Let Prema and Thyaaga be Your Ideals

Students! Embodiments of Love!

"Uthsaaham, Saahasam, Dhairyam, Sakthi, Paraakramam, Shadaithe yathra thishtanthi thatra Devasahaayakritam" (Where zeal, determination, courage, intelligence, ability and heroism are present, there Divine help is manifest) (Sanskrit Sloka).

In any field, at any time, for any man who is endowed with these six precious qualities, success is assured. These qualities contribute to the all-round prosperity of a man. All success attends on one with these six qualities.

However, these qualities confront various difficulties from time to time. Just as a student has to face various tests these qualities also are subject to trials. Such trials should be regarded as stepping stones to one's high achievements. These trials are in the form of losses, troubles, pains, suffering and calumny. One has to overcome these troubles with courage and self-confidence and go ahead.

Students in particular have to develop self-confidence. Without self-confidence, the six qualities cannot be acquired.

In fact, self-confidence should be the life-breath of every person. Unfortunately, students today lack self-confidence and have become a prey to peacelessness because of their involvement in sensual pleasures. Students should develop self-confidence and embark on the journey of life with faith in God.

Viswamitra, relying on his intelligence and physical strength, the power of his weapons, sought to wage a war with the sage Vasishta, who relied on the power of the Divine. Ultimately he realized the truth that his powers were of no avail against the power of the spiritual and, giving up his kingdom, undertook a severe penance.

Physical prowess is no power at all. It is really a sign of weakness. All physical powers are indeed powerless. All worldly wealth is impermanent. Man today pursues these fleeting pleasures, forgetting his inherent divinity.

CULTIVATE SELF-CONFIDENCE

Students should cultivate self- confidence and manifest their divinity in their speech, their songs, their sports and all actions. However, occasionally the weakness in them may come out. For instance, when they succumb to troubles, are overcome by grief and are unable to face losses, they show their inner weakness.

Students should confront such situations with fortitude. Be fearless. When you face difficulties with courage, you are bound to succeed. Hence, have confidence in yourself success in all areas of life.

It may be asked: What is the benefit one derives from these six good qualities? The answer is that you will secure both worldly and spiritual benefits from these qualities.

DUTIES AND RIGHTS

Self-confidence is helpful to secure advancement of the individual, but it is not enough to promote the welfare of society or the world. A whetstone is used for sharpening a razor and not for making the stone smoother. Similarly, good qualities have to be fostered for refining one's nature. These qualities are essential like the different limbs in a body for its well-being as a whole. People should realize that human birth has been given to them to lead ideal lives. Good qualities enable one to lead a good life. But even for the good life a price has to be paid. That price is good conduct. This means that you derive the happiness that results from a good life only when you discharge your duties. Pleasures are of two kinds: temporary and lasting. Permanent happiness can be got only by performing your duties. First do your duty and then enjoy the fruits.

Today people do not discharge their duties but wish to enjoy the fruits thereof. This cannot give them happiness.

Everyone should realize that he is born to discharge various obligations and not to enjoy rewards for unrendered services.

Man should realize that he has no claim to rights. His role is to carry out his duties. When he performs his duties, he will reap the rewards in due course. People today do not discharge their duties, but fight for their rights. Students! At the outset realize your duties and carry them out. Duty is God. Work is worship.

It is foolish to expect rewards without performing one's duties. People are wasting their sacred human birth by neglecting their duties.

Students should realize that neither youth, nor wealth, nor wife and children are permanent. Only truth and righteousness are everlasting.

You must base your lives on truth and righteousness and should be prepared to face any challenges with courage and confidence.

FIVE ADVISERS

Everyone has five advisers in life. They are: Who, When, Where, What and How. Before undertaking any action, answers should be got for these five questions.

When the correct answers are got, the action based on them will be the right one. People today act without concern for these factors. In this matter everyone can rely on his own judgment, using his powers of observation and discrimination. All the instruments for this purpose are available to everyone in his organs of perception and action. In every limb and organ there is a divine power. This divine potency is called Angirasa. The name is derived from the fact that the Divine is present in every limb (Anga) as an essence (Rasa). There is no need to search for the Divine outside yourself. You are Divine. All your powers are Divine potencies.

Develop the conviction that whatever happens to you is for your good. Education is not solely for earning a living. Essentially it is a process of Self-realization. Without understanding his own Self, how can one understand the world or achieve anything worthwhile? Without Self-knowledge what is the scientific knowledge (Vijnaana) he can acquire? What is the value of scientific knowledge without wisdom? Hence one should acquire, along with scientific knowledge, discriminatory wisdom and awareness of Self (Atma-Jnaana).

INNER MEANING OF FESTIVALS

All Bharatiya festivals have esoteric significance. They have a deep spiritual meaning. Today's holy festival is related to the beginning of the apparent northward movement of the sun (Uttaraayana). The sun moves every month from one house of the zodiac to the next. Today the sun enters the house of Makara (Capricorn) and hence it is known as Makara Sankraanthi. This auspicious day heralds the conferment of many worldly and spiritual blessings on man. The Sankraanthi day is a witness to the prospective successes of man in many fields. The advent of Sankraanthi is glorified in a song which describes how farmers greet the sun and celebrate the gathering of harvest and enjoy the fruits of their labors. [Swami sang the song in Telugu].

Sankraanthi day marks the arrival in the farmers' houses of the grains which are the fruit of their labors. Sankraanthi is a holy festival for a worldly achievement. It is also a cherished day of rest in the cool atmosphere. Man needs days of rest after a period of hard work. Only then he can enjoy peace of mind. "Samyak kranthi iti Sankraanthi". Sankraanthi confers peace and heralds a welcome change. It brings out the inner joy in people. It effects a change in the life-style. It generates sacred thoughts.

People today do not recognize these sacred changes. They are all immersed in worldly acquisitions and have no regard for higher things. They should instead seek every opportunity to cultivate good qualities.

AVOID ENVY AND HATRED

These good qualities are the six (mentioned at the beginning of the discourse). When these qualities are present, there will be no room for any bad tendencies to develop. Today, students suffer from two bad qualities, which are undermining their humanness. These are envy (Asooya) and hatred (Dwesham). These two are partners in evil. They are twin pests. A beautiful tree with rich foliage can be destroyed by a pest operating at its roots. Envy is such a pest. It converts even a happy, affluent person into a miserable being consumed by envy. In the Mahabharata. Krishna described to Arjuna how the Kauravas were consumed by envy towards the Pandavas even though they were enjoying the kingdom. [Bhagavan recited a poem in Telugu]. The demon of envy had seized hold of a good royal family and was ruining it.

Students feel envious towards a boy scoring good marks. Envy rears its head when a boy is exceptionally intelligent. Some feel envious seeing a person who is well off and happy. Some tend to be envious of those who appear to be cheerful and confident. Envy has no limits. Students should see that they give no room for envy. Envy is a self- consuming malady. It is incurable. One who is always blissful will overcome all difficulties. The courageous man can face death without fear.

GLORY OF SANKRAANTHI

Students! You must understand that the Sankraanthi festival has come to remind you of your latent potentialities. People look forward to many worldly benefits also from this sacred occasion. It is also celebrated as a day when a sacred bull is taken from house to house while the owner recites the Ramayana story. [Swami sang a ballad describing the scene as it was in olden days]. The festival is also a joyous occasion for the young folk. The Sankraanthi festival is more important than any other festival because it is the day when the newly married son-in-law visits the home of his bride and is entertained lavishly. [Swami sang a poem describing how the son-in-law is honored by all the people in the village].

From ancient times such festivals have been a source of joy to the people of Bharat. Alas! Such festivals have gone and the people have taken to purely worldly pleasures. Of what avail are these pleasures? They are artificial. People have forgotten the heart and lost their peace in the bargain.

UBIQUITOUS FEAR

The whole world is ravaged by unrest and fear. [Swami song a song in which the poet mourns the plight of modern man, steeped in fear and misery]. Man is haunted by fear wherever he goes or stays. The only way out of this situation is for people to take refuge in God. The protective grace of the Divine will free men from fear. Where devotion and love exist together, there will be no room for fear. It is their absence that is the cause of fear everywhere.

Students! In whatever you do, either studies, or games, in singing or in the jobs you may take up, see that you invest them with sacredness and purity. In the songs you sing, if there is no joy for the listener, what is the use of your singing? "Why sing if you cannot be melodious? What is the use of education without humility? Without a pure heart, why worship Siva? A heart without love is a block of stone". [Telugu Poem].

Fill your hearts with love. That love should be pure and genuine. Today mutual courtesies have become artificial and insincere.

DIVINE LOVE

Students should cultivate selfless love as one of the basic human values. Position, wealth and strength may come and go. Only divine love is permanent. Love is God. God is love. That is the truth, irrespective of nationality, race, or religion.

Education should be divorced from jobs. Its purpose should be the acquisition of the highest knowledge (Vijnaana). That is the concept upheld by Bharatiya Culture. Students will be ideal citizens of the nation only when they develop Self-confidence and the feeling of spiritual oneness. Develop the spirit of sacrifice and become defenders of the nation's integrity and honor. You must strive to promote the welfare of society. Eschew ideas of "me" and "mine". You will then become one with the Divine. When you identify yourself with all, you can derive infinite joy.

Once upon a time the demons were present in small numbers. But today it is difficult to tell who is a demon and who is a human being. Get rid of any trace of demonic qualities. Become human and then go towards divinity.

Students! You have received today prizes for your success in sports. In the same manner, you should score successes in your lives in the outside world.

BHAGAVAN'S EXAMPLE

Develop the quality of forgiveness (Kshama) and refrain from harshness in speech. Sai is the example for you in this regard. All sorts of people indulge in calumny and criticism. Swami remains totally unaffected. Why should I follow their example? I must follow my own way. If I follow another I am a slave. Therefore, I never follow another's ways. I adhere firmly to what I deem as good.

You must realize that if you give up forbearance and forgiveness, you will have no peace. I am always at peace. What is the reason? Because I am always patient. You must also remain likewise. Whatever any one may do to you, do not bother about it. What is it you lose on account of their behavior? If you resort to retaliation, you will worsen your condition. You have no idea either of your strength or your disability. You must face boldly such attacks and not allow yourself to get agitated over them. Students should win by their forbearance. Forbearance should be your life- breath and your ideal.

By your fearlessness set an example to the world.

DOUBLE BLESSING

It is an auspicious coincidence that today you have both the prize distribution function and the holy festival of Sankraanthi. On this doubly blessed day you have to enjoy the sweetness of this combination, like the mixture of sugar and milk, and pledge yourselves to lead a dedicated life. The Upanishads have described the Lord as verily sweetness itself ("Raso vai saha")You have the sweet essence of kindness (Karunaarasa) in you. You are also filled with compassion and peace. Luckily you are free from grief ("Sokarasa"). You are free from bad qualities. Do not let them in. Foster the spirit of kindness. Treat life as a great game and be victorious in it by leading an ideal life.

Life is a game, play it!
Life is a challenge, meet it!
Life is a dream, realize it!
Life is love, enjoy it!

This is what you have to achieve . Therein lies your true human worth. Human life does not consist in getting married, bringing forth children and being caught up in that endless round. They are the routine of worldly existence. There is nothing wrong in it, but it should not be your ideal. Whatever you may do in ordinary life, base your life on the ideal.

In the army, people are assigned different duties. But two things are common to everyone: parade (drill) and use of the gun. Likewise, two things are essential for students: love (Prema) and sacrifice (Thyaaga). Adhere to these two ideals. Love all. Be prepared for any kind of sacrifice. Without the spirit of sacrifice life has no meaning. For the sake of helping others or for promoting the welfare of society you must be ready even to give up your lives. To realize God, continually yearn for Him. You must constantly pray for the opportunity to experience God. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to feel sad if he did not share the vision of the Mother on any day. Pine for God at all times. When you get God's grace, all the planets will be in your favor. You must ceaselessly strive to win God's grace. Never give up the search. [Swami sang two songs to illustrate how the devotee should pray to God]. Do your duty and God's grace will follow. Pray from the depth of your heart for the well-being of all people.

[Bhagavan conferred His benediction on all the students and devotees and concluded His discourse with the bhajan: "Prema muditha Manase Kaho".]