The Revelation

In this extraordinary revelatory address at the Sathya Sai organization’s first world conference four decades ago, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba categorically declares His Divinity and His sankalpa [determination] to establish Sanathana Dharma—eternal path—worldwide. Baba further expounds on the key critical too—Namasmarana [remembering God’s name]—that will lead one to self-realization.

You are engaged in creating solutions to solve problems, answers to overcome doubts, and, means to prevent new problems and fresh doubts. However, such exercises, which all conferences relish, cannot successfully navigate the sea of spiritual endeavor. These discussions, resolutions, speeches, and regulations are at best frail contrivances. The world is much too stormy and agitated to be quietened by these solutions. This is the time for cool, calm contemplation as opposed to quick, passionate speculation, and hasty decision.

You need to contemplate once again on the eternal lessons laid down by the sages of India’s past, lessons that have been neglected and cynically forgotten in recent years. The suggestions and solutions that come out of the discussions today are all good so far as they go; but how can a person who cannot himself swim, teach others the art? How can one whose granary is empty, pour out in charity? First and foremost, acquire the wealth of devotion, fortitude, and peace before advising others on acquiring them. Bharat (India) has suffered slights and disregard as a result of a spate of teachers who have not cared to practice what they teach.

I know that you have the enthusiasm to carry My message among the people of this country [India] and other countries. Let Me remind you that the best and the only successful way in which you can do it is to translate the message into your own lives. Your thoughts, words, and deeds must be saturated with the message, then they will spread effortlessly and efficiently, transforming the face of the world.

Namasmarana is the only hope 

The presidents, vice‑presidents, and secretaries of Sathya Sai Organisations from all over the world are here. You are officers of the Sai army. How can you lead soldiers into the fray when you are not aware of the intricacies of warfare, and when you are yourselves inefficient instruments? You can attempt to lead others only after you have perfected the practice of the disciplines yourself. This is true of all fields of human activity. Ananda (bliss) and prasanthi (supreme peace) have to be acquired first by you before you can communicate it to others.

Teachers in schools have to be first examples of what they require the pupils to be. Men in authority who exhort others to follow the paths of love and co‑operation have to practice those virtues first. The people are now not willing to be led; and the leaders have no capacity to lead. Progress is the result of mutual trust between the leaders and the led. Irresponsible parents, teachers, administrators, leaders, and those who hunger to benefit from them are the cause of the pervasive unrest that is rampant now across all sections of the people.

Namasmarana [repetition of the Divine name] is one of the basic disciplines to which this conference is paying great attention. The scriptures say that in this age of materialism, it is the one hope for man. Tukaram [an Indian saint] sang of the Namaratna—the name [of God as] a precious gem. So you should not brush aside the [Divine] name as you would a piece of glass or a pebble.

Don’t substitute gems for marbles 

There was once a boy who picked up a precious gem, bright and round, and used it for playing marbles on the road with his comrades. A merchant dealing in precious stones chanced to pass along that road, and his discerning eye fell on the gem. He approached the boy, took him aside, and offered to pay him 50 rupees [Indian currency] in exchange for the precious gem. If the boy had known the value of 50 rupees, he would have known the value of the gem! The boy went to his mother,and told her that a stranger had tempted him with 50 rupees in return for the marble he played with. She was surprised that it was so costly and she said, “Do not go out of the compound with it; play in the garden with your friend.” When the value was revealed, limits were set.

The merchant had no sleep that night. He was planning to secure the gem from those simple folk so that he could sell it at a huge profit to some millionaire or Maharaja [king]. He tracked the boy’s house and walked up and down the road in front of it, hoping to see the boy. He was in agony as he watched the boy play with the gem as though it was a cheap marble.

The boy threw it [the gem] on the floor. His mother emerged just at that moment from the inner apartments, and the gem struck her foot and fell under a bush. At this [point], the merchant offered the boy a 100 rupees for the gem, and he followed it immediately with an increased offer this time of 500 rupees. This perturbed the boy who ran into the house in tears, complaining about the stranger who will not let him alone. The mother came out into the garden and begged the merchant to go away.

The merchant grasped the chance; he told the mother that he was ready to give a 1000 rupees on the spot if the marble was placed in his hand. On hearing this, she forbade the child to play with it outside the house; he could play with it only inside the house. However, the merchant could not be shooed off that easily. He appeared the next day in front of the house and offered 10,000 rupees for the marble. The mother refused to part with the gem and kept it now in an iron safe, under lock and key. When the merchant came the next day with 50,000  rupees, she took it [the gem] to a bank and deposited it in its safety vaults.

Value of God’s name

You are also playing marbles with the name of God, unaware of its value. Once you realize its worth, you will keep it in your heart of hearts as the most precious treasure. Know that the Divine name is the key to success in your search for consolation, confidence, courage, illumination, and liberation.

Another illustration can be given from the ancient texts. On one occasion, a competition was arranged among the gods for selecting the leader of the ganas (troops of demi‑gods, attendants of Lord Shiva). Participants had to quickly go around the world, and return to Lord Shiva’s feet.

The gods started off, mounting their respective vehicles. Shiva’s younger son enthusiastically entered the competition. He had an elephantine head, and his vehicle was a mouse. Therefore, his progress was severely handicapped.

He had not proceeded far when Narada [a celestial devotee of Vishnu] appeared before him and asked, “Whither are you bound?” Shiva’s son was very annoyed and enraged at being accosted thus.

Indeed, it is considered a bad omen to query someone about to embark on a task what is their purpose and destination, and doubly unpropitious for those going on a journey. It is even more inauspicious if the first person you come across when you are starting a journey is a lone Brahmin. Although Narada was the foremost among the Brahmins (he was the son of Brahma—the Creator—Himself), he was a bad omen! Again, it is considered a bad omen if someone asks you, “Whither are you bound?” when you are going somewhere. Narada asked Shiva’s son that very question. Nevertheless, Narada was able to assuage the latter’s anger.

Universe came from the name

Narada was able to find out from Shiva’s son his predicament of having to ride a mouse and his desire to win. Narada consoled him and exhorted him not to despair while offering the following advice, “Rama—the [Divine] name—is the seed from which the gigantic tree called the universe has emanated. So, write the name on the ground, go round it once, and hurry back to Shiva to claim the prize.”

Shiva’s son did as he was told and returned to his father. When asked how he returned so soon, he related Narada’s story and advice. Shiva appreciated the validity of Narada’s counsel; the prize was awarded to the son, who was acclaimed as Ganapati (master of the ganas) and Vinayaka (leader of all).

The name undoubtedly draws God’s grace. Meerabai, the Queen of Rajasthan, gave up status and riches, fortune and family, and dedicated herself to the adoration of the Lord, Giridhara Gopala [another name for Lord Krishna]. Her husband brought a chalice of poison, and s ordered her to drink it. She uttered Krishna’s name while she drank it, and, the poison was transformed into nectar, by the grace the Divine name evoked!

Kirtan is the word used for the recital or singing of the name and glory of the God. Sam‑kirtan means reciting or singing well, or aloud and with joy or in ecstasy. We can distinguish four different forms of namasankirtana: Bhava (mood‑filled) namasankirtana, Guna (divine quality‑oriented) namasankirtana, Leela (divine miracle related) namasankirtana and sheer namasankirtana. Bhava namasamkritis is the name given to recitals where the name is sung with one or other bhava (emotion or mental attitude) toward the Lord.

Different attitudes toward God

It can be madhura bhava (sweet emotion) as Radha [Lord Krishna’s devotee] was over‑powered with. She saw, heard, tasted, sought, and gained only that sweetness at all times and all places: Raso vai sah (divine sweetness is He). She made no distinction between nature and nature’s God—everything was God, and all were Krishna. She felt, experienced, and knew that Krishna was ever present, in the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep stages. She realized the truth behind Krishna’s declaration in the Gita that His hands and feet, His eyes, face and head were everywhere. Her adoration of God is the supreme example of madhura bhava namasankirtana.

Then we have the vatsalya bhava (parental feeling) namasamkirtan. Yashoda, Krishna’s foster mother, can be taken as the ideal for this type of bhava. Though she had a series of experiences of Krishna being Divine, she preferred to serve him as His mother and adore Him as her son.

Anuraga bhava (feelings between the lover and the beloved) namasamkirtan is exemplified best and in the purest form in the gopis [the cowherd maidens]. They installed the Lord in their hearts, rid themselves of all earthly attachments, and spent their life contemplating only on Him. In the process, they dedicated all their thoughts, deeds, and words to Him.

Then, there is the sakhya bhava (comrade feeling) namasamkirtan—as found in Arjuna, who considered Krishna as his most intimate friend and brother‑in‑law (for he married Krishna’s sister), and confided in Him as a friend. This too is an attitude that will attach you to Divinity, and sublimate the lower impulses. Dasya‑bhava (servant-master attitude) namasamkirtan is another type. Wherein, the devotee serves the Lord as His faithful, unquestioning servant—this was Hanuman’s [Rama’s monkey devotee] path in the epic Ramayana. He had no will or wish of his own. His prayer was simply to be a fit instrument for the purposes of the Master.

Name redeems, cures, and saves 

The last attitude is shanta‑bhava (attitude of unruffled equanimity) namasamkirtan—praising the Lord despite ups and downs, bearing all the vagaries of fortune as His play. In the Mahabharata [a Hindu epic], you will find that Bhishma [the grand-uncle of Pandavas & Kauravas] was saturated with this attitude. He adored Krishna even when Krishna was advancing toward him to kill him.

Another method of namasamkirtan is to remind oneself of the various exploits and sports, the acts of grace and compassion that the Lord has manifested in the world. This is called leela (divine miracle‑oriented) namasamkirtan. Chaitanya and Thyagaraja [two Indian saints] realized the Lord through this path.

Some others, while reciting the Divine name, recollect more of the majesty, glory, might, mystery, magnificence, munificence, and love with which God has clothed Himself. This attitude is referred to as guna (attributes, characteristics) namasamkirtan. Many of the saints worldwide have followed this path.

Another category [of namasamkirtan] is followed by seekers who attach value to the syllables and sound of the [Divine] name, irrespective of the meaning thereof. They feel that when the name is pronounced, it draws toward the aspirant divine grace—regardless of whether bhava[feeling], leela [divine play], or guna [characteristics] is associated with the namasamkirtan or not. They aver that the [Divine] name has the strength, power, and capacity to redeem, and an ability to cure and save, alone and unaided.

Rama‑principle source of joy

Once Rama (son of Dasharatha, hero of the Ramayana, and Lord’s incarnation in the Tretha yuga —2nd of the 4 ages) Himself indicated that the name was a potent liberator. When Rama was passing through the forests with Sita [His wife] and Lakshmana [His younger brother], the hermits who recognized His divinity gathered around Him with a prayer that He initiate them with a mantra (sacred formula) that they could repeat for spiritual uplift and victory. Rama replied that He was simply a prince in exile, wandering in the forests, and so He could not presume any authority to initiate hermits into spiritual path. He moved on along the jungle tracks.

Watching Him walking fast with Sita immediately behind Him and Lakshmana following in the rear, an aged hermit exclaimed, “Friends! See! Rama is initiating us! He is awarding us the mantra! God is leading. Nature (His constant companion, His shadow) is following. The jivi (individual soul), a part of the Lord, a wave of the ocean, is in the rear and can see the Lord only if the deluding nature is propitiated or by‑passed. This is, indeed a silent lesson in sadhana (spiritual discipline). Ra is God; ma is the individual, who has fallen behind; Ra is prakriti (nature); Rama is the mantra He is vouchsafing so graciously. Take it and save yourselves. For me, there is no other course,” the hermit said.

I am emphasizing the Rama‑nama (the name Rama) because the Rama principle is the atma [the soul principle]. Rama means that which is pleasant and which pleases. The atma is the source of all joy, and its nature is bliss. Moreover, as Thyagaraja discovered, Rama is the name that worshippers of both Narayana (Vishnu) and Shiva [the preserver and the destroyer diety] can adopt. The syllable Raa is the key syllable of the Narayana mantra (Om Namo Narayanaya) and the syllable ma is the key syllable of the Shiva mantra (Om Namah-Shivaya).

God is the harmony 

The prejudices and factions among the worshippers of the Narayana [Vishnu] form of God and Shiva form are meaningless, because both represent the One ultimate Universal. They are distinguishable, it may be said, by the different divine equipment. They are shankha (conch) and chakra (discus) in the case of Narayana, and damaru (small drum) and trishula (three‑pronged spear‑trident) in the case of Shiva. But the conch and the drum both symbolize God’s accessibility through audible praise and song; discus and trident symbolize God as the maker and master of time—discus represents the wheel of time while the three prongs of the trident represent the past, present and future. Narayana is referred to as Hari and Shiva as Hara; both these names are derived from the same root: Har, which means to destroy, remove, captivate, attract, and to harmonize—functions that God has clothed Himself with.

Man’s duty is to sanctify his days and nights with the unbroken smarana (recollection) of the name. Recollect with joy and yearning. If you do so, God is bound to appear before you with the most beautiful and most appropriate form and name you have allotted Him! God is all names and all forms, the integration of all these in harmonious charm! Gods designated in different faiths, adored by different human communities are all limbs of the One God that really is. Just as the body is the harmonious blending of the senses and the limbs, God is the harmony of all the forms and names that man gives Him!

Whats in a name?

Only those who are ignorant of the glory of God will insist on one name and one form for his adoration and, what is worse, condemn the use by others of other names and forms. Since you are all associated with the Sathya Sai Organizations, I must warn you against such silly obduracy. Do not go about proclaiming that you are a sect distinct and separate from those who adore God in other forms and names. Thereby, you are limiting the very God whom you are extolling. Do not proclaim in your enthusiasm, “We want only Sai; we are not concerned with the rest.” You must convince yourselves that all forms are Sai’s, all names are Sai’s. There is no ‘rest’—all are He.

You must have noticed that I do not speak about Sai in My discourses; nor do I sing of Sai during the bhajan [devotional song] with which I usually conclude My discourses. And you must have wondered why. Let me tell you the reason. I do not want the impression to gain ground that I desire this name and this form to be publicized. I have not come to set afoot a new cult; I do not want people to be misled on this point. I affirm that this Sai form is the form of all the various names that man uses for the adoration of the Divine. So, I am teaching that no distinction should be made between the names Rama, Krishna, Eashwara, or Sai—for they are all My names.

When I know that I am the current that illumines all the various bulbs, I am indifferent to the bulbs that you consider so important. When you pay attention to the bulbs, factions arise, and sects are born. Sathya Sai Seva Samitis [selfless service organizations] should not encourage discord and distinctions; they must adore the One, which appears as many, and the basic divine [current] that illumines all the bulbs.

God’s presence is the motivator

I do not have the slightest intention to utilize the Seva Samitis to propagate My name or canvas homage for My name. No! I am only content when spiritual endeavors and disciplines to elevate and purify man are progressing everywhere. It is only through these that My universal reality will be revealed. So, do not limit Me to the boundaries of any one name and form. Your aim should be to see the self‑same God in all the forms that are worshipped, to picture Him in all the names, nay, to be conscious of His presence as the inner motivator of every living being in every particle of matter. Do not fall into the error of considering some to be men worthy of reverence and some unworthy. Sai is in everyone, so all deserve your reverence and service. Propagate this truth; that is the function I assign to the Seva Samitis.

You can observe Me and My activities; note how I adhere to righteousness, moral order, truth, and universal compassion. That is what I desire you to learn from Me. Many of you plead for a ‘message’ from Me to take to your Samiti. Well, My life is My message. You will be adhering to My message if you so live that your lives are evidence of the dispassionate quiet, courage, confidence, and eagerness to serve those who are in distress that My life inspires in you.

God is immanent in the world. So, treat the world lovingly as you will treat your Master. Krishna served the Pandavas; He drove the chariot of Arjuna. So, though He was not a King, He became much more, a king‑maker. Serve, regardless of the obstacle, and the cynical ridicule you may attract. Such reactions are inevitable when one is engaged in doing good. Take My example. Praise and calumny have accompanied Me throughout the ages. Opposition and obstacles only tend to highlight the good and strengthen resolve.

Miracles are insignificant

The torture that his father inflicted to turn his mind away from God helped to bring out the unflinching devotion of Prahlada [a boy devotee]. The wickedness of Ravana [the demonic king from the epic Ramayana] served to reveal the might of Rama’s bow. Traducers like Shishupala, Dantavakra, Ravana, and Kamsa [demonic rulers] are inevitable accessories of every incarnation. This Sai Rama, too, has that age-old accompaniment. Now, too, their brood is evident. On one side adoration and homage are piling high into a peak, and on the other, abjuration and slander are also peak high. Standing between them, I bless them both with lifted hands for I am not elated by one or depressed by the other. The traducers will be rewarded with the crown they deserve; while the devoted will be crowned with My own glory.

Of what avail is it if you simply worship My name and form, without attempting to cultivate the samatwa (equal love for all) that I have, My shanti (unruffled equanimity), My prema (love), My sahana (patience and fortitude), and My ananda (ever‑blissful nature)?

You elaborate in your lectures the unique powers of Sai, and the incidents that are described as ‘miracles’ in books written on Me by some persons. But I request you not to attach importance to these. Do not exaggerate their significance; the most significant and important power is, let Me tell you, My prema. I may turn the sky into earth, or earth into sky; but that is not the sign of Divine might. It is the prema, the sahana, which is effective universally and is ever present—that is My unique sign.

A unique world conference 

When you attempt to cultivate and propagate this love and this fortitude, trouble and travail will dog your steps. You must welcome them, for without them the best in you cannot be drawn out. If gold were as plentiful as dust, or diamonds as easily available as pebbles, no one would care for them. They are won after enormous exertion and expense; therefore they are eagerly sought after.

Since my devotees, including those from all nations have gathered here, I have to tell you one fact. World conferences dedicated to religion or spiritual problems have, no doubt, been held before; so also have conferences of followers of particular faiths been conducted. But these have been held only after the demise of the founders and Divine inspirers. This is the very first time that a world conference is held of persons devoted, while the incarnation is present before every one, with the body assumed for the purpose, bearing the name that is chosen for It by Itself.

I must tell you this fact because 99 persons out of 100 among you do not know My reality. You have come here drawn by diverse needs—a taste for spiritual matters, eagerness to develop the institutions to which you are attached, admiration or affection, love or reverence, or a spurt of enthusiasm to join others and share with others your own exultation.

Let not My Divinity distract you

In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My reality either today, or even after a 1000 years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry even if all mankind joins in that effort. But, in a short time, you will become cognizant of the bliss showered by the Divine principle, which has taken upon Itself this sacred body and this sacred name. Your good fortune that will provide you this chance is greater than what was available for anchorites, monks, sages, saints, and even personalities embodying facets of divine glory.

Since I move about with you, eat like you, and talk with you, you are deluded into the belief that this is but an instance of common humanity. Be warned against this mistake. I am also deluding you by My singing with you, talking with you, and engaging Myself in activities with you. But any moment, My Divinity may be revealed to you; you have to be ready, and prepared for the moment. Since Divinity is enveloped by humanness, you must endeavor to overcome the maya (delusion) that hides it from your eyes. “This is a human form in which every divine entity, every divine principle, that is to say, all the names and forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest.”

Do not allow doubt to distract you. If you only install in the altar of your heart, steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a vision of My reality. Instead, if you swing like the pendulum of a clock, devoted for a moment and exhibiting disbelief in another moment, you can never succeed in comprehending the truth and win that bliss. You are very fortunate that you have a chance to experience the bliss of the vision of the sarvadaivatwa swarupam (the form, that is all forms of all Gods) now, in this life itself.

Let Me draw your attention to another fact: wherein on previous occasions when God incarnated on earth, the bliss of recognizing Him in the incarnation was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, in spite of plenty of patent evidences of His grace. And the loyalty and devotion they commanded from men arose through fear and awe at their superhuman powers and skills, or at their imperial and penal authority. But ponder a moment on this Sathya Sai manifestation. In this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and irreverence, what is it that brings to It the adoration of millions from all over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason for this is the fact that this is the supra‑worldly Divinity in human form.

What is Sai Sankalpa?

Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world paying homage to India. You can hear adoration for Sathya Sai’s name reverberating throughout the world even while this body is in existence—not at some future date, but when It is with you, and before you. And again, you can witness very soon the restoration of Sanathana Dharma [eternal path]—the dharma [right action] laid down in the Vedas [Hindu scriptures] for the good of all the peoples of the world—to its genuine and natural status. The revival of Vedic Dharma is the Sai sankalpa (resolution) not only drawing people towards Me, but also attracting them by the manifestation of My power and capability. This is not a phenomenon of delusion. This phenomenon will sustain truth; it will uproot untruth, and in that victory make all of you exult in ecstasy. This is the Sai sankalpam.

Vedic truths cannot be sold

Some persons, even those who have reached a certain stage of leadership and authority, have started exchanging the Vedic formulae and the principles of Indian culture for lucre, selling them, in fact, and Westerners are inclined to purchase them. These truths and discoveries are not merchandise to be sold and bought. Therefore, I am going to Western countries soon in order to apprise them of their real worth and put a stop to this bargaining. Already, the authorities of universities in the United States of America and the student leaders of those universities have written that they are eager to welcome Me, and they have drawn up programs for My visit. It was only yesterday that passports for My visit to Africa have been brought, praying that I may visit those countries soon. I am proceeding to Africa before the month of June.

So utilize the chance of association with Me as much as possible, and endeavor as quickly and as best as you can to follow the directions that I have been giving. Obeying My instructions is enough; it will benefit you more than the most rigorous asceticism. Practice sathya (truth), dharma (righteousness), shanti (peace), and prema (love) that are dear to Me; resolve to keep those ideals before you ever in all your thoughts, words, and deeds. That can confer on you the summum bonum of mergence in the supreme substance of Divinity.

Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 8