Let everyone do his duty

20 March 1996, Ugadi, Brindavan

Published English.

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is a name attributed to God in relation to time. signifies that God is the illuminating overlord of all the worlds. - He is the presiding ruler of the Cosmos. Who is He? He is the Sun. Time is marked by the Sun. Hence the Sun is the visible manifestation of God. He is the effulgence that is common to all nations, all creeds and all people. Hence hailed the Sun as " Vishnum," the presiding deity for the (year) as the over lord of Time. is the appellation given to the (Time-spirit). Because the Lord is the very soul of Time, described Him as "" (Prostrations to the One who is the Spirit of Time).

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Time is most precious in human life. More valuable than Time is (life). Man aspires to achieve many things without concern for his life. However great his achievements are, man is driven by the urge to achieve more. This discontent is itself a source of satisfaction for man.

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All are embodiments of the Divine Every man has a heart. Every heart is filled with compassion. However, how many choose to share this compassion with others? Sharing the compassion in one's heart with ten others has been characterised as (devotion). One who does not share his compassion with others cannot be called a human being. Today the human heart that should be full of compassion has become stone-hard. This is man's misfortune. What is the reason? It is because the heart is filled with the bitterness of differences of caste, creed and nationality that it has become stony. All human beings belong to one caste, one community, one nation. All are embodiments of the Divine. declared in the : "All beings in the world are a fragment of My Self." It is tragic that man should forget his divine essence and behave like a demon.

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New year does not account for anything extraordinary Good and bad occur in succession in the usual course. A new year does not account for anything extraordinary. However, the (almanac) indicates some changes as a result of the movements of the planets and the configuration of the constellations. The almanac refers to five factors the day of the week, the (phase of the moon), the relevant constellation, the auspiciousness or otherwise of the particular day, and the (astrological divisions). The predictions in the almanac have no relation to what may happen to any particular person. The (the almanac makers) give their own interpretations of the astrological configurations.

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Above everything, if one has firm faith in God, one can face the future with confidence. There is no room for doubts as to who is God and where He is to be found. God is (Cosmic Form). The whole universe is the manifestation of God.

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What does God teach? The lessons are given through (Nature) which conveys lessons to mankind. The earth, for instance, is revolving round itself at a speed of 1000 miles an hour. This is going on without rest. This revolution of earth produces night and day. This enables man to have a time for work and time for rest. In addition, the earth is going round the sun at a speed of 66,000 miles an hour. This motion of the earth is responsible for the changes in seasons. The changes in seasons cause rainfall, enable the cultivation of crops and help people to live in comfort.

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The earth thus is a visible manifestation of God. The ancients hailed the earth as (Holy Mother Earth) for this reason. All the essential necessities of life come from the earth. The earth thus teaches man that he should do his duty even as the earth itself is performing its duties.

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(duty) is most important. The lawyer should do his duty. The doctor, the farmer, the administrator, the businessman, each should discharge his respective duty. If this is done, the world will have no problems. Everyone should aim at excellence in the performance of one's duties. Then the nation will be prosperous and happy. Today very few discharge their duties properly. Instead of doing their work, they interfere in other people's work. They fail to do their work and spoil that of others.

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Once asked his disciples what is the hall-mark of greatness. Each disciple gave his own answer. One disciple said that the man who won great victories in battle is a great man. Another disciple said that man who underwent many troubles and difficulties and amassed large wealth was great. Another said that a great man was one who accomplished by determined effort what he wanted to achieve. Planting one's flag over a territory or crossing a mighty ocean were mentioned as marks of greatness. Ultimately gave the answer that he alone is great who has mastery over his mind.

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All other achievements are of no avail. Every action is sanctified by making it an offering to-God. declared that the one who is immersed in the contemplation of the Supreme Self, experiences the highest bliss, regardless of all other actions. ( sang a stanza from the hymn of ). exhorted the devotee to adore God in whatever situation he was placed, whether in a crowd, or while enjoying something or in any other state. This experience of the Divine is one's true wealth.

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Give no room for differences Today, because men's actions are motivated by concern for one's family and possessions, society is riven by conflicts and differences. People talk about unity but there is no unity. For instance, there are different States in the Country. It is natural for people to have special regard for their respective States. , , , and so on. But they should all consider themselves children of one God. All States should be happy. If this broad vision is developed, there will be no room for inter-State differences.

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The name of the new year is "." This signifies the spirit of sacrifice. The scriptures have declared that sacrifice is the only means to attain immortality. People should develop the spirit of sacrifice. Thereby they will make the name of the new year meaningful.

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Compassion is the hall-mark of Giving up narrow idea and feelings, people should show compassion towards their fellow beings. Compassion is the hallmark of (devotion). No one can hope to please God without showing (compassion) towards his fellow-men. A loving heart is the temple of God. God cannot dwell in a heart without compassion.

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God is one. The goal is one. People have to change their outlook. They have to develop love towards all. There is nothing greater in the world than this (feeling of universal love). There are many eminent scholars and intellectuals in the world today who are adept in seeing the diversity in the world. But why don't they try to see the unity that underlies this diversity? They alone are good who see the unity in the apparent diversity. But those who see only the diversity in the One are mere clever intellectuals.

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How are we to recognise unity in diversity? Birth and death are common to all beings. Whether one is a millionaire or a pauper, both are brought forth from their mothers wombs. Hunger and thirst are common to all. The kind of food that is eaten may vary, but hunger is the same for all. Likewise thirst is common to all. These basic common experiences point to the unity that underlies the diversity. The have emphasized the spiritual oneness of all beings. The life force is one and the same, in all. The is the same in all. How, then, it may be asked, there are differences in the bodies? These differences are the results of differences in the thoughts, feelings and actions of the individuals concerned. The indwelling spirit is the same in everyone.

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Today the book, "Vision of India," written by , Speaker of the , has been released. He has been coming to for many years. He knows well and knows him equally. He has a compassionate heart. He is calm and serene. All are aware of the kind of uproar and disorder that prevail in the and . Members have not hesitated even to shout at the Speaker. On such occasions as observed (in his speech earlier), it is natural to expect the blood-pressure of the Speaker to go up. But our spoke calmly to every member, giving suitable replies to everyone, and thereby winning the confidence of all sections of the House. He has earned the approbation of all parties. That good name is enough. Having been born, one should earn a good name. Good thoughts flow from his heart. In his book, he has related all his experiences, his aspirations and his hopes. His book covers all aspects of his life social, economic, spiritual and political.

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in its ancient days of pristine glory achieved greatness by adhering to and . The have declared:

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It is such sublime sentiments that constituted the priceless culture of . These eternal verities are being forgotten in the craze for ephemeral pleasures.

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