In plain words
Seeing it, this poor hunter's heart all but stopped! “If I stay up here the bear will eat me; if I climb down the tiger will eat me. What is to become of me?!” As he fretted so, just then the tiger, from below, “O bear! I am very hungry. Push him down. I will satisfy my hunger and go away,” it said. Then the bear, “O tiger! This hunter has come to my home as a guest. To honour guests and those who come to my door is my way. So I will not push him down,” it said. Hearing these words, the tiger said nothing more, and sat down right at the foot of that tree to wait. After a while the bear grew sleepy. Noticing it, the tiger, “O hunter! That bear is asleep, is it not! Push it down. I am very hungry. I will eat it, let you go and be off,” it said. That hunter had no gratitude. To save himself, he pushed the sleeping bear down. By good luck it woke at once, caught hold of a branch within reach and clambered back up. Then the tiger, to the bear, “Did you see that! Though you did him such a kindness, he tried to push you down without any gratitude. Delay no longer; push that ingrate down, and I will eat him and go,” it said. And then the bear, ‘O tiger! That is his nature, but it is not my nature. Each one's nature is his own. So I will not plot harm against this hunter who sought refuge with me,’ it said.
Without leaving bhrama, Brahman is not won
Embodiments of Prema! As long as bhrama, delusion, stays within you, you will not win Brahman. Attachment to the body is a delusion; attachment to the family is a delusion. Attachment to wealth is a delusion; attachment to power is a delusion. How can Brahman be won by one who carries so many delusions?
“Being born is a worry, living on the earth a worry, family life a worry, death a worry, the whole of childhood a worry, old age a worry, living a worry, ruin a worry, all actions a worry, hardships a worry, happiness a worry: a strange worry!”
Sitting beneath this …, how can we be free of worries? As it is said, “O people, take up now at last, to your heart's content, the Bhakti of the Lord of all, which drives away all worries”, through Bhakti for Īśvara all worries are scattered to the winds. So, whatever the Name, whatever the form, pray to God with all your heart. Embodiments of Prema! You perform pāda-pūjās and pādukā-pūjās. Very good indeed! These sacred acts bring a sacred result. But this is not spiritual. Remember this well. Only what concerns the Ātma, and that alone, is spiritual. “Śravaṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṃ pādasevanaṃ vandanaṃ arcanaṃ dāsyaṃ snehaṃ ātmanivedanaṃ”: all these are sādhanas that help us reach God! These sādhanas bring a fitting result. But only when we turn our gaze within, with the feeling of the Ātma, is everything attained.
From now on, bring no chariots or thrones
Subrahmaṇya Chettiar of Madurai has for many years, with great toil, been carrying on the service of these pādukās. At that age it is very hard to carry so much responsibility. In My view, the service he has given to … up to now is enough. From now on, I hope, … … … will put fitting effort into this holy work.