Dasaratha said, “Sumanthra, my Ramachandra is an unshakeable hero; he will not turn back. His resolution cannot be shaken or suppressed by anyone. Efforts made for modifying it will be futile, and we will only be causing him distress by our attempts. Besides, Rama is an unswerving adherent of truth. Don’t delay, for if even a little time is spent in getting the chariot ready, you may miss his trail. My subjects cannot bear the sight of Rama walking along the royal roads of Ayodhya. Go, go!” The emperor hurried him out with the words, “Carry with you in that chariot a few hampers of food and a few weapons and give them over. Sumanthra! I forgot to tell you this. Plead as strongly as you can, mention also that I told you to pray for Sita to be directed to return to Ayodhya. Take them into the chariot and let them go with you some distance toward the forest. Go into the forest with them, for if Sita is frightened at the sight of the jungle, and you become aware of her fear, you ca...
The spread of the Vedic wisdom
The Lord, intent on the regeneration of the world, communicated Vedas through Hiranyagarbha, who in turn passed them on to His ten mental sons (manasa-putras), including Athri and Marichi. From them, the Vedas spread among humanity, handed down from one generation to another. As time passed and ages accumulated and continents moved, some Vedas got lost or were neglected as too difficult for comprehension, and only four have survived into modern times. These four were taught in the Dwapara era (yuga) to his disciples by Veda Vyasa, the greatest of the exponents of the Vedas.
When Vyasa was thus expounding the Vedas, engaged in spreading the sacred scripture, one disciple of his, Yajnavalkya by name, incurred his wrath. As punishment, Yajnavalkya had to regurgitate the Yajur-veda, which he had already learned, into the custody of his guru, leave the place, and take refuge in the divine Sun (Surya-deva), the treasure-house of the Vedas. Just then, the sages,...
Preface
Before you read this Book ...
Dear Reader, this is not just another book on the nature of soul and the technique by which it discovers its Reality. When you turn over the pages, you are actually sitting at the feet of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Avatar of the age, come in answer to prayers of all virtuous people and spiritual aspirant to guide them and grant them peace and perfection. “Place all your burdens on Me,” He says. “Start on the spiritual pilgrimage this very day,” He exhorts. “Why fear, when I am here?” He asks.
His grace is omnipresent; His miraculous powers proclaim His omnipotence; His wisdom, His analysis of the ills of humanity, and His prescription for their cure reveal His omniscience.
You have the unique chance of meeting Him, at the Abode of Peace (Prasanthi Nilayam), and receiving from Him His blessings for the success of your spiritual pilgrimage. He will know and appreciate your earnestness and faith, and you can continue with greater c...
Manthara schemes
Vedic hymns echoed everywhere. For Rama’s and Sita’s ceremonial bath, the holy water of the Sarayu river was brought in pots of gold by attendants. Pundits recited hymns calling down benediction on them, and the recitation was most heartening and pleasant to hear.
While Manthara, Kaika’s maid, was returning the previous night, she saw the excitement of the populace and asked someone the reason. She came to know about the cause of all the joy and exultation: the imminent coronation of Ramachandra. She also saw the maids of the palaces of Kausalya and Sumitra dressed in jasmine-white saris and bedecked in costly jewels, hurrying hither and thither. She couldn’t bear the sight any longer. She had creeps all over her body, like scorpion stings in plenty. She ran toward Kaika’s palace and, finding that the queen had already retired into the inner apartments, neared the door and shrieked, “Mother! Mother! Open the door! A very urgent matter! Your life is in morta...
This Upanishad contains the story of Nachiketas, who was initiated into spiritual discipline by Yama himself.
The same story is also mentioned in the Taithiriya Upanishad and its Brahmana portion and also in the Mahabharatha, in chapter 106 of the section of moral principles. This Upanishad has become famous on account of its clarity and depth of imagination. Many of the thoughts expressed in it can be found in the Bhagavad Gita.
Since it belongs to the Katha Sakha of the Black (or Krishna) Yajur-veda School, it is called Kathopanishad.
Nachiketas seeks everlasting Self-knowledge
A very strict ritualist, Yajnasravas, also known as Gautama, performed a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice he gave away cows that were no longer able to eat grass or drink water, much less yield milk! They were too old for any useful purpose. Seeing this, his virtuous and intelligent son, Nachiketas, realised that his father was in for a great deal of sorrow because of these sinful gifts. The boy wanted to s...
Seek to know the Eternal, not the ephemeral
The Kena Upanishad is ascribed to Sama-veda and its Thalavakara branch, so it is also referred to as the Thalavakaropanishad. The name Kena is derived from the first word of the stanza of the first section of the Upanishad:
Keneshitham pathathi preshitham manah, kena pranah prathamah praithiyukthah,keneshitham vacham imam vadhanthi, chakshuh shrothram ka-u-deveo yunakthi?
Who impels the mind to alight on its object? Enjoined by whom does the vital forceproceed to function? At whose behest do men utter speech? What intelligence, indeed, directs the eyes and the ears?
The ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose - these five senses are able to cognise sound, touch, form, taste, and smell respectively. Objects of knowledge are cognised only through these five. The world is experienced through these instruments, which stand intermediate between the knower and the knowable. The inner capacity to understand objects is named mind (manas). The mind moves out ...
Spiritual knowledge provides illumination
The sublime significance of higher learning (vidya) can be grasped by one or communicated to another only when the pure mind sheds its revealing light. Inside a room kept scrupulously clean, no snake, no scorpion, no poison-bearing insect can enter. They will be at home only in dark, dirty places. For the same reason, the sacred wisdom cannot enter dark and dirty hearts. Instead, poisonous breeds like anger will find those hearts to be congenial resorts.
Washing a lump of coal with soap and water won’t rid the coal of its colour. Nor will washing it in milk help.
The only way is to put it in a fire. That will turn it into a heap of white ash. Similarly, only gaining awareness of the Atma (Atmajnana) - in other words, knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-vidya) - will destroy the darkness of ignorance and the dirt of desire.
Darkness can be ended only with the help of light. Darkness cannot be overwhelmed by attacking it with more darkness. Spiritual ...
Suka said, “O King, truly, Krishna’s pranks (leelas) are, as you said, amazing, wondrous, and yet sweet and meaningful. They aren’t tainted by the desire to show off divine nature. The common man is drawn by external pomp and apparent motives. So he judges the divine sport (leelas) as common and even low. The inner meaning and purpose are not easily patent to all. But the Lord can never engage Himself in purposeless and paltry activities.
“His advent is for the uplifting of the world from the morass of wickedness and unrighteousness, for fulfilling the needs of those devoted to Him, for the reestablishment of right and morality, and for the revival of the Vedas; He has to take into account the merit acquired by each in previous lives and shower His Grace accordingly.
He makes Himself available through the granting of boons; His Divine activities are so shaped that they suit the time, person, aspiration, and compassion that cause each shower of grace. Therefore, who can comprehe...
Sage Vyasa continued. “Listen, oh King! Droupadi was overwhelmed with amazement when she experienced the grace of Krishna, who granted the boon of unending folds of clothing to protect her honour. She shed profuse tears of gratitude and exclaimed in ecstasy, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’ with such a rush of feeling and zeal that those present were struck with fear. The shining splendour of her face made them suspect that she must be the veritable Goddess Sakthi, who energizes the universe.
Droupadi curses the Kauravas
“Meanwhile, Krishna manifested Himself in concrete form before your grandmother, Droupadi, and said, ‘Sister! Why are you troubled in mind? I took birth with the express purpose of destroying these evil men blinded by pride. I’ll see that the glory and fame of the Pandavas are held high for the admiration of this world for generations to come. Console yourself.’ “She fell at the Lord’s feet, washing them with her tears darkened by the collyrium in her eyes. The tr...
Within the palace, Rama's companions, elated and happy, ready with bright countenances and splendid robes, were waiting to accompany him to the Festival Hall. Sumanthra went into the apartments that lay still deeper inside the palace. There he saw Rama, seated on a golden cot, scattering divine light around him, and Sita standing by his side, gently fanning him. He shone like the moon with the star, Chitra.
Sumanthra, in a hurry, could no brook delay. "Rama! Mother Kaika and your father asked me to bring you quickly to her palace; they sent me here on that mission, and I hurried for that same purpose." Rama turned toward Sita. "Sita! This is a sign of some obstacle, and of nothing else. I'm not unaware of this, but I kept silent and said, 'Yes' for everything, so that father might be happy. Father's orders are to be honoured, lest he be pained." While Rama was talking in this strain, Sumanthra's heart was pounding fast inside him. He was trying to interpret Rama's words and the picture...
