God Is The Embankment For The Flow Of Time

"Tasmat Sarveshu Kaleshu Mamanusmara Yudhyacha 
Mayyarpita Manobuddhir Mame Vaishyasi Na Samshayah” 

Lord Krishna exhorted Arjuna: “Oh! Arjuna! You constantly contemplate on me. Offer your mind and intellect to me. Carry on with the war, which is your swadharma (your duty). You are sure to reach me. There is no doubt about this.” Of all the things in this world time, is the most precious one. Each one can analyse for himself how he is spending such a valuable time. 

Time And Its Proper Utilisation 

“Kalakala Prapannanam kalah kim Karishyati,” thus goes the saying. Time swallows everything in this world and, ultimately, time itself is swallowed by God. To obtain the grace of such a God, Man has to constantly engage himself in kartavya karmas (duties ordained on him) and sanctify his body. This is the primary duty of a human being. We cannot retrieve the time that is already lost. You can regain your health that is lost, but not the time. Therefore you must make efforts for the proper utilisation of such a precious time.

In the infinity of time, our life is just momentary. Thinking that this objective world is permanent, we are wasting even this little time that is available to us in sensual pursuits. By doing so, what is it that we achieved in our life? If you make a sincere introspection into your life, no positive answer will be forthcoming. When man is born, he cries “koham? koham” (who am I?). If the whole life is spent in this “koham? koham” query, when will you learn who you are? This is not the real meaning of our life. Our life, which started with “koham” (who am I?) must end with “soham” (I am that). It must recognise the truth “I am that,” meaning “I am God” and must rest in peace. But, man today is concerned with only the objects around him. He is not able to recognise what follows thereafter. He is always attracted by the objective world; but he is not able to realise the dangers that follow. A frog sees an insect in front of it and feels very happy that it has got its food for the day; but, it does not realise that there is a snake behind it, ready to swallow it. Even this snake is not aware of the presence of a peacock which is waiting for its food. It feels very happy that it has a sumptuous food for the day. The funniest part of it is, even the peacock is unaware of a hunter in the nearby bushes who is ready to shoot it down with his arrow. Thus every living being in this world is looking at the objective world and is keen to grab as much as possible out of it, unaware of the dangers lurking behind it. Unable to realise what will happen in the next moment, what diffculties and dangers they may have to encounter, they are wasting their precious time in vain pursuits. If you want to make proper utilisation of time, you must realise your duty as a human being and undertake sacred activities, not wasting even a second. You may spend lakhs and crores of rupees, but you will not get back even a second that has already become part of history. 

Youth is the most important and exemplary stage of our life. This is the right time to set an example in every aspect of our life. The youth of a man and the course of a river cannot be reversed. Youth must recognise this truth and make efforts for the proper utilisation of their time. Today, nobody cares to know what will happen in future. The goal of life must always be kept in view. The time we spend can be sanctified by performing all our actions (karmas) as an offering to God. 

Firm Faith And Firm Determination 

Sri Krishna exhorted Arjuna to wage war against the Kauravas, since war was his swadharma (ordained duty) as a Kshatriya (belonging to the warrior class), but, “Mamanusmara yudhyacha” (contemplating on me, carry on the war). Then, no blemish will accrue to him. Sri Krishna did not advise him to absolve himself of his responsibility and go to the forests and do tapas. He did not advise him to renounce his family life and become a total renunciant. He advised him to dedicate his mind (manas) and intellect (buddhi) to Him and carry on his activities in full swing. When you thus offer all your karmas to God, you will not encounter any difficulty. But, man today lost his faith and strength to offer all his karmas to God. Therefore, what is needed is man must develop dridha vishwasa (firm faith) in God and carry on his activities with dridha nishchaya (firm determination) as an offering to God.

The Lesson We Learn From The Bird 

The educated people today have lost their eyes of faith; they have become blind. Nobody knows for what reason and under what circumstances one has attained which janma (birth). Nevertheless, one has to develop firm faith and firm determination in himself. Without this firm determination man cannot achieve even a small task. There is a small bird called “Tittibha” (wagtail). It lays its eggs on the seashore. But, even before it hatches its eggs, the waves of the sea sweep them away. Again it lays its eggs and again they are swept away by the waves. After this process went on for sometime, the bird was very much disappointed and despaired. A sort of frustration and anger also developed in it. But, what can the little bird do against such a mighty ocean? However, the bird was determined to empty the ocean, so that the waves do not sweep away its eggs. Then it started to pick up small drops of water from the ocean and empty it elsewhere. To help this process, it went to Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. On the recommendation of Garuda, Lord Vishnu showered His grace on this small bird. Utlimately, with His grace, it could win over the ocean. The ocean promised that henceforth, it would not harm the eggs laid on the seashore by this small bird, Tittibha. Where is this small bird and where is the ocean? There is absoulutely no comparison between the two. Yet, it could win over such a mighty ocean with God’s grace. Therefore, we should never give room for disappointment or despair. Why this weakness? 

Who can hold an earthen lamp 
To the One resplendent with the light of a thousand suns? 
Who can decipher the form of 
The One who is beyond the reach of even Devatas? 
Who can give a name
To the One moving in all living beings? 
Who can offer delicious dishes 
To the One containing all the universe in his belly? 
Who can bathe The One who moves in all the waters of the world? 

You should not give scope for such doubts and weaknesses; you must go about your task with an unflinching faith and confidence that the same Lord who is pervading the whole universe is residing in the temple of your heart. You must have the courage and confidence to say “Oh! Lord! It is said that you are ‘Anoraneeyan, mahato maheeyan’. You are pervading the whole universe as the minutest of the minute and the mightiest of the mighty. But, you are also residing in my little heart in a half-inch space.” With such firm determination, faith and self-confidence, you can easily attain divinity. 

Bhagiratha brought the Ganges water to the earth. How? With such a firm determination. Buddha also did great tapas (penance) and attained Nirvana. His father Shuddhodana once came to know that Buddha was begging for alms. He was very much upset and sent a word to Buddha “Oh! My son! Myself, my father and grandfathers were all kings. You are also a king. I understand that you, belonging to a family of kings, are begging in the streets like an ordinary person. There is no dearth in our family for money, gold, lands, etc. We are not short of comforts and luxuries. A variety of sweet dishes and a beautiful, soft bed is at your command to happily enjoy. You, as the prince of this kingdom are entitled to these comforts. If so, why are you sleeping on a hard stone and going to every house with a begging bowl? You do not know how much agony I am suffering on hearing your condition. If you are prepared to return to our kingdom, I will make all arrangements to welcome you back.” On hearing this message, Buddha had a hearty laugh. He sent a message, in return, to his father saying “It is true that my father, grandfather and great grandfather were all kings. But, my life is different. I have chosen to lead the life of a renunciant. If you really want me to come back to your kingdom, please tell me whether you have the capacity and power to free me from the jaws of death; do you have the power to prevent me from falling sick, for ever? Can you ward off old age from overtaking me? You first answer these questions. If you are able to provide satisfactory answers for my questions, I will return the next moment. 

“Janma Dukham Jara Dukham Jaya Dukham Punah Punah, 
Antyakale mahadukham tasmat Jagrata Jagrata” 

Our birth is full of sorrow: old age is sorrow; wife and children are sorrow; last journey is still more sorrowful. All these sorrows come again and again. Therefore be careful, be careful, thus goes the saying. Having known all these things, having seen people suffering right in front of our eyes and having heard about what is going on in the world, what is the point in falling a prey to this ignorance?” Buddha sent this reply to his father. We must also necognise this Truth. That should be our endeavour. 

Kshetra, Kshetragnya Vibhaga 

What is kshetra? Who is kshetragnya? What is the difference between the two? Let us analyse. The word “kshetra” contains two letters in sanskrit. “kshetragnya” contains three letters. The letter “gnya” is extra to the word “kshetragnya”; “kshetra” is without the letter “gnya,” “kshetragnya” is with the letter “gnya.” That is to say, deha (body) is without gnyana (knowledge or awareness). Kshetragnya is with knowledge or awareness. The kshetra is the upadhi (field of activity) of the kshetragnya. But, man today identifies himself with the body. He thinks that he is the body (his upadhi). How do we use these words in our common parlance? We say this is “my body.” Eventhough you are not the body, you say it is “my body.” Similarly, eventhough the kshetragnya (the knower of the field) is not the kshetra (field or the body), he thinks he is the body. When you say “this is my kerchief,” you are different from the kerchief. Similarly, when you say “this is my body,” you are different from the body. In accordance with the saying “Dehamunnantalo Tanu Teliavalayu,” one has to recognise the dehi (the indweller in the body) only when the deha (body) is alive. If there is no deha (body), there is no possibility of searching for the dehi (indweller). We are able to perform all our actions and sadhanas only through the body. Our body consists of five karmendriyas (senses of action), five gnyanendriyas (senses of perception), five pranas (vital airs or life principles), panchakoshas (five sheaths) and one jeevi (individual self). Together, they make up for 21 tatwas (principles). Also included in this are manas (mind), buddhi (intellect), ahamkara (the individual ego) and chitta (inner consciousness). Thus, all these add up to 25 tatwas (principles), with which our body is made up of. That is why it is said that maya (the illusory body) consists of 25 marmas (secrets).

“Born in Maya, grown up in Maya 
Yet the dull-witted do not realise Maya 
All our lives are Maya, our relationships Maya 
Samsara is Maya, death is Maya 
Why fall in Maya for this Maya life?

All that we see around us is maya (illusory). You exist in one moment and disappear in another. There were kings and kingdoms. They ruled their kingdom with great pride and prejudice. But where are they now? How many kings and emperors have merged in the eternity of time? Everything changes in tune with the wheel of Time. Days, months, years and even yugas are changing. Time is an eternal flow. All objects, individuals and things are swept away by this flow. An object that itself is swept away cannot protect another. Who can protect whom? God who is the protector of all, can only protect all living beings. He is the real embankment for the flow of time. This is the secret of life. He who realises this secret is the true vyakti (individual). Therefore, do not believe the jagat; do not forget God; experience the divinity in humanity. Do not believe the jagat. Do not fear death. Do not leave God under any circumstances; hold on to Him always. These are the three most important principles. 

Love Is The Most Important Quality To Be Cultivated 

The Bhaktiyoga has described several qualities that a devotee should possess. It is impossible to expect a devotee to have all these qualities. It is enough if he puts into practice even one quality. You must have firm and unflinching faith in God. Nothing more is required. There may be fifty match sticks in a matchbox. If you want to have fire, it is enough if you strike one matchstick. You can develop any amount of fire with this one stick. Similarly, among the several qualities expected of a devotee, it is enough if you cultivate one quality and put it into practice. The most important quality to be cultivated by a devotee is love. Love is God and God is Love. Live in Love. If you live in love, God will take care of everything.

The Four Types Of Devotees 

“Bhaktiman Me Priyo Narah” (if you cultivate devotion, you are dear to me), said the Lord. Bhakti (devotion) does not mean simply performing some pujas (forms of worship), vratas (some religious rituals) and bhajans (devotional singing). It is not limited to these activities. There are four types of devotees – artha, artharthi, Jignyasu and gnyani. The arthas are those who pray to God when sorrows and difficulties confront them. When someone in their house falls sick or their cattle is afflicted with some disease, then they pray to God for relief. Among the Telugu speaking people, there is a saying “Sankatamoste Venkataramana.” It means, when we are in difficulties, we pray to Lord Venkataramana, the presiding deity of Tirupati. Thus, people pray to God to grant relief when they are in difficulties. This type of devotion is called artha bhakti. 

What is meant by an artharthi? They want health and wealth; they want peace and happiness; they want a house; they want lands and jewellery – they want all these. Such people pray for money, power and position. But, in reality, character is good conduct, knowledge is power and good conduct is wealth. Unable to grasp the inner meaning of these qualities, they run after external objects and wealth. Such people are called artharthis. 

Now about Jignyasu. Who is a Jignyasu? The one who has inquisitiveness to know God. He enquires where is God, how to attain Him, etc. Thus, he makes deep inquiries into the tatwam (nature of divinity). Tat means that and twam means I. “What is that,” “who am I,” “who is He,” “where did I come from,” “where do I go,” “what is my goal?” – thus making deep inquiries is Jignyasu. First and foremost, you must enquire “who am I”? Next question is, “wherefrom his universe orginated?” The third question is “What is my goal or where do I get back?.” These are the three important questions. A Jignyasu goes to meet elders, gurus and holymen and by their darshan, sparshan and sambhashan and by listening to their discourses and study of the scriptures, he tries to obtain answers to his questions. All this effort, however, is Gnyatum (obtaining knowledge) only. He must also go into the drashtum stage, i.e., developing an insight into divinity. The next stage is praveshtum, to reach God. That is gnyana, wisdom stage. 

What is “gnyana”? Secular knowledge? No, that is knowledge about the material objects. What then is the real gnyana? “Adwaita Darsanam Gnyanam.” Realising the nondual Paramatma tatwa is gnyanam. It is said “Sarvam paravasam dukham, Sarvam Atmavasam Sukham.” That sukha is the real knowledge. If you take material knowledge as the basis for your spiritual quest, you must be prepared to experience the reaction, reflection and resound of the material. Supposing I strike at this desk with my hand. With what intensity I struck at it, it comes back with the same intensity. I felt pain in my hand. But, this pain is the result of a reaction for my action of striking the desk with my hand. That is why, the whole material knowledge (padartha gnyana) is full of reaction, reflection and resound. But, in parartha gnyana (knowledge about non-material world), there is no reaction, reflection and resound. This is the true knowledge or wisdom. It is described as “Ekam Eva Adwiteeyam Brahma” (there is only one truth, Brahma, no second one). If only there is a second one, you will have a desire to attain that and derive happiness out of it. Thus, the knowledge about this Supreme (one without a second) Truth, is called Gnyanam (wisdom). This should be termed not as knowledge, but wisdom. You will totally lose your identity in that supreme truth. You will lose all external consciousness. You will merge in that all pervading truth. That is shashwatananda (Eternal Bliss). One that teaches this wisdom is Divinity. I will conclude My discourse by quoting a small example for the four types of devotion: 

A Small Story 

There was once a wealthy peson. He was having four wives. He went abroad on some business trip. He stayed there for sometime. Before returning, he wrote letters to his four wives informing his arrival and asking them to send a list of things they wanted him to bring for them. The fourth and youngest of the wives had a lot of desires. She wanted him to bring some latest fashion saris and jewellery. The second wife wrote him to bring some medicines for her disease, which were not available in India. The third wife was a more spiritually inclined woman. Therefore, she wanted him to bring some books in spiritual literature and also photos of some holymen and spiritual personalities. The first and eldest of the wives simply requested him to come home safely and she would be satisfied with that. This man purchased all the material that was requested by his wives and returned to the country. He handed over the saris and jewellery to his fourth wife, medicines to the second wife and spiritual literature and photos to the third wife. He finally went to the house of his first wife and settled himself there. The other three wives got jealous of this man’s action. They felt very unhappy that their husband who was away for such a long time, on his return, went straight to the first wife’s house and settled there. They, therefore questioned him why he did so. Then he replied that he gave the saris and jewellery to the fourth wife, medicines to the second wife and books to the third ife as per their wishes and finally went to the first wife’s house and settled there, because she did not ask for anything except his safe return. He also informed them that he would grant whatever each one desired from him. 

Eshwara, the Lord of the universe, is the Master of all riches. He is the richest person. He is pervading the whole universe. He has four wives – Artha, Artharthi, Jignyasu and Gnyani. Whatever they wish He would grant them. In accordance with the prayer “Neeve tappa itahparamberuga” (I do not know any one except you), if they want Him only and none else, He comes and installs Himself in their heart. God gives us whatever we pray for. He is a kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree). He is a kamadhenu (the sacred cow that fulfils the desires of devotees). The artha may pray for something; similarly, the artharthi, Jignyasu and gnyani. God fulfils the desires of each of these devotees. He is sarvantaryami (residing as an indweller in every living being). He is all-pervading (omnipresent). This universe itself is like a big kalpavriksha. Wherever and whatever one desires, it fulfils. But, unfortunately, man is unable to recognise the truth that this is kalpavriksha. 

The Whole Universe Is A Kalpavriksha 

There was once a traveller who, on his way, was taking rest under a tree. He was very much tired, having walked for a long distance in hot sun. The shade under the tree was very cool and comfortable. He sat down and took rest for a while. Then he thought “how nice it will be if I have some cool water also under this tree!” Immediately, a jug with cool water appeared before him. He did not know that he was sitting under the Kalpavriksha. He drank the cool water and thought “how nice it will be if I have a bed to lie down for some time!” Forthwith came a nice bed with a pillow. Because it was created by God, the bed was very comfortable. Then he again thought “I have never seen such a nice and comfortable bed in my life. How nice it will be, if my wife is also here along with me!” Immediately, his wife appeared before him. Though he wished to have his wife beside him in that moment, he was, however, afraid to see her there suddenly from nowhere. He had a doubt whether she was not a devil. Instantly, his wife turned into a devil. He was again afraid whether the devil would eat him up; and it really ate him. What lesson does this story teach us? Sitting under the kalpavriksha, whatever you wish for, it will be fulfilled. The whole universe is a big Kalpavriksha. If you entertain good thoughts, you will get good results. That is why I keep telling you very often not to entertain bad thoughts. Be good, do good, see good, this is the way to God. The reason being, the whole universe is God’s creation. It is borne out of the Divine Will. If we have bad thoughts, bad results will accrue. In order to avoid bad thoughts, we must control our senses. Whether it is youth or oldage, whatever age you belong to, you must cultivate good thoughts. You must undertake good activities. You must lead a good life. This is the real meaning of human nature. 

The word “nara” means that which is not perishable. “Ra” means perishable and “na” means not; therefore “nara” means not perishable. “Nara” (human being) is imperishable. He is “amrita putra” (son of immortality). That is why, the upanishads addressed man as “Shrunvantu Vishwe Amritasya Putrah.” They laid great emphasis on the fact that he was “Amrita Putra” (son of immortality) and not “Anrita Putra” (son of falsehood). Not only this. “Manava” (human being) is made up of three letters, “ma” “na” and “va.” “Ma” means agnyana (ignorance), “na” means without this and “va” means one who conducts himself. Therefore, one who conducts himself without ignorance, is “Manava” (human being). Contrary to this definition, all human beings today are conducting themselves with agnyana (ignorance). Their behaviour smacks of an ignorance of the real meaning of this word “manava.” Therefore, you must first come out of this ignorance. “Death is sweeter than the blindness of ignorance,” it is said. 

Strive To Earn God’s Grace 

If you want to keep out of agnyana you must have gnyana. If darkness is to be expelled, there must be light. If wisdom is to dawn on you, you must have the grace of God. Then only the darkness of ignorance will be expelled. Tyagaraja sang in one of his kirtans “Oh! Rama! If only your anugraha (grace) is with me, what can these grahas (planets) do?” Human life is not meant for struggling with kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (pride) and matsarya (jealousy). It is meant to strive for God’s grace. Therefore, we must strive for such a grace and make our life meaningful. In this effort we must set up an example to others. It is said “Satatam Daiva Chintanam” (always remain in the contemplation of God); “Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra Harichintanam (always at all times and at all places keep yourself engaged in the contemplation of Hari); “Nasti Nasti Mahabhaga Kalikala Samam yugam, Smaranat Chintanadeva Prapnosi Paramam Gatim” (there is no parallel to Kaliyuga; by contemplation on God, one can easily attain divinity). There is, therefore, no greater sadhana in this Kaliyuga than Namasmarana.