God's Love for His Devotees is Limitless

Bhakti leads man to his ultimate goal of life;
It destroys his malady of worldliness.
Bhakti fosters man's yearning for Divinity,
And helps him to attain liberation.
(Sanskrit Verse)

Embodiments of Love! Students - Boys and Girls!

This land of Bharat has been spreading through the ages the message of Bhakti (devotion) to the entire world. Devotion does not merely mean the observance of rituals or the performance of penance and meditation. Devotion really means intense love for the Lord. It implies pure and steady love, untainted by any selfish desires. Such love knows no boundaries and is beyond all regulations. The spontaneous outflow of selfless love from man to God is true devotion. Love combined with worldly desires cannot be called devotion. The only desire one must have is for God, and all worldly desires must be set aside. Nothing should be allowed to come between oneself and God. The love coming from the devotee's heart must flow unimpeded to God. Love for God must be totally impervious to the ups and downs of life, like pleasure and pain, gain and loss, etc.

Constantly Meditate on the Lord

Dharmaraja, the eldest among the Pandavas, is one example of a person who was able to achieve this kind of one-pointed devotion. He remained unruffled even when his wife Draupadi was being subjected to extreme humiliation in the royal court. Similarly, when Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, was slain in battle, Dharmaraja accepted the verdict of destiny with perfect equanimity. He remained equally calm when Aswatthama, the son of Dronacharya, mercilessly slaughtered all the Pandava children. Nor was he bothered when he and his brothers had to spend long years in exile in the forest, foregoing all the royal comforts they were used to. All this was possible for Dharmaraja because his mind was constantly absorbed in the contemplation of Krishna to the exclusion of all other thoughts, and he was chanting His Name at all times.

Dharmaraja was not alone in such one-pointed devotion. His wife Draupadi also thought of Krishna incessantly and chanted His Name constantly. After the gruesome massacre of the young Pandava children, Arjuna tracked down Aswatthama, the perpetrator of the atrocity, and dragged him before Draupadi. Instead of cursing the evildoer, she fell at the feet of Aswatthama and said: "It is at the feet of your father, Dronacharya, that my husbands have learnt all that they know. Being the son of Dronacharya, was it proper for you to kill my children? How could you have the heart to kill them, who were unarmed, young, quietly asleep, were not having any grudge against you, and were not contemplating any harm to you?" (Telugu Poem) When Draupadi was praying like this, Bhima could not bear to see this. Here was Aswatthama who had to be dealt with severely for his dastardly act, and Draupadi was trying to reason with this evil monster! Exploding in anger, Bhima roared: "This Draupadi is a stupid woman, for she pleads for this wretch's freedom. She feels no anger against this murderer of her sons. This assassin Aswatthama is not a Brahmin. Do not release him but kill him. If you do not do that, I myself will hammer his head with my powerful fist, for you to see!"(Telugu Poem)

Consumed with fury, Arjuna was about to attack Aswatthama. Draupadi raised her hand and asked him not to kill him. She said: "O Partha! It is not righteous to kill a person who is afraid or has lost courage, who is asleep or intoxicated, who seeks refuge or is a female. You should not kill Aswatthama, for he is your preceptor's son. (Telugu Poem)

Arjuna paid heed to Draupadi's advice, and as a token punishment shaved Aswatthama's head and set him free. This is how Draupadi reacted to the situation; she did not have the slightest hatred for one who mercilessly wiped out all the Pandava offspring. Among the Pandavas, Dharmaraja and Draupadi were two precious gems. It was their constant contemplation of Krishna that enabled them to face all odds with equanimity and display magnanimity as well as forbearance under the most trying circumstances. Draupadi always extolled Krishna's Divinity and constantly chanted: Kleem Krishnaya Govindaya Gopijanavallabhaya Swaha! This sacred chant has a deep significance. Kleem stands for Prithvi (earth), Krishnaya means Jala (water). Similarly, Govindaya refers to Agni (fire). Likewise, Gopijanavallabhaya and Swaha refer respectively to Vayu (air) and Akasha (ether). In short, the words of this sacred chant refer to the five basic elements. Through this chant, Draupadi proclaimed her belief that Krishna was immanent in all the elements, and was in fact the embodiment of all these This was the Profound way in which both Dharmaraja and Draupadi meditated on Krishna. No matter what the circumstance, Dharmaraja never blamed Krishna at any point of time and worshipped Him with one-pointed devotion. Such are the shining examples of devotion available to us in Bharatiya culture.

Ideal Offerings to God

True devotion is not limited to ritualistic worship of God or singing His glories in Bhajans. It truly manifests in the flood of tears that flow from the ocean of love in your heart. The Gita refers to the various offerings that are made to the Lord like Patram (leaf), Pushpam (flower), Phalam (fruit) and Toyam (water). These words should not be taken literally. By leaf, the Lord does not mean the Tulsi or the Bilva leaf normally used in ritualistic worship. Truly speaking, the human body is the leaf that must be offered to the Lord. Like the leaf of a tree, the human body too would one day wither and decay. No one can say when that will happen. Before such a fate befalls it, the body in its fullness, freshness and purity should be offered to the Lord with the prayer, "Oh Lord! This body given by You, I offer reverentially back unto You, treating it as a leaf, and in the spirit in which Tulsi leaves are offered." Why should you offer this special leaf of your body to God? Because it is not the sort of leaf that would dry up in just a day or two. You must say with feeling, "Lord, I don't know what kind of leaf would please You. I have this body, and I offer it to You. Please treat it as a leaf and accept it".

Next, flower. You must pray! "Oh God, You have given me this heart; that same heart I offer back unto You along with my humble salutations. What else is there to offer?" The flower of your heart is what would please the Lord most and not the flowers bought from the bazaar. The bazaar flowers fade in a few hours but the heart is not like that. Totally pure, fragrant, soaked in love and perfect, it does not wither easily. After this, fruit. What fruit would please God? Is it apple, orange, mango or something else? God is not interested in fruits that grow on trees. Your mind is the fruit that God likes and it must be offered to Him. Lastly, water. Is it tap water, well water or Ganga water that the Lord wants from you? None of these. God expects the tears of joy that flow when your heart is full of love for Him. These are the offerings that the Lord expects when you worship Him.

God can be Attained with Love alone

Sathyabhama (one of the consorts of Krishna) once wanted to weigh Krishna with her wealth as part of a ritual by which she thought she could possess Him exclusively. Being very proud of her wealth, she forgot that no amount of money can buy God, love alone can. Sage Narada wanted to teach this lesson to Sathyabhama by enacting a drama. He asked for a big balance to be brought, and then invited Krishna to sit on one of the pans. Krishna of course knew very well what Narada was up to, and smilingly obliged the sage. Narada then asked Sathyabhama to place gold on the other pan. But Io and behold! No matter how much gold was placed on the other pan, the scale would not become even. Sathyabhama felt utterly frustrated.

To seek help, she went to Rukmini (the other consort of Krishna) who at that time was engaged in the worship of Tulsi. After hearing what Sathyabhama had to say, Rukmini remarked, "God belongs to all and resides in every being as the Eternal Indweller. No one can have a monopoly of God, nor is it good to even entertain such a desire." The gold was then removed and Narada asked Rukmini to try and somehow match Krishna's weight. Rukmini replied, "O revered sage, I believe Krishna's form can be balanced just by uttering His Name, and that is what I am going to do." Narada was not prepared to accept such a scheme and said, "The form is visible and tangible whereas the Name is not. I want you to match Krishna's form with something that has a form." Rukmini agreed. She took a Tulsi leaf in her hand and prayed, "O God! You are worshipped with leaves, flowers, fruits and water, if it be true that You submit Yourself when You are offered pure love instead of all these, I pray that You be balanced by Your Name, and then tilt the scale with this Tulsi leaf." (Telugu Poem)

So praying, Rukmini said, "Krishna!" Immediately the scale became even, although one of the pans was totally empty. Rukmini then placed the Tulsi leaf on the empty pan, and the pan carrying Krishna went up instantly; the Lord had been more than matched!

This story teaches that the Lord gives Himself over only to pure devotion; He cannot be attained in any other way; least of all, by wealth and riches! There is nothing greater than pure Bhakti. That is why it has been given such an exalted status in Bharatiya culture. Our ancients considered devotion more precious and valuable than all the material wealth one can dream of. It is this wealth that man should really seek instead of gold. In fact, it is the bounden duty of man to acquire this wealth; and he does not have to go far to seek it, for this treasure is already locked up within him.

Prakriti and Paramatma

In every human being, there are seven Chakras or centers of psychic power which have been interpreted in various ways. Among these, the two most important ones are the Hridaya Chakra and the Sahasrara Chakra. Chakras are described as being special kind of lotus flowers with various number of petals, Sahasrara Chakra having one thousand petals. Each petal of the Sahasrara Chakra represents sixteen aspects of Divinity. Thus, one thousand petals of Sahasrara represent in all sixteen thousand aspects of Divinity. Sixteen thousand Gopikas that the scriptures talk about represent nothing but sixteen thousand variants of Divinity. Being aspects of Divinity, the Gopikas were the property of God. Through their lives, they demonstrated how God and His property become one. When the Master and His property are united, bliss, peace and piety reign supreme.

The Gopikas recognized Krishna as their Divine Master and described Him in numerous ways. When they were separated from Krishna, they became very depressed. Life without Krishna seemed totally empty and meaningless. In their hearts they prayed, "O Krishna, won't You come and visit us at least once?" Krishna eventually responded to their prayers and came. Pangs of separation had by that time reduced the Gopikas to mere skeletons. They had no hunger or thirst and no body consciousness. Krishna saw their pitiable condition and told them not to starve themselves like this. They replied, "Krishna, our food is the melody of Your flute. We do not know of any food other than this Divine music." Radha added, "O Krishna! Sing please a sweet song, and fill our hearts with nectarine words and bliss. Distil the essence of the Vedas, transform it into divine music of Nada Brahma, play it on Your enchanting flute, and captivate us with Your melody. Sing, O Krishna! Sing for us!!"(Telugu Song)

This is the way Radha appealed to Krishna. Krishna then picked up a bamboo twig, made it into a flute, and played for the Gopikas. Radha was transported to heights of ecstasy and said, "Krishna, this is the moment I have been waiting for so long. I am now in absolute bliss." So saying, she gave up her body and merged into Krishna. After this incident, Krishna never again touched the flute. Everything in the creation belongs to God. All beings are His property. The Ramayana provides an illustration.

Sita is the daughter of Mother Earth and the consort of Rama -this is as far as the Ramayana is concerned. In spiritual terms, Rama is Paramatma (God) and Sita is Prakriti (Nature). Nature has been created by God and belongs to God. In the Ramayana, this is symbolized by the marriage of Sita and Rama; this marriage represents the eternal unity and the inseparable nature of God and His creation. Ravana did not understand all these subtleties, abducted Sita and paid dearly for it. Towards the end, Ravana's wife Mandodari said, "Ravana, Sri Rama is God Himself and Sita is the embodiment of Mother Supreme. You have committed a heinous sin in abducting Sita. What right do you have to take away what belongs to someone else? Repent at least now for what you have done. Go to Rama, fall at His feet, seek His pardon and restore Sita back to Him." But alas, Vinashakale Vipareeta Buddhi (when disaster beckons, the mind gets perverted); so Ravana ignored Mandodari's advice and paid the price for his outrageous act.

Inculcate Deep Yearning for God

God offers Himself to His devotees in exactly the same manner in which the devotees offer themselves to Him. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati (as you feel, so you become). If you constantly cry out, "O God, O most loving God," He responds by saying, "O My devotee, My dearest devotee." God has no thought other than that of His devotee. If the devotee always thinks of God, then God too will always be thinking of the devotee. No one can come between the two. The Pandavas demonstrated this sacred principle to the world. They had to face innumerable difficulties, humiliation and suffering but, in the midst of all their travails, they never forgot Krishna. They always said, "Krishna's glorious Name is our food, water and nectar." It is by such thoughts that they sanctified their time. For them, Krishna was always first; everything else came later. For the Kauravas, on the other hand, the priorities were radically different: themselves first, relatives next and Krishna last. They left Krishna, and in the process got lost! This shows the importance of having God as priority number one. In the priority list, the world must come only after God. How can there be a world without God? God is eternal whereas the world is ephemeral. That is why it is called Jagat; Jagat -- Ja + gat; it comes and goes. But divinity is eternal; it neither comes nor goes. Your focus must always be on the permanent and not on the temporary. Then alone can you become immortal.

Embodiments of Love!

It is not enough merely to do Japa (ritualistic chanting of the Name) and Dhyana (meditation). You must in addition have a deep yearning for the Lord for He alone is eternal and permanent. It is from Him alone that you can get eternal bliss. Do not go after ephemeral pleasures. Do not be deluded by false attractions. The world is transient and all the pleasures it can offer are fleeting too. That is why in the Gita it is said: Anityam Asukham Lokam, Imam Prapya Bhajasva Maam (having come in this ephemeral world which is full of pain and suffering, do always contemplate on Me). The world comes and goes whereas God is always there. He neither comes nor goes; He neither makes an entry nor an exit, for He is ever present. That is why the Gopikas always thought of Krishna and were constantly praying to Him.

It is impossible for anyone to describe even in small measure the love of God or His sweetness. The more you describe, the more you feel that these are indescribable. How can anyone describe the infinite? One must instead be absorbed in the contemplation of the glory of God, which is what the Pandavas did; and that is why Krishna was prepared to do anything for them.

Examples of Krishna's Compassion

Once during their exile, Dharmaraja and Draupadi were walking through the forest. Draupadi saw a huge fruit on a tree. She wanted to have the fruit since it would make a sumptuous meal for all of them. Arjuna happened to come there at that time, and responding to Draupadi's wish brought the fruit down by shooting an arrow. He then tried to lift the fruit but could not; it was very heavy. Dharmaraja and Draupadi gave a helping hand but the three of them together still could not lift the fruit. Then Dharmaraja said, "Oh Krishna, nothing can happen without Your Divine Will. Not a blade of grass can move without Your Will; is it necessary to mention all the details? From the tiny ant to the vast galaxies, it is You who pervade and prevail everywhere. The ignorant do not realize this, and arrogantly imagine that it is their intelligence that makes the world go. Clever and intelligent they might be, but can they tell what will happen when?" (Telugu Poem)

Meanwhile, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva arrived on the spot. The arrival of Bhima was greeted with joy for he was the mighty one and could be depended upon to lift the fruit. Bhima tried at first quite casually, using just one hand; but the fruit would not budge. Realizing that it was not such a simple matter, Bhima then made a serious attempt using both his hands but no luck once again. All the six then tried to lift the fruit but still it was of no use.

As they were engaged in this endeavor, they saw something moving towards them. It was in fact the hair of Roma Rishi. It was he who had nursed this tree and was doing intense penance to attain the fruit. This fruit was known as Amrutaphala (fruit of immortality), and when eaten one would be free forever from hunger and thirst. That was the reason why the sage was keen on having it. Seated in meditation, the sage sensed that some intruders were trying to take the fruit away. His long sprawling hair then automatically started extending in search of the culprits; once the culprits were located, the hair would tie them down. Draupadi was frightened by the approaching coils of hair. She prayed, "Oh Krishna, You save us at all times. You must come to our rescue once more. We have no refuge other than You"

Krishna promptly arrived on the scene, smiling as usual. He enquired, "Sister, why are you crying? You wanted the fruit; you have got it; now go ahead and enjoy it!" Draupadi replied, "Krishna, I desired the fruit without realizing the implications. We are human and cannot be expected to be aware of supernatural consequences. You must save us now." Krishna then said, "Draupadi, My hands are tied. The Rishis too love Me, and they are constantly thinking of Me. I am installed in their hearts, and so I am obliged to them also!" Though Krishna appeared to be wriggling out, was He to give up the Pandavas so easily? No, and He came up with a neat trick that would save the Pandavas from the wrath of Roma Rishi. Whatever God does or says is always for the benefit of His devotees; He is never driven by personal or selfish considerations. Krishna said, "Now all of you go to the hermitage of Roma Rishi and pay your respects to the saint. Don't be afraid. Just go there, and I shall follow soon. Whatever happens, remain tight-lipped, especially after I arrive. Be careful and remain silent throughout."

The Pandavas went to the hermitage in accordance with Krishna's master plan. There they found that the Rishi was fuming and all set to curse. Angrily the Rishi asked the Pandavas, "Who are you and where do you come from?" Precisely at that moment, Krishna entered the hut of the Rishi. Roma Rishi hastened to welcome Krishna and said, "Lord, how lucky and fortunate I am to have You visit my humble cottage!" The sage was bubbling with joy. Meanwhile, Krishna appeared to be surprised to see the Pandavas there. Instantly, He started prostrating most reverentially before them one by one. He even fell at the feet of Draupadi. The Rishi was stunned to see all this. He said to himself: "Krishna is verily God, and He is prostrating before these people. Does that mean that these people are even greater than God?" But he did not spend too much time analyzing what was going on. Obviously, the visitors must be exalted ones. So, following Krishna's example, he too started falling at the feet of the Pandavas one by one. Having prostrated, he could no longer curse them! That was just not done, one does not curse those to whom salutation has been offered.

The Rishi's anger quickly subsided, even as Krishna was chanting Santhi. Incidentally, Santhi is always chanted three times. Do you know why? Because one wants peace at the level of the body, the mind and the soul. The Rishi then asked Krishna, "Lord, what is all this mystery? There is none greater than You and yet You are prostrating before these humans! What is the inner significance of this?" Krishna smiled and replied, "O noble one, I dwell in the hearts of My devotees. I am the captive of My devotees. These Pandavas have extraordinary devotion for Me. No matter what the circumstance, they never forget Me. I am under the control of such devotees? The sage then realized the greatness of the Pandavas and said, "Please take this fruit; I do not need it." The Rishi then wished them all a long life; not just a long life but a long, happy and peaceful life! Sure enough the Pandavas were happy till the very end. God taught an important lesson to humanity through this story. If you have steady devotion for God, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. God Himself would come running forward to help you. Numerous such incidents occurred during the incarnation of God as Krishna.

Here is another example of Krishna's limitless compassion. On the ninth day of the Kurukshetra War, Bhishma took a terrible vow to exterminate all the Pandavas before sunset the next day. Draupadi came to know of this and became highly perturbed. She said to Krishna, "O Lord, this must not happen. You have to do something. I don't know how but You must make sure that I do not become a widow." Krishna smiled and was non-committal. He just said, "Wait and see what happens." God may appear non-committal but when you appeal to Him with deep sincerity, He will certainly respond.

Night came and quiet descended On the battlefield, everyone having withdrawn to their respective quarters. In his tent, Bhishma was restless and pacing to and fro. Meanwhile Krishna came to Draupadi and said, "This is the moment. Bhishma is unable to sleep and is pacing back and forth in his tent. He is regretting the vow he has taken. You must slip into his tent this very moment and throw yourself at his feet." Draupadi nodded and started moving towards Bhishma's tent. She was wearing special slippers used by royalty that made a squeaking noise. The noise could be clearly heard in the stillness of the night. Krishna signaled to Draupadi to stop and said, "If Bhishma hears this sound, he would know that a lady is coming. He should not know about your approach. So remove your sandals and give them to Me." Draupadi did as instructed. Krishna collected the slippers, wrapped them in His Angavastra (upper cloth) and started walking behind Draupadi, some distance away.

Quietly, Draupadi slipped into Bhishma's tent. Absorbed as he was in thought, Bhishma did not notice her entrance. Immediately upon entry, Draupadi threw herself at the feet of Bhishma. As she did so, the bangles in her hand made a sound. Bhishma heard the sound and realized that a lady was prostrating before him. Without a second thought, he blessed the lady in the traditional manner, Deergha Sumangali Bhava (May you have a long and happy married life!) Draupadi was happy when she heard the benediction. She said, ''This is enough for me," and rose. That was when Bhishma realized whom he had blessed. He exclaimed, "What! You, here, at this time! Who has brought you here?" Draupadi replied, '"Who else but Krishna? He is the one who suggested this strategy to prevent the slaughter of my husbands. You have blessed me with a long and happy married life and so you now have to spare my husbands!”. Precisely at that moment, Krishna entered. Bhishma was happy about the turn of events, though it meant going back on his vow. The Pandavas were ideal men and great devotees of the Lord. God in His infinite mercy had staged a drama as a result of which the Pandavas were now secure.

Bhishma was tired, having paced up and down for a long time. He sat down and said, "Krishna, have You brought any eatables for me? You seem to have a bundle slung on Your shoulder. Why don't You open it and give me some of the food it contains?" Krishna smiled and said, "Do you think it is My job to carry food during war? This bundle does not contain food but the sandals of Draupadi. I carried these so that there was no sound when Draupadi entered your tent”. Krishna then opened the bundle and the sandals fell on the ground. Tears flooded Bhishma's eyes. In a voice choked with emotion he said, "Lord, there is no limit to the extent You are prepared to go in order to save Your devotees!"

The Avatar is beyond petty worldly considerations. No task is mean or lowly for Him where His devotees are involved. He will do what has to be done at any time, any place. Protection and welfare of the devotees is His priority number one. Krishna always protected the Pandavas and they, on their part, worshipped Krishna with singular devotion. Krishna's Name was always on their lips (Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra Krishna Chintanam). The Lord was ever uppermost in their minds. Krishna too constantly concerned Himself with the welfare of the Pandavas (Sarvada Sarvakaleshu Sarvatra Pandava Chintanam). The feeling was mutual. As is the sound, so is the resound. The Lord's yearning for the devotee matches the yearning the devotee has for the Lord. People think: "How can God do such lowly things?" God does not have such distinctions or gradations. For the welfare of His devotees, God is prepared to do anything. Without the devotees, where is God? God's greatness and noble acts are all due to the devotees.

Magnetism of Sai Prema

So many of you have gathered here. Why have you all come? There is only one reason for this. You have come for that which is not in you, that which cannot be got at home, that which is not available in your village or town, or even country. What is that? Pure Divine Love or Sai Prema! That is the reason why all of you have come, and not because someone invited you. That which you don't have is Sai Prema or selfless love! That love is available only here and it is in search of that you all have come! In short, you have come here in search of something that you desperately want but cannot get anywhere else. Having come in such a quest, collect all you can before you return. Fill your hearts with this Divine Love. Without His devotees, where is Baba? And without Baba, where are the devotees? There is an unbreakable bond between Baba and His devotees. The two are inseparable and interdependent. Devotees are Baba's very life. Likewise, Baba is the very life of His devotees. Both have the same life-breath. If you thoroughly grasp this principle, then you will always enjoy Baba's protection wherever you are. Those who are firm and steadfast in their devotion will never face any troubles or difficulties. Surely, you must have heard or read many stories that illustrate that those who repose full faith in God never come to any harm. You must have a pure heart and unsullied, steadfast devotion.

There are rocks on many seashores. Huge waves constantly dash against these rocks but the rocks remain firm. You must be like those boulders. You may be constantly bombarded by worldly problems, but your faith in God must remain firm like a rock. That is true devotion.

Embodiments of Love!

You may give up everything but never give up God! Never forget God! Engrave this truth in your heart. That will protect you in every possible way.

[At the conclusion of the Discourse, Bhagavan sang the lively Bhajan: "Subrahmanyam, Subrahmanyam..."]