Nabhaka, Naabhaka, And Ambarisha

22 May 1995, Summer Course 1995, Brindavan

Published English.

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Pradoshe Deepakaschandrah, Prabhate Deepako Ravihi Trailoke Deepako Dharmah, Suputrah Kula Deepakah

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The Moon is the source of light at night. During the day, the Sun gives light. illumines the three world. A good son is the light of the family.

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There are two kinds of night: full moon and new moon. Darkness is not generally desired. But there are some people, like thieves and wicked people, who revel in it. Darkness aides bad thoughts and facilitates sinful behavior. Hence it is called - demonic period of time. Night is characterized by . Therefore, peaceful and virtuous people do not desire darkness.

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The full moon is bright and beautiful. Everyone awaits the full moon. Poets are inspired to compose poems looking at it and children play joyously in its cool light. The moon is called - Uncle Moon. He is an uncle to children, to parents, to grandparents...to everyone. He is the same to everyone. Therefore, light has a lot of significance. It aids sacred thoughts.

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The Sun and the Moon sustain the world. Without the Sun there cannot be life. The Sun gives us light, seasons, rain and food. Many diseases are cured by the Sun’s benevolent rays. Even electricity can be generated from sunlight.

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The third is : means "that which binds." binds us within limits, helping us tread the right path and discharge our duty. establishes norms of behavior between two persons, between a person and society and so on. It helps human values flourish. When declines, human values suffer and this, in turn, spells the ruin of life. A country without is a country of demons. - protects those who protect it. Therefore, adherence to truth and are most important for students today. The say, - speak the truth and follow righteousness. These are the great legacy from our ancient heritage. The true treasures of are only and .

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Now, the fourth. A virtuous child brightens the whole family. Even a single virtuous person brings a good name to the family. One jasmine creeper lends an enchanting smell to the entire forest. If every house had even a single virtuous member, the world will glow with effulgence. Any number of children without virtue are useless. The also teaches this truth. had a hundred sons but they did not benefit him or his kingdom. Sage had no children and yet, he was ever blissful! Therefore, it is foolish to rejoice at the birth of a son. The father doesn’t feel happy merely at the birth of a son. Parents experience joy only when children demonstrate piety and earn unsullied reputations. Among today’s students we need - good sons. Who is a 'good son' ? Is he one with a good nose, good eyes, and a good body? No. Only one with pure qualities is a good son. No matter how handsome a boy may be, without virtue he is only ugly.

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The story of The contains the narrative of an emperor called . He had many sons, one of whom was .

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was a great scholar. He entered a to learn different kinds of knowledge. He was an ideal student. He dedicated his time and his body to the acquisition of education. To this end he even forgot his parents! He considered education to be the jewel of life. He realized the tremendous power of true knowledge and decided to spend his life acquiring it.

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came to spend most of his time in the . In due course his father, , grew old and resolved to divide his wealth among his sons. He gave wealth to all his sons but forgot because was away in the pursuit of education. After completing his studies, returned home. He saw his brothers ruling the kingdom. He asked them, "Brothers, where is my share of the inheritance?" They replied, "Father did not leave you a share. But we are yet to decide what to do with father himself. Hence, you can have father as your share."

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was highly educated. He recognized the respect due to a father and said, "Father is enough for me." As per the sacred culture of India - - mother and father are equal to God. offered his entire life to uphold his father’s word. Similarly, said, "My father is my true wealth" and went to his father. He told , "Dear father, as my brothers have told me, you are my real wealth."

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His father replied, "Dear son, l have no property. But I will teach you a way to earn wealth. Sage is performing a . No one else in the world is competent to perform this . Two are required for successful completion of this . have been conducting this for a long time because they do not know how to complete it. These two are your real wealth. I will teach them to you. Go there and recite them."

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Ever obedient, went to the . He approached Sage and said, "I can recite the that will complete your ." He did so and the was completed successfully. acknowledged ’s contribution and said, "Dear child, I’m leaving for now. Enjoy all the wealth collected for this ceremony."

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After everyone departed, began gathering the wealth. A dark man approached and claimed authority over it. He said, "I’m . It is the Divine command that wealth left over from all belongs to me." said respectfully, "You have your right and I have mine. Let us find a third person to resolve our dispute."

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They went to , who was a master of all scriptures. pondered the matter and judged not in favor of his son, but in ’s favor. fell at ’s feet and sought pardon for his mistaken claim. admired ’s sense of justice, truthfulness and devotion to his father. Bestowing all the wealth on , said, "Son, the whole world is illumined by your virtues. I’m pleased with your ideal qualities. I have never met a student like you." blessed him that he would rule the kingdom for a long time and also gave him the most permanent wealth - . was filled with Bliss. He went on to become the richest amongkingsoftheIkshvaku dynasty.

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The story of In due course, had a son called . The story of in the is very sacred. was highly educated. He showered happiness on his subjects, considering them his children. To him, his subjects were parts of his body and the Lord was his heart. A king and his subjects are related to each other as the head is to the body, he believed.

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Worldly experiences are dreams. Nothing is permanent. - the world is temporary and sorrowful.

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Mother, father, brother, relatives, wealth, home - all are unreal. Therefore, beware, beware!

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realized this very early in life. He decided that he wanted only the treasure of God’s proximity and not worldly attachment.

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Sages and once instructed King to perform the . Many kings had performed the same successfully but no one in any age had done it like . He conducted it magnificently, giving away cows, land, gold and other articles in charity, articles that people had never seen or heard of before. During the , forgot his kingdom and even his body. He concentrated only on Lord . At the end of the , Lord appeared and presented His personal weapon, , to .

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What is meant by ? In a worldly sense, it means a disc endowed with power. Spiritually, means 'good sight' - the ability to see everything in its true light. Armed with this blessing of , was able to enjoy the world and surmount all difficulties in his life. He had no worries, sorrow or desires. He concentrated wholeheartedly on the Lord.

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Sometime later, instructed by Sage , performed the , twelve-month vow. After observing certain disciplines for twelve months, was to fast on the day prior to the completion of the one year period. The fast was to be broken at a particular time the next day, just before the end of the year. And after partaking food himself, he was to feed his subjects as well. These were the stipulations of the vow.

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was getting ready to break his fast on the last day. Sage arrived unexpectedly. honored him. said, "O King, no one has performed such a vow in the world. You will achieve great fame. Your kingdom will always experience peace and abundance." pleaded, ", you must accept my hospitality today." said, "With pleasure. But give me some time. I will go to the river, bathe and complete my daily prayers." So saying, left for the river with his entourage.

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started getting worried when did not return even after a long time. Why? On the one hand, the etiquette of a host demanded that he could not eat before offering food to his guest. On the other hand, rules of the dictated that had to eat before the auspicious moment of the completion of one year, which had arrived. was as worried now, as he was peaceful during the vow. suggested that he touch a few drops of water to his lips to break his fast, assuring him that no fault would accrue to him by this act. obeyed .

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returned after the auspicious moment. He divined ’s action. He said, ", you are blind with pride!" asked, "Honorable Sage, what is my fault?" said, "How dare you act innocent! You invite me as a guest and then eat before you serve me! Is this not a violation of the principles of hospitality? I am a , not an ordinary guest! To insult me is not expected of you!" claimed innocence, humbly but fearlessly. But was adamant. He plucked one hair from his head and empowered it with a . A terrible demoness appeared and lifted her sword to kill . In a flash, the appeared and put an end to the demoness. The Lord’s weapon then turned on Sage .

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fled. followed him through forests, rivers, deserts, plains, cities... everywhere. ran and ran. Finally, he sought refuge in , Lord ’s abode. told him, "I’m helpless. I cannot challenge Lord ’s power. I am the Lord’s servant. You will gain nothing from me."

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then fled to , Lord ’s home. Lord spoke similar words, "I have no right to oppose ’s Will. I cannot help you." then ran to Lord Himself. The Lord said, "O Sage! Do you not see M y helplessness? I may be all-powerful, but I cannot break one bond: The bond with devotees who have renounced everything for Me. I will always submit to My devotees. is one such devotee. He has renounced everything and he seeks Me alone. I cannot deny such surrender. The power of love () of My devotees is greater than My own will power ()! I cannot help you in the least. But I will suggest a solution. Seek the pardon of ."

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As advised by Lord , retraced his steps and fell at ’s feet. ’s penance and powers were unsurpassed. Imagine, such a great sage falling at a king’s feet! was surprised and embarrassed. He said, "O great sage! You are rich in penance and wisdom. Please do not fall at the feet of an ordinary man like me." replied, "In my pride I spoke harsh words to you. I made you suffer without recognizing your sincere devotion. Pardon me." then prayed on ’s behalf, "O Lord , You are the embodiment of Love and Compassion. You are allknowing and omnipotent. Please forgive the sage’s faults." Only then the stopped pursuing the sage.

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The Lord is a servant What is the inner significance of this story? The Lord is a servant of His devotees. He is the final authority everywhere, except in the presence of His devotee! The Lord’s powers are benign to His devotees and devastating to wicked people. ’s life signified the same idea. was humble in front of but bold and terrible to . Virtue, faultless behavior, renunciation - all these are merely facets of devotion.

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was an emperor not just of his kingdom, but in the kingdom of devotion as well. Even , , and had to bow to his devotion! The efficacy of devotion is - beyond thought and word. In this age, people do not understand devotion. They think devotion is limited to worship, , and vows. God’s Form should be imprinted in your heart like words on paper! There should be no separation, no distinction between you and God. Such intense faith is rare today. ’s eyes only saw , his ears heard only the Lord’s Name, his feet approached only the Lord and his hands were ever engaged in worship. Divine brilliance flowed through all his senses.

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, , and - grandfather, father and son - all three were highly educated. What education did they have? Not worldly education, but ! said: - true knowledge is knowledge of the Self. The different kinds of worldly knowledge are small tricklesm which merge into the ocean of . - all rivers are destined for the ocean. It is only because he pursued spiritual knowledge hand-in-hand with worldly knowledge that became worthy of the Lord’s protection. He was able to subdue the curse of a sage. A curse given by a sage is normally irrevocable. But was able to humble even a sage of ’s stature!

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Nothing in the world comes close to the power of devotion. But fools are blind to it. Truly, one who recognizes the potency of devotion cannot stay aloof from the path even for a moment. Even nectar may have traces of bitterness but the principle of devotion is sweetness, sweetness, sweetness. - the nectar of devotion - is the limit of sweetness. Such is present only between God and devotees. All other relations are based on attachment. Love and attachment are poles apart. People tell , "I love you, I love you, I love you." What is love? They don’t know.

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Service just spoke about "help." Students have no idea even what 'help' means. They just repeat phrases like "Help Ever, Hurt Never." Help means to render assistance. But what kind of help, where, to whom and how? We must understand this well. That is why the says: Charity must be based on eligibility. Do not help anyone, anytime, anywhere. Before acting you must assess, "To whom am I rendering help and how? What would be the result of my action?" You can’t give a knife to a wicked man, or a gold cup to a child. There must be deservedness in help. Otherwise, help can turn into harm. When should you help? When you watch someone suffering, feel it in your heart. Feel their pain and serve when your heart melts. Meaning, offer help to that cause which melts your heart. When many people can be benefited, you may definitely help. Help is not just to individuals. It should be related to society and even to the world.

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This morning, talked about the importance of service. What is service? People say it means doing "good work." Do not think of as 'good work' . Even the attitude "I am doing good to others" is not positive. The right attitude is to see it as "God’s work"! True is to consider all your actions as God’s work.

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Na Tapamsi Na Teerthanam, Na Sastra Na Japanahi, Samsara Sagaroddhare, Sajjanam Sevanam Vina.

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You must ask him why he wants money. If he says he is hungry, give him food, not money. His real need is food. If he insists on money, such a person should not be helped. If he is cold, give warm clothes. If he is ill, give medicine. But don’t give money. Why? He will spend it on liquor, go home and drown himself and his family in misery. By giving money you have not helped him, but hurt him! So, always inquire whom you should help, when, where and how. This is true .

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People think, "I am the giver, he is the recipient." This is not . Once upon a time a man resolved to perform . He told himself, "I am a servant. That is why I serve." The Divinity present in servitude is not present in authority. He prayed:

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O Lord! Let me be the servant of Your servant. Let me be busy serving Your servants.

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When entered , all the demons were intrigued by his appearance. They had never seen a monkey before. Why? Recall that was surrounded by the sea on all sides, and what monkey can cross the ocean? While they gaped at with surprise, he laughed and played impish pranks. Then a demon questioned, "Hey, who are you?" The answer came: "" - "You ask who I am? I am the servant of ." did not say, "I am the virtuous, strong and devoted son of the Wind God" and so on. It is because of his humility that always succeeded in the tasks allotted to him by . To fulfill God’s commands, first we must render our ego powerless. We should express humility. Not merely express it, but practice it.

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People think, "I am so educated, so intelligent, so influential." How long do authority and power last? With retirement, your influence vanishes like snow on a summer day! The world has seen kings and rulers, each greater than the other. Many emperors ruled over India. Where are they today? Wealth and authority are transient, but virtues are lasting. It has been eons since died. But the glories of his character are sung the world over till this day. Therefore, we become worthy of immortal fame when we shine in virtue. Worldly joys are 'passing clouds' . recognized this truth. Nothing in this world grants happiness or peace. Happiness and peace are unique to God’s proximity alone. The King of wanted to present wealth to . sang:

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O mind, what grants happiness - wealth () or proximity to God ()?

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There are many meanings given to the word 'help' . We should not use this word carelessly. True help should include the society and permeate your thoughts, words, sight, hearing and hands. Help rendered with unity of thought, word and deed () is true service. Help means love and compassion guiding your hands.

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One boy asked her, "Grandma! Why don’t you hold your head high for this wonderful ?" She said, "Son, I’m not helping anyone." The boy said, "But aren’t you donating blankets to the shivering street people every day?" She said, "Son, God has given us two hands. Compared to what He does, all our work is trivial. And I’m using only one hand to distribute the blankets. I feel ashamed for not using the other hand. I can hold my head high only when God blesses me with opportunities to serve with both my hands."

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There are many fools in the world who do not sacrifice despite being rich. They go to the market with loose change in their pockets, not currency notes. They give a few coins to each beggar they encounter. Another example. I went to a few days ago. From , we had to drive to a nearby town. On the way we stopped at a red light. Many beggars surrounded the car. I noticed one woman carrying a baby and felt very pained. But I do not even have a pocket, what to talk of money! I told , "You give her something." He gave one from his pocket. Do you know what that lady did? She tossed it back into the car saying, "You cannot get anything with one today, Sir. You can keep it!"

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Even five are not much to beggars today. In such a situation, will a few coins do any good? Some people are so stingy that even the coins they donate are counterfeit! No, no. Where did you get all your money? We see big industrialists, rich beyond the common man’s imagination. How did they get rich? The money was earned with the assistance of the middle class, the laborers, the officers. When you know that everyone is responsible for your prosperity, you must sacrifice for their sake. In the , riches only increase pride instead of evoking sacrifice in people. - not by rituals, children, or wealth, but only by sacrifice is immortality attained. Keep what you need and share the rest.

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Charity is the ornament for the hand. Truth is the ornament for the throat.

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Desire God alone Therefore, all of you should promote unity based on the , contemplate on Divinity and do actions beneficial to the common good. How can you call yourself a human without following human values? Today’s dire need are human values, human values.

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Look at . Despite his vast knowledge, wealth and powers, he renounced worldly joys: "I want only God, nothing else. He alone is my goal." Keep God as your goal. Today’s students change their ambitions a hundred times a day!

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No, no. Till your last breath your goal should not change. Even if you encounter a hundred troubles, face and overcome them. Do not let them deter you. That is the quality of a true human. Look how suffered. ’s curse caused him much hardship. But his one-pointed mind and steady vision bore him through everything.

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A one-pointed mind and steady vision - these two are the touchstones of devotion that every devotee must acquire. Our vision must focus only on the Lord. Our mind must meditate only on God. The sole motivation for all our actions must be to earn God’s Love ().

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Fill your hearts with such pure feelings. Yes, you are filling yourselves. But with what? With absurd novels, TV, radio and videos. It is not even enough to fill your hearts. Translate into action! That is the mark of a true student. Seekers of knowledge () should not turn into seekers of worldly joy ().

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Desire only knowledge as long as you are a student. After completing education, you may desire money. did not care for anything as long as he pursued knowledge. He entered the kingdom only after completing his education. That is how he was able to serve his subjects. He initiated projects of public welfare, won his people’s love and even attained the Vision of God.

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All work is God work achieved Divinity, the Grace of God.

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You may not win or be eligible for anything, but earn Divine Grace. That is enough. Earn God’s Grace first and you can achieve whatever you wish. sang, ", all I need is your grace (). Then the nine celestial powers () will submit to me." You may study great subjects, get coveted jobs and earn wealth, but nothing is of value unless you earn God’s Grace.

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A student in had no job. He approached the municipality. They told him, "Son! Jobs are scarce today. But there is nobody to light the oil lamps on the streets. You can do that if you wish." The poor boy said, "I am ready for any job, Sir." So he would clean each lamp at dusk, fill it with oil and light it. He did everything as an act of service. As he cleaned each glass frame he thought, ", this is my service to You." He visualized that He was cleaning ’s Feet with each rub. As a result, his lamps were immaculate and glowed brighter than all others. The municipal officers recognized this and summoned him, "Son! Your lights are burning as brightly as your pure, sacred heart." The boy did not care for recognition. He did it out of his enthusiasm, for his own satisfaction.

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Today’s service is pomp. They take a broom in their hands and call the photographer, "Hey, take a photo of me doing service!" This is for others, not for yourself, not for the . That which gives you unalloyed happiness and increases your enthusiasm is true service. Service makes you forget yourself.

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Students! The has many examples of devotees with full hearts. Recognize their characters, hold them as ideals in your mind and emulate them. This is the . A more suitable name is , Era of quarrels! There are fights even for small matters. In the midst of conflict, develop hearts of purity and serve your country. Recognize that you are serving only yourself, not anyone else. The same God is in everyone. Your ego will recede as your attitude of service strengthens. When you engage in service with such divine feelings, our country will shine brightly with purity and prosperity.