Prema Vahini
Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Upholding Principle or Eternal Law) is the mother of all religions, all traditions, and all Dharmas of this world; and Bharata Desha (India) is the home where the Mother was born. Oh! How fortunate are the Bharatiyas! How sublimely splendid is this Bharata Desha! Ponder over this!
The world in its entirety is the Body of the Lord of the world, and this Bharata Desha is that Body’s unique organ, the Eye. Without the eye, the body is dependent on others, is it not? Again, it can be said that Bharata Desha has been beautified by the two eyes, the Vedas and the Shastras. On account of this, it can be declared without doubt that the Samskara (refinement) attained by the Bharatiyas has not been acquired by the people of any other country. Sanatana Dharma which teaches the truth of all religions and tolerance of all religions is the Dharma of all mankind. Born in various areas, flowing through various paths, the rivers at last reach the ocean. So too, born in different lands, practising different ways of Dharma, people reach the Ocean of the presence of the Lord, through different modes of worship. Sanatana Dharma is the central location in which all these various paths, moving in different directions, converge. Followers of all religions must practise this Sanatana Dharma, such as being truthful in speech, avoiding jealousy and anger, and acting always with a loving heart. All those who so practise Sanatana Dharma and, without faltering, achieve it, are entitled to be called “Bharatiyas.”
The Hindu religion is the only religion that has achieved and maintained the foremost position among all religions from earliest times and established itself permanently. The only people who have survived without being destroyed, throughout the historic age, are the Hindus. In this religion, more than in any other, people have lived lives of Prema (Love), Samanjasa (Proper, Justified), and Kritajnata (Gratitude). The Hindus have earned their Dharma through the discovery of doctrines of philosophy and through the Vedas. They have drunk deep the essence of the Vedas, which are without beginning and without end. Bharata Desha, a land so holy, is a veritable spiritual mine to the world. Just as the bowels of the earth reveal in each area mines of different metals, in Bharata Desha is found the mine of *Sanatana Dharma, the essence of all the principles of all the Shastras, all the Vedas, and all the Upanishats.
As if by the good luck of the Bharatiyas, along with the emergence of the mine of Sanatana Dharma which is as a home to them, from that moment and for that very purpose, leaders, thinkers, commentators, apostles, and teachers have been originating in this land itself. Also, from this very Bharata Desha arose seers, selfless Karma Yogis, wise men, realised souls, and divine personages connected with this religion. It is through these persons that spiritual wisdom guaranteed by experience flowed all over the country. In this way, loaded with essence, Sanatana Dharma progressed throughout the world. But, to whatever land it spread, the “original home” is Bharat itself. Look at the world today: machines, cars, engines of some new type or other come to light in one country and are exported to others. But their original home cannot be forgotten. Such cars and engines are manufactured only on the basis of its experience. Nothing can be done without that basis. So too, Sanatana Dharma arose in Bharata Desha and people of other countries benefited from its waters through the great personages and the books they composed. Hence, the basis of the original home cannot be ignored. That is impossible. But, it is a matter of some concern to see today, in this Bharata Desha, the birthplace of those holy persons who were nursed and fostered by the milk of this sacred *Sanatana Dharma, new modes being accepted as one’s Dharma, and the Sanatana Dharma itself being assigned and kept aside for people of other countries, by persons who have not even tasted the sweetness of the Sanatana Dharma, who have not grasped its meaning, and who have smothered it in empty disputations. The reason for this is, of course, the absence of proper guides who could show the way. But even when there are such guides, they too are reducing in number because of yielding to these modern modes and getting attached to them. These are really like bazaar pakodas. They attract by their smell, and are bought by persons who do not discriminate and spoil their health.
Though their Svadharma (duty of the Self) is the pure Sanatana Dharma, the fascination exercised by outward show is absent and so, it gets neglected. Truth has no need for such decorations. Taste is the important thing. The basic reason for this is the fact that men today are motivated by mere smell of outward show and fancy. It has become the habit to reject the reality and accept the Dharma of another. This is a great mistake. It is against Dharma for Bharatiyas to be attracted by external forms and by outward show. No other Dharma has, or will have Truth and Highest Love, above and beyond that contained in Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma is the veritable embodiment of Truth. It is everyone’s asset. There can be no boundary for Holiness. Holiness is one, without a second; is it not?
Those, who have attained Liberation in this life by adherence to this Sanatana Dharma, who have earned the grace of God, who have understood the nature of Truth, who have achieved Realisation are all Bharatiyas. Bharatiyas have adored those who have reached that holy stage, without distinction of caste, creed, or sex. The holiness of that stage burns to ashes all such limitations. It is only until that stage is reached that it becomes impossible to consider everything as equal. So, it is necessary to embark boldly on the realisation of Sanatana Dharma. This is the birthright of Bharatiyas.
If we examine history since its very beginnings, we can know in detail what great personages were born, in which sections of the Hindus. Incarnations, divine personalities, and Jivanmuktas (one who is liberated) like Rama, Krishna, Balarama, Janaka, and Parikshith, Raja Yogis like Vishwamitra, all arose among the Kshatriyas (warrior class). Brahma Rishis, great Pandits, Shastric Scholars, Vedic Rishis originated in the Brahmin section. Shudras predominate in the epical books, like Bharatam and Bhagavatam. Among the great devotees of the Lord, members of the lower castes form a large number. To attain holiness, without being affected by the world, and to reach Paramatma, each one’s Sadhana is important. Other things like caste will not be a hindrance at all. But, one should deserve the grace required for it, one should become regular and disciplined in practice.
Such holy Bharatiyas, however, now bring endless disgrace on the Hindu religion, by neglecting the principles of life of the above-mentioned great personages, not studying them and following their instructions, by modifying their way of life to suit the changing times and (as the saying goes, “The hour of ruin brings wicked thoughts”), by becoming slaves to name and fame and the craving for power and position and an anxiety to promote the well-being of their wives and children through selfish means. Still, there is no dearth of persons who love all in equal measure, who are devoid of selfishness, who are engaged in the promotion of the welfare of all, who have dedicated themselves to the service of mankind and who sacrifice everything. But they are suppressed; they are not appreciated or placed in positions of high authority for fear there will be then no place for the wicked, the crooked, and the unjust.
However broad and deep the ocean, when the earth quakes underneath, the waters part themselves, and when the commotion subsides, they resume their original position. So, too, these good men keep away without being caught up in it during the earthquake of injustice, unrighteousness, selfishness, and ostentation. As soon as the hullabaloo subsides, they re-enter the world. Evanescent authority and self-glorification cannot be permanent. “To grow is only to decay,” it is said. The present peacelessness is decay, not growth. For, see how the Bharatiyas who, from the beginning, grew up in righteous ways with pure feelings, with self-control and reverence for the good name, who were fed on the breast milk of the Vedas, Shastras, and Upanishats, who welcomed and honoured even races driven out of their own country and vouchsafed to them Love in equal measure, today, for love of power and self, accuse their own brethren, one person impatiently envying the prosperity of another, deceive their own brothers maddened by selfish greed, keep at arm’s length their real well-wishers, pursue only each one’s selfish end, multiply bad qualities hitherto unheard of in the Hindu fold, follow wrong paths and ways of life, and become the target of conflict and restlessness, on account of the absence of fear of sin, fear of God, discipline, reverence, and faith. The fall is indeed incredible and humiliating.
Hindu Brethren! Children of Bharat! Followers of the Sanatana way! Where have the true human qualities of ancient times gone? Truth, Tolerance, Morality, Discipline when would you accept? Arise, Awake. Establish once again Rama-rajyam, resplendent with mansions of Satya, Dharma, and Shanti. Love your Bharatiya brethren. Practise the Sanatana Dharma. Quench the burning flames of Ignorance, Peacelessness, Injustice, and Envy with the waters of Love, Forbearance, and Truth. Develop the feeling of Mutualness. Sweep away all jealousy and anger. Remember the rule of the holy personages, the characteristics of the most eminent and of the reign of God. Each one should realise his own faults, and understand that there is no use in searching for faults in others. That is a mere waste of time; it also breeds quarrels. So, give up that trait. If this opportunity is missed, what else can be done? Do not procrastinate. Do not yield to dejection, but say “Finis” to all the unrighteousness of the past. Repent sincerely and tread the path of Prayer to God, Good Deeds, and Brotherly Love. Establish the eternal Rama-rajyam.
The Sanatana Sarathi has been started to win this Rajya; its army will help this effort by word and deed. Draw that chariot forward! Gird up your loins and begin Narayana Smarana (remembrance and repetition of the name of Lord Narayana). Bharatiyas are all the children of one Mother. Her name is Sanatana Dharma. Redeem the debt due to the Mother. He is no son who forgets the Mother. He cannot be good who says the Mother is bad. Her breast milk is the very breath of our life. The giver of this Life, the Father of all is Paramatma.
All are the children of the same parents. So, without blaming and accusing each other, without wishing evil for one’s kith and kin, understand that your other brothers have the same attachment to the objects they love that you have towards the things that you love. One should not find fault with what another loves; nor should one laugh at it. He should, on the other hand, try to love it. These are the characteristics of Truth and Love, of Bharatiyas.
Index
Preface
Noble Qualities Form the Path for the Aspirant
Ahamkara Causes Ashanti
The Need for Sanatana Vidya
Life’s Journey Depends on Samskaras
Sanatana Dharma is the Divine Mother of Humanity
Sarvaantaryaami is One and Only One
For a Sadhaka, Today is His; but, Tomorrow?
Manava and Danava... Differences in Character
Vaanaprastha
Sat-Sankalpa is the Path for Attaining the Proximity of the Lord
The Prosperity of Yesterday, the Poverty of Today, Both are Due to the Actions of the So-Called ‘Great’
Sanatana Dharma is the Divine Mother of Humanity
Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Upholding Principle or Eternal Law) is the mother of all religions, all traditions, and all Dharmas of this world; and Bharata Desha (India) is the home where the Mother was born. Oh! How fortunate are the Bharatiyas! How sublimely splendid is this Bharata Desha! Ponder over this!
The world in its entirety is the Body of the Lord of the world, and this Bharata Desha is that Body’s unique organ, the Eye. Without the eye, the body is dependent on others, is it not? Again, it can be said that Bharata Desha has been beautified by the two eyes, the Vedas and the Shastras. On account of this, it can be declared without doubt that the Samskara (refinement) attained by the Bharatiyas has not been acquired by the people of any other country. Sanatana Dharma which teaches the truth of all religions and tolerance of all religions is the Dharma of all mankind. Born in various areas, flowing through various paths, the rivers at last reach the ocean. So too, born in different lands, practising different ways of Dharma, people reach the Ocean of the presence of the Lord, through different modes of worship. Sanatana Dharma is the central location in which all these various paths, moving in different directions, converge. Followers of all religions must practise this Sanatana Dharma, such as being truthful in speech, avoiding jealousy and anger, and acting always with a loving heart. All those who so practise Sanatana Dharma and, without faltering, achieve it, are entitled to be called “Bharatiyas.”
The Hindu religion is the only religion that has achieved and maintained the foremost position among all religions from earliest times and established itself permanently. The only people who have survived without being destroyed, throughout the historic age, are the Hindus. In this religion, more than in any other, people have lived lives of Prema (Love), Samanjasa (Proper, Justified), and Kritajnata (Gratitude). The Hindus have earned their Dharma through the discovery of doctrines of philosophy and through the Vedas. They have drunk deep the essence of the Vedas, which are without beginning and without end. Bharata Desha, a land so holy, is a veritable spiritual mine to the world. Just as the bowels of the earth reveal in each area mines of different metals, in Bharata Desha is found the mine of *Sanatana Dharma, the essence of all the principles of all the Shastras, all the Vedas, and all the Upanishats.
As if by the good luck of the Bharatiyas, along with the emergence of the mine of Sanatana Dharma which is as a home to them, from that moment and for that very purpose, leaders, thinkers, commentators, apostles, and teachers have been originating in this land itself. Also, from this very Bharata Desha arose seers, selfless Karma Yogis, wise men, realised souls, and divine personages connected with this religion. It is through these persons that spiritual wisdom guaranteed by experience flowed all over the country. In this way, loaded with essence, Sanatana Dharma progressed throughout the world. But, to whatever land it spread, the “original home” is Bharat itself. Look at the world today: machines, cars, engines of some new type or other come to light in one country and are exported to others. But their original home cannot be forgotten. Such cars and engines are manufactured only on the basis of its experience. Nothing can be done without that basis. So too, Sanatana Dharma arose in Bharata Desha and people of other countries benefited from its waters through the great personages and the books they composed. Hence, the basis of the original home cannot be ignored. That is impossible. But, it is a matter of some concern to see today, in this Bharata Desha, the birthplace of those holy persons who were nursed and fostered by the milk of this sacred *Sanatana Dharma, new modes being accepted as one’s Dharma, and the Sanatana Dharma itself being assigned and kept aside for people of other countries, by persons who have not even tasted the sweetness of the Sanatana Dharma, who have not grasped its meaning, and who have smothered it in empty disputations. The reason for this is, of course, the absence of proper guides who could show the way. But even when there are such guides, they too are reducing in number because of yielding to these modern modes and getting attached to them. These are really like bazaar pakodas. They attract by their smell, and are bought by persons who do not discriminate and spoil their health.
Though their Svadharma (duty of the Self) is the pure Sanatana Dharma, the fascination exercised by outward show is absent and so, it gets neglected. Truth has no need for such decorations. Taste is the important thing. The basic reason for this is the fact that men today are motivated by mere smell of outward show and fancy. It has become the habit to reject the reality and accept the Dharma of another. This is a great mistake. It is against Dharma for Bharatiyas to be attracted by external forms and by outward show. No other Dharma has, or will have Truth and Highest Love, above and beyond that contained in Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma is the veritable embodiment of Truth. It is everyone’s asset. There can be no boundary for Holiness. Holiness is one, without a second; is it not?
Those, who have attained Liberation in this life by adherence to this Sanatana Dharma, who have earned the grace of God, who have understood the nature of Truth, who have achieved Realisation are all Bharatiyas. Bharatiyas have adored those who have reached that holy stage, without distinction of caste, creed, or sex. The holiness of that stage burns to ashes all such limitations. It is only until that stage is reached that it becomes impossible to consider everything as equal. So, it is necessary to embark boldly on the realisation of Sanatana Dharma. This is the birthright of Bharatiyas.
If we examine history since its very beginnings, we can know in detail what great personages were born, in which sections of the Hindus. Incarnations, divine personalities, and Jivanmuktas (one who is liberated) like Rama, Krishna, Balarama, Janaka, and Parikshith, Raja Yogis like Vishwamitra, all arose among the Kshatriyas (warrior class). Brahma Rishis, great Pandits, Shastric Scholars, Vedic Rishis originated in the Brahmin section. Shudras predominate in the epical books, like Bharatam and Bhagavatam. Among the great devotees of the Lord, members of the lower castes form a large number. To attain holiness, without being affected by the world, and to reach Paramatma, each one’s Sadhana is important. Other things like caste will not be a hindrance at all. But, one should deserve the grace required for it, one should become regular and disciplined in practice.
Such holy Bharatiyas, however, now bring endless disgrace on the Hindu religion, by neglecting the principles of life of the above-mentioned great personages, not studying them and following their instructions, by modifying their way of life to suit the changing times and (as the saying goes, “The hour of ruin brings wicked thoughts”), by becoming slaves to name and fame and the craving for power and position and an anxiety to promote the well-being of their wives and children through selfish means. Still, there is no dearth of persons who love all in equal measure, who are devoid of selfishness, who are engaged in the promotion of the welfare of all, who have dedicated themselves to the service of mankind and who sacrifice everything. But they are suppressed; they are not appreciated or placed in positions of high authority for fear there will be then no place for the wicked, the crooked, and the unjust.
However broad and deep the ocean, when the earth quakes underneath, the waters part themselves, and when the commotion subsides, they resume their original position. So, too, these good men keep away without being caught up in it during the earthquake of injustice, unrighteousness, selfishness, and ostentation. As soon as the hullabaloo subsides, they re-enter the world. Evanescent authority and self-glorification cannot be permanent. “To grow is only to decay,” it is said. The present peacelessness is decay, not growth. For, see how the Bharatiyas who, from the beginning, grew up in righteous ways with pure feelings, with self-control and reverence for the good name, who were fed on the breast milk of the Vedas, Shastras, and Upanishats, who welcomed and honoured even races driven out of their own country and vouchsafed to them Love in equal measure, today, for love of power and self, accuse their own brethren, one person impatiently envying the prosperity of another, deceive their own brothers maddened by selfish greed, keep at arm’s length their real well-wishers, pursue only each one’s selfish end, multiply bad qualities hitherto unheard of in the Hindu fold, follow wrong paths and ways of life, and become the target of conflict and restlessness, on account of the absence of fear of sin, fear of God, discipline, reverence, and faith. The fall is indeed incredible and humiliating.
Hindu Brethren! Children of Bharat! Followers of the Sanatana way! Where have the true human qualities of ancient times gone? Truth, Tolerance, Morality, Discipline when would you accept? Arise, Awake. Establish once again Rama-rajyam, resplendent with mansions of Satya, Dharma, and Shanti. Love your Bharatiya brethren. Practise the Sanatana Dharma. Quench the burning flames of Ignorance, Peacelessness, Injustice, and Envy with the waters of Love, Forbearance, and Truth. Develop the feeling of Mutualness. Sweep away all jealousy and anger. Remember the rule of the holy personages, the characteristics of the most eminent and of the reign of God. Each one should realise his own faults, and understand that there is no use in searching for faults in others. That is a mere waste of time; it also breeds quarrels. So, give up that trait. If this opportunity is missed, what else can be done? Do not procrastinate. Do not yield to dejection, but say “Finis” to all the unrighteousness of the past. Repent sincerely and tread the path of Prayer to God, Good Deeds, and Brotherly Love. Establish the eternal Rama-rajyam.
The Sanatana Sarathi has been started to win this Rajya; its army will help this effort by word and deed. Draw that chariot forward! Gird up your loins and begin Narayana Smarana (remembrance and repetition of the name of Lord Narayana). Bharatiyas are all the children of one Mother. Her name is Sanatana Dharma. Redeem the debt due to the Mother. He is no son who forgets the Mother. He cannot be good who says the Mother is bad. Her breast milk is the very breath of our life. The giver of this Life, the Father of all is Paramatma.
All are the children of the same parents. So, without blaming and accusing each other, without wishing evil for one’s kith and kin, understand that your other brothers have the same attachment to the objects they love that you have towards the things that you love. One should not find fault with what another loves; nor should one laugh at it. He should, on the other hand, try to love it. These are the characteristics of Truth and Love, of Bharatiyas.