In plain words
We must not forget the country. If you forget, forget the body. The ancient sages and elders handed on an ideal life. They crowned sacrifice. They tied the vow-thread on their wrists for justice. They welcomed Satya. They put their faith in sacrifice. This was the practice of the elders of that time. That is why the elders of that time were not subject to any unrest or hardship. They lived always in peace and security. People today have nothing but worries, moment after moment. What is the reason? In these people there is no sacrifice. There is no Dharma. There is no Satya. When these three are absent, how can peace be had? All today's young women and young men must crown sacrifice. They must wear the crown called justice. They must take up the sword called Satya. These are the chief weapons, for our own protection and for the protection of the country. Today, because there is no right ideal for such conditions, the whole world is rotting and festering. Every man acts as if he were happy, but the whole heart is festering with impurities and with sorrows. So every man must bring out the Ānanda that is within. We must hate no one. We must love God. When we love God, hatred toward others never comes. So young women and young men must set about recognising what kind of life they must lead and what the chief aim of their life is. Wash away the impurity in the heart. Only then can you fill the vessel with anything.
Into a head that holds nothing, you can put anything; a head full of this and that cannot be filled; the skull full of the teachings of Kali, will it become empty? Unless the skull becomes empty, can it be filled here with good deeds?
First of all we must drive away the bad qualities and bad thoughts in our head. We must experience a spotless heart and selfless deeds. Wherever we are: service, service, service. We must look on it as service. This is hands in the society, head in the forest. So whatever service we take part in, we must give no room to any worry, for the heart or for the head. Today we must develop an unwavering mind and a steady gaze. Only then, ‘Brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati.’ When you take on divine feelings, you change into God Himself. By keeping the feelings of a beast, you turn into a beast indeed. When you keep a demon's feeling, you become a demon indeed.
Greatness without goodness is of no use
People of every country, and the people of Bhārata among them still more, know this from experience. In the Rāmāyaṇa, Rāvaṇāsura was a man of great learning. Rāma too was learned to the same degree. Today we are pursuing studies. Good people are studying. Bad people are studying. Both are acquiring learning. We must enquire into two things here. Some hope to become great. Some hope to become good. What is the difference between good and great? There is a difference between the good man and the great man. Parents think their son should become great. Great in what? They do not know. He must study great studies, hold great jobs, earn money. This they think is greatness. But how good it is to hope to become good. But no one is trying to recognise this. He who sees Nara in Nārāyaṇa is great. He who sees Nārāyaṇa in Nara is good. If you see Nārāyaṇa in Nara, that itself is goodness. There is no use in having greatness without goodness. So we must earn goodness. We do not need greatness. Today there are very many great people. What use has come to the country from them? Rāvaṇa studied. Rāma studied, but of these the good one was Rāma, the great one Rāvaṇa. In what way was he great? He did great tapas. But he did not digest the learning he studied. So the disease of indigestion began in him. That disease of indigestion is ignorance. From this very ignorance the bad qualities arose. Unable to root out his desires, he destroyed his own clan. Unable to curb his thoughts, he had his own brothers killed. Unable to keep his wants in check, he had his sons killed. Unable to keep his attachments in check, he burned his whole kingdom to ashes. What is the reason for this? Learned though he was, there were bad qualities, bad thoughts and evil designs in him. Had there been no attachment, the rākṣasas would not have perished. Had there been no desires, they would not have destroyed their clan.