In plain words
In everyday usage the words appear different, but in their own nature the three are one. Without Śivaṃ there is no Satya. Without Satyaṃ there is no Sundaraṃ. Sundaraṃ makes things shine. Satyaṃ makes the form be seen. And through these, Śivaṃ makes objects shine. The oneness of the three is the divine principle itself. I have told you many times. This is a cloth. What is this cloth's basis? Thread. What is this thread's basis? Cotton. Cotton became thread. Thread itself became cloth. The oneness of these three is one.
In the same way, what is called Satya takes on the form called Śiva, and within the Śiva principle it takes on the form of Sundara. Satyaṃ Śivaṃ Sundaraṃ are three different words of the same meaning, but the principle of the substance is one. In the very same way: Prema, beauty, sweetness, splendour. Our ninth-class student said so. ‘Prema, beauty, sweetness, splendour.’ The difference shows only in the words; all four are words of the same meaning for a single substance. When the heart melts, it flows as Prema. When Prema ripens, beauty arises. When the shower of this beauty becomes drunk in sweetness, it turns into sweetness itself. That is, once its true nature is experienced, it turns into sweetness itself. In this state of sweetness, everything flourishes in splendour. First, the flower. When the petals of this flower fall away little by little, it becomes a tiny young fruit. As we go on tending this young fruit, it turns into a green fruit. After some time this green fruit becomes ripe. Flower, young fruit, green fruit and ripe fruit: the four are one. But there is a great difference between the sweetness in the green fruit and the sweetness in the ripe fruit. The green fruit may be astringent. Before it comes to ripeness it may be a little sour. Once it has become ripe, it turns sweet. But where did this sweetness come from? From the astringency itself came this sweetness. In the same way, when we turn our Prema into something that melts the heart, it takes shape as beauty. When this beauty is tasted, it takes shape as sweetness. This principle of sweetness is the true Ātma principle. So it is sweetness at all times.
Nayanaṃ madhuraṃ vacanaṃ madhuraṃ sarvaṃ madhuraṃ madhurādhipate madhuraṃ madhuraṃ.
All is sweet. It is through this sweetness that the whole world shines in splendour. So whether you call it beauty, or Ānanda, or sweetness, it is not found in the objects of the outer world. All these are within us.
Only when the nature of our mind is turned towards God does it take on every form.