Satyopanisad

[Guest guest]

Swami! In this Age of Kali, devotion, faith and steadfastness are on the

decline. Not only this, we often find people making fun of devotees and leading

a life opposed to religious norms. This is a very sad state of affairs. What do

you want us to do in these circumstances?

 

First of all, correct yourself. Rectify your own defects and mistakes. When you

are not flawless and idealistic you have no right to blame anybody and point out

the mistakes of others. So, see that your own faith is strong, deep and

unflinching.

 

In Andhradesa there lived three Rajus, kings in their own field of activity: the

king of poetry, Goparaju, the king of devotion, Tyagaraju, the king of sublime

lyrical music, Potaraju refused to dedicate his rendering of the great work, the

Bhagavatam to the king who promised him immense wealth as a token of his

appreciation of the work. But Potaraju or Potana dedicated his work only to Lord

Ramachandra.

 

Goparaju or Ramadasu also called Gopanna spent all the money he had in the

treasury for the renovation of the temple of Rama, for which he was severely

punished. Tyagaraju considered ramuni sannidhi, proximity to God, more precious

than nidhi, money. All these three Rajus followed their chosen paths out of

their deep conviction about the supremacy of God. They worked and suffered for

their own self-­satisfaction and for the satisfaction of their own conscience.

They did not bother about the views and opinions of others. They did not yield

to temptations of any sort.

 

Dogs may bark watching an elephant passing by, but the elephant loses nothing.

You know the vastness of a sea. Have you not heard the puranas proclaiming that

amrta, nectar, and halahala, poison, are produced by the same ocean? Amrta makes

you happy while vis a or poison is dangerous. Isn't it so?

 

Similarly, society is like a vast ocean where you have nectar-like good people

and poison-like bad people. Bad people make fun of good people. It doesn't mean

that you should give up your nobility and goodness.

 

A crane may make fun of a swan. The singing of a cuckoo bird is horrible to the

ears of a crow. A koel eats the tender leaves of a mango tree while a crow eats

the bitter leaves of a neem tree. Similarly, some in society struggle for

worldly, fleeting and sensual pleasures while others make all sincere efforts

for God's grace to enjoy divine bliss. A donkey that carries a bundle of

sandalwood on its back doesn't know the fragrance of the sandalwood. A buffalo

doesn't know the taste of beaten rice. Similarly, divinity is not relished by

all and sundry.

 

If you deny God, it means you are denying yourself. You are not different from

God. You are God. Your praise and blame don't affect God. The good and bad of

your own actions come back to you as reaction. The axe cuts the sandalwood tree

that has not done any harm to the axe. Because of this evil deed, the axe loses

its sharpness for which it is kept in fire and hammered. The sandalwood tree

does not subject the axe to any punishment. So it is the action of the axe that

comes back as reaction.

 

Consider another example in this context. When gold is burnt in fire it shines

brilliantly. But, as a reaction the goldsmith has to suffer because ash falls

into his eyes in the process of burning the gold and his own clothes become

dirty due to smoke. Here, the gold burnt and hammered does not punish the

goldsmith. His own action punishes him. Similarly, if you accuse or blame or

deny God, it will not do anything to Him. But, your action will come back to you

as reaction. You punish yourself.

 

Suppose you throw some dust at the sun, what happens? It falls in your eyes

only. If you switch on an electric fan, you will enjoy the cool breeze. If you

don't switch on the fan, it will not lose anything. It suffers no loss. If you

switch on the bulb you'll get light. But, if you don't switch on the bulb, the

bulb suffers no loss. Therefore, good and bad depend only on you. Just as you

can buy any material object in this world with money, similarly with the money

of God's name, you can be blissful. Under a streetlight, you will be able to see

all around including the bulb that illumines. Similarly, divinity makes you

happy and everybody around you too. So, deepen your faith in God. Experience

divine bliss. That's what you should do.

 

Fruits can't protect themselves. It is the tree that protects the fruits it

bears. The tree is protected and kept green by its roots. If you supply water

and manure to the roots, they protect the tree, which in its turn protects the

fruits. Isn't it so? God is the root of this world. If you surrender to God,

everything will be taken care of.

 

People with worldly thoughts can't relish divine feelings. A person from the

fish market can't imagine who a jeweller is. A sea has most precious gems at its

bottom but the seawater is full of salt. Isn't it? Similarly, we have people of

different temperaments in this world. God is never against anyone. There are

none close to or distant from Him. All are alike to Him. You may hold a jasmine

flower by either your right hand or left hand. But it smells equally well in

either hand. God is that one who is in all.