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Volume
5 - Issue 01 JANUARY 2007 |
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THE QUINTESSENCE OF THE VEDAS IN SAI TEACHINGS By Shri B. N. Narasimha Murthy This is the transcription of the talk delivered by Shri B. N. Narasimha Murthy in the divine presence on August 19, 2006, eve of the ‘poornahuthi’ of the sacred event Athi Rudra Maha Yagna. (To read our cover story on Athi Rudra Maha Yagna from the September issue 2006, click here.) Om Sri Sai Ram. I offer my humble and loving pranams at the lotus feet of our Most Beloved Divine Master, Bhagavan Baba.
Respected Elders, the Adhvaryu (main priest) of this great Yagna - Shri Nanjunda Deekshith and his devoted band of Rithviks, my dear brothers and sisters, (In Telugu) “The great land of Bharath is the mainstay of the Vedas. She is the abode of all sacrificial ceremonies - Yagas, Yagnas and Krathus. She is the great mother who has given birth to many Avatars. This land of sacrifice is the very embodiment of morality and right conduct.” The Soul of India Speaks This is the voice of the soul of India, which speaks through our Beloved Lord Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba today. In this most beautiful poem sung by Bhagavan at the beginning of one of His discourses on the Vedas, there are five entities. The Motherland Bharath (India); the Vedas; the Yagas, Yagnas and Krathus (sacrifices); the Avatars; and the morality and right conduct in human society.
All these five are so inexorably intertwined, inseparably interdependent that they cannot exist apart from one another. Where there is one of them, there are the other four! That is why Romain Rolland, the great French philosopher and writer declared, “If there is a place on the face of the earth, which has been the home for the highest dreams of all living men, since the earliest times when man began the dream of existence, it is India!” These are the highest dreams of men of any country. The exalted ideals set forth in the Vedas, the idealism that manifests in the Yagas and Yagnas, the divine mission of the Avatar, and the morality and right conduct in human society - these are the highest dreams of all noble men and women all over the world! That is why Rigveda says: “Ano bhadrah krathavo yanthu vishwathah” (Sanskrit) – ‘May noble thoughts come from every side.’ Reviving the Vedas These are the dreams of all great men, all great thinkers who are interested in the Loka Kalyana – welfare of the world. The great poet-saint Jayadeva sings at the beginning of his immortal poem Gita Govinda - the Song Celestial – “Vedan uddharathe Jagannivahathe Bhoogolamudhvibhrathe” (Sanskrit) – ‘The Avatar revives the Vedas and redeems the world.’ The revival of the Vedas and the survival of this planet earth are interdependent; they are inseparably linked. That is why today, one of the prime missions of Bhagavan is Veda poshana – revival of the Vedas.
For the first time in the history of the world, we find the Vedic chants resounding in more than hundred countries all over the world; it is the Divine Sankalpa (will) of our Lord Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Never in the history of mankind has it happened! From Iceland in the North to New Zealand in the South, from Alaska in the Far West to Japan in the Far East, people are chanting the Vedic hymns. Where else but here - in the holy Presence of our Divine Master – can children from Iran, America and Russia chant the Vedas? It is possible here and only here! We have been basking in the glory of the Athi Rudhra Maha Yagna for the last ten days. “Atho Rudhrajapaadeva Bhukthimukthi prasiddhyathah” (Sanskrit) This is one of the statements from the Shivapurana. By chanting the Rudhram, one gains both bhukthi and mukthi (devotion and material wealth); that is exactly what our Lord assures us - “Nannu namminavariki Nenu annamu maathrame kaadhu, amrithamu kooda isthanu” (Telugu). This is the promise made by our Lord - “I shall grant to those who trust me all their material needs and also spiritual fulfilment.” That is the benefit that accrues to the world from this Yagna. On behalf of all those who are gathered here and all those who adhere to the spiritual cultures all over the world, I offer grateful pranaams at the lotus feet of Our Lord for granting us this marvellous opportunity.
I offer my congratulations to Shri Nanjunda Deekshith and his dedicated team of Rithviks who have been performing this Yagna with great Bhakthi and Shraddha – sincerity of purpose and devotion. Over the last ten days, we find a bond of love and affection developing between Bhagavan and the Rithviks. Swami said - yesterday evening - during His divine discourse, “Meeru Nannu vidichi unda leru, Nenu Mimmalanu vidichi unda lenu” (Telugu) - ‘You cannot live apart from Me and I cannot live apart from you.’ What greater tribute can be paid to the Shraddha and Bhakthi (sincerity and devotion) of these eminent Vedic scholars? I also congratulate Sri Vinay Kumar, the leader of the youth-wing of Karnataka and his devout team of young men who have been managing this Yagna with impeccable efficiency and wonderful unity. The Divine Mother Presides Over Us Why did Swami permit the performance of this Yagna in His divine presence? It is the divine sankalpa (will) of Swami that it should take place here. Of course, there is a human instrument, whom Swami prompted to propose and pray for the performance of this Yagna. In the Lalithaa Sahasranaamam (thousand eight names of Divine mother), the Divine Mother is adored with one thousand names which are enshrined in one hundred eighty three shlokas (or stanzas). The hundred sixty-fourth stanza runs thus:
Samsaarapankanirmagna Samuddharanapandithaa These two lines form one shloka. If you study the Lalithaa Sahasranaamam meticulously, you will find that the two lines of any shloka generally have the same theme. To illustrate this point, let me quote the sixty-eighth stanza of the Sahasranaamam, which describes the relation between the Divine mother and the Vedas. Shruthi seemantha sindhoori kruthapaadaabjadhoolika Here you see that there is a common theme running through the shloka. This stanza is known for the beauty and melody of poetry of Hayagreevamuni(Sage Hayagreeva)who composed the Lalithaa Sahasranamam. The first line is ‘Shruthi seemantha sindhoori kruthpaadaabjadhoolika’. It means, “If the Vedas take the form of a maiden, you find a mark of sindhoora (vermillion) on her broad and radiant forehead. That sindhura on the forehead of the Shruthi Devi (or Mother of the Vedas)is marked with the dust on the feet of our Divine Mother.’ The next line is ‘Sakalaagamasandhoha Shukthisambutamaukthika.’ If all the Vedas form an oyster shell, there is a pearl hidden in it; that pearl adorns the nose of our divine mother as Her nose stud. But in the stanza quoted by me earlier, that is the hundred sixty-fourth stanza, there is apparently no connecting link between the two lines. The first line of this stanza is - ‘Samsaarapankanirmagna samuddharana Pandithaa’, it means that She is an adept at redeeming men and women who are stuck in the slush of samsaara or the quagmire of materialism. She has got many strategies to do it; she does it in many ways. The second line is ‘Yagnapriyaa Yagnakarthree Yajamaanaswaroopini.’ It means, ‘She loves Yagna, She performs Yagna and She presides over the Yagna.’ You find here our Divine Mother, Sai Lalithaa, presiding over this Athi Rudhra Maha Yagna with so much of love and grace. Yagna’s Principal Purpose Apparently there seems to be no link between the themes of these two lines of the stanza. I felt so only till I came to Prashanthi Nilayam to participate in this Yagnam. Now it is very clear to me that there is a thematic relation between the two lines. By this time you will also know what I mean! Yagna is one of Her means to redeem all of us, to redeem the whole of mankind which is struggling and suffering in the slush of materialism. Through this Yagna, She wants to divert our minds from the mundane to the spiritual, from the world to God. That is the purpose of this yagna! Because therein lies the secret of Loka Kalyana - the welfare of the world.
It is not that there are some spiritual people and some materialists who form two separate groups and that in a fight or a conflict between the two, the people adhering to spirituality will triumph. Spirituality and materialism are together there in the hearts of all of us. Only when spirituality triumphs over materialism in our hearts, there is welfare of humanity. And Swami puts it in very simple words: “If there be righteousness in the heart, there shall be beauty in character; That is where the process starts; it starts in the human heart! Once in early 1970s, Swami chose Vedas and Vedic Culture as the main theme for a Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality. Swami granted about twenty divine discourses on the Vedas. At that time, there were around Swami some great men of learning like Amnaayaartha Vachaspathi Sri Kamavadhani - a great Vedic scholar, Dr. Vinayaka Krishna Gokak - a giant among men of letters and Dr. Bhagavantham - a well known scientist. When I remember the scene of those days, I am reminded of a beautiful line from the Lalithaa Sahasranaamam again. ‘Sachamararamaavaani savyadhakshinasevithaa'.
On the left side of our Divine Mother, Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth, stands with a chamara (ceremonial hand fan) in her hand and serves Her; on the right side, there stands Saraswathi – the goddess of learning, with another chamara. That is the glory of our Divine Mother - Sai Lalithaa. It is highly symbolic. On one side, there are men of great learning, great knowledge and great wisdom at the beck and call of Swami, ready to serve Him. And on the other side, there are men of great wealth, many industrial and business magnates, who are ready to offer their wealth at the altar of His Divine Mission. That is the glory of our Divine Mother – Sai Lalithaa. Swami spoke on the Vedas in that summer course. He quoted exhaustively from the Vedas and Upanishads; He quoted from the commentators, both eastern and western. He quoted from Sayanaachaarya and Yaaskaachaarya; He quoted from Max Mueller, Weber, Keith and Winternitz. Dr. Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was astounded. He wanted to know, when Swami studied all that. He went to Swami and submitted at His lotus Feet a question - “Swami, Neevu yaavaaga idhannella odhidhiri?” (Kannada) - ‘Swami, when did you study all this?” Swami smiled and replied, “Chadhive chadda alavaate naaku ledu. (Telugu) Odhuva ketta abhyaasave nanage illa!” (Kannada) - ‘I don’t have the bad habit of reading books!’ That’s what He said! Vedic Knowledge Already Exists in the Human Brain Then Swami explained, “This is the secret of the emergence of the Vedas in the minds of sages and seers. All the knowledge in the universe is there in the human brain. There are many brain centres; each is a centre for one particular branch of knowledge. If a man is able to control his mind and senses and focus his mind on a particular brain centre, all the knowledge pertaining to that branch of knowledge will stand revealed to him!” That is the secret to why we call the Vedas, ‘Apourasheyaas’! We mean that the Vedas were not composed by any man or woman! We call the sages and seers as the ‘Manthra Drashtaaras’ - those who saw the mantras; the significance of such an appellation was revealed by Swami when He told Dr. Gokak, “That was how the Vedas were unveiled to the sages and seers. This is the secret of emergence of the Vedas, which are eternal and which came into existence with the creation of the universe!”
In the mind of Dr. Bhagavantham who was translating Swami’s Telugu discourses into English, there arose a doubt. Being a scientist, he started doubting whether all that Swami disclosed in the discourses was in the Vedas! He forgot for a while, the incident that had happened on the banks of the Chitravati River, when he came to Puttaparti for the first time. When Swami took a fistful of sand and poured it into Bhagavantham’s hands, it instantly transformed into a book of the Bhagavad Gita! He went to Kamavadhani and asked him, “Emandi, Swami cheppedhanthaa Vedamulo undha?” (Telugu) – ‘Will you please tell me, whether all that Swami spoke is in the Vedas?’ Kamavadhani replied, “Emi Bhagavantham garu, meeru ila adaguthunnaru? Swami cheppedanthaa Vedamulo undedhi maathram kaadu, Swami emi cheppithe ade Vedamu!” (Telugu) ‘It is not only that all that Swami says is in the Veda, but whatever He says is the Veda!’ Maate manthramu (Telugu); His word is the Veda. He is the Vedapurusha; He is the Vedajanani (He is the embodiment of the Vedas). Lighting the Fire Within: The Sai Way That explains the purpose of this Yagna. Many decades ago, someone asked Swami, “Swami, You say that by performing Yagas and Yagnas (sacrifices), we can achieve Loka Kalyana (welfare of the world). But Yagas and Yagnas are performed only in India; how will it help other countries? Swami gave a beautiful answer – “The world is like a train and India is the engine! All other nations are like compartments of the train. We have to ignite fire only in the engine!” That is why Arnold Toynbee, the British Historian, declared a few decades ago, “At this supremely dangerous moment of human history, there is only one way of salvation for mankind; that is the Indian way!” What is the Indian Way? It is the Sai Way. That is the way of the Vedas. That is the way of Daiva Prema and Jeeva Karunya - Love for God and compassion for fellow beings. That is the way which leads to the salvation of mankind. All the problems of the world today originate from the bankruptcy of Daiva Prema and Jeeva Karunya in the human heart.
Now, you look at the Sai Kulwant hall; the happenings here are so symbolic. You find a Yagna being performed here, which stands for Daiva Prema (Love of God). Just outside the gate, you also see a Mobile Hospital! It is symbolic of Swami’s Jeeva Karunya - His compassion for mankind. The Mobile Hospital, which is here, stands for Swami’s compassion. The Mobile Hospital symbolises all the service projects undertaken by Him for alleviating the suffering of the mankind. Merging the Ancient and the Modern - You find in Swami a great synthesizer of the ancient and modern. We see the ancient Yagna; the same Vedic chants which resounded in the Naimishaaranya (forests) thousands of years ago, resound now here, in our presence. In Karnataka, there was a great philosopher poet by name ‘DVG’ – D. V. Gundappa. He wrote: “Haleberu hosa chiguru koodiralu mara sobagu “If a tree has to look beautiful there should be the age old roots and also the newly born, just sprouted leaves. That is why a tree looks beautiful in the season of the spring - the Vasantharithu. Similarly if the new strategies of science are blended with the ancient and the eternal, and with the immortal and fundamental philosophy revealed by the Rishivaakya (sages), it leads to the welfare of mankind.” Now let us have a look at the philosophy of the Vedas, which is symbolised by the sages’ utterances. The essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the Upanishads. You find the zenith of sublimity of human experience in the philosophy of the Upanishads. I appeal to all my brothers and sisters here, who would like to know the essence of Upanishads, tostudy the little book written by Swami, the ‘Upanishad Vahini’. According to Swami, the ultimate philosophy of the Upanishads is “Advaithadharshanam Gnaanam.” The vision of the unity or oneness of all existence is true wisdom. It is, “Anekathwe Ekathwadharshanam.” – ‘Seeing the unity in Diversity or Multiplicity’. That is the essence of the Upanishads. How do you see it? You can’t see it with your physical eyes; you have to experience it. And that is possible only if you control your mind and senses and conquer your body consciousness. Yasmin sarvaani bhoothani Athmaavaibhooth vjaanathah What a beautiful way of putting the highest truth in the simplest words? “For the One who has realised that all the beings in the universe are the Atma (self) Himself, and the one who has experienced the oneness or the unity, where is Moha – delusion? Where is Shoka - sorrow?” That is the ultimate essence of the Vedas. If you study the Vedic literature, you find that this ultimate experience, which a man is capable of, is arrived at after going through several stages of evolution. It does not mean that Vedic thought and philosophy evolved over a period of time to reach the zenith. The right thing to understand is that the Vedas trace the progressive march of human mind towards the ultimate truth. The Four Stages of Vedic Philosophy Now I shall try to give you a bird’s eye view of the four important stages of the Vedic philosophy. In the early part of the Rigveda you find, apparently, a kind of polytheism - worship of many gods and goddesses. There is a stanza which goes thus: AgnirIndro Varuno Mitrho Aryamaa Stage One: Polytheism
You find that there are originally thirty-three gods and goddesses in the Rigveda and they are categorized into three groups. The first among them are Prithvisthaana Devathas - those Devathas who are related to the earth. The second are Antharikshasthaana Devathas - those related to the terrestrial atmosphere. Finally we have Dyusthana Devathas, related to the outer space. Agni (fire) is the chief amongst the gods related to earth; Indra is the prominent among the gods of the Antharikshasthaana, and Varuna, of the Dyuusthaana. A question arises: Was it polytheism and worship of Nature? On the surface it appears as though it was nothing but a process of the deification of natural phenomena or forces. You take, for example, the goddess Ushas, the goddess of dawn; only God can compose such beautiful poetry with which Ushas is adored! Only the ‘Kavinaam Kavih’ can create such imagery! That was the first stage; they performed Yagas and Yagnas, and prayed for material welfare, material gifts, good health, and all such things required for a comfortable and happy life. Of course, they prayed for the love and grace of various gods and goddesses. Stage Two: Monotheism In the second stage you find polytheism slowly lapsing into monotheism. They discovered the one God who manifests Himself as various gods and goddesses: Indram Mithram Varunamagnimaahuh Stage Three: Finding God Within
In the third stage you find the aspirant realising that the God that he is looking for outside, is there inside him also. He is the Antharaathman (indweller). Eko Devah sarva bhootheshu goodah What a beautiful description of God! “There is only one God, who is the indweller in all beings. He pervades everything; He presides over all the activities in the universe. He is the consciousness – the Chitaa. He is the eternal witness - the Sakshi. He is the ultimate one - Kevalah and the attributeless one - Nirgunah.”The one who has created this wonderful universe with so many Gunas – qualities, is Nirguna! He has no attributes. In the third stage, the aspirant realises that the goal of life is to realise god who is within oneself. Only then can he find true joy and fulfilment in life. Eko vashi Sarvabhoothantharaathma “There is only one Atma who is in everything and who is also within oneself. Only those heroes who realise that Atma within themselves shall enjoy eternal happiness and not others!” How can one do it? In the Kathopanishad Yamadeva, the god of death revealed that secret to Nachiketha. All of you know the beautiful story of Nachiketa. Yama says: Paraanchi khaani vyathrunath Swayambhooh “Lord Swayambhoo, the self-born, created the mind and senses of men and women in such a way that they go outwards; but a dheera, a hero who intends to attain immortality turns his mind and senses inwards and realises Him within.” That is the third stage. Stage Four: God Realisation
In the fourth stage, after realising God, the seer exults: Vedaahametham Purusham Mahaantham What an ecstatic effusion! The Vedic sage declares, “I have known that great Purusha; I have known God; I have realized God who is the embodiment of all radiance and effulgence and who is beyond all darkness. One can conquer death only by knowing Him and there is no other way.” That is the stage of unity; that is the ultimate experience which any human can attain. These are the four stages of Vedic thought and philosophy, which take into consideration men and women at all stages of evolution and guide them with ideas and means for their further advancement. Providing for All Stages of Spiritual Evolution
Once, when Swami addressed a meeting of intellectuals and scientists at Bombay after His return from Africa in the 1960s, a scientist asked Him, “Swami, people belonging to other religions worship only one God where as we, in India, worship many gods and goddesses. Why is it so?” Swami gave a very beautiful answer; He replied, ”Suppose you go to a garment shop to purchase a shirt and the salesman there tells you that shirts of only one size are available and you find that the shirt available there does not fit you. Will you be satisfied? Here in India we have a Super Bazaar! We have shirts of all sizes and colours!” So the Vedas, like Swami’s teachings, provide for the needs of all men and women at all stages of spiritual evolution. Generally it is a human tendency to see multiplicity of gods. For example, Bhaktha Ramdasof Bhadrachalam sings, “Nanu brovamani cheppave, Seethamma thalli!” (Telugu) as if Seetha is different from Rama! “Oh mother,Seetha,please recommend my case to Sri Rama so that He showers His blessings on me!” – That is the devotee’s prayer. Also he addresses her by many names. Looking at the Shasranaamam – a thousand names - in praise of a Deity, some may wonder why there should be so many names for one Deity. Here is Bhaktha Ramadas singing, “Nanu brovamani cheppu Naarishironmani Janakuni koothura Jananee Janakamma!” ‘The crest jewel among women’, ‘Daughter of Janaka’ and ‘Mother Janaki’ these are some of the names with which the devotee addresses the divine consort of Sri Rama! It takes some spiritual maturity on one’s part to realise that there is only one God who takes upon Himself many forms to please His devotees according to their liking. For example, a devotee goes to Sri Balaji Venkatramana and prays for the fulfilment of his desires. If he doesn’t get the desired result, he will go to Shirdi and pray to Sai Baba. If Sai Baba also does not respond, the devotee will come to Puttaparthi. It takes some time for him to realise that all the three are one and the same. It is wrong on our part to think that there was a time when all people were polytheists and there was a time when all people were monotheists. Also there was never a time when all the people in the world aspired only for spiritual realisation. This world is like a school, where there are students in all the twelve classes – from the first class to the twelfth class. At all times there will be men and women who are at various stages of spiritual growth. Genuine Faith and Devotion is the Only Way The next question is, “How do we reach the goal?” The answer of the Upanishads, which contain the essence of the Vedas, is very simple and straight. One attains the goal by cultivating faith and devotion. In the Shwethashwara Upanishad, after teaching all the highest truths, the Guru tells the disciple: Yasya Deve paraabakthih yatha deve thathaa Gurau “All the highest truths enunciated in the Vedas shine forth only to that great soul who has unconditional devotion to God and the Guru.” That is it. There is no other way. Swamirevealsthe same in His inimitable style: Bahula vidhyalanni paakashaastrambolu
“All the types of learning are like books on cooking. The actual act of cooking is Bhakthi or devotion alone. What is the use of books on cooking if one does not take to cooking at all?” Devotion is the one and the only way; that is what Vedas say; that is what Swami also says. But devotion is not sentimentalism; it is a way of life! Rabindranath Tagore sings to his Lord: “I shall keep my body pure, knowing that Thy living touch is upon all my limbs! Thus, devotion is a way of life! Devotion is not a garb to be worn only on some occasions. That is why Swami tells us to be fulltime devotees and not part time devotees. Essence of the Vedas…in Five Sentences For the purpose of practising the teachings, the essence of the Vedas, which is also the essence of the Sai teachings, can be put in just five sentences. I will conclude my talk with those five sentences. These five sentences – the Panchavaakyas - are beautiful, profound and easy to remember and practise. Look Behind… The first is, ‘Look behind; thank God!’ What does it mean? If you look to your past life, you can find many situations when Swami came to your rescue at difficult times, helpedyou, supported you and saved you. Contemplate on those situations and develop gratitude towards Swami. That is what is meant by ‘Look Behind; thank Swami!’ …Look Ahead… sai-look2 The second sentence is, ‘Look ahead; trust Swami!’ Why are you worried about your future? Why are you anxious? The One who has led you by hand till today will not give you up now! Definitely He will not fail you. Yesterday we heard the wonderful stories of how Swami redeemed Smt. Sahukar Janaki and Smt. Anjali Devi in difficult times. If you have faith, you have everything! Swami assures us, “I am waiting to help you at all times, at all places. Only if you choose, I will lead you by the hand every moment of your life. I shall fulfil all your material needs, all your spiritual needs, and all your duty needs!” What else do you want? Therefore, ‘Look ahead; trust God!’ …Look Around… The third sentence is, ‘Look around; serve God!’ Those whom you see around you are not really others; they are your own Swami. Every being that lives in the universe is your own Swami. “Vaasudevah sarvamidham sa Maahaatma sudhurlabhah”, says Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Geeta – ‘All this is Vaasudeva Himself!’ Therefore ‘Look around; serve God!” …Look Within… The fourth teaching is, ‘Look within; see God!’ God is within you. Undertake spiritual practices which will help you to turn your mind inward. Then, you will find Him as the eternal resident of your own heart. …And Look Through
Finally, ‘Look through; be God!’ Look through the veil of Maya; look through the veil of multiplicity; rise above body consciousness. And you will find that there exists only One and none else – ‘Ekameva Adhvitheeyam Brahma’! Brahmaiva idham amrutham purasthaath “On your front there is God who is immortal; behind you there is God; on your right side there is God; on the left side there is God; inside you there is God. All this universe is God Himself!” ‘Vishvam Vishnuswaroopam.’ With the divine permission of Swami, I conclude the talk putting these five sentences together. These sentences form the quintessence of the Vedas and the Sai teachings: “Look behind; thank God! Jai Sai Ram! |
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Vol 5 Issue 01 - JANUARY 2007
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