Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety

As we immerse ourselves singing the names and glories of Lord Shiva, let us not forget that the goal of Shivarathri is not just doing bhajans or staying up whole night. Shivarathri is a huge opportunity for us to cleanse our minds and climb up the spiritual ladder so that life becomes for us not a journey of intermittent joys and sorrows but a celebration of love, purity and bliss.

On this day, in 1977, in a beautiful discourse Swami very clearly stated the purpose of Shivarathri delineating how to make best use of this spiritual festival. Here are a few excerpts of that elevating message delivered more than three decades ago:

The spiritual path is the path of detachment, of sense control and rigorous mind training. Mother Parvathi sought to win Lord Shiva first by the glamour of physical charm; she tried to allure Shiva through the stratagems of the God of Love, Manmaatha. But Shiva reduced the God of Love to ashes and rejected her advances. Thereafter she entered into an arduous period of ascetic austerities, and through them was able to win Shiva’s grace to such an extent that she became the left half of His sacred body.

Man must first decide, after vigorous self-examination and continuous discrimination, the path that he wishes to traverse. Moksha (liberation) means the removal of the bonds of ignorance that cloud the Truth and create a mirage of untruth. In fact, living is only another name for the process of achieving alternate misery and happiness, hunger and contentment, illness and health, desire and fulfillment. Man reaches out to a new desire the moment one is realised. He is ever struggling and ever unhappy, for he does not seek the eternal, the lasting, the Source and the Substance. He is content with the transient, the trivial and the temporary.

Use the body as a chariot for attaining liberation through Truth. It is your duty to see that on the four wheels of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema (Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Love) the chariot moves along the road to the goal. It will travel smoothly only if it has less luggage, that is, less desires, less worries and less fears. Desires, worries and fears are multiplied when man thinks he is the body with all its appurtenances and not the owner of the body. Karma, Bhakthi, Jnaana (Work, Worship, Wisdom) – these are the three paths to God. But through kama (desire), karma (action)is warped; through lobha (greed), bhakthi (devotion) is vitiated; through krodha (anger) jnaana (spiritual wisdom) is befogged. But through Prema (love) one can easily conquer desire, greed and anger.

Learn a lesson from the insignificant ant. When an ant spots a lump of sugar, it does not hide the fact and consume it all alone. Instead it moves round to collect its friends and kinsmen, for it loves to share with others the feast it has come upon. The crow, a bird that is despised and often outcast, when it discovers a little heap of food, caws repeatedly until its kith and kin gather at the place. What is shared is tastier; what is held back is bitter. Life is short and full of misery, so do all you can to derive joy from making others happy. If others are miserable, how can you be really happy?

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety – divine guidance for positive strength

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety is a powerful reminder that true success does not come to a weak, lazy, or confused mind. Victory belongs to the one who keeps moving with faith, effort, patience, and courage. Life may place many obstacles before us, but every obstacle can become a step toward growth when the heart is filled with determination and trust in God.

Human life is not meant for careless living. Every person is born with a higher purpose. We are here to improve ourselves, purify our thoughts, serve others, and move closer to the Divine. But this journey is not completed by wishing alone. We must strive with discipline, yearn with devotion, struggle with courage, and finally win the victory over our lower nature.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety teaches that effort is essential in both worldly and spiritual life. A student must study to gain knowledge. A farmer must work to harvest crops. A seeker must practice prayer, self-control, love, and service to gain inner peace. Nothing valuable is achieved without sincere effort. Even divine grace works more beautifully when human effort is pure.

To strive means to act with purpose. Many people complain about life but do not take the right steps to improve themselves. They want peace but continue anger. They want success but avoid discipline. They want devotion but give all their time to distraction. A true seeker does not live like this. A true seeker decides what is right and follows it with steady action.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety also reminds us that yearning is very important. Yearning means deep inner longing for truth, goodness, and God. Without yearning, spiritual life becomes dry and mechanical. When the heart truly longs for divine peace, prayer becomes sincere, service becomes joyful, and discipline becomes meaningful. The soul moves forward when longing becomes pure.

Every great transformation includes struggle. We struggle against old habits, negative thoughts, laziness, fear, pride, anger, and attachment. These weaknesses do not leave the mind in one day. They return again and again, testing our patience. But we should not feel defeated. Each time we choose truth over falsehood and love over hatred, we become stronger from within.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety shows that struggle is not a punishment. It is training. Gold shines after passing through fire. A seed breaks before becoming a plant. A person also grows through tests, difficulties, and sincere effort. Pain can make the heart bitter, but with wisdom and faith, it can also make the heart humble, compassionate, and strong.

Victory does not always mean defeating others. The highest victory is victory over oneself. If we control anger, that is victory. If we forgive someone who hurt us, that is victory. If we remain honest when dishonesty looks easier, that is victory. If we keep faith during difficulty, that is victory. These victories may be silent, but they are precious before God.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety gives a practical message for daily life. Do not wait for perfect conditions. Begin with what you have. Speak more kindly today. Pray more sincerely today. Help someone today. Control one harmful thought today. Take one step toward discipline today. Small noble actions repeated with faith become a powerful force of transformation.

The mind often becomes tired during struggle. It asks, “Why is this so hard?” But spiritual progress requires patience. A tree does not give fruit immediately after planting. It needs water, care, sunlight, and time. In the same way, good character needs regular practice. Peace, devotion, humility, and wisdom grow slowly, but when they become strong, they bless the whole life.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety also teaches us to trust divine timing. Sometimes we work sincerely but results do not appear quickly. This does not mean our effort is wasted. Every pure thought, every prayer, every act of service, and every moment of self-control is stored as spiritual strength. God sees every sincere effort, even when the world does not notice.

A person who wants victory must avoid discouragement. Failure is not final unless we stop trying. Mistakes can become teachers if we learn from them. Weakness can become strength if we face it honestly. Delay can teach patience. Opposition can teach courage. Life becomes a great classroom when we see every experience with spiritual understanding.

The path of victory requires faith and humility together. Faith gives confidence that God is with us. Humility reminds us that we still have much to learn. A proud person falls easily because pride closes the door to wisdom. A humble person rises again and again because the heart remains open to guidance, correction, and grace.

Strive, Yearn, Struggle…and Win Victory Part – Ninety finally tells us that divine victory is not outside alone; it is within the purified heart. When truth guides our thoughts, love guides our words, and service guides our actions, life becomes meaningful. The world may still bring tests, but the soul becomes steady.

Therefore, never give up the noble path. Strive with discipline, yearn for God, struggle against weakness, and move forward with faith. The victory that comes from purity, patience, and devotion is the greatest victory of all. It fills life with peace, strength, and divine grace.