Shri Sathya Sai Baba Chinna Kathas – Mahabharata
1.- How to absorb good qualities; Analogy from Mahabharatha
Bangalore, SSSIHL-BRN (Summer Course )
Description
There is a small example from the epic Mahabharata to illustrate the aspect of ‘guna grahana’ the ability to absorb the good qualities. In order to test Duryodhana, Lord Krishna called him. This took place much before the war, (for after the war there was no Duryodhana) when they were on friendly terms with each other. Lord Krishna said, “Duryodhana, I intend to perform a great thing and I need a virtuous and good person for the occasion. Please search the world for such a person and bring him to me.” Duryodhana spent several days searching the world for such person and came back to Lord Krishna and said, “O Krishna! I could not find any person with good qualities. Everyone whom I looked at had some defect or the other and had such qualities that they could not be called a good man. The only person who meets your requirement is I and I am here for your service.” Krishna sent away Duryodhana to some place saying that he would use him later and sent for Dharmaja and said, “Dharmaja, you go and search the world for a person who is very bad and wicked and whose qualities are such that there is none who is worse than him. Bring me the worst of beings in terms of qualities.” Dharmaja too searched the world and in the end returned alone to Krishna and said, “O Krishna! I could not find any bad person. I saw only good qualities in whomever I met. If at all there be any bad qualities they lie in me. I am the only person who answers your requirement. I am here.” and saluted Krishna. For Duryodhana to say that good people do not exist in the world or for Dharmaja to say that bad people do not exist in the world, the basis is not the world, the fault is not with the world. It is the innate attributes and qualities of the respective persons that are responsible for their perception. It is the aspect of ‘guna grahana’, the ability to absorb the good qualities, that is the reason for the apparent perception of good or bad. One neither has the capacity to determine the good or the bad nor has the authority to decide. Hence one must sanctify and develop pure and noble thoughts and tread the path of spirituality with strong faith in God and improve on the qualities in oneself to merge with the divine. Swami ends his discourse wishing that devotees tread this path and benefit by it.
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What is the state of Samadhi
Description
The path of spirituality can be compared to the game of fire and to the combat with a ferocious tiger! If one is not alert one can be dragged by Maya (illusion) into the web of worldly affairs. Maya makes all efforts to engulf man in the illusionary world and to forget the human qualities. Therefore before man embarks on the path of spirituality it is essential to have the knowledge of ‘pranayamam’and ‘pratyaharam’.
2.- Analogy from Mahabharatha explaining the importance of aim and concentration
Description
The tree born out of mud is mud and cannot be anything different from mud. Likewise prakruthi, nature that one sees around, and which is born of Brahman is essentially Brahman and it cannot be anything else. It is an apparent illusory vision, which makes one think that, the nature is different from Brahman. This is the teaching of Vedanta. In order to recognise and realise this truth one must have the ability to comprehend and an aim. A small example to illustrate the aspect of ‘lakshyamu’ or aim: In the epic Mahabharata, Guru Dronacharya while teaching archery to the Pandavas, tied a bird to a tree and asked the Pandavas to shoot the bird one by one. When the Pandavas came forward one by one to aim and shoot the bird, Guru Dronacharya asked them a few questions. When Bheema, the strong man, came to try his hand at aiming and shooting, guru asked him, “Bheema, what do you see?” Bheema, fully aware of his enormous strength, answered, “I see a tree, I see a bird, I see the rope with which the bird is tied to the tree and I also see the sky behind the bird.” Guru replied,” You see so many things; your concentration is not up to the mark, sit aside.” Likewise all the four brothers were called and three of them answered similarly as they saw many more objects around than Bheema. When it was Arjuna’s turn, he answered, “Guruji, I see only the bird and nothing else.” A person with an intense desire to learn a particular thing must concentrate and devote his mind to the task; that is the proof of dedication. But today man aspires to learn one thing but concentrates on many unrelated things. This is the reason why one fails to reach the aimed destination or learn what one wishes to learn. One must develop the one pointed vision like Arjuna to achieve one’s goals.
Listen To Full Discourse
What is the state of Samadhi
Description
The path of spirituality can be compared to the game of fire and to the combat with a ferocious tiger! If one is not alert one can be dragged by Maya (illusion) into the web of worldly affairs. Maya makes all efforts to engulf man in the illusionary world and to forget the human qualities. Therefore before man embarks on the path of spirituality it is essential to have the knowledge of ‘pranayamam’and ‘pratyaharam’.
3.- Rukmini weighing Krishna
Description
You all know this. Sathyabhama, wanted to possess Krishna, keep him all to herself. Sathyabhama has a gem called the Shamantaka which could increase her gold possession and she could have gold to any extent possible and so she thought that she can balance, she can weigh lord and buy him. When she wanted to buy Krishna in spite of all gold, she could not balance him. In fact, she has put all gold. You cannot buy God with either gold or money. You can buy him with your “Guna”- the quality. Then Sathyabhama ran to Rukmini. She was worshippping Tulasi. She collected tulasi leaves and followed Sathyabhama. All this story is narrated by Narada. Rukmini said, Sister, it is not good for you to proceed in this wrong path. You cannot buy god with money and in fact you can have him with your character and devotion. Sathyabhama then requested Rukmini to help her. Rukmini said, ‘Sathya, in fact the name and form would make perfect balance. She said, “Krishna, for your form your name equals”. There is Narada in between and he said, ‘I am offering Krishna in his form. I want something that has a form because he is under my control now. If you give me something with form then I can offer Krishna here and she had nothing else. She has only tulasi leaf. She kept it on the balance. If it is true that you submit yourself to your devotee who offers either a leaf, a flower, fruit or water with with devotion, you will certainly balance equal to this tulasi leaf and one tulasi leaf was kept there, Krishna outweighed because she offered with love. What is a leaf? Human body is the leaf, a flower ,human heart, water, tears of joy. Fruit, what is the fruit? The fruit of the mind. There lies the difference between Sathyabhama-the one of desire and Rukmini the one with devotion. Since that time even Satyabhama started worshiping god with love.
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Love is My only Wealth
Description
THERE are many persons who analyze and investigate into the nature of divinity, but very few understand it in its true spirit. Those who perceive it are truly fortunate ones. In fact, it is not possible to comprehend divinity in its fullness. However, the man who realizes the same atmic principle in others as he experiences it in himself can understand divinity, irrespective of the fact whether he is a householder or a renunciant. In such a person, divinity is firmly established. He becomes divinity itself.
4.- God can do anything; Arjuna-Pramila Story
Description
These things have happened even in the Mahabharata. Pramila tried very hard to make Arjuna marry her. She made a lot of effort. Pramila was a queen and Arjuna was a King, so how could you fix an alliance with these two. Arjuna said, “I do not like this”. Pramila’s Commander in Chief was Malayawati. She told her, Conquer Arjuna and bring his body. She is a very strong woman. You think women are weak but she was very strong. She fought a battle and she brought Arjuna. Arjuna said, “You cannot do anything which I do not like. Even if you cut my body to pieces, I will not consent to marrying you”. Arjuna was devoted to Krishna. So was Pramila. Both of them got together, she said, “Krishna, please fulfill my desire”. Arjuna also prayed to Krishna, “Krishna please fulfill my wish”. Krishna is a great actor and a cosmic director so he wanted to choose an alternate plan. God always has a master plan. It is not a plan just then and there. He called both of them. He took her left hand and he took Arjuna’s right hand, he brought both their hands together and started reciting marriage mantras. They had to listen to Krishna. They both obeyed him but they do not have close relationship. God will do everything. There is nothing that God cannot do. He can change the Earth to the sky and sky to the earth but human beings do not understand this truth, so they think they can depend on their own strength.
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Importance of Mother's grace
Description
More fragrant than the sweet-smelling flowers like the Jasmine and the Champak, Softer than cheese and butter, more beautiful than the eye of the peacock, more pleasant than the moonlight is the love of the mother.
