A Righteous Emperor and Virtuous Subjects

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba began this illuminating discourse by expounding on the qualities of one who is dear to the Lord, as specified in the Sanskrit verse from the 12th Canto of the Bhagavad-Gita [the Song of God].

Anapekshah Suchir Dakshah
Udaaseeno Gathavyathah
Sarvaarambha Parithyaagee
Yo Madbhaktah Sa Mey Priyah

The first quality is anapeksha, which refers to the state of being free from apeksha (desire or expectation). ‘Is it possible for any man in this vast world to be free from desire?’ One might ask. Technically speaking, it is not possible, because all men are subject to desire. Some hanker after sensual pleasures and worldly comforts, while others are driven by a desire for higher aims that relate to the non‑sensual, non‑physical, and supra mundane. How then is it possible to achieve desirelessness?

One can achieve desirelessness by dedicating one’s actions to the Lord and performing them with the conviction that He is the doer and enjoyer. Hence, every spiritual aspirant must dedicate his or her actions and their fruits to the Divine.

Purity is external and internal

The second quality is suchihi or purity. This term does not merely refer to external purity, but also to internal purity, which spiritual aspirants must cultivate. All the actions one performs arise not from external stimuli but from internal impulses, and they reflect the inner being. It is only when one’s feelings are pure that one’s actions will be pure. Conversely, when one’s feelings are impure, all one’s actions will be impure.

The internal impulses are associated with the mind, speech, and body. Of the three, speech is the most important. How is purity of speech to be achieved? The answer to this question can be found in the following verse of the Bhagavad-Gita: “anudvegakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha yat.” The meaning of this verse is that the words spoken by the tongue must be inoffensive, truthful, and pleasing. There are four factors that account for the pollution of the tongue, namely (1) uttering falsehood, (2) excessive talking, (3) tale-bearing, and (4) slander. The tongue is prone to committing these four types of offences. Alas, in the Kaliyuga [the Iron age], all four are rampant. Falsehood is pervasive, loquaciousness is widespread, and people freely indulge in spreading gossip and rumors, and defaming others. It is only when one rids oneself of these four evil tendencies that one will achieve purity of speech. Hence, one’s first task must be to purify one’s speech.

Next comes the mind. The mind is polluted by bad thoughts and feelings. Man must strive to keep all bad thoughts from invading the mind. He, whose mind is ceaselessly filled with bad thoughts is bound to suffer the consequences. To purify the mind, all bad thoughts and feelings must be banished.

Purity of the body requires that it be kept free from the taint of violence. Man commits many acts of violence and sinful actions with his hands. The primary reason why God gave man a body was so he may use it as a vehicle for practicing dharma [righteousness]. Such a sacred gift must be used only for rendering service to others and performing Godly actions. Through these means, one can purify the body.

When speech, mind, and body are purified, internal purity is assured. Suchi, thus, calls for external as well as internal purity.

Aspirants should be determined

The third quality is firm deter-mination in performing actions that are pure, helpful to others, and ennobling. He who exemplifies such determination can be called a steadfast person. No one can refrain from action of one kind or another, even for a moment. Such being the case, one must see to it that one does not, under any circumstance, engage in unwholesome activity.

The fourth quality is udaaseenah, which denotes freedom from attachment, and equanimity in the face of praise and blame, joy and sorrow, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, success and failure, etc. In dealing with these pairs of opposites, which are as transient as passing clouds, one must adopt the attitude of a witness and practice calm indifference. Giving them undue importance will result in mental agitation, which may lead to demonic tendencies.

Worry must be eliminated

The fifth quality is gatavyatah [free from worry]. Vyatah or mental anguish is man’s greatest weakness today. Brooding over the past and continually speculating over the future, man ignores the duties he must perform in the present. That is the cause of his misery. Why should man worry about the dead past or the future? The past is beyond recall or remedy. Forget the past. Likewise, do not think about the future, for it is uncertain. Instead, concern yourself with the present, which is the child of the past and the parent of the future. This attitude is represented by the term gatavyatah. Live wisely in the present and the future will take care of itself. The aspirant must bear this truth in mind and concentrate his or her attention on the present without worrying about the past or the future. Worry is born of rajas (passion, activity) and must be eliminated.

The sixth and last quality is sarvarambhaparityagi, which calls for the renunciation of egoism in any form. The ego is rooted in the possessive instinct. When egoism and possessiveness take hold of man, he is utterly ruined. Hence, one must eschew egoism and attachment.

The aforesaid qualities are sacred virtues. As declared in the opening verse, the devotee who is endowed with these qualities is dear to the Lord.

At the other end of the spectrum are six vices that plague man, namely (1) lust, (2) anger, (3) greed, (4) delusion, (5) conceit, and (6) envy. These six “enemies” must be conquered, and the six noble qualities cultivated. Only then can human life be made meaningful.

Bali’s greatness

Emperor Bali [grandson of Prahlad—devotee of Lord Vishnu] was one in whom these noble qualities were present. For this reason, the Lord incarnated as Vamana [the dwarf incarnation of the Lord], and sought a gift from Bali. There are many in the world today who donate various gifts such as land, cows, food, clothing, or gold, but few can be found who are prepared to surrender their lives to the Lord, as Emperor Bali was. “I offer to Thee, Oh Lord, all that I possess, my wealth, and my kin. I take refugee in Thee. Save me, Oh Lord!” This verse highlights the sense of abnegation with which Bali offered himself to Vamana.

In ancient times, there were many such noble and high‑minded rulers. Bali was wedded to truth and adhered to the path of dharma. His only concern was the welfare of his people.

Like his grandfather, Prahlada, Bali was a man of many virtues. Unlike Bali, whose clan they belonged to, his father, Virochana, and Prahlada’s father, Hiranyakasipu, harbored bad thoughts and committed wicked deeds. Virochana attempted but failed to sway Bali into pursuing the wrong path, for such efforts cannot succeed if a person is inclined toward the good. Good behavior is a natural manifestation of the goodness that lies within the heart.

Truth is the greatest dharma

Once a quarrel erupted between Virochana, son of Prahlada, and Sudhanva, son of Sage Angirasa [one of the seven sages]. It was agreed that the person proven to be wrong would forfeit his life to the other. Virochana and Sudhanva requested Prahlada, whom they knew to be fair and impartial and committed to upholding truth at all costs, to mediate in the matter. Unswayed by emotion, fully cognizant of and reconciled with the consequence of his decision, Prahlada decided the matter against his own son. He did not shed a tear in the process.

Unable to restrain his joy over Prahlada’s decision, and recognizing the latter’s firm dedication to truth and righteousness, Sudhanva embraced Prahlada and said, “Prahlada! It is because of unflinching upholders of truth such as yourself that the world shines in all its glory. Your firm adherence to truth led you to decide this matter against your own son.” There is no greater dharma than truth.

“Prahlada, Your son’s life has been saved by virtue of your steady observance of dharma. Dharma destroys he who violates it. Dharma safeguards he who upholds it.”

Bharat [India] then and now

Prahlada’s life was a testament to his myriad virtues and the sacred ideals he exemplified. Because of such great and virtuous rulers the world was blessed with peace and prosperity in ancient times. Today disorder, discontent, distrust, injustice, disregard for what is good and indulgence in what is bad, excessive attachment to sensuous pleasures, and self‑centeredness are rampant among the people. Self-praise, slander, and falsehood are widespread. It is unfortunate that Bharat, once a bastion of morality, truth, and righteousness, has degenerated to the Nadir [all-time low] today. This is a matter of shame, not just for the country, but also for the people of Bharat. This once glorious land is now plunged in darkness, enveloped by discord and plagued by pollution.

Today air, water, and even food are polluted. Noise pollution has reached intolerable levels. Colossal sums of money are spent by the government on initiatives designed to curb what it perceives as environmental pollution. However, we need not be as concerned about environmental pollution as we ought to be about pollution of the heart. Man’s heart is polluted, as are his mind and feelings. Environmental pollution has its roots in the pollution of the human mind, which must be man’s foremost objective to eradicate.

How is this to be achieved? Man’s mind is filled with worldly desires, the consequence of which is mental agitation and bitter frustration. To attain peace, man must turn his mind back to the source from which it originated, namely the atma [self]. Just as a fish is agitated when pulled out of water, so, too, man’s mind is agitated when it is turned away from the atma. To be pacified, the fish must be returned to water, its native home. Similarly, to acquire mental peace, man’s mind must be redirected toward the self, which is its source. This can be done by the use of the conscience.

Do not rely on the body, which is as impermanent as a water bubble. Do not rely on the mind, which behaves like a mad monkey. Follow the dictates of your conscience. When you do so with full confidence in the self, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.

Bali’s pledge

Emperor Bali was one who had such confidence. When his preceptor, Shukracharya, attempted to dissuade him from granting the request made by Vamana, pointing out that the young lad was no ordinary Brahmin but the incarnation of Vishnu Himself, Bali replied, “If the young lad is Vishnu Himself, as you are suggesting, that is all the more reason for me to stand by the offer I have made. All human beings seek favors from the Lord. Is it not my great good fortune that I am in a position to give to the Lord? I am, indeed, blessed that the Lord has come to me with a request for three foot‑lengths of land. This opportunity has presented itself to me as a result of merit accrued in previous lives. I will not break my plighted word and turn down the Lord’s request, even at the risk of disobeying my preceptor. One may see two objects with the two eyes, and listen to two different sounds with the two ears, but the tongue is one. The word that is given must be honored. He who does not fulfill his promise is called a sinner. I am determined to keep my promise. “

Such was the resolve of Emperor Bali, which earned him this glorious opportunity. Nevertheless, Bali had one flaw, namely attachment to his subjects. His subjects, too, were equally attached to the emperor. Theirs was a strong and enduring bond. It was because of such a ruler and such subjects that the country was happy and prosperous.

Significance of Onam

Unwilling to forsake his people, Bali made a pledge to them that he would “visit” them once a year in the month of Shravana [fifth month of the Hindu calendar], when the moon is closest to the constellation Shravana. This Onam [annual harvest festival] day is the auspicious day of Bali’s annual visit to the earth. As Sri Eradi pointed out (in his speech earlier), this is the 25th year in which the Onam festival is celebrated (in Bhagavan’s presence). What is the lesson to be learnt from this Silver Jubilee? Over the past 24 years, you have been listening (to Bhagavan’s discourses), experiencing (His Divine presence), and enjoying the celebration. How far along are you in terms of practicing (Bhagavan’s teachings)? Every human being has a heart. The heart is filled with love. With how many people are you sharing the love that resides in your hearts? You are not sharing love with anyone at all. What then is the use of love if it is not shared? You must share love, not simply with human beings, but with all beings in creation. Love, which is the gift of God, must be shared with everyone in the world.

All human troubles arise from failure, born of selfishness, to share love with one and all. The universal prayer “Loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu” (May all the people of the world be happy) is frequently recited. But let me ask, how many people are you bringing joy to? You repeat the words mechanically. Are you praying from the heart for the well‑being of the world? This is not the case at all. You are concerned with your own interests. It is only when you eschew selfishness that divinity will blossom in your hearts.

Mechanical repetition is useless

Sakshatkaram is much spoken about today. What is Sakshatkaram? It is not an external process. Sakshatkara is steady contemplation of the Divine at all times and in all states (sarvada, sarvakaleshu sarvatra hari chintanam). There are many who continuously chant the name of Rama. Can liberation be attained through mere repetition? To win Rama’s grace and attain liberation, it is not enough to repeat His name. You must live up to the ideals exemplified by Rama. Rama sacrificed everything for the sake of dharma. You must make a similar sacrifice. Keep dharma as your ideal. Engage in righteous activity. Only then will Rama shower His grace on you. Merely repeating Rama’s name without performing righteous deeds is tantamount to insult.

Likewise, there is no value in repeating Krishna’s name. You must immerse yourself in the ecstasy of Krishna consciousness. You must develop the equal‑mindedness exemplified by Krishna. Whether in a Yoga‑bhumi, a Yuddha‑bhumi (battlefield), or Samshana‑bhumi (cemetery), Krishna was equally serene. He was always in a state of bliss. You must aspire to experience such bliss. Only then can you be said to be immersed in Krishna consciousness. No matter which deity you worship, you must practice the lessons taught and emulate the ideals exemplified by that deity.

Sharing love is true devotion

Swami’s central teaching is prematattwa (love principle). You are all experiencing this love. With how many are you sharing it? Hatred, egoism, and ostentation are widespread. How then can you be deemed to have grasped the truths taught by Sai? Those who have grasped these truths are filled with and share love with others. That is the true mark of devotion.

Emperor Bali was one with a keen sense of justice, forbearance, compassion, honesty, rectitude, and love for others. Are you cultivating at least one of these good qualities? Bali made a pledge to his people, who evinced these qualities, to visit them every year. The people of today are different. Bali’s earthly visit is celebrated as a festival, but Bali is not coming. Why? It is because the qualities present in the people of Bali’s era are lacking today. Bali is, no doubt, fond of his people and keen to bless them. But the people today lack the purity needed to draw him to visit them. Just as a magnet can attract a heavy block of iron, so, too, man can move and melt the heart of the Lord and draw the Divine toward himself by purifying his mind, speech, and body.

Devotion, key to lasting merger

Imperfection cannot be imputed to the Divine, who is free from defects and unaffected by praise or blame. (At this juncture, Bhagavan narrated an incident involving Shishupala, the implacable foe of Lord Krishna. The incident in question took place during the course of the Rajasuja Yajna [yagna performed by a monarch for subduing other kings] conducted by Dharmaraja, at which Lord Krishna was present as the guest of honor.)

With an anguish-filled heart, Dharmaraja watched as Shishupala heaped abuses on Krishna. Krishna tolerated his fiery invectives for quite some time. He then hurled a plate at him that cut off his head. Dharmaraja witnessed blood flowing from Shishupala’s neck toward Krishna and an effulgent light emanating from his body that merged with Krishna. Perplexed, he questioned Sage Narada as to how the soul of a wicked person such as Shishupala could have merged with Krishna. Narada explained that good and bad, praise and blame, etc., relate to the body only and not to the atma, and that for the Lord, who is ever pure, they have no meaning. The merger with the Divine of devotees who have worshipped the Lord in various ways takes place after a protracted period of trials and tribulations, but lasts eternally.

However, in the case of the wicked who as a result of the hatred they bear toward the Lord remember Him ceaselessly, the merger occurs instantaneously, but is short-lived. Unbroken remembrance of the Lord is prompted by various reasons. In the case of Kamsa, it was prompted by fear; Shishupala and Dhantavakra, hatred; Yashoda, love in the form of maternal affection; the Gopikas, single-pointed devotion; and Radha, ekatmabhavana (complete sense of spiritual oneness). While every one of these souls attained merger, the nature of the merger was different in each case.

Do not follow the demands of the body. Follow the dictates of your conscience, and allow yourselves to be guided by the atma. He who is guided by the atma is the true spiritual seeker.

Redeem your lives by contemplating on God, chanting His name, and surrendering to Him. Understand that God’s eminence is not gained as a result of, or dependent on external circumstances. It grows out of the sacredness and love with which Divinity is suffused, and does not change as circumstances change. Therefore, you must not allow worry to overwhelm you. Develop love, cultivate the spirit of sacrifice, and realize your divine nature.

Bhagavan concluded His discourse with the devotional song titled, “Hari Bhajana Bina Sukha Shanthi Nahi.”

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, October 1993