Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.31

Nama is Everlasting, Endless
We celebrate the completion of japa. That is, truly speaking, inappropriate, because nama is everlasting, and therefore endless. It transgresses the limitations of time and space. In fact, its greatness is unfathomable. Nama is what the Lord holds dearest to His bosom, and nothing will please Him better than nama-smarana. He is inseparable from nama. God, nama, and the devotee is a trinity which is the real symbolic Triple Confluence. Where there is God, there will be found His devotee and nama; and a true devotee is invariably to be found where there is God and nama.
Having completed the proposed japa, what will you ask of Rama? Beg Him something that will put an end to all future asking. If you ask for a mundane matter, He will smile in derision, saying to Himself," What a trifle to ask from a donor like Me!" So pray Him for unshakable contentment, and love for Nama. Pray further," Lowly as I am" please accept me as Yours. I will henceforth live only to sing Your Name."
All should apply the mind only to the acquisition of God. Prapancha should be treated only as a means for paramartha. There should be no involvement, no attachment, no upadhi. The best means to become free of upadhi is to devote oneself to nama, which is itself free of upadhi. Ceaseless repetition of nama will consolidate faith, and that will create firm love for nama. Have no doubt whatever that God will Himself come and meet you if your faith is unwavering and if you repeat nama ceaselessly. Blend prapancha and paramartha together. Entertain no doubts regarding paramartha. From this very day, treat God as lovingly as your son. Chant nama with the utmost fervour and with continuity, aiming at ensuring that even the last breath will contain nama. One who chants nama thus will never be aware of bodily pleasure and pain, and will always enjoy beatitude.
Just as surely as a cow follows her newly born calf wherever it is taken, do saints follow a person steeped in nama. A patient in a hospital gives his body over to the doctor, for such treatment as may be considered fit. We should surrender ourselves to a saint with equal unreservedness, saying 'good bye' to all sense of doership.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec31

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.31

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.30

The Essence of all Prayers
Get up early from bed, and think of God; freshen up, and sit down and perform manasa-pooja, mental worship, with the prescribed sixteen items. As part of it, offer an anointing with sandalwood paste, flowers, and food, and partake of the remnant of the food as His gift. Lastly, pray thus.
"Rama, I approach You in the utmost humility. Whatever I call mine, I surrender to you. Now please see that my mind relinquishes all attachment, all sense of possession. Let me have no more desire, except for copious love for nama-smarana. Grant me enduring contentment. You alone can do so. Let Your grace enable me to observe the moral code of conduct. I now live only for You. I dedicate my body, my all to You. Do as You like with me, and keep me contented therewith. May I never forget You. Let me not think of asking for anything but a burning passion for Your name. I approach You humbly and pray that I may never be unaware of Your presence. I desire not for proficiency in literature, nor science, nor the arts, nor even divine knowledge. Have pity on me and save me from being consumed by the passions. Treat me as You please, but I will never budge from Your feet; O Rama, I give up all pride and thought of doership, divest me of all idea of ownership; all that I call mine is no longer mine, it is given over to You. Now so please, may You be the only thought in my mind. If You forsake me, where else shall I go? To whom shall I look for support? The "body-am-I" feeling is persecuting me, deliver me from its throes. I have so far given myself up to sense-pleasures, and fallen in their snares. O Rama, You are all powerful, so grant me what I plead for: complete contentment. Pray be constantly in my heart, for I live for You alone; I lay my mind and body at Your disposal. In Your mercy, grant that I forget myself in contemplating You."
Pray to Rama thus, and He will immediately hasten to meet you. Have single-minded faith in nama. With firm faith, go ahead with nama-smarana, even if today the mind feels unwilling to do it.



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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.30

Sri Brahmachaitanya Pravachan-Dec.29

Abandon Your Ego to Transgress Pleasure and Pain

If we try to propitiate God with worldly betterment in view, it can by no means be termed devotion to God; it constitutes devotion to worldly matters. Ego, that is, the "body-am-I" feeling, invariably gives rise to desire, or expectation, related to worldly matters. Serving God with the ego intact, amounts to smugness or hypocrisy. A person quit family life to become a 'bairagi,' and established a hermitage; if the interest in the hermitage again ties him down, what is the good of quitting the home? If we make ornaments for an idol so that we may enjoy the enhanced beauty of the idol, is it not an instance of how ego may spoil an outwardly good act? It is the presence or absence of egoism that determines whether an action is spiritually harmful or beneficial. In brief, ego must be ousted.
The saints ascribe all doership to God. Indeed, we cannot assume doership at all. If we claim doership, can we guarantee success in all our actions? Assuming doership in the circumstances, man invites pleasure and pain. We should assign doership to God, to whom it really belongs. We shall thereby rid ourselves of both pleasure and pain. The vedas say, "all this belongs to God"; the saints say, "All this belongs to Rama and He is the doer of everything." Both amount to the same thing. True upasana is to foster the conviction that Rama is the real doer, not I. I am but a tool, a puppet in His hands. Say repeatedly that God alone is mine.
Attachment for worldly things will definitely be attenuated, if not completely annihilated, by association with a saint. So always try to live in the company of the saintly. Association and close study are two things which always influence thought and action. I carry a stick in hand, and the only toying I can have with it, is to twirl it in the hand or strike somebody or something with it. I carry a rosary, and I cannot think of hitting with it, I may only pray with it. In our dress, behaviour, talk, we are influenced by the company we keep. We should therefore make it a point to live in the company of the good, the saintly.



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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.29

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.29

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.28

Add Nama to Vedic Rituals
Those who study and master the vedas are certainly laudable for their erudition and for their assistance in preserving this precious treasure for the world. The vedas have shown great reverence for the Gayatri mantra. It should be borne in mind, however, that, to be fruitful, the sacredness of the mantra should be matched by unimpeachable vairagya, and by utmost purity in thought and behaviour. These are very difficult to find in the present degenerate times. The sages of the hoary past lived in the forest, far from the crowd and its life of strife. They subsisted on a simple diet consisting of roots, bulbs, and such other natural things. They exercised austere control over the senses and over passions like wild desires, anger, and covetousness. They never uttered an untruth. Leading such simple, undefiled lives, they were fit persons to pursue the cult of the sacred and potent Gayatri mantra. With the strength of such austere penance to back them, their blessings and their wrath were equally potent.
Times have, however, radically changed. We can no longer lead a life which is in the least like that of these past sages. Circumstances do not permit performance of vedic rites with adherence to their rules; nor have the people at large faith in them. Therefore, if they are undertaken at all, they should be supplemented by earnest nama-smarana. Self-control being virtually absent these days, the saints advocate recourse to nama, so that the common man may, even in the present conditions, succeed in attaining God.
Constant, determined nama-smarana, will eventually produce love for God, for, association produces love. A trader, for instance, always has thoughts of trading activities, and will even have dreams concerning them. We come to feel attachment for the house we have long lived in. A resident of a large city like Bombay becomes so used to its bustle, noise, crowd, even its filth, that he feels uneasy if he has to live a comparatively placid life of the countryside. If we teach our heart to feel the presence of Rama, we shall always be aware of His presence. Reinforce this conviction by telling yourself repeatedly: "I am not different, distinct from Rama; He resides in my heart."
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.28

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.28

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.27

Find the Way to Create Love for God
The devotees and other people around a saint are often seen to be as morally depraved as the common run of people. This need not surprise us. If we visit a hospital, we are only likely to come across patients, not healthy people. Similarly, most people come to a saint to get relief from some worldly difficulty or other. What likelihood is there of getting such help from a saint in worldly matters who has renounced worldly life? It would evidently be advisable to consult a practical man than to refer to a saint. It is quite another matter, though, that chanting of nama, even if resorted to for relief in sickness, will not go unrewarded spiritually.
The saints deserve the world's gratitude for having discovered the root-cause of misery, and pin-pointed it to be the desire, to have or not to have a particular thing or situation. It is this desire that deprives us of steady satisfaction. There are only a few who aspire for God, and most of them want Him, not for His own sake but as a strong support for their worldly affairs. One who really wants God for His own sake will undoubtedly find permanent satisfaction, irrespective of age, education, intelligence, or wealth. All that is needed is earnest desire, yearning.
Paramartha is by no means a matter of conjecture. We feel it is beyond our capacity because we only talk about it, and never act. For our inaction we can always advance excuses galore. Even Arjuna, the great warrior, started giving excuses when Lord Krishna asked him to stand and fight the opponents on the battlefield; this made the Lord feel sorry. Ego, the "body-am-I" delusion, leads one to citing excuses to by-pass even the Lord's behests. If a man's daughter falls ill in a distant place, he will rush to that place, out of anxiety; but he advances all kinds of excuses if asked to go to Varanashi on pilgrimage. It is a great sin to give excuses.
A rich man may, under his guru's orders, give away all he possesses, but he will be unable to forget that act. He does not realise that the one who advises the gift is the real donor. Today, prapancha claims all our attention, our love; we must divert it and apply it solely to God.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.27

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.27

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.26

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Chant Nama Earnestly, to Subdue the Mind

Many people in this world have gifted away money, or sacrificed themselves in other ways, but they did not become truly selfless for the simple reason that they did it in the consciousness of doership. We cannot become truly selfless unless and until we have our mind in complete subjection. Yoga, sacrifices, and other religious performances are designed precisely for the purpose of subduing the mind; but can we carry them out in the present circumstances? The times are certainly not favourable. In the present age replete with distractions and temptations, there is nothing that can subdue the mind with the ease and surety of nama, because it is the only form in which God's incarnation is perceptible in the present times. So let everyone take to nama for subduing the mind.
Of the passions that destabilize the mind, the most prominent is pride or ego. No other passion surpasses it in its deadliness. Our utmost effort should be directed against it. All incarnations of God have been for the sole purpose of annihilating ego. A glaring instance is that of Hiranyakashyapu, the demoniac king; even when confronted by the lion-headed incarnation of God, he did not think of folding his hands in obeisance, but his hand went for the sword to attack Him; so dominant was his ego. In order to free ourselves from the strong hold of this ego, we should resort to nama-smarana, with a determination, and utmost effort to abstain from doership in it and in all other activities.
The second dire enemy that destabilises the peace of mind is anger; it, too, is deadly in its effect. It has laid low many a sage with severe penance to their credit. To control this anger, we should make an all-out effort, after having identified the nature of the irritants. A sensible, practical way is to observe the moral restrictions laid down by the religion. If we pay attention to the object behind these restrictions, it will be possible to control anger with its lieutenants, the other passions such as desire, covetousness, temptation, etc. If, alongside, we direct ourselves to God in a spirit of humility, the mind will automatically behave as you want it to. If you keep God always in the foreground, be sure that He will help you subdue and control your mind.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.26

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.26

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan -Dec.25

Essence of any Sadhana is Remembrance of God
Two carts left a village on official duty. One carried cash, the other building materials. Both were bound for the district headquarters, so they journeyed together. On reaching the destination at the end of the day, the drought animals were unyoked and all equally fed with same hay. Similarly, to God the learned and the ignorant are equal. The one with a head crammed with intelligent thoughts or beautiful ideas or a plethora of information is no nearer or dearer to God than the one with an empty head. Both have enough pride to take them to ruin. Learning for its own sake is evidently to be roundly decried; instead of making it becoming the goal of life it should be a means to attainment of God. The so-called learned often spend the whole life in just hairsplitting argument, whereas a plain man may merrily pass through life with nama on his lips and attain God. The learned man tries to first find out the attributes and properties of God, how we stand in relation to Him, whether He is aware of nama as we utter it, when nama came into existence, how it should be chanted, and so on and so forth. They carry this scrutiny to the end of their lives, which leaves no time for practising nama, and enjoying the pleasure of it. It would therefore be wise for a learned man to carryon his investigations into God and nama concurrently with chanting the latter; the doubts will get automatically resolved in course of time.
If a person is egoistic, God will mete out proper atonement for a sin committed by him; but He looks with kindly forgiveness on one whose ego is not dominant. If we commit a mistake unknowingly, and approach God in a spirit of repentful surrender, He will surely forgive us. If we dedicate all our past actions to Him with genuine remorse, He undertakes to guide us in the future.
Many, indeed, are the approaches to God; however, they involve much trouble for the body and the mind. Nama, on the other hand, is simple to chant, provided it is done with unswerving faith. Constant remembrance of God is the very core of all sadhanas; and it is the prominent aspect of nama. It is so powerful that all doubts are gradually overcome by persisting in chanting it.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.25

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.25

Shri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.24

Unflinching Faith is essential to Realize God
One has learnt nothing from association with a saintly person if one has not imbibed implicit obedience to him. Such implicit obedience will not obviate destiny, but it will take a more convenient, bearable form. This destiny, this prarabdha, is truly irresistible; it affects one's action and even way of thinking, to bring about what is in store. If we take care to be on guard and implicitly obey the suggestions and behests of the saintly person we follow, the effects of prarabdha will certainly be moderated. Prarabdha may generate ungodly thoughts in the mind, but it is in our hands whether to put them into action; indeed, it is this faculty of discrimination that distinguishes the human being from other animals. This faculty is best trained by implicit obedience to a saintly person.
One may first approach and adore God for some worldly objective. This adoration and love will gradually grow into selfless love for God, and the importance of worldly things fades out. So, never relinquish God when once you have approached Him. That is achieved by nama-smarana; and that is why time and again I exhort you to take to chanting nama. How unremittingly we toil for prapancha, and with what disappointing return! It is far otherwise in paramartha ; the more you do it, the more you are requited in the quantum of contentment.
Whether one follows the path of knowledge or the path of devotion, the goal is the same, namely, to discover the true 'I'. Today it is the delusive 'I' that dominates the mind. This domination has to be overthrown. When this delusive 'I' is routed, the true 'I' does not have to be sought, for it is already there, latent, in every heart. To remove the delusive 'I', it is essential to become a true servant, a slave, to God. God cannot be attained without singleminded dedication; such dedication eventually becomes real devotion. Nama-smarana is the means to produce a sense of love and dedication; it is the mother of devotion. My repeated exhortation is, chant nama repeatedly, with faith and pleasure in the heart.
Whatever Sadhana you adopt, you have to pass through the gate of nama-smarana; why, then, procrastinate? Why not begin right away?

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.24

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.24

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Sri Brahmachaitanya Pravachan-Dec.23

Nama is More Comprehensive than Form
If I put to you the question, 'What is joy?', you may point to a contented child and say, 'Look, here it is.' You may go farther and similarly point to playful kittens, young gamboling calves, flower-laden vines, gleeful men and women, and say, 'Here we find joy.' But these answers are all beside my question, which was, 'Show me joy.' not 'examples of joyful things.' Obviously, the feeling called joy or happiness must be the same, although the expression may be varied. Every man we see is different in every way; looks, nature, culture, and so many other things; and yet we classify all of them under the single category, 'man'. Although it is difficult to define the word, there is something common in the myriad forms and make-up of the individual specimens which instinctively makes us realize all as belonging to the class 'man'. Nama is therefore more comprehensive than the mere 'form'.
Happy things perish in course of time, but the quality called 'happiness' continues to survive. Forms may pass away, but 'nama' continues. Uncountable men and women have been born and dead, but 'human-ness' continues. 'Nama' therefore abides for all time, even after the 'form' perishes. 'Nama' binds the various 'forms' together, and is thus more comprehensive; again, a single 'nama' applies to various 'forms'. It is beyond the cognizable, the perceptible, and is thus subtle; it is beyond the scope of birth and death, growth and reduction, and the limitations of time, space, and causation.
Nama is, therefore, eternal; it was there in the past, is in existence today, and will continue for all time. It is, in fact, the symbol of the Ultimate Reality. Myriads of forms are born from that Reality, that is, from nama, and Ultimately merge into it. Nothing is, or can be, closer to that Reality than nama. God, therefore, exists by the side of a person who chants nama. One should chant it so fervently that one gets completely absorbed in it, and even forgets that he is chanting it.
What I say is understood by everybody according to his own capacity, his own grasp, and his readiness to understand; but it is never wasted.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.23

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec23

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.22

Come What May, Never Forsake Nama
The sky will always be overhead, however far and fast you run in fear of it. So, too, whereever you go, the body, the mind, and the destined suffering of pleasure and pain are inescapable. Therefore, put up with whatever falls to your lot. Of course, so long as you feel that you should better have tried; by all means do so, but leave the success or otherwise to God. Leave all doership to Him. To ask God 'how long must I serve You?' amounts to deficiency in devotion. Similarly, asking for a limit for nama-smarana means deficiency in faith. Do we ever ask for a limit on the pleasures of the senses?
Today we hold one end of the rope, while God is at the far end. We should gradually haul ourselves up to Him with the help of nama. Association with the good is achieved to the extent to which we hold nama in the heart. Never let it go, whatever the circumstance in prapancha.
A vacant mind always runs after sense-pleasures. So always keep it engaged; and in doing every thing – sitting, rising, chanting a mantra, reading, gossiping, jesting - see that it is related ultimately to God; that is, never let God be out of your mind; this is what is called anusandhana. Everything we do must have reference to God. Nama is the link connecting the mind with God. So always keep the mind riveted to nama. Remember that Rama is omnipresent and omniscient, and therefore a witness to everything; this will preclude the performance of undesirable actions.
We make it a habit to cite an excuse for what we do or miss doing. Quite often, we are 'busy'. But our' spare' time is devoted to idle gossip, or to slandering others, or playing one game or another, and so on, rather than doing nama-smarana. Let us cure ourselves of that habit. The mind is inclined to wandering or listlessness, avoiding concentration and steady effort. It will have to be coerced into chanting nama. Nama is powerful enough to eradicate the 'body-am-I' delusion and establish itself firmly in the mind. We should habituate it to nama-smarana during waking hours; then it will percolate into the sleeping hours and dreams, and finally, if assiduously practised, it will stand in the mind at the moment of death.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.22

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.22

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.21

Do not Regard God as a Tool for Prapancha
A boy fled home. After much futile search, the mother comforted herself, saying, 'I wish him well, whereever he may be'. Similarly I say, 'Be you where you may, but never be without nama-smarana ; you may even force yourself to do it, if necessary. It would be better if you do it with faith, and still better if done with restraint on mental attitudes and desires.' The extraction of the juice of certain leaves requires a catalyser such as honey, milk, ghee, water, etc. Similar is the use of faith for producing relish in nama. The experience 'I am Brahma, the Ultimate Reality', presumes the existence of an individual 'I'; nama is even beyond that experience. One should therefore keep a constant awareness of God; it also facilitates prapancha. There is no sin in the world that call withstand the prowess of nama.
Do not give up nama for the reason that you are unable to visualize the form; you will not fail to do so later. It does not suffer from imperfectness because there is no return expected; there is nothing equivalent to it. The pundits always say, I will repeat nama only if I get love for it.' The ordinary, not-so-learned man generally begins to chant nama on being asked to do so. Nama is basically sweet, but it seems bitter to us because the venom of the snake-like worldliness and sense-pleasures has penetrated into our blood-stream. The remedy is to begin chanting nama from this very moment. Go in surrender to Rama without pride of your 'knowledge'. Approach Him in complete humility, and see the result. Keep your conduct morally clean, be sincere and earnest in devotion to Him; this will propitiate Him.
Knowledge is admittedly most excellent; however, it cannot survive without devotion. A devotee is one who is never separate from God; knowledge imparts a sense of identity with God; thus devotion gives birth to knowledge, which subsists on devotion. The true devotee also has true knowledge. True devotion desires God purely for His own sake, not as a tool for improvement of worldly conditions. Be contented with the condition in which Rama keeps you. One who spends his life in remembrance of nama can take it that he has made the best use of his life.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.21

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada -Dec.21

ಭಗವಂತನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕಾಗಿ    ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಾರದು.  

ಒಬ್ಬ ಹುಡುಗನು ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಓಡಿಹೋದನು. ಆಗ ಅವನ ತಾಯಿಯು "ಅವನು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇರಲಿ, ಆದರೆ ಸುಖವಾಗಿರಲಿ", ಎಂದು ಅಂದಳು. ಅದರಂತೆ ನೀವು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕು. ನಾಮವನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ  ಆಗ್ರಹದಿ   ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿರಿ. ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡರೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಉತ್ತಮ. ವೃತ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಗೊಳಿಸಿ   ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಉತ್ತಮ; ವನಸ್ಪ್ಮತಿಯ ಎಲೆಗಳ  ರಸ ತೆಗೆಯುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಕೆಲವು ಎಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಹಾಕಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಎಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಲು, ತುಪ್ಪ ಅಥವಾ ನೀರು ಹಾಕಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರಂತೆ ಭಗವಂತನ ಪ್ರೇಮ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ತವಾಗುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹಾಗೂ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ರುಚಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಆ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಹಾಕಬೇಕು. "ನಾನು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಇರುತೇನೆ", ಈ ಅನುಭವದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಕೂಡ ಅಹಂಭಾವ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾಮವು ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಆಚೆಗೆ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮಸ್ಮರಣೆ ನಿರಂತರ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು; ಅದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವು ಸುಲಭವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾಮದ ಸತ್ತೆಯು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಬಲವತ್ತರವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.  ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಂಥ ಪಾಪವೂ ನಾಮದ ಮುಂದೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಲು ಶಕ್ಯವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾಮವು ಭಗವಂತನ ಶತ್ರುವಿಗೂ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಂದಮೇಲೆ ನಮಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡೇ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ರೂಪದ ಧ್ಯಾನವು ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬರದೆ ಇದ್ದರೂ ನಾಮ ಬಿಡಬಾರದು. ಮುಂದೆ ರೂಪವು ತಾನಾಗಿಯೇ ಬರತೊಡಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ರೂಪ ಕೊಡದ ಹೊರತು ನಮಗೆ ಅದರ ಅನುಸಂಧಾನ ಇತ್ತು ಕೊಳ್ಳ ಲಿಕ್ಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.. ನಾಮವು ಅದರ ರೂಪವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಾಮದ ನಿರಂತರ ಅನುಸಂಧಾನವಿರಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಫಲದ ಅಪೇಕ್ಷೆ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅದು ಅಪೂರಣವಾಗಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ದಡ್ಡ ಜನರಿಗೆ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹೇಳಿದರೆ ಅವರು ಕೂಡಲೇ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ವಿದ್ವಾಂಸರು ಮಾತ್ರ " ನಾಮದ ಪ್ರೇಮ ವಿದ್ದ್ದರೆ   ನಾನು ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ." ಎಂದು ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವಿಷಯರೂಪೀ ಸರ್ಪದ ವಿಷವು ಇಳಿದಿರದಿದ್ದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನ  ಅಮೃತದಂತೆ  ಮಧುವಾಗಿರುವ  ನಾಮವು ನಮಗೆ ರುಚಿಸಲಾರದು. ಇದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಈ ಕ್ಷಣದಿಂದಲೇ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಬೇಕು. ನಾವು ರಾಮನವರಾಗಬೇಕು ಹಾಗೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಏನು ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆಯೋ ಅದನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗೆ ಬುಧ್ಧಿ ವಂತಿಕೆ ಯಿಂದ  ಶರಣು ಹೋಗದೆ   ಅಜ್ನ್ಯಾನದ ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಶರಣು ಹೋಗಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗೆ ಅನನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶರನುಹೋಗಿ ಅನುಭವ ಪಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ನೀತಿಯಿಂದ ನಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ಭಕ್ತಿ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಅಂದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನು ಪ್ರಸನ್ನನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.

   ಜ್ನ್ಯಾನವು  ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ವಾದದ್ದೇನೋ ನಿಜ. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಹೊರತಾಗಿ ಜೀವಮ್ತವಾಗಿರಲಾರದು. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನಿಂದ ಎಂದೂ ವಿಭಾಕ್ತನಾಗದಿರುವವನೆ ಭಕ್ತನಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅದು ಭಕ್ತಿಯ  ಆಧಾರದಿಂದಲೇ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ನಿಜವಾದ ಭಕ್ತನು ಜ್ನ್ಯಾನಿಯೇ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗಾಗಿಯೇ ಭಗವಂತನು ಬೇಕೆಂದು ಭಕ್ತಿ ಮಾಡುವವರು ಲಕ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬರು. ಇದೇ ನಿಜವಾದ  ಭಕ್ತಿಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕು. ನಾಮಕ್ಕಾಗಿಯೇ ನಾವು ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ರಾಮನು ಇತ್ತದ್ದರಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಹೊಂದಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೂಳಬಾರದು. ಅವನು ಸಾಧ್ಯನಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಯಾರು ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಆಯುಷ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದಿರುವರೋ, ಅವರು ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಬಂದು ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಸಾಧಿಸಿದರು.ಹಾಗೂ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಸಾರ್ಥಕ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡರು.

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan -Dec.20

Hold the Mind Steadily Fixed to Nama
The mundane body will follow the path dictated by prarabdha, so give not your mind to it, let your mind not be affected by it. Prarabdha, after all, is the fruition of our own action performed in this or past lives. Being so, nobody can rectify or modify it. The Pandavas were friends and devotees of the Lord, and yet their banishment to the distressful life of the forest could not be avoided. Sudama, a beloved boyhood friend of Lord Krishna had to live a life of penury. Therefore, one should leave the body to face prarabdha, and cheerfully accept whatever happens. Just like misery and difficulty, an agreeable situation may follow, if it is in the destiny; so take both on par, fixing the mind on nama and God. Let the body be led by prarabdha; you will not feel the vicissitudes if you persistently remember God, and leave the result to His dispensation. Even sages, saints, and incarnations of God, could not escape their respective prarabdha. Since vicissitudes of life depend entirely on prarabdha, we should not base our contentment on them, but the remembrance of Rama will help keep mental equanimity.
There can be no better action than keeping nama always on the lips. The mind will become peaceful and lucid if we sincerely believe that nama is the Ultimate Truth. Be alert in doing your duty and unremitting in chanting nama. Guard the love for nama as closely as a miser watches every penny, for it is our real surety, our true saviour. Keep nama ever on the lips, even while outwardly you are busy with worldly tasks. Thus united with Rama, never entertain even the shadow of regret. You have so far staked everything for desire; now make nama your stock in trade. Remember that only he who has tremendous past merit to his credit will feel love for nama. On the other hand, one who loathes nama will not fare well. Chant nama without expecting a return of any kind, and you will assuredly attain the Cosmic Soul, the true God.
Any sadhana other than nama, will only be so much toil. The body is, of course, mortal, but nama I have given you is ever abiding. Keep steady love for it. Let no extraneous thoughts intrude on nama-smarana. Be always fully contented; that is the essence of paramartha.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.20

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.20

Shri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.19

Vedanta is for Practising it.
The mere pedantic study of vedant is little use if not put into practice in daily life. Its bookish knowledge is little better than the knowledge of preparing various dishes, while the stomach remains hungry; neither is it of practical use. Scholars couch their philosophical talk in an unintelligible jargon, bewildering the common man, who then feels that philosophy is beyond his ken and beyond ,use in daily life. As a matter of fact, philosophy is for every human being; a man, indeed, needs it for guidance in his daily activity and behaviour. True philosophy aims at making our narrow mind liberal, replacing selfishness by selflessness.
Desire is basically subtle; it takes a palpable form through the medium of the body; this is worldliness. As against this, the Ultimate Reality is subtler than the subtlest. Consequently, the means whereby we can realize God must be such as will convert the palpable into the impalpable; nama is the one such means.
It often happens that spiritually advanced souls get involved in some desire, to satisfy which they have to live another life; so they take birth in a spiritually favourable atmosphere. In a short while they get their desire satisfied, and quit worldly life at a comparatively early age. It is therefore improper to lament their death.
Desire can never end, no matter how much you try to fulfil it. The only antidote is constant association with God, who is desireless. One who lives in constant chanting of nama lives in God, and thereby vanquishes desire. When desire ends, God's grace descends.
The sages who had attained to God had acquired such a subtle state of mind that they never thought, 'I do,' 'I speak,' 'I compose this verse'; they always felt 'God does,' 'God says,' 'God has composed this mantra.' They feel this in the depth of their heart. The vedas, being composed in such circumstances, in a trance so to say, must evidently be considered 'divine verses,' not human compositions.
Live happily in the pleasant feeling that Rama is everything, and I am nobody, insignificant.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.19

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.19

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.18

If Worrying is a Must, Better do so About Nama
It is a matter of common experience that what we today consider unpleasant often turns out to be wholesome eventually, and vice versa. Now if you think of everything as something willed by God, nothing would be unpleasant or unwelcome. Things will appear agreeable or otherwise so long as we do not become fully dedicated to God. Terror strikes us when we feel devoid of adequate support; therefore, live in the conviction that everything happens as Rama wills. Those who profess to be dedicated to Shree Samartha or Rama should never feel daunted by adverse conditions, for they are backed by the highest and most dependable support. There is really no fright but it is created by our own imagination.
The oscillations of pleasure and pain affect one only so long as there is a sense of doership. So ascribe doership to Rama, apply the body to duty, and keep the mind stable and at peace. We should pray to God, "Lord, let circumstances not affect my mind," rather than, "Please change the circumstances to please my mind."
Anxiety has permeated our very blood, and cannot be eradicated by external applications. What is required is an intravenous injection in the form of constant awareness of God. Anxiety is an accumulation of all things that cause forgetting of God. It is a fatal disease. A tumour in the stomach may grow to a large size and render impossible all intake of food; similarly, anxiety may become an ineradicable habit barring entry to all sense of gladness.
This 'anxiety' is a result of the 'body-am-I' delusion, and the consequent sense of desire. Repeated chanting of nama annihilates both, the desire and the 'body-am-I' feeling. A situation of happiness may suddenly be metamorphosed; it is this possibility that causes fear and anxiety. Anxiety is as much a killer as nama is a saviour; and yet we do not want to overthrow anxiety. Is this not curious?
Time spent in anxiety is time wasted harmfully. If you cannot help worrying, let the worry be on how to take more pleasure in nama, how to maintain awareness of God. Take care of nama, and forget all anxiety.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.18

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.18

Shree Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.17

'Body-am-I' Delusion, the Root-cause of all Misery

Paramartha is a subject not easily understood, and yet it is of vital importance to everyone. It is best comprehended by trying to see what 'I' am not, rather than to see what 'I' am. If we are walking along a foot-track which is not for our destination, then we may miss all the landmarks. If in solving an example, we make a mistake at any point, the answer will evidently be wide off the mark. Similarly, if one fails to comprehend correctly the basic qualities and failings of human nature, paramartha, which is based on them, will also not be fruitful. The first of these features is the universal desire to be continuously happy, or at least to have a promise of happiness. Death or extinction nobody wants; we all desire to live forever. God is eternal, and ever blissful; and since He is in the make-up of us all, we too desire to be likewise. But we miss the right way from the very start, and consequently everything goes amiss. If a tree in our yard is uprooted in a storm, we say' our tree has fallen;' but if a person dies, we say 'he is dead, not as a matter of fact, 'his body' is dead. The fundamental error, therefore, is that we consider ourselves identical with the body, not with the spirit or soul. We love the body more than the soul, and cater to the needs and pleasures of the body with the utmost care. Nay; instead of controlling and regulating them, we allow ourselves to be completely mastered and led by them, at times even disregarding the better judgement of the conscience. We thus go on piling one mistake on another, thus completely misusing the special assets of human birth.
If we want to fell a tree, we first cut off the branches, and then attack the trunk. To observe the moral code of conduct corresponds to cutting the branches of the tree of passions. The second attack is devotion to the saguna form of God. If this devotion is intense, a man forgets himself at least momentarily, and has the feeling that he belongs to God. True constant awareness of God comes by nama alone; nama will thereby mitigate the 'body-am-I' delusion and also attachment to material things; the person will then see God in everything.



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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.17

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.17

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada Dec.16

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.16

Shri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.16

Nama Will Itself Lead You to Him
The source of a river is found to be a dribble of crystal-clear water in a far-away hill. Later, the stream is joined by other streams, some of them muddy, and therefore its own flow becomes somewhat turbid. Similarly, the source of a desire for paramartha can be traced to some good actions of a past life. Pure at the source, it often becomes unclean by association with good and bad worldly affairs, individuals, etc. Turbidity of water can be removed by the application of alum which causes the impurities to settle at the bottom. Similarly, the merits and demerits of an action settle at the bottom and the flow of life continues clear, if a person takes recourse to nama. To perform one's duties conscientiously, to chant nama, and to live in complete contentment, constitute paramartha. You may rest assured that there cannot be any paramartha in the absence of nama­smarana.
Paramartha essentially aims at creating love for God; and for this there is no better means than nama, because it is a constant reminder of God and thereby, constant association with Him. There may be many who read a lot about paramartha, and start talking about it, preaching it; but rare, indeed, is one who practises it.
As for prapancha one can never feel the satisfaction of having had enough of it. One may find an old man who has had everything that life offers; wealth, children, status, amenities, and what not. And yet, when the time comes for him to quit the world, he may wish he had seen his great-grandson married and settled in life! This shows the endlessness of desire. It clearly shows that there can be no satisfaction of perfectness or completeness in prapancha. The sense of longing can only come to an end On attaining God. For this, the only means is nama; so have recourse to it early in life; the sooner the better. You can be sure that nama will unite you with Him at the end of life.
If God were to grant all that a man continues to desire, He would not find a moment's respite and yet be unable to satisfy him. So what should we ask of God? Only this: 'Give me love for nama, O Lord'.


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Shri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.15

Living in Nama Gives True Vision of God
Even Lord Shreekrishna had to discard His mortal body. The Cosmic Soul, too, when it appears in a material form, must follow the laws that govern the material world. When appearing as a perceivable entity, a form, attributes, and all other auxiliaries come unavoidably. We, being in the human form, would naturally like to see Him in a similar form, but we should remember that, that was only a role that He then played.
The darshana in a physical form is forgettable, perishable. The darshan that is obtained by a person engaged in ceaseless nama-smarana is not only the true one but one that becomes clearer, brighter, every day. So keep on chanting nama, and you will always have darshan of God. A saguna form cannot last for all time, but nama is the complete symbol of the Ultimate Reality, the true God. Uttering nama is equivalent to having God by one's side. God in the saguna form is affected by certain limitations. Rama and Krishna in their human form could not change the evil mentalities of Ravana and Duryodhana. The saguna manifestation cannot achieve the task of transforming the mentality; it can only be accomplished by nama. In the practical world also we find that the form changes and perishes, but nama abides. Even Rama and Krishna disappeared in form but their names have lived down the ages. In the present degenerate age there is no visible incarnation, but nama is the incarnation, and it is the true saviour.
Lord Shreekrishna, had educated Uddhava, His bosom friend and staunch devotee, about the true nature of the Ultimate Reality. He requested him to go to village Gokula, the scene of His childhood, to pacify the rustic milkmaids, who were apparently pining for Him. Uddhava complied. He explained to the maids that Shreekrishna was not just the infant and the child that had fascinated them, but the very Cosmic Soul; that it was ignorant to pine for the apparent child. The maids burst out laughing, saying, "Shreekrishna has duped you. Actually, we don't miss Him, for He is held captive in our loving hearts." Let us emulate them by love and utter surrender.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.15

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.15

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.14

Let God Alone be in Mind During Nama-smarana

In truth, all that God expects of us is pure love coming from the bottom of the heart. Our problem is that we do not possess true love for God at all. We are unable to call Him with ardency. How can the call reach His ears at all? It is association that generates love. We have love for the body because we have had one body or another in a series of lives. If we maintain constant association with nama, we shall evidently feel similar attachment for it too, with consequent reduction in our attachment for the body and for sense-pleasures. What tremendous sacrifices we undertake for the wife and children! Why then should we hesitate to forsake the flimsy desires for sense-pleasures, for the abiding happiness that we get by associating with God?
The passions are not basically worthless. They have been implanted in us by God Himself, so they must be having a useful purpose in life. They are, indeed, necessary on occasions in life; only, they must be under our control and command, instead of our yielding to them submissively.
While we are engaged in nama-smarana, we must vacate the mind of all thoughts, ideas, fancies, memories, etc. and fill it completely with God and God alone. In worldly affairs we cannot altogether avoid their intrusion on the constant awareness of God. But we should not allow them to make a home in the mind. They will then not be harmful.
All the saints unanimously advise us to maintain constant awareness of God, and assure us that thereby we shall come to comprehend the Ultimate Reality. We must ensure that God is never out of mind, even if it means some overlooking of worldly matters. This awareness of God one person may maintain by engaging in worship, another by singing hymn:, and prayers, some by nama-smarana, another by mental worship, and yet another by engaging himself in some art. So let us resolve to maintain constant awareness as our goal, and do other things as only subordinate to it.
Remember that paramartha is nothing but ceaseless nama-smarana and a constant awareness of God. This can be achieved by repeating nama as often as possible.



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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.14

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.14

Shri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.13

God is Truly Served only with Pure Devotion

The body consists of the heart as well as other organs and limbs. Suppose these organs and limbs are all intact, but the heart ceases to function; the body becomes 'dead', ceases to live. On the other hand, suppose the organs and limbs fail while the heart is intact; then the body continues to live, though with reduced efficiency, and there is a possibility of curing it completely with proper treatment. Nama­ corresponds to the heart, while other sadhanas are like the limbs; therefore, no other sadhana can, by itself, suffice for attainment of spiritual liberation. What is love in worldly life, if applied to God, becomes' devotion'; 'greed', if turned to God, becomes intense desire for acquisition of God.
A traveller boarded a train, and found a very comfortable berth; he therefore preferred to keep the berth and to travel from one terminus to the other and back again, instead of alighting at his own destination. How far would that be called wisdom? Are we not doing the same, merely living from birth to death in life after life? Let us now be on the watch for our desired destination, namely, God. Just as a traveller buys fruits and snacks on the way, you may acquire houses and property and amenities of life, but never lose sight of the destination, which is God. So we should beware, and first decide on the sadhana we would adopt.
People often go to hear reading of sacred books or discourses on them, so that others may respect them for their religiosity, or for the sake of avoiding boredom, or for recreation and relaxation. This is certainly to be deprecated. The text of the sermon may be perfectly right, but the commentator's personal views often colour the explanation, and that may unwarrantably and adversely impinge on our resolve. Consciousness of duty and constant awareness of God are the essence of all sacred books.
One can truly serve God only if the devotion is pure, selfless. It is such devotion that saves us, not the grandeur of the temple. Such devotion comes by avoiding idle talk, and this will come about if we dedicate ourselves to nama.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.13

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec13

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.12

Nama Achieves what Yoga Does
A householder should, as a rule, never say 'no' to anyone who comes to beg; he should and give him something, if not all of what he asks for. Never turn away one who begs for food. In regard to requests for money, use discretion; if his request appears unjustified, give him only part of it. Remember that even the job we do for livelihood is a kind of begging, so never use bad language to a beggar. It is not at all degrading for genuine vairagya to beg for necessities; but the begging should not be for a selfish end. The mystical grandeur of true vairagya never remains veiled. Paramartha is unsound without genuine vairagya.
To recognize the true nature of the palpable universe is the first step in the acquisition of knowledge; it is ignorance to treat the unsubstantial as real. A worldly man is unable to judge the spiritual status or attainments of a person, so the common man should not vilify anyone. Some idea of a man's spiritual status can be had on observing the state of his mind at the moment of death.
A person who is ordinary in the eyes of the world may attain a high status spiritually by faith in and practice of nama. This can, of course, be judged only by one who is himself absorbed in nama. Nama is, indeed, extremely powerful; it is a pity, though, that no one is prepared to give it a proper trial. There is no doubt that nama can achieve nothing less than what yoga can. A passion for nama is a sure sign of the grace of Rama. This passion is generated by constant chanting of nama.
It is found that people leading a worldly life are extremely selfish. They are not prepared to forgo even a part of their selfishness and ego, and yet they expect spiritual achievement. How is this possible when selflessness is the very foundation of spiritualism? We go to a saint or sadguru to learn to forgo this tendency for selfishness. No one expects you to relinquish worldly life altogether, nor would anyone be ready to do so. Selfishness is curtailed if desire is reduced; desire is subjugated if we dedicate ourselves to God; dedication comes from constant awareness of Him; and this is achieved by chanting nama; and that is why I exhort you ceaselessly to repeat nama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.12

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.12

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.11

Nama-smarana is a Must on the Path of Action
Performance of vedic rituals aims at purifying the heart; but unless it is based on firm faith in God, with all doership ascribed to Him, it will amount to merely ritualism, bigoted fundamentalism. Besides, life today is so widely different from what it was in the past, that vedic rites just cannot be performed with rigid compliance with their requirements. Nevertheless, I have the highest respect for the disciplined life of the orthodox.
In order to obtain the true benefits of vedic performances nama should be constantly borne in the mind. Gradually, when the heart becomes thoroughly purified and the soul is absolved of the binding effect of all action, nama alone abides, and finally, the individual soul merges with the Cosmic Soul.
nama is not just one of many spiritual formulae or incantations it has been established and made potent by selfless sages and saints. It takes one unfailingly to God; nay, more; it attracts God to the person who chants it incessantly and with staunch faith. I say this with the assurance of personal experience, and its veracity may be tested. It is a fire which consumes the 'body-am-I' feeling. It is a form of Omkar itself. It is the very soul of all religious rites and performances. All the great persons who have accomplished the task of attaining the Cosmic Soul have had recourse to nama. Persons of the highest grade, such as Lord Shiva and Shree Samartha (Ramadas Swami) have attained their goal only through recourse to nama.
On the other hand, to assume that nama-smarana puts the adherent beyond the pale of all moral and social restrictions and discipline is also totally erroneous and indefensible.
A genuinely generous heart is a sine qua non for one who aspires for success in paramartha, and to attaining to sainthood. It is certainly not suggested that the common man should gift away all his money and belongings. What is far more important is giving up all aspects of 'self' or ego. This naturally includes the abandonment of all proprietorship.



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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.11

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.11

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec11

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.10

Be Always Contented in Rama's Will
To lead worldly life in perfect contentment indicates highest knowledge. Contentment and happiness rule where God manages everything. Living contentedly as Rama keeps you is the only way to happiness. For one who utterly surrenders to Rama, contentment is bound to come. The heart that is contented will be brimful with love for God. Dissatisfaction is a foregone conclusion if a man gives his allegiance to anyone but God. Aim to attain the Ultimate, Unconditioned God, nothing less than that. If your mind gets diverted from the goal, to that extent the attainment of God will be deferred. The repeated utterance of nama, the attainment of God, is a result of great religious merit. Be sure to maintain contentedness, in the faith that Shriram is omnipresent. One who genuinely believes that Rama is the prince of donors will never have to face destitution.
Rama always showers grace on His disciple. In His infinite grace He pardons all errors and misconduct; we, on our part, should take care not to repeat them. 'If a person dies remembering Me, I undertake to absolve him'; this is the assurance the Lord Himself reiterates in the Bhagavadgeeta, and therefore its veracity should be beyond question.
No one has seen or even heard of a person who is happy without God. He alone becomes God's man who has shed all ego. Win the affection of God, the Master of all creation. God, who has sustained the universe, will of course continue to do so; only, we have to maintain constant awareness of Him.
Once you go in utter surrender to God, who controls even time, all risk in life vanishes. The heart that harbours God and God alone, cares not for opulence and power. God resides with him who is devoid of a sense of self and selfishness; this is a universal, abiding principle. If you entertain the conviction that Rama is the sole, ultimate doer, where is the cause for any feeling of lack or deficiency?
Rama will be pleased if you do your duty selflessly. Ask for His help where you find human effort inadequate.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec 10

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.10

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.9

Avoid Egoistic Pride and Slander
A close look shows that what pampers the 'body-am-I' sense is our pride. If this pride kills or overpowers virtue, what is the sense in entertaining it? The wise therefore abandon pride, whereas the ignorant pamper it. No enemy is more dreadful than pride. One should search deep for this indwelling foe and take steps to oust it. Mere virtuous actions do not drive it out; they may, on the contrary, nourish it like giving milk to a snake, which turns it into venom. This, of course, does not mean that we should cease doing virtuous acts; we should certainly do good acts, but take care that no pride arises from them. Never feel that you are the doer. Pride comes with the birth of man and attends persistently till his death. It should therefore be carefully banished from the heart, with the help of nama.
Our heart has the turbidity of slanderousness, like a well having brackish water. Suppose we pump out this water and deepen the well, it is quite likely that we may tap a vein of sweet, potable water. So, too, if we abandon egoistic pride, stop the love of slander, and introspect deeply to find God, we are more than likely to strike the spring of His love which will flood the heart. The water drawn up from a well is the same as that in the well itself; similarly, whatever lurks in the heart finds expression in the speech. One who takes pleasure in slandering others must have a slanderous nature at heart; the heart cannot be clean and generous. Some people slander others to stave off possibility of blame; there are others who are evil-natured, and must always see faults in others.
One who seeks to walk in the way of God should bear in mind that the faults one sees in others must be existing in his own heart in a latent form. To talk of other's faults signifies a mean mind. Therefore he should never slander others, nor be proud of his strength, skill, or good quality. Never do or behave as you would not like others to do. You must not take more than essential interest in prapancha, but carry God always in your innermost attention. Thereby you will find all undesirable qualities purged from the heart, and taste lasting peace of mind.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.9

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.9

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.8

Protect the Body Only for the Attainment of God

It is certainly necessary to take care to protect the body well, provided it is employed for attaining God. Such protection, however, should not be employed to make the body a medium of sensual enjoyment. If a man expends all his means to preserve past pomp, what is the net gain? It is sheer folly to do so. The utility of the hard outer shell of the coconut is to preserve the kernel. To preserve the external pomp is certainly not the ultimate goal of mankind.
The basis of all duality lies in 'I' and 'mine', and we get stuck in the consequent mire, so that we are always thwarted by the question 'Who am I'? When a man discovers that he is on the wrong path, he has to trace his footsteps back to the starting point. The mischief started when the 'body-am-I' feeling took possession of us, when we took the body and worldly things to be permanent, that is, true, which they are not. Despite repeated experience to the contrary, we stick to the misconception that there is true pleasure in indulging the senses. Is it not surprising that we still persist in that wrong notion?
Worldly things and situations constantly keep changing. In a sense we die and are reborn every day, for our going to sleep and rising again are equivalent to death and rebirth.
A jail holds a large number of prisoners. The crimes which have brought them there may be diverse; but one thing which is common to them is that each has committed one crime or another. So, too, persons whom we find suffering misery must be atoning for some misbehaviour in some past birth, under an inexorable law of action and reaction. God has however, mercifully granted the concession that one who forgets the body will not be conscious of the misery.
The problem of misery of some kind or another in the world as a whole, does not admit of a solution that will be satisfactory to human reason. Instead of worrying about it, try to alleviate the misery to the best of your capacity. Only he can forget the world and its misery who maintains an unbroken awareness of God. The more earnestly we utter nama, the more the involvement in it. We shall then automatically forget ourselves.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.8

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.8