In plain words
Study. If there are any difficulties, be sure to ask Me. I will give. If you ask what many educated people are doing: thinking themselves great scholars, they forget themselves. In their pride they forget the very virtues. You must study, gain some strength, and keep putting it to good use, Bangāru. Only when you live like that does your having studied bear fruit. Merely studying is not enough.
Though he reads all learning and grows very discerning, the dull-witted one does not know himself in his mind; however much he studies, in whatever state he is, the base man cannot give up his bad qualities.
Whether in the forests or in the sky, whether in the town or in the village, whether on a hill or fallen in midstream, for one who has no refuge, God Himself is the refuge.
Not forgetting such a God, every day, morning and evening, at bedtime once your work is done, offer it to God once: ‘Swami! We have done what service we could. Make this service, such as we could do, fruitful!’ Offering it to God with these words, go to sleep. And what must you do the moment you rise? It is not to think, ‘When the day dawns I must do this, I must do that.’
Pray to God, ‘O God! Have us do work that bears fruit, and help us.’ God will surely be gracious, be pleased, and grant all strength and ability Himself. So do not forget God, at any rate. You may forget anything, but do not forget God. God Himself protects us in every way. God Himself is the Sākṣī. Staying in the very home, in the very eye and close beside, God goes on protecting; so pray to God. Do not, in resentment that your limbs are maimed, defy God and revile Him. Some anger comes. When anger comes you may abuse, but you must not revile God. Whatever hardship comes, you may even blame yourselves, but you must not revile God. You must love. For God, Prema itself matters most. Today Prema for God has dwindled in the world. For that very reason people fall into great hardship. There must always be Prema for God. When you see the poor, there must be pity. If we have both of these, pity and Prema, no one else is more fortunate than we are. We may have wealth by the crore. We may have mansions. If there is no grace of God, what is the use of having so much? Everything is in vain. So pray as you should to win the grace of God, and keep doing service as far as your strength allows, Bangāru.
I hope that Jayamma and the teachers of this college, having studied as they have, will put that learning to good use, arrange gatherings like this one, and offer fitting service from time to time. Truly, the learning you have gained is for this very service. Service itself matters most. There is nothing beyond service. Nowhere is there wealth greater than service. Service itself is the chief wealth. Keeping this in view, meet them from time to time; you must not tell them to come to you. We ourselves must go. ‘Are you all well? How are you getting on?’ When you ask them that, they take great heart.