Benedictory Address XXIX Convocation of the SSSIHL

22 November 2010, Convocation - 29, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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All of you want to say at least a few words. You feel, "How nice it would be if would speak for a few minutes"! However, I don’t want to say anything about the present system of education.

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This land of (India) has given birth to many noble women, like , who brought her dead husband back to life; , who extinguished wild fire with the power of truth; , who proved her virtue by coming out of blazing fire unscathed, and , who reduced an evil-minded hunter to ashes with the power of her virtue.(Telugu Poem)

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At first, was fear-stricken by the raging forest fire. She and her husband and son were surrounded by flames of wild fire. Nobody could say how they were all of a sudden surrounded by the raging flames. This, in fact, was a divine play. Ultimately, when utilised her power of truth and virtue, the fire was extinguished in a trice.

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As prayed, there was a heavy downpour. On one side there was a raging fire and on the other side started a heavy rain, and ultimately the fire was completely extinguished.

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was also endowed with great power of penance and virtue. She could even stop (Lord of Death) from taking her husband’s life. She argued with and told him, “The life of a wife depends upon her husband and that of the husband on his wife. One cannot live without the other. So, if you want to take my husband’s life, take my life also. Or else, spare his life. We are not separate from each other. It is my primary duty to safeguard my husband’s life.” Ultimately, Lord had to revive ’s husband. Is there any country or region in this world where one can find a woman like , who could bring her dead husband back to life? Such divine power is latent in every human being. One should draw this power from within oneself, which can be utilised not only for oneself but also for others. During those times, a wife considered her husband as her very life and vice-versa. But, unfortunately, the situation is not the same today. This sacred land of is surrounded by the seven seas. In this land, many women like and performed intense penance. They are all women of great virtue. But, today, we do not find such women of great virtue.

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A virtuous woman ( ) is one who considers her husband ( ) as her very life and depends entirely on him. A virtuous woman does not talk back to her husband. There will not be even a little defect in her. She does not have any selfish desires. All that she does is for the sake of her husband. She would not even look at any male other than her husband. Only such a woman can be called a true virtuous woman.

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A virtuous woman () who strictly obeys the command of her husband can do anything. If she prepares food for her husband with saline water of the ocean, it will be changed into sweet water. When the wife obeys the command of her husband and the husband fulfills the desires of his wife, the future of the family will be safe and secure. If they act contrary to this, the family will be subjected to great suffering.

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There will be peace and happiness in the family when both husband and wife share the same views. A virtuous woman () is one who has no other thought of anybody or anything except that of her husband. A woman who leads her life with such unflinching faith in her husband can achieve everything in her life. When both follow different paths, there can be no peace and happiness in the family.

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Virtuous women of yore, like and , had single-minded devotion toward their husbands. was held captive in for ten months, but not even once did she look at the face of a male person. She spent all her time in the contemplation of , sitting under a tree in forest. She did not move out at all. Since she was such a great virtuous woman, she could prove her purity through the fire test ().

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Many people go to places of pilgrimage like , , , , and in search of God. They think that they can find God at such places.

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Oh foolish one! God is not somewhere else. In fact, you yourself are God. God is present in all. God is only one, and He is present wherever you look for Him. He is in you, with you, above you, below you. God is beyond birth and death and dwells in every being in the form of . He is present in all human beings right from a child to an old person. The same God is present in an ant, a mosquito, and all birds, beasts, and animals. Therefore, do not go in search of God here and there and trouble yourself.

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Wherever you look, God is present there. Whomsoever you see, there is God in them. God has no different form. All forms are His. That is why the declared,

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When you sit for meditation, your mind wanders here and there. Do not allow the mind to waver; keep it always steady. When you go to a seashore, you will hear the waves making the sound of ! When you concentrate on that sound, you will forget everything. Since you are all young, I wish to emphasise this point: Do not develop opposition or differences among you. Controversies give rise to many troubles. These days, some people marry not once, not twice, not thrice, but even four times. This is not a good practice. Be single-minded. Even if somebody makes you angry, do not fight with them. Understand that by fighting with others, you actually harm yourself. Control your thoughts. This is the quality of a truly educated person. This is called .

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Along with education, you should also have . When you have , you will have everything - health, happiness, peace, and prosperity. This is what I want you to understand.

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When was taking away to , she dropped all her ornaments in a bundle, which fell on a mountain. and , while going in search of , were shown this bundle by . asked to see the ornaments and identify if they belonged to . Then replied, “Brother! I never looked at ’s face, so I don’t know whether these ornaments belong to her. I can recognise only the anklets, since I have seen them while offering my obeisances to her feet everyday”.

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, , and lived together in the forest for almost fourteen years. But not even once did look at the face of . What a pure-hearted person was! Whenever he had to talk to , he talked to her with his head bent down. Since he was such a noble person, he could enjoy the wealth of proximity of .

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When fell unconscious in the battlefield, said, “If I search, I may get a wife like but not a brother like . I can bear separation from , but not from ”. Such was the strong bond of love between and .

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