DAIVI SAMPAD YOGA

The Yoga of the Divine Wealth

(From the sixteenth chapter of the Gita)

By

Swami Akhandanand Saraswati

Daivi Sampad YogaPravachan I

When I was about sixteen or seventeen years old, I used to run away fromhome to seek Sadhus. Once I heard that a highly respected Mahatma,Ekling Swami, was staying at Durgakhot, near Chunar. During Satsang(spiritual discourses), he spoke on the Gita. I was wonderstruck at some ofthe things he told us. We generally tend to disdain the things that we know, or find easy tocomprehend. People feel, I will do the saadhanaa (effort for spiritualprogress) that is considered the highest. They fail to consider their ownability and eligibility. I will listen only to talks on the Brahmasutra, eventhough they dont understand a single sentence! Or, I will meditate onlyon Vedanta, without preparing the ground for absorbing the teachings.When a person attempts to do a sadhana he is not competent to undertake,he is unable to remain steady in his efforts. It is like a child jumping toreach a ledge that is too high; he is bound to fall. Similarly, when peopleundertake a sadhana they are not fit for, they achieve nothing. Theirspiritual progress is retarded. A person who should be doing naama-japa(ritual chanting of Bhagwans name) may want to meditate to experiencethe pure consciousness in all beings, but he will not be successful.Furthermore, he will deprive himself of the benefit of the sadhana thatwould have helped him.I always feel surprised when someone comes to me and says, Maharaj, Ihave been doing japa and the other sadhana you told me to do, for a longtime. Please give me something more advanced to do. If a person hasnishthaa (strong faith) in his sadhana, the spiritual progress is automatic.The first step in sadhana is to establish your feet firmly on the first rung ofthe ladder. How will you progress if you have not started with the faiththat is the foundation of sadhana?Yesterday, a man came to meet me. Maharaj, he said, I have heard thatthere is a pantha (Sect) where the Guruji comes at the time of the death of

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his disciple. He picks up the jeeva (Atma attached to a body) and carries iton his shoulder to Bhagwans land, and then he returns to earth.Why does Guruji come back to earth? I asked. He must be coming to take his other spiritual children to Bhagwans landwhen they die. He showers Grace on his children. But, such talk becomes an obstacle on the path of sadhana. It does notuplift the saadhaka (spiritual seeker). You have to make the effortyourself, and not expect someone else to carry you to Bhagwan.The Mahatma of Chunar had given me two books that taught me how tounderstand the Gita. One was the Svayam-Vimarsh Gita and the otherwas the Sva-Prakash Gita. The first explained how to extract theprofound meanings of the Gita from the Gita itself. If we want tounderstand the significance of some word, we should see where else theword is used in the Gita, and in what context it is used. Then, we shouldthink about how it should be applied to our life. The Sva-Prakash Gitaexplained how to awaken the intellect in order to grasp the subtleindications given in the Gita.What I want to say is that the Gitas sixteenth chapter is a commentary onthe first chapter. You cannot understand the first chapter by merelyreading it through like a story book. The sixteenth chapter tells us whatlifes real wealth is. It is the inner treasure of divine qualities.Maa shuchah sampadam daiveemabhijaatosi paandava.(16. 5)(Grieve not, O Arjuna, because you are born with the divine qualitiescalled the Daivi sampada.)Shri Krishna tells Arjuna that he should not be sad, because he has thedaivee (of the Devtas) sampadaa (wealth). There is a Daivi sampada andan aasuri (Demonic) sampatti (wealth).Ahankaaram balam darpam kaamam krodham cha sanshritaah.(16. 18)(People who are full of pride, power, vanity, desire, anger, etc createunhappiness for themselves and also for Me, who abides in all beings.)Thus, ahankaara (pride; arrogance), bala (power), darpa (vanity), areAsuri sampattis. Asuri means belonging to the Asuras (Demons). Peoplewho always want to indulge their senses have ahankara. They feel superiorto other people, even though the things they take such pride in are alltransient and paltry. The description of Duryodhan in the first chapter is a

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description of the Asuri sampada; and the description of Arjuna is adescription of the Daivi sampada. What is the wealth of the Devtas? It is that they do not focus only on theirown comfort and benefit. Duryodhan said, These kings have gatheredhere tyaktajeevitaa prepared to die for me.And what is the state of Arjunas life?Ye`shaamarthe` kaankshitam no raajyam bhogaah sukhaani cha,Te` ime`vyavasthitaa yuddhe` praanaanstyaktvaa dhanaani cha.(1. 33) (The very people for whom I desire the Kingdom, luxuries, and happiness,stand there ready to give up their lives.)Arjuna feels that his own life would be meaningless if the very people forwhose benefits he was fighting would die in battle. Arjunas vive`ka(discrimination of right and wrong) is awake; Duryodhans selfishness isawake but his vivek slumbers.We need to evaluate our lives and see whether our actions are promptedby svaartha (selfishness) or paramaartha (the supreme achievement ofspiritual elevation). Will Bhagwan be pleased with the things you so? Willyour antahkaran (fourfold mind; subtle body) be purified? Will your lifeprogress on the path of goodness? Tall talk brings no benefits. Life needsto be given a direction by which we increasingly turn inwards.I am telling you a few things in brief. I suggest you maintain a diary,noting down your emotions on a daily basis. When do you feel afraid?How fearless are you? Keep a total of a hundred marks and mark yourselffor being afraid or being unafraid. Check at the end of the month to seehow fearless you have been. Abhayam sattvasanshuddhi (16. 1) all right, if you feel fear, what is itthat you are afraid of? Are you afraid that someone will harm you? Thereare two factors outside the body that people fear. One is for that, whichgives you comfort and the other is your family. Do you fear financiallosses? What is the extent of financial loss that you are afraid of? Is itlosing two rupees, two hundred rupees, or two thousand rupees? If youfear for your family, what is it you dread the most? It is not my intentionto make you evaluate your wealth or family. Sadhana is done byevaluating your mind. Evaluating what you fear shows where yourmamataa (attachment) is. The discourses you hear are useless unless youevaluate yourself.

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Do you fear disease? I have frequently observed that the day I think I amfeeling particularly well, some health problem crops up that very day. Aflame brightens just before going out. It is the same with our health.You would also be afraid of dreams, of things you imagine, and of death.We will leave this out, but do you ever feel afraid that you may beovercome by lust, anger that leads to violence, or greed that makes yousteal? Do you ever feel afraid of any of these? What is the class of yourfear? Are you ever apprehensive that you may lose some of the goodnessyou have? Are you afraid of bad qualities creeping into your life? A person who takes refuge in the feet of Bhagwan is unafraid, becauseBhagwan destroys all fears. If your life has the support of Bhagwan, youcan go ahead fearlessly. However, if you take the support of somegangster, police, associate, or relative, you will risk developing aweakness. All these fears and all these powers are false.Apabala, tapabala, baahubala, chautho hai bala raama.(There are the three worldly strengths of wickedness, asceticism, andphysical strength, and the fourth is the strength of Shri Rama.)Worldly strengths wont help you. You will have to weigh your own mind,reflect upon it, and understand these things. You are surrounded byworldly fears. Do you have anyone who will help you to rise above them?Do you depend upon your own strength, on Bhagwans strength, or on thestrength of your intellect? Which is the support by which you hope tocross over the things you fear?Learn to observe your life. You feel delighted to hear a good pravachan(spiritual discourse). Rama killed Ravana; Rama is Gnan and Ravana ismoha (delusion). Gnan destroys delusion. Very good! However, doesGnan awaken in your life and destroy your moha or not? If the Rama-Gnan does not manifest in your heart and destroy the Ravana-moha, all theexcellent discourses you hear, think about, understand and appreciate willbe praises of the sampada of other people. It will be akin to a person whostarves while praising the wealth of other people.So, maintain a record of the fears you feel during every twenty-four hours,and the things that you fear. You need not discuss the factors that frightenyou. What you fear may be an enemy, a snake, or a mouse. Write aboutthe harm you think they may do to you. The purpose of this is to establishabhaya (freedom from fear) in your life.

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Now, think about another point. Keep an eye on your antahkaran. See theextent of Tamo guna (the lowly tendency that creates sloth and delusion) itcontains. See the extent of Rajo guna (the mixed tendency that givesrestlessness and agitation) and Sattva guna (the lofty tendency that givespeace and right thinking) in your life. For example, when the days workis done, do you feel like spending the evening doing bhajan (singingdevotional songs), rituals like the Sandhya Vandan, japa, or meditation?Or, do you feel like going to the cinema or a Club? Or do you feel likebeing lazy and going to bed early?Sattva sanshuddhih means, pay attention to your mind. Sattva means theantahkaran. You have spent so many days attending Satsang; you shouldcertainly know that the antahkaran is made from the subtle forms of pureexistence, called the saattvik tanmaatraa. Our antahkaran gives usknowledge. Its proximity to the Atma is the reason for the Atmasreflection falling on the antahkaran. The antahkarans effulgence comesmainly from the Atma.So, then, does your antahkaran shine brightly or is it murky and dusty?Are you disinclined to do anything? Is your intellect clouded and filledwith darkness? A dark antahkaran is filled with Tamas (Tamo guna). Arestless and passionate antahkaran is filled with Rajas (Rajo guna),whereas a Sattvik (filled with Sattva guna) antahkaran is filled with peace,joy and effulgence. Water is called shuddha jala (pure water) only when it does not containanything else no sugar, salt, flavoring or dirt. Let your antahkaran beshuddha and Sattvik. Note in your diary what comes into your life, andwhat doesnt come into it.Now, see a third point. I do not doubt your intelligence. You have theability to extract profit from many sources. I am not talking about theGnan of Vedanta; I am saying that you have the Gnan about being ethicalin your dealings. Is it not so? You may deny it, but how do you feel whensomeone cheats you? Wont another person feel the same if you cheathim? Na tatparasya sandadhyaat pratikoolam yadaatmanah what isunpleasant for you is also unpleasant for others. Others resent beingabused just as you do. If other men eye your womenfolk in an impropermanner, you will get angry, wont you? Well, then, wont they get angry ifyou eye their womenfolk in an improper manner?

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The straightforward meaning of gnaanayoga vyavasthitah is that yourbehavior should be according to your Gnan. There was a Seth(businessman) in Calcutta. His name was Jaidayal Kasera. He had a greatsense of humor. Punditji he said (this was before I became a Sanyasi), Ihave obtained half-Gnan; half is yet to be attained. By Bhagwans Grace,that will happen some day.What is the half Gnan, Sethji? I asked.You see, Gnan is when we consider that our wealth belongs to all, andtheir wealth belongs to us. These are the two forms of Gnan. I haveobtained half of this. I feel that what belongs to others is mine. Theremaining half that what is mine belongs to others is yet to beobtained! It may happen in this lifetime or in the next. What is the hurry? Therefore, my brother, gnaanayoga vyavasthitah tells you to see whetheryou disdain your Gnan or listen to it. The greatest offence the greatestsin is to do what is contrary to what your Gnan tells you to be the rightthing to do. This is an offence not only against Bhagwan or the Shastras, itis an offence against your Self and your intellect. You are going contraryto the Gnan you have been given by the Ishwara. Therefore, lead a life thatis in keeping with your buddhi (intellect), vive`ka (discrimination), Gnan,and experience.Aatmanah pratikoolaani na pare`shaam samaachare`t dont behavewith others in a way you wouldnt like them to behave with you. Youdont like to be abused; dont abuse anyone. You dont like receiving adirty look; dont give a dirty look to anyone. It is an Asuri sampada whenpeoples actions are contrary to their Gnan. Inculcate the Daivi sampadainto your life. Daanam damashcha yagyashcha (16. 1)How great are the vaasanaa (avid desires) in peoples hearts! Our lives arefull of faults. We say things, hear things, and think about them, but themind is not able to catch them. If someone praises us, we think they aregood people. Their certificates of our goodness are of no use. Examineyourself honestly and give yourself a certificate about how good youreally are.Our state is, How can I blame Bhagwan? I feel affection for those whoshower encomiums on me, but I have little inclination to show respect toothers. I keep giving advice to others, but dont like it when anyone tellsme what I should do. This is my stupidity.

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Nobody obtains Gnan by just remembering that the chaitanya(consciousness) of the antahkaran the antahkaranaavachhinnachaitanya is the same as the vishayaavachhinna chaitanya, theconsciousness in the objects of the senses. The Gnan symbolized by Ramadestroyed the moha symbolized by Ravana. That was in the eon of timecalled the Treta Yuga. However, until the Gnan Rama does not manifest inyour heart and destroy the moha Ravana in it; unless and until yourdelusion is destroyed by your Gnan, of what use is the knowledge youhave? It is one thing to know what is written in which book and what hasbeen said by whom, and quite another thing to read the book of your heart.Do you only know how to take or do you also know how to give?Daanam damashcha yagyashcha! What are we able to give? What do wehave, to give? The Manusmriti says that if someone comes to your house,you should at least spread out a mat welcomingly, and ask him to sitdown. Is there is a mat in your house?No, there is no mat in the house.Very well, the floor is there, isnt it? Wipe it clean and ask your visitor tosit. If you have no food to offer, you can offer him a glass of water.I dont even have water.Never mind, you can at least speak with sweetness. These are little thingsanyone can do. Welcome your visitor, ask him to sit, and offer him a glassof water. If you can do nothing else, you can speak with such sweetnessthat he feels satisfied. What do you give others? In the whole day, do yougive a glass of water to even two people?That is a servants task, not something the boss does.Oh, my brother, cant you even speak pleasantly to your visitors? Haveyou ever fanned a visitor or brought some refreshments for him yourself?Have you ever given him something? The fact is, the wealth that comesinto your house has a portion that belongs to others. You wear beautifulclothes and live in beautiful homes. May Bhagwan bless you with evengreater comforts and luxuries. But, is your income earned honestly? Thewealth that has come to you has been the cause of some pain and distressto some people. You will have to bear the repercussions of their sorrow,because the sorrow of the one who suffers accompanies the wealth youget. Some part of your wealth belongs to birds and animals, some to thepoor, some to the Pundits, and some to people who have died. Are youdoing anything to save yourself from the repercussions? Unless you do

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daan, the ill-effects will continue to accumulate. I have seen Rajas,Maharajas and others who had immense wealth reduced to paupers in ashort span of time. Naanupahatya bhootaani bhogastam bhavati it is notpossible to enjoy any pleasures without causing some suffering tosomeone. And, since you are the cause of someones suffering, you haveto do something for others comfort.Earlier, the villages of Marwaris always had lakes, wells, charitable clinicsand schools. The Brahmins who conducted Yagyas, marriage and otherrituals, were given dakshinaa (monetary gifts). This was their livelihood.Society arranged for their education. You have learnt how to get a steadyincome, but you have forgotten how to give. The Devtas have left yourhome and the Daityas (Demons) have moved in. The Daivi sampatti hasgone and the Asuri sampatti prevails. Examine your life are youprepared to let go of anything, or do you only want to take?A gentleman from our village went to Jagannath Puri. The Pandas (priestswho guide visitors at a Pilgrim place) told him that the pilgrims who gothere are expected to give up something, as an offering. The gentlemanwas of our clan, a Brahmin. It did not occur to him to give up falsehood,abusing people, or losing his temper. He started thinking about what hecould give up. Giving up sweets, fruits or cereals was out of question. Itwas suggested that he should give up potatoes, but that was instantlyrejected since potatoes are an integral part of every bhandaaraa (feast forBrahmins). Ultimately, he decided to give up the wild fig a fruit that isnever eaten anyway! So, this is the state of our mind!

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih

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Pravachan II

We spoke about the benefit of maintaining an account of our good and badtendencies, the way we maintain an account of our income andexpenditure. A friend of mine keeps a regular check on his weight andgoes on a diet if he gains even half a kilo. People keep a watch on theirweight and accounts, but not their tendencies. You go to a doctor at theslightest physical problem, but do you ever think abut the harm done bythe strong negative tendencies of the mind? You have to know them andgive them up.A lady came to Satsang. A drop of ink was spilled on her sari. Oh, I willhave to waste ten rupees on the cleaners! she lamented. You are soconscious about the stains on your clothes, but not at all conscious aboutthe stains on your character, on your mind! It is necessary to keep a watchover this as well.I had told you yesterday, to note down the occasions when you feel afraid,and when wrong thoughts come into your mind. If you are afraid thatsomeone may read your diary, you can use code words, so that nobodyexcept you will be able to understand what you mean. The third point is our knowledge about right and wrong. Do you actaccording to your knowledge or not? That means, we have to observewhether we choose the good over the bad. When do you flout yourknowledge of what is right? The Ishwara pardons an offence done againstHim, but He does not pardon an offence done against His Sants(Mahatmas). Serving Mahatmas is the only way to mitigate thepunishment. But what happens when we insult our own intellect? Ourintellect tells us what the right thing to do is. Who is insulted when weignore it? Our Gnan, our intellect, and our Atma are insulted. Therefore,Gnaanayoga avasthiti means that you can insult someone else evenBhagwan and forget about it. If you insult a Mahatma, he will not takeoffence, but your offence will devour you. However, if you insult yourSelf, there is nobody who can pardon the offence; and it is an offenceagainst your Self when your behavior is contrary to what you know to beright. Your intellect guides you, but if you dont heed what it says, itsvoice will grow fainter, and ultimately stop guiding you. Your intellectwill become polluted and destroyed if you disrespect your vivek.

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Gnaanayogo avasthiti has been explained in innumerable ways, but I willgive you the straightforward interpretation. It means, to have Yoga (beingyoked) with your Gnan. That means, let your actions be in keeping withyour knowledge. Your Gnan will be destroyed unless you do this. Wont itharm you if you get something but fail to see where it has come from? It islike storing a container without checking whether it contains water fromthe holy Ganga or dirty water from the drains. You dont realize that eventhe smallest impurity can contaminate your antahkaran. When you getsome money, you should make sure that it is rightfully yours. You dontdo that, and when it is time to do daan, you say that you will give only ifthe person is a truly worthy person! Do you expect Vasishthadev or theSanatkumars to come to take daan (charity) from you? Do you expectSaints like Shukadevji? This is downright foolishness!When a snake comes into your house, it should be thrown out at once. It isfoolish to wait for a snake catcher to come and tell you whether the snakeis poisonous or not. Dont you ever wonder why so much illness comes toyour house? Why do you need to call the doctor so often? Why are youcaught by the Income Tax department? Why is there so much friction andill-will in your house? Why do father and son meet in the Courtroom?Husbands and wives sue each other and brothers quarrel. Why? It isbecause of the kind of money that has come into your house. The fatherdid not give the black money to the son, and lakhs were wasted. Brothersdont want to let the other brothers have their fair share. The motherdoesnt want to part with her jewelry. Both her daughter and daughter-in-law are deprived of what they should be given. What is the cause for thistendency of greed and accumulation? People forget their own faults, butwhen it comes to doing daan, they seek candidates with superior qualities. My brother, all wealth and objects are purified by daan; otherwise theyremain impure. The senses are purified by vrata (ritual fasting), faultsinherited from parents and grandparents are purified by sanskaara (ritualsthat create beneficial subconscious impressions), and paapa (sin) ispurified by penance. The impure wealth that has come to you will attractmore and more such wealth, adding to its malefic affects. Some of it willgo to the Police, and some for family disputes. Thieves will steal some,and some will be taken by the Government. You work hard to earn wealth,but you forget to give her share to the helpless widow in your home. The

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bundle of paapa keeps growing bigger and is sure to give sorrow. It isessential for your wealth to be purified.Now, see another section of this subject. The book of lifes accounting isvery large. Some forty years ago, I stayed at Shri Jaidayaljis Geeta Press,where Satsang went on all day long. There, I met a Marwari gentleman,who told me about the tragedy in his life. He would say, repeatedly,Swamiji, why did this happen? The man had only one child, a boy ofabout three, who he loved with all his heart. One day, he was goingsomewhere with the child, when they passed a well. Father, said the boylovingly, will you throw me into the well?My son, why should I throw you into the well? You are the heart of myheart! he replied. Saying this, he threw the child into the wellunthinkingly. There was no anger, or any other thought in his mind. Assoon as he let the boy fall, he exclaimed, Oh! What happened? Hestarted shouting for help. People came running and tried their best, butthey could not save the boy. When a person gets into the habit of actingthoughtlessly, it is impossible to gauge where his actions will lead to. Wemust learn to control our senses.Some people have the habit of pulling out threads from the carpet they siton. They cant control their habit of fidgeting. People touch who theyshouldnt because they cant control their urge. Even those who have verygood habits tend to dig their nose and clean their ears in company. Youcant control your own hands and feet, your tongue, or your eyes. Youwant to overhear what other people are discussing. What is all this? Thismeans that your life lacks dama (self-restraint), and that is why your earslisten to what they shouldnt, and your hands touch what they shouldnt.Your eyes look at whatever attracts them. You eat and smell whatever youfeel like, and you go to inappropriate places.You want the Government to control all wrongdoing. There should be norobbers or cheats. You want to control everyone, including your servants,but you have no control over your senses. The ruler of this body is soweak! If a person cant even control himself, how can he achieve anythingin life?Yagyashcha a Mahatma told a gentleman that he should do a dailyYagya. The man was an M.A. Graduate. Why should I do a havan (fireworship)? he asked. Why should I pour my ghee (rarified butter) into thefire?

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My brother, doing a Yagya beings benefits to the whole world. It inducesrain.If that is so, why does it rain in the lands where no Yagya is done?It rains because we do Yagyas.We have done enough Yagyas down the ages! We should stop, and tellthem to start doing Yagyas now! What difficult people we have to dealwith!I am talking about honesty. You have to pay the bill for using the fan. Youbreathe in fresh air and let out polluted air. Do you pay the bill for this?You pay water tax on the water you consume, but do you pay anything forthe rain? You pay electricity bills for using lights, but what do you pay forthe sunlight and the moonlight? Dont think I am abusing you. You walkon the earth without paying house tax. Words come out of your mouth andreach the ears of those who hear. You pay for hiring a loudspeaker, buthave you repaid your obligation to the atmosphere that carries your voiceto those who hear? You say words of abuse and criticize people, but youdont chant the mantras of the Vedas. You avail of fresh air but make noeffort to spread fragrance to purify the air. You use the light of the sun andthe moon, but contribute nothing to keep it clean. You use water, but dontbother to do anything to reduce pollution of the waters. It is an offence initself when you turn your back to the totality, wanting only personalbenefit. It is a crime to take from the whole without giving anything inreturn.In earlier days, the villages around my village had a panchaayati (of fiverepresentatives) building. The village heads used it for their consultations.It was available to all villagers for weddings, meetings, and otherfunctions. All the villagers used it, but when repairs were needed, no onecame forth to contribute. You benefit from the entire environment, butwhat do you do to keep it pure? The effort to do something for all is calledYagya. The purpose of Yagya is that the five elements are purified. Eventhe smoke that rises benefits the world because it creates rain. The ether ispurified by holy words. The air is purified by the fragrance of purifyingsubstances. Do you ever make an effort for this?This life is a Yagya. All kinds of filth come out of our bodies. Where doesit go? Your contribution to pollution is huge; but what is your contributionto its mitigation? Have you ever given this a thought?

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Once I had gone to Pathankot. We went to Kangra via Amritsar. I wasaccompanied by a family. One of the family was a gentle lady who had anexcellent nature. We did not stay at any hotel or company Guest-house;we stayed at a dharamashaalaa (charitable guesthouse). This affluent ladytied up her sari firmly, picked up a broom and water, and gave the room athorough cleaning. That was understandable, since we were to stay there.However, when it was time to leave, she washed the floor again. I askedher why. Other people will come after we have gone. They wont like it ifthey find the room dirty. It was a small thing, but a matter of greatbenevolence. You throw rubbish wherever you go, scattering dirteverywhere.The meaning of Yagya is that you avoid spreading dirt and try to removeimpurities. Mahatma Gandhi was once going from Gorakhpur to Benares.He always traveled in a third class compartment where anyone could getin. One man got in and sat beside him. After a while he spat on the floor.Mahatma Gandhi tore off a corner of the newspaper he was reading, wipedup the spittle, and threw it out. The man was surprised to see this. A littlelater, he spat again, and once again Gandhiji wiped the spittle withoutsaying anything. The man was intrigued. During the journey, the man spatnot once, but five times more, and each time Gandhiji quietly cleaned itup. The man began to wonder who Gandhiji was.When the train reached Benares, thousands of people were gathered at thestation, shouting slogans of welcome. The man realized that the personwho had cleaned his spittle was none other than the Father of the Nation,he fell at Gandhijis feet, begging forgiveness. There is nothing toforgive, said Gandhiji. It is my duty to keep the place clean, wherever Iam. I merely did my duty.I feel like dying for my behavior, said the man. Please tell me how I canatone for my offence. Very well, said Gandhiji. In future, keep the place clean wherever youare. If someone else dirties it, clean it up without thinking that you aredoing him a favor.This is called Yagya. The sun and the moon give you light naturally. Theair gives you life, the clouds give you water, and the earth supports you.What is happening in Creation is Yagya. It is the Prakriti (Nature) of theworld. All Prakriti is doing Yagya, but you Prakritis child dont know

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how to do Yagya; you only know how to pollute! Yagya must come intoyour life.Daanam damashcha yagyashcha. The next point is svaadyaayaastapa aarjavam (16. 1) what is yoursvaadhyaaya (study)? People go abroad to Management Schools. Othersgo to elite Institutions like the Tatas and Birlas, for training, A Doctorundergoes internship before practicing. A lawyer works under a seniorlawyer for some years. What is the svadhyaya in your life? Do you knowthat a male child in a South India family is taught the branch of the Vedashis family belongs to, before being sent to an English medium school? Theyagyopaveeta (sacred thread ceremony) has to be done, and then he has todo the daily ritual of Sandhya Vandan, to be eligible to study the Vedas. InAgra, there are many families where the boys study the Vedas before theygo to an English medium school. A Judge who was also a dear friend used to take his Ramanuji Gita with him when he took his seat at theCourt. Shri Anantashayanam Ayenger an extremely accomplishedscholar would take his Vaishnavi Gita with him. He felt no shame indoing the ritual worship of Bhagwan every day.What is svadhyaya? You speak ill of others, reveal their secrets, but youdont do the svadhyaya you should. There are ten ways of bringingchanges to our mind and inclinations. A persons mind is affected by whathe reads, what he studies, what he drinks, what he eats, the people heworks for, the people whose company he keeps, the work he does, therecreation he chooses, the mantra he chants, and his sanskaras. People have forgotten the things that keep the mind healthy. They haveforgotten svadhyaya. Every day we read in the newspapers, how childrenare becoming more and more prone to violence. This is because of theviolence they see in the cinema and on the TV. Why are immorality,brutality, and crime increasing day by day? It is because of our disregardfor values in life. We disdain our own lives. Our Satya is money, Banks,clothes, and material possessions. However, a greater Satya than these isthe life we lead. Of what use is everything else, if you cannot lead a decentlife?The matter I speak of may be dirty, but I say it to make my point. You areaware that something may be true, but you can avoid saying it if it doesmore harm to say it than to keep silent. Some people speak the truthbrutally. I am speaking the truth! they say. Who can stop me? If a harsh

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truth needs to be said, it should be said with gentleness and tact. Somefifty years ago, there was a group of actors who enacted the Raas Leela.The proprietor was an elderly gentleman with high moral standards. Theboys in his group were aged between eight to sixteen, and he tried his bestto keep them virtuous. He slept in the dormitory to keep an eye on them,but the mischief started as soon as he dropped off to sleep. Ultimately, hegave up the effort to keep them on the right path, and retired.Nobody else can carry you on their shoulder and take you to Bhagwan.You have to make yourself eligible. Become so good that Bhagwan wantsto be with you. Let Him say, This person is so good that I will be withhim, he should always stay with Me. Unless and until you beautifyyourself, the beautification done by others will not achieve anything. Youwear beautiful clothes, but you have nothing beautiful to say. Some peoplewear clean clothes but the dirt on the neck is seen when the collar of theirshirt shifts. You may be externally clean, but are you clean within? Peopleonly want to present clean exteriors. Who sees what lies within? theysay. If you fail to look at your inner self and keep only the physical formclean and healthy, your mind will be sullied. Svadhyaya I have seen film magazines and society magazines. The lifethey create is totally different from the life created by Bhagwan; by theGita. Satsang does not cleanse your body; it cleanses your heart. Yourheart cant be cleaned by any external object. Only a firm resolve for innerpurity will work. If you indeed have an earnest desire for inner purity,your heart will become limpid and luminous.For this, it is necessary to have one thing the strength of mind to endurediscomfort. A person who cannot bear discomfort can never be asadaachaaree (leading an upright life with all good habits). He will say,This is too difficult for me! Will power is required to endure a little coldand a little hunger, and also peoples abuses.Why, my brother?You know how to take but you dont know how to give. Have you evershared your food with an unexpected visitor? Have you ever given yourfood away to someone and gone hungry yourself? It will be a golden dayin your life when you do this. Your life will shine like burnished goldwhen you develop such noble and unselfish habits. Todays youngstersleave their homes and go to forests. They wake up and do bhajan, but theyget no chance to inspect their own minds. You should deliberately

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undertake some work. Go for walks. Do something that goes against yourinclinations, but not against your Gnan. This will help you to control yourmind and senses.Learn to control your temper. I cooked for myself for several years. Whenthe daal (lentil curry) began to boil, the impurities in it rose to the surfaceand had to be scooped out. It is the same when sugarcane juice is cookedto make jaggery. The liquid first boils, then it simmers, then it quiets.Observe how long you boil with anger. If you boil with anger, you areunripe. Muktabai was told to tap the Sadhus on the back, with a tool usedfor testing baked pots. Whenever the tapping made a sound, the Sadhu wastold that he is half-baked. So, pay attention to how well you control youranger, or fail to control it. Can you remain calm in situations that arouseanger? Weigh yourself. Keep a diary and record your actions andreactions. It is possible that you know how to preach, but not how tobehave.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih.

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Pravachan III

Let us look back before we proceed. Revision helps to grasp and retain apoint, just as a double knot is stronger than a single knot. Yesterday Ispoke about Bhavanti sampadam daiveemabhijaatasva bhaarata (16.3) My dear Arjuna, you have a bright nature. The Daivi sampada has comeinto your life. The word arjuna means bright arjunah dhavala (Arjunais bright); and, Maa shuchah sampadam daivee abhijaatosi (16. 5) dont grieve, because you have obtained the divine qualities. These arethe characteristics of a person who has the Daivi sampada. Arjunas noblequalities are inherent, as shown in the first chapter. We should understandand emulate them. Others have to inculcate these virtues, whereas they areinborn in Arjuna.Another point to note is that the first chapter shows Duryodhans Asurisampada and Arjunas Daivi sampada. This chapter is a commentary onthe first chapter, as explained in the Sva-Prakash and Svayam Vimarsh.This explanation makes it easier for us to grasp the message of the Gita.We should first define tattva (essence), according to Svayam Vimarsh.You are to bring the essence into your life. This can be done by simplemethods, like touching the ground with you hands or head, before placingyour feet on it when you get up in the morning. Bow down to the earthrespectfully. The discomfort of doing this is tapa (asceticism).Samudravasane` de`vee, parvatastanamandale`,Vishnupatni namastubhyam paadasparsha kshamasva me`.Samudra (the sea) is your blue garment, the mountains are your breasts.You are the wife of the all-pervading Vishnu, Mother Earth, forgive mefor placing my feet on you. Say this, and think about Bhagwan.Remember that neither the house, nor the land, nor the fields belong toyou. They belong to Bhagwan.You put your feet in water when you have a bath, and wash away your dirtin it. Before bathing, take a little water in the palm of your hand andsprinkle it on your body to purify yourself. When you sprinkle cold wateron yourself in the winter months, it becomes a tapasyaa (asceticism). Youget a darshan (see with reverence) of the Surya Bhagwan the sun whenyou wake up. Eulogize the sun. Om namah savitre`jagade`kachakshushe` jagatprasootisthitinaashahe`tave` - I bow down to

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you, Savita Devta. You are the eyes of the world, and the cause of itsCreation, Sustenance and Dissolution. I want to tell you about an incident. It so happened that I was once unableto lift up my arms fully, I went to the doctor. Swamiji, he said, younever do dandavat pranaam (total prostration) to anyone. Had youprostrated every day before Bhagwan, you would have found out long agothat you have difficulty in raising your arms. Now, the problem has set in.Fortunately, I did not take medication. The elder daughter-in-law of theKanpur family told me that she had had the same problem and was curedin a few months by some special exercises. I now raise my arms and dodandavat pranam to Bhagwan every day.It is a matter of making a little effort. When you cook for your family, doyou put a little food into the fire or not? My brother, you use the fire tocook your food isnt the fire entitled to its share? Anything that you usefor your convenience is benefit is entitled to its share. Nothing becomesyours merely because you pay for it. A part of it belongs to the person whohas labored, for the person whose intellect and skill have contributed to itsbeing created. It is true that you have paid for it, but you should also dosome daan for those whose contribution has made it possible.You breathe in air do you take the trouble to light incense to purify theair by spreading fragrance? You throw out impure air; what do you do tomake amends? I am telling you the truth when someone comes close tome to say something, I have to endure the smell of their breath. Since wepollute the air when we breathe out, and breathe in clean air, we shouldalso have the habit of helping to purify the air.We talk ill of people, gossip about their womenfolk, and use bad words.We spread the words of ill-will into the ether, so we should cultivate thehabit of chanting stuti (praises) of Bhagwan, ring a bell, sing, or playmusic to purify the ether.You may say, What tapa are you teaching? This is hardly asceticism!The Gita, however, calls this tapa. You can give it any name you like svayambhu, svayam-prakaasha, or sva-prakaasha.De`vadvijagurupraagyapoojanam shauchamaarjavam,Bramacharyamahinsaa cha shaareeram tapa uchhyate`.(17. 14)

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(Worship of the Devtas, Brahmins, the Guru and other elders, and theGnanis, maintaining purity, being straightforward, practicing chastity andnon-violence, are called the tapa of the body.)Worship the prithivee (earth), jala (water), agni (fire), vaayu (air), andother Devtas. Worship the Brahmins because they conduct the rituals thatcreate sanskaara (beneficial subconscious impressions). The Guru givesyou teaching and Gnan, so you should worship him. Worship those whouse their intellect to render service to the world. Poojaa (worship) meanssatkaara (to show respect).Wives often laze in bed when their husband comes home from work. Theywould develop a good habit is they made it a point to get up to welcometheir husband and offer him some refreshments. Parents dont teach theirchildren to touch their feet, but it benefits youngsters to touch the feet ofelders. Earlier, people did saashtaanga pranaama (total prostration) toshow respect. Namaskaara (bowing; folding hands respectfully) is themethod of awakening a feeling of respect for a venerable person. It helps aperson to have humility. It is a tapa.Speech should always be restrained. This is what Sadhus told us when wewere young. You are educated and intelligent. What the Sadhus told us isthat whenever we want to say anything, we should first repeat it thrice toourselves. Only then, if it seems appropriate, should we say it. The effortto keep our tongue controlled is called tapa. Anudve`gakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha yat,Svaadhyaayaabhyaasanam chaiva vaangmayam tapa uchhyate1.(17. 15)(Speech that causes no agitation, is sweet to hear as well as beneficial, andthe habit of chanting the Vedas and names of Bhagwan, is called the tapaof speech.)A common phrase in our village is, Punditaayin, shubha bolo O wife ofa Pundit, speak with sweetness. If your speech lacks sweetness, place alittle sugar in your mouth before speaking. Swami Shukadevanandji of theBharat Sadhu Samaj used to say, When you speak harshly, you reveal thebad things that are in you. When you speak ill of anyone, it is notnecessarily the truth. Badness has found a place in your heart, and youexpose your own defects. Speech reveals the speaker. What is said may ormay not be correct. Speech cannot negate the speaker; it can only refutesomething that is said. That is why the Shastras say, Vaacham na

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vidignaatitam vaktaaram vidyaat my brother, dont focus on what issaid, focus on who is saying it.Now we come to the third point. There is a book called the KashyapSamhita. It had disappeared for a long time, and then a copy was found inNepal. It says, Satyam hitam mitam brooyaat api sanvaadi pe`shalam Iguarantee that your body will not be afflicted by illness if you observethese: whenever you speak, speak the truth. Speak the truth that is sweet.Focus on the benefit of the other when you speak, not of your own benefit.A person who thinks of the good of others, is benefited automatically.Mitam brooyaat speak as little as possible. And, api samvaadi dontsay anything that leads to argument. Speak with sweetness, and speak inbrief, and only when it is necessary to speak. It is important to control thevaasanaa (urge) to go on talking for the sake of talking. This restraint isalso tapa. And, see the added advantage you can do this tapasya sitting athome!Manah prasaadah saumyatvam (17. 16). Try to stay constantly in a happyframe of mind, The house collapsed. Oh, the house would have collapsedone day anyway! We are to leave the house one day, we are to leave thebody one day, disease will attack the body one day, and death is to comeone day. These things will come by themselves either a few days earlier ora few days later, How does it matter? We should remain serene. The mindshould be as limpid as the clear waters of a lake. Why bring the externaldrains into your mind?Karma yoga (worship through work) is also a tapa. Saumyatvam just asthe moon showers its soothing radiance on all, your face should radiatepeace and goodwill. Saumya means buddha dont destroy your buddhi(intellect). Somasya bhaavah saumyam. Herbal medicines become afeeling. Saumya also means kindness and Grace as in saamvasadaashivah. Samba Sadashiva is the benevolent form of Shiva, protecting alland Gracing all, without bothering about the cycle of Creation,Sustenance, and Dissolution. It is He who abides in our heart. Dont letyour mind dwell on useless things. This is also tapasya.The most important thing is to be pure hearted towards all. Never have ill-will for anyone. Your ill-will hurts no one but yourself. When your mindis sullied, you are sullied, because you identify with your mind. You arenot the asanga drashtaa (uninvolved observer) of your mind, nor have younegated your mind, People who practice Yoga negate their mind. Sankhya

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Yoga gives the experience that the Atma is asanga (unattached). Bhaktimoulds your mind in the image of Bhagwan, and Vedanta negates themind. But here, your mind is very much with you, so keep it pure.Utensils are arranged beautifully in the homes of the middle-classGujaratis. They would not shine so brightly if they were not cleanedregularly. Even a plate needs to be kept clean. In the same way, try to keepyour feelings pure. Some people have a selfish interest even when theycome for Satsang. They are on the lookout for people from whom they canderive some worldly advantage. Their feeling is impure even when theycome for a spiritual discourse! They lack bhaava shuddhi (purity offeeling). My brother, the secret of Dharma is Yadaa na kurute` bhaavah sarvabhoote`shu paapakam,Karmanaa manasaa vaachaa sa dharma iti ychhyate`.In the Vishnu Purana, Yagyavalkyaji says, Who knows the secret ofDharma? Only a person who does not, in his mind, speech or action,consider anyone to be a paapi. Paapa-punya (sin-spiritual merit) isjudged by individual beliefs. The feelings of incurring sin or doing a piousdeed does not come from the Shastras. The definition of paapa is differentfor a Sanyasi and different for a grihastha (married householder). Are youaware of this? It is a sin if a grihastha avoids marital conjugation oncertain occasions, whereas it is a sin for a Sanyasi to have any conjugalrelations. Daan is a punya for a grihastha, but tyaaga (renunciation) andaparigraha (non-accumulation) is punya for a Sanyasi. The paapa-punyaof a Muslim is different from that of a Hindu. The Arya Samajs paapa-punya is different from the Sanatan Dharmas.Thus, paapa-punya is understood according to the beliefs a person hasbeen brought up with, and Satya is our own Atma. When you imaginesomeone to be a paapi, it is not based on Satya; it is based on yourimagination of the Satya. If accepted without proper understanding, beliefstake on the form of paapa. Therefore, the meaning of tapa and aarjava(being straightforward) are different in the lives of different people.The Chandogya Upanishad gives us another viewpoint. You can, if youwant, turn bhoga (indulgence or suffering) into tapa. This technique is notto be found anywhere else in the world. It belongs exclusively to theUpanishads. You can go through all the books of the other religiousphilosophies, but you wont find it anywhere else.

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A man had fever. His elders told him, My child, this is the bhoga of yourpraarabdha (destiny caused by past actions). Some past karma hasbrought this fever. Fever has to be endured. Taapa (heat; suffering) is thediscomfort given by paapa. Paapa is the karma and taapa is its fruit. AMahatma came. Why are you complaining? he asked. Our Sadhus situnder the sun in full summer, with fires burning on all four sides. They puta vessel with burning coals on their head, to do tapa. Dont consider thisfever, sent by Bhagwan, to be bhoga. Say, E`tat vai paramam tapah Bhagwan has given me an opportunity to do tapa. Why bemoan thefever? Consider it your asceticism.My brother, today you have fever. What tapasya will it be when you die?What tapasya will it be when people carry you to the cremation ground? Inever made the effort to go to the forest while I was alive. I did notapasya, and no havan (fire sacrifice). This will be my tapasya, to be takento the cremation ground. Think about it from now. You will, ultimately,have to give up everything and go into the wilderness all alone. Your bodywill be consumed by fire. That will be the havan of your body. E`tat me`paramam tapah that is my supreme tapa.These days, people do e`kaadashi a fast done on the eleventh day of thelunar colander. The method for doing ekadashi given in the Shastras is thatthe person should not eat the evening meal the previous day, have onlywater, once, on ekadashi, and have one meal the following day. However,people eat extra heavy food on the tenth day, saying they will be fastingthe next day. On the day of the fast they abstain form eating cereals andother food that are to be avoided, but have many kinds of rich items thatare difficult to digest. Then, on the twelfth day, they eat heartily, sayingthey had fasted the previous day! My brother, do one days tapasya, atleast! We wore ourselves out studying the Shastras, but our lives changed for theworse. In earlier times, bathrooms were built at some distance, and thekitchen was close to the bedrooms. Now, bathrooms are close by andkitchens are far. Shoes were taken off at the doorway; they were not worninside the house. Now, shoes are too important to be taken off even in thekitchen, or when doing japa (ritual chanting). People find it a nuisance toremove their shoes. They cannot imagine going barefoot. Earlier, womenground wheat on grinding stones at home. The flour was unadulterated. Atthe Ashram, good wheat was sent to the mill, but the men brought back

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adulterated flour. A small electric grinder had to be installed, to produceflour in substantial quantities. If you make your own flour with anelectric grinder or a grinding stone it becomes a tapasya. BabuShivaprasadji was one of the wealthiest men in India. He had traveled allover the world. He was much fatter than me! He lived at Varanasi andground his own flour. This was a physical exertion. External purity wasthe result of this, and since the flour was unadulterated, it promoted goodhealth. And, what if the feeling of tapasya filled the mind? The mind ispurified by Dharma, and external objects are purified by shrama(exertion).My brother, life should be filled with tapasya. Mothers tell the ayah tofeed the child and take the dog for a drive. They spend their time at theClub and the child spends his time with the servants. There is a family Ivisit occasionally, where the ayah had taught the child to pray. She was aChristian. The child told me that he prays to God every day.What do you pray? I asked him.I ask God to give my ayah a house, he said. My brother, you should conscientiously develop the habit of enduringsome discomfort, and doing some physical work. Tapa aarjavam. Wehave to go towards the Paramatma. The word arjuna is based onaarjavam, a person who is straightforward. There is a kind of tree thatgrows tall and straight. Arjuna went to Shri Krishna to ask for His help in the Mahabharata war.Shri Krishna was sleeping when he went. Arjuna sat at Shri Krishnas feet.He did not think of sitting by Shri Krishnas head. Duryodhan sat by ShriKrishnas head, because he was proud of his status, but Arjuna washumble and simple. The cunning Duryodhan got Shri Krishnas Army, butdid not win the war.What is aarjavam? There is a shloka in the Mahabharata.Sarvam jihmam mrityu padam aarjavam brahmanaapadam,E`taavaan gnaanavishayaa pralaapah kim karishyati.Sarvam jihmam mrityupadam all cunning is an invitation to death. Oh,Mrityu, come to me! And, aarjavam brahmanaapadam straightforwardness is an invitation to the Brahman. Oh, Paramatma,come and sit in my heart. E`taavaan gnaana vishayaa this is the sum total of Gnan. Pralaapamkim karishyati why do you prattle unnecessarily? My friends, I read the

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Puramas, Vedas, and Shastras. I understand them. Our Rishis were verystraightforward. They stated what they wanted to say, without usingcleverness to confuse the reader. Todays Pundits want to impress theirlisteners by making the subject more difficult to understand. You have toexamine yourself do you want to impress people or do you want toconvey your thoughts?Sarala bhaava. I had a friend who invariably won any election he stoodfor. I asked him what the secret of his success was. I was twenty and hewas seventy years old at that time. Look, he said, I dont make anyschemes or plan any strategy. My enemies believe that I will do somethingcrooked. They expect me to take a devious route, but I go straight to mydestination, with my staff in my hand. Victory belongs to those who arestraight in their dealings; crookedness does not succeed. Aarjavambrahmanaapadam. Being uncomplicated is to bring the Paramatma intoour meditation. It is to establish Him in our heart. It is to invite Him intoour life.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih.

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Pravachan IV

This Gita is our mother. Maatride`vo bhava, pitride`vo bhava! The motheris a Devta, the father is a Devta. This Gita is our mother Devta. She isSaraswati (goddess of learning) incarnate who stays in Shri Krishnasheart. It is the memory of His heart, and it gives us the right teaching.Geetaa me` hridayam paartha. Shri Krishna told Arjuna that the Gita isHis heart. What kind of a life should we lead? We should lead the life of a Devta, notthe life of an Asura. We should consider life to be a game, and not getweighed down. When we were young, we used to play a game calledkabaddi, in which the players died. They did not really die; they wereout of the game. Just as there is no death in a game, there is no death in thegame of life. People fall ill in a drama; this life is also a drama. It is aleelaa (frolic). Life should not be turned into bhoga.This is called Daivi sampada. The root of the word daivi means, toplay. That is the primary meaning. The Sanskrit is divu kreedaayaam go on playing the game. There is no need to make these discourses veryserious. Both the speaker and the audience get bored. Some speakers usesuch difficult words! It is like drawing water from a very deep well. I haveheard the lectures given by Principals of Benares University. Theydeliberately use language that even the local Pundits find difficult tofollow. It certainly shows their learning, but the listeners fail to grasp themeaning. Speak in a way that others can understand what you are saying.If nobody but you understands your meaning, what is the use of speaking?Daivi sampada means the sampada of the game. They made so many runs,they took so many wickets. This is the richness of the game. Tell me, youhavent shed tears in your life, have you? And if you pretended to weep,that is excellent! Your tears were not genuine tears. Dont shed real tears;cry as though you were acting in a drama. Our Shri Krishna does a leela.The gopis weep, and He also weeps sometimes. They are weeping in aplay. Thus, the greatest wealth in our life is the Daivi sampada. Thereshould be no strong urge in us for anything; no obstinacy, no stronginclination for some work, individual or emotion. Oh, become a jeevanmukta (liberated soul), my brother! The Daivi sampada is the first step onthe ladder of Mukti (liberation from rebirth and suffering).

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And, what is the Asuri sampada? It is when a person hates the attitude ofthe Suras (Devtas). Are you enslaved by any of your senses to such anextent that you cannot do without eating something, saying things, doingsomething, wearing something, or going to some place? If so, you arecontrolled by the Asuri sampada. Keep you wealth, but keep it the way theDevtas do. Play, but play as the Devtas play. Mother Gita tells us not toinjure anybody. Dont harass or cause trouble for anybody. Ahinsaasatyam akrodhaat. The one who harasses in an enemy. The Vedas say,Maa hinsayaa sarvabhootaani do not inflect pain on any being.Dont do anything that will cause pain. Dont say, or even think, anythingthat makes anyone suffer. The words hinsaa - ahinsaa (violence-nonviolence) are given in the Shastras. Understand them in simple terms.The Sanskrit critics enjoy playing with words, to confuse people. Mybrother, say what you want to in a way that others understand yourmeaning.It is stated clearly in the Mahabharata that you should have no hatred foranyone. The Rig Veda contains an episode about a Rishi called Mandavya.When he was a small boy, he made a garland of ants by piercing themwith a needles and stringing them on a thread. He was given thepunishment of death by hanging. After he died, he challenged Yamaraj(the Devta of death).I was a child when I did this cruel deed. I did not know that I was doingwrong. A child has no knowledge about paapa and punya, so he does notmerit the fruits of his actions. You have punished a person who did notmerit punishment, so I place a curse on you that you will become ashoodra (low caste) for a hundred years. This is why Yamaraj was bornas Dhritarashtras brother Vidura.Hinsa is an urge to do harm. It should not come into your life. Peopleinflict deep wounds in peoples hearts with their tongue. Have we beengiven a tongue for the purpose of hurting others? The tongue contains suchrasa (sweetness) that it can make the bitter sound sweet. If you putchillies, the tongue adds rasa to it. It makes the bitter gourd palatable. Youuse of this tongue that is filled with sweetness to say cruel words andmake others suffer.Ahinsa is also a Yogavritti an inclination that connects you to Bhagwan.Ahinsa is a common Dharma. Sometimes, a post mortem is done on acorpse. If a post mortem is done on ahinsa, it will yield great results. The

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main point is, if you want to experience shanti, you will have to bringahinsa into your life. The enduring feeling of the shaanta rasa (enjoyingtotal peace) is shaanta rati a love for shanti. However, peace will notendure unless it is founded on ahinsa. Nobody who hurts another canremain at peace.Both ahinsa and Satya are necessary for obtaining the Paramatma. TheSanatan Dharma says that if you have love for Satya, you will ultimatelyattain the Paramatma, because Satya is His svaroopa (essence; form). So,always be truthful. The Jains say that ahinsa is the state of beingestablished in the Supreme. Ahinsa should be an integral part of our life.There is the Param Satya the ultimate or Supreme Truth. Satya andahinsa are the two methods for obtaining it. Love for the truth is the firstrequisite.If you have no value for Satya is your life, why should you want to obtainit? Why should the Paramatma come to you? Only someone who has thedesire to know what Satya is will make a resolve to adhere to the Satya,and he will get the Satya. Unless you have the resolve to be truthful, youhave no need for the truth. You are quite content with falsehood, so whywill you obtain the Paramatma who is the ultimate Satya?Ahinsa is a mental tendency that we cannot impose upon anyone else. Inhis commentary on the Yoga Darshan, Vyasji Maharaj says that nobodycan indulge in bhoga without causing suffering. The more the bhoga, themore the suffering. And, the more bhoga he has, the more he wants. Skillsin obtaining bhoga increase. People crave for new flavors, new dishes,new clothes, new men and new women. Please dont be offended mybrother, but it is a fact that a craving for novelty comes into the life of abhogi (one who enjoys sensual pleasures). There is no end to theircravings. This is why a person who is a bhogi becomes a rogi (diseasedperson). In Sanskrit, the word bhogee means a snake. A snake does notbite to eat; it bites to inflict pain, and it goes on biting. Thus, ahinsa is astate of mind. Satya is both a state of mind as well as a paramaartha supremeachievement; the Brahman, who is also the Atma. But, ahinsa is not aParamartha; it is a sadhana an effort for spiritual progress. According toour Sanatan Dharma, ahinsa comes into our life at times, and hinsa comesat times. How do they come? Both ahinsa and hinsa come through theShastras. Maa hinsayaat sarva bhootaani (do not hurt any being), and

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svargakaamah pashunaa yaje`t (sacrifice an animal if you want to obtainSwarga) are written in the Shastras. The Sanatan Dharma does notconsider a vihit (instituted) hinsa to be a hinsa. Todays society maybelieve in the ahinsa advocated by Gandhiji, but the order to send theArmy to Kashmir was also given by him, because that was the need of thehour. The constitution orders death by hanging; should the hangman bepunished? No, because the violence ordered by the Constitution is notconsidered a crime. The hinsa of the Vedas is not considered a hinsabecause the predominant consideration is the welfare of the people. Themental state for obtaining the experience of the Paramatma is calledahinsa, but ahinsa and hinsa are both part of our daily lives.Let us examine this further. Some people are naturally inclined toviolence. Some are violent only when provoked. They are better thanthose who are habitually violent. Then, there are some people who have nowish to retaliate even when someone harms them. They are in a state ofahinsa. Their mental state is at a level where they remain unaffected by thepulsations of the world. When the mind is in a state of such unshakabletranquility, the Paramatmas effulgence is seen automatically. The mindhas to be untroubled by any sense object.The Satya, however, is even further. The Taittareya Aranyak of the Vedassays that when a person speaks the truth, the world says that he is speakingDharma. Strangely, it is stated in several places in the Vedas that thepeople are the proof of the truth, while people say that the Vedas establishthe truth. A ghata (pot) cannot become a pata (picture) even if thousandsof people chant mantras to establish that it is a picture. We cannot dependtotally on mantras; we also have to see the social interaction.Therefore, my brother, never harbor a wish to harm anyone. Have noraaga (attachment). You should pray to Bhagwan to save you fromhurting anyone, even unknowingly. The state of ahinsa comes into our lifeby Bhagwans Grace. You should pray daily and constantly that no feelingof hinsa comes to you, for even someone who has done you great harm.Ahinsaa samataa tushti tapo daanam yashoyashah,Bhavanti baavaa bhootaanam mattah e`va prithagvidhaah.(10. 5)(Know that it is I who give the feelings of ahinsa, equanimity,contentment, self-restraint, renown, ad a bad name.)

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This is the Gita speaking. This is called svayam vimarsha selfevaluation. The Gita tells us that the feeling of ahinsa is given byBhagwan. What happens when Bhagwans kripaa (Grace) showers on us?When should we understand that He has manifested in our heart? Whenthe heart is free of all desire to hurt, it is a sign that His Grace hasmanifested in our heart. No impulse to inflict hurt on any should evercome to us, even in a dream. When the state of ahinsa is fully establishedin the heart, you experience peace and great joy.Ahinsaa satyamakrodhah (16. 2). There was a King who used to goaround his city to keep an eye on things. Every time he passed a particularshop, he had an urge to imprison the owner and have him put to death.One day, he called the shop owner to the Court. My brother, he said,there are many shops in the market place, and many shop owners. Yet, itis only when I pass by your shop that I have the urge to imprison you andput you to death. What is the reason for this?The shopkeeper said, Maharaj! Please forgive me! I will tell you the truthif you promise to pardon my offence.Very well, said the King, but tell me the truth.The fact is that I stock sandalwood in my shop. The sales are poorbecause it is very expensive. I keep thinking that my entire stock will besold the day the King dies. I think about your death and that is why youwant to have me put to death.When you think of harming someone, he thinks of harming you.Therefore, if someone abuses you, inspect your own heart, and checkwhether you have committed a mental offence against him. Your friend isin your heart. Dont think him to be a bad man. It is the task of worldlypeople to observe the faults of others. You should examine yourself andsee whether you have had any negative feelings for the other person.There is an elderly couple, with two married sons. Each daughter-in-lawfeels that her mother-in-law is partial to the other. They all live together.Instead of blaming the parents, they should do some introspection. Theyshould see what they have done that created this situation. Dont blameothers for being biased; consider your own attitude and behavior and seewhether that is the cause.A saadhaka (spiritual seeker) is a person who looks into his own heart tosee the faults hidden there, and tries to remove them. A sansaaree(worldly person) sees the faults in others and criticizes them. The biggest

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mistake is to consider the sansaara (interactive world) to be separate fromourselves, to consider it to be Satya. This is avidyaa (ignorance;nescience). This world is made of maayaa Bhagwans power of illusion.We are deluded into believing it to be a permanent reality. We think somethings are good and some things are bad. We get trapped by the things thatseem good to us, and start hating what seems bad. Both are a mistake.A sadhakas job is to locate and remove the faults in his own heart. Youwant to remove the faults of others. I do not wish to offend anybody, but itis a fact that if anyone thinks he can remove the faults of others, he is afool. This world is so vast, filled with so many people, and each of themwith so many faults! You will yourself be filled with faults if you try toremove other peoples faults one by one.However, if you remove your own faults, the world will become a blessedplace for you. The whole world will become shuddha (pure) by makingone antahkaran shuddha. Trying to change the world is futile how manypeople can you convince? You will die in the attempt, and the world willgo on as it is. Should I tell you the truth? This world is anaadi (without abeginning; eternal) and nobody knows where it will end. That, which isbeginingless can have an end, but agnaana (lack of Gnan) is endless.Anadi and ananta (endless) exist in the sphere of agnan. Once Gnan isobtained, there is no anadi and no ananta.This world has existed since time immemorial. There were so manyAvataras, so many Saints of different religions, so many mystics, andTeachers and religious sects. Has there been any dearth of blunders andwrong-doing? Nobody could make any permanent change. A dogs curlytail can never be straightened.Ahinsaa satyam akrodhah. People dont know how to speak Satya. Do youknow? I dont! A gentleman claimed to be a lover of Satya. I only speakthe truth, he would say. He never told untruths. One day, he met thevillage Pundit on the road. Oh, Punditji! he called out. Wait! I want totell you something.Yes, my brother, what is it?Your unmarried daughter is pregnant, he shouted from across the road.Was this a Satya that should be announced this way? It was not the properplace or time to say it. It did nobody any good; it only caused unnecessarypain and humiliation to the Brahmin. Satyam brooyaat hitam brooyaat,

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Satyam brooyaat priyam brooyaat, Na brooyaat satyam apriyam.(Speak the truth, but only the truth that benefits others. Speak the truth thatis sweet. Do not say anything that is hurtful, just because it is true.)It is not necessary to speak, even if it is true. There are times when it isessential to remain silent. Do not tell lies, but speak the truth when it isbeneficial for others, and avoid saying it if it is likely to do harm. Thegreatness of Satya is immense! What am I to tell you about how greatSatya is? You tell your children to speak the truth. There was a man who taught his children that they should always betruthful. One day, a man to whom he owed money, came to his house. Hehid in a room and told his son to tell the visitor that he was not at home.The boy went and told the man, My father said to tell you that he is not athome.This is not the case only with parents, it also applies to Gurus. Noteverybody has the capacity to understand and adhere to Satya. Only aperson who understands Satya can do true satyaagraha (a non-violentmovement for what is right). People do satyagraha for all kinds of wrongthings in the name of Satya. The satyagraha of the Hindus is different fromthe satyagraha of the Muslims. Different countries have different conceptsof what is right. Will that movement be a satyagraha? Is Satya different fordifferent people? These are pieces of Satya that suit vested interests. That,which remains unchanged by time, place and people, is the Param Satya(the supreme Truth). The Satya that can never be negated is our Atma.Nobody can say that the Atma is mithyaa (false; a relative truth). You must know what Satya is; otherwise you will be blundering in thedark. Only if you know Satya can you bring it into your life. The Satyayou adopt today and give up tomorrow is not Satya. That being the case,what satyagraha will you do; and that too, with ahinsa? You lackknowledge about Satya; ahinsa does not linger for more than a fewmoments. We heard about satyagraha in 1920 or 1921, when MahatmaGandhi started the movement. People brought food from their homes forthe participants. Know Satya, and hold on to Satya. Experience the factthat Satya is not something that can never leave you.

Om Shantih Shantih Shantih.

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Pravachan V

What does our Mother Gita teach us? Have no fear. Keep your heartclean. Work according to your knowledge. Give whatever is possible, likethe sun spreads light and the moon shines soothingly. Talk with sweetness.Smile and be pleasant. Respect everybody. Keep your senses restrained.Control your inclination for luxuries and indulgences.People have the tendency to look for some personal advantage ineverything they do. Even when they go for Satsang, it is with the hope ofmaking useful contacts. Doctors think that their practice will increase ifthey widen their circle of acquaintances. People with health problemsthink that it will be an advantage to be on good terms with a doctor. Othersfeel it will help them to get loans from wealthy people. It is not proper tothink only about worldly benefits in everything. Let there be at least oneplace where you can keep your senses restrained.Try to do good wherever you go. Dont examine others; examine yourown heart and see what it contains. And, you should cultivate the habit ofenduring some discomfort. A person whose overriding consideration is hisown comfort becomes a burden on others. The least you can do is to makesure that you do not trouble anyone.Ahinsaa satyamakrodhastyaagah shaantirapaishunam,Dayaa bhoote`shvaloluptvam maardavam hreerachaapalam. Te`jah kshamaa dhritih shauchamadrohonaatimaanitaa,Bhavanti sampadam daiveemabhijaatasya bhaarata.(16. 2, 3)(Never hurting anyone with your mind, speech or action, speaking thetruth as you know it, speaking with sweetness, not succumbing to angereven if someone harms you, not having the subtle ego of being the karta,keeping the mind tranquil, not criticizing others, unmotivated compassionfor all, being unattached to the things that give you pleasure, being gentle,feeling ashamed to do anything that is contrary to the Shastras, and notwasting time on useless things.Having a bright personality due to noble principles, forgiving the faults ofothers, being courageous, maintaining external cleanliness, and having noenmity for any are the characteristics of a person who has the Daivisampada.)

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You have been born in the lineage of Bharat, the son of Rishabhdev,whose nine sons became the Yogeshwaras, and eighty one sons becamesuperior Brahmins. Dont let down the good name of your parents. Dontdespoil the honor of your Guru. Use right thinking.I want to tell you one more thing. Do not be the cause of any beingssuffering. Suffering can be inflicted unknowingly. The Mahabharata saysthat microbes are killed whenever we blink. Then how can we bringahinsa into our life? We cant stop blinking! The Jains say that microbesare killed when we breathe, so they wear a mask over their nose andmouth. Our Mahatmas pondered deeply about this and decided that it isnot feasible to have ahinsa to this extent. We cannot control the hinsa thatis done automatically. It is useless to waste time on thinking about what isbeyond our control. The important thing is that there should be no feelingof hinsa. Ahinsa is a feeling. It is a benevolent feeling of not wanting tohurt any being consciously or unconsciously. Here, in Bombay, people would come to me and ask me to give them amantra. I would ask them to make four vows to not steal, not tell lies,remain chaste, and not cause suffering for anyone. After staying here forsome time, I learnt something. What did I learn? I learnt that people wereunable to keep the vows they made. The paapa of breaking a vow wasadded to the paapa of their wrongdoings. After that, I asked them to makejust one vow to not knowingly inflict suffering on any being. \Peoplecannot give up untruths completely. My doctor also tells me untruths. Iasked him why he did that. Maharaj, he said, this is a Sattvik (noble) lie.I conceal some facts and exaggerate some facts so that you control yourdiet. It is not that only doctors do this. Our in-house doctors also do this!Therefore, my brother, neither the doctors nor the disciples can abstainfrom some Sattvik lies. What can we do? Very well; we give you leave tomodify the truth provided the intention is to benefit someone. Thereshould be no thought of causing deliberate suffering or personal benefit.The forest dwellers told Shri Rama and Sitaji that they would render theservice of not stealing their clothes and vessels! Thus, the intention is tohelp, not hurt. Doctors operate on their patients, give injections, and makepeople unconscious in order to make them well. We scold our children andeven smack them occasionally, for their benefit, not to hurt them. It iswrong to lose your temper and hit out in anger. When such violence ismotivated by a wish to benefit, it is not considered hinsa.

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Total ahinsa is possible only during Samadhi, not even in deep sleep. Itoften happens that a mosquito bites me when I am fast asleep, and myhand goes automatically to slap it, and it dies. Bedbugs bite and we haveto kill them. Thus total ahinsa is impossible either in a waking state or inthe deep sleep state. Even our dreams contain violence at times. If a guardor attendant falls asleep, it can result in a thief taking advantage to stealthings, or a patient deteriorating and dying. Thus, even our sleep can harmothers.There is one Gnan, and that is the Gnan of our essence. The SankhyaDarshan calls it the Gnan of asangataa (non-attachment), and Vedantacalls it the Gnan of advaita (non-duality). Ahinsa is fully established inthis. Actions are done by Prakriti (the Ishwaras power of creation;Nature), and I am the Purusha, the asanga drashtaa (uninvolvedobserver). This is the Gnan of Sankhya. In the Gnan of Vedanta, nothingexists except I; neither sorrow nor joy; neither hinsa nor ahinsa exist inmy svaroopa (the essence of pure existence). Sankhyas discriminationand Vedantas experience contain complete ahinsa. Ahinsa is our bhaava(feeling) and the action (non-violence) is the ahinsa of sadhanaa (effortfor spiritual progress). Every method of sadhana tells us to take care to notsay, do, take, or think anything that causes suffering to anyone.People observe sankraanti. The meaning of sankranti is to go forward.Kraanti means to step forward. When the sun moves from the sign of theDhanush to the sign of Makar, people say, It is sankranti. Actually, thereis a sankranti every month. Ahinsa cannot be complete unless youestablish yourself in Satya. When we are established in the Satya that isthe Atma, the Paramatma, then ahinsa will be established in our life.To criticize the beliefs of others is also a hinsa. It is hinsa when a Sadhucriticizes a Grihastha, or when a grihastha criticizes a Sadhu. It is hinsawhen anyone criticizes another religion. Satya is such that it is present inall, at all times, in every form. Ahinsa cannot be established until you seeeveryone as a form of the Paramatma. This is Satya. The worldly peoplesviewpoint of Satya is different from the Mahatmas. The Buddhists saythat nothing on this world is real; there is only a vacuum. Where is thescope for Satya-asatya or hinsa-ahinsa in this? According to them,whatever establishes interaction is Satya. Drinking water, eating food,wearing clothes all we do in our day to day lives. You understand what I

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say, and I understand what you say; how we should speak, and what weshould do.The Vaishnava bhaktas, who believe in the Ishwara, say, No, Satya is notlimited to this. Satya is that, which is not destroyed even in the mahaapralaya (Dissolution of the world). It always exists. It is not like a piece ofstrong, long-lasting cloth. Satya is something that endures. Therefore,Satya is something that is present in the unmanifested state and also whennothing else exists. Satya is that karma, that world, that jeeva (Atmaattached to a body), and that Ishwara, of which our entire world is created.The Vedantis say that this is a simplified version. Their definition of Satyais something that can never be negated.Can you say, I do not exist? You can never experience the absence ofyour own existence. What is it that can never be negated? It is your Atma.Nobody can say, I do not exist; I have no existence. I have no Gnan. I donot love myself. Our essence is Sacchidananda (Sat = pure existence, Chit= pure consciousness, Ananda = pure bliss), and it can never be negated.Therefore, only the Atma is Satya.My friends, dont get irritated if you find it difficult to follow what I say.Once in a while, it is good to listen to a lecture that is beyond yourcomprehension. You should try to understand what is being said. Look, wesay that this world was created by the Ishwara. One is the world that hasbeen created, and the other is the Ishwara who has not been created; Healways Is. Now, if the Ishwara always existed, and He created the world,the world is a number two Satya. These days everybody understands whatnumber two means! All homes have their number one and number twowealth. The Parameshwara the Paramatma is the number one Satya.He is the Satya that was not created, and the world is the number twoSatya, because it was created. The world is a vinaashee (destructible)Satya, and the Paramatma is the avinaashee (indestructible) Satya. TheVedantis know this as Satya and mithyaa (a relative truth).If you want to establish Satya in your life, you will have to put in someeffort. You cannot hold on to Satya unless you let go of the asatya.Therefore, it is essential to have a feeling of tyaaga (renunciation) for theasatya. Let go of what passes, and let what comes, come. You can neverprogress if you stop to control the activities of other people.Try to hold on to Satya and disdain asatya. Let asatya come and go; dontattach any importance to it. So many people go by on the road; we dont

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bother to count them. We meet so many people every day; we dont botherabout their history sheet. It is pointless to waste time on irrelevant matters.Shri Udiya Babaji Maharaj told us that he had once gone to the KamakshiTemple. There, he obtained a siddhi (supernatural power) to know whatthe person he met had done before coming to him. Most people had domesomething wrong. Baba wept as he prayed. I came here to get shaanti(peace of mind); instead I got all the ashaanti (lack of peace) of the world.O Bhagwan, please take away this power. Let me not know what peoplehave done or what they are like. All are Your essence! Only then was thepower removed.Satya needs some sacrifice and some courage. There was a dacoit calledRakab, He went to a Mahatma and said, Maharaj, I will not be able tofollow too many rules. Please tell me something simple that I can do formy salvation.Very well, said the Mahatma. Whatever else you do or dont do, alwaysspeak the truth. The dacoit was a simple man, and he accepted. Had hestudied Vedanta, he would not have accepted so readily! The Vedantislove to debate over what is true and what is false. I am extremely carefulwhen I talk to Vedantis! So, the dacoit agreed to always speak the truth. Rakab wanted to steal a horse, so he went to the Royal stables. He wascaught by a guard. Who are you? asked the guard.I am a dacoit, replied Rakab. The guard thought to himself, No dacoit would say that he was a dacoit.This man must be a trusted servant of the Raja, and is testing me. Heallowed Rakab to go in. Rakab chose the best horse in the stable a pure white stallion. Hemounted the horse and rode off. When the theft was discovered, policewere sent after Rakab. Rakab reached a place where Satsang was goingon. He tied the horse to a tree and sat amidst the bhaktas. A policemancaught him. Who are you?I am a dacoit, he replied.If you are a dacoit, what have you stolen?I have stolen the Rajas horse, he replied. The policemen thought tohimself, Had he indeed been a dacoit, he would never have told us aboutit. This must be a great Seer who, sitting here, has the knowledge of whatis happening in the world. They bowed down to Rakab and asked,

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Maharaj, you have the Gnan of everything. Please tell us where the horseis.Look there, to your left. The horse is tied under that large tree there.The police went there and saw the horse, but they didnt see a white horse.They saw a black horse. This is not the Rajas horse, they said, and wentoff. Satya protects people.There was a very naughty child who was always up to some wrongdoing.He would bluff his brothers, mother and father. Nowadays even youngmen do this, not just little children. The boys father went to a Mahatmaand poured out his troubles. The boy steals things from the house,Maharaj. God knows what he does with the money. Please shower Graceon us that he becomes a good boy. The Mahatma started to cultivate theboys friendship. He gave the boy sweets, told him stories, and showeredhim with affection. One day, he told the boy, Will you listen to one thingI tell you to do?Yes, Maharaj, I will listen to you.You are free to steal anything or do any other mischief, said theMahatma. All I ask of you is that you always speak the truth. Never telllies.I see no problem in this, said the boy. I will do what you say.The boy stole money from his house. His father asked him, Have youstolen the money?Yes.Where is it?It is buried in the ground under that mango tree. The father dug up themoney. The boy kept his promise to speak the truth about whatever he haddone. Within a few days he realized that there was no point in stealinganything any more. I speak the truth and get caught, he thought. I harasssomeone and get caught. Doing all this is useless. His adherence to Satyaimproved his life.The greatness of Satya is beyond description. Satya contains theeffulgence of the Parameshwara. A person who walks on the path of Satyahas to suffer a little. How can you have love for the world if you have lovefor Satya? A person who holds on to Satya no doubt faces problems, buthe also develops an inner strength that makes him indomitable. This isbecause the essence of the Satya svaroopa Paramatma manifests in him.Satyam bruvantam dharmam braveeti a person who protects Satya

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becomes a Dharmatma; he becomes established in righteousness. Peoplesay, Oh, yesterday he was a thief, now he has turned into a Mahatma!His life shines brightly.Have confidence in Satya. You will not succeed in your business unlesspeople have confidence in your integrity. Dont think only about your ownprofit; think about the benefit of your customers, too. Customers shouldnot think only about their advantage; they should understand thatshopkeepers have to make a living. I recall an incident from my childhood. I was about seven years old when Istarted school. My grandfather gave me some money to buy a pair ofshoes. I went to a small shop and chose a pair of brown Patiala shoes.They were considered to be good quality shoes. Three rupees, said the shopkeeper when I asked the price. I gave him themoney. To my surprise, he returned eight annas (half a rupee).I had kept eight annas in reserve, to lower the price, but you didntbargain, so how can I charge you more? he explained. The mans namewas Pir Mohammed. He started with a small shop, but later on he becamethe owner of many shops. His business flourished because he won the trustof his customers. You impress people with your cleverness anddishonesty; why dont you impress them with your integrity? Keep thevessel of Dharma before you in all you do.One of my devotees is a doctor. I have told him not to charge high fees.He is bound by his word, but the other doctors resent him for performingthe same operation for a much lower fee. The patients also think that hecharges less because he is less competent. So, now he charges as much asother doctors, and donates the balance to the Ashram. He does not use theextra money for himself. I will tell you one more thing. Use Satya to enhance your reputation,instead of using wealth and cunning. Let people respect you for yourcommitment to Satya and Dharma, and your bhakti for Bhagwan. Fameearned by unscrupulous means is short-lived.Another point is that those who speak the truth get very angry if anyonesays lies to them. Isnt that a fact? They say, This man lied in front ofme! They have caught hold of Satya, but thrown out shanti. They losetheir temper with others, either for telling lies or for something else. Whydo they get angry? You know the reason! People get angry when othersdont do what they want. The father wants the son to do what he says, the

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husband wants the wife to do what he says, and the friend wants his friendto follow his advice. They get angry because the son, wife, and frienddont listen to them. That means, they think they are the boss and shouldbe obeyed. And when they are not obeyed, they take it as an insult.Whenever anyone does anything that goes against our inclinations, itannoys us. We want others to be truthful even if we are not. To tell thetruth, people speak the truth according to their Gnan. I fold my handsbefore all. I speak what is untrue and against my Gnan. I am referring tomy personal behavior. I do not speak the truth at all! I announce thispublicly I am not able to say that, which I know to be Satya; and I knowthat what I say is asatya. This is my state. Tell me, how can I blameanyone else for not speaking the truth? The poor man says what he thinksis true; while I say what I know is untrue.We went to a desert. The sun rays created a mirage. My companionsbelieved the lake was real. They started arguing about its depth. Theargument turned into a quarrel. I told them, My frien