Making life out of life - Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj

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Posted by: " Udayashankar " udayashankars

Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:06 pm (PST)

[This excerpt is taken from " Making Life out of a Life " by Srimat

Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj -

http://www.sriramak rishnamath. org/magazine/ vk/2000/12- 3-1.asp]

 

In the Mahabharata, we get a powerful verse. Whenever and wherever I

have quoted that verse, it always had a tremendous impact on the mind

of listeners. It is a short Sanskrit line containing a profound

message of the beauty of an intense life. There was a king by name

Sanjaya in the Northern Sindh region; his mother bore the name

Vidula. She was a heroic queen-mother. How she inspired her son to be

brave is what the story conveys. This young king went out for battle,

got defeated, became weak-minded and depressed. The mother tried to

rouse his royal spirit in several ways; it did not happen. Then,

finally, she uttered a sentence conveying a tremendous power that

helped to rouse the courage of the prince. That line conveys so much

inspiration in so few words. That is the uniqueness of great

literature -- the capacity to convey great meaning to humanity in a

few words. And what that great queen-mother conveyed to her princely

son ages ago, our Mother India conveys to every child in this country

today:

 

Muhurtam jvalitam shreyo,na tu dhumayitam chiram.

 

'It is better to flame for one instant, than to smoke away for ages!'

 

A short intense life, burnt out in a great struggle and achievement

of the humanistic impulse, is preferable to a humdrum life of long

duration. That is the message to us from our own past. In this modern

period, we had a Vivekananda. During his brief 39 years, he made a

tremendous impact on both East and West; even in that short span of

life, his actual public work was only during the last nine years.

 

Live such a life that when you die, you will leave a permanent

wholesome impact, small or big, on the world.

 

.........

 

Every youth, imprinted with the heroic touch of soul, must say to

himself or herself that this chaotic state of India is the best

period for me to live. I can put my ideas into it. I can create

something more beautiful and perfect out of it; I do not want to live

a life of stagnant isolation in the resurgent context of contemporary

India. The nation is marching and I, as a citizen in it, shall give

it a gentle push and direction. That should be the positive attitude

of all young minds towards the problems of their country.