Even An insult should be endured for the love of God.

A young couple had newly received initiation (अनुग्रह). Both of them visited Gondavale. The girl was young and educated. When she went to the kitchen to render some service there, someone insulted her in harsh words for disregarding practices prescribed for cleanliness and sacredness. The insult cut her to the quick. She told her husband that in her state of mind, she did not feel at ease here, and pleaded that they should return home. The husband felt that such an opportunity for Namasmarana did not arise often, so she should not take to heart whatever had happened. Still she stubbornly held that they should return home. So the couple approached Sri Maharaj. Sri Maharaj suddenly said, on his own, "Formerly, joint families were quite common. A bride entering her husband's home used to have many relatives around her, such as parents-in-law, the husband's elder brothers,their wives, and a couple of sisters of her husband. It used to be common in such families to harp at the bide for an imagined fault of hers. If in such an instance, the wife of an elder brother, say, speaks to girl some deprecating words, which hurt her, and she decides to leave her husband's home to return to her parents'home, how well-advised would her decision be?" The girl said, "It would be proper to bear such remarks quietly in order to earn the love of her husband." On which Shri Maharaj said,"So,too, if one wishes to earn the love of God -- and that is one's purpose in coming here-- it is proper for one not to take to heart whatever has happened."  The girl was completely set at ease by the words of Shri Maharaj, and she dropped the plan to return home forthwith.

The Guru Prescribes only such means for realisation of God as one is capable of practising

A highly placed government officer received instruction from Shri Maharaj in chanting Nama, and he sincerely set about practicing it. After some time he learnt about the views of J.Krishnamurthy. Because of their influence, his observance of the practice of chanting Nama became neglected. His mind was filled wih doubts about Namasmarana. He frankly admitted this to Shri Maharaj. Shri Maharaj said, "Krishnamurthy did not invite you to his lecture.You went there of your own accord.So, you can not blame him for having caused confusion in your mind. A rustic boy who, having passed his school final examination, joined the first year class of a metropolitan college. Out of curiosity, on his own he attended a philosophy lecture for the students of the M.A.class. On listening to the lecture, he felt so confused that he doubted if would ever be able to complete his course of studies in the college.The state of your mind has become similar to his. What Krishnamurthy advocates is the path of contemplation, Jnyanamarga. One needs to have read a lot to be able to follow it. So, forget what you have learned from him, and begin the practice of chanting Nama. I guarantee that by chanting Nama, your mind will attain everlasting bliss.I,too, could have preached what was preached by him. But, what is the point in prescribing a lesson which cannot be assimilated?It is for this reason that it was not prescribed for you by me."

Is God Harsh?

A highly placed officer in the docks used to read Gurucharitra (Biography of Bhagawan Dattatreya) every day. On Thursdays, he used to fast, and when he reaached home, he would read Gurucharithra again for about two hours, perform Aarati, (the ceremony of waving around an idol a platter containing a burning lamp,incense sticks,camphor,etc), and offer  Naivedya( An offering of some eatable to an idol) before breaking his fast. He did this regularly for fifteen years. He once met Shri Maharaj and said, "in my opinion God is very harsh. Shri Maharaj asked, "why do you say so?" He said, "I have been serving God sincerely for so many years, but I have not experienced any response from Him" Shri Maharaj said, "If you and God were to change places, and if He had behaved like you have done, you would have been ore harsh with him." The man said, I do  not understand what you are saying.". Shri Maharaj asked, "What do you do after you leave office on Thursdays?" He said, "I purchase some Pedhas (a sweetmeat made of milk and sugar) for Prasad(Any eatable or non-eatable, offered to God, which is taken by the devotee after the Pooja, with deep respect, as a blessing from God.) from a vendor of sweets, a garland for God from a florist, and then I go home." Shri Maharaj said, "You have forgotten to mention one more thing you buy along with the garland." He then remembered that he also used regularly to buy a chaplet for his wife, and he mentioned it to Shri Maharaj. Shri Maharaj said, "You drop into your bag the garland that the florist gives you,without taking care to examine whether it contains any flowers that are withered. On the other hand,  you take every care when buying the chaplet to see that it is of a kind that your wife will like. This shows for whom you have the greater love, God or your wife. In that case, how can you expect anything better from God?

The Daughter is Praised, While the Daughter-in-law is criticised, for the same action

An educated, elderly lady visited Shri Maharaj. Both her son and her daughter had been married in the preceding season. En quiring after the family, Shri Maharaj asked, "Does your daughter-in-law behave well?" The lady replied,"All is well except that because her parents live in the same town, she visits them rather too often." Shri Maharaj tactfully asked, "your daughter also lives in the town. How is she doing?" The woman quickly answered, "She is very happy. She does not fail to visit me every other day." Shri Maharaj said to her, "Madam, your daughter visits your house every other day. Please consider how her mother-in-law must be feeling about it. It is not proper that you do not blame your daughter for what she does, but you find it wrong that your daughter-in-law does the same thing. So bring your daughter's fault to her notice first, and later tactfully convey the same thing to your daughter-in-law."

Andal's Tiru Kalyanotsav

Thirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam entrusted Sri B. Sri Rama Murthy, to give lectures for a month on the Great Devotee Andal's Tiruppaavai, tamil poems, calling all the devotees to participate in the devotional activities adoring the Lord Sri Ranganatha,.in the Hari Keerthana Mandir of  Sri Brahma chaithanya Sri Rama Mandir. Smt. Saraswathamma,  renowned musician of Chintamani, sang the poems ,  Sri B. Sri Rama Murthy explained the meaning. Also, Smt.Saraswathamma has trained hundreds of Ladies to sing the tamil devotional poems of Andal. It is really surprising to note that how the Kannada ladies, with out prejudice, learn and sing the Tamil poems.The politicians can learn lesson from this.

Thiru Kalyanotsav of Andal and the Lord was performed on Sunday,10-1-10.

ಅಮೃತವಾಣಿ

ಅಮೃತವಾಣಿ - ಒಂದು ಸ್ವಂತ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ

ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮ ಸಮರ್ಥ

ಅಮೃತವಾಣಿ - ಒಂದು ಸ್ವಂತ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ

ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ೧: ನೀವು ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಏನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಂಡಿರುವಿರಿ? ಜನರಿಗೆ ಏನೆಂದು ಉಪದೇಶ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀರಿ?

ಉತ್ತರ: ನೀವು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಏನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಂಡಿರುವಿರೊ ನಾನು ಅದೇನೂ ಆಗಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಗಿಯುತ್ತ್ವವೆಯೊ ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ನಾನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಆನಂದದಲ್ಲಿರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಆನಂದವೆಂದರೆ ಸಮಾಧಾನ.

ನಾನು ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಒಬ್ಬ ಹೀನ ದೀನ ಅಜ್ನ್ಯಾನಿಯಾದ ದಾಸನಾಗಿರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನಾನು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಉಪದೇಶ ಮಾಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾನಾಗಿಯೇ ಅವರನ್ನು ಕರೆಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾರು ತಾವಾಗಿಯೇ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೋ ಹಾಗೂ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಏನಾದರೂ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಾರೊ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಾನು ಕೇವಲ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಅಖಂಡ ನಾಮಸ್ಮರಣೆ ಮಾಡಿರೆಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ೨: ನೀವು ಏನು ವ್ಯವಸಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀರಿ?

ಉತ್ತರ: ನಾನು ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಅಖಂಡ ನಾಮಸ್ಮರಣೆಯ ವ್ಯವಸಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ೩: ಮಹಾರಾಜ, ತಮ್ಮ ಬಾಲ್ಯವು ಹೇಗೆ ಕಳೆದಿರುತ್ತದೆ?

ಉತ್ತರ: ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದಲೂ ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ನಾಮದ ಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ಛತ್ರವಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ನನಗೆ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಯಾರೂ ಹೇಳಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾನು ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡೇ ಬಂದಿರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಅಜ್ಜನದು ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಹಳ ಪ್ರೇಮವಿದ್ದಿತು. ಆದರೆ ನನಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಂದು ನಾಮದ ಹೊರತಾಗಿ ಬೇರೆ ಏನೂ ಸೇರುತ್ತಿರಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೂ, ಈಗಲೂ ಸೇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾನು ಏನು ಮಾಡ್ಬೇಕೆಂಬ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ಒಳಗಿನಿಂದ ನಾಮವೇ ಮಾರ್ಗದರ್ಶನ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ನನಗೆ ನಾಮದಿಂದ ಸೂಚನೆ ಬಂದಿರುವುದರಿಂದಲೇ ನಾನು ಮನೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿರುತ್ತೇನೆ. ನಾನು ಚಿಕ್ಕವನಿದ್ದಾಗಿನಿಂದಲೂ ನನ್ನ ಮೇಲೆ ನಾಮದ ಕೃಪೆಯಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ನನಗೆ ನಾಮವೊಂದೆ ಸತ್ಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಉತ್ತಮವಾದದ್ದೆಂದು ಅನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾಮವು ಸರ್ವ ಸದ್ಗುಣಗಳ ಭಂಡಾರವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಅದೆ ನಮ್ಮ ನಿಜವಾದ ಧನವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾನು ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದನೊ ಅಲ್ಲಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ನಾಮವನ್ನು ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನನಗೆ ಯಾವ ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಯಾವ ಭೂಮಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುತ್ತಿದ್ದನೆಂಬುದು ತಾನಾಗಿಯೇ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ನಾಮದ ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ಆಗ ನನ್ನ ಅವಸ್ಥೆಯು ಹೇಗಿತ್ತೆಂದರೆ ಯಾರ ಹತ್ತಿರ ಯಾವ ವಿದ್ಯೆ ಇರುತ್ತಿತ್ತೊ ಅವರು ಅದನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ತಾವಾಗಿಯೇ ಕರೆದು ಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಆದರೆ ಅವರ ಆ ವಿದ್ಯೆಯಿಂದ ನನಗೆ ಸಮಾಧಾನ ವಾಗುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೊರಟು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆನು. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಠಯೋಗ, ಮಂತ್ರ ತಂತ್ರ ಪ್ರಯೋಗ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಅವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ನಾಮದ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಪ್ಪಗೆ ಅನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

At least you obey me now

A pensioner met Shri Maharaj. Having listened to a  complaint from him abut his son, Shri Maharaj said to him, ""Ask your son to meet me." The man said, "He is too un-co-operating and unbelieving to listen to anyone. He will not agree to meet you." Shri Maharaj again said, "Even then convey my message that he should meet me." The man gave the same reply to Shri Maharaj. After a couple of times more, Shri Maharaj chuckled and said with much tact, "Leave aside the matter of his obeying my message; at least you obey me and do this much." At this the man fell silent. Later the son did meet Shri Maharaj and agreed to behave as he was advised.