In plain words
Such control of the senses is true yoga. What is Jñāna? The vision of Advaita is Jñāna. The feeling of one Ātma, "My Ātma itself is reflected in all beings", is true Jñāna. What is sannyāsa? One's quality must change; there is no use in the clothes changing. The mind must change; there is no use in the man changing. Only he who restrains all his senses and has renounced all attachment is a sannyāsī. Today householders do not have as many desires as sannyāsīs have. What are these desires? For whom are these desires? All this is
a leather bag with nine holes, nothing more; it is no shining diamond pot. Every moment only filth oozes from it; no civet or musk will ever come out of it. Inside the belly is dung, the rest is bones; think, and look: on top a dirty skin.
A dirty hovel, a servant's basket rotting with diseases, a tuber born to stir and move, a thorn bush that cannot swim across the sea of worldly life, a quiver of arrows: rise and see! When we think of the danger to us, do not trust that this body is steady, O mind! Take refuge at the feet of Hari.
That is true sannyāsa. You must not fear death. You must not swell up at prosperity. What are these prosperities and deaths? They are only waves in life. Waves that come up on the ocean. For one who is born, death cannot be escaped. So there is no need to grieve strangely over these two. Still, as long as we live in this world of Prakṛti, this physical world, this mundane world, we must live a good and ideal life.
But the students of today are sunk in these physical influences, sunk in these worldly desires, and strive only to pass a temporary life. The studies you have studied: what are they for? For a living? No, no. A living too is necessary. But the learning you have learnt must be given to the many in what is ideal.
Good conduct, a good mind, devotion to Satya, Bhakti, discipline, the doing of one's duty: what teaches these is vidyā; the student must learn it; the word that tells Satya is the word of Śrī Sai.
Everyone knows it. Ādi Śaṅkara, who in this land of Bhārata, at a very tender age, proclaimed and established the philosophy of Advaita and taught its teachings, said that Mokṣa comes only through Jñāna. He said, "Satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahmā." He wrote the Śivānandalaharī and said that Jñāna alone is the way to cross over. The goal of Jñāna is Ānanda alone. God alone is the cause of Ānanda. There is no second thing at all. He said, "Ekam eva advitīyaṃ brahmā." To Ādi Śaṅkara himself, who taught so great a philosophy of Advaita, Bhakti became necessary after all. Without entering into this Bhakti we can gain no Jñāna.
Yogarato vā bhogarato vā saṃgharato vā saṃghavihīna, yasya brahmaṇa pibate cittaṃ nandati nandati nadatyeva. Bhaja govindaṃ.
O people! There is no use in yoga or in doing any other sādhana. Bhaja govindaṃ. Worship Hari. Think of God. That alone is the royal road to carry you across. Even Śaṅkara, the founder of the Advaita creed, entered into Bhakti at the very last. You may consider how noble a thing Bhakti is. There is nothing beyond Bhakti.
However many sciences you learn, if this nectar, the principle of Prema, is missing, all of them are useless.
Like a fruit without juice, like a tree without fruit, like a flower without fragrance, what is the use of being born and dying? You were born knowing birth; if you do not know who you are, have you known anything at all?