Sanathana Sarathi

In Dharmakshetra… Kurukshetra
Arjuna had a Sarathi!
He was such a master Sarathi
That He won the war for him!
He held the reins of all the horses
He helped his arrows to find their prey
He gave him courage, opened his eyes
And made him a little wise. 

He saved him many a time from wrong
He taught hire statecraft, soul-craft both.
He blessed him on the battlefield
With a Vision, where he found
That He was no mere charioteer—
That He was horse and wheel and whip
Source and stream and sea
Dinosaur, daffodil, flea.

We all are Arjunas today
Willing to wound, afraid to strike,
Grasping a doubt and calling it Faith
Eager to reap, unwilling to bend
Blowing big trumpets before the fray—
God on our lips, greed in our hearts.
In Dharmakshetra, Jagat-kshetra
We all do need a Sarathi,
To teach us and train us the Gita way
And, make us fit to see Him so.

We all do need a Sarathi.
We haven’t far to go
He is here before us, now,
With His lovely welcome smile.
The same who led to victory
Many a doubting warrior
On many a famous battlefield
Where I did fight with he
And we fell foul of they.

He knows each nut and bolt and spring
He knows each inch of road.
The tiniest blemish He spots and checks
No crack can escape His instant care
No leak, no streak, no squeak.

He knows the speed which we can stand
He knows when the breakdown comes and why
He is the Goal which you must reach.
Choose Him (He has chosen you already now)
And seat Him securely in the heart of hearts
And the road is smooth, the weather fine.

There are no ups and downs
It is all so cool—an easy drive
You have only to trust Him
And keep yourself mum
You can sing your way along
And when you come to journey’s end
You find you are not you, but He!

Install Him in your heart
Sathya Sai Sarathi
This Sanathana Sarathi.

~N. Kasturi
Source:  Sanathana Sarathi, Feb 1968