In plain words
But today those who recognise a mother’s love are very few. If the mother says anything: ‘Shut your mouth. I know everything. You need not tell me; I have taken so many degrees. Don’t I know even this much?’ they say. You may take any number of degrees. You may have got a degree in some one subject. But where did you get a degree in life in general! That only your parents can teach you. However great the degree you gain, you must first serve your mother. You must give your mother the happiness that is her due. Only then will your life be ‘happy’. In daily life you must learn what has to be learnt, and do well what has to be done. This message is the great prize I give you today.
“Without singing to Hari there is no happiness, no Śānti”
Truly, how peaceful it is when one listens to bhajan! However many poems and songs we sing, they do not give so much Ānanda. So we must keep bhajan alone as the chief thing. Because all join in bhajan, the spirit of samaṣṭi takes root. That is what we must learn first! You must sing, and draw your companions in with you. Only then will you find peace. “Without singing to Hari there is no happiness, no Śānti”: so bhajan is what matters. If you are shy to sing aloud, sing to yourself within! But today some do not do even this much. This is not good. You may forget anything, but you must never forget the thought of God. All worldly things come and go. But bhajan is not something that comes and goes. It is eternal. So never forget the thought of God.