In plain words
At that moment two small children came running. They were Lava and Kuśa. ‘Gurujī! What are you thinking about?’ they asked. ‘My dear ones! I have composed the sacred story of Rāma. We must give it to society. We must hand ideal qualities to society. The good fame of the divine Rāma must spread through the world. We must bring their wealth of character to every person. I am wondering who will tell it,’ he said. The children folded their hands. ‘Gurujī! We have life in us. We are your disciples. For this work we will pour out even our blood. To this service we will dedicate our very lives. Give us the command. We will spread it,’ they said. Vālmīki, brimming over with joy he could not contain, shed streams of tears. Such sacrifice, such generosity, such sacred feeling in children so tender of heart! he rejoiced. ‘My dear ones! There is no need to delay. Better a clay pot filled with nectar than a golden pot filled with poison. This body is made of earth. Man's body is a clay pot. But God has filled it with the nectar called character and purity. So this human body is a clay pot filled with nectar. Embrace this very thing. We do not want even a golden pot if it holds poison,’ Vālmīki taught the boys. Here, what is the golden pot, and what is the pot of poison? The world looks like a golden pot brimming with every comfort and every joy. It is full of nothing but poison. Is this our gold? God is the very One who abides in the heart. God is not in Badarīnāth, or in Kedārnāth, or in Bhadrācalam, or in Prasanthi Nilayam. The Controller of all things dwells in our heart. God dwells in the heart. There is no need to search somewhere far off. God is in the heart of every single one. So, though it is a clay pot, the human body is sacred. It needs no honour or slight, no respect or regard. Why do we need this honour, when our purpose is to experience the Ānanda of God? Go forth as men of sacrifice,’ said Vālmīki. Within a minute they went inside, put on ochre robes and wore rudrākṣa beads as bracelets. They took up the tambura and set out. ‘Listen to the story of Rāma, sirs!’: they were going round from bazaar to bazaar. They were making people hear it: listen to the story of Rāma. At this tender age, such sacrifice of this body! Such detachment in this life! No: Vālmīki shaped them into ideal youths.
The young without morality are weak
Today's young people feel it hurts their pride to join both hands in namaskāra in public. If they are to go for nagarasaṅkīrtana, they go hiding their heads. They put vibhūti on the forehead at home. When they come out, they wipe it off. What a strange life! What a feeble life! Are we to be afraid of the country? Are we to be afraid of others? Why must you be afraid of a good deed? You are not doing anything wrong, are you? You are not entering into any fault, are you? Why must you be afraid of remembering the Name of God? This is precisely why humanity is growing weak. So we must not be weak. The weak cannot do even a small task. We step forward into wickedness, evil thoughts and wicked words. Why step back from a sacred life? This is the great weakness of man today. What fault is there in speaking the name of God? You do sing worthless film songs; what shame is there in singing the Name of God? You are wasting your life on meaningless songs. What shame is there in saying Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda? They go into the bazaar and rush far ahead with ḍa ḍa ḍā… meaningless songs. This brings shame on man himself. Men may sing whatever they like, but for every person who lives a human life, to live such a life is a waste. We must earn renown in our life. To earn name and standing in society, humility and obedience are the chief thing.
A people's honour stands on morality; a people without morality goes to ruin; a people with morality is a true people: listen, heroic son of Bhārata!
Without morality, where is a people? Dogs and jackals have a season and a reason. In man, no reason, no season. How does such a man become a man?