great Buddha Avalokiteshvara, the Lord who looks down with compassion on all living beings.

The term Tara means the deliverer or savior, from the Sanskrit root tri, meaning “to take across,” as to take across a river, the ocean, a mountain, or any difficult situation. The Goddess Tara is called upon in emergencies or at crossroads where we require guidance as to which way to turn. Tara is the saving knowledge. She is the Savior. The idea of the Goddess as saving wisdom is as old as the Vedas, and is a common idea in many spiritual traditions.Tara is the feminine form of Om or Om personified as a Goddess. Tara is the unmanifest sound that exists in the ether of consciousness, through which we can go beyond the entire manifestation. Tara is Om that has the appearance of the ether and which pervades the ether as its underlying vibratory support, but also transcends it. Om is the unmanifest field behind creation, which is the destroyer as well as the creator of the universe.

Tara is the purifying force of the vital breaths. Sound that manifests in the ether is the same as the Prana (life-force) that manifests in the ether. Breath is the primal sound of life, and the sound of the breath is the original, spontaneous and unuttered mantra (So’ ham). Both mind and Prana, as word and vibration, have their root in sound. Hence the use of sound or mantra both purifies and energizes the mind.

Tara is the radiance of knowledge that arises from the differentiation of meanings through sound. Different sounds serve as vehicles whereby different ideas or meanings flash forth. Om is the underlying light that illumines these different sounds and allows meaning to flow through them. All meanings exist to reintegrate us into the ocean of meaning that is pure consciousness itself.

Tara, like Kali,is deep blue in color. She has matted hair, wears a garland of human heads, and has eight serpents for her ornaments. She is dancing on a corpse, has four arms and carries in her four hands a sword or head chopper, a scissors, a severed head and a lotus.

Origin
The oral tradition gives an origin to the goddess Tara. The legend begins with the churning of the ocean between the Devas and Asuras. Lord Shiva drank the poison (Halahala) that was created from the churning of the ocean (in the process turning his throat blue and earning him the epithet Nilakantha), thus saving the world from destruction, but fell unconscious under its powerful effect. Tara Ma appeared and took Shiva on her lap. She suckled him, the milk from her breasts counteracting the poison, and he recovered. This story is reminiscent of the one in which Shiva stops the rampaging Kali by becoming an infant. Seeing the child, Kali’s maternal instinct comes to the fore, and she becomes quiet and nurses the infant Shiva. In both cases, Shiva assumes the position of an infant vis-à-vis the Goddess.

The similarities in appearances between Kali and Tara are striking and unmistakable. They both are described as standing upon a supine Shiva in inert or corpse like form. However, while Kali is described as black, Tara is described as blue. Both wear minimal clothing; however Tara wears a tiger skin skirt, while Kali wears only a girdle of severed human arms. Both wear a necklace of severed human heads and the previously mentioned girdle of arms. Both have a lolling tongue, and blood oozes from their mouths. Their appearances are so strikingly similar that it is easy to mistake one for the other. Indeed, they are often said to be manifestations of each other; for example, in their thousand-name hymns they share many epithets as well as having each other’s names. Tara, for example, is called Kalika, Ugra-kali, Mahakali, and Bhadra-kali. Tara is said to be more approachable to the devotee (Bhakta) or Tantrika because of her maternal instincts; however a large population of Bengali Hindus approach Kali herself as “Ma” or “mother”.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas – A Divine Path Of Wisdom, Values, And Inner Awakening

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas is a meaningful spiritual theme that connects the sacred purpose of Bal Vikas with the deeper understanding of divine wisdom. Bal Vikas is not only a children’s class or moral education program. It is a beautiful process of helping young hearts blossom with truth, love, peace, discipline, devotion, and service. When children are guided through noble teachings, they grow into strong, compassionate, and value-based human beings.

The word DasaMahaVidyas is traditionally connected with ten great forms of divine knowledge. In a broader spiritual sense, it can remind us that wisdom has many expressions. True wisdom is not limited to reading books or memorizing facts. It is seen in the way a person thinks, speaks, behaves, serves, and understands life. Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas can therefore be understood as a journey where children learn to awaken inner light through values and devotion.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always gave great importance to children because they are the future of society. A child’s mind is soft and pure, like fresh soil. Whatever values are planted there can grow deeply. If children are taught love, respect, prayer, truth, and compassion from an early age, they become peaceful and responsible adults. If they are left only to competition, comparison, and selfish ambition, their inner balance may become weak.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas reminds us that education must touch the heart. Marks, exams, and career success are useful, but they are not the final purpose of life. A child must learn how to control anger, respect parents, speak truth, help others, pray sincerely, and live with humility. These qualities are the real signs of growth. Without character, knowledge remains incomplete.

The ten forms of wisdom can also be seen as ten values needed in a child’s life. The first is love, because love is the foundation of all goodness. The second is truth, because truth gives strength to character. The third is peace, because a calm mind learns better. The fourth is discipline, because discipline gives direction. The fifth is compassion, because it makes the heart soft. The sixth is devotion, because it connects the child with God. The seventh is humility, because it removes pride. The eighth is service, because it teaches selflessness. The ninth is courage, because life will bring challenges. The tenth is wisdom, because right understanding guides every action.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas also highlights the role of the Bal Vikas guru. A guru is not merely a teacher who explains lessons. A true guru inspires through example. Children learn more from what they see than from what they hear. If the guru speaks gently, lives truthfully, serves humbly, and prays sincerely, children naturally absorb those qualities. The life of the teacher becomes a silent lesson.

Parents also play a sacred role. The home is the first school, and parents are the first teachers. If children attend Bal Vikas but see anger, dishonesty, and disrespect at home, they may become confused. Therefore, parents must support value education through their own conduct. A home filled with prayer, kindness, respect, and discipline becomes the best environment for spiritual growth.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas teaches that spirituality for children should be joyful and practical. Children learn beautifully through stories, bhajans, prayers, silent sitting, group activities, and service projects. Stories of saints and noble people inspire them. Bhajans soften the heart. Silent sitting improves concentration. Service helps them understand that happiness grows when it is shared with others.

Service is especially important in Bal Vikas. When children help the poor, respect elders, care for nature, share with classmates, or comfort someone in need, they learn compassion through action. Service removes selfishness and teaches unity. It shows children that God is not only in temples or pictures, but also in every living being.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas also encourages respect for all religions. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba taught that all faiths lead to the same Divine when followed with sincerity. Children should learn to respect different names and forms of God. This broad vision protects them from narrow thinking and helps them grow with love for all people.

In modern life, children face many distractions through technology, pressure, competition, and social comparison. They may become intelligent quickly, but they also need emotional strength and moral clarity. Bal Vikas gives them this inner support. It teaches them to pause, pray, think rightly, speak kindly, and choose good actions even when the world pulls them in another direction.

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Bal Vikas DasaMahaVidyas finally reminds us that the highest wisdom is to become a good human being. A child who grows with values becomes a blessing to family, society, and the world. Such a child carries love in the heart, truth in speech, discipline in action, and devotion in life.

In the end, Bal Vikas is a sacred process of inner flowering. It helps children discover the divine qualities already present within them. When knowledge is joined with values, childhood becomes strong and beautiful. When devotion is joined with service, life becomes meaningful. This is the true message of value-based wisdom and the divine vision of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

 Bhajans By Shri Sathya Sai Baba – Pratah Smaranam Sri Guru Charanam