In plain words
Forgetting that Satya which is within you, you follow what is impermanent, transient and untrue: the principles of the organs of action, the organs of knowledge and the mind. Do you know what the mind is like? It runs off as it pleases, to any place at all. It alights on fragrant flowers; it alights on a dung heap as well. How can you trust a mind that alights on both good and bad like this! Mind is like a mad monkey. Body is like a water bubble. We live trusting such a body and such a mind. The day you give up the delusion that you are the body, forget the nature of the senses and contemplate the principle of the Ātma alone, that day you yourself become the very embodiment of the Ātma. Then you are not a man; you are Mādhava Himself! You are Mādhava Himself, and yet you delude yourself, ‘I am a man.’ For the sake of this world you have taken on a human form. This human form is merely a costume. While you remain in this world, you wear this costume. The moment you go behind the stage called the world, you take off this dress. You play your part according to this dress. You must recognise your own true svarūpa.
Humanness is sacred; it is divine. Man is grinding such humanness into the dust. We must give it its true worth. The learning you have gained, your strength and abilities: all these last but a moment. You must strive to recognise the principle that is eternal Satya. You are not the body. If someone asks you, ‘Who are you, sir?’, you say, ‘I am so-and-so.’ You introduce yourself by your body, your occupation, your family line and the place where you live. You say, ‘My name is Rāmadāsu.’ This is the name your parents gave you. If someone asks, ‘Who is Rāmadāsu?’, you say, ‘I.’ But ‘Rāmadāsu’ is only the name given to your body; it is not your name. ‘I’ itself is your real name. That alone is eternal Satya.
‘Rāmadāsu’ means the servant of Rāma, the son of Daśaratha. Daśaratha does not mean the Daśaratha who ruled the city of Ayodhyā. Ayodhyā is the place that even warriors cannot enter. Daśaratha is the body with its ten senses. Daśaratha had three wives. Kausalyā, Sumitrā, Kaikeyī. These three stand for the guṇas sattva, rajas and tamas. The sāttvic guṇa is Kausalyā, the guṇa of rajas is Kaikā, the guṇa of tamas is Sumitrā. So, inquiring in this way with inner vision, we must first of all recognise the Satya that is within us. The great ones of that day recognised this Satya. Having recognised it, they acted on it. Our ancients did not behave foolishly like the people of today. They recognised Satya, taught Satya and lived by Satya alone. Forbearance is the natural mark of the people of Bhārata. One who has no forbearance is not a man at all.
‘Revere your mother as God, revere your father as God.’ In the culture of Bhārata the very first place has been given to the mother. When they sing the Suprabhātam to Rāma, the first words they say are ‘Rāma, fine son of Kausalyā..’ For man, the mother herself is the first God. But how many honour their mother today! When Rāma was going to guard Viśvāmitra's sacrifice and bowed at His mother's feet, she blessed Him and sent Him off: ‘My son! May the Supreme Person who long ago protected Prahlāda, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha who cherished young Dhruva, He whom the immortals worship, the Lord of the forsaken who protects the afflicted, grant You victory.’ By the strength of that mother's blessing alone, Rāma slew the demons and guarded the sacrifice. More than that, in the court of King Janaka He broke Śiva's bow and won the contest. Janaka, a karma yogi and a great jñānī, took hold of Rāma's feet in the full assembly: ‘My son! There is no one greater than You. Here, I wish to give You my daughter in marriage,’ he said. But Rāma said He would not agree to the marriage without His parents' consent. When the young people of today have their marriage fixed, oh ho.. they print invitations in grand style and hand them out to everyone. But Rāma did not do so. ‘We four were born at the same time. So whatever takes place, the sacred thread or marriage, it must take place for all four of us at the same time,’ He felt. ‘Send this news to My parents at once,’ He said. The children of today go off to the cinema together, the two of them, the moment their ‘engagement’ is done. This is not a good way. Until the wedding took place, Sītā did not even come out. Rāma did not look at her. After His parents had come, after Viśvāmitra had spoken, then Rāma agreed to the marriage.